{"id":8000,"date":"2020-03-02T20:00:01","date_gmt":"2020-03-03T03:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=8000"},"modified":"2020-03-03T01:58:15","modified_gmt":"2020-03-03T08:58:15","slug":"job37_1-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/job37_1-24\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Lessons from Job 37"},"content":{"rendered":"

Job 37:1-24\u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

Now onto today\u2019s passage.\u00a0 Today\u2019s passage is Job 37:1-24.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Job 37:1-24 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place.
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor.
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The animals take cover; they remain in their dens.
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds.
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He brings the clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show his love.
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders.
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash?
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind,
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze?
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Tell us what we should say to him; we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Should he be told that I want to speak? Would any man ask to be swallowed up?
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean.
\n22\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty.
\n23\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.
\n24\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Therefore, men revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?”
\n<\/em>
\nOn verses 1-13:\u00a0 It is possible that just as Elihu is speaking a storm is taking place, and so Elihu invites Job to listen to the thunder in the background (v1-2).\u00a0 In any event, whether or not a storm was actually taking place while Elihu was talking, here Elihu speaks about how God is behind all kinds of weather and the elements \u2013 lightning (v3), thunder (v4-5), snow (v6), rain (v6), strong winds (v9), ice and freezing conditions (v10), and clouds (v11-13).\u00a0 Elihu\u2019s point is that because we cannot understand all that God does \u2013 \u201chow God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash\u2026how the clouds hang poised\u201d (v15-16) \u2013 who does Job think he is to believe he can successfully argue his case with God, who is so much bigger than human beings? (v19-20)\u00a0 Just as \u201cno one can look at the sun\u201d (v21), who are we to think we can come directly before such an awesome and powerful God with our complaints and arguments without being swallowed up (v20-22).\u00a0 Thus, we are to revere this God, Elihu says (v23).<\/p>\n

What can we learn from all this?<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Stand in awe of God.<\/strong>\u00a0 In so many ways God and the things He does are “beyond our understanding” (v5) and \u201cbeyond our reach\u201d (v23).\u00a0 Elihu\u2019s words here remind me of Paul when he would later write in Romans\u00a011:33, \u201cOh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!\u201d \u00a0If it were not for God reaching for us and revealing Himself through His Son Jesus and through the Holy Spirit, we would have no idea who God is and no way to a relationship with Him.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Be careful how you treat God.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Since God is so much bigger than us,\u00a0don’t treat God as an employee that you boss around or a heavenly vending machine that you hit and kick when you don\u2019t get your way.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0For God is so much greater than us, \u201cexalted in power\u201d (v23).\u00a0 So speak to God with reverence and humility.\u00a0 If it weren\u2019t for Jesus Christ who died on the cross and whose blood covers our sins, we would have no way to approach an unapproachably holy and powerful God.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0God uses imperfect people to prepare the way for Him.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Here ends Elihu\u2019s long speech to Job.\u00a0 In some ways, Elihu\u2019s words contained more insight than those of Job\u2019s friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.\u00a0 But by jumping to conclusions about Job\u2019s sin and how much Job\u2019s sin caused his suffering, Elihu did not live up to his claim that his \u201cwords are not false\u201d (Job 36:4) and fell far short of being \u201cperfect in knowledge\u201d (Job 36:4).\u00a0 Still, Elihu\u2019s words will pave the way for God Himself to speak to Job in the next chapter.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0Only God is \u201cperfect in knowledge\u201d (Job 37:16).<\/strong>\u00a0 Just as God sent imperfect prophets to pave the way for Jesus, to this day God still uses imperfect people in our lives to prepare the way for Jesus the Word of God to speak to our hearts.\u00a0 So when we hear others speak, may we not throw out the good with the bad.\u00a0 Rather, hang onto the good, true and helpful parts of what others say and try not to be bothered or confused by those parts that are untrue or unhelpful.<\/p>\n

Heavenly Father, You are beyond our reach and beyond our understanding, yet You chose to reveal Yourself to us through Your Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Thank You.\u00a0 I open up my heart and ask You to fill me today with Your power, wisdom and love.\u00a0 \u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Now onto today\u2019s passage.\u00a0 Today\u2019s passage is Job 37:1-24.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!
\n\u00a0
\nJob 37:1-24 (NIV)\u00a0
\n1\u00a0\u00a0“At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place.\u00a0
\n2\u00a0\u00a0Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.\u00a0
\n3\u00a0\u00a0He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.\u00a0……<\/p>\n

On verses 1-13:\u00a0 It is possible that just as Elihu is speaking a storm is taking place, and so Elihu invites Job to listen to the thunder in the background (v1-2).\u00a0 In any event, whether or not a storm was actually taking place while Elihu was talking, here Elihu speaks about how God is behind all kinds of weather and the elements \u2013 lightning (v3), thunder (v4-5), snow (v6), rain (v6), strong winds (v9), ice and freezing conditions (v10), and clouds (v11-13).\u00a0 Elihu\u2019s point is that because we cannot understand all that God does \u2013 \u201chow God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash\u2026how the clouds hang poised\u201d (v15-16) \u2013 who does Job think he is to believe he can successfully argue his case with God, who is so much bigger than human beings? (v19-20)\u00a0 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8001,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8000","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\/8000","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=8000"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8003,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8000\/revisions\/8003"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}