Steve’s Journey Through Job

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Verses

• Psa. 36:6: "Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD."
• 1 Cor. 13:12: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
• Prov. 25:27: "It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to search out matters that are too deep."
• Psa. 39:9: "I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it."
• 2 Sam. 12:12: "For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun."
• Jer. 25:9: "behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants..."
• Psa. 51:4: "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment."
• 1 John 3:2: "Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is."
• 1 Pet. 5:8: "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
• John 10:29: "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand."
• Psa. 12:2: "Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak."
• Rom. 8:7: "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot."
• 2 Cor. 6:17: "Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you."
• Isa. 52:11: "Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD."

AI Reformed Analysis

1. The Absolute Sovereignty and Justice of God (Theology Proper and Providence)

• Analysis: Psalms 36:6, 39:9, 2 Samuel 12:12, and Jeremiah 25:9 together affirm the Westminster Confession’s view of God’s Sovereign Decree. God’s righteousness and judgments (Psa. 36:6) are boundless and inscrutable, encompassing both His preserving power and His judicial actions. The prophet Nathan’s declaration to David (2 Sam. 12:12) and the description of Nebuchadnezzar as "my servant" (Jer. 25:9) demonstrate that God exercises His will not only in acts of salvation but also in judgment, using even unregenerate kings and sinful human actions (David’s public punishment) as instruments to accomplish His holy purpose. The response of the Psalmist (Psa. 39:9), "it is you who have done it," is the posture of a believer acknowledging God’s unassailable, wise, and good providence over every trial, thereby silencing all murmuring and self-justification.

2. Total Depravity and the Radical Nature of Sin (Anthropology and Hamartiology)

• Analysis: Romans 8:7, Psalm 12:2, and Psalm 51:4 lay the foundation for the Calvinist doctrine of Total Depravity. The carnal mind (Rom. 8:7) is not merely weak or sick but fundamentally "hostile to God" and "cannot" submit to His law. This inability is not merely behavioral but rooted in a fallen nature (Psa. 12:2) which naturally produces deceit. David’s profound confession in Psalm 51:4, "Against you, you only, have I sinned," reveals the ultimate object of all sin. All transgressions, even those against man, are primarily an act of cosmic treason against a Holy God. This radical understanding of sin magnifies the need for Monergistic Grace, demonstrating that man cannot contribute to his own salvation.

3. The Security of the Elect and the Call to Separation (Soteriology and Ecclesiology)

• Analysis: John 10:29 is a classic text supporting the Perseverance of the Saints, often known as Eternal Security. The elect are given to Christ by the Father, who is "greater than all," ensuring that "no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand." This security rests not on the believer’s strength but on the omnipotence of the Triune God. In light of this secure salvation, 2 Corinthians 6:17 and Isaiah 52:11 issue a clear call for sanctification and separation from worldliness and idolatry. The Church (Ecclesia) must purify itself and "come out from among them," distinguishing itself as a people set apart by covenant for holiness. This is a practical, ongoing application of the doctrine of Irresistible Grace.

4. The Pilgrim Life, Christian Warfare, and Glorification (Eschatology and Sanctification)

• Analysis: The Christian life is defined by a tension between the present and future reality. 1 Corinthians 13:12 and 1 John 3:2 speak to the coming Glorification, where our current dim knowledge will be replaced by perfect knowledge, and we "shall be like him" (Christ). This is the assurance of Definite Atonement. Meanwhile, the present life is one of Christian Warfare (1 Pet. 5:8), where the believer must be sober-minded and watchful against the Devil, whom God sovereignly restrains yet permits to prowl. Finally, Proverbs 25:27 serves as an Epistemological Warning: the believer should avoid seeking self-glory and, by extension, "searching out matters that are too deep" beyond what God has revealed in Scripture, upholding the principle of Sola Scriptura and acknowledging the limits of human reason (Prov. 25:27) in comprehending God’s ultimate mystery.