Job 24-28 & An Epiphany

These chapters of Job take us to the end of the long monologues between Job and his friends. Hallelujah! Okay, that might sound bad. But you can't deny that all those monologues seem to go on and on and on. I'm ready to get to the meat of the Book of Job, and it's finally coming.

So in these chapters, Job and his friends wrap up their monologues. Bildad is the last of Job's friends to speak, and then Job gives one final speech to his friends where he pretty much curses them. Job describes all the bad things that will happen to wicked people, and it kinds seems like Job is aiming all of these descriptions at his friends - as in this is what will happen to them because they have given such awful advice and just been terrible.

Then my favorite chapter ever! I mean, it's not like I've read a ton of the Bible at this point, but so far Job 28 is my favorite chapter. It has the title of "Interlude: Where Wisdom is Found," so obviously I knew there was about to be something super deep in the next 28 verses. And oh my gosh, I was so right. This chapter kinda describes wisdom and suggests that it's something that can't be found here on earth. It's not tangible, and it's never right before our eyes. But God knows wisdom; He knows understanding. And with His help we, too, can know wisdom and understanding. It's deep; am I right, or am I right?

And just because it touched me so much, this is probably my absolute favorite Bible verse thus far:

"And he said to the human race,

'The fear of the Lord - that is wisdom,

and to shun evil is understanding.'" (Job 28:28)

I think I read it about 15 more times just to let it sink in and really absorb those words. Like, that says something right there. Fear of the Lord is wisdom. Shunning evil is understanding. If that's not something by which to live your life then I don't know what is, nor do I think I want to know.

The Book of Job is all about wisdom and knowing God. It's a perfect example of the difference between truly knowing and following God and simply doing what you can to get to heaven. It shows us what it's like to be a Job - righteous, just, an all-around good human being. And then it shows us what it's like to be an Eliphaz, Bildad, or Zophar - barely knowing God, simply knowing He exists but not what he wants from us, only aiming to keep God off our backs instead of embracing all that He is. 

I feel like I've pretty much lived like an EBZ as I'll call the three stooges. I've always believed in God, but I've never made an effort to study God's Word. I've been content to rely on the interpretations of others, and I've only used false knowledge to defend my faith. I haven't been a Job at all. But the Book of Job is helping me realize where I've gone wrong, and it's showing me what I need to do walk closer with the Lord. I know now that what I'm doing is good - that my desire to read the Bible won't go in vain. I'm going to learn so much more about God's plans for me and what His intentions are. 

*****

Job 28 really touched me. What do you think about this chapter? What knowledge or insight did you gain from it? What other chapters in the Bible have given you an epiphany?

And how do you keep yourself from being an EBZ? In what ways do you study God's Word and make sure to understand His wisdom?