Job 8

Today we hear, for the first time, from another of Job’s friends, Bildad the Shuhite. Bildad immediately tells Job that his words are “wind” (aka “hot air”) and asks a couple rhetorical questions to which the answer is an obvious, “No”: Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert the right? (v. 3) The implication is that Job has been accusing God of just that (which isn’t wildly off the mark). But then Bildad tries to encourage Job by deflecting attention instead to his children: If your children have sinned against Him, He has delivered them into the hand of their transgression. (v. 4) Way to go, Bildad! Comfort the grieving father by blaming the dead victims! Even if Bildad were correct in his assessment of Job’s children, the utter tactlessness of this statement is breathtaking.

Bildad then shifts gears and urges Job to cast himself on God’s mercy (Job 8:5) but then appears to misunderstand what mercy is by conditioning God’s mercy on Job’s being pure and upright. (Job 8:6) He assures Job that if he would just return to being a “good boy”, everything will turn out OK — or, rather, even much better than before. (Job 8:7) He goes on to say that this is not just his own opinion, but that he is reiterating ancient wisdom, what has been handed down for generations. (Job 8:8-10) In that regard, Bildad is probably right. That is, his worldview of “good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people” certainly dates back to time immemorial. (The real question, though, isn’t whether that idea is new or old, but whether it is true…)

Bildad then rightly warns against forgetting God and following the path of the godless (Job 8:11-19) and tries to encourage Job with the notion of future happiness. (Job 8:20-22) I wonder, though, about Bildad’s sincerity. Does he really believe Job has any chance of restoration? I rather doubt it. He sounds to me more like one who is fluent in “Christianese”, who is trying to sound “spiritual” but who has no real substance in himself and no particular insight into Job’s inner person. Perhaps I am being too harsh and cynical toward Bildad, but after his statement about Job’s children, it is hard to take his subsequent “encouraging” words to Job very seriously.

I am sure we have all heard preachers who have grown rich through TV ministries and best-selling books that offer “encouragement” like Bildad’s. Have you ever spoken directly with such a person, one who spouts “spiritual lingo” that sounds true enough at one level but is detached from the core realities of the moment and ultimately rings hollow? One who trivializes grief and promises blessings? Have you ever been that person? Are you now? I am sure I have been that person on at least a few occasions. I hope I never am again.

(On the lighter side, Bildad is purported to be the shortest person named in the Bible. I’ll let you work that one out… 🙂 )

Job 7

Today Job continues his response to Eliphaz. He reiterates some of his agony (Job 7:1-5), his despair (Job 7:6), and his full expectation that his suffering will continue until death (Job 7:7). He expects that while his friends watch, he will die. (Job 7:7-10)

Job’s despair and expectation of death embolden his complaint. (Job 7:10) So he decides to “let loose” and address his complaint directly to God. He does not here look to God for comfort per se; he just begs Him to leave him alone. (Job 7:16,19) What is man, that You make so much of him, and that You set Your heart on him? (Job 7:17) That sounds very much like Psalm 8:4: What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? But the tone and attitude are entirely different. Whereas the psalmist is in awe and wonder that God would care for any man, Job is annoyed (well, more than annoyed); he would much rather that God took no notice of him at all.

In Job 7:20, Job finally comes out with the question we so often ask: “Why me?” And he says out loud what we might ask silently: “What difference does my sin make to Almighty God? What possible harm could I inflict on Him?” And then in Job 7:21, Why do You not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? That is, “If I have sinned in some way that I can’t see, and if God could not possibly have been harmed by it anyway, then why not let it go? Why continue to torment me for it?”

I love Job’s honesty and forthrightness. I am pretty sure none of us could claim anything close to Job’s righteousness, yet we still ask, “Why me?” when trouble comes our way. Job’s view of God is not right here, but it is certainly commonly held — the notion that God is up there just looking for an opportunity to squash us like a bug if we step out of line. I think everyone, at some point or another, shares Job’s complaint. Like Job, we are not right in that complaint, but I am glad that Job gives voice to it and that the Bible includes it rather than “sweeping it under the rug” and pretending it doesn’t exist. The reality is that our existence is challenging and often confusing. Living in denial of our pain — or in denial that God is involved — is just flat dishonest and ultimately foolhardy.

Job 6

Job first opened the conversation in Job 3, but today is the first time Job responds to one of his friends. Does he heed Eliphaz’s advice, turn from his wicked ways and commit himself to God in order to secure all those blessings Eliphaz pointed him to in Job 5:8-27? Not exactly. Knowing that he is not guilty of the kind of wickedness that Eliphaz supposes, Job acknowledges no need to repent and recognizes no reason for hope. He instead lurches toward more despair. Previously, he cursed the day of his birth. Now he prays that God would go ahead and hasten his death, to “finish the job” so to speak. (v. 9)

Job opens with an appeal to recognize the enormity of his distress or his vexation, and perhaps acknowledges that his words have been rash. (v. 3) I say “perhaps” because it is not clear to me whether Job’s statement is “straight” or sarcastic. I lean a bit toward sarcastic, because the subsequent verses justify those “rash” words. If he were comfortable, he wouldn’t complain, but the the terrors of God are arrayed against him (v. 4), so wailing is to be expected.

In the midst of his suffering Job apparently cannot see any potential for future relief, so patience appears absurd. What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient? (v. 11) He has no superhuman strength, so why should he patiently expect things to get better? (vv. 12,13)

He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. (v. 14) This verse and those that follow express Job’s assessment of his friends and the emptiness of their so-called “comfort”. He ends the chapter with a request that they actually show him the error of his ways (v. 24), an assertion that their reproofs carry no real weight (vv. 25-26), and a plea for them to actually see him and recognize his innocence.

So, how about us? How might we sometimes “withhold kindness from a friend” — intentionally or not? How might we be too quick to come to some conclusion without weighing the full truth? Many in our culture are currently very adept at doing this, rushing to “cancel” those with whom they find fault, but rarely with a well-informed or balanced assessment of facts. Let’s not go down that path.

Job 5

Eliphaz continues speaking today. Job 5:1-7 sounds very bleak, offering little hope whatsoever. Call now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? (v. 1) In other words, “Don’t bother looking for any help. Nobody is coming.” And then in vv. 6-7: For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from the ground, but man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. That is, “You must have brought all this trouble on yourself, but that just goes to say that you are human; pain comes to everyone, and you are nothing special.”

But then Eliphaz seems to change his tone somewhat, apparently offering some hope. Job 5:8-26 sounds very much like what we might find elsewhere in Scripture, rather like Psalm 91. Eliphaz’s advice here seems pretty good. Certainly, Job 5:8-11 is on target. Eliphaz begins to go a little astray in Job 5:12-16 in that he suggests that God moves against the wicked swiftly and surely (even though a little looking around in this world would suggest otherwise). But Job 5:17 is certainly true and is echoed in Hebrews 12:5-11. And the rest of the chapter offers encouragement for anyone committed to the LORD (though again, a little life observation would suggest that the blessings do not necessarily come quickly or even at all in this life, so perhaps we should not view these verses as “promises” per se). In the final verse, Job 5:27, Eliphaz ends with a rather self-assured, “Trust us; we know what we’re talking about.” But it is still offered “for your good.”

Nevertheless, although these latter verses sound uplifting and positive, the implication is that the fault lies with Job and that to reap such blessings he must stop sowing whatever vile sin he must be guilty of. Since we know the “back story” here, we know that Eliphaz is wrong in his assessment of Job — and of himself. (He clearly assumes himself to be more righteous than Job, since he himself is not suffering; in fact, given the stark realities of Job’s condition, he concludes everyone must be more righteous than Job…) So telling Job to mend his ways is somewhat out of line. But what about the next guy? What do we say to a friend struggling with life? Repentance is generally a pretty good first step, and so we hear both John the Baptist and Jesus preaching, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Mt. 3:2; 4:17) Nevertheless, if we offer such counsel, we must do so in humility with gentleness and understanding, not making the mistake of Eliphaz and assuming some kind of superior righteousness of our own.

But then, what about ourselves? What message do we send to ourselves when we find ourselves facing pain, suffering, or difficult circumstances? Yes, we should evaluate our actions and attitudes and see if there is anything that we did to contribute to the problem. (If we commit a crime and land in jail, we should put two and two together and realize that actions have consequences…) But if we have already repented or otherwise don’t find anything, do we nevertheless continue to blame ourselves, playing the role of Eliphaz to our own Job? Do we trust God for the forgiveness He offers through the Cross? Do we accept discipline as the act of a loving Father? Do we trust that Christ shares and understands our suffering? Let’s sit with those questions a bit today.

Job 4

Today we meet the first of Job’s friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, who wastes little time on niceties or saying anything to cheer or comfort Job. Instead, he chides Job as being impatient (even though we now speak of “the patience of Job”). He recognizes that Job has previously instructed and advised others (from his prior position of comfort and prosperity) but now does not seem inclined to receive any such advice when Job is the one in need. He offers Job verse 6: Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope? And of course the real answer to that question is “Yes”, but I get the feeling that Eliphaz is not sincerely asking that question as an attempt to encourage Job, but rather as a form of mockery, along the lines of those who mocked Jesus on the Cross: He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if He desires him. (Mt. 27:43; Ps. 22:8) The “gotcha” part of it is the “integrity of your ways” phrase, with the implication that, if Job had true integrity, he would admit his faults.

Eliphaz’s worldview becomes abundantly clear in Job 4:7,8 where we see the “bad things happen to bad people” perspective. But before we smugly judge Eliphaz as “obviously wrong”, remember that he is unaware of the spiritual “back story” and that his perspective is not entirely incorrect. In Proverbs we shall repeatedly see that foolishness, wickedness, and laziness all tend to bring forth poverty and downfall, whereas wisdom, righteousness, and hard work tend to produce prosperity. Or consider Psalm 37:25: I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.

I find Job 4:12-21 to be very interesting. Here Eliphaz claims to have had some spiritual encounter through dreams, “visions of the night” in which a spirit spoke to him. We have a few options here. Eliphaz could simply be making this up, creating a story to bolster his position with an (unprovable) claim of supernatural insight. Or he may well have had a natural dream, brought on by an unfortunate choice of toppings for a late-night pizza delivery, a dream that he misinterprets as having spiritual origins. Or he may well have had a true spiritual encounter. Regardless of the validity of the story, what does the spirit say to Eliphaz? “Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?” (v. 17) Good questions, to which we must all answer, “Well, no, not standing on our own.” (But we can and do find such standing in Christ.) But the next statement is what I really find interesting: “Even in His servants He puts no trust, and His angels He charges with error; how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth.” This sounds to me like a proud spirit who looks with disdain on mortals who just happen to be made in the image of God while he himself is not. If so, then while there may be some truth in what this spirit says, we must consider the source…

Job 3

Today we get the first inkling of the depths of Job’s misery, and the first verse reveals his sentiment: Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. He feels it would have been better to die unborn than to live in this evil existence. Down through the ages millions have joined Job in similar sentiments. Suffering is real, and we search for ways to escape. Some choose suicide. Some try to escape their pain through alcohol, drugs, or other addictions. Unfortunately, the thought of dying unborn is echoed by those who promote abortion as a “solution” to challenging pregnancies. After all, why bring a child into this world only to be subjected to pain, misery, and the vagaries of this life? (They forget that choosing death for the child is not their choice to make…) This is decidedly not God’s perspective, who brought Job into the world in the first place. But Job’s suffering is very real, and he expresses it honestly — and bitterly — and we likewise must wrestle with the realities of real and terrible suffering in this life.

One small thing that I find interesting in today’s reading is in Job 3:23, where Job complains of God’s having hedged him in (apparently in the sense that Job is trapped in his circumstances). I find that curious because back in Job 1:10 Satan asserted that God was protecting Job: Have You not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? So, the very thing that Satan viewed as God’s protection, Job now sees as a curse. Hmmm.

It can be easy for us to want to tell Job (or others who are suffering), “Buck up! It’s not so bad.” Or to say, “I feel your pain” when we really have no idea. Or we might rebuke Job for being so “self-focused” and encourage him to “look outside himself”, never having really connected with the depth of his misery. Or we could easily go the other direction and fall into the same sort of despair, focusing on the suffering to such an extent that we lose sight of any hope. So how should we listen to Job? How might we enter into his suffering and truly sympathize with him while not falling into such despair? That, I think, is one challenge for us today.

Job 2

Fred has sporadic internet service while traveling so you are stuck with me for a few days. Unfortunately, my morning routine is not as consistent as Fred’s, so I offer no guarantees with regard to getting posts out before noon on any given day…

Today we get the rest of the “back story” for Job, the interaction between the LORD and Satan that leads to Job’s suffering. I have always found it interesting (and somewhat disconcerting) that in both yesterday’s reading (Job 1:8) and today’s (Job 2:3), it is the LORD that draws Satan’s attention to Job: Have you considered my servant Job…? It is clear that Satan is the one who is directly responsible for all the calamity that befalls Job, including his bodily suffering, but it is all under God’s permission and sovereignty. (Job 2:6) In fact, this is the last we hear about Satan. Throughout the rest of the book, everyone considers the LORD to be the source of Job’s suffering.

A word to spouses: Don’t be like Job’s wife! She enters the story today as the first person to give Job some advice, and it is horrendous advice: Curse God and die. (Job 2:9) Fortunately, Job refuses to listen to that advice. Instead, he responds with a question that “prosperity gospel” advocates (along with many Evangelicals) would do well to heed: Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil? (Job 2:10)

Finally, we meet Job’s friends, and we should learn from them here. They weep in sympathy with Job and sit with him, not saying anything. That is the best comfort they could give, and often that is the best we can do as well.

The Lord gave Satan permission to afflict Job: “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not reach out and put your hand on him.” (v. 12a) So what did Satan do? He afflicted Job four different times – the Sabean attack, killing or stealing the oxen and the donkeys; fire from heaven destroying the sheep; the Chaldean raid on the camels; and the tornado killing all of Job’s sons and daughters. Essentially all the wealth that Job owned… It struck me how persistent Satan can be. And Job’s reaction: Despite all this, Job did not sin, nor did he blame God. (v. 22) With this last sentence, it’s a good start to our Job reading.

Today we’re shifting gears and turning from the Psalms to the Book of Job for a while. In today’s reading we get the “back story”, the context that explains what is really going on. But Job — and his friends who show up shortly — are unaware of what is going on “behind the scenes” and are left to try to figure things out for themselves. Job and his friends all have basically the same worldview with an understanding that “good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to bad people”. As we shall see, that perspective leads Job’s friends to come to the obvious conclusion that, since Job has suffered so horrendously he must be guilty of some horrible hidden sin, and they “comfort” Job with that accusation, advising him to confess and repent. Some “comfort”! Job, on the other hand, knows he is not guilty of anything so heinous and demands an opportunity to plead his case that he is being treated unfairly. Unfortunately, Job’s position ultimately amounts to accusing God of being unjust.

There are many difficulties here for us. First, whether we admit it or not, we generally tend to agree with the perspective that “good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to bad people”, and we all struggle with observed life experiences that argue otherwise. Which of us, upon sentencing of some infamous criminal don’t say, “He’s getting what he deserves” or, when some child is afflicted with leukemia don’t ask, “Why? No child deserves that!” Some conclude that God must not exist (or, worse, that He is evil or capricious), because otherwise how could a good God allow evil and suffering to exist?

Further, although Job’s friends are dead wrong about Job, there is at least some truth in what they say — truth that is echoed elsewhere in Scripture: God does bless the righteous and God does oppose evil and will ultimately set all things right. Just take a look at Deuteronomy 28, Proverbs, and some of the Psalms we have already read. Yet the overall message of Job argues against that simplistic view — at least for this life. And that is part of what makes this book so valuable: we see the Bible wrestling with truly difficult questions, refusing to just feed us spiritual pablum.

Interestingly, Job’s friends are trying to “justify” or “defend” God against Job’s assertions of unfairness. Yet they are doing so in ignorance and ultimately do not accurately speak for God. (See Job 42:7.) God does not need their “help”. Note also that, in the end God does show up, but he does not directly answer Job’s questions. Instead, He just says something akin to “Sit down and shut up!” And we need the humility to say, with Job, “I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” (Job 42:3)

So, fair warning… Be careful how you read Job! Bear in mind who is speaking. Is it Job? Is it one of his friends? Is it the younger upstart Elihu (in Job 32-37)? Is it God Himself (in Job 38-41)? Don’t just accept the verses that “sound good” to you and reject verses that are challenging. And don’t just accept what Job says or reject what his friends say. Neither perspective is completely right or completely wrong. (The only speaker we can say is completely right is God Himself…) Ask yourself whether you agree with the speaker and why. And then ask whether you should agree with the speaker — which is clearly a different question! Ask yourself whether you sometimes try — like Job’s friends — to “help” God and whether your efforts are really in line with His Truth. Ultimately, take the time to really listen to what the Lord is saying through this book. Wrestle with its questions alongside Job. Review your own worldview and whether it might need some adjustment. In the end, we should find ourselves with a deeper understanding of God.