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NASB | John 9:1 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 9:1 While He was passing by, He noticed a man [who had been] blind from birth. |
Bible Question:
I'm having a very hard time understanding John9:1-12 and Job1-2 I need some help.... According to Exodus did the disciples think they had a good reason to ask about the sin of the blind parents? The man was blind at birth due to the sins of his parents? In Job1-2 is personal suffering of Christians always traceable to sin. also was Job suffering for the glory of God and for his strength of his soul. So hard to understand. Job took his punshiment and NEVER said anything bad about God. He was a strong person. |
Bible Answer: Hi, sweet; I'd like to just address Job. The reasons for Job's suffering are clearly laid out in Job 1-2. God pronounced Job righteous: "There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." (Job 1:8) This seems very much like the righteousness of Abraham: "Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness." (Gen 15:6) Like Abraham, Job was obedient and faithful and God pronounced him righteous. This was despite the fact that both men were stained by original sin and unable to live a perfect, righteous life. In chapter 1, Satan responded by asserting that Job was faithful only because of his worldly wealth. In chapter 2, Satan claimed that it was because Job himself was healthy. So God let Satan do whatever he wanted to Job, short of killing him. We can see that Jobs trials were not the result of his own sin. One thing that is instructive to Christians is the reaction of Job's friends and God's response to them. They assumed that Job was suffering because God was punishing him for his sins. Their arguments were very logical, just wrong (a lesson worth noting). At the end, God told Job's friends that they were wrong to accuse Job and told them to have Job offer a sacrifice for them - what a delicious irony! Christians can never assume that this problem or that pain - our or someone else's - is punishment for sin. Further, we should not obsess on finding a reason. Job found peace and restoration only when he turned away from his troubles and stopped demanding to know why they happened. His healing began after a stern lecture from God when Job confessed: "You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." (Job 42:3) Having humbled imself, Job was finally ready to be healed. - healed, that is, by God's definition. Although his wealth was restored, Job's ten children were not. By that time, however, I think Job was ready to gratefully accept anything that God chose to provide - a very healthy attitude. Hope this is useful. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |