QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
JOB 38:1-11
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
[2] "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
[3] Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
[4] "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
[5] Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
[6] On what were its bases sunk,
Or who laid its cornerstone,
[7] When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
[8] "Or who shut in the sea with doors
When it burst out from the womb,
[9] When I made clouds its garment
And thick darkness its swaddling band,
[10] And prescribed limits for it
And set bars and doors,
[11] And said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
And here shall your proud waves be stayed'?
In the name of Jesus:
In an episode of the television drama “The West Wing”, President Bartlet is shown in the Washington National Cathedral lashing out at God. The president (who all along has been portrayed as a man of faith) was ranting about life's cruel twists, and in particular the death of his longtime secretary, who had been killed by a drunk driver while returning to the White House in her brand new car, the first one she had ever owned. The President is shown sitting through the funeral service expressionless. He then requested that the church be emptied and the doors closed. He needed some time to be alone. Why? Because he was angry with God. He questioned God saying: “She bought her first new car and you hit her with a drunk driver. What? That's supposed to be funny?" "Have I displeased you?"
But he wasn’t done. He goes on in his anger at God, delivering a tirade in Latin, the language of the Church, confronting God by saying: “Am I really to believe that these are the acts of a loving God? A just God? A wise God? To hell with your punishments. I was your servant here on earth. I spread your word and I did your work. To hell with your punishments. To hell with you." The scene ended with the President, in a gesture of contempt, lighting a cigarette in the chancel then crushing the cigarette butt on the floor of God’s house...
We have questions, and we want answers. There is so much to life that moves us to ask questions as to why things happen the way that they do. Why is there disease, why is their despair, why is the death? The Book of Job is a book about questions and answers. Job is a man of God, who lived during the time of Abraham. Job was rich, not in cash, in family and in fortune. He was blessed by God, with cattle and land and animals, a lovely home, wife, children, Job had it all. The story of Job is about a man whose life was going swimmingly, and then in an instant, it is all taken away. He is confronted with disaster, death, disease, and despair. Page after page deals with questions, questions as to why, and why is life so unfair?
In the book of Job, God gives us an opportunity for a behind the scenes look at life, if you will. It is as if God pulls back the curtain and you and I have a chance to see and listen to a conversation between Satan and God. God is heard bragging on Job to Satan, telling the devil that Job is a blameless and upright man, that there is none like him on the face of the earth. Satan responds by throwing God’s compliments back at Him as a challenge, stating:
"Does Job fear God for no reason? [10] Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. [11] But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." [12] And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. Satan then tested Job, by taking his property and killing his children.
Job didn’t flinch. So there came another day when God said to Satan once again: “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason." And Satan answered by challenging God: “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. [5] but stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face."
And so God allowed Job to be tested, telling Satan that the boundaries were Job’s life. Spare his life, but Job will still show His love for the Lord. So Satan went on a trial and temptation spree, striking Job with loathsome sores from head to toe. The only relief Job would get was to take a piece of broken pottery and scrape it against his skin. Job’s wife wasn’t any help, telling Job to curse God and die, but Job responded that she spoke like a fool, as one who says that there is no God.
Why does Job suffer? Why do God’s children suffer? That is the question that Job’s three friends discuss with him, and their discussion takes up the majority of the Book of Job. His friends say that if Job suffers, he must have done something wrong that God is getting even with him. But Job knows that this is not true. Job’s faith is shaken to the core, to his very depths.
Perhaps you have felt this way. You have questions: If God is good and just, why does He let seemingly innocent people suffer? Why are there victims of war and terrorism who haven’t done any harm to anyone? Why does a child die of cancer? Why does it seem that the evil ones in the world get all the breaks, while the Christian is seemingly left holding the bag? These are the questions of life, your questions, and mine, questions which Job and his friends pondered and discussed. We, like them, reach an impasse in our discussion. We don’t know the reasons or the answers to these questions.
When Job and his friends reached an impasse, God spoke. After everyone had the opportunity to pontificate, and had run out of words to say, then God spoke. In the silence, God reveals Himself, and speaks to the issues that confused Job, and us, as His children.
God, in our text, doesn’t answer these questions. Rather, He tells Job, and us, to stand before Him, and listen, because, you see, God has some questions that He raises on His own: “"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. [5] Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? [6] On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, [7] when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? [8] "Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, [9] when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, [10] and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, [11] and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed'?”
God raises many more questions, and Job listens. And what did Job do in response to God and His questions? He humbled himself. He confessed His sin and trusted in God, who knows ALL things. God’s wisdom and actions are far beyond our understanding. God tells Job to just trust Him. Believe in Him, and continue to live for Him.
God’s answer to all of our questions is the same today. Popular Christianity and modern day evangelical Christianity likes to tell us that we can have it all. God says in His Word, no we can’t. We can’t serve God and the world. If we lean on our own understanding in life, we face God’s wrath and punishment, which is death. God calls us not to trust in our wisdom, or in conventional wisdom, but to trust in Him.
You see, God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. When we look at God’s Son in human flesh hanging from the cross of Calvary, there we see God’s love for us. We deserve God’s wrath and punishment. But Jesus didn’t. There on Calvary’s cross the Lamb of God was slain, to take away the sins of the world. There on the cross the only Innocent Human Being suffered for the sins of the whole world. There we see that God really does care for us, He loves us so much that He willingly takes on our suffering and pain, and the suffering and pain of the world. And today, like then, God calls us to come to Him with our questions and trust in Him. Why? For He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we would become God’s children. And God promises that even though we will face trial and tribulation in this world, we can be joyful, because Jesus has defeated sin, Satan, and death for you, for me, and the whole world.
Life seems so unfair. But Jesus promised that it would be. He sends us out as sheep among the wolves. In these terrorist times, when Islamic jihadists believe that they do service to God by killing people, well, Jesus predicted as much. In John 16:2-4 Jesus said: “Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, or me. [4] But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”
Jesus calls to our remembrance this and more: For in Baptism He has called us to be His children, we belong to Jesus. In the Lord’s Supper Jesus feeds us with Himself for our forgiveness and the strengthening of our faith. And in His Word God speaks to us and the world today. Amidst the many questions that we and others have in life, God calls all to humble ourselves, repent of sin, to turn from sin and believe in Jesus, God’s only Son for forgiveness. God speaks and answers in the Person and Work of His Son Jesus. We have questions, Jesus is God’s answer, for in the world we will have tribulations, but we can be of good cheer, for Jesus has overcome the world.
Ame
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