Sunday, April 25, 2010

And He Finally Appeared - Job XXXVIII - XLII

"Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who [is] this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" (Job 38: 1 - 2) What I had been waiting to happen for a long time, finally does. Yes, you might have guessed, the Lord at last appeared! God intervenes in the conversation of the men and faces Job. Of course Job was terrorized and scared for he was being interrogated by the Lord about his power, or so what Job believed to have. "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding." (Job 38: 4) The Lord confronts Job and tells him that if it wasn't for Him, nothing would exist and shows how much power He has over him. After all, God is his creator and with no doubt, He knows more and understands better than him.

God keeps on questioning Job. But every question shows his pride and power, trying to prove to Job that there is none that can go over or against Him. It came to a point in which he was showing off, or at least that's how I saw it. "Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, [and] stretch her wings toward the south? Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?" (Job 39: 26 - 27) With this, the Lord tells Job that the creator of the Earth is Him, and that every creature follows his orders for they are here because of Him. Everything He said had to do with His might and he asked Job these questions to make him feel helpless and feeble, as if he was no one, such as he had felt before.

"Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth." (Job 40: 4) As soon as the Lord was finished, Job’s reaction was calm. He didn’t want to continue arguing, well, they weren’t really arguing, he was just listening to Gods complaints. So, as a coward, he gave in and let the Lord win without any restrictions. Did God expect him to continue? Or at least make it difficult for him to win? Well, it was a piece of cake. Whatever, for Him everything He does is easy.

When Job saw God, his faith emerged and enforced. "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee." (Job 42: 5) I liked this quote a lot because I was able to familiarize with Job since this is something that I feel very often. I think that in order to believe, you must see. I’m not saying that if you are blind you just can’t believe and that you are committing a crime if you do, but I just think that this is a proof of the existence of things. This also reminded me of Exodus, when Moses goes to Pharaoh and asks him to let his people go. Moses tells God that no one will believe him unless he shows proof, which will most surely be required by the Egyptians.

At the end, Job again blames it on himself and asks for pardon. “Wherefore I abhor [myself], and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42: 6) He will no longer receive more punishments, however God says he will punish his friends instead since they didn’t mention Him. “And it was [so], that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me [the thing that is] right, as my servant Job [hath].” (Job 42: 7) Job then goes on to pray for his friends to make God stop the punishment. He was giving them back what they had once gave for him. They gave him support during his hard times and I find it very rewarding of Job to help them.

After this, Job lived for a hundred and forty years and was able to see even four generations, until he died full of days. It seemed as if he was being recompensed for all the he had gone through. He must have died full of honor.

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