JOB’S TRIAL

Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 04 December 2012

Hi all,

Poor old Job. He had no idea what was going on. All he knew is that overnight he went from a man of substance to having lost everything. Sadly, he didn’t know the reason why! We have him at something of a disadvantage. We know the reason why. It was all very logical! He needed the “logos”. That’s our meditation for today!

The comments on Heraclitus of Ephesus it were obtained from our favourite Bible teacher, David Pawson.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Tuesday, 04 December 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	JOB’S TRIAL
The picture on the left is of a certain Greek gentleman called Heraclitus of Ephesus. He lived ±500BC.You may ask what this man has to do with Christianity. In a sense, nothing and everything. He was the first real scientist and he taught his students to observe and ask the reason why things happened. He encouraged them to do this in every area they could investigate. This included plant life and animal life. His instruction to his students was to tell them that whatever they did, they were to find out the reason why things happened the way they did. However, in Greek, the word for “the reason why” is “ology”, a derivative of the word “logos”. This in turn has become the title of every branch of science. Thus, biology is the reason why life behaves the way it does. Zoology means the way animals behave the way they do. Psychology means the reason why our minds behave the way they do. Christians know the reason why it is all here. That reason is Jesus. He is the Logos of the entire universe. It was made by Him and for Him. If I may be permitted to invent a word, today we are doing a spot of “Job-ology”. A little look at the reason why Job wanted to die. We are told that Job was the very first book of the Bible that was written. Certainly when we look at some of the names and places referred to in Job we come to the conclusion that it originates at about the same time as the patriarchs. Now as readers we are in the unique position of knowing the story from start to end. We have the full script. So we know the “Job-ology” – the reason why! Job et al didn’t. This means, we can sit in the “bleachers” and make comments about the men and women who walk past on the stage of Job’s life. It’s a bit like a rugby match. There are 30 players running themselves ragged in front of 40,000 spectators who know more about rugby than the players do. Has it ever occurred to you to wonder what it would be like the other way round? Not fun! We know Job wanted to die. Who can blame him? If the average Christian (myself included) went through the uphill Job went through, I fancy that suicidal thoughts may come to mind! I guess that if someone went overnight from a big house in Constantia with all mod cons to an ash heap in Dube bereft of all children and covered with painful ulcers, they wouldn’t be happy! If you would like to volunteer, I’m not sure of your sanity. Most of us would be hammering on the doors of heaven demanding the “Logos”! Fortunately for Job, everything worked out well. He passed the test and ended up with far more than he began with. I suppose from Dube to Constantia would attract many volunteers. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			16 I hate my life and don't want to go on living. Oh, leave me alone for my few remaining days. (Job’s Words) Job 7:16 NLT 6 I said, "I wish I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away and be at rest. 7 I would escape to a place far away. I would stay out in the desert. Selah 8 I would hurry to my place of safety. It would be far away from the winds and storms I'm facing." Psalms 55:6-8 NIrV 2 During our time on earth we groan. We long to put on our house in heaven as if it were clothing. 3 Then we will not be naked. 4 While we live in this tent of ours, we groan under our heavy load. We don't want to be naked. We want to be dressed with our house in heaven. What must die will be swallowed up by life. 2 Corinthians 5:2-4 NIrV 23 I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. Philippians 1:23 NLT 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV 27 "I leave my peace with you. I give my peace to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And do not be afraid. John 14:27 NIrV	Job was getting desperate; sick and fed up with life. He’d had his share of problems; even his faithful wife, Was giving him great uphill. “Curse God!” she said, “and die! I’m not sure what is happening and when I wonder why? I don’t get any answer. Like you and your three friends. When do you think this nonsense will meet its sorry end? Listen and hear them cackling. They’re blaming it on you. They don’t know what they’re saying and most of it’s untrue.” Job didn’t have an answer. He didn’t know the cause. He wasn’t at the meeting, where God set free the claws, Of Satan and his cronies; to make his living tough. The Lord God had consented. Satan could do his stuff! The only limitation; he couldn’t make Job die! “So if you want to test him, Go on, give it a try.” Now Job had three good buddies, who came to help him out. That they were very helpful, seems terribly in doubt! Eliphaz came from Teman; a Shuhite called Bildad; Zophar a man from Naaman; their comments drove him mad. He was the one who caused it. It had to be his fault! If any blame lay elsewhere, the Lord would call a halt, To what he was enduring. But since it carried on, They said they were quite certain, that he had got it wrong! I can’t say that I blame him. He’d been a man of wealth. But Satan vicious anger had come against his health. He was a mass of ulcers, from head down to his toes. He scraped them with a potsherd; nobody really knows, How much the man had suffered. His children were all dead. He sounded suicidal with thoughts within his head. He sat upon the ash heap and didn’t say a thing. His “comforters” sat with him; a sorry little ring. Then Job began his tirade. “Why was I ever born? I curse that day in history. Why did that daylight dawn? Why did I see the morning? Why was I first conceived? Why wasn’t I miscarried? What has all this achieved? He didn’t get an answer. Although he asked to die. We know that ultimately, God heard his heartfelt cry! And when the trial was over and he had passed the test. One thing he knew for certain. The Lord God knows what’s best. Jim Strickland  Written 4th December 2012