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The Bible Breakdown
Job 12: Job is Dr. Dolittle
Can human wisdom ever measure up to divine wisdom? In this episode, we explore Job chapter 12 through Job's fascinating and sometimes humorous lens, likening him to a biblical Dr. Doolittle as he draws wisdom from the animal kingdom and nature. Amid his suffering and exasperation with his friends’ unhelpful advice, Job steadfastly holds onto his integrity, teaching us about the limits of human understanding compared to God's infinite wisdom. We'll discuss the profound lessons in trusting God's wisdom during our trials and the crucial role of compassionate support for those in distress.
Next, we reflect on the instinctive faith animals have in the natural order, drawing parallels to our relationship with God. Inspired by Job 1:21, we explore the significance of trusting God during both the highs and lows of life. By cultivating a childlike faith, we can find solace and peace, knowing He has a plan for us, even in times of suffering. Join us as we deepen our understanding of placing unwavering trust in God's control over our lives. Don't miss tomorrow's episode, where we'll continue our journey with Job, focusing on chapter 13.
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The More You Dig. The More You Find.
Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today, job, chapter 12. And today's title is just Job is Dr Doolittle. Job is Dr Doolittle. He goes through this long explanation about how you can look at animals and you can see, and he's using them as an example to talk about God and our place in His creation. But he goes a little overboard, which is what you tend to do when you're really struggling. You tend to do things to an extreme right and he sounds like he's trying to talk to animals. So we're going to get into all that in just a moment. But, as always, if you like what we're doing here, make sure you like, share and subscribe to the YouTube channel and to the podcast and make sure you are going to the Bible breakdown discussion on Facebook, because, man, the more we dig, the more we find. Also, as I've been telling you recently, if you would like for us to text message these chapters to you every morning, you can text RLC Bible to 94,000. And what we will do is is we send it every single morning with the chapter of the day, a link to the podcast and a link to the YouTube channel. That way you can have access to all of it, and we are slowly but surely creating a website called thebiblebreakdowncom where we can have all of this on one central location, and the ultimate goal is to have a website where every chapter like today, job, chapter 12, which, by the way, open up your Bibles we're about to start reading, but when you go to that page, it will have the link to the podcast, the link to YouTube channel, and then the devotions and things that we're writing for it and commentaries, and so it's a long journey. It's going to take a long time to get there, but then, once it's done, just a one-stop shop for breaking down the Bible into pieces that we can understand. So make sure you go there and check out what we're doing at thebiblebreakdowncom.
Speaker 1:Well, job would be one of those that, to be honest with you, I really am enjoying us reading this together, because the overall idea of Job is trusting God's wisdom and suffering, and that's one of the things. I think that, unfortunately, job gets a little bit of a bad rap, and that is because you know Job is full of just the sad things happening, and there's that. Remember that Hebrew poetry has now been translated into modern English, and so a lot of the poetry aspects is kind of lost on us a little bit, and so it comes off as I have no idea what's going on. But if you really read it, and you read it slowly, I think we can see ourselves a lot in the journey that Job is taking. You know where he's going through something that he doesn't understand. He doesn't realize that it's part of a bigger plan that he doesn't get yet. And then other people gather around him and even though they're trying to help, unfortunately they're doing more harm than good. So there's so much we can learn from this. We can learn how to struggle well, we can learn how to be a good friend and we can learn how to trust God's wisdom even when we're suffering. And it also helps us to understand we're not the only one to act a little crazy Because, as we've also seen Job, he's just mad.
Speaker 1:He's mad at God, he's mad at his friends, he's all this, but the Bible talks about how he got. He had all these emotions, yet he didn't sin. It reminds us it's okay to get angry. It's not okay to do bad things with your anger. Well, today, as he is going to continue to speak and to answer his friends. He's going to continue to move along that idea. So we're going to read this and I'm curious if you've ever kind of felt this way as well. We'll finish up and talking about it together. But if you're ready, job 12, verse 1 says this, and talking about it together. But if you're ready, job chapter 12, verse 1 says this Then Job spoke again.
Speaker 1:You people really know everything, don't you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you. Well, I know a few things myself, and you're no better than I am. Who doesn't know these things that you've been saying? Yet my friends laugh at me, for I call on God and expect an answer. I am just and blameless. I am a just and blameless man, yet they laugh at me. People who are at ease and mock those in trouble. They give a push to people who are stumbling, but robbers are left in peace and those who provoke God live in safety, though God keeps them in his power.
Speaker 1:Just ask the animals. Here's the Dr Doolittle part. Just ask the animals and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky and they will teach you. Speak to the earth and it will instruct you. Let the fish of the sea speak to you, for they all know that my disaster has come from the hand of the Lord, for the life of every living thing is in his hand and the breath of every human being. The ear tests the words it hears, just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.
Speaker 1:Wisdom belongs to the aged and understanding to the old, but true wisdom and power are found in God. Counsel and understanding are his. What he destroys cannot be rebuilt, but when he puts someone in prison, there is no escape. If he holds back the rain, the earth becomes a desert. If he releases the waters, they flood the earth. Yes, strength and wisdom are his Deceivers, and deceived are both in his power. He leads counselors away, stripped of good judgment. Wise judges become fools. He removes the royal robes of kings and they are led away with robes around their waist. He leads priests away, stripped of status, and he overthrows those with long years in power. He silences the trusted advisor and removes the insight of the elders. He pours disgrace upon princes and disarms the strong. He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness and he brings light to the deepest gloom. He builds up nations and destroys them. He expands nations and abandons them. He strips kings of understanding and leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland. They grope in the darkness without a light and he makes them stagger like drunkards.
Speaker 1:So what Job is saying is is that God is in charge of everything. And he said just ask the animals. They live in God's world, just like the rest of us. And he's saying that when something is built up and looks really good, god's let it happen. When something is destroyed and it sees its end, god is not unaware of what's going on. And so what Job is really trying to say is he's like look, friends, I know you think I don't know anything, but I know a few things, and I know that God is in charge at all times. And so what does that have to do with us?
Speaker 1:It's okay to know that God's in charge but yet not be real happy about what he's doing. It's okay, just like when you were a kid, or if you're watching this and you are a kid, you definitely identify with this. Mom and dad set down rules and let's act as though they're good rules. We're not going to go into the. If they're not good rules, let's say they're good rules. Well, as you're a kid, you know the answer is simply just obey. Obey, because I said so, but then as you get to be older and you get to be a teenager, you start to ask the question why? Why do I have to obey this rule? Why is this rule important? And what you find out from your parents or whoever's in charge is that there's good reasons why these are there and you still have to obey them. But it's also okay to ask if you're asking with a heart of understanding, but then you still obey.
Speaker 1:And what I think is is that when we first become Christ followers, there's this season of okay, I'm just going to obey God because God said so. But then, as we continue to grow in our relationship with God, there'd come times when we go through difficult things where we say you know what, god, I'm going to obey you, but can I know why? I don't think that offends God when we ask with a heart of understanding. And there are times when God will open up our minds to see what he's doing. And we have that understanding. Sometimes we don't. It would be like the idea of it's not because God doesn't want to tell us, but it would be because maybe we wouldn't understand. It'd be like trying to teach calculus to an ant. You know what I mean it's like there's so many barriers there before there can be shared understanding that we can't even get there. So it's almost like God would say to us I mean, I would tell you, but you wouldn't get it. And so that's where Job is saying.
Speaker 1:I have realized that when good things happen, god's in charge. When bad things happen, god's still in charge, and he is doing more than I can understand. And so when bad things happen, I'm going to choose to trust him anyway. And so I want to encourage you. Today, the same God who sent his son Jesus, stepped out of eternity, stepped off the throne of the universe, stepped into time, born into humanity, born of a virgin, fully God, fully human at the same time, grew up and for 33 years walked among creation.
Speaker 1:The book of Hebrews says he was tested at every point, yet without sin. He loved us that much that he submitted himself to temptation, yet, without sin, died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin that we couldn't pay. Rose again offers us salvation. That God, that God who's given us everything, is in charge. Therefore, when something bad happens, he's not against you. If something is happening that you wouldn't want, remember the person who is the most important, the one who you would want to be in charge the most actually is. Therefore, if something bad is happening, it's the only way it could be.
Speaker 1:God is actually doing more than you realize, and that's easy to say when we don't have trouble, but when we have trouble, when the worst is happening, we go. Well, god, I do trust you, but have I missed you? Is it my fault? Have I brought this on myself? And that's where you see Job kind of constantly coming back to God's obviously in charge, and so I must have done something. And there are times when we bring bad seasons onto ourself, but not always. And even in the bad season, god is in control. So we trust him. We trust him.
Speaker 1:What would it look like if we trusted God the way the animals just trusted the natural order of things? You'll never see an animal complaining about where they are in life. They're just taking the next step. What would it look like in our life if we said God, I'm going to trust you when it's sunshining, and you know what. I'm going to trust you when it's raining, and I'm just going to trust that you've got a plan. That's hard to do, but there's joy there and there's peace, because the one that you want in control is in control. Therefore, he has good for you, even in the difficulty.
Speaker 1:Let's pray together. God, thank you so much for today. Thank you that you are with us more than we can ever imagine. God, thank you that you are the same God and in control, in the sunshine and in the rain. Help us to learn to trust you more, maybe to have that simple, childlike faith, the faith that just says God, I trust you. Either way, I trust that my heavenly father has got this, even in my suffering. In Jesus name, we pray Amen, amen. Well, god's word says in Job 1, verse 21,. I came naked from my mother's womb and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord. Job is saying everything I have belongs to him. I trust him. Either way, what a great place to live. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Job, chapter 13.
