December 5

Day 266: The Almighty Has Terrified Me

Job, in his pain and loss, questions the legality of God's actions toward mankind. In doing so, he challenges the thinking of almost every ancient person. For that matter, almost every contemporary person too. Predominant worldview in view, it seems.

Job is enduring the arguments of his friends who continue to say that it's all cause and effect. That good things happen to good people; that bad things happen to bad people. And since Job is the recipient of bad things, he must in fact be a bad person. A very bad person.

They've done the math for Job. They've articulated the notion that God must be like any other deities, who need to be placated with sacrifice and good behavior. That God, like any other deity must express Himself primarily through fits of anger and retribution.

Job questions this reasoning, and points out the many examples he's seen of bad people who die happy and rich, and at peace with themselves, if not at peace with God. And the many examples of poor but faithful people who die poor but faithful. Mostly poor.

Job gives dialogue to the bad people's worldview. "They say to God, 'Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?'"

And in Job's mind, they seem to get away with it. How can that be fair? How is it that faithful people still endure hardship and loss if God so determines?

Two chapters later, Job is still talking. But now talking about how his response to God differs from that of bad people. "But he [God] is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind."

"Therefore I am terrified at his presence; when I consider, I am in dread of him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me."

Job is admitting he does not understand what God is doing with/to him. He is admitting that the "fairness" of God's actions toward mankind is lost on him. Job is admitting that while he has devoted his lifetime to trying to be faithful to God, the results have not been pleasant.

And he admits that he now has a far greater respect for God than he did previously. We would agree with Job;  the "fear of the Lord" is not acquired when times are fat, but when we are forced through hard if not devastating circumstances to trust that God knows what He's doing.

Even if it doesn't make sense. Or doesn't seem at all fair. Or leaves us terrified.

Might it be that the most loving thing God could do to Job, or to any of us, is that we would find ourselves truly terrified of God? That the fear of the Lord really does result in wisdom? That humility always proceeds honor? (Prov. 15)

Maybe it's in these present days we will learn, as Job did, that the God who terrifies us is the same God who loves us.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church Juneau