Discerning the Times: Just Say Nothing

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

Not sure if this is to create PSAs or what, but it’s interesting.

Audio for this article is here: SermonAudio.com/studygrowknow

Covid-19 continues to be in the news, but I’m including some links related to CV-19 that are not highlighted by MSM, as well as a few links to non-CV-19 related information. readers may find helpful. As always, do the research yourself.

• Vaccine Experts Warns a Big Mistake Was Made with CV-19 Vax
• Gay Pride and BLM Flags Raised Over US Embassies
• Dr. Tenpenny Explains How CV-19 May Start a Depopulation Program in 3-6 Months
• Jesus’ Resurrection: An Archaeological Analysis
• Pentagon’s UFO Report Kickstarts Apostasy?
• More Evidence Current Pope Supports One World Religion
• The Emerging Church: A Magnet for Rebels

I’m sure readers are aware that a major falling away that Jesus, Paul and Peter referenced is underway. It’s astounding what has already transpired and what continues. But not only is God not mocked, but His plan moves ahead. Of that, we can be sure.

Just Say Nothing
As I was reading through toward the end of the book of Job this morning, I finished up Elihu’s statements (finished in chapter 37), and turned to Job 38 to see that God had arrived to a point where He responded to Job. If you haven’t read Job 38 and following in a while, you may wish to stop reading and read that before continuing.

What fascinates me about God’s statements and rhetorical questions to Job is that God did not take the time to answer Job’s questions. God did not deem it necessary to provide a reason for why Job suffered, yet it is clear that Job was perfectly satisfied with what God said to him.

Clearly, whoever wrote the book of Job (and there are many suggestions), was given direct revelation regarding the contents of Job 1. Job himself, at least up to this point in the book had no clue that any discussion had taken place between God and Satan, nor did Job know that God was the One who directed Satan’s attention to Job in the first place.

But God at no point shows any sign of offering reasons for why He allowed what He allowed to visit Job. None. He simply asked Job questions to see if Job could answer them. Of course Job could not even begin to answer them and at least he was wise enough to admit it in Job 40: 3-5.

I cannot imagine what it must have felt like and how overwhelmed Job’s emotions were at the hearing of God’s voice. Please take a moment to consider that God’s very pointed questions forced Job to conclude:

Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.

In other words, Job was admitting that it was best if he said absolutely nothing except to clarify his own position before God Almighty. Does this not take your breath away? Do you not see yourself doing the same thing?

While Job was generally responding to all of what God had just said (in Job 38 and 39), he was immediately responding to this statement from God Himself:

Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it. (Job 40:2)

Wow. Wow. I can actually sense how shocking it was for Job to finally hear God’s voice because His words were filled with rebuke and remonstrance. Yet, unmistakably, I also imagine that Job felt extremely loved by God that He had taken the time to respond to Job at all! Job was actually comforted.

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know! Job 38:4-5

“Surely you know!” is God being sarcastic. Can you imagine Job squirming under those statements? I can. Is it any wonder Job admitted how “vile” he was and his only recourse was to place his hand over his mouth so that nothing at all came out of it? Yet, please note that Job never acted like the Israelites at Mt. Sinai who begged Moses to tell God to talk only to him (Moses), because they could not bear to hear God’s voice (Exodus 20).

Just by hearing God, Job’s pride fled from him. He would never forget this encounter as long as he lived. It forever changed Job and he became more humble than he had been before. From Job 1, we know he was a fairly humble man. Yet, when compared with God, Job knew he was vile and had no business demanding anything from God.

Throughout the book of Job things continued to the point that we see how wearied Job must have become (for however long the entire situation lasted). We also see that Job had what Vernon McGee said was Job’s “I problem.” Even though God had declared Job blameless and upright at the beginning of the book, it is clear that Job thought he was being unfairly tested by God Himself. Job feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1, 8), but he still had pride that kept him from fearing the LORD more. That pride needed to be excised and God allowed Satan to attack him not because God hated Job but because He loved Job. The end result of Job’s testing would result in a far greater fear of the Lord, one from which Job would never recede or stray.

I will be quite frank with you. I do not want to go through anything even close to what Job went through, do you? Yet, God is God! We have absolutely NO right to demand or argue with Him for anything He chooses to do, do we?

What if God decides that He will take my wife, the love of my life, from me sooner than I expect as He did with the prophet’s wife in Ezekiel 24? What happens if God, in His infinite wisdom, has already decreed that one or both of my grown adult children will be removed from this life sooner than later and I will outlive them? What can I say to that?

People need to understand and as fully as possible that we are God’s creation! We are not the Creator! Because of our first parents’ rebellion against God, sin entered the world. Sin changed God’s Creation and made things the way they are today. God will totally rectify it one day, but until them, we live with the results of our corporate and individual sin.

For now, man’s rebellious nature has created havoc throughout the world. People like to ask, “Why does God allow evil to exist?” or “Why didn’t God stop that evil thing from happening?” We ask these questions out of pride. We actually believe we know better than God and if we “were” God, we’d have done things differently. This is unadulterated hubris that pervades each person and all of society.

Is it any wonder God hates pride because it only destroys. It has no capacity to build up. Because we brought sin into the world, we need to look at ourselves in the mirror when we start asking why God “allows” evil to exist. One day, as the Bible so eloquently reveals, evil will be fully gone (Revelation 20-22), but for now it remains and God uses it, like He uses everything, for His purposes and glory. It’s about Him, not us; the Creator, not the created.

People are fallen, without love, filled with pride and arrogance, thinking we know everything. God says to us, “Tell me if you can. Surely YOU know!” Sadly, there are some who actually think they would tell God what they think. They are fools who do not understand they will bow the knee and confess that Jesus is LORD (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10-11).

The fear of the LORD creates within us an ability to understand that God is far greater than we can ever imagine. Along with this growing awareness is the willingness to accept and undergo whatever God sends our way, understanding that this too, even if unpleasant, is for our growth and His glory.

Job had his faults. He was not a perfect man. Though he feared God, he had a great deal of growing to do. Do we believe we have “arrived,” that we cannot really grow too much more? How do you see yourself? How do I see myself?

Am I willing to submit to whatever God sends my way? Am I willing to not question Him? Am I willing to praise Him in all situations and circumstances even the unpalatable ones? Am I willing to allow God to be the true and only LORD of my life? If I am, then I am on my way to growing in the fear of the LORD. This does not mean that everything will be smooth sailing. It wasn’t for Joseph, for Daniel, for Moses, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah or many others who chose to follow the LORD. It simply means that in and through all situations that God sends or allows, He will uphold us with His righteous right hand.

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

I cannot imagine the depths of despair that Joseph, Job, and many other saints have endured because of their faith in God. Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:5). In all honesty, I’m not sure I can say that…yet. However, I would like to be able to say it and mean it.

How about you?

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective