Words Without Knowledge

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Scripture:

Job 38:1-2

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Observation:

Trying to give a reason for Job’s circumstances, his friends had provided every explanation imaginable to the human mind. Now, it was time for God’s response and reality is brought into focus. The friends were bringing counsel to Job, but they did not have knowledge. There was far too much that they did not understand. 

Following this question God reminds Job that God alone has power over creation, and this knowledge is far beyond Job’s understanding. Therefore, the words of Job’s friends are hollow with misunderstanding. They do not know God, and should not presume to speak for God, for their counsel becomes words without knowledge. 

Application:

If our first instinct is not to run to the Lord in difficult circumstances, we may be allowing ourselves to be counseled by words without knowledge. There are plenty of people who are willing to give us advice for all kinds of situations. I’m amazed at the number of blogs which pop up daily, providing us with the list of top items on a topic. I rarely see any evidence of research to back up their claims of the “top” numbers on the list, and yet, people share them with great confidence. I’m afraid we are living in a world that has embraced the idea of having a counsel of words, but leaving knowledge far behind. 

This lack of knowledge will leave us abandoned to the advice of our friends. If Job had only listened to his friends, he probably would have killed himself. Words without knowledge put us at the center of the story and turn us into the savior. All of that becomes far too depressing. Enter the God of all creation who welcomes us into the presence of the Triune God. With faith as little children, we are to rest upon God’s promises and God’s understanding. All of this is far beyond our human comprehension. 

God’s knowledge of our circumstances is full and complete, while ours is only partial. Dependence upon counsel without knowledge will be discouraging. Learn to trust in the Lord, draw near to Jesus daily and allow the God of all creation to be our counsel and guide. 

Prayer:


Lord, may I trust in your counsel this day. Amen. 

Comments

  1. ThulaOctober 19, 2018 at 6:31 AM

    Indeed we hear too many words without knowledge. May God help us to be more discerning. Thanks for sharing the post.

    ReplyDelete

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