Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Job 42:1-6
42:1 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.” (ESV)
by Dale E. Rood
What does Job repent of? It is interesting that in verse 5 Job says that before he had only heard about God, but now he has come to know him personally. When one comes before God personally, one becomes aware of God’s awesomeness and at the same time aware of one’s own weakness and inadequacy. In such circumstances, with Job we find ourselves humbled and trusting, like a little child in the presence of his/her daddy. Repentance is as much admitting our weakness in the face of God’s greatness and subsequent trust in his sufficiency, as it is admitting our sins and trusting him to cleanse us of unrighteousness.
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2008, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service .
