Theological Problems

1. Theological Problems • Is God the Supreme Ruler (Strong)? • Is Christian Yin/Yang the answer? • Is God compromised by using evil? Ephesians 1:11 ...who works all things according to the counsel of His will... • God is the ultimate cause of everything, but not the blameworthy cause. Isaiah 45:7 I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil [r; I, the LORD, do all these things (KJV) Ezekiel 28:15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.

2. Theological Problems • Does God know all actual and possible things? • Is God wise? Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! • Does He know the unknowable? Matthew 11:21"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

3. Theological Problems • Is God Good? • Matthew 19:17 No one is good but One, that is, God. How can God be strong, wise and good and allow tragedy in His world?

4. Overview of the Book of Job • Wisdom literature is purposely enigmatic • difficult parallelism • incomplete/dead end arguments • inductive versus deductive instruction • unstated purposes that govern the author’s meaning • Outline of Book

7. God as Most People See Him • The wife is right • God is proud Job 1:8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth… • God is threatened Job 1:12 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power • God is cruel Job1:19 "and suddenly a great wind came struck the house, and it fell on the young people

8. God is unjust Job 2:3 Then the LORD said to Satan, still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause." • God does evil Job 2:10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept evil?"

9. Job’s Negative Statements about God • He is cruel • Job 6:4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; My spirit drinks in their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed against me. • Job 16:12-13 I was at ease, but He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target, His archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; • He is critical • Job 7:17-20 "What is man, that You should ...set me as Your target • He is unapproachable • Job 9:14-20 "How then can I answer Him…if I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause.

10. He is unjust and arbitrary • Job 9:21 "I am blameless...It is all one thing; Therefore I say, 'He destroys the blameless and the wicked.' If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent. • He is overpowering • Job 10:16-17 You hunt me like a fierce lion, And again You show Yourself awesome against me. You renew Your witnesses against me, And increase Your indignation toward me; Changes and war are ever with me. • He is angry • Job 16:9 He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens His gaze on me. • He is wrong • Job 19:6 Know then that God has wronged me, And has surrounded me with His net.

11. Elihu’s Reconciliation of Suffering & God’s Goodness • Suffering IS God’s Good Care • Job 33:29-30 "Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact, three times with a man, To bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life. • God does not sin [vr • Job 34:12 Surely God will never do wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice. • God is not manipulated • Job 35:6-12 If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him?...If you are righteous, what do you give Him? • God does not withdraw from his own • Job 36:7 He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous

12. ['ro n.[m.] badness, evil — 1.badness, bad quality, of cattle, figs. 2.willfulness. 3. ethical, evil, badness, evil of doings. 4.sadness [r' adj. bad, evil (distinction from n., and vb.) — 1.bad, disagreeable, malignant: of a woman, disagreeable, unpleasing in the eyes of; of poisonous herb, malignant boils, diseases, deadly sword, arrows, severe judgments, wonders = fierce messengers (of God), wild beasts; unclean thing. 2.bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery: evil days (of trial and hardship); evil report; of things: painful discipline, evil occurrence, evil(-bringing) net, instruments: all evil (injurious) 3.evil, displeasing. 4.bad of its kind, land, waters, 5.bad, i.e. low value. 6. + ÷mi comp., worse than7.sadsad heart8.;devise evil (hurtful) device. 9.bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper: 10. ethically bad, evil, wicked. [r'n.m. evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity — 1.evil, distress, adversityfear evil; day of calamity; in adversity. 2.evil, injury, wrong,speak about injury; for harm, injury. 3. ethical evil; consume evil from. [v'r;vb.denom. be wicked, act wickedly — Qal 1.be wicked, act wickedly. 2.be guilty. Hiph. 1.condemn as guilty, in civil relations, c. acc. 2.condemn as guilty, in ethical and religious relations, c. acc. 3.act wickedly (late), in ethics and religion.n.m. [v'r, wickedness — 1.wickedness, as violence and crime against civil law 2.wickedness of enemies 3.wickedness, in ethical relations.

13. God in His Own Words, Job 38-39 • Job 38:1-3 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: "Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. (Over 70 Questions) • I create and care for the world, Job 38:1-38 • I create and care for a menagerie of marvelous critters, Job 38:39-30 • Job 39:13-17 "The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork's? For she leaves her eggs on the ground, And warms them in the dust; She forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may break them. She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers; Her labor is in vain, without concern, Because God deprived her of wisdom, And did not endow her with understanding.

14. The Rumble of Rebuke, Job 40-41 • Job 40:1-5 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said: "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it." Then Job answered the LORD and said: "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." • Job 40:6-7 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: "Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: • Job 40:8-14 "Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and array yourself with glory and beauty. Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him. Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together, Bind their faces in hidden darkness. Then I will also confess to you That your own right hand can save you.

15. Behemoth Job 40:15-16 "Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox. See now, his strength is in his hips, And his power is in his stomach muscles. He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. His bones are like beams of bronze, His ribs like bars of iron. • Leviathan Job 41:1 "Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? • Job 41:9-20 Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him? No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me? Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine. "I will not conceal his limbs, His mighty power, or his graceful proportions. Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle? Who can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around? His rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal; One is so near another That no air can come between them; They are joined one to another, They stick together and cannot be parted. His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes. • Job 41:8 Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle; Never do it again!

16. God Only, Always, Continually Does Good • Job’s starting place: • Job 3:25 For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. • Job’s conclusion: • Job 42:1-6 Then Job answered the LORD and said” I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, 'I will question you, and you shall answer Me.' "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes."