Jeremiah and Job: on Knowing God's Will in Advance

Jeremiah and Job greet me each morning in my Bible readings.

Curious how that works out when you daily read through the Bible in three sections, one chapter at a time.

(It’s usually one Old Testament, one Psalm or Proverb and one New Testament reading. This time, I kept going when I finished Proverbs!)

It seems almost unfair to confront those challenging Old Testament books at the same time, and yet, there’s truth here because it’s the Word of God.

How would you like tragedy served to you?

“If God told you He would send twelve terrible things into your life this year, would you want them one a month for a year?

“Or, would you prefer to have all twelve hit you in three months and then be trouble-free for the remaining nine?”

I asked a relative that question nineteen years ago. We were in the midst of family troubles.

“I’d rather have them all at once and then be problem free the rest of the year.”

I felt the same way. I reasoned if my life was in total chaos for three months, people would give me plenty of grace.

I’d then have nine months to wallow, er, recover my equilibrium.

That assumed, however, that God gave me the choice–and thus I knew of it in advance–rather than surprising me with it.

I think it would be harder if I didn’t know if or when the pain would end.

Which brings me to Jeremiah and Job.

Jeremiah and Job–knowing and not knowing God behind the anguish

God told Jeremiah he would be a prophet. He told Jeremiah  up front that greater trouble than I can imagine was coming.

God promised Jeremiah He would be with him throughout.

I’m not sure Jeremiah had much choice in the matter, but he accepted the difficulties and figuratively put on the prophet’s mantle.

It was horrible. Anguish dogged Jeremiah. He didn’t want to be the one constantly bringing bad news.

King Jehoiakim punished him–often–and even burned the scroll detailing God’s prophecy.

(So Jeremiah wrote it again).

In the case of Job, God negotiated an arrangement with Satan and didn’t say anything to Job.

God depended on Job’s devotion to Him remaining true despite Satan‘s efforts.

Both Job and Jeremiah rested in God’s hands–but He let Jeremiah know trouble was coming ahead of time.

Which life would you prefer?

 Just tell me!

How often we think we can endure any crisis if we knew in advance, or understood the reason.

The pain of troubles can feel like more than we can endure.

How often we think we can better live  if we know the future.

But, is that really true? Would I live my life so fully if I knew crisis was coming?

(But isn’t it always coming?)

Many people I love are in crisis at the moment. We’ve had more than a dozen deaths in our 250-member church in the last seven months.

One recently widowed friend has a serious medical condition.  Her doctor recently gave her wise advice:

“Go home and live your life.”

He’s optimistic about her health, but there wasn’t anything he could do to mitigate possible death.

So, she should live and enjoy her life as if she doesn’t know when she’s going to die.

Because she doesn’t know.

Chances are good, you don’t either.

What good would it do to know the future?

You already know. One day you will die. Are you prepared? It could happen today.

Knowing the reason

Did knowing God chose him to be a prophet help Jeremiah?

His first response sounded like Moses:

“Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”

The Lord told Jeremiah not to worry, God would be with him.

Armed with those assurances, Jeremiah went forth on a thankless prophet job full of pain, embarrassment, harassment and agony.

He saw his terrible prophecies come to pass, including the destruction of Israel, and wound up in exile in Egypt.

Was it any easier knowing God had ordained it all?

Probably. His pain was physical and emotional–for the many who did not heed his prophecies–but perhaps he could bear it better knowing God would not forsake him.

Job–not knowing

Job didn’t know God had made an arrangement with Satan. He didn’t know God had such confidence in his faithfulness.

His tormentors were his friends and his grief, not to mention the weeping sores. (I lost track of those, the man was physically ailing throughout the book).

Job berated God with his arguments, maintained his innocence and was bewildered even as he merely wanted to die and be let out of his pain.

Job needed to hang on to what he knew about the God he had long worshipped–his character, in particular.

He argued for his innocence with his friends, who scoffed and accused him–possibly out of fear.

In the end, God showed up and, in what I’ve always thought of as a bittersweet action, returned a family and a wealthy homestead to Job.

Job, of course, knew he would see the lost children again in heaven.

And us?

We weathered our family’s storm, battered, tired and emotional–for years.

We still love each other. God remains in control.

When trouble comes, I try hard to remember Jesus’ words: “In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.”

Jeremiah and Job got to see that.

I will too, someday.

God promised.

Which would you choose? To know the future ahead of time, or walk in the grace that God knows what He is doing with your life?

Tweetables

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