Will we Contend with God

Book of Job

   40:1 The Lord said to Job: 

   2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” 

   3 Then Job answered the Lord: 

   4 “I am unworthy —how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. 

   5 I spoke once, but I have no answer — twice, but I will say no more.” 

   6 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm: 

   7 “Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 

   8 “Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? 

Contend with God? Really? Is it wise??

I. Will the one who contends with the Almighty Correct him?- Or change the way in which God is dealing with  you or his corrections or instruction toward you? No, can the clay pot say to the potterer why have you made me so. We cannot change the way in which God deals with us. Job states this is so.

At the Potter’s House

 1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:   2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”   3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.   4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me:   6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 

II. Silence- Job answered the Lord by saying simply this ? How can I reply to you who am unworthy and basically made of the earth and of human frailty. Job states I am unworthy and will cover my mouth.  He states he has no answer. Job realized that you cannot argue or contend with God.. if the Almighty has chosen it or done it…..it can only be undone the moment His will decrees so. Silence was the Answer in dealing with God in correction.

III. The Storm- Look God finally speaks but from where? A storm. Or the storm. Was this a storm of lightening and thunder and wind? More than likely yes, but it is also symbolic of Jobs circumstances. He was in a storm in his Life and it was in the midst of this violence and disturbance that God Speaks. He states Brace  yourself like a man-(find courage and faith as well) I will question you and you will answer me. In other words when the supreme justice of the universe ask you a question you will speak. God gave him no option but exerts himself as God to Job. Sometimes there are no options but to speak to the Lord and answer his direct questions. Questions like are you in my will? Is it Sin at the root of your problem? Maybe the questioning of God can lead to a solution?

IV. Self Sufficiency disclaimed: God says if you can clothe yourself in honor and majesty if your voice can be as thunder or in other words if you can speak as me then I will honor you...but God shows that even the greatest of his Creations as he refers to Behemoth cannot be channeled by no man but he only responds to the almighty. It all comes back to your response to God, there is a time to be silent, a time to pray, a time to ask but never a time to blame for who can change the will and mind of God. We are to submit to his mighty power and live, obey and be justified, accept and not be destroyed. For it is he who has made us and him who we will be accountable to. BE as Job, meek humble and quiet then perhaps God will speak to you from your storm and heal your circumstances. Believe today in the Lord for he is Mighty to save. As scripture says: The Lory they God in the Midst of thee is mighty. Mighty to save. Zephaniah 3:17....The Lord they God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love. He will joy over thee with singing. Although the Lord may be angry his mercy is for a lifetime. Receive the Lord and his ways today.

Amen