What You Need to Know about Job's Friends

Maybe this is why they were such jerks.

Matheus Ferrero

 

JOB'S FRIENDS SAID some pretty dumb things.

One guy, Eliphaz, said:

Are the comforts of God too small for you,

    or the word that deals gently with you?

Job 15:11

 
This was after Job lost everything and developed painful sores all over his body. That would be a bit like heading to a hospice facility to lecture the patients on time management skills.

Another friend, Bildad, said:

Forgive Us Our Scorn

Why it takes humility to receive God's grace.

Ben White

As you read through the Bible you can't miss that God wants his creation to love one another. This axiom is simple, and it's woven into the DNA of the Scriptures such that we can't read more than a few pages without encountering the concept.

Whether this concept is overt as in the Ten Commandments—six of which deal explicitly with how humans should treat one another—and Jesus's own proclamation that the second greatest command is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, or whether the standard is less obvious such as Jesus's encounter with the woman at the well, the pages of the Bible are peppered with the Golden Rule. In fact, 1 John teaches that, "By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother" (3:10). Pretty strong words!

Cursed Are the Spoiled Brats: What Jesus Meant When He Said the First Will Be Last

freestocks

Can I confess something to you? I've always felt for the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Yes, he is a selfish, spoiled brat, but I guess I resonate with his complaint a little.

Perhaps it is because I've never been super rebellious. Yes, there have been seasons of my life when I've been far from God. I've been in some dark places, but I never disbelieved. I never ran away from home. I never dropped out of school and got a tattoo.

But this older brother was loyal to his father. He was steadfast. And when the no-good brother comes home he gets a party? How is that fair?

And what about the poor saps who worked all day in the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard?

If you remember the parable, a master hired workers early in the morning, at midday, and late in the afternoon and yet paid all hired hands the same wage. As a result, those hired first ended up earning the lowest per-hour wage. How is that fair?

Good News for Guttersnipes Like Us: Heaven Is Not a Meritocracy

Do you ever wonder what Jesus meant when he said, The last will be first, and the first last?

The statement sounds like typical rabbi-speak or else something Yoda would say were we to invert the wording a bit: First the last shall be, perhaps.

Jon Tyson

Nevertheless, Jesus didn't waste words. So the phrase, no doubt, points to some important truth. In fact, last month we explored one such meaning behind the phrase. That is, heaven's value system is often in opposition to that of this world's. The rich young man of Mark 10 and Matthew 19 found this out the hard way when Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow Jesus.

The rich man, obsessed with firstness, could not do it.

And yet, if we probe deeper we uncover more layers behind the saying, The last will be first. These nuances are interesting and useful enough that I thought it would be worth spilling more digital ink in contemplation of the phrase.

Hey Christians: It's Okay to Be Awesome

Tell me if this ever happens to you.

Johan Wieland (CC)

You do something well: sing in church, hit a home run, or cook a delicious bass. Afterward someone says to you, “Great job! That was awesome!” To which you respond:

aw, it was nothing.

Have you ever said that?

If so, it’s time to stop.

One Thing Jesus’ Birth Taught Us about Being Human

"Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands" (1 Chron. 21:13b).

Kiuko (CC)

David calculated the risk, and he decided. His words sounded wise, but soon seventy thousand of Israel would be dead, their corpses rotting in the streets.

And not enough tombs to hold them all.

How to Respond to Correction

They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor. 2 Chronicles 16:14

Dominic Alves (CC)

I can smell the aromas, can't you?

The smoky bonfire infused with the scent of herbs, cinnamon, and aloe—a bittersweet blend for a bittersweet occasion.

But King Asa's burial was especially sobering given the last five years of his life. It was more than the celebration of a life, but also a cautionary tale against those too proud to accept criticism.


How the "Good" King Screwed Up

Want Wisdom? Do This One Simple Thing

I have always held wisdom in high regard.

I ask God for it almost every day. I desire it; I seek it out.

Photo Credit: Hamed Saber (creative commons)

So I was thrilled when I came across a simple way to be assured of gaining wisdom.

I Pray For Things I Don't Want

Sometimes I pray for things I don't want. A few weeks ago I prayed the following:

"God please humble me."

Immediately after I uttered the phrase (in my head), I had to pause, step back and think, "Really? Do I really want this?"

I know that humility is good because the Bible says so on numerous occasions (2 Samuel 22:28, 2 Chronicles 12:7, 12:12, Psalm 25:9, 147:6, Proverbs 3:34, Isaiah 66:2, Matthew 23:12, Ephesians 4:2, Philippians 2:8, and many others). Jesus said in his sermon on the mount, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5), and the book of Numbers refers to Moses as the humblest man on earth (12:3—ironically, Moses is believed to have authored the first five books of the Bible which includes Numbers, the fourth book. Chew on that for awhile. Were he so humble would he have written this passage? Scholars, however, debate his authorship with some saying he authored some, but not all of the book). But when, in that instant, I paused and thought of the implications of being humbled, I almost wanted to take it back and say to Jesus, "Never mind."

Being obedient and subjective to God's will is not easy. Anyone who claims it is is probably a liar. There are times when I have asked God to send me someone to talk to about Jesus, knowing all the while that I would be scared and uncomfortable doing so. Yet we are supposed to be evangelistic.

The Bible is full of commands, proverbs, and lessons that are not easy to swallow. Yet it is still God's word, and therefore, perfect. Why do you think Jesus was rejected? It was because he told the Jews to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them, instead of leading a military assault to reclaim Jerusalem for the Hebrew nation. Yet Jesus was obedient to God's will, despite knowing the suffering he would have to endure.

So do I want to be humbled? Yes and no. Intellectually, I know through scripture that it is good, that humility is something that God appreciates. Emotionally, I want no part of being humble. I like to be esteemed in the eyes of others; I am prideful. It is a lot easier to say it than to experience it. Yet again, there are things we have to do that are not easy, but it is worth it in the end. Jesus was able to carry out God's will because he knew the implications of being obedient. In the same way we too should be obedient even when it is not easy.

So God, please humble me.