Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar:
Job 42:4: “Listen now and I will speak, I will ask you and you will teach me.”
Gilda Radner in her book “It’s Always Something” told this story. No it is not a Talmud story but she was Jewish. Anyways, she told of a family that lived down the block from where she grew up that had a dog that was pregnant. A few weeks before the dog was to give birth to her puppies, she was struck by a car. The family rushed her to a vet who examined her and said: “Well, the puppies are ok, but I am afraid that the hind legs of your dog are paralyzed and she will never walk normally again. I can put her to sleep or try to save her life.” The family said to save her life. After the vet did what he could the family took the dog home. You know what? In just a few days this dog learned to walk all over again. With her front paws she would pull herself forward and then swing her rear body up. She would take two more steps and swing her rear body up. With this step, swing motion she was able to get around.
Well, after a few weeks, she gave birth to her puppies, four normal, healthy puppies. She cared for them, nursed them, weaned them and when these puppies learned to walk, they all walked – just like her.
This verse starts off with “Listen now…” The word used is “shama.” This is in an imperative form. The word has a large range of meanings. One usage is to declare oneself to be in submission or obedience. In this context he is sort of saying: “Uncle” or “I give up, I surrender.” Then he says something rather unexpected, “I will speak.” The word is “davar” which is in a Piel form. He will not only speak, but he will speak very decidedly, firmly. Davar has a broad range of usages. Ultimately, it has the idea of making a connection. So one rendering could be: “Ok Lord, I give up, I’m going to connect with you and you alone. “I will ask you…” The word “ask” is “sh’al” which has the idea of consulting, or inquiring.
He then says: “And you will instruct me.” The word for instruct is “yada’” It is in a Hiphil imperative form. It is strange Job uses the word “yada” here in this particular form. Yada is an intimate knowing, a relationship type of knowing. Yet, when you consider what he has been through, maybe not so strange after all. He was suffering and in pain. Everyone was giving him all sorts of advice and telling him all sorts of good stuff. But it was not doing any good. There are times when the good intentions and good words are not enough, you need the direct Word of God. This is what Job was saying. “I have heard all the advice of man, but now God, I am going to get my instruction straight from You.”
When I was teaching I once had a class of about 30 students. At the beginning of one particular class I threw out a question, or moral issue. I opened the class up for discussion. Everyone had some sort of answer, advice, counsel and not one student said: “I don’t know.” I recognized the responses from many of the students to be word for word from some well known teacher or preacher. Some gave “Christian sound bits,” pat answers, and some just plain logic. At the end of forty minutes of discussion I said: “This is a Bible College, you are all future pastors, missionaries, Bible teachers. For forty minutes you discussed a question about man’s relationship to God. Everyone had good answers. You shared phrases like; “I think…” or “In my opinion.” Some were humble enough to say: “I could be wrong, but…” Yet, in forty minutes of discussion not one of you said: “Well, the Bible says…”
You can teach or disciple someone in the way of God or you can teach or disciple someone in the way that works for you. If you teach them in your way, they will walk just like you, limp and all.
Recent Comments