READINGS FOR MARCH 18, 2024: JOB 20, ROMANS 3, PSALMS 20 JOB 20 Zophar's response to Job was not helpful at all to Job, but he can be very helpful to us—as long as doesn’t visit us in the hospital. Here are good questions his comments prompt: What is the Purpose of the Communication? There can be several reasons for one person to communicate with another. For example, when a president gives an inaugural speech, he or, perhaps soon to be, she speaks in lofty tones usually casting a vision and inspiring us to greatness: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” some of us remember President Kennedy declaring in 1961. When a pastor speaks at a funeral, we expect him/her to convey personal vignettes about the deceased with affection. When a friend is suffering a total collapse of his/her life, an empathetic, even quiet presence can be the most helpful. That could be why Jesus selected a few of His closest disciples to “keep watch with Him” while He sweated drops of blood in the garden. Jesus seemed disappointed when they fell asleep, but they acted better than Zophar. He used the occasion to express his own inward frustration (vs.2), culminating with insinuating Job to be a wicked person (vs. 29).
What is the Danger of Arrogant, Ill-Informed Communication? This can be a real danger even for someone writing study guides to the Bible. One needs to constantly communicate with humility, with what Jesus expressed as seeing the log in one’s own eye before addressing the speck in others. Only a loving God has perfect motivation to communicate advice; the rest of us fall short. Only an omniscient God has the perfect wisdom and knowledge from which to offer guidance; the rest of work with incomplete data. This does not mean we should avoid helping others. It means we proceed with humility and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Zophar, not privy to God’s arrangement with Satan and certainly not Spirit-filled, failed miserably.
What’s Wrong with Communicating Stereotypes? There are certain stereotypes that may not be wrong or harmful. For example, we could correctly and inoffensively say with confidence that everyone playing in the National Basketball League is a good basketball player. There is a systematic validation process that informs that comment. What would be wrong and possibly offensive is saying all tall people are good basketball players. There might be reason to think that is true because NBA players are decidedly above average in height, but it falsely assumes no other accompanying skills or interest are required. Also, it might offend a tall person who is not a good player. Zophar also knew enough to be dangerous. He knew Job to be wealthy. He knew sometimes wealthy people are proud and oppressive. (Even Jesus warned about the love of money.) And He knew Job was enduring extreme setbacks. Thus, he made the leap from sometimes proud to always proud, from the love of money to the possession of money. He bought into the stereotype about rich folks. How often do we do the same? All liberals or all conservatives; all students or all professors; all Christians or all unbelievers; and on and on.
READINGS FOR MARCH 18, 2024 CONTINUED: ROMANS 3, PSALM 20 ROMANS 3 Paul constantly finetunes his message. He just finished chapter 2 stating circumcision must be from the heart—not the traditional spot. Now he feels compelled to say the physical descendants of Abraham still have special value because they were the recipients and trustees of God’s Word for centuries. He reminds us just because some of them rejected Jesus does not make God’s plan failed or untrue. Many today reject Jesus. Sadly, for them, they will find out one day that their rejection of Him was mistaken. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; the only way to God. Paul again clarifies that God’s wrath doesn’t make Him unfair. He is epitome of fairness, having gone to the greatest possible extent to provide a way out of His wrath, which is His settled opposition against sin/evil as Pastor Tim Keller has stated.
Paul again finetunes his message. (He must have been frequently misunderstood and misquoted.) He writes what should be obvious: just because God’s abundant grace, which provided a way out of man’s sin problem, enhanced God’s glory (see Leibniz from March 1), sinning is never good. He will develop this concept in Rom. 6. He then quotes several Old Testament passages to support his point that everyone, both Jew and Gentile, is sinful and accountable to God (vs 19-20). The Old Testament Law provides this knowledge but can’t fix the problem. This truth isn’t communicated in many churches because it seems offensive or not loving. But it is more loving to be honest about our condition--then provide the solution: FAITH IN JESUS.
Romans 3:25 says that in God’s forbearance He passed over the sins previously committed, meaning before the cross. This is hard to interpret. We know unbelievers before the cross will not be saved; consider Jude pointing to Sodom and Gomorrah as undergoing eternal fire. On the other hand, Paul says Abraham was justified by faith (Rom.4:3). In Hebrews 3:11-14, we see the daily priestly sacrifices did not take away sins, but Jesus’s self-sacrifice “for sins for all time” perfected “for all time those sanctified.” Thus, this passing over (paresis) of sins, could mean God’s “laying aside” sins of the pre-cross believers until Jesus’s final payment for them.
PSALM 20 This Psalm is in the first-person plural (we) talking about God apparently to David. The exception is verse 6, which is in the first-person singular. Thus, a group recites how God will deliver David in an upcoming dangerous battle then another individual interjects a comment on the same topic. One could also say that this Psalm points to that greater anointed one (vs 6), Jesus, whose offering on the cross the Father accepted (vs. 3) as fulfilling God’s gospel plan (vs.4) and achieving victory (vs. 5) by defeating God’s enemy (vs. 8) of sin/death to the praise of God (vs. 7). If we pray this Psalm for our church, how should we describe our enemies and victory? Here are enemies and victorious traits from the Bible: ENEMIES OF CHURCHES: Jude-grumbling, lust seeking, authority rejecting, Jesus denying; Rev.-false teaching, lukewarm, unrepentant; Gal.-gospel distorting; Heb.-Gospel neglecting; 1 Cor.-dissension. sexual immorality. VICTORIOUS CHURCH TRAITS: Rom.-faithful, joyful, unified; Ephesians-loving, thankful, prayerful, wise, 1 Cor.-participatory, orderly; Phil.-knowledgeable, humble, contented, generous; Rev.-persevering, serving.
