In today’s section, we read:
The end of Job
The first 24 Psalms
Some thoughts from today:
Job’s response is in line with God’s speech. He merely acknowledges that God is God, and that in comparison all he can do is humble himself and repent. When he was complaining about the injustice of events, he was speaking as someone who ‘had only heard about God before’. Now he is speaking as someone who has seen God with his own eyes – hence the end to the accusations.
There is hope and restoration for Job’s three friends. But they are restored after a priest (Job) offers sacrifices for them. We cannot find our own way back to God on our own, but need someone to intercede for us – Heb 10:12.
42:7 and 8 are interesting. God says that Job has spoken accurately about him. So what is the moral of Job? Job knows that God is faithful, true and just, and that he punishes wickedness and rewards righteousness. He holds on to this and his own knowledge of what is right, even though all the outward circumstances would indicate that he is being punished. He knows what is right and true and holds on to it through thick and thin. It’s a bit like the Narnia story ‘the Silver Chair’, where the children are told to remember the signs without fail, even though they might appear very different when they encountered them. The important thing was to remember the one who sent them and hold fast to his words.
For Psalms, the way I shall blog the passages is that I shall comment on any main themes and then highlight one verse from each psalm. Today, we read Psalms 1-24 and one of the main things that struck me was the number of times that lies, slander and untruth are commented on (5:9; 7:14: 10:7; 12:2,4; 15:2-3: 24.4).
There are a whole series of names given to God in these psalms:
A shield (3:3; 7:10; 18:2)
An honest judge (7:11)
A shelter (9:9)
A refuge (9:9; 18:2)
My Master (16:2)
My strength (18:1)
The rock (18:2)
The power than saves (18:2)
My shepherd (23:1)
Ps 1:1 – “Oh the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, / or stand around with sinners, / or join in with mockers.”
Ps 2:7-8 – “The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: / “The Lord said to me, ‘you are my son. / Today I have become your Father. / Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, / the whole earth as your possession.””
Ps 3:3 – “But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; / you are my glory, the one who holds my head high”
Ps 4:3 – “You can be sure of this: / the Lord set apart the godly for himself. / The Lord will answer when I call to him.”
Ps 5:11 – “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; / let them sing joyful praises forever. / Spread your protection over them, / that all who love your name may be filled with joy.”
Ps 6:9 – “The Lord has heard my plea; / the Lord will answer my prayer.”
Ps 7:17 – “I will thank the Lord because he is just; / I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.”
Ps 8:1 – “O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! / Your glory is higher than the heavens.”
Ps 9:1-2 – “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; / I will tell of all the marvellous things you have done. / I will be filled with joy because of you. / I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.”
Ps 10:17 – “Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. / Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.”
Ps 11:7 – “For the righteous Lord loves justice. /The virtuous will see his face.”
Ps 12:6 – “The Lord’s promises are pure, / like silver refined in a furnace, / purified seven times over.”
Ps 13:5-6 – “But I trust in your unfailing live. / I will rejoice because you have rescued me. / I will sing to the Lord / because he is good to me.”
Ps 14:1 – “Only fools say in their hearts, / “There is no God””
Ps 15:2, 5b – “Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, / speaking the truth from sincere hearts … / such people will stand firm forever.”
Ps 16:5 – “Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.”
Ps 16:11 - “You will show me the way of life, / granting me the joy of your presence, / and the pleasures of living with you.”
Ps 17:15 – “Because I am righteous, / I will see you. / When I am awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.”
Ps 18:25-26 – “To the faithful you show yourself faithful; / to those with integrity you show integrity. / To the pure you show yourself pure, / but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.”
Ps 19:1-2 – “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. / The skies display his craftsmanship. / Day after day they continue to speak; / night after night they make him known.”
Ps 19:7-9 – “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. / The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. / The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. / The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living./ Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. / The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair.”
Ps 20:7 – “Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, / but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.”
Ps 21:2 – “For you have given him his heart’s desire; / you have withheld nothing he desired.”
Ps 22 – this psalm gives us the most graphic description of the crucifixion, yet it was written rough a thousand years before Jesus was crucified. Interesting that the suffering of the cross is followed by the purpose of the sacrifice there – v 27 “The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him. /All the nations will bow down before him.”
Ps 23:6 – “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me / all the days of my life, / and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Ps 24:1, 8, 10 –“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it … / Who is the King of glory? / The Lord, strong and mighty; / the Lord invincible in battle… / Who is the King of glory? / The Lord of Heaven’s Armies - / he is the King of glory.”
The sequence of Ps 22, 23 and 24 is interesting. Christ’s sacrifice, after which we feel his comfort and promise towards us even when we are in our darkest danger, followed by the triumphant enthroning of God on high.
1 comment:
I preferred Job's friends when they were silent actually. There is so much in this book. In 19 v6 Job says that God has wronged him - isn't that playing into Satan's hands? 14 v6 - he asks God to lay off - it's such an interesting debate! The NIV study bible looks at it in the context of theodicy - God's justice in the light of human suffering - it's a problem to believe that sin causes suffering when all around the righteous suffer and the wicked seem to get off scot-free.
But I love the fact that Job won't say sorry for things he doesn't feel he has done wrong - just to try to appease his friends or God.
The NIV sums it up by saying:
"In the end the adversary (Satan) is silenced. And the astute theologians, Job's friends, are silenced. And Job is silenced. But God is not. And when he speaks it is to Job that he speaks...as his heavenly friend..."
Finally - if you don't have a copy of Handel's Messiah beg, borrow or steal one now. It really comes into its own in Isaiah but the version of Job's declaration "I know that my redeemer liveth" is so very moving.
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