Rev. Steven Davis
October 18 Sermon - "God's Plan"
Posted on: 10/19/2009 10:55
Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone - while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (Job 38:1-7)
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A few years ago, an eight year old girl in the United States decided that she wanted a puppy. Her father, however, was unenthusiastic. He didn’t think she was either mature enough or responsible enough to care for a dog. So he made her this promise: he would get her a puppy if she could arrange for the President of the United States to tell him that he should. One would have thought that this would have been a rather daunting task for an eight year old, but this little girl was determined. She wrote a letter to the President, telling him of her father’s promise and explaining why she thought it would be good for her to have a dog. Sure enough, a couple of weeks later, an envelope from the White House arrived in the mail addressed to the girl’s father. In a hand-written and signed note on White House stationary George W. Bush proceeded to explain to the girl’s father that he, personally, loved dogs and that, while it was obviously the father’s decision, he thought that having a puppy would teach the girl about responsibility. Of course, the girl’s father couldn’t go back on his promise. He now hand in his possession a hand-written and signed note from the President of the United States saying essentially “get the dog!” The dog and its family are now living happily ever after, I assume, and all because of a most unexpected reply to a little girl’s plea.
As we continue our look at the story of Job today, that news story is more relevant than you might think. Last week we spoke about how frustrating it is when God doesn’t give us the answer we want when we ask a question. Job had been dealing with this frustration for some time now. (We’ve jumped ahead 15 chapters, and he’s still in the midst of it!) We’ve seen that he had gone through terrible tragedies and that he had experienced a terrifying feeling of being isolated from God. He had probably come to the conclusion that God was never going to give him a direct answer to his questions. He may well have been on the verge of giving up hope. And then – it happened! God spoke! This must have startled Job. I suspect that, in spite of all the pleas he had made, Job wasn’t really looking for a conversation with God. Perhaps he was hoping for a sign of some sort (a vision, perhaps, or a dream) but he almost certainly wasn’t looking for God to engage him in a conversation. The passage, though, says that this was not a sign, a vision or a dream – the passage says that God spoke! Job heard the voice of God! That was not an every day occurrence for Job – nor is it for us. The rarity of such an occurrence surely makes it important for us to consider closely what God said to help Job cope with his difficulties, in the hope that it might help us to discern what God tells us in our times of difficulty.
The first thing to note in God’s reply is that although God is answering Job, God does not give Job what he asked for. Last week I suggested that God always answers us – He just doesn’t always give us the answer we want. Here’s the biblical foundation for my statement. In legal terms, Job had asked God for either an indictment which would explain the charges against him, or for a verdict – which Job confidently assumed would be “not guilty.” He got neither. Instead, God answered Job’s questions – with a question. That must have been frustrating to Job. We ask questions because we want answers; because we’re tired of seeking out the answers for ourselves and we want someone else to answer the questions for us. If our questions are answered with more questions, all we have are more answers to seek. That’s what Job was facing – not only had God not answered him, God had given him another question to ponder.
There are two aspects to God’s challenge that I want us to reflect on. The first is that although God gives no direct answer to Job, there’s also no sense of condescension – God does not see Job as unworthy of receiving an answer. Instead, God’s reply to Job is an invitation for Job to consider God plan – not just God’s plan for Job, but for all of creation. There’s some interesting language used. God told Job to brace himself “like a man.” That wasn’t an insult, as it might be interpreted today. In fact, it was a show of respect. God was essentially challenging Job to challenge Him. God does the same for us all. “Don’t wallow I self-pity,” God said to Job. “Come to Me, with all your questions, and we’ll work this thing out together.” I suspect God delights in such encounters with His children. The second aspect to God’s challenge is to note that God isn’t patronizing toward Job. Not only is Job welcome in God’s presence, his concerns aren’t just fluffed off. God doesn’t simply pat Job on the head and send him away. Instead, Job is invited to embark with God on a journey of discovery. In the same way, we’re all invited to join with God in this journey of discovery – a journey that begins with our questions and with our sincere desire to discern God’s answers.
God began His response to Job by asking, “Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?” and He then challenges Job: “Tell me, if you understand.” The irony here is that Job can’t possibly have the understanding God is speaking of. When God “laid the earth’s foundations” Job didn’t even exist, after all. To truly understand something we haven’t experienced is impossible. God’s plan for creation, laid out before anything even existed, is beyond our ability to comprehend. So, in essence, God’s response was “you’re welcome to begin this quest with Me, but understand that it’s a quest that will never end, because you’ll never fully be able to understand Me.” Surely, that’s also our greatest challenge: to commit ourselves to a relationship with God that will never waver, even though many things about God will always remain a mystery to us. As it turned out, Job could live with that. He was willing to live with divine mystery, as long as he could be assured of divine presence. All he needed to know was that he hadn’t been deserted in his times of trouble and terror. All he needed to know was that in spite of his questions, he could still have a relationship with God, and with that assurance Job could go on. Job’s assurance is our assurance: even in the face of the divine mystery, we still have the divine presence. God is always with us, and God really does care. God has a plan, and somehow in ways that we can’t fully understand, we’re a part of that plan. As Paul would say centuries later in his letter to the Romans, “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Folks – that’s us!
I began my remarks today with the little girl who must have been surprised to receive an answer to her pleas from the President of the United States. It may have been even more surprising for Job to get an answer. “I have a plan,” God said, “and your life, and all your experiences, are a part of that plan.” God answers us as well, in ways that we can’t understand, and our challenge is to follow Jesus, even when we’re not always sure where He’s taking us. That’s something I’ve had to learn; that’s something I still have to struggle with. “Why here and not there?” “Why this and not that?” The frustrating thing is that I can’t figure out the answers to those questions any better than you can; any better than Job could, but this I know: there is a divine plan at work, and I’m part of it, and so are you. In the words of an old gospel song: “I don’t need to understand, I just need to hold His hand.” When I do that, I know God’s plan is being fulfilled.
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