Page 131 - Reading Job to Know God

Rabbis said that the Lord kissed Moses to death on the mountain. It says
in Deutoronomy 34:5 That Moses died by the word of the Lord. But if
you look up the Hebrew meaning of “word” used there, it literally means
“mouth as the means of blowing” The Lord lovingly kissed Moses and
withdrew His Breath. So He received Moses life back to Himself.
He said God can do anything He wants to do. Injustice is violating the
rights of others in order to enrich yourself. He said, “Why would God be
unjust?” And so he shoots down Job’s argument. He shows how
injustice is incompatible with God’s supremacy. Verse 13 and 17,

“Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him
the whole world?

“Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the
righteous mighty One, who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’; Who shows no partiality to princes nor
regards the rich above the poor.”
And then he begins to describes how God creates and sustains the rich and
the poor together. When God decides to hide Himself, who can restrain
Him? He says that in verse 29. So Job is silent again. The next chapter 35,
Elihu answers Job’s contention that nothing is gained by being righteous.
Verses 1 through 3,
“Do you think this is according to justice? Do you say, ‘My
righteousness is more than God’s’? For you say, ‘What advantage
will it be to You? What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
I will answer you, and your friends with you.”
His argument is in verses 4-8. God is transcendent. He says you believe
that God is punishing the wicked for sin and that God rewards the
righteous. But he is saying God is above all of that. God does not afflict
people because they are wicked, and He does not bless people because
they are righteous. That is an interesting truth of God. He afflicts people
because He is God, and He has a purpose for it. And He blesses people,
not because they are doing something right, but for His higher purpose
and design. God does not provide for you because you trust Him. You
trust Him because that honors Him. He provides because He is a great
provider. He is a great God; that is why He provides. Not because we do
anything right. Most Christians don’t get this at all and so their lives are
a never ending attempt to manipulate God into blessing them.
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