I.Theme – The Creator God
The lectionary readings are here
In these readings, God, holy and transcendent, has power over all of creation. God is “worthy to receive glory and honor and power, for God created all things, by God’s will they existed and were created” (Rev 4:11). In the gospel, Jesus stills the storm on the Sea of Galilee, and the disciples are amazed and say, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” In Psalm 130, the psalmist, who is in the depths, waits on the Lord and hopes in the Lord
II. Summary
Old Testament – Job 37:14-24
Job is a wealthy man living in a land called Uz with his large family and extensive flocks. He is “blameless” and “upright,” always careful to avoid doing evil (1:1). One day, Satan (“the Adversary”) appears before God in heaven. God boasts to Satan about Job’s goodness, but Satan argues that Job is only good because God has blessed him abundantly. Satan challenges God that, if given permission to punish the man, Job will turn and curse God. God allows Satan to torment Job to test this bold claim, but he forbids Satan to take Job’s life in the process.
In the course of one day, Job receives four messages, each bearing separate news that his livestock, servants, and ten children have all died due to marauding invaders or natural catastrophes. Job tears his clothes and shaves his head in mourning, but he still blesses God in his prayers. Satan appears in heaven again, and God grants him another chance to test Job. This time, Job is afflicted with horrible skin sores. His wife encourages him to curse God and to give up and die, but Job refuses, struggling to accept his circumstances
Three of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, come to visit him, sitting with Job in silence for seven days out of respect for his mourning. On the seventh day, Job speaks, beginning a conversation in which each of the four men shares his thoughts on Job’s afflictions in long, poetic statements. Job curses the day he was born, comparing life and death to light and darkness. He wishes that his birth had been shrouded in darkness and and longs to have never been born, feeling that light, or life, only intensifies his misery
Without provocation, another friend, Elihu, suddenly enters the conversation. The young Elihu believes that Job has spent too much energy vindicating himself rather than God. Elihu explains to Job that God communicates with humans by two ways—visions and physical pain. He says that physical suffering provides the sufferer with an opportunity to realize God’s love and forgiveness when he is well again, understanding that God has “ransomed” him from an impending death (33:24). Elihu also assumes that Job must be wicked to be suffering as he is, and he thinks that Job’s excessive talking is an act of rebellion against God.
Our reading is a final speech to Job from Elihu which has this poignant phrase – “stop and consider the wondrous works of God.” Examples are throughout -lightning, clouds, wind, skies, light
Elihu seemed highly motivated to defend God’s name. He vividly praised attributes of God such as His wisdom, justice, knowledge, and power. His sovereignty over all nations, and His worthiness to be feared and worshiped (37:24
Unfortunately, he did so with an overall attitude of pride and presumption (the very line he had accused Job of crossing), for example, by boasting about himself to Job, “one who has perfect knowledge is with you” (36:4).
Psalm – Psalm 130
This is a prayer for deliverance from personal trouble, but it ends with a message to all people. The “depths” are the chaotic waters, separation from God – as in Jonah’s prayer from the stomach of the great fish. This is an unusual psalm of despair and anguish as well as hope
The Psalm not only helps vocalise that despair but gives blessed assurance and reassurance that God’s constant love not only forgives all wrongs but will carry us through everything.
“From the depths of my despair, I call to you,” says the Psalmist in verse one, speaking of the Hebrew belief in Sheol the land of the dead, into which the dead were believed to sink never to reappear. He is in hell at that moment. And longs for God to carry him through as God allowed the people to pass through the waters of the Red Sea.
May God be attentive to my pleas. God forgives, so he shall be “revered” (v. 4). If God were to record all our misdeeds, how could anyone face him? He is merciful by nature, so I eagerly await his help, his “word” (v. 5), a prophecy from him. I wait as do watchmen guarding a town from enemy attack (v. 6). Perhaps (v. 7) the psalmist has now received a prophecy of salvation which he tells to all Israel: wait in hope for God; he offers unfailing “love”, freedom from grievous sin.
Epistle – – Revelation 4
The introduction of Revelation names the author, John, and explains the immediacy of the message: the end of days is at hand. John extends a greeting to the Christian communities in seven major Near East cities in the name of the God of history. On the Sabbath, John falls into a prophetic ecstasy. He sees a vision of a shining Jesus, surrounded by seven stars and seven lamp-stands: these represent the seven churches of Asia. In 2:1–3:22, John is given orders to deliver a message to each of the churches, addressing specific strengths and failings of each church, providing encouragement to some and driving others to repent before Judgment Day. Jesus reminds them that his coming is imminent. The first half of John’s revelatory experience begins with the opening of the heavenly door: “Come up here,” a voice calls to him, “I will show you what is to take place in the future” (4:1).
John saw a door that was open. It was the way into heaven. The setting is the throne of heaven. John sees God enthroned and surrounded by twenty-four elders. God controls all history. God is pictures as a bright light. There was a rainbow glowing with all colors showing the glory of God There are 24 elders representing the redeemed in heaven acknowledge that humans were created by God for His good pleasure and demonstrates the sovereignty of God over our lives. Each sat on a throne praising God. They are dressed in white showing they are clan from sin. The lightning and thunder give an impression of the power of God. John hears these sounds as the voice of God. God speaks from his throne.
There were four *creatures were by the *throne. They were like an inner circle round about the *throne. They had eyes in front and behind and sees all. They are special angels. John says that their faces were like those of a lion, an ox, a human person and an eagle. They were strong like the lion. They were full of power as the *ox. They were wise as a wise man. They were as fast as the *eagle when it flies.
Each creature had six wings. The wings show the speed with which they obeyed God. The eyes made them aware of all that was round about them. Day and night the four creatures praise God. They cry aloud that God is holy and deserves to have all glory honor and power. They praise him for this power and the fact God is always the same. Nobody else has power as strong as him. The creatures throw down their crowns as an act of worship.
Gospel – Matthew 8:23-27
In these readings, God, holy and transcendent, has power over all of creation. God is “worthy to receive glory and honor and power, for God created all things, by God’s will they existed and were created” (Rev 4:11). In the gospel, Jesus stills the storm on the Sea of Galilee, and the disciples are amazed and say, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” In Psalm 130, the psalmist, who is in the depths, waits on the Lord and hopes in the Lord.
There are 3 versions of this story Matthew 8:23-27 of course; Mark 4:37-41; and Luke 8:23-25 and we are reading Matthew. The setting is the Sea of Galilee which is a fresh water lake and shaped like a harp. The lake is in the famous rift valley running down the Jordan River Valley to the Dead Sea and in fact all the way to Africa. That means the valley drops sharply to the desert region in such a short distance. Hot air can come up this valley quite suddenly and collide with the cooler air from Mount Hermon in the north of the valley, causing sudden storms on the lake.
The first part is the storm on the sea and the disciples words to Jesus. The second section is Jesus’ rebuke of the disciples and then the calming of the storm. The third is the disciples’ amazement and their words about Jesus
The story can also be looked at from the perspective of contrasts. The storm is contrasted with the calm after the miracle. The disciples fear and panic is contrasted with Jesus’ sleeping on the boat. Jesus’ rebuke of the disciples is contrasted with Jesus’ rebuke of the storm. And if we can go into the next story, the disciples’ question about who this one is will be contrasted with the demons who knew exactly who He is.
And the contrasts in this passage reflect the conflicts in the gospel itself, for Matthew likes to contrast Jesus with the limitations of ordinary people. Jesus was tempted, like a man, but rebuked Satan (Matt. 4). Jesus was accused of having a demon, but He cast out demons (Matt. 12). And here Jesus is tired and sleeping, but He has control over nature (Matt.
1.The disciples ask the Lord to save them in the storm (23, 24)
When the storm came up, He was asleep, but they were in a panic. A number of these men were experienced fishermen, who had been on the lake in storms before. But here they were afraid. This indicates the severity of this storm
Jesus’ sleep is significant to consider for a moment. Here we have a very human characteristic. He was exhausted from His ministry with the crowds, and so in the boat He was asleep during the storm. It is a reminder that Jesus was truly human
2. Jesus calmed the storm to encourage their faith(v. 26)
The first thing that Jesus did in response to their request was to rebuke their weak faith. But it was their fear that betrayed the weakness of their faith. They were in a panic when they came to Him, not in confidence. He did not rebuke them for waking Him to ask Him to save them, but for waking Him in fear. “Why are you afraid?” They had been with Jesus for over a year now (judging from the chronology); they should have had more confidence after hearing all
Then, after this Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves and they became calm. Here we see the power of His word over nature. He had already done miracles by His powerful word, and now here He did another over the storm
By taking care of the troubling circumstances of life Jesus was able to take away their fears and build their faith in Him. He had not rebuked their weak faith simply to point out their weakness; He had rebuked their faith in order to show a weakness that He was now about to resolve.
3. The disciples are amazed at His power (v. 27)
They had never seen anything like this. And so their question is “What kind of man is this?”
The simple message is that Jesus has authority over nature. This is part of the overall presentation of the king in these chapters as one who has the authority to do all the things that He said He came to do and does not have limitation as we do.