Word choices and ways to encourage . . .

Because today in Thanksgiving in Canada, yesterday’s message at our church was about giving thanks. It began with a man who read part of Psalm 95 in four languages: English, French, Mandarin, and a language of Africa. These were displayed so we could see them, but most of us did not understand all four. Since our congregation is made up of many ethnic groups, a few people understood two of them.

This event plus recent conversations with people who work in translation make me think of the tremendous challenge of translating Scripture. Even putting the ancient manuscripts into English is a challenge. For instance, today’s devotional is based on a verse from Job. In the version used (King James), it says: “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee.” (Job 22:21)

However, in the one that opens with my Bible software (English Standard) it says: “Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.”

“Acquaint” yourself and “agree with” convey different meanings, so I looked up two more. The NASB says: “Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you” and the Lexham English Bible says: “Please reconcile yourself with him, and be at peace; in this way, good will come to you.”

The KJV is a favorite of many but it was based on more recent manuscripts than the other three that were translated from older manuscripts and done as literally as possible. Today, many consider the ESV one of the best so far. That is why I use it.

I’m not a translator, but have learned the importance of careful interpretation. One of the ‘rules’ is to carefully consider the context. In this passage from Job, the speaker is trying to convince Job that the reason his life is so filled with problems is that he must have sinned and needs to confess his sin before his fortunes can be restored. In that context, the English words agree with, yield now, and reconcile yourself seem a better fit than acquaint now thyself. The devotional writer used the KJV and concluded it meant to know God. In other words, it is a gospel message. Does this fit the context?

Job is about a godly man who experienced the loss of everything. The beginning of the story reveals that Satan challenged God by saying Job’s faith would fall apart if God had not blessed him. God then allowed Satan to put Job to the test. When his three friends came to comfort him, they were dismayed at what they found. After silence, they finally concluded that he must have sinned, otherwise God would not bring him into such a mess. They had no idea what was going on, nor did Job.

Later in the story, God judged the words of these friends as error. That is, their accusations against Job were not valid. That means this verse needs to be considered not true, at least not for Job. He already knew God, and as all who know God realize, knowing God brings peace but it does not guarantee a trouble-free life.

What about me? The verse hints at that trouble-free life, but looking at the other translations I see that knowing goes beyond knowing about Him. It is a personal relationship that begins with yielding to Him, agreeing with Him (about my sin and His solution), and being reconciled through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. The Bible also says that I’m to walk with Him in the same way that salvation happens, meaning my life is surrendered, resting in what God says and trusting Him no matter what happens.

What should I say to suffering Christians? Job’s friends were in error. While our sin can bring us calamity, this is not ours to assume. It seems hurtful to tell a Christian who is in trouble that all they need to do is be saved and all will get better. Instead it seems more encouraging to tell them to trust the Lord, rest in His wisdom, and wait on Him to see them through it. Even though Job didn’t understand why this was happening to him, he did know that he was a man of faith. The words of his friends added to the test rather than encouraging him to remain faithful.

^^^^^^

Jesus, emotions and unanswered questions during a time of trial never settle down when I try to figure out what I did wrong. When I wonder if God has gone, or if I am really a Christian, my downhill slide increases. The most helpful words are those that help me keep my focus on You. If I have sinned, You always let me know. However, suppositions and accusations rob me of my assurance and whittle away at my faith. The devil knows it and that is why he uses them so much. By grace, keep me from assuming I know what is going on in the lives of others. Like Job, I do not always know everything about my own circumstances!