Thursday 20 September 2007
- Bible Book:
- Job
"And the Lord said to Job: 'Shall a fault-finder contend with the Almighty? Anyone who argues with God must respond'. Then Job answered the Lord: 'See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you...?' Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: 'Gird up your loins like a man; I will question you, and you declare to me. Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his?'" (v.1-9)
Background
The book of Job is a poetic story that comes from a cultureabsolutely different to ours. So we need to put ourselves in Job'sshoes in every sense, in order to understand his position as wellas the subject that is addressed - 'Why do peoplesuffer?'
The story tells of good old Job, who comes up against suffering ona large scale. His three friends try to be logical about this andassume that, in their ideology of cause and effect, he must havedone something wrong to deserve this.
There follows a third speaker who is dismayed at theseconversations; and then God has the last word - and that is whattoday's passage is about.
For many who would be first time hearers of this story, death wasthe end of everything. There was no future and so relenting andrepaying had to be done in this life. Someone who acted badly wouldhave to pay for their deeds in some way - or bepunished.
But why should good people suffer? The gist of God's summing up ofthe situation in
Through these pages it is hoped that the reader comes to see thatthe great Creator is bound by the rules of his Creation, and worksin partnership with all Creation to bring about his purposes. Aworld where goodness was always rewarded and evil punished wouldrule out the nature of God's unlimited love. Grace is what givesmeaning to all life
To Ponder
If goodness only was rewarded, how much lovewould any of us receive?
Have you ever argued with God in prayer? Whathappened?