Shownotes
We continue with some of the hardest questions in life... and in parenting. Today we'll cover how unsearchable God's wisdom is, how the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom--and how to explain this to your kids--and then we'll go over Job 31 and the example it can mean for men.
Looking for our free Bible plan and resources? Go to our podcast page: www.entrustedministries.com/podcast
Listen to the Again podcast on biblical motherhood (ADHD episode drops Thursday).
Today's Reading: Job 28-31
Scripture Referenced in Today's Episode:
Job 28:12-28
Matthew 13:44-46
Psalm 111:10
Proverbs 1:7
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Proverbs 31
Job 31
Commentaries Referenced: Moody Commentary, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, MacArthur Commentary
Transcripts
Welcome to the Dwelling Place.
2
:With all you have going on, I'm so
thankful that you're still choosing to
3
:make the Lord and his word a priority.
4
:I'm Stephanie Hickox from Entrusted
Ministries and I am praying we would
5
:be transformed by this process.
6
:We're gonna continue in the Book of
Job, and we only have a few more days
7
:in this book of the Bible I read today
from Mark Dever that the theme of this
8
:book is we often suffer, we sometimes
understand, we can always trust.
9
:What a phenomenal summary.
10
:I'll say that again.
11
:We often suffer, we sometimes
understand, we can always trust.
12
:And the reason we can trust is that we
serve an all wise, all powerful God.
13
:Today we'll hear some lengthy speeches
from Job that elevate the wisdom of God
14
:Above all else, he says, we can't really
know the mind of God for he alone is wise.
15
:I really like this definition of wisdom
from the W Cliff Bible commentary.
16
:A man begins to be wise when
he ceases to strive for wisdom
17
:independently of God and his own power.
18
:I agree that humility is part of the
process of learning anything, but
19
:particularly to walking in wisdom.
20
:When I read this next part in my Moody
commentary, I felt a little bit naive, but
21
:it says that Chapter 28 is the literary
and theological heart of the book.
22
:Hmm.
23
:It made me feel a little foolish,
like, how did I miss that?
24
:But also the book ends with like
four chapters of God talking,
25
:so I've obviously always thought
that that was the highlight.
26
:Reading their thoughts on it made me press
in a little bit to the reason that this
27
:chapter is elevated as being so pivotal,
28
:and I think that they would
all say that this chapter
29
:summarizes the entire book of job.
30
:The first portion describes how amazing
humans can be, how hard they'll work,
31
:the dangerous things that they'll
do to find a way to get something
32
:that's valuable or to conquer a feet.
33
:But as amazing as humans can be, they
cannot find wisdom in and of themselves.
34
:It's from the hand of God, even
though Job and his friends have
35
:sought to understand God throughout
the book, here we are 28 chapters
36
:in and we're at a stalemate.
37
:They've not reached an agreement
and they still haven't uncovered
38
:the real reason for job's suffering.
39
:Let me read you a portion from
chapter 28, beginning in verse
40
:12, describing the wisdom of God.
41
:But where shall wisdom be found and
where is the place of understanding man
42
:does not know it's worth and it is
not found in the land of the living.
43
:The deep says, it is not in me, and
the sea says, it is not with me.
44
:It cannot be bought for gold and
silver cannot be weighed as its price.
45
:It cannot be valued in the gold of aur.
46
:In precious onyx or sapphire, gold
and glass cannot equal it, nor can it
47
:be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
48
:No mention shall be made
of coral or of crystal.
49
:The price of wisdom is far above pearls.
50
:The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal
it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
51
:From where then does wisdom come and
where is the place of understanding?
52
:It is hidden from the eyes of all living
and concealed from the birds of the air.
53
:Abbadon and death say, we have
heard a rumor of it with our ears.
54
:God understands the way to it and he
knows its place for he looks to the end
55
:of the earth and sees everything under
the heavens When he gave to the wind
56
:its weight and apportioned the waters by
measure, when he made a decree for the
57
:rain and away for the lightning of the
thunder, then he saw it and declared it.
58
:He established it and searched it
out, and he said to man, behold, the
59
:fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to
turn away from evil is understanding.
60
:Jesus affirmed the value of
wisdom and the kingdom of heaven.
61
:In Matthew 13, verse 44, Jesus
begins, the kingdom of heaven is like
62
:treasure hidden in a field which a man
found and covered up then in his joy.
63
:He goes and sells all that he
has and buys that field again.
64
:The kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant
in search of fine pearls, who on finding
65
:one piece of great value, went and
sold all that he had and bought it.
66
:Scripture tells us exactly what the
beginning of wisdom is in Psalm 1 11 10.
67
:The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom.
68
:All those who practice it
have a good understanding.
69
:In Proverbs one, seven, the fear of
the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
70
:Fools despise wisdom and instruction,
and the entire book of Ecclesiastes
71
:ends with the conclusion in chapter
12, verse 13, with the end of
72
:the matter, all has been heard.
73
:Fear God and keep his commandments
for this is the whole duty of man.
74
:For God will bring every deed
into judgment with every secret
75
:thing, whether good or evil.
76
:Repeatedly we hear the fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
77
:This is a concept we can more easily grasp
as adults, but how do you teach about
78
:the fear of the Lord with young children?
79
:I love the analogy that Betsy,
the founder of Entrusted
80
:Ministries, uses to explain it.
81
:She says, it's like the ocean, that
when you stand and you see the powerful
82
:waves and the tide rolling in, you
have a healthy reverence for it.
83
:You know how powerful it is.
84
:You understand how vast it is.
85
:And wisdom is required to be safe
near it, but we can also think of
86
:the joy that we have near the ocean.
87
:That healthy fear that makes us
interact with it wisely, but it
88
:shouldn't prevent us from drawing
near and enjoying its blessings.
89
:Just as we need water to
live, we need the Lord.
90
:When our fears are rightly
ordered, we realize that actually
91
:his presence brings peace.
92
:Proverbs 31 is a well-known chapter
to talk about what a godly woman looks
93
:like, but I recently heard that my Uncle
David uses Job 31 as he's discipling men.
94
:In this chapter, we see a series
of if then statements as we
95
:continue job talking about how he's
innocent, as if in a court of law.
96
:This was actually a protocol at that
time and a common procedure for court to
97
:give these if then statements as oaths.
98
:He's claiming his innocence in many ways.
99
:Initially.
100
:He talks about his purity and the purity
of his eyes to honor his covenant.
101
:He goes on to say he has
not lied or deceived next.
102
:He has not been enticed by a woman or been
unfaithful to his wife, then he has not
103
:treated his servants unfairly knowing that
they were also knit together by the Lord.
104
:He rebukes materialism as he states that
he has not made gold his trust, and then
105
:he has not rejoiced at his enemy's ruin
or concealed transgression in his heart.
106
:And finally, that he has been honest.
107
:In all of his business dealings.
108
:If you're raising young men, this might
be a great passage to look at and think
109
:about what would be some modern parallels,
110
:as I mentioned yesterday, we
should be transformed when we
111
:read God's word to love others.
112
:That idea is affirmed
throughout the Bible.
113
:Interestingly, in the ancient
Eastern world, this is actually
114
:how they measured someone's virtue.
115
:It was their treatment of the weakest
and most vulnerable people in society.
116
:God deeply cares that we have
eyes to see those around us.
117
:And in chapter 29 and 30.
118
:Job tells us that he went beyond the
standards that were required of him
119
:to honor those that society often
forgets, whether it's the fatherless,
120
:the widows, the orphans, the poor, the
disabled, those sick and near death.
121
:It's possible that some of these
activities that job did were indicative
122
:that he was the mayor of his area.
123
:In any case, job rightly understood that
righteousness is tied to how we rightly
124
:treat those made in the image of God.
125
:If we ever think that God's goal is just
holiness in our homes, forgive us Lord,
126
:let's look outward and teach
our children to do the same.
127
:Not only does job feel abandoned by his
friends and by all else in his life,
128
:he feels abandoned by God right now.
129
:I've had moments I've needed to
wrestle through that feeling as well.
130
:In one particular instance,
131
:I had a baby on an ambulance stretcher,
and instead of my medical team
132
:coming with me as they had promised
they would, they left at the time.
133
:It felt so painful that I was abandoned
by these people that I had trusted.
134
:But as the Lord helped me process
it, he showed me that he was with me
135
:every step of the way, even though
I couldn't sense it at the time.
136
:I hope that whatever you're going
through right now, and even if you don't
137
:feel the nearness of the Lord, that
you can persevere knowing that he is
138
:Wise, in perfect Heavenly Father, we're
grateful for your nearness, but we also
139
:ask that you would help us to understand
your holiness and that we would revere
140
:you with all that we are, help us not
to take for granted your availability
141
:that every time we open our mouths or
our hearts to pray that you hear us.
142
:I ask that we would have eyes to
see those we can serve and that
143
:we could model this for our kids.
144
:When we have extra financially,
may we think of who we can bless
145
:over how we could spend as job
said, I did not eat my food alone.
146
:And if there are those that would be
blessed by us opening our homes for
147
:a meal or by sharing our provision,
148
:lord give us capacity to be hospitable and
to serve others even though we're often
149
:weary just from serving our own families.
150
:Job said, I searched out the
cause of him whom I did not know.
151
:In a day and age when there's so
much information available to us
152
:and so many causes, give us wisdom
and clarity about where we can
153
:make an impact for your kingdom.
154
:May we not be pulled in every direction,
but guide us with your spirit toward
155
:the causes where you desire us to act.
156
:Help us to mind for wisdom and
make it our greatest treasure.
157
:I particularly pray for the young men
that they would follow in job's, steps
158
:in purity and righteousness, generosity
and kindness, that they would walk up
159
:rightly just as you did on this earth.
160
:Jesus, it's in your name that we pray it.
161
:Amen.
162
:Speaking of walking in wisdom and
young men walking in righteousness, we
163
:have a phenomenal interview with Emily
and Jake Dio on the Again podcast.
164
:Coming up on Thursday this week,
Emily and Jake share a testimony
165
:of raising their son, and they
are gonna fill you with hope.
166
:If you're a mom parenting, a kid that's
impulsive, aggressive, struggling
167
:academically, or can't seem to keep
their hands off of everything, Jake
168
:and Emily rewrite the script of the
A DHD diagnosis and Jake even shares
169
:his experience and how looking back
he realized that that's also how
170
:God made him and how he's seen it.
171
:Benefit him I hope you
can join us for that too.
