Don’t Ask
“Indeed, you do away with reverence and hinder meditation before God.” Job 15:4 NASB
Reverence – Eliphaz (whose name means “God of gold”) offers some silver-tongued advice to Job. In a word, “Stop!” “Stop asking questions!” “Stop presuming your should know any of this!” “Stop showing disrespect to God!” In other words, “Shut up and remember your place!” According to Eliphaz, to ask anything of God is presumptive, especially when it might be considered a complaint. We human beings are far too insignificant, far too menial, to raise any questions about the actions of the Holy God. To do so is to show utter disregard for proper reverence and piety. In fact, the Hebrew text suggests that questioning God in any way is a demonstration of lack of proper yare (fear).
Perhaps you’ve encountered an Eliphaz in your life. Or perhaps you’ve just encountered the spirit of Eliphaz in the cultural assumptions that pervade religious circles. You know what I’m talking about. The idea that you aren’t suppose to question the voice of authority in the community. The idea that if someone speaks on God’s behalf, their words must be true. The idea that people like you and me, ordinary pedestrians on the walkway toward the Day, are expected to keep our noses down, our hands folded and our voices silent in the presence of the divine. Don’t be like Job, showing impertinence. Accept your place and your fate.
But it grinds, doesn’t it? It grinds to think that you can’t ask about God’s actions in your life. It grinds to think that you’re supposed to grin and bear it. We want to shout, “No! I want to be respectful, Lord, but some things just don’t make any sense to me, and if You really care about me, then let me ask.” Would a Father chastise His children for politely asking about His motives? Would He scold them and force them into submission just because He could? That doesn’t sound like a god I would want to follow. It doesn’t mean I will get all the answers, but at least I would be able to raise the questions. And if this is true of the God who loves me, then it must also be true of the ones who act on His behalf. I must be encouraged to ask. I must be allowed to question. I must be given permission to raise my hand and say, “Yes, but I don’t think that makes any sense.” No offense taken. Just routine in the dialogue of love.
Eliphaz raises an issue about reverence. What does it mean to revere God? Does it mean silent submission? Suppressed discontent? Fear of revealing inner turmoil? If you find Eliphaz’s answer unsatisfying, then you will have to deal with your own form of reverence before the King of kings, the Holy One of Israel. You will nave to find that narrow way that acknowledges we are dust and still gives voice to our sense of worth. Sometimes what we most wish to say are words that we feel cannot be said, but maybe that’s because an Eliphaz has muted us instead of the Spirit.
Topical Index: Eliphaz, reverence, fear, yare, Job 15:4
Yah! That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout! ; )
I remember some friends of mine, when we were just out of college in the 70’s, had a bumper sticker that said, “Question Authority”. Well, I was brought up to NOT question authority. So, even though I was somewhat rebellious growing up, I still found myself deeply ingrained and influenced with such social mores NOT to be questioned, that I couldn’t make up my mind what to think about this bumper sticker “wisdom” and I was inclined to think that my friends were on a path of destruction. Now, though not as rebellious as I once was, at least not in the same ways, I have come to realize that if I want to be obedient to YHVH, I MUST “Question Authority”, at least man’s authority!
But what of questioning YHVH? How can I do that and be righteous? Maybe these are some helpful guidelines when questioning HIS authority:
Don’t doubt that, no matter what, He is righteous in all His ways.
Assume His ways and thoughts are higher than mine and they make sense to Him even if I don’t understand them.
Be willing to obey Him even though I don’t get the “whys”.
Don’t take offense at Him and charge Him with some wrongdoing.
Accept that He doesn’t have to explain Himself to me, if He doesn’t want to, or that I’m still just too inferior to understand.
Even if disagreeing and contending with Him, have the attitude of acceptance that He gets the last word.
Know that righteousness, shalom and joy in the Ruach HaKodesh doesn’t require knowledge as much as it requires trust.
Remember, I’m not God, and I never will be.
Right on, brother!
I think we agree to follow manmade authority because we fall for the temptation to duck responsibility in some way. Think about it; a slave has NO responsibility.
The correct way I have found to “question authority” (no, its not anarchy!) is to try to figure out how to take back responsibility in that place. Even when I question God’s authority, this is the way I have found to do it that He approves of. Most times, with Him, I conclude that I really don’t want to take responsibility in that place, and leave it with Him, but the net effect of that questioning is an appreciation for His part of the yoke. Good exercise. It always leaves me a little more reverent (humble) and a little less likely to fall for the temptation that I can somehow ‘handle’ whatever-it-is next time. Halleluah!
There are second hand encounters with God, and then there are the first hand ones. No one in my life has ever been able to serve me, share with me, teach me, or in any way manage to connect me with a first hand encounter with Him. I went to church and ‘learned’ (by example) to imagine, or, make up, reverence. I copied what I thought was reverence, and then strove with all my might to ‘meet’ that standard. Second hand encounters.
The first what I would call a true religious experience (first hand encounter) was when I skipped church and climbed a mountain and felt I was on my own; outside of all the prompts and parameters, including my own. I had the very first inkling of curiosity of Who He really was. Yes, Skip, I had to ASK.
To me now, reverence is always found at the end of all of me or my resources; through the looking glass of the reflection of me. I have to wade through all my junk to get to the place of His purity. No shortcuts. I can’t duck my profane life, I have to deal with it. I think, Bro Brett and Maddie, that the other side of the coin of “If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all” is that I have to bring ALL to the altar, like the widow and her 2 mites, before I can have that audience with the King, otherwise I am going to be like the rich man, and go away again without that encounter. If He is going to be Lord of all, I have to bring it all, and that includes all that I DON’T know, all that I fear, all of my pretensions I invented for the places He was not already in, too. In fact, I have to upgrade every time, for last time I was so far off, I can’t even reference that as a ‘true’ encounter, for I was able to bring so little, He had to do it all, practically speaking.
Perhaps this time I will remember where the edge of me and the beginning of reality is a little faster and a little better. That admission of what really is always humiliates me into the dust, for pride is what I am running on in all those other places where He is not Lord. Humility is what is required before I am able to revere. Humility, generated by an accurate sense of my ridiculousness, is what true reverence is, but I have to have waded through all my ridiculousness (and don’t-knows, too) to get there. No #slaininthespirit shortcuts for me!
Of course – how else Laurita as always you just very eloquently expressed my heart again. I look forward to once be on one of those mountains with you. Skip out on everything and just be in His presence.
Again I say amen and amen
Dear Maddie,
I am certainly looking forward to that!
Remember. Later on God castigates Eliphaz for exactly this.
The Word of God reminds us: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” It is when we put God in His place and put ourselves in our proper place (on our knees, btw.) THEN everything is “made new” – the “aha” moment takes place, and chaos and calamity are “replaced” with calm and confidence. And btw, (interestingly) “Love” begins with “respect.” It is impossible to love anyone without respecting (this is fear?) them first.
First and foremost (remember?) “You shall love the LORD thy God with “all” your heart-soul-mind-and strength.” And again (interestingly enough) – “perfect (or mature) love casts out fear!” In other words: there is no need to fear “Someone” who loves us perfectly!!
To write the love of God above
Would drain the oceans dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky.
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song!
Let us hear (and heed!) the words of John: ~ Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. [And] This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.… (1 John 4.7-9)
From dust, no doubt, yet fully beloved and intimately
desired by our Maker. Yeshua said:
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will
love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
Home.
A good place to learn. A good place to ask. A good place to rest.
(And guess Who’s already coming to dinner!?)
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord. ( Isaiah 1:18) Come we are called to discuss and consider together the meaning of it all. The right actions in the midst of this broken dysfunctional world. Yes Yahweh has put authorities over us for- “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”( Romans 13:1-7). But yes these leaders too are human, conflicted. We therefore have reactions, resistances and feelings, some times very deep, about them and what we might be required to do. Then we come (or are driven by our distress ) to Abba, and we reason with him, together we go, not alone, we go together into the mystery of Godliness; becoming salt and light in broken and dysfunctional world…