{"id":7275,"date":"2020-01-22T20:00:52","date_gmt":"2020-01-23T03:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=7275"},"modified":"2020-01-19T17:53:35","modified_gmt":"2020-01-20T00:53:35","slug":"job13_1-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/job13_1-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Lend Your Ear and Hold Your Tongue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Job 13:1-19 \u00a0 \u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Job 13:1-19.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Job 13:4-5 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.
\n<\/em>
\nOn verses 1-5:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Job is frustrated and fed up with hearing from his so-called \u201cfriends\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0He tells them that whatever they have already told him he already knows (v1-2) \u2013 \u201cwhat you know, I already know.\u00a0\u00a0I am not inferior to you\u201d (v2).\u00a0\u00a0He calls his friends \u201cworthless physicians\u201d (v4), lie-smearing accusers whose advice did not help.\u00a0\u00a0He tells them it would be wiser for them just to shut their mouths (\u201cIf only you were altogether silent!\u00a0\u00a0For you, that would be wisdom.\u201d (v5)).
\nWhat can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes the best thing you can do as a friend is to lend your ear and hold your tongue.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Job\u2019s friends would have helped Job far more, and been much better off themselves, had they been \u201cquick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry\u201d (James\u00a01:19).\u00a0\u00a0As Proverbs\u00a021:23\u00a0(MSG) says, \u201cWatch your words and hold your tongue; you’ll save yourself a lot of grief.\u201d<\/p>\n

Job 13:6 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Hear now my argument;\u00a0listen to the plea of my lips.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 7-13:\u00a0\u00a0Rather than trying to speak for God (v7-12), Job just wants his friends to \u201ckeep silent and let me speak\u201d (v13).\u00a0\u00a0What\u2019s going on here? While Job is fed up with hearing from his friends, Job still needs his friends to hear him out.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s because talking out his frustrations with someone is still the most comforting thing he can imagine doing in his pain.\u00a0\u00a0As much as Job will boast about how he wants to confront God face to face, there is a unique comfort that comes from venting your frustrations before your friends, especially when you\u2019re in great pain.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0We all need a listening ear.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0While there is great comfort in talking to God directly about our problems, there is also a certain and different kind of comfort that comes from talking about your problems with someone who can point you to Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s one of the great benefits of being married to a loving Christian spouse or having a close Christian friend.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s also one of the benefits of being part of a small group at church.\u00a0\u00a0Not everyone needs to know about your deepest problems, but it can help to share your pain with a select and trusted few who love God and who love you.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0May you be wise in using both the vertical and horizontal channels that God has given you when you are in pain.<\/p>\n

Job 13:15-19 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him!
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Listen carefully to my words; let your ears take in what I say.
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Now that I have prepared my case, I know I will be vindicated.
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Can anyone bring charges against me? If so, I will be silent and die.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 15-19:\u00a0\u00a0When you hear Job speak, Job vacillates between two extremes.\u00a0\u00a0The first extreme is \u201cI can\u2019t approach God, for He will find me guilty no matter what\u201d (e.g. see Job 9:14-20).\u00a0\u00a0The second extreme is \u201cI need to present my case before God and I believe I will win\u201d (e.g. like in verse 18 here).\u00a0\u00a0On one hand, Job considers himself sinful and unable to approach God.\u00a0\u00a0On the other hand, Job thinks of himself as blameless and able to approach God.\u00a0\u00a0So which one is it?\u00a0\u00a0The answer, for Job and for us, is both.<\/p>\n

On one hand, we like Job are sinful and unable to stand in the presence of a holy God without being condemned.\u00a0\u00a0On our own there is no way we could ever win an argument with God about our righteousness.\u00a0\u00a0To the extent that Job truly thought he was blameless in God\u2019s sight on his own merit, Job was deluded by pride.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, those of us who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Saviour are covered in the perfect blood of Jesus, so that when God sees us, He sees not our sin but sees His Son and declares us righteous.\u00a0\u00a0Thus, to Job\u2019s question, \u201ccan anyone bring charges against me?\u201d (v19), the answer is: without Jesus, yes, absolutely; but with Jesus, no, not at all.\u00a0\u00a0As Romans\u00a08:33\u00a0says, \u201cWho will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.\u201d<\/p>\n

I believe the reason why God would boast about Job as being blameless was not because Job had never sinned (for all have sinned).\u00a0\u00a0Rather I believe it\u2019s because God saw Job through the lens of His Son Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0For long before Job ever lost his ten children in a hurricane, God knew He would lose His one and only Son on the cross.\u00a0\u00a0It was through the future shedding of His Son\u2019s blood that God could then look at Job as righteous and declare Job to be blameless.\u00a0\u00a0As much as I admire Job\u2019s perseverance and integrity, no one, not even Job, could be blameless in God\u2019s sight without God\u2019s help.<\/p>\n

Heavenly Father, may I be the kind of friend who is quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.\u00a0\u00a0May I also be wise in using the vertical and horizontal channels You have given me when I am in pain.\u00a0\u00a0Most of all, thank You that by faith in Your Son Jesus, I am covered in His blood and declared righteous in Your sight.\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Job 13:1-19.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!
\n\u00a0
\nJob 13:4-5 (NIV)\u00a0
\n4\u00a0\u00a0You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!\u00a0
\n5\u00a0\u00a0If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.
\n\u00a0
\nOn verses 1-5:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Job is frustrated and fed up with hearing from his so-called \u201cfriends\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0He tells them that whatever they have already told him he already knows (v1-2) \u2013 \u201cwhat you know, I already know.\u00a0\u00a0I am not inferior to you\u201d (v2).\u00a0\u00a0He calls his friends \u201cworthless physicians\u201d (v4), lie-smearing accusers whose advice did not help.\u00a0\u00a0He tells them it would be wiser for them just to shut their mouths (\u201cIf only you were altogether silent!\u00a0\u00a0For you, that would be wisdom.\u201d (v5)).\u00a0
\nWhat can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes the best thing you can do as a friend is to lend your ear and hold your tongue.\u00a0\u00a0Job\u2019s friends would have helped Job far more, and been much better off themselves, had they been \u201cquick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry\u201d (James\u00a01:19).\u00a0\u00a0As Proverbs\u00a021:23\u00a0(MSG) says, \u201cWatch your words and hold your tongue; you’ll save yourself a lot of grief.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7275"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7278,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7275\/revisions\/7278"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}