Difference between revisions of "Sermon for April 6th, 2014"

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(Created page with "I generally hear Job's friends criticized for one of two different reasons. One view is slightly more charitable than the other, but both still paint the friends in a pretty ...")
 
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I generally hear Job's friends criticized for one of two different reasons. One view is slightly more charitable than the other, but both still paint the friends in a pretty negative light.
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==Elihu: If There Should Be An Angel==
  
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The first (and worst) judgment is that WHAT the friends say is to Job is wrong: Their theology is just bad, flawed, not in line with scripture, wisdom, or good teaching of any sort. The second (slightly better) judgment is that WHAT the friends say is ok, but HOW they say it is wrong. They had good intent, put poor execution.  They weren't sensitive enough to Job's situation. They had poor bedside manner.  I think both of those arguments disappear when we actually read what the friends have to say, and how they say it.
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==Job 32:1-10  Get Ready (for Elihu)==
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1So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God; 3he was angry also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, though they had declared Job to be in the wrong. 4Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were older than he. 5But when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he became angry.
  
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The first, that WHAT they say is wrong, is based on God's words at the end of the book, where he tells the friends, "You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." But that whole understanding hinges on one little preposition: OF (or in some translations, ABOUT).  Prepositions in most languages are pretty ambiguous. This preposition, in Hebrew, is אל. Brown, Driver Briggs Hebrew dictionary defines it as "to, toward, unto, into, in, among, toward, against, in addition to, concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of, according to, at, by, in between, and within."  I hope you realize by now that Biblical translation isn't an exact science.  In any case, I prefer to use the very first definition given here.  Not "of" but rather "to."  You have not spoken TO me what is right. You spoke to Job what was right, but you ignored me.  Job, on the other hand, spoke directly to me, and even though what he said about me (his theology) was completely messed up and wrong (that's why I gave him a four-chapter-long lecture) at least he was addressing me to my face.
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6 Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite answered:
 +
‘I am young in years,
 +
  and you are aged;
 +
therefore I was timid and afraid
 +
  to declare my opinion to you.  
 +
7 I said, “Let days speak,
 +
  and many years teach wisdom.”
 +
8 But truly it is the spirit in a mortal,
 +
  the breath of the Almighty, that makes for understanding.  
 +
9 It is not the old that are wise,
 +
  nor the aged that understand what is right.  
 +
10 Therefore I say, “Listen to me;
 +
  let me also declare my opinion.”
  
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Now, this may seem to actually support the idea it wasn't WHAT Job's friends said, but HOW they said it that was the problem. But remember that God's point is how the friends speak (or do not speak) to God, not Job. We've already seen how Job's friends sat with him in silence and sympathy for seven days and seven nights. We saw last week how Eliphaz, the first of the friends, speaks with gentle, thoughtful concern for his friend, balanced with appropriate reverence for God.
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==Job 33:14-28 God's Justice / God's Mercy==
 +
14 For God speaks in one way,
 +
  and in two, though people do not perceive it.
 +
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
 +
  when deep sleep falls on mortals,
 +
  while they slumber on their beds,
 +
16 then he opens their ears,
 +
  and terrifies them with warnings,
 +
17 that he may turn them aside from their deeds,
 +
  and keep them from pride,
 +
18 to spare their souls from the Pit,
 +
  their lives from traversing the River.  
 +
19 They are also chastened with pain upon their beds,
 +
  and with continual strife in their bones,
 +
20 so that their lives loathe bread,
 +
  and their appetites dainty food.
 +
21 Their flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen;
 +
  and their bones, once invisible, now stick out.
 +
22 Their souls draw near the Pit,
 +
  and their lives to those who bring death.
 +
 
 +
23 Then, if there should be for one of them an angel,
 +
  a mediator, one of a thousand,
 +
  one who declares a person upright,
 +
24 and he is gracious to that person, and says,
 +
  “Deliver him from going down into the Pit;
 +
  I have found a ransom;
 +
25 let his flesh become fresh with youth;
 +
  let him return to the days of his youthful vigour”;
 +
26 then he prays to God, and is accepted by him,
 +
  he comes into his presence with joy,
 +
and God repays him for his righteousness.
 +
27  That person sings to others and says,
 +
“I sinned, and perverted what was right,
 +
  and it was not paid back to me.  
 +
28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
 +
  and my life shall see the light.”
 +
 
 +
==Job 35:4-8 Elihu's Answer==
 +
4 I will answer you
 +
  and your friends with you.
 +
5 Look at the heavens and see;
 +
  observe the clouds, which are higher than you.
 +
6 If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him?
 +
  And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
 +
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him;
 +
  or what does he receive from your hand?
 +
8 Your wickedness affects others like you,
 +
  and your righteousness, other human beings.
 +
 
 +
==Job 37: Get Ready (for God)==
 +
1‘At this also my heart trembles,
 +
  and leaps out of its place.  
 +
2 Listen, listen to the thunder of his voice
 +
  and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
 +
3 Under the whole heaven he lets it loose,
 +
  and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
 +
4 After it his voice roars;
 +
  he thunders with his majestic voice
 +
  and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
 +
 
 +
8 Then the animals go into their lairs
 +
  and remain in their dens.
 +
9 From its chamber comes the whirlwind,
 +
  and cold from the scattering winds.
 +
10 By the breath of God ice is given,
 +
  and the broad waters are frozen fast.
 +
11 He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
 +
  the clouds scatter his lightning.
 +
12 They turn round and round by his guidance,
 +
  to accomplish all that he commands them
 +
  on the face of the habitable world.
 +
13 Whether for correction, or for his land,
 +
  or for love, he causes it to happen.

Revision as of 13:05, 4 April 2014

Elihu: If There Should Be An Angel

Job 32:1-10 Get Ready (for Elihu)

1So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God; 3he was angry also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, though they had declared Job to be in the wrong. 4Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were older than he. 5But when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he became angry.

6 Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite answered: ‘I am young in years, 

  and you are aged;

therefore I was timid and afraid 

  to declare my opinion to you.

7 I said, “Let days speak, 

  and many years teach wisdom.”

8 But truly it is the spirit in a mortal, 

  the breath of the Almighty, that makes for understanding.

9 It is not the old that are wise, 

  nor the aged that understand what is right.

10 Therefore I say, “Listen to me; 

  let me also declare my opinion.”

Job 33:14-28 God's Justice / God's Mercy

14 For God speaks in one way, 

  and in two, though people do not perceive it.

15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, 

  when deep sleep falls on mortals,
  while they slumber on their beds,

16 then he opens their ears, 

  and terrifies them with warnings,

17 that he may turn them aside from their deeds, 

  and keep them from pride,

18 to spare their souls from the Pit, 

  their lives from traversing the River.

19 They are also chastened with pain upon their beds, 

  and with continual strife in their bones,

20 so that their lives loathe bread, 

  and their appetites dainty food.

21 Their flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen; 

  and their bones, once invisible, now stick out.

22 Their souls draw near the Pit, 

  and their lives to those who bring death.

23 Then, if there should be for one of them an angel, 

  a mediator, one of a thousand,
  one who declares a person upright,

24 and he is gracious to that person, and says, 

  “Deliver him from going down into the Pit;
  I have found a ransom;

25 let his flesh become fresh with youth; 

  let him return to the days of his youthful vigour”;

26 then he prays to God, and is accepted by him, 

  he comes into his presence with joy,

and God repays him for his righteousness. 27 That person sings to others and says, “I sinned, and perverted what was right, 

  and it was not paid back to me.

28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, 

  and my life shall see the light.”

Job 35:4-8 Elihu's Answer

4 I will answer you 

  and your friends with you.

5 Look at the heavens and see; 

  observe the clouds, which are higher than you.

6 If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? 

  And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?

7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him; 

  or what does he receive from your hand?

8 Your wickedness affects others like you, 

  and your righteousness, other human beings.

Job 37: Get Ready (for God)

1‘At this also my heart trembles, 

  and leaps out of its place.

2 Listen, listen to the thunder of his voice 

  and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

3 Under the whole heaven he lets it loose, 

  and his lightning to the corners of the earth.

4 After it his voice roars; 

  he thunders with his majestic voice
  and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.

8 Then the animals go into their lairs 

  and remain in their dens.

9 From its chamber comes the whirlwind, 

  and cold from the scattering winds.

10 By the breath of God ice is given, 

  and the broad waters are frozen fast.

11 He loads the thick cloud with moisture; 

  the clouds scatter his lightning.

12 They turn round and round by his guidance, 

  to accomplish all that he commands them
  on the face of the habitable world.

13 Whether for correction, or for his land, 

  or for love, he causes it to happen.
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