Question For March 2020 | Read Job Chapter 40 Commentary

QUESTION FOR MARCH 2020
Read Job Chapter 40; do a commentary on the Key Verse with emphasis on Salvation


TERMS & CONDITIONS TO EMERGE A WINNER

Questions for each month will be posted on the GIVESFOCUS blog by 8:30am of the 4th day of each month. Therefore, participants are expected to post their answers on the GIVESFOCUS Blog between 3:00pm and 9:00pm of the 7th day of each month.

 Participants are not expected to post more than one answer. Participants must not copy the articles of other authors/writers verbatim and present same as their answers, without acknowledging the authors. Answers must not be more than 1,200 words.

The first participant that scores 8/10 and above will receive 10,000 NGN; the next 3 participants that score 7/10 and above will receive 5,000 NGN each; the next 10 participants that score 5/10 and above will receive 2, 000 NGN each; while other participants that will make up the list of 170 participants with scores of 4/10 and above will receive 1,000 NGN each.

DROP YOUR ANSWER AS A COMMENTS


Full list of winners for March, 2020

HELEN EDET J.

In job chapter 40, verse 8 stands out as my key verse which was a continuation of God's questions to Job. It states "Wilt thou also disannul my judgement? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?" When the Almighty appeared to Job when a lot of accusations and counter accusations have been made and so many words were said, he asked him several questions about the world, creation and its operation as well as the controller. Job had been maintaining that he was righteous and that his challenges were not borne out of his sins. This was actually true and could have been recommendable. But when the condemnation from his friends came too much on him, he seemed to have condemned God and justify himself because he attributed his problems to God as the cause. Among other words he had spoken which had challenged God's justice system, hanging God's impartiality in the balances were "He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. He had destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree" (Job 19:9-10). To Job, he was righteous and should merit the wages of righteousness which should have included wealth and health but here he is with the wages of sinners given to him by God. This to him was a contradiction and how could God do this to him. He therefore longed to see him so he can reason with him and bring out his strong argument against the almighty God to prove to his creator that he did not merit what he had received from him ( Job 23:3-5). This was questioning God's justice. It was condemning God to be righteous. This was the reason God then asked him this question whether he will disannul his judgement and maintained that he is righteous while condemning him for giving him pains. God is just and impartial. He is just and incorruptible. He is impeccable in all areas of existence. Whatever comes our ways is allowed by him to fulfil a purpose that will serve him and help us. We must not discredit God on account of the apparent negative happenings that come our ways or charge him with injustice when our lives seemed to take a negative dive as against our positively and saintly lifestyles. Like Job who never knew what transpired or heard the conversation that ensued between Satan and God that led to his condition, we are as well too short sighted to see the reason God permit what comes to our lives. We are too limited in knowledge to understand the reasons behind the events that surrounds our lives or God's complete intention for permitting us to go through what we are going through right now. We may not understand the beauty God intends to create from our ashes or the fame he wants to bring out of our shame. Therefore we should trust his impartiality and throw ourselves upon him to do with us as it pleases him, having the full assurance that for everything he allows us to go through, he has our best interest at heart and that we will be glad that we were patient with him and quiet as he worked out his ultimate plans in us through our trials and travails. No matter the condition we are now, God is right and if there is anyone that should be wrong, then it is us. If we still live a life of sin and we receive punishment for our sins, God is right and we are wrong because the provision for cleansing from sin has been made in Christ and we have refused to take advantage of such provision, therefore God is not unjust in any case, for in his laws, sin must be punished. Sinners must be saved for God has made such provision for all to be saved for if they refuse and perish, God cannot be held responsible nor condemn for giving out appropriate justice for sin. If we but see God and understand him the way Job saw and understood him since he appeared and talked to him, our afflictions will fade into insignificance at the present of the Almighty God. We will then understand that God is not just a good God because of the goodies he brings to us and a God to be challenged and condemn when evil befalls us. He is not God because he heals us, gives us bread, answer our prayers and make life a bed of roses, else he wouldn't be God in days of Adversities. If we see him as God because of what he does then we will see him as an adversary, a partial God and condemn him for what he has not done. God is not God because of what he has done but he is God because of who he is. We must see him that way, that whether he solves all our problems or not, he is still God who reigns, controlling times and seasons with all creation operating at his command and that he will for good settle whatever needs to be settled in good time. For like the case of Job and Lazarus, it may look as if he is four days late in our cases but when he has appears in his time, he is on time.  

UDUAK A ETUK

 Read Job Chapter 40; do a commentary on the Key Verse with emphasis on Salvation After reading Job chapter 40. I would like to pinpoint v2 as the key verse "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it." (NKJV) Due to many trials of Job, from loss of his possessions, family to body affliction with excruciating boils (Job 1:12-19; 2:7), gradually came to resent God. He was seeking an interview with God to explain what was happening to him (Job 23:3–4; 24:1; 13:23–24). He viewed himself as a righteous man and God was unfair with him. This chapter is relevant to us today because it deals with the common problem of Christian attitude about unfair treatment by God (pride). Actually (whether or not Job realized it), his many complaints were the equivalent of his contending with God. Job failed to understand that God sees far more than he sees. God spoke to Job about the wonder of the world that God had made and how Job not only had had nothing to do with its creation; He further graphically describe His power to control everything. God loves those who serve Him in any capacity and He Is faithful to guide and direct us all. In verses 15-24, God shows how only Him can direct and tame powerful animal like Behemoth. In my understanding, Behemoth, represents the satanic twist that we all labour with and struggle against in our own lives which the Bible calls the flesh, the fallen nature within us, and our humanity, with its continual desire to assert itself and live for it. What God, then, is setting before Job is a very pertinent question for all of us: "Are you able to handle the enemy within, and the enemy without, especially that malicious beast who is behind them all -- the world, the flesh, and the devil?" Behemoth is the enemy within us. We are like the wild ox stubborn, self-centered, untamable, and independent that without His intervention we will allow this inward condition to totally dominate our ways of thinking and doing. If left to ourselves without the Holy Spirit's intervention we will allow ourr fallen thoughts to completely consume us. In our sinful dead spirit state we are not used to relying on others strength, we are used to relying on our own strength. We fight and fight and fight because we want to do things our way, rather than letting go and relying in His way. Jacob was the biggest con artist there was. But as soon as his hip was removed by God and called Israel, Jacob no longer relied in his strength to be blessed; He completely and solely relied in the strength of the Lord. For example Jacob went through hell after being called Israel, but in the end when he saw what God did, he knew there was no way in the world he would have been able to accomplish what the Lord did for him in his own strength. We need to let go - we need to stop trying to walk in our own strength and walk in the strength of the Lord. Every single time we get anxious and act out of fear, or impatience, we show zero trust in the strength of the Lord. Blessed are those found trusting in the Lord for they shall not become disappointed. No matter how severe a trial is, we should never assume God isn't listening or does not care. We need always to remember some excellent advice from King David: "Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!" (Psalms 27:14). We should learn from Job's experience to maintain patient respect and trust in God even in the midst of our sufferings (James 5:10-11).


JIMMY ANIETIE E. 

 The key verse in Job 40, to me, is verse 4 which states "I am unworthy-how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth". This was Job's first time reply to God as God appeared and spoke to him since his predicament began. God had asked him several questions which is about his majesty, ability and existence of times and events controlled by him the creator. "I am unworthy" Job acknowledged before God, not as an out-right sinner but as an extremely knowledge-limited creature questioning the all-knowing creator and attributing the cause of his suffering to him. He was not unworthy because he sinned out-rightly against God before his sickness or during the sickness for God both confirmed before the sickness that he was righteous (Job 1:8) and after this statement that Job never sinned against him (Job 42:7). He only observe that he was too light, too ignorant and limited to have looked at God as the cause of his challenges and running far away from him such that he looked for him but could not fine him even when he was righteous. He had accused God in ignorant thus: "For God maketh my heart soft, and the almighty troubleth me" (Job 23:16); he has loosed my cord and afflicted me (Job 30:11). He now realizes, as the Lord asked him these questions, which were unfathomable for humans to answer, that he should have been quiet rather than justifying self and blaming God for his suffering or would have rather said " that which I see not teach: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more" ( Job 34:32). He realized he was wrong and in humble submission to his majesty declared that he is unworthy, unqualified, unwise, too little and of yesterday to answer the Ancient of the days. This in itself is repentance. It is making right past wrong which is otherwise called restitution. Believers must not accuse God or blame him no matter the challenges around them and the ease around others for as with God " all things work together for good to them that love him" ( Romans 8:28). We must give ourselves to self-searching and prayers in times of events we do not understand happening to us and like Job see ourselves unworthy to speak, challenge or blame our creator as he is in charge of all events in our lives and will channel all to end in our good and glorification ( Jeremiah 29:11). Sinners on the other hand must first realize like Job, their sinfulness and then repent from all their sins in order to merit God's salvation. Repentance begins with realization of one's sinful and sorry state, for there will be no repentance if there is nothing to repent of. Job realized he was wrong by saying what he shouldn't have said and in humility saw his mistake and unworthiness and repent, promising not to argue with his maker but to hold his mouth. Here we see that repentance is not just turning away only from wrong actions but also from wrong and unguarded words. Salvation also demands humility and total surrendered without argument. We must also observe that the arguments of Jobs friends and his refutations could not bring job to such point of silence, humility and realisation of his unworthiness until the word of God tried him and exposes his limitations. This means that realisation of sinfulness and salvation from sin do not come from human knowledge or arguments but through the word of God that inscribes the work of Christ for human salvation. It is therefore only the Word of God that can change lives and supply needed grace for salvation, not human words, science, philosophy or any form of human knowledge , " the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul" ( Psalm 19:7). Cleansing comes through faith in the atoning blood of Jesus as taught through God's word. The knowledge of the way to salvation is revealed through God's word and all other blessings and promises are known through the word, therefore we must cherish and value God's word in every situation more than words from anywhere, for therein we receive knowledge of all that his majesty, our creator, has provided for us and promised to us, including our salvation, help and other benefits. We should "esteem his word more than our necessary food" (Job 23:12) and when things happen to us beyond what our finite human minds can comprehend, we should rather than accuse God pray "That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more" (Job 34:32).

ADEOLA OLUWATOBILOBA EMMANUEL

COMMENT ON JOB 40:8 Carefully studying the given chapter, the verse 8 caught my attention, and I will be making my comment from that verse. The chapter 40 was where God began to rebuke Job about his failure to submit to His sovereignty. In reality God commended Job as a perfect man, upright, fears God and shun evil, however, I discovered that he trusted more in his integrity than in God's infallible integrity. Personally, I feel like crying for Job seeing what God had to say to him after going through hard times of loneliness. I thought, this man did not commit any sin, in fact, as much as his friends were making him feel like he had done something wrong, he kept telling them, he did nothing wrong and he was careful not to sin against God verbally even in those miserable times of his life. So, why would God make a statement like, "would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? NIV" Faith means sincerely believing in God as the supreme entity and diligently seeking Him to please Him (not to please your conscience) Heb.11:6. In such a heart condition of faith will no man stand before God as being guiltless. Irrespective of how good you think you are, the moment God begins to reveal Himself to you, the more your unworthiness begins to unfold to you and the more you yearn to become like Him. This desire to become more like God will then make you to depend more on the Holy Spirit who both gives you God's counsel and also strengthen you to live in it. Jesus Christ lived all His earthly life obeying this same principle (John 5:19, 30, 6:38, 7:16, 8:28 and 12:49-50), therefore, this is how God intend to build up those who are brought near by the life of Christ, the atoning lamb of God. Conclusively, there is no salvation without Faith that will make you trust more in God's sovereignty/justice/integrity/ability/strength/instructions than what you can imagine or do. Job indeed was commended by God as perfect, but he failed to submit to God's integrity, and as such stand a chance of questioning God's integrity. However, he finally kept mute and listened to what God has to say and stopped justifying himself before God.