The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Job 25:2, 5-6,
"Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven... If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot— a human being, who is only a worm!"
Not all comments made in the Bible are true. The book of Job is just such an example. Here, Bildad, one of Job's friends, tells us something about God and about man. What he says about God is certainly true, what he says about man obscures the things of God. Before you start stoning me, here me out. I, in high confidence, and without any doubt whatsoever, hold to the inerrancy, accuracy and truthfulness of all the Bible. However, the Bible can relate the conversations of men that may be in error, and Job is a book that does just that - because it tell us that.
After the three friends of Job and Elihu finish their bloviating about how all things in life can be reduced to the simple formula of: do good and you get good, do bad and you get bad, God steps in and gives them all a coronary with the frightful blast of this question: "Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you. and you shall answer me." Job 38:2-3.
Consequently, not all of the dialog found in the book of Job is to be taken as truthful or accurate. Many a commentator and many a pastor have failed to recognize this as they have quoted various passages in the book of Job. It is not to say there is no truth in any of the things Job's friends have said, but their conclusions obscured Gods plans, the words were "without knowledge."
Job's friends had no idea God was using Job as an "in your face" rebuke to Satan to demonstrate that, unlike Satan, there are those who will worship God - even apart from any "blessings" God may send their way, and even in the midst of suffering. As many "do-gooders" still do today, Job's friends had reduced God to little more than a two-dimensional moral principle, a majestic one to be sure, but nonetheless, a two-dimensional moral principle. Their discussion reflects this distortion of the things of God.
What Bildad got right in verse 2 is that "Dominion and awe belong to God, he establishes order in the heights of heaven." What he said that obscures truth is that man is no more than "a maggot" and "only a worm".
What Bildad was not seeing is that God would one day send his own Son as the Savior of the World out of an incomprehensible love he has for mankind. "... for God so loved the world, he sent his one and only Son..." John 3:16.
While I certainly recognize the depravity of the human heart, while I see the lowly estate mankind has brought to himself by his sin and rebellion against God, it was not for maggots that Jesus Christ suffered and died on that cross. In what I can only describe for myself as God's incomprehensible and tremendous love, he died for miserable mankind, and not maggots and worms. Mankind has been the apple of God's eye, the object of his vast love and he has made a way for mankind to return to him.
In Psalm 22:6, David says, "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people." Here he voices his complaint that God has abandoned him at the moment. While his ancestors trusted in God, and cried out to God for help, God delivered them - but at this moment, as he was scorned and despised by the people, God did not rescue him. He felt he was being treated as "a worm and not a man" by everyone. This is a far cry from Bildad's adjudicating mankind as nothing more than maggots and worms.
"Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven... If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot— a human being, who is only a worm!"
Not all comments made in the Bible are true. The book of Job is just such an example. Here, Bildad, one of Job's friends, tells us something about God and about man. What he says about God is certainly true, what he says about man obscures the things of God. Before you start stoning me, here me out. I, in high confidence, and without any doubt whatsoever, hold to the inerrancy, accuracy and truthfulness of all the Bible. However, the Bible can relate the conversations of men that may be in error, and Job is a book that does just that - because it tell us that.
After the three friends of Job and Elihu finish their bloviating about how all things in life can be reduced to the simple formula of: do good and you get good, do bad and you get bad, God steps in and gives them all a coronary with the frightful blast of this question: "Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you. and you shall answer me." Job 38:2-3.
Consequently, not all of the dialog found in the book of Job is to be taken as truthful or accurate. Many a commentator and many a pastor have failed to recognize this as they have quoted various passages in the book of Job. It is not to say there is no truth in any of the things Job's friends have said, but their conclusions obscured Gods plans, the words were "without knowledge."
Job's friends had no idea God was using Job as an "in your face" rebuke to Satan to demonstrate that, unlike Satan, there are those who will worship God - even apart from any "blessings" God may send their way, and even in the midst of suffering. As many "do-gooders" still do today, Job's friends had reduced God to little more than a two-dimensional moral principle, a majestic one to be sure, but nonetheless, a two-dimensional moral principle. Their discussion reflects this distortion of the things of God.
What Bildad got right in verse 2 is that "Dominion and awe belong to God, he establishes order in the heights of heaven." What he said that obscures truth is that man is no more than "a maggot" and "only a worm".
What Bildad was not seeing is that God would one day send his own Son as the Savior of the World out of an incomprehensible love he has for mankind. "... for God so loved the world, he sent his one and only Son..." John 3:16.
While I certainly recognize the depravity of the human heart, while I see the lowly estate mankind has brought to himself by his sin and rebellion against God, it was not for maggots that Jesus Christ suffered and died on that cross. In what I can only describe for myself as God's incomprehensible and tremendous love, he died for miserable mankind, and not maggots and worms. Mankind has been the apple of God's eye, the object of his vast love and he has made a way for mankind to return to him.
In Psalm 22:6, David says, "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people." Here he voices his complaint that God has abandoned him at the moment. While his ancestors trusted in God, and cried out to God for help, God delivered them - but at this moment, as he was scorned and despised by the people, God did not rescue him. He felt he was being treated as "a worm and not a man" by everyone. This is a far cry from Bildad's adjudicating mankind as nothing more than maggots and worms.
Mankind has the unique design of being created in the image of God. It is from God himself that we find our worth as his creatures, valuable in his sight, such that he would deign to send his Son to die on our behalf. Far be it from any of us to despise what God finds as objects of his unfathomable affections.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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