“Now My Eye Sees You”

Scripture:        Job, chapters 41-42; 2 Corinthians, chapters 1-2

Job 42:1-6 (NASB):

Then Job answered the Lord and said, “I know that You can do all things, and that no plan is impossible for You. ‘Who is this who conceals advice without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I do not know.”

‘Please listen, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent, sitting on dust and ashes.”

Observations:

God has answered Job – after a fashion.  God doesn’t explain why Job suffered as he did.  Instead, God’s answered: “Who is this who darkens the divine plan by words without knowledge…Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:2, 4a). God’s answer to Job is that God doesn’t answer to Job – or anyone else.

Now, at the end of the story, Job responds to God. His response is a model for our attitude toward God.

         I know that You can do all things, and that no plan is impossible for you.

         I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I do not know.

         Therefore I retract and I repent, sitting on dust and ashes.

In other words, Job demonstrates the humility toward God that led God to describe Job as “a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1:8).

Declaring What We Do Not Know

I fear that such humility is in short supply these days. Everywhere you look, people think that they have all the answers. This is not new, of course; people have always thought that they had the answers. The temptation to believe that we know better than God goes all the way back to the Fall. We should not be surprised at human pride – but we should be very wary when we see it within the Church.

I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You.  It is one thing to hear about God from someone else – even someone we respect. It is quite another thing to experience God for ourselves. That experience transforms us – but it always begins with an expression of repentance and humility. Therefore I retract, and I repent, sitting on dust and ashes.

A blameless and upright person, fearing God and turning away from evil.  May God grant that we would be described that way!

Application:

God is reminding me today of the dangers of thinking that we “have all the answers.”  That danger can be heightened when other people come to us for answers or advice, so we need to be all the more careful. As Job says in this passage, “I have declared things which I did not understand.”  Haven’t we all!  In some sense, we have to do that – because we cannot completely know God. But as we experience His presence and His work, we should tell others about Him!

The phrase, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You,” is a reminder to us that our primary desire should be to know God more. Each day, we open His word and ask Him to direct us. As we commit to walk in His way each day, He will guide us – and we will “see” His work in us. Others will also see His work in us – and that will bring glory to Him.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for revealing Yourself to us. As the writer of Hebrews says, in prior days You spoke to us through prophets and messengers, but in these last days You have spoken to us by Your Son. Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus, and to follow His example of humble obedience. May we glorify You today by reflecting Your presence and Your love.  Amen.