In Job 6 - 7, Job replies. There is real pain
in Job’s words. He speaks of his “grief” and “misery” (Job 6:2). There
is a real longing for God to answer his prayer. Sadly, his prayer has
become a cry of despair: “that God would finally be willing to crush me,
that He would reach out to cut me off” (Job 6:9). Even though he is in
great distress, Job retains sufficient clarity of thought to know that
his so-called ‘friends’ have got it wrong - “Please change your mind ...
Change your mind because I am still right about this! ...or is my mouth
unable to tell the difference between right and wrong?” (Job 6:29-30).
There is sadness here - “As a cloud fades away and disappears, so a
person goes into the grave and doesn’t come back again” (Job 7:9). Job
hasn’t broken through this sense of hopelessness to the triumphant
faith, expressed in his confession of confidence in God: “I know that my
Redeemer lives ...” (Job 19:25-26), a tremendous declaration of
Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection in Him. It’s so wonderful
that in a book, filled with so much suffering, there is this marvellous
glimpse of an eternal glory, in which all suffering will be banished
forever.
“At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem”, the keynote of the service was joyful thanksgiving. They gathered together “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving” (Nehemiah 12:27). “On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy” (Nehemiah 12:43). They sang “songs of praise and thanksgiving to God” (Nehemiah 12:46). This joyful thanksgiving is only a foretaste of the greater joy and thanksgiving of heaven: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). In the city of God, “the glory of God” will be shining with everlasting brightness (Revelation 21:23). The Church of God will be “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). The beautiful picture of the godly wife in Proverbs 31 gives us an outline of what God is seeking to do in His people. It is summarized in Proverbs 31:30: “A woman who fears the Lord is to be
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