Year 1, Week 1, Day 5

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Genesis 11; Job 1-2.

Today’s reading is indicative of a chronological approach to reading through the Bible. It is most probable that Job lived somewhere prior to the life of Abraham, but in the context of the debacle at Babel. As a result of this perspective, we are jumping out of Genesis and reading through Job before we resume our completion of Genesis.

While what unfolds in Genesis 11 and who we are introduced to in Job 1-2 are very different situations, I was struck by something of the commonality these two passages share in what they reveal about God. The Bible, as these two portions of Scripture show, reveal a God who rules over His creation. In particular, we see that God’s rule is good (that is morally upright), and that His good rule extends over evil. The Bible does not portray evil as something of a loose cannon, that operates independent of God’s rule: "The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19). We see this rule in each of today’s readings.

The incident at Babel is simply collective evil. Even after the flood waters recede, man has not changed his evil ways: “the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21b). When evil men gather, they form cartels of evil. In particular, they forge strategies to defy God’s instructions seeking to live independent from Him: “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4). Remember, God told mankind to spread out: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28). Mankind’s assignment was to extend the glory of God to the ends of the earth: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14). In other words, we exist to reflect God’s glory—that is, to make His name great. But the essence of human evil—individually and collectively—is to glorify ourselves, that is, to make our name great.

But God rules over human evil. He may give us some leeway so that our choices flow freely from our evil bent, but human rebellion—individually and collectively—is not a threat to Him: "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.” (Psalm 2:1-4). When God deems it time, He renders judgment: “Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.” (Genesis 11:7-8).

We also see God’s rule over evil displayed as we are introduced to Job. While Job lived around the time of the great scattering from Babel, Job is different: “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1). Job was not an evil man, in fact, he turned from evil and sought after God. To borrow from the description of Noah, God had shown grace to Job. But while Job was not evil, evil turned its sights on Job. At His own initiative, God points out to Satan that Job does not walk in the ways of evil: “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (Job 1:8). Satan, who, in the form of a serpent, questioned God’s authority in the garden, now questions Job’s integrity: “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” (Job 1:9-11). Slinging accusations is one of the primary weapons that Satan deploys.

But God rules over Satan’s evil. God will permit Satan to attack Job (harmful assault is another one of Satan’s deployments), but God will only allow Satan to go so far: “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.” (Job 1:2). The evil of Satan is a contained evil. God rules over evil in both its human and demonic expressions: “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1).

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe

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