VANCOUVER, Canada - In real life, unreasonable and unexplainable things happen to Christians as well as non-Christians, and sometimes believers may experience more struggles than non-believers, because of our desire to use faith to explain why these things are happening to us.
In a situation of suffering, the Book of Job in the Bible can best give us the answers and inspirations. In the afternoon of Easter Sunday on April 4, Dr. Leung Ka-lun, president of Alliance Bible Seminary, explicated on the subject title “God did not Give up, Neither did Job” at the Vancouver Chinese Mennonite Brethren Church in Canada.
Job was a righteous man, feared God, and avoided all evils, but God allowed disaster to fall upon him. What’s even more painful to Job was that not only did he not receive understanding and comfort from his three friends, but they’ve persistently criticized and pointed finger at him. They were certain that Job is suffering because of his sin, but Job argued for his innocence.
Faith cannot reasonably explain every matter
Dr. Leung pointed out three points: first, we can learn from the Book of Job that in unreasonable times believers should accept these irrational factors and that faith cannot reasonably explain every matter; just as how Job’s experience was very unreasonable and we cannot use faith to reasonably explain.
When disaster fell upon Job, God kept silent until Job 38-41 when He spoke. Within the few chapters, God asked Job over 60 questions that touched upon the unfathomable secrets of the universe. He wanted Job to understand that in reality of a person’s life there are many things that we cannot explain nor understand, but God doesn’t owe us any reasons. Leung encouraged the believers to have faith like that of the ancestor of faith Abraham, who hoped through faith even when it is hopeless.
Be true to yourself
Second, we can learn from Job on how he kept true to himself. Job’s friends sounded very reasonable, righteous and spiritual, and Elihu’s comments were even stated rightly; Job’s defense was poor and he wasn’t able to give any evidence to justify his innocence. However, Job didn’t conceal his conscience and honestly faced God and himself, believing in the existing of the living God, and said, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as Gold.” (Job 23:10)
Trust in God
Lastly, we saw Job’s trust in God in how he believes that in the end God will take away the charges for him. Dr. Leung said that our faith often lies in the state of doubts, many reasons that hinders us from believing, such as in a predicament and disaster, but faith calls us to surpass the reality and to believe that the faithful Lord will lead us through like Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth; And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart years within me!” (Job 19:25-27)
