TREASURES FROM GOD'S WORD: Week of January 29 to February 4, 2024, What does Job's experience teach us?, Prepared Speech.

TREASURES FROM GOD'S WORD: January 29-February 4-2024, What does Job's experience teach us?, Prepared Speech. 

What does Job's experience teach us? (10 min.)

The definition of art is the manifestation or expression of any creative and aesthetic activity that an artist transmits. Why do we mention this definition? We mention it because seeing a painting or sculpture using various techniques conveys the artist's experiences and expressions.

However, perhaps at some point you have seen a painting or any work of art, and you have not understood why they were made, or what this artist really wanted to convey? And by not understanding, we can think that this artist was wrong.

A well-known artist said that in order to understand the meaning of a work of art or discover what the artist really wanted to convey, we must admire it, instead of looking for some explanation of why it was made, since works of art They don't have to justify themselves, nor convince anyone. This expression is related to the topic that we are going to discuss today in our Treasures of the Bible section entitled: What does Job's experience teach us? 

As we very well know, Jehovah God is an artist at his finest, and we say this because he has done beautiful and wonderful things that we see in all his creative work, although sometimes we cannot understand them or fully comprehend them. And just as with the work of art mentioned in the initial example, it may seem that Jehovah made a mistake.

For this reason, many people have dared to criticize God's creation. For example, many health professionals have questioned the function of the appendix in the human body. Going back in time, many said that it was something useless that its function was not known and that it was unnecessary in the human body. Deliberately daring to criticize God for creating him.

Something similar happened to Job. After trying to complain, get a lot of attention, and want to prove that he was righteous, he got to the point of saying things that were not correct about God. However, he then understood and in what way? Let's please look at the book of Job, chapter 42 and verses 1 to 3. Job expressed himself like this...

LET'S READ JOB 1:3.

Then Job responded to Jehovah with these words: 2 “Now I know that you can do anything and that nothing you have in mind is impossible for you.a 3 You said: 'Who is this who is obscuring my purposes* without knowledge?' And it is true, I spoke without understanding of things too wonderful for me, things that I do not know.

Impressively, Job recognized that he had spoken all these things without understanding or, so to speak, he did not think carefully before speaking. Without realizing it he was speaking evil and criticizing Jehovah. And Jehovah wisely had to turn to his creation to make him understand how powerful and wise he is, so that he would know that he was dealing with an artist, with someone who knew how to do things and who did not need to explain anything at all, to carry carry out what he wants to do.

And what can we say about ourselves, something similar could happen to us today. Will we criticize the decisions that Jehovah sends us? Perhaps thinking that this is wrong, we could end up mocking certain decisions, pretending that Jehovah was wrong? Many years ago a well-known biblical scholar said: "Men tend to judge God based on the laws that they themselves have created, and they consider adequate and believe that these laws govern him as well as them."

What do these words mean? What they mean is that the human being wants God to adapt to the laws that the human being has created and to fit into them. Returning to the initial example, it is as if an ordinary person wanted to teach an artist what he has to do according to his opinion, thus insinuating that the artist is wrong and not him.

Let us remember that to understand a work of art we must not look for an explanation, but rather admire it. In this case, Jehovah is an artist without comparison, and we should admire what Jehovah does, since he does not have to justify himself for anything at all, nor does he have the obligation to convince anyone. 

The lesson we can learn from this example is that as Christians we should not criticize Jehovah's decisions through his organization, but on the contrary we should be very careful about what we have in our minds. For example, Job 42:5,6, Job said these words……..

LET'S READ JOB 42:5,6.

«With my ears I had heard about you, but now I see you with my own eyes. 6 Therefore I take back what I said and repent in dust and ashes.

Looking back a little, let us remember that a few weeks ago certain decisions were made at the level of the governing body that have been transmitted, either through the annual meeting, as well as in reports from the governing body.

From now on we no longer have to submit a report sheet as we did before. What has been our reaction to those decisions? Are we adapting to our new way of reporting our service? 

Also now, according to report 8, wearing a beard is a personal decision. What do we think about that decision? Are we criticizing our brothers who decide to grow beards? Unfortunately some have criticized these decisions. What's more, they have mocked the decisions of the Governing Body. If we criticize or mock, we will be like ordinary people who want to criticize or correct an experienced artist, and let us not forget that the artist is Jehovah.

In the report that was given, the brother of the governing body gave a fabulous explanation of why our preaching reports will be different. And there was also talk of not criticizing those who want to have a beard or those who have had it and want to keep it. And let's be clear that at no time is the governing body encouraging the use of beards for everyone. Simply that the decision of those who already have it is respected.

In the past the governing body of antiquity made the decision that circumcision was necessary. Could we imagine any servant of God mocking this decision? Something similar can happen if someone mocks the decision made by the governing body of some changes that have been made today.

For this reason it is good to do a self-examination, and if we see that we are criticizing the decisions of Jehovah and the organization, we can do like this faithful servant, take back what we said and we must repent in dust and ashes.

Dear brothers, let us remember that an artist has no obligation to justify himself, nor to convince anyone. When the artist's work is done we can only admire it, since when one has the right attitude he can admire the beauty, and in the case of Jehovah he rewards those who remain loyal during trials.

In the case of Job he repented for what he had said. He was able to recognize that the artist was Jehovah, that he knew things how they should be done. And the humility that Job demonstrated was rewarded and we can see the reward in the book of Job, chapter 42, verses 10 to 12. If he found it, please accompany me with the reading, it says like this………. 

LET'S READ JOB 42:10-12.

After Job prayed for his friends, Jehovah ended Job's suffering and restored his lost prosperity.* Jehovah gave him double what he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters, as well as all his former friends, visited Job and ate with him in his house. They took pity on him and consoled him for all the misfortunes that Jehovah had allowed to befall him. Each one gave him a sum of money and a gold ring.

12 So Jehovah blessed the end of Job's life more than his beginning. Job had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 2,000 cows and 1,000 donkeys.

Jehovah blessed this loyal man, as illustrated here in our activity guide, his wife and Job were blessed with twice as many children as he had, and when they are resurrected, they will have 20 in total. Even in that situation they will receive twice as much from God. What a wonderful reward for someone who was humble and recognized that he is not the artist, nor is he the one who sets the rules, but it is Jehovah the Almighty.

In summary: What can we learn from Job's example? We learn that we want to admire what Jehovah has done. The truth is that it is easier to demand explanations, but if we imitate Job's example we will be Humble. We will not criticize or demand explanations, but we will admire his work of art, or so to speak we will fully trust what he does.

Jehovah does not have to justify anything to us, nor convince us, and the reason is because the beneficiaries are ourselves by admiring the beauty of the organization that Jehovah has today, and very soon at a universal level we will also be able to be part of it and praise Jehovah forever.