Wednesday 6 June 2018

Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. – Job 16:19


Today’s Scripture Reading (June 6, 2018): Job 16

What we learn as a child follows us all the days of our lives. It is a simple reality of life that we sometimes forget. How many planets are in our solar system? My answer is nine, even though I know that Pluto has been demoted and that the actual answer is eight. Was Napoleon short? Yes, even though I know that Napoleon was probably of average height for his time, but as a child, I was taught that he was a short man. These are some of the answers of my childhood, and they are the answers that stick with me through life.

Often, I hear parents say that they want to let their children decide on matters of faith - “I am not going to force my child to go to church.” But the reality is that this response is a result of our own apathy about God. If you are devout and guide your child’s steps into the sanctuary where they can learn about God, you give them the gift of faith and a belief in something that goes beyond ourselves. If you don’t, you give the child the gift of your apathy. Either way, the gift will be with them as long as they live their lives. What we learned as children can be overcome, deep down I know that astronomers now only list eight planets even though my automatic answer is nine, but the process of overcoming our childhood lessons, in the direction of good or evil, takes a lot of time and effort. The truth is that we prepare our children for success or failure in all matters of life through the lessons that we teach them, and the actions that they watch us do, early on in life.

There is a battle that is being waged inside of Job. Even within this speech, Job asserts that “God has turned me over to the ungodly” (vs. 11) and that “He has made me his target” (vs. 12). These are Job’s reactions as he considers his situation and listens to the advice of his friends. This is the way that Job feels in this moment. And we understand that even though we know more about the story than Job does at this moment. But Job is not left alone with just his anger and bitterness brought on by his situation. His parents also gave him a gift of faith. And it is that faith that does not want to die, even under these circumstances. It is his childhood lessons that prompt him to declare that he knows that he has a witness, a true watcher, who is in heaven and who knows the totality of his story. He has one who will intercede for him on high.

The lessons of Job, taught to him when he was young and before disaster struck, continue to hold Job to a path that directs toward God. It is these lessons that form the bedrock of Job’s faith – the lessons of his childhood.

And it is the truth of Job’s childhood that provides a beautiful foreshadowing of the Christian message. The author of Hebrews picks up the message in that letter.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Someone who understands our trial watches us, and advocates for us in Heaven.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Job 17

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