Job, in the midst of his suffering, stated:
Job 1:21 – and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."
This passage raises several questions.
† All questions could simply be answered by saying – this is a true statement – we have a Sovereign God who controls all things
† Questions arise when we say that not all things quoted in the Bible are good thing or God things – for instance:
o The story of David, Bathsheba, and Uriah in 2 Samuel 11 doesn’t suggest that we should all desire other men’s wives (even if we have the power to do so).
† Although God is Sovereign and is the supreme ruler, to assume that God gives and God takes away, as a general truth for God leads to many unsettling circumstances.
o Is it God who takes a baby in crib death?
o Is it God who takes a baby in a miscarriage?
o Is it God who takes a baby through abortion?
o Is it God who causes a child to be bore handicapped?
o And so on…
Where as it is true that we came into the world with nothing and will leave it just the same – maybe some fancy clothes on our body in our casket – but none-the-less – without anything. It may not be a truism that God gave it all and took it all away. Our free will has played into the equation and the free will of others as well.
Because Job felt all he had came from God and if God wanted to, He could take it all away, doesn’t mean a universal truth is that God gives and God takes away. Our free will many times takes away our health, the life of others, and even at times impacts the lives of those around us.
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When Quoting Scripture Inflicts Harm
6 years ago
2 comments:
Just because the thought that a Sovereign God can ultimately take away the things that He has given us is unsettling, does not mean that it is any less true.
I think that in this part of this passage of Job's story, Job is identifying the source for his blessings and also the source for the hardship that he is enduring. Too often we blame the devil for any and every hardship that we face when there are times when the Lord allows us to be tested and challenged. In these times the Lord may very well decide to take away something that we have chosen to put in place of God. When we put our trust in the things that we own or have, then we are taking trust for that part of our lives away from God. We are turning those objects into idols - putting them in the place of God.
I don't think it would be too long before a loving Father would start to take away a few items.
Your mention of David and Uriah are a little limited - in so much that you are drawing a conclusion from a part of the story and not the story as a whole. Reading the whole story gives the whole picture. Similarly, reading the whole story of Job gives the whole picture - and with that picture we can see that God was in control all the time - even during the difficult periods of Job's life. God allowed everything to be taken from Job. While technically one could argue that God did not do the 'taking' Himself, he oversaw it and bears responsibility - as difficult to swallow as that may be.
If God is not ultimately the source of everything that we have, then He is not God at all.
Just my 2 cents.
From jtg -
Most of this is above my pay-grade. But here's one thing I heard and has always stuck- "You never see a hearse pulling a uhaul". Life seems to have three "Es" to me: you enter, exist, and exit. If you are blessed to wake up each day, attempt to make the best of it, respect all whom you encounter, and don't over think life, it really isn't as complicated as many try to make it. We need food and shelter, therefore we (if able) need to labor to gain funding to provide for ourselves and for our spouses and/or children if we've reproduced. Other than having faith in God/Jesus, life takes care of itself, good/bad/constant, until we Exit.
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