Reflection on 2 Chronicles 5:11-14

2 Chronicles 5:11-14 Worship and Praise of God

at the Dedication of the Temple of God

A Reflection for #bigbible #digidisciple by @minidvr

Solomon Dedicates the Temple: image ©1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tisso

public domain image http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tissot_Solomon_Dedicates_the_Temple_at_Jerusalem.jpg

¹¹ The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. ¹² All the Levities who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. ¹³ The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:

“He is good;
    his love endures forever.”

Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud, ¹⁴ and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.

This description of worship celebrate at the dedication of the Temple by Solomon has echoes for us today. The words of praise used remind of of the goodness and faithfulness of God toward us and particularly how surpassing that love was that he sent his only Son, Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our redemption.

I was pondering on how we worship collectively (or individually) in our Churches or other places these days. Does our worship evoke such powerful imagery, do we experience our homes or churches being filled with the “Cloud for the the Glory of the Lord” or is our experience more mundane or even at times, plain boring?

I read that some of the reasons that people have stopped coming to church is that the liturgy can be incomprehensible, that they don’t understand what’s going on. Yet in the Early Church, perhaps inspired by the fervour, wonder and awe at their conversion and with leaders such as the disciples and Peter and Paul, the evidence is of a vibrant gathering of believers, The Acts of the Apostles amply demonstrate this fact:

Acts 1:14 - The disciples were "all" with "one accord" continuing steadfastly in prayer (worship). Unity of purpose and attitude showed itself in people being together for worship. [2:1,46]

Acts 4:24 - In time of persecution, the church met (v23) and raised their voice to God "with one accord."

Acts 4:32 - The multitude of believers had "one heart and one soul." This expressed itself in a generous collection for needy saints.

Acts 5:11,12 - Ananias and Sapphira did not share the oneness of attitude of other disciples and were disciplined. This led the rest of the church to have respect (v11) and to be together "with one accord." [15:22,25].

I know that a major part of my own participation in worship is to use my imagination along with the words, the texts or Word of God and the actions of the celebrant, readers, intercessors and others (even incensers) to bring experience to worship that seeks to reflect “The Cloud for the Glory of God”. I believe that imagination is needed to overcome the gap between the physical presence and the spiritual presence of God to us in worship or prayer.

As an example that I have used before, during a service in an ancient freezing church, I imagine the frosted breath of worshipers rising in the cold air as our prayers, rising with those of all the Saints who have e worshiped their over the centuries to heaven to be taken and used by the Son to the Father to his greater Glory. Others might not think or use their imagination in this way, but when I describe the experience to others, they can than understand why I might seem lost in wonder, awe or praise during worship.

Is it I wonder, a consequence of our modernity, our jaded worldliness, and the huge access to media and imagery of all types day in and day out that we’ve lost the ability to ‘imagine’? Has the church lost the ambition and skill to evoke through powerful liturgy, music and preaching that stirs the imagination of believers and worshipers that empowers and enhances their worship, raising it to the level that “The Cloud for the Glory of God” becomes real and tangible within them and among their fellow worshipers?

What about the Sacraments? For me, the greatest joys of being a Christian is access to the Sacraments, which are a gift from God. I’m not talking about the general view that there is only two (Baptism and the Eucharist) but a wider emphasis found in the Catholic wing of the Church of England and the Cathlolic and Orthodox denominations. The Sacraments are there, are accessible to all and are for me a vital part of faith and belief. I have found that the efficacy of the Sacraments have worked so much in my own life and development in faith and as a Christian and in particular that personal relationship with God which is central to my being. The beauty of the Eucharist, the peace and restorative properties of reconciliation (confession) are but two. Another view that I formed during the discernment process is to think of Jesus Christ as a ‘Sacrament’ and developing this to see the Church that he gave us is also Sacramental in itself. In essence I see them as “The cloud of the Glory of God”. How can we ensure that this Sacramental nature is communicated effectively, without being accused of mysticism or mythology?

In the book The Fire and the Clay, George Guiver and others give a simplified breakdown of the nature of Sacraments, some passages that struck me profoundly:

· “Sacraments are physical things and actions, usually accompanied by a particular form of words, which put us in touch with God in a unque way. The uniquness is partly that they are not just symbols, but bring about that which they express (P30).

· When therefore we speak of the sacraments, we are speaking not of magical actions, but of this mystery of Christ. The sacraments are the ‘mysteries’ gifts to us from God in which we meet the mysteries of Christ (P30).

· Our modern way of life does not mesh well with the Christian notion of the Sacraments. We are practical, utilitarian, sceptical. For us everything needs to be objectively tested and verified.(p31).

· We therefore need a good deal of persuading when it comes to the sacramental theology of tradition. For this says that physical acts as Baptism and The Eucharist belong to the new order ushered in by Christ. They participate in the uniqueness of the incarnation. So they bring together things that we are convinced are incommensurate: our humanity with God’s divinity, closely associated with a little piece of created matter, in simple human actions. By the water in Baptism something is effected which no other water can do; the bread in the Eucharist unites us with God in such a way that it is totally different from the ordinary bread that it was a few minutes ago (p31).

· Christ has taken all that is good in what it is to be human and brought it together in a new synthesis with the divine. All those who are taken up into the Sacrament of Christ’s body, The Church are effected by this, and it’s typically human structures have this added dimension. A bishop, a priest, a deacon, a reader, a server, a musician, a flower arranger, fulfill roles ....... they act out in their roles the mystery of the incarnation; they make present the Sacrament of the Church. They are the presence of Jesus (p31)”.

For many former or ‘never Christians’ it might be that we need to recapture the excitement and joy and wonder and awe experienced by those who came to faith and belief in God through Jesus Christ in the early Church, particularly the mystery of the Sacraments. This is a challenge - how can the Church make worship an experience of God that captures the imagination of all? How can we instil faith and belief in peoples lives, taking that perceived longing for something spiritual and greater than ourselves and transform it into the vibrant and living faith that held by the early disciples and converts? How can we re-imagine the early church to transform The Church of God from a boring, mundane experience to become Central in the lives of people across the world?

I don’t have any quick answers, but I am convinced that ‘imagination’ needs to be placed central to it. Visionary and imaginative leadership and example, powerful and evocative worship, might just encourage people back into faith and belief and build the Kingdom of God, here and now and restore “The Cloud for the Glory of God to all”. I pray that it might come soon.

 This post originally featured on the www.bigbible.org/digidisciple website on 10th Feb 2014

An Uncomfortable Confession - An Unjust Law?

A Reflection on Ezra 10-1:4.

by @minidvr for #digidisciple 10 March 2014

The Leaders tell Ezra of the Sinful marriages of Jews to Foreigners (Ezra 9:1-2)

Image under Wikipedia Commons License

Ezra’s story is troubling to us in these days. We have accepted ‘diversity’ and all that it means, including inter-racial marriage. But in Ezra’s time and context, he was troubled that the Jewish race was being diluted or was not remaining it’s pure line as the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. People were marrying ‘foreigners’ (Ezra 10:2) which endangered the racial purity of God’s chosen people, but what could be done about it? If the people remained in this state, the prophecy of their kingdom being broken up and the people dispersed might well be repeated?

Ezra’s history is admittedly a little obscure. He had studied the laws given to the Israelites by God through Moses and had become a Teacher and the hand of God was upon him (Ezra 7:6). He had been favoured by Artaxerxes king of Persia (who described him as Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven (Ezra 7:11-21) in his commission to Ezra). Ezra was sent with others from Babylon with a personal mission to oversee the work of those rebuilding the Temple and Jerusalem (Ezra 7:11-17). To “Appoint Judges and Magistrates to administer the laws and justice”.. and “ to teach those who do not know the laws” (Ezra 7:11-25).

Ezra seemed to be having a bad time of it; But the record shows that the leaders of the people? came to him complaining about the situation of intermarriage and the failings of those that they considered were in breach of God’s law (Ezra 9:1-2). Ezra has a meltdown on hearing this and begs God to forgive those who have forsaken the law and have brought impurity and disgrace upon the people of God. (Ezra 9:3-13). One wonders how he hadn’t noticed this before the leaders brought it to his attention?

The People’s Confession of Sin (Ezra 10:1-4)

10 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. ² Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. ³ Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. ⁴ Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”

The outcome was Ezra with the leaders issuing a proclamation (v10:7) calling together all of the exiles in Judah on pain of exile from the community is they didn’t come. Within three days, all had assembled in Jerusalem (v.10:9).

¹⁰ Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. ¹¹ Now honour the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives. Harsh, or what?

The surprising thing was that people appointed by Ezra formed a commission and dealt in days with those who had married foreigners (v10.16) and the passages from 10:18-44, actually name and shame those guilty of intermarriage with foreigners? And the unstated outcome that they cast out their foreign wives and any children, abandoned to whatever fate might befall them.

How does this speak to us of unjust laws? It certainly sounds cruel and negligent. Imagine the uproar if this were to happen today - it would cause enormous problems! it would break more secular laws than I can count and would infringe so many human rights that the legal profession would make millions from it. And it would be inhumane and cruel. Surely God’s law wouldn’t expect us to be so cruel, I sure that this isn’t still extant.

In the context of it’s time and the people of Israel, doing what they did, it must have broken so many hearts, caused so much pain, but people were willing to sacrifice their families for the sake of a law made centuries before, but would put them in good conscience with God? In an odd twist, divorce became an act of faithfulness among these newly married exiles.

To answer my question in the title, yes, the law appears unjust in the context of our time, but to the people of Israel, following God’s law was a serious business, in the main because they had already been all to aware of the consequences of falling away - their ruin and transportation to Babylon was fresh in their mind.

I have to seriously wonder at the mind set that could do this. But when I look at the New Testament what did Jesus say?

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them”. (Matt 5:17). Do we than accept that the law given to the Israelites remains extant, I can’t believe that Jesus would be telling us to abandon our families due to racial difference or nationality. I appreciate that sometimes so called ‘mixed marriages’ can cause religious or cultural difficulties in families and communities, but the norm is for ‘love to overcome’ and most such unions are successful and happy.

The book of Ezra highlights for me the importance of interpretation of scripture in it’s time, place and context and not to seek to apply it literally to our own context in the 21^st Century. We must seek to see what lessons might be drawn from particular texts.

The evidence for me in this book and the events depicted are repentence and unswerving faithfulness of those who sought to follow God’s law, whatever the consequences for them (and others).

I pray that I might be given such a depth of faith, albeit, not in the context of abandonment or divorce.

 This post originally featured on the www.bigbible.org/digidisciple site on 10 March 2014

A Reflection on Nehemiah

Nehemiah : Faith Builds Faith.

a reflection on how Nehemiah’s faith rebuilt the Walls of Jerusalem

 and the Jewish People.

by @minidvr 10 April 2014

image courtesy of http://daleblogging.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/on-nehemiahs-wall.html

The story of Nehemiah is of a Jew in exile who gained a powerful position in the Court of King Artaxerxes of Babylon. Previously in Ezra we heard how the Jews were freed to return to Israel and how the Temple was rebuilt. Nehemiah hears of the plight of his brother Jews in Israel, how they are exploited by officials and bandits and have no security, as the walls of Jerusalem are in ruins. Nehemiah is so moved by this and pleads with the King to release him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He was taking a huge risk in this and also giving up a lifestyle of power and privilege to go to the aid of the people of Israel.

Nehemiah’s prayer before meeting the King is one of great faith, contrition on behalf of his people and hope in God’s love which will free his people. In my mind it displays a strength of faith in God’s merciful bounty that is an inspiration to me and hopefully to you (Nehemiah 1:4-10).

⁴ When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. ⁵ Then I said:

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁶ let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. ⁷ We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

⁸ “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, ⁹ but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

¹⁰ “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.¹¹ Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favour in the presence of this man.”

God’s Response:

God’s response is real and profound. Nehemiah is granted his wish and more. He is made Governor of Judah and given the power and freedom to proceed as he requested. His influence with the King is part of this, but his faith and belief that his prayers would and were answered speaks volumes for his powers of persuasion.

But this is only a first step, he will need all of God’s strength and power alongside him in the journey and work before him. The confidence with which he approaches the daunting tasks facing him and the Jewish people demonstrates again, the strength of that faith that shines through and is transmitted to those who he deals with. It’s transformative and restorative in its power and direction and brings about a strength and determination among the whole Jewish people to work and to persevere and to succeed in the face of all obstacles including warlike threats and plots of violence to complete the rebuilding and in doing so, rebuilds the Jewish nation. The way that Nehemiah transmitted his faith through prayer and example holds real lessons for us today.

Nehemiah helps the poor:

Nehemiah found that all wasn’t well among the Jews themselves. Since their return they had been exploited by the governors and rich powerful, who’d profited from them in many ways through taxations, lending on mortgages which charged interest (contrary to God’s law) and they had in many cases become slaves to these people. (Nehemiah 5:1-13).

Nehemiah challenges and scolds those responsible for exploiting their fellow Jews and the power of his persuasion causes a change of heart and resentence and renewal of faith and prayer:

⁶ When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. ⁷ I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them ⁸ and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.

⁹ So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? ¹⁰ I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! ¹¹ Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”

¹² “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”

Here I see Nehemiah’s faith and belief in God’s power causing the conversion of people from greed and self interest to one of a sharing and community building. What an example that sets for our world and communities today? Working for a shared, mutual benefit gives power and dignity to people who have a living wage and are not living enslaved to debt or in the power of the lenders or unfriendly governments.

What do I learn from Nehemiah?

For the me, and hopefully for others, the key message of that ‘leap of faith’ which banishes doubt and empowers us through God’s grace to do more than might seem possible. Jesus said “What is impossible for man is possible for God” (Mark 10:27). Nehemiah sets us an example of faith which knows no bounds and a trust, hope and confidence in God’s power that will remove all barriers to his love and grace. A faith that by achieving within us, helps us to achieve with others, making disciples. Our faith will shine out like a light and light attracts light. God be praised.

 This post originally featured on the www.bigbible.org/digidisciple web site on 10th April 2014

A Reflection on Esther

Esther

A Story of Love, Manipulation and Cruelty

a Reflection for #digidisciple

10^th May 2014 by @minidvr

Esther is Crowned by King Xerxes

Reading the Book of Esther is like reading a fantasy of murder, hatred, jealousy, revenge, a naive King, manipulation by evil people, but ultimately one great faith by Mordecai, of love, familial relationships and the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of a spurned royal official.

The Main players are King Xerxes who rules the empire of the Persian and Medes between 519-465 BC. Vashti the queen that was deposed after she refused to visit the King in a fit of pique (v1:12). Mordecai a Jewish man who with his family had been carried into exile by the Babylonians. Esther the beautiful young, virgin daughter of Mordecai’s cousin Hadassah, adopted by Mordecai, who became first a concubine, but later an influential Queen to Xerxes. Haman a courtier who gained Xerxes favour and was elevated to the highest position in power after the King.

After Vashti was deposed, Xerxes consults his nobles who advise that he bring the most beautiful virgins to the palace to please the King. This is done, and Esther is one of those chosen and taken to the palace to be a concubine. Mordecai feels the shame of this and daily visits the gates of the citadel and sits in sorrow praying for Esther’s welfare and safety. Esther had concealed her Jewish identity from the King as Mordecai had instructed her as there was prejudice against the Jewish people among some at court, including Haman.

While sitting at the gate, Mordecai refuses to bow to Haman as he passes through as all others did. Haman takes severe umbrage at this and decides that he needs to do something about the Jews because of Mordecai’s insolence. In the meantime, Mordecai overhears two royal officials against Xerxes’s life and confides in Esther, who tells the King - the plot is overturned and the plotters executed. Esther is raised in the King’s esteem and he trusts her more. The King is unaware that Mordecai was responsible for uncovering the plot, although the facts had been recorded in court documents.

In the meantime, Haman’s intentions are clear. He persuades the King that killing the Jews throughout the Kingdom was a good idea due to their difference, their refusal to adopt the ways of the Kingdom - the King signs a decree that on a certain date and time all Jews, man, woman and child are to be killed.

Mordecai discovers this decree and beseeches Esther to go to the King and plead the cause of the Jewish people. She does, despite disobeying the custom to only approach the King on his summons. Such is the King’s love for her, that he ignores her breach of etiquette and allows her into his presence. Esther manipulates the King expertly to allow her to hold a banquet where Haman would be guest a few days later. In the meantime the King discovers that Mordecai had been the one who uncovered the plot against him and orders Haman to honour Mordecai. Haman having done this, knows that his goose is cooked. When Xerxes attends Esther’s banquet, she manipulates him again to bring about the salvation of the Jews and implicates Haman as the guilty party, plotting to kill her people. The resulting rage of the King see’s Haman and all of his ten sons put to death. The King takes on Mordecai and gives permission for the Jewish people throughout the Kingdom to take revenge on their enemies - this results in much blood shed and thousands are killed by vengeful Jews, while Mordecai becomes the most powerful advisor to the King. A win, win situation for the Jews at the Court and throughout the empire.

What is the point of all of this?

First is the faithful witness of Mordecai, whose example is one of a stern, upright faith in God and that God will make things right to save the Jewish people. His refusal to bow to the Haman might have been regarded as stiff necked pride, but somewhere I find a grudging admiration for his stance, which seems to me to have been based on his righteous indignation at the treatment of Esther, but perhaps also his experience of discrimination against the Jewish people and the ostentatious flaunting of wealth and power over people from Haman. He was evidently a man of courage in the face of adversity - and he face it head on. Eventually, although God isn’t mentioned by name anywhere in the book - it’s obvious that Mordecai’s persistence and perseverance overcomes all to save the Jewish people. Mordecai believed that God had made Esther queen. So Mordecai believed that God could use her to save the Jews. But even if Esther did not speak on their behalf, God would still save the Jews. Mordecai believed this also (v 4:12-14).

Second, Esther is a loyal and loving adopted daughter. Very aware of her role, but also submissive and obedient to the discipline of the situation that she found herself in, but with the wisdom and courage to adhere to her principles and to use her influence with the King. The telling thing for me is that she seemed to be convinced that God would save the Jewish people even without her intervention, but obeyed Mordecai’s request for her intervention. Esther knew that she was risking her life. But she also knew that God was in control. God helped Esther to please the king. The king promised to give her almost anything that she wanted (v 5:1-3).

Third. God comes through in this situation. His intervention brings about the situations that saved the Jews. His influence through Mordecai and Esther and their actions were directly inspired through their faith and loyalty to him. Even though he isn’t mentioned directly, the actions in the story of both Mordecai and Esther speak for him loudly and clearly.

Fourth. There is evidence that God had a plan for this situation. He brought our Mordecai and Esther. Esther is made Xerxes’s Queen (V. 2:17). Mordecai got Haman’s situation and Haman got the punishment he’d wanted for the Jews (v .7.5-10). Mordecai’s law allowed the Jew’s to defend themselves (v. 9.1-4).

Fifth. The feast of Purim (v. 9:20-22) was created where Jews commemorated when God saved them through his power over the situation.

I found it difficult to take anything good from this book, apart from the obvious ones here. I find the old testament issues of the inate cruelty evidenced in ways of killing people, taking vengeance as something alien to how I’m formed. It’s a good story of a different time, context and culture than ours, but sometimes when I look at the things going on in our world I wonder if we’ve ever learned any lesons from history or scriptural evidence about our actions. 

This post originally appeared on the www.bigbible.org/digidisciple sit on 10 May 2014

A Reflecton on Job 19:26-29

Bring it on Lord! I can take it!! - I hope!

a reflection on Job 19:26-29

by @minidvr for #digidisciple 10^th June 2014

The #Bigbible website lists Job as a book of ‘Wisdom’, which was a surprise to me as I thought that it was a book of ‘Lament’ it certainly reads like one. Job is the victim in the story. An upright and steadfast man, who ‘fears God’ a term which speaks of his faith, belief and hope in God’s mercy and mankind’s ultimate redemption from sin and wickedness. But also smacks of an element of self righteousness

Job is set up for Satan by God. My interpretation is a test of God’s power over Satan, rather than a deliberate persecution of Job. Somehow this speaks volumes for God’s faith in Job’s steadfast faith, and perhaps above all hope that despite whatever befalls him, God’s bountiful mercy will prevail.

Satan arranges for Job to lose everything, sons, daughters, animals, possessions, servants. Job laments, but remains steadfastly committed to God. Satan next attacks Job’s health and

 sends painful, unsightly disease on Job. Job is on the very edge and even his wife turns on him and tells him to curse and scapegoat God ^(V2.9) but Job refuses ^(V.2:20) and continues to praise God.

Next, Satan sends Job’s friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite ^(V2:11). Job’s friends at first attempt to console him, than, perhaps provoked by Satan turn on him and condemn him Job responds with cursing his life, and wishing that he’d never been born ^{(Job 3)}. But God responds and answers all Job’s questions and complaints, thoroughly in the form of a correction ^{(Job 5)} ending in  ”You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, as a shock of grain comes up to the threshing-floor in its season. See, we have searched this out; it is true.   Hear, and know it for yourself”.^{(Job 5:26-27)}.

The verses from the whole book that jump out to me are: Job19:26-29 - where Job accepts his lot, and reflecting on the Lord’s words, expresses great faith and hope in God’s redemptive power:

²⁵ For I know that my Redeemer lives,    and that at the last he will stand upon the earth;
²⁶ and after my skin has been thus destroyed,    then in my flesh I shall see God,
²⁷ whom I shall see on my side,
    and my eyes shall behold, and not another.    My heart faints within me!²⁸ If you say, “How we will persecute him!”    and, “The root of the matter is found in him”;²⁹ be afraid of the sword,    for wrath brings the punishment of the sword,    so that you may know there is a judgment’

But Job still goes on to justify his right to complain against what he perceives God permitting his suffering at the hands of Satan, ^{(Job 6)}. He reflects and rails against his suffering ^{(Job 7)}. Job rejects Bildad’s contention that he should repent ^{(Job 8),} Job saying that there’s no umpire between him and God, and that God knows that he fears him and has done no wrong. And the story proceeds through many chapters, where wisdom is given and Job eventually relents that he has been justifying himself and not God. God relents and restores Job’s fortunes two fold ^{(Job 42:10-17).}

So what is this all about?

It seems to me that the whole book is about the nature of God, a God who has made himself known to us through creation and throughout the history of mankind in so many ways. But is still a mystery beyond our pure, limited understanding. But it’s also about our inability to recognise that the nature of God is infinite and inestimable. We can seek to comprehend it in words, pictures or actions, but our comprehension as St Paul says “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” ^{(1 Cor:13:12)}. It also speaks to me about suffering and how it’s borne.

Rev Pam Smith in her introduction to Job writes

“We may find it harder that Job does to accept that the answer to ‘Why does God allow suffering?’ is simply‘That’s God’s business’”. 

I have thought long and hard about suffering. My own father departed this life after a long illness, impatiently borne. He professed a belief in God, but his actions betrayed that the belief he held was much like a superstition, rather than one founded on a deep faith and trust and love for God, which might have sustained him in his illness. His life ended with great pain and ongoing operations to remove gangrenous parts of his body, until it could no longer function and he succumbed to toximia and pneumonia.

My father’s life and and death had a profound effect on my own life. For many years it drove me away from the God who I perceived as merciless and cruel - in fact, I couldn’t believe that a God who was supposed to be love, would allow such suffering. I turned away, unlike Job, who at least stayed and complained and I ignored God completely.

I can’t say that I still get suffering. Once I found God once more, my personal experience of his love and mercy in my life and the peace and reconciliation is profound. It comes from allowing his presence in your life in a spirit of hope, faith, love and trust. This has been a blessed gift. It has shown me that suffering can be borne in hope. Suffering is shared with that of Jesus on the Cross, who suffered and died for our redemption. Suffering may be laid at the foot of the Cross and the spiritual healing and peace that flows from that can restore balance into any life, not just mine. It’s not a cure or a promise of a cure, but a consolation worth more if we are able to accept it.

I know that I have shouted at God at times. I know that I have asked him the Why! question often, and somehow, like Job, the answer has become clear, sometimes through my own actions, but more often from the actions or words of others whose witness through faith has shone out to me so many time. I can’t claim that God spoke directly to me as he did to Job, but I know that trust and hope have been given to me through his actions in a way that I can have no doubt about.

I don’t have any smart conclusions - Job is to big for that, but I leave you to reflect on the words of Job 42:1-7:

42 Then Job answered the Lord:

² ‘I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.³ “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?” Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,  things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.⁴ “Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.”⁵ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;⁶ therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’

 This post originally posted at www.bigbible.org/digidisciple on 10th June 2014