Tuesday 1 February

Job 22:1-24:25

Eliphaz is a complete numpty (I hope it’s not sinful to say that is it?).    He so confidently asserts things about which he seems to know almost nothing. And in no area is he more ‘numpty-like’ than when he says “what pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?”.  I mean, has he even read the bible??  The delight that God experiences when people choose to seek him and live in righteousness is such a strong theme that I just can’t believe that Eliphaz even knows the God about whom he is speaking.  And this is more than just a small technical issue with Eliphaz’s doctrine.  What he is basically asserting is that God is a distant being, un-moved by human activity and uninterested in our emotions.  This is not even close to describing the deeply accommodating, highly impassioned Yahweh who has wedded himself to his people Israel.  This misunderstanding about God is so prevalent in today’s world; regularly being drawn on by Dawkins’ and others to ‘disprove’ Christianity and by numerous church-goers to explain why they don’t understand all this talk of relationship with Jesus.  This is a tragedy.  And one that, I believe, deeply cuts the beating heart of our intimate Father God.

Matthew 21:18-32

The Jesus-bandwagon goes rolling on.  And it becomes increasingly obvious to the religious leaders that this zealous maniac fully intends to smash his wagon right on through their sacred constructions.  They are the fig tree that is not yielding fruit for the nations, they are the disobedient son who won’t go working in the vineyard.  “Who do you think you are?”  they spit at him and he just points them to the long, long line of witnesses who have all been testifying to the culminating moment of God’s redemption narrative.  Jesus is truly audacious.  He won’t be culled or deflected.  He won’t be intimidated or pushed back, even by the mighty array of religious and spiritual powers lining up against him.  He drives his bandwagon forwards, calling the scum of the earth to repent and jump on board as they journey on together towards the beckoning jaws of the grave. And after that... resurrection!

Proverbs 3:21-35

God gives grace to the humble - that’s a phrase that we’ll see quite a bit of in our journey through the Bible.