Hello my brothers and sisters in Christ! This summer we will be going through the book of Job together. It is my goal that we read a couple of chapters each week and by the time we are ready to return to IUP we will have completed the book. Since we are doing an Old Testament book for our Bible study it is going to be a little different. This isn't going to be like one of the Gospel where we hear Jesus speak directly to us or one of the Epistles where we are instructed on how to live Christian lives. This book reads much more like a novel which may present us with some challenges as the summer progresses. However, this book will reveal to us Gods nature in its own unique way and reading scripture is always enlightening and fruitful.
I do not want this blog to about recapping the chapters we are reading each week. That would be boring and an insult to your intelligence. Rather, I want this to be a place where you can bring your questions you have about the text, things you learned, and things that the holy Spirit has revealed to you in your readings.
Here are two websites where you can find the Bible online. The footnotes may be of interest and may help answer some of your questions. Also, the one has an introduction to the Book of Job if you are interested in reading that if your Bible at home does not have one.
http://drbo.org/chapter/20001.htm
http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/index.shtml#job
I look forward to reading your comments and hearing what God whispers in your hearts. I only ask that you try and keep your posts as brief and concise as possible. By all means, say what you need to say, but remember we will be reading a couple of chapters a week and then everyone else's post's and that may begin to add up.
So without further ado, we will be reading chapters 1-3 this week (and the Introduction if you feel so inclined). Take your time reading them and prayerfully consider what you want to post. We have all week to talk about these three chapters and again, I look forward to hearing from all of your!
Be a blessing!
Sean
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7 comments:
so we have decided on Job?...just wana know so i know what to read
I'm going to try to keep it short but I have lots to say. So first, I can't quite grasp the concept of God trying to prove Job's faithfulness to Satan. Why is He handing over Job to Satan? I know the story is great to encourage the rest of us to battle through the slight troubles we deal with, but the reason for leading to the proof of his amazing faithfulness confuses me.
Second, I wanted to mention how difficult a time I had trying to wrap my brain around his incredible faith before his afflictions. I know it's probably easier to recognize God's goodness when you have plenty, but how many people actually do that? Job was like a bajillion-aire. (Sean, I actually mean a billion times a bajillion. :) lol!) Think about our nation and how the trend seems to be that the richer a person is, the further from God he or she seems to be and the more materialistic and attached to the world a person becomes. Not in every case, but the majority. He had a pretty massive estate to take care of, all those animals and servants and everything, yet he still thanked God first and foremost at the start of everyday and sent up offerings. He was never too busy or had too much going on to worship our Lord. That amazes me.
For some reason, I was able to visualize the extent of his afflictions more than I ever have before, whether it was because I became desensitized to it or never really tried to think that deeply about the story, but it actually brought me to tears, and I tried to picture it happening to me, and every time I pictured it, I ended up with going completely, screamingly insane after losing 10 children let alone making it to the sores part. Just fyi. Looking forward to watch you guys think!!! peace!
p.s.-that was supposed to be what you guys think. i can't really watch you guys think....or can i??
Like Meg, I had a lot of the same struggles as to why God even allowed Satan to speak to him, let alone allow all the other stuff to take place. What was the point of the whole endeavor? Was God trying to prove that Job would not blaspheme his name by letting Satan first take control of Job's stuff, and then his body, only allowing his life to be spared? And why would God even bother trying to prove anything to Satan since Satan twists everything God says is true into a lie anyway? Finally, why would God turn over power to Satan at all when God's power alone is much greater and can get the job done by itself?
In 2:6, it changed from "do not lay a hand upon his person" to "only spare his life." It seemed to me like God is letting Satan push his boundaries...and if so, why?
In 2:10, Job says, "Should we not accept evil [from God]?" I was under the impression that God only has good, in him there is no darkness at all. So no, nothing evil would ever come directly from God. Obviously, bad things might happen to us, like they did to Job, but God does not create or cause them; he may just allow them.
However, Meg talked about the richer a person is, the farther they seem to be from God. I was reading "Have a Little Faith" by Mitch Albom, and it actually answered this question quite well. It said that the reason that people aren't happy, despite the fact that they have so much wealth, is that they are always wanting more, and are never satisfied nor grateful for what they have. Since Job seems to have such a strong devotion to God, it seems obvious that he is both grateful and satistfied with the abudance God has given him.
I too, had a lot of the same questions. I can't understand why God allowed Job to suffer all that he did. In verses 8-12, it sounds like God is basically volunteering Job to go through this by telling satan how blameless Job is. Towards the end of these verses it sounds like Satan is nudging God and keeps getting more and more out of him as we move through to chapter 3. Whenever I read this, I couldn't help but get the vibe that Satan was controlling the situation and was able to convince God to let him make Job suffer like he was tempting God or something, although of course this isn't the case. I guess my basic questions are why does it seem like God is being "played" or tempted by Satan and why would God make Job undergo such tremendous suffering, especially when it results in him cursing the day he was born as if he did something wrong?
I agree with you guys, that as a young adult Job's trials hit me a little more powerfully than before. I've been thinking a lot about my parents, particularly my Dad who has been working so hard, and what he would feel like if everything he worked for was destroyed. And to add to that, everyonef or whom he was working (his family) were torn away. I think this book is a struggle for me because I have never been in such a state of despair and hopelessness that I seriously wished I was never born. I've been frustrated and angry before God, but I've never been despairing. For this reason, I am amazed and confused by Job.
I think Job kind of follows the "logical" path of a person of God. First, they try and stick to their faith and accept suffering (the whole "thy will be done" thing), and then as things progressively get worse you get frustrated and angry. It's like, "God if you know how much I love you, why are you doing this to me?"
As to why Satan seems to be controlling God, I didn't quite see it that way. I think God knew that Job had a solid enough foundation to weather whatever Satan threw at him, and this was more of a "gotcha" of Satan than it was of God. Although, on the flip side, this struck me as kind of an Ancient Greek story, with the "gods" playing with mortals for their amusement.
Last thing, I liked that part at the end of chapter 2 where it said his friends "for seven days and seven nights, but none of them spoke a word to him; for they saw how great was his suffering." I like that image of friends being there for each other without even havign to speak. Their mere presence is comforting. That being said, I miss you guys and I'm glad we've found a way to study scripture together!
The biggest issue in these first three chapters seems to be why God is even giving Satan the time of day. I think it might help if we look to the New Testament. I think it is important to remember that Jesus went out into the desert and the devil met him out there to tempt him. Even more relevant may be in Luke's gospel during the last supper, 22:31-32, "31 And the Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren."
This last passage really reminds me of Job. Satan desiring to have Simon, the rock of the church, just as he desires Job, the most righteous man in the world.
Did God and satan have that actual conversation about Job or Peter? I am not entirely sure and would not rule it out. But perhaps in the story of Job it is just a literary device. God knows everything and would of course know all of satan's desires as well.
It is also important to remember that in the case of Jesus being tempted in the desert and with Peter, God was victorious both times. Even despite satan's best efforts and Peter denying Jesus three times, God's planned prevailed. And so we have the same hope for Job.
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