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MESSAGE: AR008

God's correction of Job

Preached: 5 Oct 86 ▪ Edited: 15 May 01 (Revised Oct 11)

The thrust of God's speeches | The contrast between the Almighty God and Job | Impact of God's speeches on Job | No significant new revelation | Job's failures revisited | How God corrected Job's problems | Concluding remarks | Question for reflection and discussion

In the last message, we analysed Job's failures and saw that although Job had strong commitment to truth and righteousness, in the midst of severe testing, pain, suffering and perplexities, he faltered. We saw that a major reason for his failures was the deficiency in adopting a definite posture of wholehearted, unquestioning and unwavering love for God, and commitment and submission to Him and His ways.

I would term this kind of decisive posture as posture adopted and distinguish it from response posture. Posture adopted is a definite stand that we take even before we encounter any situation, and one that we continually seek to maintain in whatever circumstances we encounter. On the other hand, response posture is a person's posture in response to specific situations.

There was deficiency in the posture adopted in Job before and during the trials. Job's failure to respond well during the trials would be a failure in his response posture.

These two expressions that I have used are not found in the Scriptures. They are just a convenient way of differentiating the two kinds of posture. It is helpful to keep in mind this distinction as we go along.

We also noted in the last message that Job's problems were compounded by a deficiency both in the spirit of humility and in his personal knowledge of God. However, Job had adequate knowledge of God's goodness and greatness for him to adopt the proper posture, and God rebuked him for failing to do so and for doubting and questioning Him and His ways.

This observation that Job had sufficient knowledge for him to adopt a proper posture is substantiated by the way God dealt with Job and the way Job responded at the end of the story. We saw that God, in answering Job, did not grant Job understanding of the meaning of what took place or address the perplexing issues in his mind. In fact, many people reading the story of Job may wonder why God spoke in that way, seemingly not addressing the issues at hand. They may wonder what was the relevance of God's words in the context.

And yet, when God manifested Himself and spoke, Job was able to recognise that his posture during the trials was wrong. He repented and humbly submitted himself to God and His ways. We can say that his response posture at the end was correct.

What brought about the change in Job's posture? What was the basic thrust of God's speeches and how did they contribute to the change in Job? What can we learn from the way Job's problems were resolved?

These are the questions we shall be considering in this message.

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The thrust of God's speeches

Two aspects come through rather strongly in God's speeches:

• God's majesty, greatness and power
• God's wisdom and knowledge

Together with these two aspects is the fact that God is the creator of all things, the sovereign ruler and provider for His creation. This fact contributes to the sense of His greatness, power and majesty. It also projects His wisdom and knowledge. In God's speeches, His greatness, wisdom and knowledge were set in stark contrast against man's weaknesses, limitations and relative ignorance.

The way God answered Job was meant to help Job recognise and respond properly to Him, and it did help him indeed. Consequently, Job adopted a proper posture of worship and humble submission to God and His ways, even when the situation was still perplexing and trying.

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The contrast between the Almighty God and Job

We shall examine a few passages from the Book of Job to substantiate this point, starting from chapter 38, when God began His speeches.

In verse 1, we read “the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind”. This presentation brings across the sense of majesty, greatness and power. This is supported by verses 4-6. God is the One who has the power and the wisdom to lay “the foundation of the earth” and to “set its measurements”. In contrast, where was Job at that point in time? God challenged Job, “Tell me, if you have understanding.” Clearly, Job lacked understanding of these things whereas God knows all things.

Verses 8-12 of the same chapter paint a similar picture of God being the creator and sovereign ruler of the universe.

God is the One who governs His creation and sets the boundaries for the operation of nature. He is in total control of all things such as the sun rising and day and night. There is a sense of order in nature that is related to God's knowledge and wisdom. We see this also in verses 31-33.

The above passage refers to the heavens and the stars and shows God's power over the stars of the heavens and extending right across the universe. He brought them into being and keeps them in their order. The phrase “the ordinances of the heavens” refers to the law and order that God places over everything in the physical universe, controlling how they move and operate.

Earlier on in verse 3 of the same chapter, we read,

Job had said that he wanted to present his case before God and argue it out with Him. When God said, “Now gird up your loins like a man”, it seems that He was saying, “All right, I will now speak to you and you face up to it like a man.”

Notice how God addressed Job in His speeches. God repeatedly spoke in the form of rhetorical questions where the answers are obvious to all. As God asked these questions, it would have come through clearly to Job who he was in contrast to God, and that it was clearly improper for him to adopt that kind of posture and attitude towards God.

At the heart of God's speeches is the declaration of His greatness, power, wisdom and knowledge. Man's life span is short whereas God exists from eternity to eternity. Man's understanding is limited whereas God knows all things. Man does not have the power to do the things that God has done, such as the creation of the universe and the regulation of the operation of nature. Before such a God, man should recognise his proper position. He is but a finite being with limitations and one who is relatively ignorant. The thrust of the two speeches of God in this direction was so strong that Job was put in his proper position.

In verse 36, God contrasted man's wisdom with His, saying,

The answer to the above question is obvious. True wisdom and understanding come from God. If God is the One who has placed wisdom in our innermost being, can we be wiser than God? How could Job speak the way he did, as if he knew better than God? In the same way, who has given understanding to man? It is God. Could Job then have better understanding than God? That is the thrust of God's words: man's wisdom and understanding are far, far removed from that of God.

Job 38:39-41 speaks of God's provision and sustenance of His creation.

God in His wisdom and greatness has not only created the whole universe and nature, but has also provided for it and sustained it. Indeed, this is a very complex and difficult task, and only a great God can do all this.

Job 40 records the second speech by God. Again, the sense of power and majesty of God comes through. For example, we read in verse 6 that “God answered Job out of the storm,” and in verse 9:

Here God was not trying to frighten Job, but rather, when He asked, “Or do you have an arm like God...?”, He was referring to His power and greatness. This term “arm” is used in the same sense when the Scriptures refers to God delivering the Israelites out of Egypt with an “outstretched arm”.

Further on in the same chapter and also in chapter 41, we read that God also created two powerful creatures: the Behemoth and the Leviathan. Here God was communicating the message that He is a great God and that His greatness is evident in the powerful creatures that He has made.

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Impact of God's speeches on Job

As God manifested Himself and spoke in this way, Job's own position and ability were set in stark contrast against God's majesty, power, knowledge and wisdom. Job recognised this and his response posture towards God was corrected.

It should be noted that this change in Job's posture occurred while the perplexing issues were still present. In spite of this, Job knew that he should have continued to worship God and submit to Him rather than question and doubt His character, justice and ways. Job came to see that he could not understand or reconcile the bewildering issues because of his own limitations, lack of knowledge and wisdom. He realised that he should not have drawn wrong conclusions based on inadequate knowledge and wronged God while seeking to justify himself (Job 40:8).

God did not specifically answer Job's allegations. But when the sense of His greatness and wisdom came through to Job, Job immediately recognised that the root of the problem was his wrong approach. God is always God; He is the perfect Being and He will do no wrong. Similarly for us, although there may be many perplexing situations that arise, we must not, no matter what happens, reason out and question God or talk about Him and respond to Him as if He is less than God. This is a very important point for us to grasp, to learn well and never to depart from.

Romans 3:3-4 is helpful in our present consideration.

In the above passage, the apostle Paul is saying that we must be careful never to nullify the faithfulness of God in the way we reason things out. It is always wrong for us to have the notion or to cast aspersions that God is in any way unjust or improper in His judgements. There may be issues or situations that baffle us, but we must be careful not to reason things out in such a way as to conclude that God is imperfect. Our starting point must always be that God is God, and that He is perfect, faithful and true, and His attributes are unchanging. We then try to understand all issues from this starting point and never contradict this foundational truth in the process.

Once Job recognised this and corrected his response posture, it should move him towards a higher quality of posture adopted. This should be true not only for Job, but for each one of us. The way God manifested Himself to Job and spoke to him has been recorded in the Scriptures for our learning and is meant to help us respond appropriately in our contexts. In the end it is not simply the response posture for that situation that matters, important though it is. What is critical is that our posture adopted must be one of unwavering and unquestioning submission and commitment to God and His ways.

Job could recognise that although his circumstances were very trying, he should not be “the faultfinder contending with the Almighty”. Job also recognised that it was totally out of order for him to reprove God.

As God spoke and manifested Himself in those ways, Job was struck afresh by his insignificance compared to who God is. How could he still try to justify his position? He knew that he was wrong and he said, “I lay my hand on my mouth.”

Here God was telling Job, “You are in no position to instruct Me; you know very little.” As the questions were raised, Job knew that he was in no position to answer them. Rather than instructing God, he needed God's instruction. He acknowledged God's greatness, power and sovereignty. He also recognised his lack of understanding, and that he had uttered improper words and said things beyond his understanding.

When God spoke, what came through to Job were not mere concepts. It was a direct personal experience of God and revelation of God resulting in a clearer recognition and appreciation of God and who He is. This led to a proper posture of repentance and humble submission to God as we read in the subsequent verses.

Because of this fresh experience of God, Job repented. The “dust and ashes” in verse 6 communicates a posture of humble submission to God. This was the correct response posture that Job adopted at that point in time. He should then go beyond that and make it a definite posture adopted, one that he would commit himself to and constantly affirm.

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No significant new revelation

Noting Job's positive response to God, we may think that the issues are now settled, but it is necessary for us to probe deeper.

If we reflect further on God's answer to Job, we see that not only were the puzzling questions in Job's mind unanswered, but also in the thrust of God's answer, there does not seem to be any significant new teaching or revelation of God and His ways that Job was previously unaware of. We have evidence of this in Job 9 to 12, which show that Job had reasonable recognition of God's goodness and greatness.

Here Job spoke of God's power in nature: removing the mountains and overturning them, shaking the earth out of its place and commanding the sun not to shine. The words, phrases and concepts used here show some parallel with what we saw of God's speeches in Job 38 to 40. In particular, Job referred to God in verse 9 as the creator of the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades. These are also the terms that God used in His reply to Job. Job's rhetorical question in verse 12, “Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him?” revealed his knowledge of God's sovereignty and power, that no one can restrain what God wants to do. Job recognised that God is vastly different from man. Job 10 reveals further Job's knowledge of God.

In verses 8 and 9, we see that at a time when Job was still wavering, he recognised God's creative powers. He knew that God is the One who had created him. In verse 12, we see that Job also knew that God had granted him life, was loving towards him, and had preserved him. Without God's preservation, he would not be unable to continue existing.

In chapter 12, we read,

Job was also aware that God is the One who sustains all living things. Therefore, he declared in the form of a rhetorical question, “In whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?” Yes, God is in control. Job knew that in his heart; he also recognised that God is wise and mighty.

Job also appreciated other attributes of God such as His justice, impartiality and majesty. We see this in Job 13:7-11.

Job could see that if we speak what is unjust, even if it is on God's behalf, He will not be pleased because He is a just God. And if we deceive others or show partiality, God will reprove us because He is an impartial God who disapproves of partiality. If we do such things, will it be well when God examines us? The answer is “No” and Job knew it.

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Job's failures revisited

Why is it that during the trials, Job did not seem to recognise or even be conscious of the fact that his posture was improper? During that period, he felt that he had spoken justly (Job 27:3-4) and that God had wronged him (Job 19:6). He also felt that he had the right to be impatient and to complain (Job 21:4). He wanted to argue out his case before God (Job 23:4, 7).

However, when God finally spoke, Job could see that his posture towards God was unacceptable and he then corrected it. Why was there this change in the end and what brought it about? To answer these questions, it is helpful for us to revisit the reasons for Job's failures, which we have considered in earlier messages, and how God subsequently corrected the problem.

We may go through similar situations in life and it will serve us well to understand what happened and how we can ensure that we do not falter in like manner.

In this regard, it is helpful to note two related aspects to Job's failures:

1. Deficiencies in Job

We noted there was a deficiency in the definite, decisive posture adopted. It was a posture not properly thought through, formed and adopted. There were also other deficiencies within Job, such as that of not having a sufficiently healthy spirit of humility.

2. Job's approach and response during the trials

He was not careful to focus on God and to seek to understand God's perspective, that is, how God would have viewed the situation. He became preoccupied with the circumstances, with himself and his struggles, difficulties and pains, and with his point of view and the thoughts that were going through his mind. He failed to maintain the proper spirit of worship and submission to God, which he had at the beginning of the trials. Because of this failure, there was a loss of proper perspective.

The first aspect of Job's failures affected the second. Job's deficiency in adopting a definite posture of wholehearted, unquestioning and unwavering love for God and commitment and submission to Him and His ways, together with other deficiencies in Job, affected the way he went through the intense trials. Because the posture adopted was not properly developed and maintained, when situations became very difficult, doubts about the character and ways of God can easily arise.

It is very important that our posture adopted should be a definite, unwavering posture of commitment and submission to God and His ways. This must be the starting point and continually affirmed throughout our lives in every situation we go through. It should be the basis on which we view or seek to understand the situations we go through and how we ought to respond. To the degree our posture adopted is not definite and decisive, to that degree we become vulnerable, especially in the context of the powers of darkness at work, whether it is indirectly through circumstances, or by direct harassment and planting of doubts and confusion in our minds. Given the weakness of the flesh and human frailties, doubts and confusion can easily creep in and our position will become shaken. It is then easy for us to fail in our response posture during specific situations. The ease with which this happens is tied in with the degree of indecisiveness in the posture adopted.

However, even with deficiencies in the posture adopted, it is still possible for us to choose to go through specific difficult situations well, focusing on God, drawing near to Him, affirming our faith in Him, worshipping Him and submitting to Him. Although it is difficult, we can still choose to do so. This is the healthy response posture that we can adopt. That is why it is helpful to make a distinction between these two aspects, namely, the deficiencies in Job, and the way he went through the situation.

In the context of making such affirmations and adopting a proper response posture, various weaknesses in our lives may become clearer to us, even those we may not be aware of previously. These are the very ways and opportunities by which God seeks to mould us, transform us and nurture our lives. If we respond properly, we can recognise the weaknesses and seek to correct them. We will then make progress in our lives, including an improvement in the posture adopted.

However, we find that this was not the way Job went through the trials. He failed to maintain his focus on God in the midst of the severe testing, something which he could have done. Instead of focusing on God and enhancing, nurturing and developing his relationship with Him, he began more and more to dwell on the difficulties and the perplexities. Consequently, he was not able to see the issues so clearly.

Job lost the proper perspective and it led to a sense of frustration. As we read what he said, it is clear that he had lost his rest and peace in God. There were inappropriate remarks such as cursing the day he was born. He could not even recognise his own deficiencies. He thought that he was speaking justly and that God had wronged him. He did not realise that his conduct, words and posture were unseemly.

When we maintain a proper relationship with God and focus on Him, we are less likely to be frustrated because even though we may not understand the situation that we are facing, we can still have the comfort of God and the confidence and peace in God.

However, when the process that we see in Job operates in our own lives, then problems, perplexities and difficulties easily loom larger and seem more complex than they actually are. Simultaneously, the quality of our worship, fellowship, posture and confidence in God dwindles. When we fail to maintain a proper focus on God and to adopt the right approach, we will not be able to have good fellowship with God. This will affect our perspective, understanding and perception of things such that they become distorted and our conduct and response will become improper. If we persist in that direction, we will degenerate morally and spiritually.

Both aspects that help us understand Job's failures are important. Firstly, we need to correct any deficiency in the posture adopted and other deficiencies in our lives. Secondly, we need to have the correct approach and response to situations. We should spend much time before the Lord, thinking through how we can deepen and strengthen the quality of the posture adopted and also the correct approach and response to situations. In this way, as we go through various situations, maintaining fellowship with the Lord, our weaknesses and the way to deal with them will become clearer to us. It will then be feasible for us to deal with them effectively.

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How God corrected Job's problems

How did God's manifestation of Himself and His speeches bring about the desired results? There are three aspects to take note of and it is helpful to understand how they work:

1. The content of God's speeches

The content of God's speeches helped Job recognise who God is and man's limitations and proper position and what ought to be the posture adopted.

In His speeches, God manifested Himself and projected a clear sense of His majesty, greatness and power, as well as His wisdom, knowledge and sovereign rulership over His creation. This helped Job to recognise his improper conduct, words and posture, and also enabled him to attain the proper response posture of worship and humble submission to God. These were brought to the forefront of Job's consciousness and consideration, rather than the perplexities that blurred many issues. With such an understanding, although the perplexing issues remained, they faded into the background. God wanted Job to recognise what the starting point should be.

In many situations of life, though we may have some understanding of relevant truths and principles, they either remain in the background or we do not know how to apply them appropriately or to bring them into the proper place for consideration. We need to prayerfully ask God to help us in this area.

2. Bringing the focus back to God

Job had been dwelling too much on the circumstances. So God brought him back to focus on Himself. Thus when God spoke, He spoke about Himself, His creation, nature, and His power and majesty. When the focus was brought back to God, issues could be seen more clearly, including Job's personal deficiencies and failures.

3. The presence of God and His speaking

When God manifested Himself and spoke, He communicated a positive spiritual reality and ministry in the situation. This helped Job to recognise the truth and also enabled him to have a proper response. It helped to “clear the air” and helped Job to be free from the sense of blurriness, thus enabling Job to have a clearer, sharper and deeper insight into the truths that he already had some recognition of. Job seemed to indicate this when he testified after God had manifested Himself in this way.

Here, Job was not referring to the physical “hearing” and “seeing”, but in the spiritual sense—that by comparison, he had now gained a deeper insight into who God is, that he had been helped to rise beyond “hearing” the Lord to a significantly richer level of appreciation, of “seeing” the Lord.

In addition, the presence and the communication of God would also have strengthened him in the choice and response that he should make, because the presence of God and the way He spoke had a strengthening and positive effect. This positive effect does not come about automatically; Job had to be open and receptive to God and to the truth.

The positive spiritual reality and spiritual ministry mentioned above can come to us directly from God or indirectly through the ministry of others. Others can help us to enter into and experience it, thereby helping us in the direction of truth. They can help us both to see and be strengthened to act upon the truth.

Positive fellowship can have such an effect and we may have experienced it ourselves. After fellowshipping with another believer, we may sense that although he has not really shared with us any truth that we do not already know, yet there is a change within us for the better. We find that we are more able to perceive things, understand issues and go through perplexing situations than before the time together.

Besides other people helping us, we can also choose to enhance this “positive spiritual reality and spiritual ministry” ourselves as we go through situations of life. We do this by humbling ourselves before God, seeking and worshipping Him, correcting the attitude of our hearts, praying over the issues and trying to understand how we should look at these issues from God's perspective. It must not be merely outward expressions and empty words but genuinely seeking the Lord and opening our hearts and lives before Him. As we do so, we may experience the sense of positive spiritual reality and the Lord ministering to us.

However, at times, this in itself may be insufficient for us to resolve our problem, and we may need others to help us come out of a bind. This is in order, and this is how God desires the body of Christ to work out together, with members helping one another.

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Concluding remarks

In this message, we have sought to understand how and why Job's posture towards God changed after God spoke to him. We saw that the manifestation of God and His speeches helped Job in two main areas. Firstly, it turned Job from dwelling on his own problems and sufferings to focusing on God and seeing things from God's perspective. Secondly, by revealing His majesty, power, wisdom and knowledge, Job came to see his own human limitations and lack of knowledge and understanding. He recognised his personal weaknesses and failures and took corrective action, humbling himself and taking his proper place before God. Not only did Job respond properly on that occasion at the end of the story, it is very likely that there was also a higher quality of posture adopted.

It is important for us to reflect over and learn well in these two areas:

1. The definite, decisive posture adopted

Because God is God and He is always good and right, we would gladly adopt a settled, unwavering posture of love, faith, commitment and submission to Him. We need to think through this critical issue carefully and pray over it so that we may be deeply convicted and have a clear basis for adopting such a definite posture. This must be the firm foundation of our Christian life. It is important for us to see clearly that it is foolish and dangerous for us to depart from this posture.

In specific situations, we would then affirm our posture adopted. This is the response posture in each situation. The posture adopted is very helpful as it enables us to more easily make the affirmation, even when situations are difficult, because the posture adopted has already been carefully thought through and decided upon. Instead of questioning the foundational area when difficult situations arise, we will maintain our faith in God and our confidence in Him and not be easily shaken.

2. The approach to situations in life

The second area that we have to carefully think through is how we should approach situations of life. We have to learn what it means to concentrate on God, focus on Him and seek to understand things from His perspective instead of dwelling on and becoming overwhelmed by the problems, difficulties and sufferings.

If we continue to learn deeply in these two areas, it will help us to go through life's situations well and in the process enable us to recognise weaknesses in our lives. And as these weaknesses are brought to the surface, we can then take appropriate measures to correct them. Instead of grumbling and murmuring, and blaming God for the difficult situations that we encounter, we learn to be positive and emerge from the whole experience a better person.

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Question for reflection and discussion

• How did God deal with Job and correct him?