Title: God's Way (Job 03:7-11)
Content Because life is a fragile and finite being, it is easy to change according to the surrounding reality rather than proceeding to the end by believing in God's promises. To the eyes of unbelief, the words “faith” or “Eternal Heaven” seem like a mirage and foam. Even people who have been religious for a long time often want to rely on worldly experiences and human wisdom rather than seeking God's will in the whirlwind of a huge secular world.
However, as the Apostle Paul confessed, God's wisdom and knowledge are rich and deep, and His judgment is unsearchable. Therefore, even if we do not rely on human means, God does His will in our lives in amazing ways. In the text, Eliphaz is innocently condemning Job. However, his words themselves express the truth that God must accomplish His will in His own way, beyond human doubts and imagination. Then, what kind of work will God accomplish?
1. He gives victory to the honest.
(Verse 7) 'No one perishes without sin, and the upright are not cut off'. If you look at the human affairs that take place in this world, there are cases where the dishonest person is more powerful than the person. The saints living in the midst of these turbid three can easily feel it. Many people have been living by committing evil for their own greed and honor. However, God caused towers built by unrighteous methods to eventually collapse in a way that human beings could never imagine.
This is God's way. Because of Elisha's prophetic decision, God paid the price for Gehazi's actions by lying and stealing the gift when he did not receive the gift of General Naaman, born of leprosy.
On the other hand, God made great use of Josiah, who revealed His glory by removing strangers, clans, and teraphim from the land of Judah and Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:25). It was given victory when we defeated the wickedness of the people and followed God's honest laws. We must be honest in everything because that is what pleases God. David had the honesty of humbly accepting Nathan's point of error. These actions, with God's blessing, allowed his descendants to continue uninterrupted, and in the end, they enjoyed the glory of becoming the ancestors of Jesus Christ.
I hope that our alumni also live a life that overcomes God's blessings by acting honestly.
2. He disciplines the wicked.
Russian writer Dostoevsky once said, "If there is no God, everything is permissible." In fact, there are many so-called perfect crimes in this world that have never been uncovered. It is the sinful nature of human beings to seek wealth and honor through any evil deeds, as long as it is possible to deceive people appropriately.
But no one can escape the eyes of God. To hide a person who has committed an evil deed is like a pheasant with only his head buried in a bush. “Whoever plows evil and sows money will also reap” (verse 8). God knew when Adam and Eve sinned and hid themselves in the bushes. Also, God knew that Cain killed his brother Abel and buried him in the ground. When they took over the city of Jericho, God told them not to bring anything captured from war, but it was God who revealed the crime of Achan, who hid part of it in his tent because his eyes were darkened by bathing in water.
Then, what will God do to those who do evil <Example> The trial of those who violated traffic laws began in a district court in England.
“What is your name?” the judge interrogated.
"Father! It's me. Don't you know?" The judge was his father.
At the father's command, "Did I not ask for your name now?", the son scratched his head shyly and gave his name. The father quickly pretends not to know despite his son's desperate plea, and calmly asks, "What is the next address?"
"That's right, you know better." "Keep in mind that this is a courtroom. So don't call me father! I am sitting before you as a judge now." After the judge had finished all the questions normally asked of other criminals, the judge ordered that a fair penalty be paid for the crime. The son, who was very displeased, thought savagely, 'Maybe my father could do that to me,' and he slumped down on his seat helplessly. After a while, the father took off the judge's robe, came to his son's side, said, "How did you break the traffic law? Yeah, I told you to take care of your car." He took money out of his wallet and gave him a fine. God is like this judge's heart. Please keep in mind that He is a strict ruler over sin.
In God, we became children through faith in Jesus, but He makes sure to pay the price of judgment. Samson, who failed to keep the Nazarite's actions, paid the price in death (Judges 16:30). The wicked kings, Ahab and Jezebel, are slaughtered by dogs licking their blood and devouring their bodies. In this way, we must realize that human evil cannot escape the eyes of God, who counts even the hairs of our heads, and that God always punishes those who do evil.
This is God's way. Let's live a life that recognizes God who cares about everything and avoids evil things.
3. He breaks the strong.
Humans have a desire to show off their strengths.
When it becomes strong, it reveals arrogant behavior. But 'the voice of the ferocious lion ceased, and the young lion's teeth were broken' (verse 10). Taishan is high, but it is Moe under the sky. No matter how great a human being is, he is nothing in the sight of God the Creator. It is the God who broke Hezekiah's arrogant behavior. It was also God who disciplined Uzziah's pride, who tried to replace the priest's duty of burning incense with the authority of the king. God is arrogant and hates doing his own thing, and He loves obedience.
God took Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and Paul, who were humble before Him, and made them great servants. In this sense, the figure of Christ washing the disciples' feet is the epitome of service. Therefore, we must not forget that God's method is to exalt those who are humble and humble, remembering Jesus' words that those who want to be first must be servants, and that the leader is like a servant.
Saints! We live in a world where excessive competition and even nefarious conspiracy are rampant. However, if we do not believe in our own strength or plan and obey God's voice, we will eventually face the same fate as the fall of the Tower of Babel.
Let's remember that God's way, which may seem foolish in the eyes of some, is indeed a great power and salvation.