The friends of Job spend 14 chapters posturing and pontificating about their explanations for his suffering. In each case, they say a lot of right-sounding things that God condemns as being wrong. They meant well, but their over-confident opinions about God and his suffering servant were not only hurtful to Job but damaging to God’s reputation.
Though written hundred of years apart, the books of Daniel and Revelation are counterparts and should be studied together for a more comprehensive picture of God’s redemptive plan, the future of the world, God’s victory over evil at the end of the world and a glimpse into the new heaven and new earth.
To better understand the Book of Job, we’ll take this week to fast-forward to the very last chapter where God provides a surprising but often overlooked insight into its over-arching message. The Book of Job is not about suffering; that’s just the context. It is really about the character and nature of God Almighty.
Today, we study Mark 4:1-20 as Jesus tells a parable and then gives us an explanation. In this parable, Jesus sows the seed (the Word of God) and we discover if we have the heart soil to hear and see the Word of God and then put it into practice so it can grow deep roots into our lives.
A disciple of Jesus must be immersed in the Word of God consistently in order to learn His ways. But without the help of the Holy Spirit and our obedience to what God says, this task is of little benefit.
