Job 19.1-27a
Psalm 74.11-16
Luke 11.1-13
The reading in Job contains one of the high spots of the book - God will vindicate. The reader knows, although Job doesn't, that his misfortune is a result of a conversation between God and Satan. God maintained Job was blameless and upright but Satan said this was because God had been so good to him. Satan challenged God to put him under test by allowing Satan to destroy everything Job had. This did not make Job falter so Satan challenged God further by saying, "touch him and he'll curse you". God then allowed Satan to torment Job himself.
In chapter 42 Job's faithfulness is rewarded, he dies an old man with a healthy family. Even before that point Job maintains he is a righteousness man. His friends, however, are convinced that what has happened Job is due to sin. Job says, "I shall see God on my side". What faith!
God doesn't explain to Job why it is happening. Job simply admits that he's out of his depth in trying to understand God. His wisdom encourages him onwards, following a righteous life.
It's important to distinguish between knowledge and wisdom. One secular parallel situation is that knowledge informs us that a tomato is a fruit but wisdom helps to ensure we don't add one to a fruit salad.
Knowledge teaches us skills like warfare, how to build the middle east, and genetic modification. However, wisdom should define how and where these skills are used.
Wisdom (an example of its use - Abolition of Slavery) draws on previous generations' wisdom and applies this to what we know it is to be human. It is a gift from God and thus we need to develop a disposition to put God in the centre of our lives.
It will always be a struggle to understand and be able to explain the world. We may not understand what goes on around us but God does move in mysterious ways.
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