In these days, months, now years of difficulties, distress, and discouragement, it can be easy to disbelieve that God knows what is happening.
Easy to disbelieve that His power and might is supreme.
Easy to disbelieve that He is present in our difficulties, that He Is Immanuel – “God With Us.”
7 Lessons From Job: Who Are We compared to God? – Part 5
In the book of Job, Job demands an audience with YHVH in order to call Him to account for Job’s seemingly undeserved suffering.
Who are we, as humans, to call God out for His actions on earth?
Who are we, as humans, to call God out for His actions in our life?
Who are we, as humans, compared to God?
A Quick Look:
Lesson 1)
God does not cause bad things to happen; however, He allows bad things to happen.
Lesson 2)
We can question and complain to God. We can ask “Why God?”
Lesson 3)
We can express our negative feelings toward God.
Our feelings are real, even though our perceptions may be incorrect
Lesson 4)
The Biblical interpretations of others may be unhelpful, even incorrect
Lesson 5)
God is God. And we are not.
A Brief Summary of the Story of Job
The story of Job is set before the nation of Israel was established.
The man, Job, is beset with what he believes is underserved loss and suffering.
Job demands that his God meet him face-to-face and explain why He is causing Job’s distress.
So,
Who is God?
What does the Bible say about who God is?
God Is …
YeHoVaH – “I Am Who I Am”
13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”
14 God430 said to Moses, “I AM1961 WHO834 I AM1961 “; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM1961 has sent me to you.’ “ Exodus 3:13-15 NASB
Here, in Exodus, God tells Moses His name:
I AM1961 WHO834 I AM1961
- This is how it looks written in Hebrew:
הָיָה אֲשֶׁר הָיָה
[Note: Hebrew is written and read right-to-left, not left-to-right like English.]
- This is the transliterated (Hebrew letters represented by English letters, written left-to-right) form:
YHVH1961 ‘ShR834 YHVH1961
[Note: In addition to YHVH, I also use the form YeHoVaH, which includes the vowel sounds.]
- As defined in the Hebrew Interlinear Bible at biblehub.com:
‘Ehyeh 1961 from hayah1961 be, become, come to pass
‘Asher 834 who, which, that
God Is …
- Omnificent
God is the Creator of All-That-Was, All-That-Is, and All-That-Will-Be.
1 In the beginning God430 created1254 the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 NASB
The word Elohim430, the plural of El410, is usually translated as (capitalized) “God,” however, in some instances it is translated as “gods” (lower case, not indicating the Hebrew Deity).
Elohim 430 God; god [plural]
El 410 God; men of might, angels, gods of the nations
The word used in Genesis 1:1 for create is bara’.
This is the word that started me on my journey of discovery, of my search for the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith.
I discovered (and bought) a Hebrew-Greek Key Word Bible at Lifeway Christian Book Store.
A key word Bible has only some of the words defined, identified by Strong’s numbers.
The Bible I found, Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible (NASB), 1990, was edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D.
Through the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Bible I learned that in Genesis 1:1 the word translated as “create” is the Hebrew word bara’.
Bara’ 1254 to create, form make produce, to cut, to cut down, to engrave, to carve. This word occurs in the very first verse of the Bible (gen. 1:1). Bara’ emphasizes the initiation of the object, not manipulating it after original creation. The word as used in the Qal [the simplest verb form in Hebrew] refers only to an activity which can be performed by God. Entirely new productions are associated with bara’ …
Zodhiates, Spiros, Th.D., ed., Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible (NASB), 1990. Chattanooga, TN, AMG Publishers, p. 1716.
While there are several additional Hebrew words used to convey the concept (asah6213: make, do, fashion, and yatsar3335: form, mold, shape), bara’ has the connotation of an action that only God can do.
The Psalmist tells us:
3Know that the LORD3069[YHVH] Himself is God430 [Elohim]. Psalm 100:3a NASB
Now Consider …
Who is Man?
Note the Psalmist continues:
3 Know that the LORD3069 [YHVH] Himself is God430 [Elohim]; It is He who has made6213 [asah] us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3 NASB
ergo:
God is God. And we are not.
God is …
- Omniscient
As Isaiah tells us:
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NASB
He Is All-Knowing.
There is nothing that is hidden from His knowledge, His seeing, His understanding.
Zophar the Naamathite tells Job:
7 “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? 8 “They are high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? 9 “Its measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea. Job 11:7-9 NASB
Now consider …
Who is Man?
The Finite Knowledge of Man About God.
Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, declares:
26 “Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable….
29 “Can anyone understand … Job 36:26, 29 NASB
ergo:
God is God. And we are not.
Who is God?
- Omnipotent
Many of the Psalms, such as 135, explore the greatness, sovereignty, and power of YeHoVaH.
5 For I know that the LORD [YHVH] is great And that our Lord [Adonai] is above all gods. 6 Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. Psalms 135:5-6 NASB
He is All-Powerful
Job acknowledges God’s might and strength.
13 “With Him are wisdom and might; To Him belong counsel and understanding. …16 “With Him are strength and sound wisdom, The misled and the misleader belong to Him. Job 12:13-16 NASB
We, too, are to acknowledge His might, His power.
We, too, are to recognize His strength, His invincibility.
As Jennifer Slattery, in What Does it Mean That God Is Omnipotent?, writes
When we understand that God, our Creator and Savior, is omnipotent, our chaotic and constantly changing world doesn’t seem quite so scary. No matter how vulnerable or ill-equipped we feel, no matter the challenges and problems we face, we can rest in this truth: God is matchless in power, unconquerable, and always victorious.
We are to accept His supremacy, His wisdom.
We are to cede to Him His true position in our life – as our Lord, as our Master, as The Almighty God of heaven and earth, as The Creator of the seen and the unseen, as The Sovereign the of all-that-was, all-that-is, and all-that-will-be.
Now consider …
Who is Man?
Humanity was created by God.
We need to remember our utter insignificance in God’s eyes.
22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Isaiah 40:22a NASB
We are significant only in our identity in Him.
20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20 NASB
We have purpose only in serving Him.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 NASB
We have worth only as His image-bearers.
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 NASB
Our very life is not our own.
Each breath.
Every breath
is given to us by Him.
ergo:
God is God. And we are not.
Who is God?
- Omni-Present
He Is Existent Independent of All of Space and All of Time
1 In the beginning, God … Genesis 1:1 NASB
There is no thing that is “not-God” that existed before God created “what-was – what-is – what-will-be.”
2 Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Psalm 90:2 NASB
God is not limited by time.
4For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night. Psalm 90:4 NASB
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 2 Peter 3:8 NASB
The Infinity Who is the Godhead is beyond mere space and mere time.
The Eternity Who is the Godhead is independent of the SpaceTime He created.
The limitless Godhead is constrained not by time nor by space, SpaceTime, as are the time- and space-bound humans He created.
Nonetheless, He enters His creation, SpaceTime, at His will.
Nonetheless, He acts within His creation, SpaceTime, as He determines, as He wishes, for His
“will [to] be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10 NASB)
There is NO “before” the “in the beginning” because time (past – now – future, i.e., SpaceTime as humans experience it) did NOT exist.
versus
Who is Man?
The psalmist asks, and answers, his own question:
3 O LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him? 4 Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow. Psalm 144:3-4 NASB
In like manner, Bildad the Shuhite pronounces
9 “For we are only of yesterday and know nothing, Because our days on earth are as a shadow. Job 8:9 NASB
ergo:
God Is God. And We Are Not.
So,
What Does God Have to Say to Job’s Tirade?
Job chapters 38-42 record YHVH’s, quite lengthy, response to Job’s criticism.
YeHoVaH questions Job:
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Job 38:4 NASB
Then YeHoVaH describes to Job all that He, God, has done.
God asks Job (rather mockingly, I think):
- If Job were there at creation – Omnificent?
- If Job were all-powerful – Omnipotent?
- If Job were all-knowing – Omniscient?
- If Job were everywhere at once – Omni-present?
What Does Job Have to Say to God in Return?
Job’s reply:
3 Then Job answered the LORD and said, 4 “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. Job 40:1-4 NASB
The first commandment YeHoVaH gave to Moses and the children of Israel was about His identity and their relationship to Him.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. …
for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers …
6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. Exodus 20:3-6 NASB
ergo:
God is God. And we are not.
If He is so great, so all-knowing, so all-powerful, and ever-present, why doesn’t God answer our cry?
God, Answer Our Cry!
Why Doesn’t God End the Pandemic and Stop the Death and Suffering?
For so many, God does not exist. The “I AM” is “there is no.”
For so many, if God is the Creator, why did He create the dreadful COVID-19 virus?
For so many, if God knows all, why did He not prevent this misery and death?
For so many, God seems inactive, impotent: Can He not hear, and answer, my call, my prayers?
For so many, God seems absent: Where is He?
Nevertheless, as Fritz Chery, in Questioning God assures us:
Even when it may seem like God is not doing anything, He is working behind the scenes. [emphasis original]
… Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
…1 Corinthians 2:16 For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
Consequently,
What is to be Our Response In Troubles and Suffering?
Yes, in response we can blame God.
Yes, in response we can question and complain to God.
Yes, in response we can be angry at God.
Yes, in response we can question the Truth of God’s Word.
But …
what …
… if our response were to go to the One?
In reverence. In humility. In expectation.
… if our response in difficult circumstances were to know and remember all that we have learned about the Father and His faithfulness?
… if our response in times of suffering were to hold to the promise of Jesus to be with us always?
… if our response in trying situations were to lean on the leadings of the Spirit?
… if our response were to have faith, and be faithful?
From the writer of the post The First Law: He’s God and We’re Not, at the Keep Believing Ministries website, we read:
As I have pondered this truth of God’s freedom, many applications come to mind. Properly understood, it ought to lead us to a calm confidence in God even in the midst of unspeakable tragedy. And it should make us bold in our witness and strong in our prayers. And if we believe this, we will find the strength to persevere over the long haul, knowing that even our foolish mistakes cannot cancel God’s plans for us.
What if our response were to be to give praise and worship to the One True God, even in the storm?
He continues:
The truth of God’s freedom ought to lead us to praise and worship. If it doesn’t, then we haven’t fully understood the biblical teaching. It is not that we will praise God directly for the pain and sadness around us or for the sinful acts of others. But we will praise God that he is able to work in, with, and through everything that happens, both the good and the bad, to accomplish his will, to make us more like Christ, and to bring glory to himself. To say that is to say nothing more than what Romans 8:28 clearly teaches.
The First Law: He’s God and We’re Not
Consider:
- On whom are you depending?
- What has been your response to your current circumstances?
- When have you last seen the “fingerprints of God” in your day-to-day life?
- Where are you seeking your provision, your protection, your life purpose?
- How has your situation affected your faith walk?
Let’s start a discussion.
Tell me your thoughts, your opinion, your beliefs, your experience.
Blessings,
TLThomas
It’s ok to doubt, if you check it out!
Be a Berean!
10The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Acts 17:10, 11 ESV
Please join me in this journey of discovery.
- Leave a comment, or ask me a question.
- Share this blog with others, whether they are doubting, or not.
- Take what I say and CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF!
Next time, the 7 Lessons From Job will continue with the question:
“Can Good Come From Bad?”
See also
Is God to Blame For the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Suffering? – Part 1
Can We Question and Complain to God About the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Suffering? – Part 2
Is It Wrong to Be Angry at God About the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Suffering? – Part 3
Biblical Truth During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Part 4
TLThomas ©2021