QT 25 Apr 16, Job 38:1-3, Job does have fault, and God exposes it

Job 38:1–3 (NRSV) Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:

2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

3 Gird up your loins like a man,

I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

NOTE: This is the first indication throughout the story that Job has fault. Did the Lord see this ahead of time? Is that why God continued to suggest Job's name to Satan for consideration? Did God have a purpose long before there was any action? Or does God simply bring good out of evil as he promises for the believer (Rom 8:28)? First of all, what is Job's fault? His words that are without knowledge darken counsel. Said a little bit differently, Job's conclusions are foolish and lacking in understanding or knowledge, and can't do anything but harm a listener. Job is wrong, although in only a few respects. As we will see later, God commends Job at the end (after correcting his words), and chastises his friends for error, although noticeably, not Elihu. God also has a peculiar technique that he will use to teach Job in this passage. The majority of God's statements to Job will be in the form of questions, with very few statements of facts. One must assume, that most of the questions are rhetorical or questions with very obvious answers. In which case, the questions themselves become statements of fact from God. This may be one of the most significant chapters in the bible, God answering man regarding the purpose of suffering.

QT 19 Apr 2016, Suffering is not pointless; God uses it to bring good to the believer; It reminds the unbeliever of his rebellion

Job 33:9–14 (NRSV)

9 You say, ‘I am clean, without transgression;

I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me.

10 Look, he finds occasions against me,

he counts me as his enemy;

11 he puts my feet in the stocks,

and watches all my paths.’

12 “But in this you are not right. I will answer you:

God is greater than any mortal.

13 Why do you contend against him,

saying, ‘He will answer none of my words’?

14 For God speaks in one way,

and in two, though people do not perceive it.

NOTE: Elihu now speaks. He is the youngest of the group. Job never answers him nor does God comment on his speech. I believe the gist of his argument is in these verses. Basically Elihu questions Job's assumption that God will not answer his charges. He will also make the argument that no one is innocent but unlike Job's three friends will not argue sin as the reason for Job's suffering. He restores the fact that God is just. The problem is that we do not see the reason behind our pain, it seems pointless. But are we truly knowledgeable enough to know that? Could there be a reason, and we lack the wisdom of God to understand it? Rather than charge God with wrong doing, faith would accept that there can be purpose and meaning in all suffering. Even if it does not come from God but directly from evil persons. How can we be so arrogant as to assume that we understand all things? Who made us the judge of what is right? But none of those arguments take away the pain of suffering, and so the best answer is not to answer another during their time of emotional response to suffering.

To the believe, God promises to use suffering for good (Rom 8:28). To the unbeliever, it reminds us to repent of rebellion (Luke 13:1-5) that started in the garden and ended the perfect world God had created.

QT 15 Apr 16, Job 15:11-13, We need to be honest with God with our feelings

Job 15:11–13 (NRSV)

11 Are the consolations of God too small for you,

or the word that deals gently with you?

12 Why does your heart carry you away,

and why do your eyes flash,

13 so that you turn your spirit against God,

and let such words go out of your mouth?

NOTE: Eliphaz now criticizes Job for abandoning his stoicism. This is the typical Christian reaction to a person who is struggling in his or her suffering. We exalt stoicism and attack raw emotion. Having been there and seen both sides, and lived both sides, I am now of the opinion that stoicism is a lie. I would much rather see a person honest with God with his emotions. After all, one cannot hide anything from God. The problem is that we try to hide from ourselves, at least when I practiced stoicism, that is what I later saw I was doing. I struggled with the ups and downs during our long period of suffering, and my only goal was to see stability in my life. I thought I would give up the highs if I could be assured the lows would not happen. But, I think we stop living when we stop experiencing the joys and sadness of life. And after a while, I embraced the joy and I suffered through the pain with true tears. And in the end, I felt so much better and so much alive as compared to when I tried to hide the pain by saying, "God is in charge, I have faith." Those words are true, but they are not the emotions that I felt.

QT 13 Apr 16, Job 15:3-6, Don't condemn people for being emotional

Job 15:3–6 (NRSV)

3 Should they argue in unprofitable talk,

or in words with which they can do no good?

4 But you are doing away with the fear of God,

and hindering meditation before God.

5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth,

and you choose the tongue of the crafty.

6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;

your own lips testify against you.

NOTE: Eliphaz starts this second round of arguing by attacking Job's bitterness. He does have a bit argument and even God will challenge Job's "wisdom." But being bitter during suffering is not really a sin; it is a natural reaction to pain. It comes and goes, and fades over time. To attack someone for being emotional is not right. We say a lot of stupid things when we are emotional and Eliphaz is wrong to condemn Job for verbalizing his pain. It is as if Eliphaz believes the stoic response to suffering is the better response. I think this is a common fault in the church. We condemn the emotional and exalt the stoic, belittling real emotion, which God created us to express.

QT 12 Apr 16, Job 13:1-5, Even Job mistakenly thinks health and wealth is a correct theology

Job 13 (NRSV) “Look, my eye has seen all this,

my ear has heard and understood it.

2 What you know, I also know;

I am not inferior to you.

3 But I would speak to the Almighty,

and I desire to argue my case with God.

4 As for you, you whitewash with lies;

all of you are worthless physicians.

5 If you would only keep silent,

that would be your wisdom!

NOTE: This is part of Job's reply to Bildad, who may be a good friend, but at this point, his words are not helping. Job offers some good advice for all three, to keep quiet. Job also starts a new theme and that is a desire to argue his case before God. This seems unusual in the sense that Job recognizes God's wisdom is much greater than his, but he seems to believe that he has a good argument. He knows he has done nothing deserving of the suffering he is experiencing and he wants to argue that case. So, in a sense, Job believes the same thing his friends do, he is also arguing a health and wealth gospel--do good and God will bless, do evil and God will curse. Except he knows he has done nothing wrong, therefore he believes he has a case. The difference is that he is not trying to convince others of their sin. But he doesn't seem to understand any better than they do, but he doesn't point fingers. God will rebuke him ultimately as well when he starts out with his "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?"

QT 11 Apr 16, Job 10:1-3, The real Job, raw, bitter and angry

Job 10:1–3 (NRSV) “I loathe my life;

I will give free utterance to my complaint;

I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 I will say to God, Do not condemn me;

let me know why you contend against me.

3 Does it seem good to you to oppress,

to despise the work of your hands

and favor the schemes of the wicked?

NOTE: Only one conversation and Job's patience has broken. He is complaining and he admits that he is bitter. He blames God and believes that God is fighting against him. He questions God's motives, not realizing that in fact there is good that will come out of these events. This is Job, the real Job, the person that God says has spoken what is right (42:7). In the end (chapter 38) God does question Job's understanding of what has really happened, but he does not rebuke his emotional outburst. Job is a far different man seven days after he stoically pronounced "shall we receive good from God and not the bad," and "blessed be the name of the Lord." We focus too much on Job's early responses, while the shock and numbness has still not worn off, and we forget the days afterwards as Job increasingly lets his emotions out. He is wrong in one thing though. He condemns God for his actions without realizing his need or the good that can come out of suffering. But being mad at God or bitter or complaining in the midst of suffering is not unusual, and is not necessarily wrong either.

QT 7 Apr 16, Job 8:4; 9:1-3,32; Saying the right things is not the same as believing them

Job 8:4 (RSV)

4 If your children have sinned against him,

he has delivered them into the power of their transgression.

NOTE: This provides some insight into Job's children. Apparently, Bildad was quick to suggest that the death of the children might be related to their sin. It would explain Job's sacrifices after their feasts and also why the children did not sacrifice for their own sins.

Job 9:1–3 (RSV)

1 Then Job answered:

2 “Truly I know that it is so:

But how can a man be just before God?

3 If one wished to contend with him,

one could not answer him once in a thousand times.

NOTE: Job shows a surprising amount of insight at this point. He continues (in verses 9 and 10) and reasons that the things God does are beyond understanding. These are all the right answers, but they don't match up well with what God will correct him at the end. God challenges Job's wisdom and understanding. So, Job here says correctly what is right but is later challenged for beliefs that are very different. One has to wonder if Job believed the very things he says here or if he is saying what he thinks he should say.

Job 9:32 (RSV)

32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,

that we should come to trial together.

NOTE: There is a progression here. At this point, Job dismisses the idea of a trial or discussion with God. It would not be fair (verse 34) because his rod would terrify Job. Yet later, Job forgets this whole conversation and argues, even demands an audience with God to prove him wrong.

APPLICATION: We can say all the right things, but do we really believe them in our heart? And how can we tell if we really do?

QT 4 Apr 16, Job 6, 7; When the pain doesn't look like it will ever end

Job 6:2–4 (RSV)

2 “O that my vexation were weighed,

and all my calamity laid in the balances!

3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;

therefore my words have been rash.

4 For the arrows of the Almighty are in me;

my spirit drinks their poison;

the terrors of God are arrayed against me.

Job 6:8–9 (RSV)

8 “O that I might have my request,

and that God would grant my desire;

9 that it would please God to crush me,

that he would let loose his hand and cut me off!

Job 7:11 (RSV)

11 “Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;

I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;

I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

NOTE: This is the part about Job that we like to ignore, his complaints and his bitterness with life's events. We assume it is wrong. We think that his earlier stoicism is the correct response to pain. It is uncomfortable for us to see real pain in the life of a spiritual giant. But here it is, raw and ugly and most importantly, real. Job is now expressing himself and his real emotions. And I think that is with purpose (from a storyteller's point of view). It is not wrong to struggle. It is not wrong to express your frustrations to God or in private to your friends. In my mind, the best course is a prayerful discussion with God, real and honest. Job's friends can't understand his pain. They do not know why it has happened and they guess wrong. They do him no good although spend much of the book trying to make an argument. God knows what he is doing. God knows why he initiated the discussion with Satan regarding Job. God knows why he continued the discussion after the first series of crushing events. God knows why he allowed Satan to attack Job a second time. And now Satan has disappeared. The story is left to six individuals, Job, his three friends, Elihu, and finally God, who knows the real reason. I think the length of the story hints at one of the most difficult parts of suffering and that is it seems endless. Job at this point just wants to die, unaware that there is still joy in the future.