Month: January 2018

It’s interesting to me that in the opening verses of chapter 30, Job talked about people who were on the margins of society. People were marginalized even back then! And Job, blameless as he was, shared the prejudices of society. These people were gaunt “from want and famine” and were reduced to digging for roots for food and living in caves for shelter. He tells in the next chapter how he has understood his slaves’ equality with him before God, and how he has cared for the needy; so how is he justified in disdaining these other people as even lower than his dogs (who were not cherished as pets in that day, were looked upon then much as we look upon rats in our culture)? Remember that God called Job blameless. Also recall that this is a book of poetry, not teaching.

Job details in chapter 31 his character demonstrated by his conduct. This is the character and conduct of a blameless man. This should be our goal. One good method in Bible study is to make a list when given this kind of valuable information. We should understand each item on the list in terms of what it meant for Job, and then, in light of that, what it means for us. For example, the widow and the orphan are of special concern for God throughout Scripture, because they were the neediest, most helpless people in ancient society. Today this is not so because the government cares for them. But understand what he was doing in caring for their needs: he was caring for those whom society would be inclined to forget, who were so unimportant as to be overlooked, who mattered to no one and so mattered not at all. Often they had no homes, and didn’t eat except at the charity of others. And who gives charity to those who don’t matter? So if the blameless person takes care of the needs of those whom society overlooks, who in your life needs your care? Likely that care doesn’t look like what Job’s care to the needy looked like, because times are so different. Perhaps that care looks like a kind word to one in your life whom society has marginalized, or befriending the friendless.

Note also in verse 31:38 Job’s care for the land. Does it surprise you that there were environmental advocates in Job’s day? Does it surprise you that responsible care for the land is a characteristic of the blameless man?

What else on the list surprises you? What on the list needs your attention?

Again Job expresses longing for Messiah. Do we appreciate the work of Jesus in giving us access to God?

We are swiftly making our way through Job, our first book of the Bible that we will complete, and not one of the easiest books to read and follow. Keep going; we’ll finish it in only three more days!

Job acknowledges that God brings justice for the wicked, but often not in their lifetime. While he waxes poetic about wisdom, consider: anywhere man might be able to go on this earth, he cannot find wisdom. There exists no wealth to exchange for it. God is the only source of wisdom, and has decreed that the only way for us to get it is through knowledge of Him. He offers no shortcut to wisdom. If we want it, we must invest ourselves in relationship with Him.

That’s no easy thing, to search for relationship with Him and find it. Messiah’s coming has made it much easier for us than it was for Job, but it’s still a matter of diligence in that which doesn’t always seem to bear fruit in our limited perception. How can we know One Who is so much higher than we are? Whom we can’t see or hear or touch? Faith. If we choose to believe what He tells us about Himself and about the way He has given us to approach Him, if we follow that way, He promises that He will reward “those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Job obviously invested himself in such relationship, for God obviously rewarded him with wisdom. In chapter 29 he tells what his life was like before the events of this book. Here we see what a life blessed by God looks like. Think about what such a person would look like in our culture today, and compare it to Job’s reduced state here so that you can better appreciate his plight.

Another thought worth considering is that if God is the only source of wisdom and only gives wisdom through knowledge of Him, what can we conclude about man’s wisdom apart from God?

Eliphaz is going in for the kill. Note in verses 22:6 and 13, he accuses Job of doing things and saying things that he actually hasn’t. Whatever causes him to make such accusations – anger, pack mentality, envy of old boiling over now that Job is in a weakened state – whatever it is, we must understand that we are susceptible to the same ugly behavior, and guard against it. God, transform me as You promise to do!

Eliphaz’s brand of righteousness is not lovely. In verses 22:19 -20 he speaks of the righteous being glad at the destruction of the wicked, and mocking them. Does that seem like a righteous person? He also doesn’t understand that even the righteous don’t get their way in all things. Note verse 22:28. The righteous don’t have a relationship with God like Aladdin had with the magic genie. That would make God the slave of the righteous, and that is not the sovereign God He says He is or that we want Him to be. Eliphaz’s speech leads one to believe that he is speaking about the righteous from experiential knowledge, but we can be certain that he didn’t enjoy that magic genie relationship with God.

Job again shares his longing for a way to approach God. How fortunate we are to have Jesus as the way to come to God (John 14:6) and as our intercessor before God (Hebrews 7:25).

In verse 23:10 Job expresses his continued confidence in God’s justice. Note the way of the blameless man that he describes in the following verses, and remember that God considers him a blameless man. This is certainly reason enough for us to use him as an example for what blamelessness looks like and how to attain that goal. Notice that what he has done is invest in relationship with God. He hasn’t checked off a list of to-dos, but has done what God has said to do, without deviating, without accommodating his personal comforts or opinions.

Job notes that his friends are wrong in their observations about the prosperous wicked being struck down and brought to destruction. How often do we actually see that happen? God’s justice is often a matter between Him and the unjust, and we don’t get to see it happen.

Then Bildad adds his two cents. He doesn’t say anything wrong, but He comes off as self-righteous. Man may see himself as a worm in comparison to God’s greatness, but this is not God’s view of man;. we know that because of Psalm 8.

Job demonstrates the best understanding of God, which leads to the observation that if we take our questions to Him, we will gain understanding. If instead we hold to our assumptions about Him, great as they are, and don’t acknowledge the challenges that reality sometimes brings to bear on our limited understanding, we will not learn the deeper truths about God. That’s what the Roman Catholic Church leaders did to the revelations of the telescope during the Renaissance, and refused to believe that the earth revolves around the sun, leading to a marginalization of the Church and of God in people’s minds. Rather, the best way to handle such perceived challenges to our understanding of God is to take them to Him and ask for help understanding the truth.

If we don’t, is it because we don’t believe that God will answer? He promises that we’ll find Him if we seek Him with all our hearts. Or don’t we believe that the truth can stand up to the scrutiny of man’s understanding? It always can, but we’ll never know that if we don’t seek to understand. God is the only source of understanding, and our questions must be taken to Him. Or do we trust man’s wisdom and the observation of our limited senses more than we trust the all-knowing God?

Crises often present us with a challenge to choose to believe God or man’s wisdom (whether that be one’s own, or a revered wise man or scientist). God is up to the challenge! Present Him with the dilemma!

What kind of friend torments a profoundly suffering person, crushing him with words? These men were firm in their convictions that they were being faithful friends to point out Job’s obvious wickedness to him, presumably with the end that he would repent and be saved from the ultimate fate of the wicked. But these friends were wrong – incorrect in their assumptions about Job’s wickedness, incorrect in their assessment of God’s ways, and morally wrong to presume to make such assessments and to beat suffering, blameless Job over the head in judgment. We need to be careful we don’t do the same with people in the name of friendship. These men truly didn’t care for Job, to respond as they did – they descended like carrion birds to lord it over Job in his fallen state, to enjoy their position of superiority over such a man of prominence.

Zophar was angry in his self-righteousness. Again, his anger shows that he didn’t care about Job. He now responds in anger, when he supposedly is there to offer consolation to a suffering man. Then he blathers on and on self-righteously, burying Job even deeper than he already is, as if he wishes upon Job the dark catastrophes about which he speaks. Job’s response is correct. How often do you see the prosperous wicked cut down to utter despair in this life? Not often. That justice is not a given in this life. Zophar is nattering words that sound correct, but in fact are not. We must be careful that we don’t offer the same. For because of such behavior, Christians have alienated enough people, that now Christians are perceived as intolerant, and no one wants to listen to a Christian.

How can I possibly know that God has allowed this catastrophe or that tragedy because He is judging sin? The truth is, we may be as far off the mark as Job’s friends were in making such assessments. That’s why we are instructed to “let our speech be full of grace, seasoned with salt.”

Job says that God has wronged him. He is incorrect in his understanding of the situation also. The difference is that he does not set himself up in the place of God. He speaks with the humility of one bowing in submission to sovereign God, who knows who his Redeemer is. This is the example we are given of the attitude we must take when questioning God. When we assert our innocence, can we do so with the prospect before us of standing before God?

But his situation is not the end of the story. He longs for his words to be recorded, and look how long they have been preserved – and how many people they have helped over the years.

Job’s friends grow bolder in their assertions that Job’s wickedness is the cause of his suffering. Eliphaz accuses Job of lacking reverence for God and turning away from God in his refusal to acknowledge the guilt that has obviously brought him to this point. Again, we know that Job’s friends have it all wrong.

Eliphaz thinks they have been gentle with Job in offering the “consolations of God,” but consider how such counsel would understandably add to Job’s suffering. He is confused himself as to what has been the cause of his suffering, because his conscience is clean. Job feels like “they have slapped (him) on the cheek with contempt” and ganged up on him (verse 16:10).

They err in refusing to accept the fact that God’s ways are higher than their ways, and His thoughts than their thoughts (Isaiah 55:9),  believing that they have the cause of suffering figured out completely. Their increasing boldness is perhaps due to the fact that they have found strength in numbers.

Their behavior needs to serve as a warning for us. Do we swoop in with a killer instinct when someone we know is suffering? Are we quick to accuse because we think, in the luxury of our non-suffering ease, that we know what God’s thoughts are in this matter? Do we feel strengthened in our position because of others’ backing, and so strengthen our attack? We must keep in mind that suffering is doubtless coming our way, or if it doesn’t, we should be concerned, for God accomplishes much through suffering. James says that trials work patience in us, which ultimately leads to greater perseverance. If this is how God grows us, we should be prepared for suffering ourselves. Hopefully this common human condition gives us compassion towards a suffering fellow human being. There is nothing like suffering to make us more compassionate toward the suffering of others.

Eliphaz accuses Job of lacking reverence for God, when in fact it is Eliphaz and his companions who lack reverence for God. For God has already called Job blameless – twice -, and Eliphaz has the audacity to speak for God, sure that he has God’s way in this matter figured out. This is another lesson for us. Jesus taught that before we judge another for his minor fault, we must first address our own greater faults. Fallen human nature is quick to condemn in others the very behavior with which one struggles himself, and slow to see his own fault. When I find myself judging others, I should use that as an occasion to examine myself. Help us, O God!

Again, Job is crying out for justice and longing to confront God about his confusion over why this is happening to him. Can you relate to his pain? It is adding tension to the plot of the story. His many words about his misery should help us to understand that he is utterly miserable, and to long for satisfying resolution for him. The erroneous wind of his friends and their smugness in their utter confidence of their assessment of the situation should frustrate us and make us long for justice for Job.

One week down! If you can keep up the reading for five more weeks, you’ll have established a habit of daily Bible reading. But let’s take it week by week, and focus on starting off week two strongly tomorrow.

Zophar also expresses disbelief that Job is blameless, implying that since Job is suffering such calamity, it must be God’s judgment for his wrongdoing. He tells him that if he would only seek God and repent of his sin and forsake it, his fortunes would turn. He is setting himself up in the place of God! Job’s friends are a warning for us as we respond to hurting people in our spheres of influence.

Note Job’s sarcastic response in verses 12:1-3; and he again slams the wisdom and comfort of his friends in verses 13:1-5.

A popular quote from Job is found in verse 13:15. This is popular because it displays Job’s lovely character in the midst of suffering. He bows to God’s sovereignty, rather than trying to manipulate God or shake a fist in His face. Submission to God, as demonstrated by this blameless and upright man, doesn’t mean we can’t and shouldn’t bring our questions to Him. Can’t we trust God with our questions? However, confronting God having already drawn the conclusion that if He doesn’t grant my heart’s desire then I refuse to believe that He is God, is not the model of questioning given to us in Job.

Have circumstances ever caused you to question that God is who He says He is? When innocent people suffer unjustly, how can man not doubt God’s justice? When evil befalls us, how can we continue to believe that God is good? Or is it that He is in fact just and good, but the problem is caused by the fact that He’s not as powerful as He claims to be? I once asked God to clarify for me such questions, and He did in such a way that my confidence in His goodness and power has never again been shaken. Only He can provide answers that can withstand the fire of hard trials. We need to follow the example given us and ask the questions that burn in our minds, keeping in mind that God is sovereign God Almighty. He doesn’t have to answer; He doesn’t owe us anything, and certainly not an explanation. However, if we are truly seeking Him, rather than seeking our own prosperity; seeking to know Him rather than seeking to vent our anger and frustration upon Him or seeking to manipulate Him as if He were the creature and we were God, He may enlighten us. Then we will be truly enlightened. If we don’t ask, we probably won’t understand. Then Satan is left with the opportunity to move in on us like he did on Eve, and we have left ourselves vulnerable to his attacks.

Job asked. By the end of the book, God answered. In the meantime, there are a lot more words. Another lesson of Job might be that we should speak fewer words, thus minimizing our opportunity to embarrass ourselves.