Wisdom in Understanding

Today's readings were from Job 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

We reach the end of Job and his friend's dialog. There is still the speech of Elihu to follow and the response of God to all of them; but here Job and his friends stop their back and forth remarks.

Job's friends have one main refrain - "If you would only confess that you are a sinner and therefore deserving of your suffering, you might find mercy...and then again, you might not...either way, God is justified in all that he has done and you are not." Their orientation is towards God as judge, and humanity as sinners. Even the Psalmist says, there is no hope for any of us if God keeps a record of our wrongs.

Job has as his response - "I have been living with integrity and even though I know I have sinned, I am not worthy of this punishment. Look around and you cannot help but see wickedness day in and day out. That deserves punishment, but what have I done to deserve this?" Job's understanding of God is that his all powerful sovereignty does not translate itself over to being compassionate and caring about the individual sufferings. A lot of people share Job's concept of God.

There is more dialog, so the story is not complete yet; but note the end of Job's speech...he touches on the major issue,

"How do we gain wisdom that leads to understanding when our life doesn't make sense?"

Job says,

“But do people know where to find wisdom?
Where can they find understanding? “But do people know where to find wisdom?
Where can they find understanding? “God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens. He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall. He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning. Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly. And this is what he says to all humanity:
‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom;
to forsake evil is real understanding.’” (Job 28:12, 20, 23-28 NLT)

At the end of this, Job's statement is profound. We don't understand, because we cannot see the whole picture. We don't understand, and therefore we are incomplete in terms of wisdom. Yet wisdom is there when we seek God, forsake evil, and choose to walk with profound respect for the ways of God. It does not mean that our problems, pains, difficulties, diseases, etc...will of necessity go away. It does mean that instead of blaming God we will seek another way - the way of wisdom and understanding.

Peace

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