Have You An Arm Like God?

The theme of Job resonates with eternal implications. It takes into account the depth of Job's desire to experience the blessing of God in the fullest possible manner. Job’s whole life is turned inside out through his suffering. Through it all he longs for a renewed security with God. He cries out for a renewed relationship. He seeks passionately for answers to be given which will solidify this relationship. Through the drama that surrounds the difficulty of his suffering, the book weaves together a theme that magnifies the character of a saving God. Salvation is in God alone. It is a simple and foundational truth displayed in this earliest of books in scripture and one constantly reinforced throughout scripture. Is God great in salvation? Can God bring His own though the valley of the shadow of death? What is the foundation of trust in this God of salvation? Is trust situated in the strength of one’s own arm? Or is trust centered in the character of God who reveals through creation and the promise of a "Coming One" the depth of His capacity to destroy evil and establish justice? Job and his friends need to embrace the security of what it means to have a true relationship with God. It is not based on any ability to earn the right to receive His grace. It is based on trusting in the fullness of the character of God. God is great. His greatness is never more prominent than when he brings to completion His own saving work in those who truly belong to Him.

The great temptation in working through job in our present day attitude is to imagine his struggle before God as depicting an image of Prometheus, the god who brought fire to man in disobedience to the command of Zeus. Somehow Job in his courageous cry before God merits our admiration. Job refuses to accept God's sovereign oversight without demanding an accounting by God. There is something in our being that wants to rise above the irrationality of life to secure for ourselves a valid control over the forces that seek to destroy meaning and hope. We imagine that journey and that success, depends upon ourselves. If we do not squeeze the juice from life, we shall miss the sustenance needed to transcend our moment of time. If we do not "seize the moment" we shall be cast upon the dust-bin of history. The book of Job is not about the successful journey of a man who thrashes his way through the maze of life's perplexity. This book is imminently about God. The mystery of His providence stymies the reader right from the beginning. What God sets in motion demands an answer only He can fulfill. His sovereign power controls the actions and direction. He is the subject matter of the conversations that dominate the dialogue. The passion of Elihu is to defend the honor of God: "For God is greater than man" (33:12). The Lord's speeches solicit a real confession from Job in 40:4-5, along with a testimony of praise that rivals other expressions within Scripture. The final speech of God is not a useless addendum. God reveals something specific that causes Job to be filled with wonder: "I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You." The faith of Job and the faith of mankind must be intimately woven into the fabric of the greatness of the character of a saving God.