Job expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces a tan\u00adgi\u00adble cri\u00adsis. His who\u00adle life is shat\u00adte\u00adred. Sit\u00adting suf\u00adfe\u00adring in the ashes, he expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces a real blind flight. This lasts until Eli\u00adhu directs Job\u2019s gaze to the won\u00adders of crea\u00adti\u00adon. As the sto\u00adry con\u00adti\u00adnues, God hims\u00adelf asks Job ques\u00adti\u00adon after ques\u00adti\u00adon about natu\u00adre, none of which he can ans\u00adwer. This glim\u00adpse into crea\u00adti\u00adon beco\u00admes an eye-ope\u00adner for Job. Alt\u00adhough he does not recei\u00adve any ans\u00adwers to his suf\u00adfe\u00adring, it puts him in the right posi\u00adti\u00adon with God. Full of rever\u00adence, he wor\u00adships Him. In our smal\u00adler and lar\u00adger cri\u00adses, it is more important and more heal\u00ading that we encoun\u00adter God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss than that we are imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly freed from our suffering.<\/p>\n
\tAre the\u00adre situa\u00adtions in your life whe\u00adre you have lost perspective? Job expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces a tan\u00adgi\u00adble cri\u00adsis. His who\u00adle life is shat\u00adte\u00adred. Sit\u00adting suf\u00adfe\u00adring in the ashes, he expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces a real blind flight. This lasts until Eli\u00adhu directs Job\u2019s gaze to the won\u00adders of crea\u00adti\u00adon. As the sto\u00adry pro\u00adgres\u00adses, God hims\u00adelf asks Job ques\u00adti\u00adon after ques\u00adti\u00adon about natu\u00adre, none of which he can ans\u00adwer. This look into\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7047,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[81],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-6782","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nCrea\u00adti\u00adon is both: an excel\u00adlent medi\u00adci\u00adne cabi\u00adnet and an eye-ope\u00adner for God. When I was fight\u00ading hip arthri\u00adtis at a young age, I read a book on nut\u00adri\u00adti\u00adon. The\u00adre I found out that cere\u00adals con\u00adtain an important car\u00adti\u00adla\u00adge-buil\u00adding vit\u00adamin. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, it is lost in the pro\u00adces\u00adsing that pre\u00adser\u00adves the grain. Sin\u00adce that day, we always grind the rye for our break\u00adfast mues\u00adli fresh the night befo\u00adre. My takea\u00adway from rea\u00adding the book was: the clo\u00adser to natu\u00adre, the healt\u00adhi\u00ader and richer. Ano\u00adther time I heard in a lec\u00adtu\u00adre about how the\u00adre was a tri\u00adbe of peo\u00adp\u00adle who had flax\u00adseed on their dai\u00adly menu. The\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle did not have can\u00adcer. So flax seeds beca\u00adme part of my break\u00adfast cere\u00adal\u2026 God\u2019s crea\u00adti\u00adon con\u00adta\u00adins ever\u00ady\u00adthing we need for a healt\u00adhy life. Job expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced inner heal\u00ading through con\u00adtem\u00adpla\u00adting crea\u00adti\u00adon and encoun\u00adte\u00adred God.
\nBlind
\nJob expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced a real blind flight. He is mise\u00adra\u00adble. He has just lost all his pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons, his child\u00adren and his health. Now he sits in the midst of the ashes and scrat\u00adches hims\u00adelf with a shard of clay (Job 2:8). He has no per\u00adspec\u00adti\u00adve on what is going on behind the sce\u00adnes. It is a spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal blind flight. It is so bad that his wife recom\u00admends that he renoun\u00adce God and die. A typi\u00adcal human reac\u00adtion in times of distress. To this Job repli\u00ades, \u00abYou speak like a woman who is foo\u00adlish and ungod\u00adly. Shall we take what is good from God\u2019s hand, but reject what is bad?\u00bb (Job 2:10 NLB<\/span>). Pre\u00adsu\u00adma\u00adb\u00adly Job has been con\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adned in good times by the cer\u00adtain\u00adty that God is good. This is what keeps him now. For it says in the text that Job did not sin in going through this bad crisis.
\nRecent\u00adly I visi\u00adted a per\u00adson who was also suf\u00adfe\u00adring. She expres\u00adsed in no uncer\u00adtain terms that she was not at all in agree\u00adment with God. That is why she was accu\u00adsing Him. She is also fly\u00ading blind and can\u00adnot make sen\u00adse of what is hap\u00adpe\u00adning spi\u00adri\u00adtual\u00adly. Her con\u00advic\u00adtion is that Jesus, becau\u00adse He bore all sick\u00adness (Isai\u00adah 53:4), should heal her.
\nWhen Job\u2019s three fri\u00adends learn of the evil, they visit him. They do the best that fri\u00adends can do in the face of mis\u00adfor\u00adtu\u00adne: they cry, tear their clo\u00adthes and endu\u00adre just being with Job for seven days wit\u00adhout say\u00ading any\u00adthing. Great!
\nThen they talk about God and look for expl\u00adana\u00adti\u00adons for the suf\u00adfe\u00adring. They app\u00adly the prin\u00adci\u00adple of cau\u00adsa\u00adli\u00adty and look for the cau\u00adse of suf\u00adfe\u00adring. In doing so, they fail mise\u00adra\u00adb\u00adly \u2013 like all their imi\u00adta\u00adtors. They find them\u00adsel\u00adves fly\u00ading blind. Job dif\u00adfers from his three fri\u00adends in that he addres\u00adses God per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly 58 times. Alt\u00adhough he can\u00adnot under\u00adstand and cate\u00adgo\u00adri\u00adse any\u00adthing, he remains in con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon with God. In this, Job can beco\u00adme a model for us.
\nViewing
\nEli\u00adhu had remain\u00aded silent until then becau\u00adse he was youn\u00adger than Job\u2019s three fri\u00adends. But now he puts for\u00adward his opi\u00adni\u00adon. In the cour\u00adse of his speech, he calls Job out: \u00abLis\u00adten to this, Job! Stand still and con\u00adsider what won\u00adderful things God is doing!\u00bb (Job 37:14 NLB<\/span>). He points him to crea\u00adti\u00adon. And when Job turns his atten\u00adti\u00adon to crea\u00adti\u00adon, some\u00adthing decisi\u00adve hap\u00adpens: \u00abThen the Lord ans\u00adwe\u00adred Job out of the storm: \u00abWho is it that dar\u00adkens God\u2019s wise plan with words wit\u00adhout under\u00adstan\u00adding? Stand befo\u00adre me like a man! I will ask you ques\u00adti\u00adons and you shall ins\u00adtruct me. Whe\u00adre were you when I laid the foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adons of the earth? Tell me, if you know!\u00bb \u00bb (Job 38:1\u20134 NLB<\/span>).
\nUntil now, God has felt far away for Job, but now the\u00adre is an encoun\u00adter. The Lord typi\u00adcal\u00adly speaks out of the storm. The word for storm is ruach (spi\u00adrit of God). God reve\u00adals hims\u00adelf in his crea\u00adti\u00adon, appar\u00adent\u00adly espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly fond of the wind. To David, God spo\u00adke through the rust\u00adling in the Baka trees (2 Samu\u00adel 5:24), Eli\u00adjah heard God\u2019s voice from the low whis\u00adpe\u00adring (1 Kings 19:12) and at Pen\u00adte\u00adcost \u00aba roar sound\u00aded from hea\u00adven like the roar of a migh\u00adty storm\u00bb (Acts 2:2 NLB<\/span>). Ana\u00adlog\u00adous to the air, God is pre\u00adsent in crea\u00adti\u00adon through his Spi\u00adrit. That is why it says: \u00abYou have made the winds your mes\u00adsen\u00adgers and fla\u00admes of fire your ser\u00advants\u00bb (Psalm 104:4 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe Lord also chal\u00adlenges Job to look at crea\u00adti\u00adon by asking him many ques\u00adti\u00adons: Whe\u00adre were you when I laid the foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adons of the earth? Who clo\u00adsed the sea with gates? Have you ever in your life cal\u00adled for the mor\u00adning? Have you rea\u00adched the springs from which the seas spring? Whe\u00adre is the way to the abo\u00adde of light? Who has dug a chan\u00adnel for the down\u00adpour? Canst thou send forth the light\u00adnings? Who gives food to the ravens?
\nAfter two chap\u00adters of such ques\u00adti\u00adons, Job repli\u00ades: \u00abI am not\u00adhing \u2013 how could I ans\u00adwer you? I put my hand over my mouth. I have spo\u00adken once and will not begin again, a second time and I will not do it again\u00bb (Job 40:4\u20135 NLB<\/span>). Job reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00ads\u00ades God\u2019s great\u00adness and majes\u00adty through a deeper enga\u00adge\u00adment with crea\u00adti\u00adon. The appro\u00adpria\u00adte respon\u00adse to God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss is ama\u00adze\u00adment and speechl\u00adess\u00adness, silence in awe. Job does not wor\u00adship crea\u00adti\u00adon, but God.
\nObvious\u00adly, Job is so impres\u00adsed by the encoun\u00adter with the Holy God that his pre\u00advious view of God or the world is com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly shaken up and reor\u00adde\u00adred: Who am I to accu\u00adse and ques\u00adti\u00adon God! This is the decisi\u00adve breakth\u00adrough in Job\u2019s bio\u00adgra\u00adphy. God can rise from Job\u2019s dock.
\nSeeing
\nAfter this rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon, Job\u2019s the\u00adra\u00adpy with ques\u00adti\u00adons from natu\u00adre con\u00adti\u00adnues for two chap\u00adters. The new thoughts are to beco\u00adme deep\u00adly ancho\u00adred in Job\u2019s heart. Then, when Job ans\u00adwers a second time, he utters the meaningful words: \u00abHither\u00adto I knew you only by hear\u00adsay, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre I recant what I have said and rep\u00adent in dust and ashes\u00bb (Job 42:5f NLB<\/span>).
\nAfter suf\u00adfe\u00adring blind\u00adly for a long time, Job now beco\u00admes sigh\u00adted. His rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God is rai\u00adsed to an unpre\u00adce\u00adden\u00adted level. From hea\u00adring to see\u00ading \u2013 and that only through con\u00adfron\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon with the won\u00adders of crea\u00adti\u00adon. His view of the world and of God chan\u00adges fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal\u00adly. How gre\u00adat must this God be who does such gre\u00adat things! Job finds hims\u00adelf in the fear of God and humi\u00adli\u00adty. God does not belong in the dock, but must be wor\u00adship\u00adped. That is the mea\u00adning of life. God is God, we are human beings. He is the Crea\u00adtor, we are his crea\u00adtures. David also found the reason for wor\u00adship in crea\u00adti\u00adon: \u00abYours, O LORD<\/span>, is the great\u00adness, and the power, and the glo\u00adry, and the honour, and the majes\u00adty. For ever\u00ady\u00adthing in hea\u00adven and on earth is yours\u00bb (1 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 29:11 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe \u00abnew\u00bb image of God given to Job has pro\u00adfound heal\u00ading power. Job\u2019s situa\u00adti\u00adon has not chan\u00adged for the time being. Nor is he given an expl\u00adana\u00adti\u00adon for his suf\u00adfe\u00adring. In our smal\u00adler and lar\u00adger cri\u00adses, it is more important and more heal\u00ading that we encoun\u00adter God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss than that we are imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly freed from our suf\u00adfe\u00adring. The con\u00adtem\u00adpla\u00adti\u00adon and stu\u00addy of crea\u00adti\u00adon can help to achie\u00adve this breakth\u00adrough and turn blind peo\u00adp\u00adle into see\u00ading wor\u00adship\u00adpers of God. We can learn an enorm\u00adous amount from Job. One les\u00adson is that we turn to crea\u00adti\u00adon in the face of dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties in life. God reve\u00adals hims\u00adelf in his crea\u00adti\u00adon. Paul wri\u00adtes: \u00abSin\u00adce the crea\u00adti\u00adon of the world, men have seen the earth and the hea\u00advens and all that God crea\u00adted, and can cle\u00adar\u00adly see him, the invi\u00adsi\u00adble God, in his eter\u00adnal power and divi\u00adne natu\u00adre. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre they have no excu\u00adse for not having known about God\u00bb (Romans 1:20 NLB<\/span>). Are you suf\u00adfe\u00adring? Go out into crea\u00adti\u00adon, con\u00adtem\u00adp\u00adla\u00adte it and find the holy God. He makes you see and heals with pleasure!
\nThe ten\u00adsi\u00adon of suf\u00adfe\u00adring and yet trus\u00adting and wor\u00adship\u00adping God is also found in Asaf: \u00abThough my body and soul lan\u00adgu\u00adish, yet, O God, you are always my heart\u2019s com\u00adfort and my por\u00adti\u00adon\u00bb (Psalm 73:26 LUT<\/span>). When I suf\u00adfer, it is more important that I meet God than that I am hea\u00adled imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly! Let us ali\u00adgn our\u00adsel\u00adves with this in our needs!
\n
\nYes, by obser\u00adving crea\u00adti\u00adon we are con\u00adfron\u00adted with the majes\u00adty of God. We can draw con\u00adclu\u00adsi\u00adons about the Crea\u00adtor from what has been crea\u00adted. But this does not put us in a per\u00adso\u00adnal rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God. God reve\u00adals hims\u00adelf not only in crea\u00adti\u00adon, but also in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invi\u00adsi\u00adble God (Colos\u00adsi\u00adans 1:15). And this access to God is the key to giving us the right to call this holy God by the fami\u00adli\u00adar title \u00abour Father\u00bb. \u00abBut to all who recei\u00adved him and belie\u00adved in his name, he gave the right to beco\u00adme child\u00adren of God\u00bb (John 1:12 NLB<\/span>). Holi\u00adne\u00adss and inti\u00adma\u00adcy, majes\u00adty and inti\u00adma\u00adcy come tog\u00ade\u00adther. Crea\u00adti\u00adon is an eye-ope\u00adner to God. But per\u00adso\u00adnal access to the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father is only found in Jesus Christ.
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\nQues\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: Job 38:1ff; 42:5<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat poten\u00adti\u00adal lies in explo\u00adring and con\u00adtem\u00adpla\u00adting creation?
\n\tHave you also encoun\u00adte\u00adred the holy God in crea\u00adti\u00adon, so that you have been silent in awe?
\n\tWhat do you say to the state\u00adment that in our cri\u00adses it is more important and more heal\u00ading that we encoun\u00adter God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss than that we are imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly freed from our sufferings?
\n\tDo you know God only by hear\u00adsay or has your eye seen him? What do you base your ans\u00adwer on?
\n\tGo out and look a litt\u00adle clo\u00adser at some of the won\u00adders of God\u2019s creation!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"