Job is the oldest book in the Bible.
Before King David, and Moses, quite possibly closer to Adam than any of us realize, a man named Job encountered God.
As a new believer, I saw a book in the bible named “Job,” and seriously wondered if the book had to do with employment. Thankfully it did not, something more significant was at play.
I love to read Job in a layout without verses, that way my eyes can plow through the text unhindered. Sometimes I gather with others and read the whole text out loud in one shot– -that is an amazing experience that I highly encourage.
Job did nothing wrong, as the story goes, was by all accounts a good man full of godliness, and because of those things Satan ruined him, and God gave him permission to do so. Most of the book is a dialogue between Job’s friends, each in turn explaining to Job that somehow he must have done something wrong.
With great zeal Job maintained his innocence before his friends, but they will have none of it, paining Job with zingers ready made for a politicians Twitter feed. Job, feels wronged by God, and seeks a court hearing with him, to Job that would be justice.
Ever felt that way?
Every wanted one, a court hearing with God that is?
Job is mercifully granted his wish. God appears and speaks directly to Job after silencing his friends.
What is God’s opening line to Job?
Allow me to paraphrase, “Who is it that has no knowledge?”
And that’s the point is it not, “Who is it that has no knowledge?” The human race declares it is God who has no knowledge, because if God knew what he was doing the world would not be in such a great big mess. But how easily we are Job’s friends, speaking foolishly to God and each other, all the while dismissing ourselves from ownership of the catastrophe we made of our sad human lives.
God has the all the knowledge for life, love, goodness and happiness, not to mention truth, and Jesus came to impart it all to us.
Only God bathed in matchless love, could do that, or even want to.
