How Do We Approach Difficult Scriptures?
I have been thinking a lot lately about how quickly we consume information. We live in a world where we can ask a question and have an answer in seconds. We can listen to a podcast, watch a sermon, read a devotional, scroll through Instagram, and suddenly we have an opinion about something we haven't really taken the time to think through.
We’ve brought that same mentality into our Bible reading. Someone tells us what a verse means, and we accept it. A pastor preaches, and because it came from the pulpit, we assume it must be the gospel truth. A Bible teacher gives us an interpretation, and we don't necessarily go back and wrestle with the actual passage ourselves or compare it with the whole of Scripture.
I think we might find that some of the things we have been taught about God don't actually line up with the picture of God we find when we read His Word for ourselves. Job is one of those books that can make us uncomfortable. It is hard. It is full of suffering and questions and conversations that don't always make us feel better.
And there is one verse in particular often quoted: “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21) I have heard this taught as though Job is giving us a theological statement about God's character. The Lord gave. The Lord took away. That’s just how God is and how dare we question His ways. But is that actually what Scripture is telling us? Or is that what Job believed in that moment? Those are two very different things. I don't think we should make that sentence into a statement about the character of God without reading the rest of the book. Because when we do, we have to wrestle with something very important: God didn't take those things away. Satan did.
We know this because the Bible tells us exactly what happened.
Satan is the one who comes before God and challenges Job's faithfulness. Satan is the one who is given permission to afflict Job. Satan is the one who takes his possessions, kills his children, and eventually afflicts his body. All in an effort to see Job curse God. That word curse means to turn away from. Satan wants to see Job fall just as he did!
And this is why it is important for us to read and wrestle with Scripture ourselves. Otherwise, we can assume that because something is recorded in the Bible, the person saying it must be giving us a accurate picture of God. But Scripture records people saying a lot of things. The friends of Job say a lot of things. Job says a lot of things. The disciples say a lot of things. The Pharisees say a lot of things. Satan says things. A person speaking in Scripture does not automatically mean that what they are saying is God's final word on the subject. We have to pay attention to who is speaking. In the verse above, Job is wrestling to understand why he suffers so. And by the end of the book, God actually challenges Job's understanding.Job finally says:
"I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." (Job 42:3)
That verse changes how I read the entire book. Job didn't understand everything that was happening. And neither do we. If I only read Job 1:21, I might come away believing that God is the one who gives and takes away—that every tragedy, every loss, every terrible thing that happens is ultimately God reaching down and taking something from us. But then I read the rest of Scripture. And I see a God who so loved the world that He gave His only Son. I see Jesus laying down His own life for humanity. I see a God who comes toward suffering rather than away from it. And I hear Jesus say:
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)
That doesn't mean I can explain every terrible thing that happens in this world. I can't. It doesn't mean suffering isn't real. It doesn't mean God isn't sovereign. It means that when I am trying to understand the character of God, I am going to look at the whole story. And ultimately, I am going to look at Jesus. Because Jesus tells us what the Father is like.
This is why it is crucial that we learn to chew on Scripture. The Bible talks about meditating on God’s Word. That is something we desperately need in a world that is constantly throwing information at us. We don't need more information. We need time to sit with Scripture long enough for the Holy Spirit to speak to us through it.
I think sometimes we are afraid of wrestling with Scripture because we think questions mean we don't have faith. But God rewards the wrestle. If you doubt me, read through Jacob’s encounter with the angel of the Lord (Genesis 32:22-31). God loves for us to search out His character in the pages of Scripture and in our hearts (Proverbs 25:2). He welcomes us when we humble ourselves enough to change our understanding in light of His revelation.
JOURNALING PROMPTS
What is something you have believed about God because someone taught it to me, rather than because you have studied it for yourself?
When you read Scripture, do you slow down and ask who is speaking, who they are speaking to, and what is happening around the passage? Where might you need to do this more carefully?
Is there a passage of Scripture that has confused you, challenged you, or seemed inconsistent with what you know about God? What happens if you sit with it instead of rushing toward an answer?
What does the life and character of Jesus reveal to you about the character of the Father? How should that shape the way you interpret difficult passages?
What would it look like for you to “chew on” Scripture this week? What passage could you read slowly, pray through, study in context, and invite the Holy Spirit to help you understand?
