Great Lines in the Bible

I love movies, and one of my favorite things about movies is the writing, especially when there’s a great line from a movie – a great quote.  Everyone knows some.  There’s “frankly my dear…,” “I’ll be back,” and “run, Forest, run!”

There are also some great lines in the bible, which I’m going to occasionally post.  Mostly I want to encourage you to think about great lines from the bible.  As you’re reading, if you come across a great line that strikes you right where you live … send me a note and maybe I’ll post it up here.  Let’s share our testimonies for one another this way.

One line that struck me today, as I was working on some stuff in Romans was this one, from Romans 9.20:

“Man, who are you who answers back to God?

Isn’t that cool?

It’s in the middle of a section about God’s sovereignty – where God can choose whoever He wants to, and for whatever reasons.  Back in the day, God chose Abraham.  Why?  Because He knows what He’s doing, that’s why.  We tend to want to second-guess God’s reasoning.  Paul is explaining that there are a great many things that God knows that we don’t.  Our job isn’t to explain Him, it’s to obey Him.

I’m convinced that Paul knew the story of Job really well.  After reading more than thirty chapters of long explanations of great theologians having tons of debate over the nature of God … God Himself speaks up!  It must have scared the daylights out of those poor guys when God spoke!  Especially since this is what He said:

Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?  Now gird up your loins like a man, & I’ll ask you, and you instruct ME.  Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell, if you have understanding."  Job 38:1-4

We love to give our opinions, don’t we? We love telling people what WE think! We love to imagine we have it all figured out.  Interestingly, it's not something Jesus did.  Jesus spoke only the words the Father (God) had given him to say (John 14.10).

What will you say when God challenges your “wisdom” and “knowledge” Himself?  I’m guessing you will be like me – really, really frightened and humble.  Why wait?  Let’s get humble now.  Let’s constantly ask ourselves: “Who are you who answers back to God”?