Theological Problems

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Theological Problems

• Is God the Supreme Ruler (Strong)?
• Is Christian Yin/Yang the answer?
• Is God compromised by using evil? Ephesians 111
  ...who works all things according to the counsel
  of His will...
• God is the ultimate cause of everything, but not
  the blameworthy cause. Isaiah 457 I form the
  light and create darkness, I make peace and
  create evil r I, the LORD, do all these things
  (KJV) Ezekiel 2815 You were perfect in your
  ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity
  was found in you.

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Theological Problems

• Does God know all actual and possible things?
• Is God wise? Romans 1133 Oh, the depth of the
  riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
• Does He know the unknowable? Matthew 1121"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.

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Theological Problems

• Is God Good?
• Matthew 1917 No one is good but One, that is,
  God.
• How can God be strong, wise and good and allow
  tragedy in His world?

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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 authors
  meaning
• Outline of Book

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God as Most People See Him

• The wife is right
• God is proud Job 18 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 112 And the LORD said to
  Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power
• God is cruel Job 119 "and suddenly a great wind
  came struck the house, and it fell on the young
  people

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• God is unjust Job 23 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 210 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?"

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Jobs Negative Statements about God

• He is cruel
• Job 64 For the arrows of the Almighty are
  within me My spirit drinks in their poison The
  terrors of God are arrayed against me.
• Job 1612-13 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 717-20 "What is man, that You should ...set
  me as Your target
• He is unapproachable
• Job 914-20 "How then can I answer Himif 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.

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• He is unjust and arbitrary
• Job 921 "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 1016-17 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 169 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 196 Know then that God has wronged me, And
  has surrounded me with His net.

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Elihus Reconciliation of Suffering Gods
Goodness

• Suffering IS Gods Good Care
• Job 3329-30 "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 3412 Surely God will never do wickedly, Nor
  will the Almighty pervert justice.
• God is not manipulated
• Job 356-12 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 367 He does not withdraw His eyes from the
  righteous

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• '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 than
  7. sad sad heart 8. 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, adversity fear 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.

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God in His Own Words, Job 38-39

• Job 381-3 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 381-38
• I create and care for a menagerie of marvelous
  critters, Job 3839-30
• Job 3913-17 "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.

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The Rumble of Rebuke, Job 40-41

• Job 401-5 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 406-7 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 408-14 "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.

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• Behemoth Job 4015-16 "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 411 "Can you draw out Leviathan
  with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line
  which you lower?
• Job 419-20 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 418 Lay your hand on him Remember the
  battle Never do it again!

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God Only, Always, Continually Does Good

• Jobs starting place
• Job 325 For the thing I greatly feared has come
  upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me.
• Jobs conclusion
• Job 421-6 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."