Job's finest hour!

Still in Job at the moment. I find this to be the second most remarkable part of Job and in some ways is Job's finest hour! At first his friends were more tentative in their criticism of Job and their logic that he must have done something very wrong for such a great calamity to come upon him was delivered with a little softness. Not so now. As the second round of speeches by his "friends" come their logic is bold and ungloved. Satan has taken nearly all he has, and then inflicted his body. But his friends are so certain of their logic (which is based on a similar idea to karma, making a rule out of the proverb "what goes around comes around,") that they attack his inner life. They are not satisfied that his external blessings are gone and his flesh is being consumed by ulcers.

Job 19:21-27
"Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me! Why do you, like God, pursue me? Why are you not satisfied with my flesh? Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!"

Job's faith here staggers me. Certainly he is not right in everything he says (though he refuses to curse God). But at this point as his friends begin to mercilessly attack his faith, he holds on so strong. Beyond doubt his hope is set in his Redeemer, knowing that the day will come when this Great One will stand on the earth and all will be seen as it ought to be. His hope is in (full physical) resurrection - even after his skin is destroyed, in his flesh he will see God, his eyes will behold him. This great hope keeps him and sustains his soul under the most awful pressure. It seems he has nothing left but this hope, but still in faith, knowing his God, he clings to it.

Now we have an advantage over Job. We have seen in history our Redeemer come and finish his redeeming work. The Son of Man has come to serve us and give his life as a ransom for many. The ransom he paid on the cross has redeemed our lives for glory. So the author to the Hebrews exhorts us to fix our eyes on Christ the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame. Jesus endured worse than Job; Job's life was spared, but Jesus gave his away, being made to be sin, being made to suffer the wrath of God at sin in our place. A yet even there at his most forsaken his hope remained in his God ("My God, my God" he cried). 

Job's finest hour teaches us where to look, where to cling, when all we have is taken away. The New Testament brings his example into sharper focus. Job's redeemer is Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith. His suffering accomplished (authored) our rescue and is the foundation of our faith. His suffering is the example (perfection) for our faith to follow. So we can know that even when we feel forsaken or overlooked by God, our Redeemer lives and he will stand on this earth. Even in despair keep looking at the one who will stand on this earth, and we will see him in our flesh!

Someone to speak to God on our behalf in our suffering.

This was part of my reading from Job today. Job feels his suffering is unfair. From a human perspective you can entirely understand his feelings. He is an upright man. From a deeper heavenly perspective Job knows no-one is righteous before God (Job 9v2) . In his confussion and pain he dispairs. As he says here, there is no-one to stand between God and himself. There is no-one to bring them together who can plead his case. That is he knows of no-one.

Job 9:33-34
33 Nor is there an arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both,
who would take his rod away from me
so that his terror would not make me afraid.

Job sees an arbiter/advocate is required. An arbiter that can not only speak to God on our behlaf, but also take God's anger at our sin away; sin that seems so small on earth, but that would see us consumed if we approached heaven without mercy. Without acquittal arbitration is powerless.

Into the picture strides Jesus.

1Jo 2:1-2
1 ...if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, 2 and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins...
In one man God has become for us the advocate and purifier, that we need. His atoning sacrifice for our sins means he can now, and does, stand before the Father and plead our case by God's own faithfulness & justice. The mercy of God is extended to his people in faithfulness & justice. It does not remove us from the consequences of our sin, or the consequences of evil actions by other earthly or heavenly beings. But it does guarantee the security of the soul forever & raising up at the last day.

As Job suffered for the sake of righteousness and would not curse God, Satan was defeated. As Christ suffered for the sake of righteousness and took God's curse on sin, Satan and sin and death were defeated. In Christ we have the saviour and the advocate we need to rescue us for time and eternity. May we, like Christ like Job be willing to suffer for righteousness sake, and so pile defeat upon defeat on our ancient enemy to the glory of God and his Christ, our advocate.

Blogged from my Samsung Galaxy S2

New Year new motivation!

No idea how the blogging will go this year. Hoping it will do a little better than previous years!

As always I begin the year with a Bible reading plan. For a number of years I have used M'Cheynes reading plan, which I have followed more or less successfully depending on the year and been greatly blessed by. This year I have started with a chronological reading plan courtesy of www.youversion.com and their Android Bible app. I am looking forward to reading large sections all at once rather than a chapter here and a chapter there. My aim is to get through the whole Bible twice in the year,  highlighting the verses that catch my eye as I read.  I want then to write in this blog regularly sharing some of my highlights!

It may happen it may not. I hope it will though. I know it would bless me and I hope it will bless you too. What would be great would be if you could join me in reading the Scriptures and highlighting verses. Then you can share with me what you have been finding!