God Responds With Life

I was perplexed, as to how to summarize this lesson. I prayed and asked God, for his guidance on how I should approach this. The focus isn't the transformation from the old to the new testament. I read it several times , gaining a new perspective each time I read it again. It finally came to me on a Friday evening, while I was in worship. Job is thought by some to be, the first book of the bible. It is presumed to have been written around 1500 B.C., by an unknown Israelite. Others believe the bible began with Moses and the Pentateuch, in the first five books of the bible. Which was written between 1446 B.C. and 1406 B.C. For Christians time is measured before and after the life of Jesus Christ. The bible was written in a time span of 1500 years. Then the lesson goes to the book of Mark, and his holy spirit inspired revelation. He talks about the persecution of Jesus Christ, and his resurrection. Being that this lesson is for Easter Sunday, it would seem it would be more about the resurrection of Jesus. Then it came to me it should be more about the grace of God. Job suffered more than most of us can imagine, to prove his devotion to God. Jesus Christ died for us, to give us the same opportunity. In the most dire of situations. God responds with life.

Job 38
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?
3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.

16 "Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death ?

The lord speaks to Job, about his present situation. The Lord responds to Jobs question, with a question. He was asked things, he couldn't possibly answer. How can you question things, without considering where they came from? Who would know better than the creator himself? These verses explore the depth of Gods knowledge. Nothing is new to God, being that he created all. No one has died and ever lived to tell about it. We don't know what happens once you die.


Job 42
1Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
2I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

5I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

Job acknowledges the fact that God is over everything. Nothing can be hidden from God, he knows all. In the scripture God always presents himself in the form of the earths elements. We've witnessed Gods power in the form of water and wind. Think about hurricane Andrew Katrina, and the tsunami. They don't have a face, but we know their power. All controlled by our father God. Even until this day, no one has ever seen his face. He came to Job in the form of a whirlwind. Making Job know beyond a doubt, where this word was coming from. Nothing takes the place of God himself, intervening in our lives.

Mark 16
1And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.


9Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
10And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
12After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
13And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
14Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

We then jump ahead in scripture, to the new testament. In the old testament, notice how Job never referred to Jesus. He made his appeals directly to God. Unlike we as Christians, have to do today. We have Jesus Christ to speak on our behalf. Most of us would have given up, long before the point where God made his presence known. Here Mary and Mary Magdalene set out to anoint the body of Jesus. They were wondering who would open the grave. When they got there much to their surprise the sepulchure was open, and Jesus was gone. Instead they encountered an angel. Who told them to go and tell the disciples and Peter, what they had saw. Tell them to look to see him in Galilee, as they have been told.

The disciples have scattered by know. In fear of their own lives. Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene. The one he removed seven demons from. She went again and told the disciples what she had seen. They still didn't believe her. Then Jesus showed up before the two disciples, as they walked in the country. They came back and told the others. The others still didn't believe, he had risen. After seeing all the miracles Jesus had performed, and being in his company.Why were even the disciples so hard to convince? Could it be because we are suspicious by nature? There again goes that Adamic nature of man. Since Adam and Eve, we can't get past that. It's inherent in our behavior. Verse 7 in my mind, has particular significance. It singles out the disciple Peter. I'm sure he was feeling unsure of himself by now. Having denied Jesus three times. The call was to let Peter know just like us. If we've fallen we can get up. Just like he did for Job when it seemed all hope was lost. Like he did by sending his son Jesus, to die for our sins. God responds with life.