Suffering and
Faith
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Job
Defends His Innocence
Job 6:14 – A
despairing man should have the
devotion of his friends, even
though he forsakes the fear of
the Almighty.
Job 6:21
– Now you too have proved to
be of no help; you see dreadful
[in my flesh and in my house] and
are afraid.
Job 6:24 –
Teach me [the errors of my ways],
and I will be quiet; show me
where I have been wrong.
Job 7:20 –
[Oh my God], if I have sinned,
what have I done to you, O
Watcher of Men? Why have you made
me your target [of wrath]? Have I
become a burden to You? Why do
You not pardon my offenses and
forgive my sins? [I offered many
sacrifices not only for my sins,
but the sins for my children as
well.] For I will soon lie down
in the dust; you will search for
me, but I will be no more.
Bildad
Comes Down Hard
Job 8:3 –
Does God pervert justice? Does
the Almighty pervert what is
right? [Job, you are getting what
you deserve.]
Job 8:4 –
When your children sinned against
Him, he gave them over to the
penalty of their sin, [that is
why they are dead].
Job 8:5
– But if you will look to
God and plead with the with the
Almighty…
Job 8:6
– If you are pure and
upright, even now He [the
Almighty] will rouse Himself on
your behalf and restore you to
your rightful place.
Job 8:20 –
Surely, God does not reject a
blameless man or strengthens the
hands of evildoers.
Job is
Bewildered by Bildad
Job 9:21 –
Although I am blameless [I cannot
think of any sin committed
against God or man], I have no
concern for myself; I despise my
own life [death is better than
this].
Job 9:29 –
Since I am found guilty [by
virtue of God’s present
wrath on me], why should I
struggle [to prove my innocence
to you] in vain?
Job 10:2 – I
will say to God: Do not condemn
me, but tell me what charges You
have against me.
Job 10:14 –
If I sinned, You would be
watching me and would not let my
offense go unpunished.
Job 10:15 –
If I am guilty – woe to me!
[Then, I deserve this.] Even if I
am innocent, I cannot lift my
head [against the Creator], for I
am full of shame and drowned in
my affliction, [even though I do
not know why this is happening.
What did I do wrong?]
Zophar
Speaks Indignantly
Job 11:2 –
Are all these [foolish] words [of
Job] to go unanswered? Is the
talker [babbler] to be
vindicated?
Job 11:3 –
Will your idle talk reduce men
[who are not suffering as you
are] to silence? Will no one
rebuke you when you mock?
Job 11:4 –
You say to God, “My beliefs
are flawless and I am pure in
Your sight.”
Job 11:14 –
If you put away the sin that is
in your hand and allow no evil to
dwell in your tent…
Job 11:15 –
Then you will lift up your face
without shame [before God]; you
will stand firm and without fear.
Job 11:17 –
[Your sufferings will pass and]
life will be brighter than
noonday, and darkness will become
like morning.
Job Has
Had Enough
Job 12:2 –
Doubtless, you are the people
[that think you know everything
about God], and wisdom will die
with you!
Job 12:3 –
But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you. Who
does not know all these things?
[You are beating me up with
wrongful use of righteous
principles.]
Job 12:4 –
[Look at me,] I have become a
laughing stock to my friends,
though [in times past] I called
upon God and He answered –
[I am now] a mere laughingstock,
though [I am] righteous and
blameless! [I say this humbly
because I can think of nothing
that God would hold against me.]
Job 12:5 –
[Listen here,] men at ease have
contempt for misfortune
[you’re not suffering and
your pour out condemnation upon
me that is torturous because you
see me] as the fate of those
whose feet are slipping [into
sin].
Job 13:4 –
You, however, smear me with lies;
you are worthless physicians, all
of you!
Job 13:9 –
Would it turn out well If He
examined you [as He has examined
me]? Could you deceive Him [with
your self-righteous claims] as
you might deceive men?
Job 13:15 –
[I personally know God.] Though
He may slay me, yet will I hope
in Him; I will surely defend my
ways to His face [for I have
willingly done nothing to offend
Him].
Job 13:18 –
Now that I have prepared my case,
I know that I will be vindicated.
Job 13:19 –
Can anyone bring charges against
me [of wrong doing]? If so, [let
him speak and] I will be silent
and die.
Job 13:20 –
Only grant me these two things, O
God, and then I will not hide
from You.
Job 13:21 –
Withdraw Your hand [of wrath] far
from me, and stop frightening me
with Your terrors.
Job 13:22 –
Then summon be [to judgment] and
I will answer, or let me speak,
and You reply.
Job 13:23 - How
many wrongs and sins have I
committed? Show me my offense and
my sin] and I will quickly make
atonement for them.]
Job 14:16 –
Surely then You will count my
steps but not keep track of my
sin.
Job 14:17 –
My offenses will be sealed up in
a bag; You will cover my sin [and
they will be discarded at the
bottom of the ocean].
Elihu, A
Young Man is Fired Up
Job 32:1 – So
these three men stopped answering
Job, because he was righteous in
his own eyes. [Job would not
confess to any wrongdoing.]
Job 32:2 –
But Elihu, son of Barakel the
Buzite, of the family of Ram,
became very angry with Job for
justifying him rather than God.
Job 32:3 – He
was also angry with his three
friends, because they had found
no way to refute Job, and yet had
condemned him.
Job 32:4 –
Now Elihu had waited before
speaking to Job because they were
older than he was.
Job 32:5 –
But when he saw that the three
men had nothing to say, his anger
aroused.
Job 32:6 – So
Elihu, son of Barakel the Buzite
said: “I am young in years,
and you are old; that is why I
was fearful, not daring to tell
you what I know.”
Job 32:12 – I
give you my full attention. But
not one of you proved Job wrong;
none of you has answered his
arguments.
Job 36:5 –
God is mighty, but does not
despise men; He is mighty, and
firm in His purpose.
Job 36:6 – He
does not keep the wicked alive
[forever] but gives the afflicted
their rights.
Job 36:7 – He
does not take His eyes off the
righteous; He enthrones them with
kings and exalts them forever.
Job 36:8 –
But if men are bound in chains,
held fast by cords of [suffering
and] affliction…
Job 36:9 – He
tells them what they have done
– that they sinned
arrogantly.
Job 36:10 –
He makes them to correction [when
they are subdued] and commands
them to repent of their evil.
Job 36:11
– If they obey and serve
Him, they will spend the rest of
their days in prosperity and
their years in contentment.
Job 37:23 –
The Almighty is beyond our reach
and exalted in power; in His
justice and great righteousness,
He does not [unjustly] oppress
[His creation].
Insight #
4
The Bible does not
indicate when Elihu joined the
meeting at Job’s house. We
do know that Elihu sat patiently
and listened to the banter of Job
and his three friends. When Elihu
speaks, the arguments between Job
and his friends have been
exhausted. Job’s friends had
concluded that Job was sinful. He
deserved his great suffering
because God afflicts the wicked
with suffering. Job, on the other
hand, has silenced his oppressors
by asking them to provide proof
for their conclusions. He
challenged them to reveal any
action that could be called
wicked. He was blameless of any
known sin. “If I had sinned,
show me where,” Job said.
Coming to this stalemate,
everyone sat in silent confusion.
Finally, Elihu broke the
courteous norm of that day. (In
those days, the elders were
respected by the youth. The youth
were to be seen and not heard.)
Elihu’s frustration burst
into an exposition that takes
five chapters! He declares that
God allows nothing to occur
without plan and purpose. (This
is the same idea that is found in
Romans 8:28.) Therefore, the
question of whether Job deserved
his suffering is a debatable
point. God has allowed this to
occur and God is justified in
everything He does, even if human
beings do not understand why. The
young man offers this profound
insight: Things are the way they
are because of God. Elihu
concludes that human beings may
never understand why God has
allowed Job to suffer like this,
but God is righteous and He has a
purpose. (If only Elihu had known
about the meeting between the
angels and the original cosmic
purpose for the test.)
Conclusion:
God Himself / Speaks to Job
Job 38:2 –
Who is this [you and your three
friends] that darkens My counsel
with words without knowledge?
Job 38: 3 –
Brace yourself like a man; I will
question you, and you will answer
Me.
Job 38:5 –
Who marked off its dimensions?
Surely you know! Who stretched a
measuring line across it?
Job 38:6 – On
what were its footings set, or
who laid its cornerstone.
Job 38:7 –
While the morning stars sang
together and all the angels
shouted for joy?
Job 38:8 –
Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the
womb…
Job 38:9 –
When I made the clouds its
garment and wrapped it in thick
darkness…
Job 38:10 –
When I fixed limits for it and
set its doors and bars in
place…
Job 38:11 –
When I said, “This far you
may come and no farther; here is
where your proud waves
halt?”
Job 39:26 –
Does the hawk take flight by your
wisdom and spread his wings
toward the south?
Job 39:27 –
Does the eagle soar at your
command and build his nest on
high?
Job 40:2 –
Will the one who contends with
the Almighty correct Him? Let him
who accuses God answer Him!
Job
Retreats
Job 40:3 –
Then Job answered the Lord.
Job 40:4 – I
am unworthy – how can I
reply to You ? I put my hand over
my mouth.
Job 40:5 – I
spoke once, but I have no answer
– twice, but I will say no
more.
God Makes a
Statement
Job 40:7 –
Brace yourself life a man; I will
question you, and you will answer
Me.
Job 40:8 –
Would you discredit my justice?
Would you condemn Me to justify
yourself?
Job 40:9 – Do
you have an arm like God’s,
and can your voice thunder like
His?
Job 40:10 –
Then adorn yourself in glory and
splendor, and clothe yourself in
honor and majesty.
Job 40:11 –
Unleash the fury of your wrath,
look at every proud man and bring
him low…
Job 40:12 –
Look at every proud man and
humble him, crush the wicked
where they stand.
Job 40:13 –
Bury them all in the dust
together; shroud their faces in
the grave.
Job 41:11 –
Who has a claim against Me that I
must pay? Everything under Heaven
belongs to Me.
Job
Acknowledges His Unworthiness
Job 42: 2 – I
know that you can do all things;
no plan of Yours can be thwarted.
Job 42: 3 –
You asked, “Who is this that
obscures My counsel without
knowledge?” Surely I spoke
of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to
know.
Job 42:4 –
You said, “Listen now, and I
will speak; I will question you,
and you will answer Me.”
Job 42:5 – My
ears have heard of You, but now
my eyes have seen You.
Job 42:6 –
Therefore, I despise myself and
repent in dust and ashes.
Insight #
5
To appreciate
God’s comments, you must
first bring the cosmic dimension
into focus. Remember, this is a
test between Christ and Satan, to
determine if a man will choose
God’s presence over Hid
presents. This was a test to see
if man will choose to maintain a
nonnegotiable faith in God, even
when everything has been stripped
away from him. Remember
Satan’s argument:
“God’s hand-servants do
not actually have the power of
choice. Instead, all they have is
the choice of death.” As I
said before, the story of Job has
a number of insights. Some occur
in the cosmic dimension, God says
things to Job that Satan and his
angels can hear. He does this so
Satan ‘s arguments can be
silenced. For example, Satan
claimed that God’s children
only have the choice of death
– disobey and die. God
responds to Satan’s claim in
His discussion with Job (I am
paraphrasing):
1.
“Job, if you can create
matter and sustain life, and if
you are like me, then you have
the prerogatives I exercise. If
you cannot do these things, then
we are not equals. I am a great
King. Where can you go and be
free of My dominion? This is my
universe by right of creation. I
have formed the darkness and I
created the light. Apart from Me,
there is no other God. Everything
I do is for the benefit of My
subjects.”
2.
“Consider what you know
about Me. Am I righteous? Am I
worthy of honor? Am I
trustworthy? Am I forgiving? Am I
generous? Am I compassionate? Am
I full of wisdom and purpose? Am
I a God of love? If you find Me
to have these qualities, then
serve Me. If not, brace yourself
and prepare to deal with Me,
because My house will be a house
without rebellion.” On the
cosmic level, God is speaking to
the devil. He basically says,
“Your arguments against Me
appear to have merit because you
have twisted and distorted the
truth. You take advantage of
things that have not been
revealed yet. You present flawed
questions and then offer evil
conclusions because you have no
faith in Me. You have temporarily
succeeded in deceiving a great
number of My creation through
doubt and suspicion. However, at
an appointed time, we will meet
in the presence of my creation, I
will show Myself what I am, and I
will clearly strip you of every
pretense and defense. I will
reveal to the universe that you
are nothing but a liar.”
Of course, when
God speaks to Job, Job interprets
the words of God from the Earthy
perspective. Job feels so foolish
for even trying to defend himself
in the light of what has
happened. Here is the point: Job
and his friends knew that the
divine law says, “Whatsoever
a man sows, that shall he also
reap.” Of course, their
arguments swirled from that
perspective. However, after God
spoke to Job, he began to
understand how that law is true,
but only within the Earthy
dimension. It is not necessarily
true within the cosmic dimension.
In other words, life and all that
happens to us operates on two
levels: The cosmic and the
Earthy. Since man is not privy to
God’s higher plans and
purposes, we cannot possibly know
the lessons of objectives God is
bringing about, even though we
can see and understand Earthy
consequences. This is precisely
why faith in God was to be
nonnegotiable!
What
Happened to Job?
Job 42:7 –
After the Lord had said these
things to Job, He said to Eliphaz
the Temanite, “I am angry
with you and your two friends,
because you have no spoken of Me
what is right, as My servant Job
has. [Your view regarding my
interest in life on Earth is far
too shallow and superficial.]
Job 42:8 – So
now, take seven bulls and seven
rams and go to My servant Job and
sacrifice a burnt offering for
yourselves. My servant Job will
pray for you, and I will accept
his prayer and not deal with you
[as I should] according to your
folly. You have not spoken of Me
what is right, as my servant Job
has.
Job 42:9 – So
Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the
Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite
did what the Lord told them; and
the Lord accepted Job’s
prayer [asking God to forgive
them, for they did not know what
they were saying].
Job 42:10 –
After Job had prayed for his
friends, the Lord made him
prosperous again and gave him
twice as much as he had before.
Job 42:11 –
All his brother and sisters and
everyone who had known him before
came and ate with him in his
house [because they had only the
Earthy perspective]. They
comforted and consoled him over
all the trouble the Lord allowed
to happen to him and each one
gave him a piece of silver and a
gold ring.
Job 42:12 –
The Lord blessed the latter part
of Job’s life more than the
first. He had fourteen thousand
sheep, six thousand camels, a
thousand yoke of oxen and a
thousand donkeys.
Job 42:13 –
And he also had [ten more
children] seven sons and three
daughters [and hopefully, his
wife had a change of heart].
Once the test was
over and God’s objectives in
Heaven as well as on Earth were
accomplished, God blessed Job. He
gave him twice the wealth that he
had before this event took place
in his life and he lived happily
ever after. So, why did Job need
to suffer in the first place? God
had to demonstrate a key
component about His government to
the angels and to his credit, Job
was found worthy in God’s
sight to provide that
demonstration. Now that you know
the rest of the story,”
perhaps you will associate the
name of Job with incredible
victory that comes by faith,
rather than the man who
experienced horrible suffering
for a short season.
One last thought.
I have no doubt that God is
testing each of us right now for
cosmic purposes. We may not
understand God’s purposes at
this time. We may suffer without
understanding, just as Job did.
So, be encouraged! I am sure that
God is preparing each of His
children for a higher life and
calling than is possible on
Earth. Romans 8:28 states,
“And we know that in all
things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been
called according to his
purpose.” One day we will
understand the cosmic picture.
Until then, may God find in each
of us, the faith He found in his
servant Job. “Though he slay
me, yet will I trust in
him…” (Job 13:15 KJV)
