Today seems like a good day to post on this blog once again. This may be the first blog posting from my phone, so I will try to keep this brief.
Today, I finished reading Ezekiel, a book of a vision of God's Devine omnipresence, cherubim with flying intersecting spinning wheels, and a vision of a new temple for the worship of God that Ezekiel could map out its exact architectural components such that one could build it today if he or she so desired. Essentially he watches an angel measure the entirety of the temple grounds with a 6-cubit long measuring stick, and together they chart out all of its dimensions.
It is a book if God's divine transcendence above and surrounding all things, the thundering power within my Lord, and it is also a book of
God's immanence as God lays out plans for a temple in which to dwell among the people. Awesome.
650 pages to go!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Update re: Blog
Hi everyone. Everyone being all 5 of you who read this blog. You may have noticed that I have not posted in quite some time. Suffice it to say life had come in the way. I have not forgotten this blog and hope to get back to it when things calm down.
See you soon.
See you soon.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Days 118-126: Job 32:1-Psalm 35:28
I feel it necessary, because I have not blogged in a week to do two things in this blog. I hope to tell the end of the story of Job and then highlight some of my favourite passages in the book of Psalms. This could either be a really long post or a short one. I'm not sure yet.
When we last left Job, Elihu, his "friend", is telling Job about how God works. In a nutshell, Elihu argues that, because God is the omni-God (all good, all powerful, all knowing, all present), he (God) cannot be with sin (at fault).
***NOTE: I just had déjà vu.
If God cannot sin, then anything bad that happens to Job must be the result of some evil in Job's life. He then switches up his tactic by saying in Job 35:6-8 that a person's sin has no effect on God, but only on the person herself. I think this is because Elihu is trying to argue for the absolute transcendence and power of the Almighty. I think he is arguing that God is infinitely more powerful than any human, so we can have no effect on him, and because of his absolute benevolence, any suffering we endure is the result of our own doing.
Finally, in chapter 38, the LORD speaks. "Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm." (Job 38:1). Finally, at the climax of book, God shows up. Over the past chapter or so, Elihu describes a building storm. He describes the thunder, the clouds, the lightening, etc. He talks about how God is so majestic, that he is so much more powerful than these mighty wonders. Then God shows up.
His words are poignant and humbling. Through the entire chapter God speaks directly to Job, challenging Job, humbling Job, by asking Job, "Who are you that you think you can challenge me? Job, I am so much more powerful than you could ever conceive." I copied out the passage where God speaks. I underlined some of the parts that really speak to me. Here is Job 38.
Remember how I've been highlighting the theme of the fear of the LORD? I think this is a key passage. God is presenting himself as pure creative and uninhibited agency. It was as if he was saying to Job and to us, "You are nothing compared to me." The hope that we have is that after that God says, "And I love you with my whole being." These chapters represent a huge rebuke to Job (and to us). God seems to be saying that if we only knew of the faint whisper we hear of him, we would be humbled and know in our hearts that we are nothing without him. The wonderful good news is, with all of this all-consuming power, there is a complimentary all-consuming love and never-ending desire to pursue us. When the one who loves you is the same one that rips the foundations of the earth apart and governs the stars in the sky, who terrifies the mighty with his words, then what is there to fear? Not even death itself.
Job, after seeing God is all his glory, humbles himself to the ground, covers himself with dust (as a symbol of mourning and repentance) (Job 42:1-6). Apparently in all of this, he never spoke wrong of God (42:7). In the end, God blesses Job with twice as much as he had before and gave him a huge legacy of life, children, and wealth. Awesome.
For Psalms, I think I will take a different approach. Psalms is a collection of songs that were mostly written by David, the most celebrated king of Israel, the man who was remembered as the "man after God's own heart." Because Psalms is a collection of song lyrics, I did not notice a narrative or theological system. Instead I noticed beautiful poetry in some parts. So, I have decided that for this blog, I will just write the parts I like and reference them. No explanation or anything, because I'm cool like that. In all honesty, I think the words speak for themselves.
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked..." (Psalm 1:1)
"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yield its fruit in season and who leaf does not whither." (Psalm1:2-3).
"For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous," (Psalm1:6)
"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." (Psalm 4:4)
"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection of them." (Psalm 5:11)
"You made [people] a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour." (Psalm 8:5)
"The LORD is the refuge of the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." (Psalm 9:10).
"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1).
"I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord: apart from you I have no good thing." (Psalm 16:2).
"I love you, O LORD, my strength." (Psalm 18:1)
"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, in his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed, and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." (Psalm 18:6-16).
"To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;" (Psalm 25:1).
"according to your love, remember me." (Psalm 25:7).
"The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)
"LORD gives strenght to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace." (Psalm 29:11).
"I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' and you forgave the guilt of my sin." (Psalm 32:5).
"... but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him." (Psalm 32:10).
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18).
Time to get some sleep methinks. Only 1130 more pages to go!
When we last left Job, Elihu, his "friend", is telling Job about how God works. In a nutshell, Elihu argues that, because God is the omni-God (all good, all powerful, all knowing, all present), he (God) cannot be with sin (at fault).
***NOTE: I just had déjà vu.
If God cannot sin, then anything bad that happens to Job must be the result of some evil in Job's life. He then switches up his tactic by saying in Job 35:6-8 that a person's sin has no effect on God, but only on the person herself. I think this is because Elihu is trying to argue for the absolute transcendence and power of the Almighty. I think he is arguing that God is infinitely more powerful than any human, so we can have no effect on him, and because of his absolute benevolence, any suffering we endure is the result of our own doing.
Finally, in chapter 38, the LORD speaks. "Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm." (Job 38:1). Finally, at the climax of book, God shows up. Over the past chapter or so, Elihu describes a building storm. He describes the thunder, the clouds, the lightening, etc. He talks about how God is so majestic, that he is so much more powerful than these mighty wonders. Then God shows up.
His words are poignant and humbling. Through the entire chapter God speaks directly to Job, challenging Job, humbling Job, by asking Job, "Who are you that you think you can challenge me? Job, I am so much more powerful than you could ever conceive." I copied out the passage where God speaks. I underlined some of the parts that really speak to me. Here is Job 38.
“Who is this that obscures my plansGod's rhetorical questioning of Job continues for chapters 38, 39, 40, and 41. As I read, I answered each of the questions as if I was Job, and in every single question that pertained to whether I could do something, my answer was, "No." In every single question that pertained to who did all these amazing things, the answer was, "You did, God." For four chapters, God drives home the point that we are nothing and powerless before God.
with words without knowledge?
3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
9 when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?
12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,
and their upraised arm is broken.
16 “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.
19 “What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
20 Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!
You have lived so many years!
22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of the hail,
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,
for days of war and battle?
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,
26 to water a land where no one lives,
an uninhabited desert,
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
and make it sprout with grass?
28 Does the rain have a father?
Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen?
31 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades?
Can you loosen Orion’s belt?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
or lead out the Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom
or gives the rooster understanding?
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens
38 when the dust becomes hard
and the clods of earth stick together?
39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
and satisfy the hunger of the lions
40 when they crouch in their dens
or lie in wait in a thicket?
41 Who provides food for the raven
when its young cry out to God
and wander about for lack of food?
Remember how I've been highlighting the theme of the fear of the LORD? I think this is a key passage. God is presenting himself as pure creative and uninhibited agency. It was as if he was saying to Job and to us, "You are nothing compared to me." The hope that we have is that after that God says, "And I love you with my whole being." These chapters represent a huge rebuke to Job (and to us). God seems to be saying that if we only knew of the faint whisper we hear of him, we would be humbled and know in our hearts that we are nothing without him. The wonderful good news is, with all of this all-consuming power, there is a complimentary all-consuming love and never-ending desire to pursue us. When the one who loves you is the same one that rips the foundations of the earth apart and governs the stars in the sky, who terrifies the mighty with his words, then what is there to fear? Not even death itself.
Job, after seeing God is all his glory, humbles himself to the ground, covers himself with dust (as a symbol of mourning and repentance) (Job 42:1-6). Apparently in all of this, he never spoke wrong of God (42:7). In the end, God blesses Job with twice as much as he had before and gave him a huge legacy of life, children, and wealth. Awesome.
For Psalms, I think I will take a different approach. Psalms is a collection of songs that were mostly written by David, the most celebrated king of Israel, the man who was remembered as the "man after God's own heart." Because Psalms is a collection of song lyrics, I did not notice a narrative or theological system. Instead I noticed beautiful poetry in some parts. So, I have decided that for this blog, I will just write the parts I like and reference them. No explanation or anything, because I'm cool like that. In all honesty, I think the words speak for themselves.
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked..." (Psalm 1:1)
"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yield its fruit in season and who leaf does not whither." (Psalm1:2-3).
"For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous," (Psalm1:6)
"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." (Psalm 4:4)
"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection of them." (Psalm 5:11)
"You made [people] a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour." (Psalm 8:5)
"The LORD is the refuge of the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." (Psalm 9:10).
"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1).
"I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord: apart from you I have no good thing." (Psalm 16:2).
"I love you, O LORD, my strength." (Psalm 18:1)
"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, in his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed, and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." (Psalm 18:6-16).
"To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;" (Psalm 25:1).
"according to your love, remember me." (Psalm 25:7).
"The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)
"LORD gives strenght to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace." (Psalm 29:11).
"I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' and you forgave the guilt of my sin." (Psalm 32:5).
"... but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him." (Psalm 32:10).
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18).
Time to get some sleep methinks. Only 1130 more pages to go!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Day 117: Job 25:1-31:40
Bildad argues against Job's claim that he is blameless. Essentially, Bildad says, "No one is blameless before God!" He compares Job to the brightness of stars and the moon, saying that compared to them, Job is but a maggot, a worm writhing in the mud. How, then, could Job claim to be innocent. How, then, could he claim he did not deserve the suffering he was experiencing?
Job replies by describing the LORD. In one of the most beautiful passages of Scripture, he echoes Bildad's idea of God's magnificence, power, and awesomeness. At the same time, he makes a statement about just how small and insignificant a single person really is before God. How terrifying it must be to be confronted by God! So, I thought I would type out the passage for you. It may give you a better sense of what I'm talking about. The following is from Job 26:5-14:
Job feels that all of that power is acting against him. He has lost everything that and everyone who was important to him. He has been destitute, despised, and humiliated. "Here is the fate God allots to the wicked, the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty..." (Job 27:13) He goes on to describe how the person will lose wealth, health, legacy, social position, etc.; the wicked will experience everything he has. Yet, "as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit." (Job 27:3-4) I hear him saying, "God turns his back on the wicked so they experience hardship. But I am experiencing hardship even though I have been righteous. What is going on, God?"
Job 28 is a cool three part poem that describes early Mesopotamian mining practices, and asks, "Can wisdom be found there?" The most precious metals and stones (gold, silver, rubies, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, onyx) Job asks if wisdom can be found down in the mines. Of course not. So, he asks if the riches can be bought with the precious stones and metals found in the mines. Of course not. The inevitable question, then, is "Where can wisdom be found?" (Job 28:12). This question is answered in Job 28:28, "The fear of the Lord- that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding."
Job used to be of high standing, but apparently he used to help the poor, the downtrodden, the least of these. But now those same people mock him because of his misfortune. He feels despised and despicable. He is thrown "into the mud" and "reduced to dust and ashes." (Job 30:19) The dust and ashes symbolize the underworld, death, according to my study Bible.
The whole passage in chapter 31 ends with, "The words of Job are ended." (Job 31:40). There is a real finality to this chapter.
I'm feeling melancholy tonight. I'm feeling sad. And that is OK.
Job replies by describing the LORD. In one of the most beautiful passages of Scripture, he echoes Bildad's idea of God's magnificence, power, and awesomeness. At the same time, he makes a statement about just how small and insignificant a single person really is before God. How terrifying it must be to be confronted by God! So, I thought I would type out the passage for you. It may give you a better sense of what I'm talking about. The following is from Job 26:5-14:
The dead are in deep anguish, those beneath the waters and all that live in them. Death is naked before God. Destruction lies uncovered. He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it. He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent. And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?I get chills every time I read it. Remember the multiple passages I have referenced about the fear of the LORD? Well, this is where I think it comes into play. We fear him, so we take him seriously. We begin to learn about him, then love him. He surrounds us and protects us. With him watching out for us, what shall we fear? As Paul wrote in Romans 8:31, "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" And here is the part that really boggles my mind: after considering all the amazing things we know about this universe, "these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him!" If black holes, supernova, quasars, and the strong nuclear force are the fringe, how much more amazing would God be if we could truly see His face? I suppose we will have to wait until he calls me home. What a day that will be!
Job feels that all of that power is acting against him. He has lost everything that and everyone who was important to him. He has been destitute, despised, and humiliated. "Here is the fate God allots to the wicked, the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty..." (Job 27:13) He goes on to describe how the person will lose wealth, health, legacy, social position, etc.; the wicked will experience everything he has. Yet, "as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit." (Job 27:3-4) I hear him saying, "God turns his back on the wicked so they experience hardship. But I am experiencing hardship even though I have been righteous. What is going on, God?"
Job 28 is a cool three part poem that describes early Mesopotamian mining practices, and asks, "Can wisdom be found there?" The most precious metals and stones (gold, silver, rubies, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, onyx) Job asks if wisdom can be found down in the mines. Of course not. So, he asks if the riches can be bought with the precious stones and metals found in the mines. Of course not. The inevitable question, then, is "Where can wisdom be found?" (Job 28:12). This question is answered in Job 28:28, "The fear of the Lord- that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding."
Job used to be of high standing, but apparently he used to help the poor, the downtrodden, the least of these. But now those same people mock him because of his misfortune. He feels despised and despicable. He is thrown "into the mud" and "reduced to dust and ashes." (Job 30:19) The dust and ashes symbolize the underworld, death, according to my study Bible.
The whole passage in chapter 31 ends with, "The words of Job are ended." (Job 31:40). There is a real finality to this chapter.
I'm feeling melancholy tonight. I'm feeling sad. And that is OK.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Day 116: Job 19:1-24:25
It seems novel to have completed my reading for this blog all within the span of one day and one book of the Bible. I feel like, by the grace of God and a late night mocha from Klinic, I had the energy and wherewithal to read the portion of Scripture for today. That I have some energy left to blog about it at 1:47AM is simultaneously impressive and concerning.
The first poem was the dialogue of Job. He provides a graphic and potent description of his plight. He implores God to tell him why He has humiliated, alienated, wronged, snared, troubled, and tormented him. He feels God has abandoned him. "Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice" (Job 19:7). He feels God has both turned away and against him. Then, he describes himself as having nothing, dirty, smelly, having bad breath, no teeth, gaunt, and detestable (Job 19:17-20). Then a beaming ray of shining faith in the midst of this misery, "I know that my Redeemer lives," (Job 19:25). Despite his suffering, Job clings to the faint hope that he will be redeemed by God.
Zophar responds in the next section. He reacts to Job's promises of God's wrath against them for having been so cruel and said the things they have about him. Zophar tries to argue that, though the wicked often enjoy prosperity and joy while alive, it is fleeting, and their inevitable fate is ruins. This fits the idea that wickedness reaps suffering and punishment. He seems to be both refuting Job's idea that life is fundamentally unjust because the godless prosper while the righteous suffer, and also accusing Job of being guilty of some form of sin against God. After all, sin reaps suffering.
Job replies by saying that yes, the wicked inevitably suffer the same fate as the righteous, in life the wicked enjoy prosperity and luxury while the righteous are swept away. "Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest? One man dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease, his body well nourished, his bones rich with marrow. Another man dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good. Side by side they lie in the dust, and worms cover them both" (Job 21:22-26).
Eliphaz then makes a somewhat bizarre and interesting argument. He says, God is perfect and created humans. So, nothing humans do can impress God, since we were created perfect as the benchmark. We can either perform to that perfect standard, which is what God intended and expected in the first place, or we can fail to meet that standard. In other words, for humanity, there is no where to go but down. He makes an interesting point when he says, "Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise man benefit him? What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? what would he gain if your ways were blameless?" (Job 22:2-3). We either fulfill our purpose of fail. We cannot exceed or transcend; we can only meet original expectations or cause harm.
Job has the final say in this reading. There are some really poignant passages that I want to share and then discuss. "When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold... But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? he does whatever he pleases. He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store. That is why I am terrified before him; when I think of all this, I fear him. God has made my heart fain; the Almighty has terrified me" (Job 23:9-10, 13-16). I think if I truly saw God, nothing between Him and me, I would be terrified, filled with dread. He is nothing short of pure holiness, and as such I would be rendered to my knees..
The last chapter of today's reading describes how Job sees the world not working the way it should. Gross social injustices were taking place around him. Children, women, the poor, orphans, debtors, and the innocent are oppressed and used by the rich, greedy, and sinful. The thief and adulterer embrace darkness and continue in the sin without unhindered. Yet, Job says, the sinful are nothing but foam on the water (Job 24:18). Soon, they too will be worm food. (Job 24:20). They will have their judgment day. Everything is still in God's control. The wicked may feel they have power, but that is only because God is allowing them that freedom for now (Job 24:23).God's eyes are on their ways; He is watching them closely (Job 24:24). Interesting how, in Genesis, "the God who sees me" was a blessing (Genesis 16). God's blessed watch over Hagar is the same watch which afflicts the wicked. Interesting.
I don't know who you are, but I pray that you feel a stirring in your soul to be in God's blessed sight, not His afflicting stare. I hope that God starts moving in you. He truly loves you, and has pursued you since before you knew yourself. He loved you with arms wide open in atonement for you, and he waits with arms wide open to embrace you as a follower of Christ. I pray that you feel a stirring in your soul for Christ.
Good day.
Only 1189 pages to go!
The first poem was the dialogue of Job. He provides a graphic and potent description of his plight. He implores God to tell him why He has humiliated, alienated, wronged, snared, troubled, and tormented him. He feels God has abandoned him. "Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice" (Job 19:7). He feels God has both turned away and against him. Then, he describes himself as having nothing, dirty, smelly, having bad breath, no teeth, gaunt, and detestable (Job 19:17-20). Then a beaming ray of shining faith in the midst of this misery, "I know that my Redeemer lives," (Job 19:25). Despite his suffering, Job clings to the faint hope that he will be redeemed by God.
Zophar responds in the next section. He reacts to Job's promises of God's wrath against them for having been so cruel and said the things they have about him. Zophar tries to argue that, though the wicked often enjoy prosperity and joy while alive, it is fleeting, and their inevitable fate is ruins. This fits the idea that wickedness reaps suffering and punishment. He seems to be both refuting Job's idea that life is fundamentally unjust because the godless prosper while the righteous suffer, and also accusing Job of being guilty of some form of sin against God. After all, sin reaps suffering.
Job replies by saying that yes, the wicked inevitably suffer the same fate as the righteous, in life the wicked enjoy prosperity and luxury while the righteous are swept away. "Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest? One man dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease, his body well nourished, his bones rich with marrow. Another man dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good. Side by side they lie in the dust, and worms cover them both" (Job 21:22-26).
Eliphaz then makes a somewhat bizarre and interesting argument. He says, God is perfect and created humans. So, nothing humans do can impress God, since we were created perfect as the benchmark. We can either perform to that perfect standard, which is what God intended and expected in the first place, or we can fail to meet that standard. In other words, for humanity, there is no where to go but down. He makes an interesting point when he says, "Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise man benefit him? What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? what would he gain if your ways were blameless?" (Job 22:2-3). We either fulfill our purpose of fail. We cannot exceed or transcend; we can only meet original expectations or cause harm.
Job has the final say in this reading. There are some really poignant passages that I want to share and then discuss. "When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold... But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? he does whatever he pleases. He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store. That is why I am terrified before him; when I think of all this, I fear him. God has made my heart fain; the Almighty has terrified me" (Job 23:9-10, 13-16). I think if I truly saw God, nothing between Him and me, I would be terrified, filled with dread. He is nothing short of pure holiness, and as such I would be rendered to my knees..
The last chapter of today's reading describes how Job sees the world not working the way it should. Gross social injustices were taking place around him. Children, women, the poor, orphans, debtors, and the innocent are oppressed and used by the rich, greedy, and sinful. The thief and adulterer embrace darkness and continue in the sin without unhindered. Yet, Job says, the sinful are nothing but foam on the water (Job 24:18). Soon, they too will be worm food. (Job 24:20). They will have their judgment day. Everything is still in God's control. The wicked may feel they have power, but that is only because God is allowing them that freedom for now (Job 24:23).God's eyes are on their ways; He is watching them closely (Job 24:24). Interesting how, in Genesis, "the God who sees me" was a blessing (Genesis 16). God's blessed watch over Hagar is the same watch which afflicts the wicked. Interesting.
I don't know who you are, but I pray that you feel a stirring in your soul to be in God's blessed sight, not His afflicting stare. I hope that God starts moving in you. He truly loves you, and has pursued you since before you knew yourself. He loved you with arms wide open in atonement for you, and he waits with arms wide open to embrace you as a follower of Christ. I pray that you feel a stirring in your soul for Christ.
Good day.
Only 1189 pages to go!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Days 101-115: 2 Chronicles 17:1-Job 18:21
Wow. My brain hurts. I just finished reading the end of 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemia, Esther, and now almost half of Job in what seems like a very short time. Talk about a lesson in making sure to keep up with reading on a daily basis! I feel it is necessary to talk about what parts of this scripture reading moved me. It seems hardly worth while to read the Word of God and blog about it if I just post things like, "I caught up with the reading. Talk to you later!" On the other hand, I think this section covers thousands of years of Jewish history, plus tens of references I would want you to read yourself and experience their power. So, I will try my best to get through as many as I possibly can before 11:50PM tonight.
Starting with 2 Chronicles. In Chapter 19, Jesoshaphat appoints Judges (judges who are also military officers) over Israel. He commissions them with high expectations. "Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery" (2 Chr. 19:7). "You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the LORD" (2 Chr. 19:9). Another cool part is, after being established as king, Jehoshaphat prays publically saying, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you" (2 Chr. 20:12). Then rest of 2 Chronicles was not that interesting to me, and it did not move me spiritually, really.
Ezra and Nehemiah were apparently one book at one time until relatively recently when they were split. It makes sense then that Ezra blends into Nehemia like Twilight into New Moon. That's right. I just put a Twilight reference in a Bible reading blog. Deal with it. Anyway!!! These books were all about the work of Ezra and Nehemiah (priests of the temple of God), and how they led Israel to restore the walls of Jerusalem, return items of the LORD's temple to their proper place, and generally revive Israel. Ezra was cool to read because it contains a lot of letters within the text, written between kings and rulers issuing decrees allowing the Israelites safety and permission to worship, giving them full access to materials as they needed. It is cool to see how God moved these rulers to sustain His people. Awesome! It seems to revolve around the theme of setting the holy apart from the profane. God's people were His holy presence embodied in the world. Through His providence, they were able to be set apart and protected and revived. Many of the same themes came up in Nehemiah. Nehemiah was interesting because it contained details of the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. Sections were portioned off to different "construction crews" per se. These crews were groups of people that lived around that section of the wall. What I found interesting was the mix of socioeconomic, gender, and class of people that worked together on the wall all at the same time. High priests (Neh. 3:1), the "men of Jerico" (Neh. 3:2), goldsmiths (Neh. 3:8), perfume-makers (Neh. 3:8), a half-district ruler and his daughters (Neh. 3:12), etc. The wall symbolized the reuniting of Israel, all people were under the rule of God. District ruler and perfume-makers alike, none were above God, and all served Him together. At some point, people start to oppose the building of the wall. Then Ezra reads the entire law in front of the whole of Israel. The people repent and recommit themselves to the LORD.
Esther was a very interesting book. Fun fact: God is never referenced, but He is completely present in the narrative, because I could see how trivial events led to justice and righteousness prevailing. I will try to summarize. King Xerxes had a Queen Vashti. She was beautiful, and he wanted to show her off to some friends. She refused. Pretty gutsy move to stand up to the ruler of the known world. Anyway, Xerxes is irked, talks to his bros, and they all tell him he should discipline her, lest all their wives stand up to them. lol. Later, Xerxes sends out a call for beautiful virgins because he was creepy like that. Enter Esther, the most beautiful woman in the land. She had a cousin who raised her named Mordecai (or Marty, as I like to call him). Esther was taken into Xerxes' palace, but Marty stayed just outside the palace grounds keeping an eye on the woman he raised. Xerxes really like Esther, so he made her Queen. Now, Marty happen to overhear some disgruntled palace guards plotting to assassinate Xerxes. Marty summoned Esther and told her so that Xerxes would know. The two guards were then hanged. After this, Xerxes decided to make some guy named Haman a really big deal. Everyone was supposed to kneel down and worship Haman. Well, Marty did not. Haman got angry. So, he decided the best way to deal with his anger was to kill all of the Jews, because Marty was a Jew. He builds a huge gallows to hang Marty. Marty gets worried and talks to Esther. Apparently, the only thing she could try to do was to talk to Xerxes directly, but that was risky. If someone came into his presence, and he did not hold out his scepter to them, that meant they were to be executed on the spot. I do not know how this guy made any friends. Well, Esther, being beautiful was given favour by Xerxes. She told Xerxes about the plot to kill him, and asked that the Jews not be harmed. Xerxes granted her request, and he ordered Haman to be hanged on the gallows he built for Marty because Haman wanted to kill the man who foiled the plot to kill Xerxes. Sounds like a soap opera, but trust me, it is actually pretty interesting. Read Esther. God really is present in the book.
And finally... Job. This is the most poetic book I have encountered. Where I was once reading lists of genealogies and procedures on how to process sacrificed animals, I am now reading about the existential and spiritual agony of a man who lost everything he owned and loved in a test of his faith in God. The whole premise of this book seems to be built on the problem of evil; that is, if God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, how come evil (suffering of the innocent, specifically) exists? Either God is impotent, incompetent, or malevolent; or so the reasoning goes, according to Mackey. Well, a narrative is constructed in Job to account for that. Either by Divine revelation or by narrative story-telling, the book of Job centres around a cosmic wager of sorts.
Satan (literally, the accuser, a figure who stands for the one who brings evil into the world, becoming the fifth premise if the problem of evil as it were) goes to meet God after "roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it" (Job 1:7). God initiates the conversation by taking pride in Job's righteousness. Job was wealthy, blameless, upright, and he feared God. Satan takes on God by saying that Job only follows God because God has blessed him. If God took away his blessings, then Job would turn his back on him. According to my study Bible, this is the ultimate challenge. "For if the godliness of the most righteous man in whom God delights can be shown to be the worst of all sins, then a chasm of alienation stands between them that cannot be bridged. Then even redemption is unthinkable, for the godliest of men will be shown to be the most ungodly. God's whole enterprise in creation and derdemption will be shown to be radically flawed, and God can only sweep it all away in awful judgement" (The NIV Study Bible: New International Version: Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 732). This is the ultimate theological showdown.
Job had everything, and in an instant lost it all. I encourage you to read Job. It is fascinating. Job describes his suffering, sorrow, and pain, but never once curses God. He repeatedly wishes that he had never been born, that there had never been light, that the universe had never started so that he would end up suffering. He wanted to undo creation, to descend into chaos before the definiteness of his suffering became a crushing reality. He becomes preoccupied with death and wanting to be buried so he can be free from his pain. Yet, he praises the LORD and turns to Him for help. What a man! Though his friends reason otherwise, Job knows he is innocent. His friends repeatedly argue with him telling him that only the wicked are punished by God, and since he is being punished, Job must have committed some evil in his life that he has not sought remittance for. But Job knows that he has been faithful and righteous, so again, he cries out to God for help and mercy.
Job lost everything, suffered pain and anguish I have never known, and yet he never cursed God. Instead he pursued God. He petitioned God. He never stopped chasing after God trying to figure out why God was doing this to him. If only I had such faith.
I look forward to reading the rest of Job. So far, Job has been one of my favourite books. I love the poetry and the imagery. Some of it is dark and infernal, and some is profound and important.
1196 pages to go!
Starting with 2 Chronicles. In Chapter 19, Jesoshaphat appoints Judges (judges who are also military officers) over Israel. He commissions them with high expectations. "Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery" (2 Chr. 19:7). "You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the LORD" (2 Chr. 19:9). Another cool part is, after being established as king, Jehoshaphat prays publically saying, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you" (2 Chr. 20:12). Then rest of 2 Chronicles was not that interesting to me, and it did not move me spiritually, really.
Ezra and Nehemiah were apparently one book at one time until relatively recently when they were split. It makes sense then that Ezra blends into Nehemia like Twilight into New Moon. That's right. I just put a Twilight reference in a Bible reading blog. Deal with it. Anyway!!! These books were all about the work of Ezra and Nehemiah (priests of the temple of God), and how they led Israel to restore the walls of Jerusalem, return items of the LORD's temple to their proper place, and generally revive Israel. Ezra was cool to read because it contains a lot of letters within the text, written between kings and rulers issuing decrees allowing the Israelites safety and permission to worship, giving them full access to materials as they needed. It is cool to see how God moved these rulers to sustain His people. Awesome! It seems to revolve around the theme of setting the holy apart from the profane. God's people were His holy presence embodied in the world. Through His providence, they were able to be set apart and protected and revived. Many of the same themes came up in Nehemiah. Nehemiah was interesting because it contained details of the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. Sections were portioned off to different "construction crews" per se. These crews were groups of people that lived around that section of the wall. What I found interesting was the mix of socioeconomic, gender, and class of people that worked together on the wall all at the same time. High priests (Neh. 3:1), the "men of Jerico" (Neh. 3:2), goldsmiths (Neh. 3:8), perfume-makers (Neh. 3:8), a half-district ruler and his daughters (Neh. 3:12), etc. The wall symbolized the reuniting of Israel, all people were under the rule of God. District ruler and perfume-makers alike, none were above God, and all served Him together. At some point, people start to oppose the building of the wall. Then Ezra reads the entire law in front of the whole of Israel. The people repent and recommit themselves to the LORD.
Esther was a very interesting book. Fun fact: God is never referenced, but He is completely present in the narrative, because I could see how trivial events led to justice and righteousness prevailing. I will try to summarize. King Xerxes had a Queen Vashti. She was beautiful, and he wanted to show her off to some friends. She refused. Pretty gutsy move to stand up to the ruler of the known world. Anyway, Xerxes is irked, talks to his bros, and they all tell him he should discipline her, lest all their wives stand up to them. lol. Later, Xerxes sends out a call for beautiful virgins because he was creepy like that. Enter Esther, the most beautiful woman in the land. She had a cousin who raised her named Mordecai (or Marty, as I like to call him). Esther was taken into Xerxes' palace, but Marty stayed just outside the palace grounds keeping an eye on the woman he raised. Xerxes really like Esther, so he made her Queen. Now, Marty happen to overhear some disgruntled palace guards plotting to assassinate Xerxes. Marty summoned Esther and told her so that Xerxes would know. The two guards were then hanged. After this, Xerxes decided to make some guy named Haman a really big deal. Everyone was supposed to kneel down and worship Haman. Well, Marty did not. Haman got angry. So, he decided the best way to deal with his anger was to kill all of the Jews, because Marty was a Jew. He builds a huge gallows to hang Marty. Marty gets worried and talks to Esther. Apparently, the only thing she could try to do was to talk to Xerxes directly, but that was risky. If someone came into his presence, and he did not hold out his scepter to them, that meant they were to be executed on the spot. I do not know how this guy made any friends. Well, Esther, being beautiful was given favour by Xerxes. She told Xerxes about the plot to kill him, and asked that the Jews not be harmed. Xerxes granted her request, and he ordered Haman to be hanged on the gallows he built for Marty because Haman wanted to kill the man who foiled the plot to kill Xerxes. Sounds like a soap opera, but trust me, it is actually pretty interesting. Read Esther. God really is present in the book.
And finally... Job. This is the most poetic book I have encountered. Where I was once reading lists of genealogies and procedures on how to process sacrificed animals, I am now reading about the existential and spiritual agony of a man who lost everything he owned and loved in a test of his faith in God. The whole premise of this book seems to be built on the problem of evil; that is, if God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, how come evil (suffering of the innocent, specifically) exists? Either God is impotent, incompetent, or malevolent; or so the reasoning goes, according to Mackey. Well, a narrative is constructed in Job to account for that. Either by Divine revelation or by narrative story-telling, the book of Job centres around a cosmic wager of sorts.
Satan (literally, the accuser, a figure who stands for the one who brings evil into the world, becoming the fifth premise if the problem of evil as it were) goes to meet God after "roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it" (Job 1:7). God initiates the conversation by taking pride in Job's righteousness. Job was wealthy, blameless, upright, and he feared God. Satan takes on God by saying that Job only follows God because God has blessed him. If God took away his blessings, then Job would turn his back on him. According to my study Bible, this is the ultimate challenge. "For if the godliness of the most righteous man in whom God delights can be shown to be the worst of all sins, then a chasm of alienation stands between them that cannot be bridged. Then even redemption is unthinkable, for the godliest of men will be shown to be the most ungodly. God's whole enterprise in creation and derdemption will be shown to be radically flawed, and God can only sweep it all away in awful judgement" (The NIV Study Bible: New International Version: Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 732). This is the ultimate theological showdown.
Job had everything, and in an instant lost it all. I encourage you to read Job. It is fascinating. Job describes his suffering, sorrow, and pain, but never once curses God. He repeatedly wishes that he had never been born, that there had never been light, that the universe had never started so that he would end up suffering. He wanted to undo creation, to descend into chaos before the definiteness of his suffering became a crushing reality. He becomes preoccupied with death and wanting to be buried so he can be free from his pain. Yet, he praises the LORD and turns to Him for help. What a man! Though his friends reason otherwise, Job knows he is innocent. His friends repeatedly argue with him telling him that only the wicked are punished by God, and since he is being punished, Job must have committed some evil in his life that he has not sought remittance for. But Job knows that he has been faithful and righteous, so again, he cries out to God for help and mercy.
Job lost everything, suffered pain and anguish I have never known, and yet he never cursed God. Instead he pursued God. He petitioned God. He never stopped chasing after God trying to figure out why God was doing this to him. If only I had such faith.
I look forward to reading the rest of Job. So far, Job has been one of my favourite books. I love the poetry and the imagery. Some of it is dark and infernal, and some is profound and important.
1196 pages to go!
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