MAGNIFY ~ Day 35

~ Day Thirty-Five ~

MAGNIFY

No Other Name

The Book of Job ~ Chapter Thirty-Five

"There they cry out, but He does not answer,

because of the pride of evil men.

Surely God will not listen to empty talk,

nor will the Almighty regard it."

(Job 35:12, 13)

MORNING MEDITATION

Believe

Elihu criticized Job for considering himself equal with God, so he cut him back down to size by reminding him that God is greater than man and did not owe Job any explanations for the works that He did (Job 33:12-13). Then Elihu explained that God was not under any obligation for any work or deed that man may do. God cannot be bribed by our good works, nor can our misdeeds affect Him in anyway. "Your wickedness affects a man such as you, and your righteousness a son of man" (Job 35:8).

"John performed no sign,

but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.

And many believed in Him there."

(John 10:41, 42)

The Jewish leaders were opposed to Jesus because He claimed a unique unity with the Father. The council considered this blasphemy. So long as Jesus held to His claim to be one with the Father, they were not going to stop pursing His death. They held to the Law when it suited their purpose, but every argument Jesus made rested on the absolute trustworthiness of Scripture - "and the Scripture cannot be broken" (v. 35b). While they could not refute the words that He said, they refused to believe Him. [Feast upon: John 10:22-42] "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him" (vv. 37, 38). If they were not willing to accept His words, Jesus asked them to at least consider the miracles which He performed as indications of His deity. "The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me" (v. 25b). But they would not believe. Jesus said their unbelief was "because you are not My sheep" (v. 26a). They could not discern His voice as the Good Shepherd, because they did not have His word in their hearts (John 8:37). Instead of following Him like devoted, obedient sheep, they picked up stones to stone Him, not wanting to be confronted any longer by the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 30:11). "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" (v. 32). The reason they sought to stone Him was not because of His works, but because of His claim to deity; and yet His works were the proof of His claim that He and the Father are one (v. 38); they just were not willing to believe. The works that He was doing were works that only God could do; He simply asked them to believe what their own eyes saw. But they refused. Let us pray for those who are blinded by their religion and who are trusting in their own works to save them, that the blinders would come off their eyes and their stony hearts softened by the light of salvation found only in Jesus Christ. Let us praise Him for giving us eyes to see the beauty of holiness and for leading us out of the darkness of sin into His saving light! "Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Psalm 34:3).

"And truly Jesus did many other signs

in the presence of His disciples,

which are not written in this book;

but these are written that you may believe

that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

and that believing you may have life in His name."

(John 20:30, 31)

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

Read: Job Chapter Thirty-Five

"But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker,

who gives songs in the night."

(Job 35:10)

Elihu was concerned with another of Job's complaints, and made it his next point for discussion: "For you say, 'What advantage will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?" (v. 3). Elihu had mistaken Job's complaint about religion being an unprofitable pursuit as applying to himself, but Job was not talking about himself, he was talking about the wicked who were always prospering. "Yet they say to God, 'Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?" (21:14, 15). He addressed the complaint anyway and pointing to the clouds and said that God who is higher than these does not receive any advantage from man's righteousness. But Job was concerned with the justice of God and issued a complaint regarding His dealings with the oppressed. "Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; they cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty. But no one says, "Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night" (vv. 9, 10). Elihu explained that it was not God's fault that they were not finding relief, rather it was because they were praying with the wrong motive. "Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3). Like the Pharisees, they were not interested in a relationship with God, they simply wanted to enjoy the benefits He could bring them. Almighty God allows our sufferings and afflictions to draw our attention to the areas of our life that need reformation. Just like the Apostle Paul, who was given a thorn in his flesh to keep him humble; he learned to accept the needful prick that kept him from becoming prideful, and was able to worship God with thanksgiving because of God's all-sufficient grace that strengthened him to endure the life-long pain (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Men don't often cry out for God until they are pressed down by the burden of oppression, and when they finally cry out it is often only to be relieved of the pain, not to accept the reformation the Lord has purposed for the pain. God won't answer them because their prayers are insincere. "There they cry out, but He does not answer, because of the pride of evil men. Surely God will not listen to empty talk, nor will the Almighty regard it" (vv. 12, 13). This provides the explanation why Job's prayers have not been answered. His heart was not right with God. "Although you say you do not see Him, yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him" (v. 14). God had His eye on Job's situation and would work out all that He had purposed in His infinite wisdom and righteousness. Job just needed to wait, trust, and hope in Him, believing that the Sovereign Lord had everything under control. While he waited, God would give his servant His grace to strengthen him, just like He had given Paul and so many other suffering saints, along with a new song in his heart to sing in the darkest hours of the night! Let us join him in that triumphant song believing that God is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).

"Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;

all Your waves and billows have gone over me.

The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,

and in the night His song shall be with me -

a prayer to the God of my life."

(Psalm 42:7, 8)