Title: God Who Speaks/Job 33:14-18
Content Word: Job 33:14-18
1. The God Who Speaks: Verse 14
When it comes time for exams in school, the teacher tells us the scope of the exam. Then, we raise objections in a voluptuous voice, saying, “Teacher, it’s something you didn’t learn.” Obviously, it's something we've never heard of, even though it's something our teachers taught us.
Perhaps students have a tendency to listen in one ear to what their teacher is teaching, and then to the other. Even though the teacher taught me diligently, I feel like I am hearing the test questions for the first time.
In this way, we think that the words God gives us have nothing to do with us, and we let them go. Even though these words are meant to save our lives, we hear them with one ear and pour them out through the other.
In verse 14 of the text, “People may regard it as irrelevant,” and God continues to speak to those who think it has nothing to do with Him. Because we absolutely need the Word of God to live, God speaks and speaks again and again. Although we may regard the Word as irrelevant to us, God continues to speak to us for our lives.
◎ What is my attitude toward God's Word? Let's pray that we will repent of becoming those who consider us “no matter what” and give thanks to God who speaks to us again and become listeners of His Word.
2. Why God Speaks to Us: Verses 17-18
First, God tells us to fix things in our lives that are hurting ourselves.
There are times when we are harming ourselves without even realizing it. For example, we think we brush our teeth hard for our teeth and gums, but our bad brushing habits sometimes damage our teeth and gums. We continue to hurt our teeth in the wrong way until someone tells us that side brushing is wrong. Self-harm is a bad habit.
In this way, there are often cases in which things that are thought to be for the sake of me actually hurt me. I work hard because I am convinced that it is for my family, but sometimes it causes difficulties for my loved ones.
The God who loves our lives speaks in one form or another about the things that hurt us ourselves. We need to be taught by the Holy Spirit to discover and correct life-destroying habits in us.
◎ What are my bad habits or actions that are harming myself? How did I know it was really hurting me?
Second, God speaks to prevent our pride.
Pride is not seeing one's weaknesses as weaknesses. Therefore, the proud person does not take care of his weak points at all, and he is at a loss. We have to admit that we all have weaknesses.
However, the proud person does not take care of the weak points and remains defenseless, and he is struck by Satan's attacks. Even Samson, who possesses great power, did not take care of his weak points of reason and lived ignoring the Word of God, and eventually fell down by Satan who attacked his weakness.
God speaks to us so that we can know our weaknesses and be good carers of them. By heeding God's Word, we can look back on our weaknesses and avoid disappointment. Therefore, we must listen carefully to what God has to say.
◎ What are our weaknesses that God has taught us? I thank God for speaking to me today, and let's pray that we become those who listen to His words.
3. He opens a man's ear and instructs him like a seal: verses 14-16.
There are many ways God speaks to us. God doesn't always speak to us in the same way, He speaks this way and that way. God speaks through sermons, conversations with people, and events. God also speaks through dreams and visions.
We need to listen to the Word of God that opens people's ears and seals them up in a variety of ways. The expression “as if opening and sealing people’s ears” means that we do not listen at all, so they hold our ears, open our ears, speak clearly, and speak to us in such a way that they even stamp them. God is saying things that we must listen to, and He is saying things like that.
There is a word of God that we must listen to in our current situation. We must carefully discern and listen to God's words of instruction, blessings, warnings, and words of grace, which are spoken through sermons, other people's words, and sometimes indirectly through the Word. Avoid avoidance and receive the blessings you deserve.
◎ In what way did God speak to me? Let's share the experience of God's speaking. As we meditate on God who taught us to “open and seal people’s ears,” He speaks without ceasing so that our lives do not fall into a pit.
Let's thank God and pray.