It has been undoubtedly difficult for us to understand what really goes on when a child of God is being tried or tempted.  We have seen that behind all of the seductive invitations that confront us, the pressures to lose our faith, to lose our tempers, to act contrary to the word of God, because of adverse circumstances, ignorant people, the words and actions of the misguided and other such circumstances, that God is behind everything that happens to us. God however warns that when a person falls into sin, they are responsible for the sins committed. 

We have learnt that what is really happening, is that the well-trained, powerful team of the Devil and his angels are focusing their attack on us and that we should understand, that in all of life we are and must act as the representatives of God. 

We have learned that we are not at a picnic, but involved in the deadly matter of spiritual warfare. God has called us and because of this we are fighting a long-lasting battle against the ‘powers of darkness’.

As a result we should not ourselves plan our life, set our goals and ambitions like the people of the world do, for we are different. 

We have learnt that Job, a powerful man of God, highly respected and honored, sincere, moral and one who obeyed God and was doing what he knew was right, a great help to the poor, acted in full recognition that the awesome God, who should not be trifled with and who should be feared, was watching.  He was undoubtedly a man of faith exercising his faith. 

It would seem to us that such a man as this man needed no improvement, for God thought very highly of him, describing him in the best possible language. But God now acted to take Job to greater maturity, even further to “great faith”, the kind that is revealed only when it is most difficult to serve God, when it is extremely hard to do so, but it can nevertheless be done. 

This is the kind of faith that Jesus showed us is necessary, for when he was about to face the Cross, the hour of anguish and pain, He demonstrated what “great faith” was by saying: “not my will but your will be done”.  There was anguish and trembling, but a steady clinging to God. 

Job found when he was in tribulation, that he had secretly loved status and prestige and he longed for the days when he had the high position, recognition in the community and was accorded great respect.   

When he lost this he became angry and upset, feeling that God denied him what was right.  Of course, Job's feelings are quite understandable to us and seem perfectly acceptable and normal and certainly not something that God should think was wrong. 

But in his undoubtedly terrible situation of torment, pain, misunderstanding, unjust treatment, false and harsh accusations from his close friends and destructive encouragement from his own wife, Job started to stray. 

He started to try to vindicate and justify himself, doing it in such a way that made God look less than he was. 

Lest we blame Job too much for his human weaknesses, for which Job later agreed really is no excuse anyway, let us remember that Job was suffering as a child of God, in a way that allowed God to show the angels and the world that Satan is a liar, a deceiver, a slanderer and a cheater. 

Satan was telling the universe that men saw no basic or intrinsic value in God himself, so solely because of self- interest men serve God, only because God blesses them and if he takes away the blessing God would be cursed. 

That of course is a horrible, wicked, deadly and blatant lie from the depth of hell. 

Believers know without a doubt, that it is a high, holy and glorious privilege to bring glory to God, despite the machinations and accusations of the devil. 

Sometimes we deserve suffering for the times we do foolishness, when we sin and do what we should not do. Suffering is really a call to repent, to do a one hundred and eighty degree turn, behave and wake-up. 

Sometimes however we are clearly granted the high privilege of suffering for God. 

Remember Jesus humbled himself, came to earth as a man, was offered to demonstrate to all men that God was still God, would always be on the throne as God forever and was worthy of service no matter what happened. 

So we are told in Hebrews 12:2 Jesus:

“ who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Jesus suffered greatly at Calvary to save us and to show the glory and righteousness and love of God.

We know that God is not cold, distant, uncaring, ruthless, vindictive, demanding, without compassion or impersonal. 

He is loving, caring, kind, concerned about us, controlling everything that touches us or comes near to us; patient, forgiving, limiting the power of Satan, teaching us that he is ultimately responsible for everything that happens to us. 

So Jesus suffered for us. It pleased the Father to bruise him, His beloved Son, on our behalf.  Then He highly exalted Him. 

Job then came here to teach us that we should be happy to do as the Apostle Paul says in Colossians 1:24 he did:

“ sharing the sufferings of Christ, and filling up that which is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, for his body's sake, which is the church.” 

Job was told early in the history of the world, that there is tremendous glory in bearing suffering for the sake of God.  

In today's lesson, God will show Job that the suffering which he Job did not understand, played a part in God's controlling the terrible powers of evil, to show them up for what they really were, to show all beings and make them understand that they can never step out of the bounds that he has set for them. 

This Knowledge is of critical importance to mankind. 

Clearly, though God gives us good times because of his love and his grace; we are not here to have a good time, to enjoy ourselves, to accumulate all the toys and the creature comforts and retire happily into the sunset. 

In our previous lesson we were shown a young man named Elihu, who with sensitivity showed the revelation of God which stopped Job from sliding too far into error. 

Before this man started talking, the conversation between Job and his misguided friends had swung between worldly explanations for Job's sufferings, for these explanations came from the experiences of his friends and Job's self-pity and his self- absorption with his good record, which had only been met with deafening silence by God. 

The speech of Elihu was based on revelation and forms a turning point in this book. It answered Job's feelings of depression and his misguided interpretation of the feebleness and helplessness of man, who according to Job, lived in the eye of an overbearing God. 

Elihu attacked the narrow and limited view of God, which amounted to saying that God acted without good reason and without justification.  

He strongly defended God's integrity and justice.  He refuted Job’s accusations that God was dealing with him unjustly and that he did not deserve his fate. He told Job that God will not do wickedly and that it was absurd to think that God would pervert justice. God was Almighty and would always bless the righteous in due time and judge the wicked. 

Elihu steered Job to contemplate the wondrous works of God, advising him to be always reverent.  He pointed to how God used his power in creation, that man could not do what God did or explain them. 

He held up a picture of God as a majestic and omnipotent Creator, who was infinite, who could do no wrong, who was always righteous and glorious, in total control, who commanded everything and whose ways man could never understand. 

From this point everything turned around dramatically. Job was softened up and pulled back to his senses.  Now that young Elihu had straightened him out, God would answer him. 

Note that when we stop our foolish thoughts, believe in the majesty of God and put our trust in Him, it is then that God responds with life.  It is however possible even for those considered to be strong in the faith to suffer setbacks in their walk and even reach a point where the vitality of life seem to dry up. 

Note also that Job was a righteous man, a friend of God, loved God, and despite everything had tremendous faith in God. He was never wicked, never cursed God, but always sought the ear of God.   

He enjoyed an unparalleled intimacy with God. God loved him and thought that despite everything he was pretty good. God would always maintain the hedge and would keep him from destruction.  God would guarantee him life. 

The other group we will look at today, the disciples, Jesus’ close followers, were also men and women of great faith. They enjoyed an intimacy with God that very few have ever attained. 

They too were placed under tremendous pressure. They had some strongly held convictions about the Messiah and what he would do, and all their hopes and dreams were for a time dashed. They were probably in a worse position of attack than our friend Job; for these men were right on the ‘line of scrimmage’, facing all the devils that existed, standing without knowing it or appreciating it, on the firing line directed at the Messiah himself. 

But in most cases, God responds with life; for His whole purpose is to bring glory to himself.

THE TEXT

Job 38

Verse 1.   Chapters 3 – 37 record the counsel and accusations of Job’s not so helpful friends and Job’s self-defence and rebuttal of their conclusions.  The culmination of these debates finds Job adamant that he had done nothing to warrant such judgment, that he did not deserve such harsh treatment and demanding that God give him an opportunity to prove his case.  This of course was not the best behavior. 

Elihu had providentially intervened and straightened out Job by reminding him of the nature of God.  This teaches us that when we are straying, meditation on the nature and person of God will bring the true child of God back to reality.  God graciously intervened to allow a young man to reverse the course of Job's thinking and to prepare him so that he could deal with him. 

Until this point God had kept silent, but that silence was about to be broken and Job would get his day in court; but he not God would be the one on trial. 

Here the divine name of God, the same as used in Exodus 6, the covenant keeping name is used by God. It is amazing that the infinitely holy God, in the covenant keeping role, condescending to even talk to fallen, sinful man. 

God here breaks the silence when Job challenges him and cries out for an answer.  But first remember that he had brought someone, this young man, put him under inspiration to represent him and to give Job some answers as to why the righteous often suffer and why finite man can never totally understand the problem.  Then God took over.   

This is how God generally responds when we are under pressure and are straying. 

Beginning again in chapter 38, our first text, Job will again be identified as the friend of God; but before Yahweh proceeds, He must first correct the serious misconceptions that Job has of God.   

“Job had indulged in very improper feelings, and it was needful that those feelings should be subdued before God would manifest himself as his friend, and address him in words of consolation.” 

This may raise an important question, namely,

– Does God reveal himself to those who hold certain doctrinal beliefs that call into question the nature and righteousness of God? If one lives a pious life even like Job, does doctrine and a right understanding of God matter? 

“Out of the whirlwind…”

God is often represented as talking out of lightening and thunder as at Mount Sinai (Ex 19:16-19); here the tempest displays His awesome power and majesty.

 Ps 18:9-13.

 The idea is that the spirit of God is like the wind, sovereign, going wherever it wills, with great power and unstoppable. 

It seems that when God is speaking to us after we have been ignorant, complaining, rebelling against his will and even rebuking him for what He is allowing to happen to us, his voice comes to us in power, challenging us. 

So God challenged Job to stand up like a man, and since he wanted a trial before Him, to now answer first some simple questions to determine his competence. 

He directly accused Job of vain talk, and implied that His questions were questions that any man could answer. 

He actually questioned Job in three different areas.

First, he called on Job to examine his creative wisdom in the Earth in which he lived and also in the heavens.

Second, he called on Job to look at his providential care of the animal creation, and what he had to do and did in that arena.

Third, he looked at His restraint of the forces of evil that are working in the world.

Verse 4.   Job had spoken out of line, for he had so much confidence in his own knowledge that he’d venture to question God concerning His administration and governance.   

God then told Job that he talked without knowledge – in effect God says, do you have such knowledge as to instruct the Almighty; answer these questions.  Each question of course revealed to Job his immense folly and sin. 

Though it is unpleasant to face such an interrogation by God, it was necessary that Job and all who profess to be children of God to have a correct view of God; for the alternative is to face the wrath of God. 

Note that Job’s questions had not been merely enquiries, but rather a reflection of Job’s belief that he was treated too harshly or unfairly, and amounted to an accusation that God was unjust and unrighteous. 

Whether Job intended to bring such accusation against God or had because of his pain said or thought such things – his erroneous words and thoughts about the nature of God was inexcusable. 

Notice carefully too that God's questions to Job are really kindergarten questions.  They are where? who?  what?  and when? all the great things of creation occurred. 

Starting with creation, God asked Job;

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?”

Of course Job was not present, for he didn’t even exist.  Could Job explain how God created and sustains the earth, how he upholds all things by the power of his word? 

If Job could not explain even those things that were elementary, the first principles, how presumptuous it was of him to suggest that he had any insight into the hidden and eternal wisdom of God. 

God used the imagery of a master builder, precisely following his planned design in the construction of the world; the building represents the world which must have a foundation before the superstructure can be built.  Did Job have any knowledge of how God accomplished this?  Even in the sphere of the visible, material universe, the foundation and the measurements described in God’s plan are beyond Job’s comprehension. 

Job’s lack of understanding in these matters, his absence when these events took place totally disqualified him from bringing into question God’s wisdom and governance of creation. 

Man was not there, he's guessing at matters about the world and its origins, and therefore like Job should not even challenge God. 

Of course, it is appropriate to ask God for knowledge, to ask him to teach us; for He made man in his image and likeness and with the ability to converse with God, learn from Him and properly fulfill his role as steward of the earth.  But that attitude is a far cry from challenging God and suggesting that he's not doing things in the right way. 

We note that even with today’s scientific knowledge, man cannot explain the origin of things in any sensible, rational way, avoiding the bizarre, self-serving and speculated explanations. 

As far as the foundation of the earth, man has made a valiant effort to explain gravity and how the earth maintains it place in space; yet there is no real scientific explanation how the myriads of plants and stars move in total harmony with such precision.  Theories of an accidental cosmos are preposterous.

Verse 16.   God continues to fire question after question at Job, all designed to humble him and bring him to the correct assessment of God’s infinite wisdom.   

They are placed in the earth undiscovered and unexplored by man; here God makes reference to the springs or fountains that from the ocean floor feed the ocean.  One writer notes:

“The reference seems to be to the deep fountains at the bottom of the sea, which were supposed to supply it with water. A large portion of the water of the ocean is indeed conveyed to it by rivers and streams that run on the surface of the earth. But it is known, also, that there are fountains at the bottom of the ocean, and in some places the amount of water that flows from them is so great, that its action is perceptible at the surface. One such fountain exists in the Atlantic ocean near the coast of Florida.” 

God continues to question Job; asking if he had searched out the deep caverns of the ocean?  Even today explorers have charted very little of the ocean; the further they reach, they  discover more and more unknown species. 

As Job sees how little he really knows of God’s creation, the more humble he becomes.

Verse 17.   In ancient writings the abode of the death was thought to be in the heart of the earth; thus it is a logical transition from the depths of the sea to the depths of the earth.  Death is the region of life that no man can claim first hand knowledge; it is an enigma that mystifies the soul. 

There is no correspondence between the dead and the living.  The scripture does not reveal the activity after death and before the resurrection of Lazarus or any of the others who experienced resurrection.   The only glimpse of what awaits us in the afterlife has come through divine revelation.

“But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, there is a great chasm fixed between you and us; so that they desiring to pass from here to you cannot, nor can they pass over to us from there.” Luk 16:25 -26 

There are things in this life that man has not been granted the opportunity to look into for himself – things that have not by the will of God been revealed in scripture, remain the fanciful speculation of mans finite imagination. 

“But as it is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard," nor has it entered into the heart of man, "the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1Co 2:9   

So when God questions Job about the netherworld, he is really questioning whether Job has the ability to see the realm of the departed spirits. This realm is of course open to God, to go there and come back behaving the same as walking in and out of his house. 

“…The doors of the shadow of death…”

This phrase is more emphatic than the previous and denotes a far greater gloominess than we can perceive; a darkness to death that God in his wisdom has concealed from us.  When light is shone on an object it up casts a shadow, when light or knowledge illuminates death it reveals more death.

Job 42

All through the chapters 38, 39, 40, 41, God pours the questions at Job. God even asks him in 40:1-2, well Job, if you are able to answer these few simple question, and argue with me, give me some answers.

At this stage Job back-pedaled and in chapter 40:3-5, he admits he is not in the same league with God. He says:

“Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer thee?

I lay my hand upon my mouth.

I have spoken once, and I will not answer;

Twice, but I will proceed no further.” 

But God does not stop. Job is silenced, but he still has more to learn. God goes deeper with him to fully convince him of his real frailty and limited understanding. So God continues now to show Job that he really cannot understand and properly deal with what he faces.

Verse 1.   After this final humbling experience, Job is given a final opportunity to address The Almighty. After receiving a series of stern rebukes from God, he is now totally humbled and has a completely different perspective and renewed humility for the power, wisdom and love of God.  

God had corrected Job’s erring view of his government of creation and at the same time greatly expanded Job’s sense of who God is.  God is totally unlike him, in every way, qualitatively and quantitatively. 

To show his creative wisdom, power and the glory of his nature, God had taken Job on a trip through the word of nature and had shown Job this in the simple things among which he lived. 

This was a breathtaking vision of God and Job repents totally.

The last chapter frames the repentance and restoration of Job.

Verse 2-5.   Job now pays homage to the almighty power of God; acknowledging that nothing could subvert his strength and with boundless power he could accomplish anything that he imagined. 

Job is now purged of spiritual pride and makes confession with six ideas involved.

First, he confesses that God is omnipotent and can do everything in relation to his intellect as well as his heart.

Second, Job confesses that God is omniscient in every area.

Third, Job confesses (verse 3) that God's divine charge against him is correct.  He had talked about things that he did not know about.

Fourth, he confesses that he had truly repented, done an about face

Fifth, he confesses about his previous lack of experiential knowledge of the Lord.  This has now been removed.  He now wants this knowledge and is open to it.

Sixth, he now says that he has fully repented, retracted all his foolishness, and now despised himself for his former pride and self justification.  To show this, he heaps dust and ashes on his head even though he is already sitting in ashes. 

Job saw God as absolutely sovereign and responded with absolute submission. 

Note that repentance comes before restoration, for this took place while Job was still afflicted with disease and childless and without possessions.  But now God responds with life; restoring to Job twice what he ever had before.

 Verse 5.   After God’s correction, Job was able to see God more clearly; his thoughts of the Most High were no longer clouded by self-righteousness.  His previous state can be compared to merely hearing of God, but having been brought to a right understanding he now sees. 

This is very much the way we often behave, having heard many sermons and preachers expound the word of God; yet we seldom learn the lesson until we have a personal encounter, that challenges our thoughts of God, and personal adversity that forces us to run to God for deliverance and there experience the power and love of God for us. 

We have seen that the message of Job is not primarily about his suffering, but about God’s sovereignty.  We have also seen that Satan was proved completely wrong in his accusations against Job; Job’s friends were completely wrong in their charges against Job. 

Most crucially however, Job was completely wrong in the charges he raised against God.  He expressed sorrowful regret that he had not simply accepted God’s will, without such ignorant complaints and questions. 

As for Job and every believer, it is necessary that God brings us to a correct understanding and acceptance of his sovereignty, so that he can fully respond with life.

As we move into our text about the resurrection recorded in Mark 16 we note that we are here again presented with people close to God who do not “ believe” as they ought. 

Though confronted with God, namely Jesus, the disciples had great difficulty in accepting the teachings of Scripture and the very words of Jesus. 

Job obviously lived at that time when God had an intimate relationships with men directly and yet he though quite mature spiritually, had great difficulty in properly understanding the nature of God, what God was really doing in the universe and how it directly affected men. 

In both cases God had to respond either through an intermediary in the case of Job, or through an angelic intermediary to correct these erring believers. 

But in both cases God acted, responding with life, changing and restoring Job, and changing, restoring, and empowering these disciples, taking both parties to “great faith”, so that they would be prepared to be perfect testimonies of God's grace and be witnesses to the world, of God's power and love to his people. 

As we read Mark pay close attention to this emphasis on the word “believe”. It is stressed over and over again.  The women did not believe, the eleven disciples did not believe, the two disciples on the road did not believe.  

Mark wants us to understand that there was persistent and stubborn unbelief among the people of God.  They found it difficult to accept the fact of Jesus’ resurrection, though they had adequate and trustworthy witnesses, and so Jesus had expected them to believe the message and so he rebuked them.  But before Jesus appeared, he sent testimonies that were intended to soften the hearts of the unbelieving disciples, certainly opening them up to a new possibility, just as the words of Elihu would have softened up Job and his friends. 

Job and his three friends showed essentially the same weaknesses.  But note that in both cases, although God knew their heart and their love for him, He soundly rebuked them and responded with words of life and transformation.  What a great God!

Mark was a companion to Peter, Paul and Barnabas at different times.; having spent much time with Peter, he received a lot of first hand knowledge concerning the ministry of Jesus. 

Mark wrote a succinct and factual account, omitting most of the narrative found in the other accounts; but focused on the central message of the gospel and the most important facts. 

Without the cross and the empty tomb the Christian would be without hope, without the cross and the empty tomb there would be no possibility of eternal life.

Verse 1-2.   “And when the Sabbath was past…”  Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Joses and Salome came to the tomb at the earliest possible time after observing the Sabbath according to the commandment (that is the seventh day – what we commonly call Saturday, Luke 23:56). 

According to Jewish time keeping, Friday sunset to Saturday sunset is The Sabbath. If one mixes the Jewish usage and our modern day usage of time keeping, one will invariably confuse the interpretation of the text, arriving at a manufactured interpretation that is not found in the text. 

The scripture says that when the women arrived at the tomb, it was already empty (v6); obviously Jesus was raised some time before, which strongly indicates that He was raised at the end of the Sabbath. 

We accept the words of Jesus, that he would be dead for three days and three nights (Matt 12:40; Mk 8:31), and that the women followed Joseph and witnessed where Jesus was buried; then left to buy and prepare spices, and then rested on the Sabbath (Mk 15:47; Lk 23:55-56). 

When did the women purchase and prepare the spices that they intended to use to embalm the body of Jesus?  The scripture say it was the day of preparation, but this was not the preparation for the weekly Sabbath, it was the preparation for the Passover, which is also a Sabbath, as are all Jewish holy days. 

Jesus the Passover Lamb, by the design of God was crucified as the traditionally celebrated Passover day approached.  Jesus was then buried.  The women then had two days to purchase and prepare the spices, the third day was the weekly Sabbath on which they rested. 

Those who hold to a Friday crucifixion and a Sunday resurrection must do so without the support of scripture. 

Somewhere in the time between, what we call, sunset Saturday evening and sunrise Sunday morning, the women arrived at the sepulchre.  

Let us note the devotion of these women in contrast to the behavior of the disciples, who were in hiding, unable to muster the courage that the women displayed.  For their devotion the risen Lord would show himself first to some of these women.

Verse 3-4.   Despite the faith of these followers and the insight they had attained from Jesus’ teaching, particularly concerning these events; they viewed this day as a day of dark despair.

Sounds like Job doesn't it?  

Both the men and women of this group, really Jesus’ inner circle, had forgotten or doubted his word.

“No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down from Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. I have received this commandment from My Father.” Jn 10:18. 

The women came to embalm the body of Jesus, so as to preserve it as long as possible; they did not come with the expectation to see the fulfillment of prophecy about the resurrection. 

As they headed for the sepulchre the women wondered who would roll away the large stone blocking the entrance, so they prayed.  Mark does not record, as some of the other accounts, the guards stationed there at the request of the Sanhedrin; but these two huge obstacles were removed by the time they arrived.

Verse 5.   Prophecy was being fulfilled before their eyes, yet through their grief, the promise and the grace of God seems clouded. 

They quickly entered the tomb where they encountered a young man dressed in long white robes, sitting where Jesus had previously been laid.  The scriptures tell us in many accounts that angels often appear as men, as it was in this case. 

The women were extremely frightened. This is often the first response in the presence of angels.

Verse 6.   The angel first told the women not to be afraid, he knew exactly who they were looking for.  His words identified the object of their visit as Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified; he was a specific man from a specific event, who suffered death by crucifixion.  They had positively identified the correct tomb and were presented with the facts of the real bodily resurrection of Jesus; and in case there was any doubt the angel invited them to come and inspect the place where he had been laid. 

Having looked with their own eyes, they believed.  When confronted by God, as was Job, they believed. 

Unfortunately they needed confrontation and a rebuke.  They had to be reminded of the truth by an angel.   

This was a little different from Job's experience, but there he had to be reminded by Elihu who God was and what God was like. 

 Up to this point it is evident that the women doubted what Jesus had told them, else they would not have come to the tomb with spices to embalm the body. 

Their doubt was erased and their despair turned to great joy.  He is not here for he is risen! 

This reminds us of the reaction of Job when he met God face-to-face.  He had to confess that he had now experienced God. He repented. 

The women did not verbally repent like Job, but their instant obedience, their trembling and amazement were signs of repentance.

Verse 7.   The angel then instructs the women now filled with a renewed hope, to go tell the disciples and Peter, that the Lord was risen.

Verse 9.   Mark alters his style of writing and from verses 9 -20 he begins to summarize the events that occurred after the resurrection and the ascension of Christ.  Verses 9 -14 list the basis of the apostolic belief in the death and resurrection of Christ as essential to any apostolic witness.  Belief in the power of God to raise the dead and ability to give life is essential. 

Mary Magdalene was one such woman, who having been possessed of seven demons who would most likely have destroyed her, had not Jesus delivered her.  She was eternally grateful and faithfully followed Jesus,supporting him will her possessions and was rewarded for her faithfulness, by being the first to see the risen Lord.

Verse 10-11.   Mary went to convey the glorious news to the disciples and others that were close to Jesus.  The disciples however were consumed with grief and hiding for fear of their own lives.  Mary found them weeping and mourning, yet when she told them the great news, that she had seen with her own eyes that Jesus was alive, they did not believe her. 

There are several truths that we could focus on, but none so close to our own situation, as the doubt in the heart of a believer. The scripture is filled with promises to those who believe, yet we so often ignore to our own detriment, the plain words of scripture.  We then find ourselves hiding away weeping and mourning, unnecessarily slipping into deep despair, due to doubt and unbelief. 

We, like the disciple do ourselves harm, emotionally, mentally and spiritually when we doubt the word of God.

Verse 12-13.   Mary’s testimony was not enough to convince them; after that however, Jesus appeared to two other of his disciples on the road to Emmaus, who through their grief did not recognize him until he had departed from them.  They too went and told the rest of his disciples, but they refused to believe them also. 

It would not be until Jesus showed himself to each of them personally that they would believe. 

This is indeed a sad commentary on believers, who like the Scribes and the Pharisees had witnessed indisputable evidence that he was the Messiah, yet refused to believe.

Verse 14.   Jesus had every reason to expect his disciples to believe; they were supposedly reliable and trustworthy eyewitness.  They had seen and heard more from Jesus himself than most people. Jesus was understandably very upset at their hard and unbelieving heart.  Thus when he appeared to the eleven he rebuked them sternly, much as God had rebuked Job.  We generally expect those who know better, to do better. Thomas is thus now a symbol of the unbelieving. 

Peter in writing to the church does not hide from his failures. In

1 Peter 1:8 he states and applauds the church: “ Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your soul ”.

Jesus had to rebuke Thomas:
”Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

Verse 15 .   It is God who has chosen us, not we Him.  God will therefore ensure that all those he has chosen come to a right understanding of who he is. This is also essential before He will use us in any significant way. 

Doubt in the heart of  believers robs them of the ability to see the power of God at work in their lives. 

The good news is that the power of evil has been broken in our life and can be broken in the lives of all those who accept the testimony about the risen Jesus and who love this Jesus. Evil does not have us in its grip, for it has been broken by the power of the resurrection of Jesus. 

Having accepted and believed on Christ the hope of our own future resurrection produces in us the kind of faith that please God. This is  the kind of faith that is required of us to fulfill the great commission, going out into the entire world and minister the gospel.

Verse 20.   Once the disciple had fully believed, their ministry became a power packed outreach, that was accompanied by many miraculous signs, their courage was second to none, for now the power that raised Jesus from the dead lived and operated inside them.

CONCLUSION

Our minds and ability are finite, and God's divine purpose cannot be fathomed by a finite mind.  We must grow in faith to great faith.  These lessons are designed to teach us this principle. 

God in His wisdom, power and love will however do whatever it takes to bring his erring children to a correct understanding of who He is.  The essential doctrines of the faith cannot be compromised; those who unrepentantly hold erroneous ideas about the nature of God, the person of Jesus Christ, his atoning work on the cross and the person of the Holy Spirit, really demonstrate that they are not children of God.  Unless they repent God will not respond with life, but death. 

God often uses grief and suffering to break down our pride,until we accept his sovereignty and believe.  He then responds with life and expands our feeble understanding. Job’s suffering was the channel through which God would personally teach him about His sovereignty. Before God restored Job, He would first have him come to a correct understanding of God’s government. 

The disciples also experienced grief and loss, but they should not have grieved as the world grieves - people without hope.  Yet in both cases we see devout men and women of God slip into despair and doubt and then begin to question God’s wisdom and righteousness.  God cannot leave this behavior unchecked in his children.

Doubt leads to unbelief and unbelief blocks the blessing of God in our lives. In which case, we are as dead  men and of no use to God or able to help others come to a correct understanding of who God is.