Sunday, April 1, 2007

Job 32-33Matt 14:1-21

Elihu the Buzite (from desert of Buz in the ‘east desert’ – same general area of Arabia, I’d guessing... didn’t have time to look it up this a.m. See map below) joins the scene. He is much younger than the three elders before him (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar).

John the Baptist is beheaded and Jesus feeds the 5000.

Lend eyes and ears today for the opportunities God puts us/you in....

Comments for more..

1 comment:

C. Scott Baker said...

Job
Elihu has much to say and is somewhat angry with the elders for not being able to ‘convert’ Job and viewed that as a ‘slant’ against God. In ch33, Elihu chooses not to falsely accuse Job of wrong doing, but uses Job’s own words to make his (Elihu’s) points. He first points out that Job claims to be pure and without sin (not really – Job does admit he [Job] is a sinner) and says ‘… you are not right’ in v12. Elihu outlines how God speaks to us in the night/dreams and thru ‘a bed of pain’ when He needs to ‘get our attention’. I.e.… Elihu saying that’s why you’re in this condition.

Matt
Herod (Herod Antipas), the son of ‘Herod the great’, the tetrarch (ruler of one fourth part of a nation). Herod hears of Jesus’ many works and is somewhat terrified that it’s John the Baptist back from the grave (referred to as ‘pit’ in Job reading). John the Baptist’s beheading was ultimately from jealousy/fear (insert emotion here) from adulterous acts of Herod and his brother’s wife Herodias. Herodias’ pleases Herod in dance and is granted an oath of ‘anything you want’… Herodias convinces her daughter to get John the Baptist’s head on a platter (wooden dish for serving meat… yeah, I’d say).

Jesus hears of this and gets on a boat, heading to a place of solitary. Here I feel for Jesus – I know this was ‘his gig’, but when the boat lands, more folks had followed. Apparently many, many.. Jesus takes advantage of this moment and feeds 5000 from very little. Point: Jesus will provide for us, as we trust in him. But also, a take-away for me is God will provide divine interventions on His schedule – He will put us into situations that a) we had no idea that we’d be put in and b) give us an opportunity to demonstrate our faith and loyalty to him. Wow.. does that sound like Job reading we’re doing?