Last week we discussed in our sermon how God created the universe through his wisdom. The universe is what God created and wisdom is how God ordered it. We studied Proverbs 8:22-36 and learned about God's wisdom in creation.
Another passage of Scripture that highlights God in his role of Creator is Job 38 and forward. So far in Job, to oversimplify the situation, God has taken everything away from Job to see what his reaction would be, as Job was a righteous man. Job unsurprisingly becomes bitter and questions God's actions and intentions. Elihu, a young but wise man, rebukes Job just before God steps in to respond to Job directly, which is where we are in chapter 38. [In our devotional today, we're not going to dive into questions like "why would God do such a thing?" because that is really not the focus in the text, especially not in chapter 38. If you ever have questions, you are welcome to email me or place a question in the comments section below and I'll be happy to respond as soon as I'm able!]
If you want to get a deeper understanding of Job's actual complaints against God, you may read Job 29-31. These are the final three chapters where Job is speaking. Chapters 32-37 are Elihu's response, and then God begins in 38. What's interesting is that Job's complaints are not formed in a list of specific accusations; rather, Job is talking poetically and in circles making casual comments that allude to his complaints. He regrets all that he has lost and insists that he was a righteous man, insinuating that he ought not to have lost everything by God's hand. To put it simply: Job claims that he did a really good job with his life and does not deserve this suffering. Even though we live in a very different situation than Job, how many times does this also cross our minds today? How often do we complain about our situations, however good or bad, and question why God doesn't provide, given that we are good people?!
One of the themes of Job is self-righteousness. One of the problems with Job's logic is that he believes that he, on his own doing, is basically a good person and does good things. Why should bad things happen to good people?! Well, his logic is flawed! Our society's logic is flawed! Scripture teaches us that we are essentially sinful and prideful people who advance our own kingdoms whenever given the chance, and that only through great wisdom and discipline from God are we able to instead seek God's Kingdom!! [Side note: Just because we are fallen into sin does not mean that we aren't beloved by God; it also does not mean that we don't have access to forgiveness from that sin. But Genesis 3 is clear in our bent to sinning and our desire to exercise our own wisdom.]
Out of Job's self-righteousness comes the next issue, that Job essentially believes that he is deserving of all the riches and power he possessed. He talks at length about all of the good things he's done, and insinuates that his wealth and power are simply the fruit of his labor, that he has earned it. Well, his logic is flawed! Our society's logic is flawed! Scripture teaches us that worldly wealth and power are not the fruits of God's spirit! If they were, then Jesus Christ would have been the wealthiest and most powerful person in human history. The world may say that you work hard and earn your wealth, but that is society's wisdom, and not God's wisdom, not God's intended order for our universe. God's wisdom says that everything you have and are is a gift from God, including the skills, intelligence, energy, health and even existence that allow you to acquire wealth, power, or whatever it is you possess. You do not "earn" it; you steward it. And now that God has taken away all of Job's wealth and power, Job no longer has to worry about managing all of that stuff! His responsibility to steward much has been reduced, and now he can take a deep breath and relax. But is that how he reacts?
On the surface, God's response seems strange. For multiple chapters of Scripture, God responds to Job, not by addressing Job's subtle but clear complaints--he responds to Job by saying (38:4), "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding." Then for verse after verse, God continues describing the complex world of our creation, from sea creatures to rocks deep in the earth. God essentially gives us another narrative about his creation, a narrative that sounds like Genesis 1 put into greater detail.
Job is not unusual; he sounds a lot like we do. We humans complain to God incessantly, applying our own wisdom to the world and questioning his wisdom, his motives, the work his hands do, because it wasn't what we were anticipating. God's response? You did not lay the foundations of this world; you did not order the universe and the world according to true wisdom; and now you question my wisdom, the very wisdom which gave you life, the very wisdom which brings salvation and restoration to all people and all creation?
Well, when you put it that way...
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