Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm: “Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. – Job 40:6-7

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 29, 2018): Job 40

President Donald Trump likes, or maybe better described as liked, to employ a familiar handshake technique in his meetings with other men. To be honest, it is a technique that most of us males have employed at some time, however, usually in our teens; an age which President Trump left behind a few decades ago. The technique is to squeeze your opponent’s hand, and opponent is the most appropriate word because the technique essentially turns the handshake from a greeting into a contest, as hard as you can. As kids, the technique meant that we squeezed the hand until our opponent cried for release. As an adult, the release comes when your opponent relaxes his (this is a primarily testosterone driven challenge) hand, implicitly giving up on the challenge. President Trump brought us to tears with laughter with his attempt to play the game with French President Emmanuel Macron in 2017 and possibly employed the method a little more cautiously after that contest, especially with much younger opponents.

God has already begun his instruction of Job and his friends, and he has injected some humor into the conversation, but it is important to note that God has not softened his approach to Job and his friends. He still speaks from the storm or the whirlwind, displaying his overwhelming power. And he tells Job that the time has come for him to man up. The words of God to Job are clear. “I am not done with you yet. I am going to question you, and you are going to answer me. We are going to come to an understanding.” There is no doubt that the stance of God will soften, it’s just that the eventual softening isn’t going to happen yet.

And so Job prepares himself for a handshake with an all-powerful God. In his discussion with this friends, his language has changed. He has treated God more like an opponent to be challenged than a friend to be greeted. Now the Almighty God returns the favor. If you can forgive me for being a little sacrilegious in this moment, the difference between God and President Trump when they employ the handshake contest is that God knows he will win, President Trump only thinks he can win. And sometimes it is evident, and funny when the President of the United States loses. But in the midst of the challenge with God, we begin to recognize our lack and all that we thought we understood, but in reality about which we have no idea.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Job 41