Now I See You Great God (Part 2)

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked to us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24: 32 (NIV)

As we saw in Part 1, this man Job’s life was thrown into turmoil, filled with suffering and therefore many questions are asked by Job himself, also by his friends or comforters as they are known. And finally the questions come from God himself, showing Job just how small he is in the overall scheme of things and just how powerful his God is. As we saw, Job repented when he actually sees God as he really is!

In the New Testament we come across another righteous man who suffers—a man free from sin, in fact, the only sinless man that ever lived. As in the book of Job, the New Testament doesn’t give us any slick answers concerning suffering, but does show that God is in the darkness of that suffering alongside us. He has walked where we walk, and perhaps, in one sense, totally understands it all.

Amazingly we are confronted by Jesus in the book of Job—we get a glimpse of him as he steps out of the shadows and he is reflected in the words of Job and his friends. In Job 9:32-33, Job asks for an arbitrator. Christians see Jesus as this go-between, the arbitrator between God and humanity (1Timothy 2:5). Elihu, one of Job’s comforters states in Job 33:24 “I have found a ransom for him”—Jesus is such a ransom, paying the price for our sin, making up for what is impossible for us to make up for—“Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark10: 45). Another quote, this time from Job himself: “I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).

Actually, these aren’t the only Old Testament writings where Jesus confronts us and reveals his presence. After his resurrection, Jesus catches up with two of the disciples who are going home to Emmaus, thinking that everything is finished now that he is dead. Suddenly he is walking with them. They don’t recognise him, but along the way he opens their understanding to the scriptures about himself. Luke 24:13-35 covers this amazing meeting, but notice especially verse 27, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures [Old Testament] concerning himself!” Wow! What a Bible study that was—makes me wish I had been there, but you know he still does that today in the Church by his Spirit. We just need to pay attention and perhaps our hearts will burn too.

Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for illuminating the eyes of our hearts to see your presence in the Old Testament scriptures that point to you prophetically.
Amen

Study by Cliff Neill

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About the Author:
Cliff Neill is an Elder in Grace Communion Church Luton.

Local Congregation:
Grace Communion Church Luton
Farley Hill Methodist Church
North Drift Way
Farley Hill
LUTON LU1 5JE

Meeting Time:
Saturday 10:30am

Local Congregational Contact:
Harry Sullivan
Phone: 01908-582222
Email: harry_sullivan@wcg.org.uk