Peter Misselbrook's Blog
Jun 12 2019 - Job 28 – Searching for wisdom

Job's "friends" have sought to counsel him with their wisdom. But their words have not helped poor Job. He longs for wisdom beyond that of his friends, wisdom that will give him some insight into his suffering and act as a light in his darkness and a hope in his despair. In this chapter, in asking where such wisdom can be found, Job has provided us with a wonderful piece of poetry.

Job begins by celebrating the capability of human beings to discover things. He talks about the search for precious metals and jewels. Though hidden away, deep in the earth, people have discovered how to dig them out and to identify them in the dirt. Dangling from ropes, they bring light into the dark places of the earth with their candles. Nothing remains hidden from them.

We could add many more examples from modern discoveries concerning the planets of our solar system, and many other discoveries of science and the amazing artefacts of human technology. Job's celebrates the wonderful power humans have for discovering what is hidden, recognising what is valuable and going to extraordinary lengths to dig it out. But all of this only underlines Job's pained question in verse 12, "But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?"

In verses 13-19 Job declares that wisdom is more valuable than anything valued in his day – more valuable than gold, silver and rubies. What makes gold so valuable? It is valuable because it is beautiful and does not decay, but above all it is valuable because it is rare. So wisdom is even more valuable because it is even more difficult to find. It cannot be bought with gold or precious stones. Job concludes by repeating his question of verse 12 in verse 19, and adding that wisdom is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and is beyond all discovery (vv. 21-22).

But there is one who knows where wisdom can be found and that is God, the creator of all things (vv. 23-27). He has shown his wisdom in creation and in wisdom he governs the world he has made. We may not understand the ways of God but we can trust him. So Job concludes, "The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding" (v.28). As someone has written: "Wisdom is not a matter of understanding why suffering happens; rather, true wisdom is a matter of knowing the God who knows why suffering happens." It is the wisdom that trusts and obeys.

I want now to take you beyond Job to the pages of the New Testament, to God's ultimate revelation of himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, the apostle Paul writes of the wisdom and power of God displayed in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. God's wisdom is very different from human wisdom. Why would God allow his holy and righteous Son to be nailed to a cross and die in agony? How does that display wisdom or power?

But it is the wisdom of God, for if we have but eyes to see it, the cross has a purpose in the plans of God, an ultimate purpose. And this purpose is revealed in Christ's resurrection from the dead. For it is here, in the cross of Christ and in his resurrection that God is acting to put the world to rights and to mend a world twisted and broken by human sin and rebellion. Here is wisdom at which angels would stand with mouths agape – that is, if they could cease their praise.

And here is the answer to Job's pained question of where wisdom is to be found. For in Christ "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). This is where you must mine for wisdom. Wisdom beyond mere human discovery consists of knowing and trusting God in Christ. This will not answer all your questions, but it will still and satisfy your soul in the face of the unanswerable question "Why?"

Father God, we thank you that you have displayed your love for us in the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to trust you even when we cannot understand why things are happening to us, those we love or to your world. Help us to long for, pray for and work for the day when Christ shall return and all things are made new and all questions are silenced in the glory of your presence.

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Jun 12 2020 - Romans 8:26-39 – Nothing can separate us from the love of God

Separation can be deeply painful. After nearly sixty years of married life my mother died leaving my father on his own. He felt the loss deeply. He grieved that his love and companion of so many years had been taken from him and he longed to be reunited with her. He seemed lost without her. He used to say, tongue in cheek, that he was concerned that she would get so far into heaven that he would not be able to catch her up. At last his wish was granted; he was united with her in the presence of Christ.

In Romans 8, Paul expresses his confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. God loved us so much that he did not spare his own Son but gave him over to death for our redemption. He will not see that work wasted. Having given his Son for us, he will spare no effort in bringing us safe to glory.

Jesus loved us so much that he willingly gave himself for us to make us, as it were, his bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). At the cross, he experienced the horror of separation from the Father as he cried out, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” He suffered such separation for us – suffered it on our behalf that through him we might never be separated from God. Risen from the dead, he is now in the place of power at the Father’s right hand. He is there on our behalf, interceding for us and utterly refuting every accusation brought against us – accusations that we are unfit to be reckoned as children of God. Jesus will not allow anything to separate us from his love.

The Spirit also has been given to us as our help in our weakness. He also intercedes for us with God and provides us with a witness in our hearts that we are children of God – that we belong to him. He provides us with the strength we need to go on living the Christian life – pressing on to glory.

These truths should bring us great encouragement and banish all our fears. No circumstance we face, however difficult, demanding or threatening, is able to separate us from the love of God. All things ultimately work together for our good for, through and in them all, God has determined to bring us safe at last to glory. Paul understood these things personally and reminded the Christians in Rome of them for their encouragement in the face of troubles. We need constantly to remind ourselves of these things so that we might not grow weary and lose heart. “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Life may require us to face many painful separations, but the one who has come to trust in Jesus can be sure that they will never be separated from him; not in life, nor in death. Jesus has determined to share his inheritance of glory with us. The triune God is at work on our behalf to ensure that it shall be so. It is not the strength of our hold upon Christ that brings us safe to glory, it is the strength of God’s hold upon us.

Father God, I am humbled and amazed by your love for me: the love that drew salvation’s plan; the love that drove Jesus to come into this poor world and give himself for me; the love that moved the Spirit to call me and tell me that I am loved of God. Help me to love you with all my being and to serve you with all I possess and without fear until that day when I shall be brought safe to glory.

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Peter Misselbrook