23 August 2010
Psalm 1, 2, 3; Job 4:1,5:1-11,17-21,26-27; Acts 9:19b-31; John 6:52-59

Does Eliphaz understand what all has happened to Job? If all this is punishment for sin, Job’s sins must be more hideous than anyone could imagine. If this is the explanation, Eliphaz shouldn’t be here lecturing and hectoring Job about his sins, he should be repenting in dust and ashes for what he himself has surely done. There is nothing comforting about his words, to Job, searching for the answer to “why” they must have seemed completely ridiculous. His explanation is that surely Job must have sinned whether he admits and understands it or not. God’s righteousness demands that sin be punished. Eliphaz’ theology is not wrong, it is not the right medicine for Job’s situation and that is the real problem. It doesn’t explain the situation Job is experiencing and we know it and Job knows it and it doesn’t help Job understand or move forward with God. At the end of things, theology isn’t simply a de-personalized discipline, it has real life consequences for us. Understanding God helps us to understand life and while the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the next step is to realize that we are important to Him and made for relationship with Him.

There are enough cues here that Jesus isn’t speaking literally that they should have no problem understanding the metaphor. Isaiah 55 is clearly the reference and no one would have had any trouble understanding what it means to buy bread, wine and milk without money and without price. Why are they failing to understand Jesus here? They wanted Him to provide food and they, like Nicodemus, do not understand earthly things therefore they cannot hope to understand spiritual things. They are too fixed on their temporal desires to reach out and take the eternal things Jesus offers. He is offering to fulfill their deepest longings and desires but they are out of touch with what those are. They have not learned to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt 6.33).

What everyone knows of Paul concerns them. They aren’t prepared to accept that he has been transformed. It takes some time for him to settle into the mix. Once he does, he begins to argue powerfully and to preach the Lord Jesus and to stir things up. Wherever he goes the opposition wants to kill him, just as he had previously desired to destroy the church. Here also we first meet Barnabas, the encourager, who comes alongside Paul and vouches for him to the church in Jerusalem. At this same time Paul’s life is in peril and he is going through difficulties, the church is enjoying peace and growing daily. Paul is an extraordinary man and his work for the church is something to behold. It was never easy, his life was regularly in danger, and yet he never gave up and never backed down because He knew the power of forgiveness and grace. He knew that the here and now was as nothing as compared to the glory of eternity.

Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.