Posted on 01/30/2015 10:27:10 PM PST by redleghunter
THESE WORDS ought to awaken anyone who is not utterly beyond hope. Notice the first two words and the last word. "0 man" and "God." "0 man, who art thou that repliest against God?" Here God and man are put in sharpest contrast, God in His infinite greatness and wisdom and man in his infinitesimal smallness and ignorance. And in the Greek there is also a strong emphasis on the "thou." "0 MAN, who art thou that repliest against GOD?" It will be a happy day for some of us if God will brand that text upon our memories so that we shall never be able to forget it nor get away from it. "0 man, who art thou that repliest against God?"
The most insanely daring thing that any man can do, the most exceedingly foolish thing any man can do, the most desperately wicked thing that any man can do, is to reply against God, to enter into controversy with God, to criticize God, to condemn God. Yet that is what many people are doing
When you hear a little child replying against his father or mother, getting into controversy, criticizing, condemning, you are filled with disgust and indignation. It is something not to be tolerated for one moment. But what is it for any mere human being, any mere creature of the dust such as all of us are, to reply against, to criticize, to enter into controversy with, to try to prove wrong the Infinite and Eternal God? It is the most exceedingly foolish and desperately wicked thing a human being can do.
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Ping
Do it all the time—and I am always wrong.
The most insanely daring thing that any man can do, the most exceedingly foolish thing any man can do, the most desperately wicked thing that any man can do, is to reply against God, to enter into controversy with God, to criticize God, to condemn God …Job did it and was still forgiven. Also consider the meaning of the name Israel.
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.The unpardonable sin is what men need to worry about.
—Luke 12:10
Thanx red
Job complained a lot but never condemned God. That is what Satan wanted Job to do but he did not.
Yw
Reminds me of a Dr. Katz bit ... "You know how they say you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink? Well, now they can make him drink."
Just so, now the fashion is to tolerate every kind of criticism and vituperation heaped by a child upon the parent. Even if, of course, the parent ultimately prevails in the controversy, as must be the case if life is to go on.
He did in a way by flouting his self-righteousness. Job’s wife did suggest that he curse God, remember.
And God corrected Job for it, and we have the book of Job to learn from, which he didn’t.
A blessing to read. Thanks for posting.
I totally agree with the truth of the nothingness of man in comparison to a perfectly just, all-knowing, almighty God.
However, as much as those things are our Lord, his patience and mercy also define him.
I immediately thought about Jonah chapter 4. It always amazed me the patience God had with Jonah. Johah did act like a spoiled child, but God never shows anger towards him. He simply asks Johah, “Doest thou well to be angry?”
I’m guilty of this. I have rationalized it by telling myself (an truly believed) that God has thick skin and will understand my frustration as a human. He knows and tells us that His ways are different from ours, after all. So yeah, I’ve had conversations with and about God that were of a questioning nature like how can He do this..or why does he think that way...
From time to time, when I look back and remember, I worry that i have already committed the unforgivable sin. Many years ago I was driving my car home and getting upset about something and wished that I wouldn’t feel any conviction because it was keeping me from doing/saying something I’d wanted to, but would regret. Like, I actually was resenting the fact that I had the Holy Spirit in me, at that moment :( because it felt like a burden.
God does not mind being questioned/railed at when life slaps someone upside the head. He has big shoulders and understands the emotions and anguish of His beloved creation. He will redeem us through the very situations that cause us to howl in agony and question how a goodand loving God could allow the evils that happen to His children. He allows evil to happen, but He also will redeem us through our tribulations - He is always good and forever faithful. He is....
I think one of the lessons from the Book of Job is that God does not answer “why” questions.
I would chalk that up to the temptation of the enemy.
I’m convinced that sometimes the thoughts we get which appall us so much, are not our own.
I think it’s one of two things.
Either we’ve lived with the enemy telling us stuff for so long that we don’t recognize his voice as our own so we think it is.
Or he knows us so well that he can imitate us to ourselves and we can’t distinguish between the two.
Either way, I know that the regenerate me would not think that way.
Psalm 103:8-14The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
God's love for us is not performance based. Which appears to be a very common misconception.
Many of us are willing to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.
Good story.
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