Job 14

 Job 14:1-22

It is pain that causes us to reflect on ultimate kinds of things. In our youth we think of conquest and adventure. We think about our happiness and how we will fashion it with those we love. We live in our idyllic dreams. But tragedy, pain, and loss compel us to stop thinking about the hoped-for future and focus on ultimate kinds of realities. These thoughts would be morbid and out of place at a graduation party or a wedding. But sooner or later we go there to think about these things.

Job's musing and conversation with God in chapter 14 have four themes. A man's life is finite. Rather than focusing on how much time God specifically gives man, we ought to focus on Job’s understanding of life that man is under God's scrutiny. And no man will not pass this life unnoticed.

In verses 7-12, Job contrasts and compares man. First, man is unlike a tree that is cut down; man will not send up new life like a sprout from a root. He is more like a lake that dries up or a wadi that becomes completely dry. There is an end to man, and that end is final.

Verses 13-17 are both hopeful and almost fatalistic. Job expresses his hope in a resurrection in which the Lord will remember him, indeed, and long for him. Job feels that if he could only die and enjoy respite from his suffering until the resurrection, all his sins would be sealed up. Nevertheless, in the current moment of hardship, he can only wait for and long for death.

Job concludes this speech with a return to the difficult life now. Mountains crumble and change from mighty and majestic peaks to rock debris. The erosion of water wears down everything in its path. Men during this life are slowly and without effective resistance worn down and worn away. Then shall that man who was filled with great hopes and dreams become so atrophied that he is unaware of the hope and the dreams of the next generation. 

"Lord, help me to think about those things that matter most. AMEN"

Job 13

Job 13:1-28

Job begins by pointing out that all the “profound wisdom” of his counselors is common knowledge; he knows it as well as they do, and he isn't inferior to them.

In verses 3-12 Job berates his companions, saying they are worthless, and on top of that, they make two other errors. Their first error is that they should consider if they want God's examination of their lives. Second, they have set themselves up as God's defenders. Here is an application for us. We are at times offended and distressed at the disrespectful ways that some people treat God. We become so agitated that we feel we must set these folks right. And in so doing we make ourselves God's defenders or advocates. When we do this, it is easy to become graceless and harsh. We might win the point or the argument but lose the witness or the opportunity to lead people to know God. God doesn't need us to defend Him; instead, He wants us to represent Him. His nature is loving and gracious, and that needs to be the ultimate expression of our lives.

Verse 15 is one of the great passages of the book. In the midst of suffering, we find a great statement of faith. For all that Job gets wrong, he gets this right. Job’s two requests (verse 20) reflect a faith that, even if battered and at times confused, looks in the right direction. Job asks for a reprise from his suffering and that the terrors of God will not overwhelm him. Misguided as he may have been, Job wants to take his case to God. Certainly Job may have overstated his righteousness, and clearly he felt his suffering was disproportionate to any evil he had done. But even though misguided, he still wanted to go toward God. In the midst of brutal suffering, more than a few people have turned away from God. Some will never seek Him or consider Him again. God isn't afraid of our honest heartfelt misery. In the midst of it we must seek Him. 

"Lord, help me to never presume to be your advocate or defender. AMEN"

Job 12

Job 12:1-25

This chapter is a sort of introduction or setup for Job's next speech in chapters 12-14. His response to the harsh speech of Eliphaz and Zophar expresses the bitterness they have brought.

In verses 1-6 Job’s cynical side comes out. In verses 7-12, Job calls on witnesses of what was considered common knowledge. Then in verses 13-25 (and we ought to include vs. 1-2 of the next chapter), Job speaks of the character and the power of God. 

With sarcasm dripping from his lips, Job says that his three companions are clearly the apex of humanity. We never hold a person in greater contempt than when we overtly offer false praise. Perhaps Job’s pride has been wounded by their patronizing him, but here he asserts his equality. A clever man never says to a moron, “I am as smart as you."  A gorgeous woman never says to an ugly woman, “I'm as pretty as you.”  Job’s response is an emotionally painful one.  There is an important point for us in verses 4-6. When I give advice to people in pain, it can come across as a bad, bitter joke.   Rather than helping Job, his three friends have rubbed salt in his wounds. What people may perceive is something like, "If you were smart like me, you would understand your problem too, but since you're too dumb to get it, I'll explain your problem and give you a solution." We need to be careful about how we give advice. 

Rather than amazing insider knowledge, Job says that what his friends have expressed is common knowledge in all creation and in all ages. In contrast to the cynical "With you all wisdom will die" (v. 2), Job says everyone and everything knows this.

Job concludes his opening by asserting that God is the One who "causes it to happen." No one can resist His actions, and He often reverses circumstances."

"Lord, help me to restrain my advice and not become bitter in my pain. AMEN."

Job 11

Job 11:1-20

With a friend like Zophar, Job has no need for an enemy. As the harshest of the three friends, Zophar believes he possesses all the solutions, yet he delivers them as stinging condemnations. While some of the principles he espouses are correct, his application is brutal. Zophar even implies that Eliphaz and Bildad failed to reach Job because they did not silence or rebuke him sufficiently. He represents the "angry religious person" who rants against perceived evil, thinking that venting will solve the problem.

While Job asserts that his suffering is disproportionate to his sin, Zophar argues the opposite, claiming that Job actually deserved worse. In verse 6, the phrase "wisdom is double," or "wisdom and justice are double deep," is another way of saying that there is a deeper wisdom behind the known wisdom.

Zophar then speaks about the incredible depth of God’s wisdom. This presents a challenge we still face today: false teachers often mix accurate information with falsehoods. Zophar’s description of God in verses 7-12 is beautiful and accurate, yet it illustrates how truth can be misused to lead others astray.

Regarding Zophar’s advice and motivation, he insists that Job must repent of the "secret sins" in his life to end his suffering (v. 14). Zophar promises that if Job does this, he will prosper, reinforcing his belief that peace and wealth are the ultimate proofs of righteousness.

"Lord, protect me from mixing truth with my own misguided opinions. AMEN.

Job 10:1-22

Job 10:1-22

It isn't difficult to see why Job’s friends are offended at his speeches. If we heard the word of chapter 10 on YouTube from an atheist, we would likely be distressed. There is a great lesson for us in verse 1, where Job is pouring out his emotions. When we hear a rant or an aggressive proclamation of an atheist today, we need to consider the backstory and emotions behind the words.

Emotions, for all their value, are seriously unreliable, and they rarely offer good guidance. Demonic powers can and will manipulate how we feel. How many times have people justified their flirtations and affairs by saying, "It feels right"? While our culture tells us that we need to fully vent our emotions and “let it out," that may not be an effective response to our pain. The best response is somewhere between denial of emotions and letting them run wild. 

Job brings three emotional outbursts that, to be honest, are harsh and scandalous. First, in vs. 1-7, Job claims that God is no better than man. He says that God, with the perception or eyes of a man, is looking for any excuse to be vindictive. In verses 8-17 Job claims that God built him up or made him for no purpose other than to pull him down. In verse 15 he specifically claims that if he has sinned, then he deserves his misery, and even if he is innocent, he can’t stand up for himself. Rather, he is overwhelmed with disgrace and misery. To stand up in his innocence is an invitation to be hunted. Finally, in v 18-22, he claims it would have been better if he had died as an infant. To say "It would be better if I had never been born" does not sound too harsh to us, but in fact, he is saying that God made a mistake. He was saying that God was wrong in giving him life. In the second line of verse 29, Job is saying life is better without God. 

When faced with these kinds of brash, harsh, and reviling statements toward God, we need to realize God exists and that we don't need to defend God and that we can’t reason a person out of an emotional state. For the next 27 chapters Job and his friends argue and reason and accomplish nothing.

"Lord, help me to listen to those in pain with my ears, mind, and heart. AMEN

Job 9:1-35

Job 9:1-35

Our understanding of our God shapes our entire worldview. Even if we have never carefully, diligently, and systematically examined and applied what we believe. Our personal theology will always shape us. Job, in this passage, expresses two concepts of God that define his relationship with God and the universe around him.

He begins by acknowledging that in broad generalities he agrees with the statement of his friends; they are, after all, operating from the same general worldview. But there are two expressions of his deeper convictions that we need to notice and reflect on to see if we share these concepts.

The first is in verse 4: ‘God is wise of heart and mighty in strength.' The orderly system and the perfect balance in nature are testimony to the wisdom of God. Job lists several expressions of what God can do in His creation. From removing mountains, which may reflect massive earthquakes, to stellar observation, God's power is observed in things that are beyond comprehension and without number. Job's understanding is shaped by his belief that God is mighty. But his second understanding of God is equally important.

In verse 16 we see a sad expression of negative faith. Faced with a being of absolute power, Job is convinced that his best course is to appeal to God for mercy. No one can stand up to God either for himself or advocate for another person. In the second line of verse 16, we see how Job's understanding of God leaves him helpless and in despair. Job's appeals to God are not heard or at least not heard sympathetically, or so he believes.

So here is Job's situation: the Almighty, who can't be resisted, is out to get him. And with all the mighty power, he afflicts this poor man. Job feels that the suffering is disproportionate to any evil, but he also believes that God will not hear his appeal for help. Job's concept of God shapes his worldview, and it is not a pretty picture. 

“Lord, help me to understand You so I can understand the universe you have made. AMEN”

Job 8:1-22

Job 8:1-22

Bildad engages in a sort of circular reasoning: “Your suffering is proof of your guilt. God punishes wicked people, and you are an example and proof of that principle. " Bildad was so completely convinced of his worldview that he could not fathom any other explanation.

He begins by calling Job a windbag and saying God never perverts justice and Job's loss is proof of divine displeasure. He even goes so far as to say Job's children got what they deserved. For Bildad, prosperity is a perfect and an inerrant barometer of God's approval.

Bildad offers a ray of hope. He says if Job repents of his evil, God will restore him. It sounds good on the surface: “...implore the compassion of the Almighty..." What could be wrong with that? Bildad advises Job to look at the history of the ancients, and there he would find people who would agree with Bildad's assertions. Bildad offers several examples or parables to support his opinion. Papyrus or reeds are lush and green, but when cut off, they dry up. Spiderwebs offer no support, and even houses can fall down. His last illustration is of a tree that sinks deep roots, even holding to rocks, but if removed, it too will die, and other plants will take its place as if it were never there.

But there's a problem with Bildad's position. First he assumes an absolute cause and effect between hidden sins and hardships. Second, and more dangerously, he presents God as a means to an end. In effect, he is saying, "Job, if you want the good stuff, get with God, and He will make it happen for you." He goes so far as to say that in this new situation Job's blessings will be greater than they were in the past. Verse 20 sums up the position that only the righteous are blessed and only the wicked suffer. So Job can get what he wants. For Bildad God has become a means to an end. 

"Lord, help me never treat you as a means to an end. AMEN"