ESV Chronological Plan, Day 27 | Job 35-37

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Job 35:1-37:24

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A) God doesn't need us--His love for us isn't so that He can get something in return. Setting aside for the moment what role Elihu plays in the narrative of the book of Job, he certainly says some true things. One of them is this: "Look at the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds, which are higher than you. If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give to Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness [only] concerns a man like yourself, and [likewise] your righteousness a son of man" (Job 35:5-8). We should not think so highly of ourselves to believe that God is personally affected by our decision to follow Him or not. If no one worshipped God, He would still be God. But when He glorifies Himself, draws us towards Him, cleanses us of sin, bestows His righteousness upon us as a gift, lifts us up to the highest heaven, and sits us with Him on His throne, clothing us with immortal glory--He does all of this, not because He needs us, but because He knows that we need Him. In the words of the hymn Rock of Ages: "Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to the cross I cling." We don't bring anything in our hands that God needs; but God, who has everything, has given us Himself.

(B) The majesty of God. How often do our prayers include us taking time to meditate on the majesty of God? There is a format for prayer that is sometimes used with the acronym CALL - confess, ask, love, listen. In this model of prayer we start with confession--admitting that our minds wander, that we wander, that our thoughts are far from God, and that we bring all sorts of transgression in thought, word, and deed into our prayer time with us. Then we ask God to help us with those things and with our other requests that we bring to Him. But the third part involves us loving God by meditating on who He is and what He has done. The words of Elihu in Job 36:24-33 (and beyond) would be great to bring into such a prayer time with us as a prompt and a model for us to follow.

“Remember to extol his work,

of which men have sung.

All mankind has looked on it;

man beholds it from afar.

Behold, God is great, and we know him not;

the number of his years is unsearchable.

For he draws up the drops of water;

they distill his mist in rain,

which the skies pour down

and drop on mankind abundantly.

Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,

the thunderings of his pavilion?

Behold, he scatters his lightning about him

and covers the roots of the sea.

For by these he judges peoples;

he gives food in abundance.

He covers his hands with the lightning

and commands it to strike the mark.

Its crashing declares his presence;

the cattle also declare that he rises.

At this also my heart trembles

and leaps out of its place." 

 

(C) Anticipating the arrival of God. Knowing that at the end of Elihu's speech, God will answer Job from the whirlwind starting in chapter 38, it is hard to read chapter 37 without imagining that Elihu is speaking increasingly loudly and in awe as the storm in which God will reveal Himself approaches. Lines like "Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth... From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds... Out of the north comes golden splendor; God is clothed with awesome majesty" (Job 37:2-3, 9, 22) create a picture for us. Imagine the anticipation of knowing that God is drawing near, and that as He comes closer you are seeking to win someone over to put their trust in God. This is the position that we are in every day as Christians. The whirlwind of God's glory draws near; the thunder is in the air; God is clothed with awesome majesty--who will tell our neighbours before He arrives? What will become of the townhouses and the condos nearby? Are the families that live in our vicinity prepared for the meeting? Do they even know the Good News about His impending arrival? Who will tell them? When God answered Job out of the whirlwind, it was for his restoration. But when God comes again and is not hidden in the cloud, all flesh shall see Him, and the time for an accounting will be at hand. As we anticipate the arrival of God, we like Elihu (whatever his role in the narrative is) may be in the position of having the last opportunity to share the news of God's arrival with others before they meet Him.

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

I have started referring to different responses under the categories of actions, attitudes, and worship. Under the heading of actions, certainly anticipating God's arrival would lead us to see the need for outreach and personal evangelism. Recently, I started doing campus evangelism with a team that is already experienced in that kind of ministry; for now I am still learning, but eventually I will be confident enough that I could start to take the lead in certain conversations. Then I can take that same skill out to other areas around Ancaster when the weather warms up again. Under the heading of attitudes, knowing that God loves us but doesn't need us -and yet He has done so much for us!- should instill a deep sense of humility. And, a desire to love others without looking for anything in return. Under the heading of worship, taking time to meditate on who He is and what He has done during our prayer times might be transformational for many of us.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a suggested prompt for prayer: "God, help me to anticipate you as if you were approaching me in the whirlwind to speak to me right now. Help me to gaze upon your glory and be transformed by it. Do not let me walk away from this time in prayer without meditating on your goodness, power, and love--which you have demonstrated in the person of Jesus Christ upon the cross. Rid me of my desire to be someone important, and show me instead that I am someone who has been loved by a God who doesn't need anything from me. Give me a heart for those who don't know you. And as the storms of life approach, I ask that you would speak to me out of them."