Day 28
Job 8:1-10:22
(8 | 9 | 10)
Another of Job's friends, Bildad the Shuhite, seizes the opportunity to speak. Bildad's argument seems to be that Job must somehow deserve what he is going through:
Job's reply to this is that he knows Bildad is speaking the truth. Job knows that God does not punish the innocent. "But" he questions, "how can a mortal be righteous before God?" How can a man question God? The very same God who made heaven and earth. God is too huge, too powerful to be questioned like that. If God were a man, Job could plead his case. He could find someone to judge the case between them. But as it is, there's nothing Job feels he can do. Job then goes back to lamenting his own existence, and asks God to turn away from him so that he might not suffer for his last days on the planet.
Matthew 19:16-30
(19:16-30)
A young man approaches Jesus, and asks him what he must do to get into heaven. Jesus runs through a list of commandments he must keep. The man asks if there's anything else. It's then that Jesus drops the bombshell: "go, sell your possessions and give to the poor. Then come, follow me" (verse 21). The man leaves downcast because he has a lot of money. Jesus tells his disciples the famous line that "it is easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (verse 24). He goes on to explain that "with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (verse 26).
The young man is very legalistic in his approach. He seems to treat the whole thing like a check list. As Jesus lists off things the young man must do, you can just imagine the man standing there thinking "yep, done that one. Aaaand that one. Nope, don't murder people, got that one down." Then when it comes to giving up his considerable wealth, he just can't seem to bring himself to do it. Then Jesus reveals that actually, it's not about the law. It's about following God. It's about doing what he wants you to do; doing it because he wants you to do it, not because scripture says to. It's about sacrifice. Now all of these things are impossible to do if you follow the law for the law's sake. It's only possible if you're in relationship with God.
Proverbs 3:11-20
(3:11-20)
Unsurprisingly, this passage speaks about the benefits of wisdom. It also speaks about accepting the LORD's correction; when God rebukes us, he does it because he loves us. So we shouldn't resent him for it, rather we should embrace it. In the same way, we should embrace wisdom. Both tasks bring blessing.
Job 8:1-10:22
(8 | 9 | 10)
Another of Job's friends, Bildad the Shuhite, seizes the opportunity to speak. Bildad's argument seems to be that Job must somehow deserve what he is going through:
"Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?" (8:3)Bildad's advice is this; plead your case with God. If you're truly blameless, God will come in on your side. After all, "God does not reject a blameless man" (v. 20).
Job's reply to this is that he knows Bildad is speaking the truth. Job knows that God does not punish the innocent. "But" he questions, "how can a mortal be righteous before God?" How can a man question God? The very same God who made heaven and earth. God is too huge, too powerful to be questioned like that. If God were a man, Job could plead his case. He could find someone to judge the case between them. But as it is, there's nothing Job feels he can do. Job then goes back to lamenting his own existence, and asks God to turn away from him so that he might not suffer for his last days on the planet.
Matthew 19:16-30
(19:16-30)
A young man approaches Jesus, and asks him what he must do to get into heaven. Jesus runs through a list of commandments he must keep. The man asks if there's anything else. It's then that Jesus drops the bombshell: "go, sell your possessions and give to the poor. Then come, follow me" (verse 21). The man leaves downcast because he has a lot of money. Jesus tells his disciples the famous line that "it is easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (verse 24). He goes on to explain that "with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (verse 26).
The young man is very legalistic in his approach. He seems to treat the whole thing like a check list. As Jesus lists off things the young man must do, you can just imagine the man standing there thinking "yep, done that one. Aaaand that one. Nope, don't murder people, got that one down." Then when it comes to giving up his considerable wealth, he just can't seem to bring himself to do it. Then Jesus reveals that actually, it's not about the law. It's about following God. It's about doing what he wants you to do; doing it because he wants you to do it, not because scripture says to. It's about sacrifice. Now all of these things are impossible to do if you follow the law for the law's sake. It's only possible if you're in relationship with God.
Proverbs 3:11-20
(3:11-20)
Unsurprisingly, this passage speaks about the benefits of wisdom. It also speaks about accepting the LORD's correction; when God rebukes us, he does it because he loves us. So we shouldn't resent him for it, rather we should embrace it. In the same way, we should embrace wisdom. Both tasks bring blessing.
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