The Lord Invites Our Argument
Beloved People of God,
Why is it so hard for us to listen?
We’ve all been there. It’s why many a teacher has quipped, “There’s a reason we have two ears and one mouth. It’s so we would listen twice as much as we speak.” Still, things often go in one ear, out the other, and we mumble along, muddying our understanding with endless speech.
The heart of the Job is caked in the interminable theologizing of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar (Job 4-25). These old friends throw so much philosophical dirt at Job, the only thing he can think to do is mingle their accusations with his tears and throw the mud back at them! Back and forth, louder and longer! In their relentless battle, Job skirts closer and closer to the precipice of heresy. His fervent defense of his innocence against his friends’ vitriol brings him dangerously close to accusing God of injustice!
Friends, left on our own, we arrive at the same conclusion. History is littered with people like you and me who stopped listening. Without God, our philosophies become like dust, mingled with the streams of our suffering. Without God, our self-centered pursuits of justice create more injustice. We warp peace and reconciliation into wrath and vengeance.
Beloved, if this is where our skeptical story leads, thank God for the whirlwind! In the eye of the hurricane, God silences our speculations and endless “Godtalk” with His living presence; the thunderous sound of His voice calls us to listen (Job 37.14-38.1). God speaks. He answers us with the questions. He presses us to listen! It’s then the Lord invites our arguments—all our wrestling and grappling—to test our grip before He speaks again (Job 42.1-5).
Listening is hard because we’re inclined to think we’ve heard it all before. Been there. Done that. We’ve been hit by other’s dirt clods of thought. We've slung mud of our own. We are overwhelmed by our suffering and closed our ears to comfort. Beloved, this is where the washing whirlwind of the Lord meets us. It peels away the mud. It uncovers our ears. It invites us to listen. To respond. To listen again.
For His Name’s Sake,
Brett