Dei Time

Job’s Story Concludes

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Job 42:1 – 17

Job finally answers God with words of repentance. What does Job understand at last? That God has reasons for what He allows that we can never understand, and that whatever the reasons may be, they are always righteous. Job had been angry at God, believing that there was no possible reason for his suffering. Job was convinced that only his own actions could affect what God did in his life; his senses could not move beyond the physical reality of his own situation. Only God knew that Satan had attempted to win a battle against the Lord, and that Job was a hero of sorts, having remained faithful to God as God knew that he would.

God works His will in many ways. He used the Egyptians to save the descendants of Jacob through Joseph's unjust enslavement. Several times He used the power of nature to protect his people. He used the dominance of foreign armies to bring His people to their knees in order to pick them up and bring them to Himself again. Cyrus, an unbeliever, was inspired by God to free the Jews and send them back to their homeland and Jerusalem.

God's love for each person in His creation never flagged, but his plans for the creation as a whole were unfathomable to Job and are unfathomable to us. Oh, we know that Jesus will return and take us to His side on the day of resurrection; and that in the end Satan will be destroyed, but we know comparatively nothing of God's will or His precise plans for His creation. We will be surprised and amazed when we finally see Him and understand the many ways that His love for us has worked miracles in situations that we could not see while in the midst of them. Or, even while we enjoy them! After all, God works in everything that happens in our lives, even the good times!

Next time: Many Songs

God Replies

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Job 38:1 - 41:34

Suddenly, God comes to Job with His answer. What were Job's thoughts as a mighty wind hit and the voice of God sounded? He may have expected his death, but God gives education instead of condemnation. He is like a loving father who knows that the time has come to set a teenage child straight. His first statement implies that Job has made God's plans seem unjust or unfounded. His second tells Job to stand up and take it like a man, for God's questions are about to begin.

God is not happy with Job. We almost have to feel sorry for him at God's precise sarcasm. In 38:21 it is as though God really were telling a teenager the truth that he hasn't been around long enough to know all that he thinks he knows!

In the first two chapters of today's reading we relate to Job's fear and embarrassment at God's questions, while at the same time feeling excitement at the description of God's work. We are awed and reassured at the expanse of God's power, his presence everywhere and in all times, and his all-knowing nature. How can we fear any threat when we serve the God who has done all that is described here?

By the beginning of chapter 40, Job must have been hoping that God was through so that he could get away from this spotlight of attention that he had been so sure that he wanted. But God isn't done with him yet, and demands a reply to His questions. Job can do nothing except close his mouth (something that he had invited his "friends" to do earlier). Verse 14 is great—God says that if Job can do all of the things that God has described, then God will admit that Job can be his own savior. Though written thousands of years before Jesus' birth, we can sense the true salvation that will come from God alone.

Chapters 40 and 41 describe God's power over the mightiest creatures known, and then God challenges Job to explain how he can challenge God if he cannot challenge the creatures that He has created and controls. We have to wonder how Job will answer.

Next time: Job's Story Concludes

    

Elihu Confronts Job

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Job 35:1 - 37:24

In Chapter 35, Elihu turns specifically to Job. Does he think he is more righteous than God? Does he dare wonder why he should bother to do good? Does he rant because the Almighty has not yet answered his question?

Elihu goes on to describe the power and majesty of God and to warn Job to remember who God is and to honor Him. This lad forcefully answers the men gathered together.

Five men arguing about who God is; whether or not He is just; and which of the five is the wisest (or loudest). Of course there is a purpose to the telling of this incident in Job's life. In reading it we have come face to face with many of our own doubts and questions. God is about to speak to the five and will set them all straight as to His authority over all things.

Watching all of this from the sidelines may serve to remind us about what we can, or cannot, do when tragedy strikes the people for whom we care. Job's questions could not be answered by the wisdom of man. Did he really need the answers right then? Did he need his friends to jump at him with explanations? Or did he need only their compassion?

As Americans we all have a little desire to be in control; to be able to fix, or at least understand, everything that happens in our lives.

As Christians in an unfriendly culture we also tend to be judgmental of most people, except ourselves. After reading Job, though, perhaps we sense that the homosexual dying of Aids doesn't need to hear that he's a sinner as much as he needs to hear that God loves him. Maybe the unwed mom-to-be who is considering abortion needs a friend who is willing to care and provide alternatives more than she needs to hear that abortion is evil. And when a friend is hurting and asking God "WHY?" maybe all we can do is hold them tight and say that we don't know either.

Next time: God Replies

Friends Grow Adamant

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Job 32:1 - 34:37

In the days of both the Old and New Testaments a man had to be at least thirty years old before he was considered mature enough to be listened to in any matter of importance. Elihu now enters the discussion. Though immature according to custom, he has had enough of this argument in which each side seems only to be able to repeat their own assumption over and over. Now they have exhausted their words and are too angry to speak anymore. Elihu sees his opportunity and steps in. He is almost as frustrated as the others.

We have all been in a similar situation, standing along side a discussion that's going nowhere but down. Frequently we may note that neither side is making much sense. Their opinions have become hardened along with their heads. What we can see as the obvious solution to the argument seems to be totally out of sight in the discussion going on before us. What a temptation to step in while the others are getting a breath and say, "I know this is none of my business, but have you thought of…."? True, the tactic may not often be welcome, but we can identify with Elihu's sudden outburst.

Elihu also reminds us that when we argue, especially in front of the younger folks that we think should respect our opinions, we should keep our minds as open as our mouths. If anger dominates our discussion, or if reason flies in favor of sarcasm, how can an observer sense anything to respect? Elihu is beginning to speak his mind and will continue for a number of chapters. Will he say anything that hasn't already been shouted?

Next time: Elihu Confronts Job

    

What is the Good Life?

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Job 29:1 - 31:40

In these three chapters Job recites his view of what his life has been like. Since Job was indeed righteous, we can believe that his description is pretty accurate. So why do his words have a ring that isn't quite right to us as Christians? There is a tone of expectation in Job's words. He has lived his life righteously and had expected his reward to be a comfortable and peaceful existence. It is part of his now-changing belief system.

I once knew a mother who lived a life dedicated to God. Then she lost her teenage son in a tragic car accident. In her grief she turned away from God instead of toward Him. In her eyes, God had failed to keep her son from dying even though she "prayed for him every day". She proclaimed that she would never trust God again.

It is wrong to assume that living a "good" life guarantees us an easy path. "Pray it and claim it" Christianity seems to think that we control God; that He is in a box to be used as needed.

As Job and his friends each proclaimed in his own way, God is unfathomable. He does not operate as we do. He does not cause evil in our lives. We don't know why some really bad guys seem to go through life without a care, while some wonderful people have lives filled with tragedy.

What we do know is that God's love is unending. He never rejoices at our suffering. On the contrary, He understands. John 11:35 says, "Jesus wept." Jesus taught us that God cares. He brings hope in the midst of our suffering. The mother I mentioned earlier turned her back on the God in whose arms her son found eternal joy; Who would never have chosen to leave her in pain. So far, Job has chosen to remain faithful to his Lord, even though he is completely baffled by his suffering.

Next time: Job's Friends Grow More Adamant

 

A Righteous Man Describes God

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Job 25:1 - 28:28

How much longer can this debate go on? Job's friends persist in trying to convince him of three things, two of which are true. God is almighty and can punish sin as He sees fit. God is so far above man that man cannot stand before Him on his own righteousness. But the third point, that Job has lost his prosperity through sin, is false. That is made even more obvious by Job's description of God in chapter 26.

In chapter 27 Job again refuses to temper his integrity. He knows that his suffering cannot be caused by his wickedness. He does not have the answer, but he knows that God is just and he knows that he is just in God's eyes.

As Christians we know that God made Job righteous, and that in defending his own integrity, Job was also defending the truth about God to his friends. Today Christians are beset with "friends" trying to correct their view of God. A few of the "instructions" given in our own culture include: all faiths are equal and that all lead to God; Christians are wicked if they attempt to proselytize members of other faiths. If we, unlike Job, lower our heads in apology for thinking our own beliefs to be superior, what message does that convey about Jesus' death as payment for our sin; what does it say about our belief in Jesus' statement that no one can approach the Father except through Him? The world says that there is no "truth" except what an individual believes to be true. If we consent to this statement, what does it tell others about our belief in Jesus' claim that He is the Truth?

Job's speeches at times seem filled with contradiction. In his heart he knows that what he believes about God is true and he will not give up that belief in the face of challenge. He does not always speak the truth well, and he is questioning God's actions in his heart, but he cannot deny God's right to do as He pleases. He defends God in the midst of his own quandary because he cannot deny Him.

Next Time: What is the Good Life?

The “Obvious” Begins to Crumble

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Job 22:1 - 24:25

Eliphaz' circular reasoning forces him into false accusations against Job in order to maintain his position. Eliphaz' concept of justice is that the righteous prosper and the evil suffer; God cannot deviate from justice; therefore Job must have committed terrible sins in secret (some of which Eliphaz lists (22:5-9). There can be no other answer. The problem with his reasoning is twofold. First, as a friend of Job Eliphaz would have been aware of such obvious sin. Second, God stated at the beginning that Job was a righteous man in His sight.

The premise of Job's story is difficult for us to understand because we know that no person can be righteous in God's eyes by living a sinless life. But note that Job does not say that he is sinless. Eliphaz and the other two "friends" seem to equate righteousness with a lack of sin. Job, on the other hand, has shown that he does not believe that righteousness is accomplished by complete sinlessness. He sees his righteousness as a result of his trust in God, his sacrifices and prayers, and God's mercy. The idea that righteous men live by faith is not restricted to the New Testament.

In chapter 23, Job replies to the weakening claims of his "friend". Job asks the question that has always troubled believers. Why do the innocent suffer at the hands of the wicked? Even if the wicked will eventually fail and die, why are they allowed success at all? In Job's time the question was even more baffling because there was little understanding of the afterlife.

Heaven and hell, glory and suffering after death, were all real, but not yet clearly understood. Most Old Testament believers thought that all went to the same place after death, a place called Sheol. They thought that there the departed spirits existed, but without any sort of ability, knowledge, or happiness. It was a pretty dreary place. Even in Jesus' time, His teaching on the resurrection of the dead was mocked by the Sadducees, who did not accept the idea of a resurrection at all.

Next Time: A Righteous Man Describes God

A Suffering Job Still Trusts

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Job 19:1 – 21:34

In 19:25-27 we see Job's faith at work. He longs to see his "Redeemer"; the one whom he believes is attacking him. He is reminiscent of the three men in the book of Daniel who faced execution in King Nebuchadnezzar's furnace. Professing that their God would protect them from the king's furnace, they added that even if they died there, God would still be their God.

Part of Job's distress undoubtedly lay in his love for God. What had he done to anger Him? Nothing! That was the concept-changing dilemma that Job faced. If God did not always grant the righteous a pain-free life, then Job's beliefs had to change. His friends' beliefs had to change. For the first time in his life, Job had no answer to "Why?"

Job says that if his friends will only listen to him, that will console him. So far, they have listened to him only impatiently, eager to correct his words. It is hard to imagine any situation in which these three could be of help.

Even when an unrighteous person suffers accusation is rarely a means of drawing that person to God. Successful prison ministries show compassion to the inmates, trying to meet their needs. They demonstrate God's grace to people condemned by their own deeds. They offer the hope of God's forgiveness.

Jesus met thousands of unrighteous people (for we all are). For those who hated Him, His words were harsh; but His ministry to those who sought hope was filled with grace and forgiveness. His gospel was honest. He did not excuse sin, but neither did He condemn a sinful life as hopeless. He offered grace, love and forgiveness.

Job's friends offered the sinner nothing but condemnation—and death without God. Instead of offering outstretched arms, they wagged an outstretched finger, blaming Job's sinfulness (refusing to accept his righteousness) for his dilemma.

In response, Job points out that the wicked often do just fine in this world. They are "successful" to the full, praised for their goodness and charity. (Today, they might become stories for the "Biography Channel".) Job is beginning to see this contradiction to his former belief, telling his friends that this is evidence proving that their words are false (see Job's words beginning at 21:7).

Next time: The "Obvious" Begins to Crumble

Still Surrounded by Accusing Friends

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Job 15:1 – 18:21

Eliphaz attacks Job again, telling him that his own words prove that he is a sinner suffering as all evil men suffer. No longer does he give Job the reassurance that he is a righteous man with only small imperfections being cleansed by God, and a prosperous life will soon return. In Eliphaz' mind Job has become a criminal suffering his just reward.

Eliphaz says that Job's questioning and doubting of God is undermining piety.

At times some Christians seem to make the same accusation. In reality, we all doubt occasionally; at times we all become angry or frustrated with God. That's when we need God the most, turning to Him to ask Him to help us to be more trusting and more faithful to Him. Faith that is never challenged, or questioned, or doubted, or honestly discussed, cannot grow because it is kept silent and unconsidered.

Job again accuses his friends of being no friends (16:2-3)! If the situation were the other way around, he would comfort rather than reproach them.

Verse 19 speaks of Job's intercessor in heaven. He may be thinking of his innocence as his defender, or perhaps he is thinking of God, who is just, all-powerful and all-knowing. In the NIV, verses 20 and 21 sound as though Job is still speaking of this intercessor, but a better translation would be: "My friends are my scoffers; My eye weeps to God.  "O that a man might plead with God as a man with his neighbor!"

At the beginning of chapter 17, Job notes that only God can protect him from his unjust accusers. They may hope for reward from God for their proclamations (vs.4-5), but Job knows that their "reward" will be the judgment from God that they will receive in due time.

As Chapter 18 begins, Bildad continues his debate with Job. Unlike Eliphaz, Bildad does not accuse Job of endangering piety. Bildad attacks Job on a personal level. Bildad's words could be paraphrased, "Stop lashing out at us, and stop your personal pity party; the world is not going to stop just because you aren't happy with the way it is being run!" He then describes the horrors of a wicked man, implying that Job must be wicked and should expect trouble for his rebellion.

Next Time: A Suffering Job Still Trusts

 

Job Meets God in Court

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Job 13:1 - 14:22

Job wants to argue his case with God, not with his incompetent friends. How dare they claim to speak for the Almighty! Job continues to set up the scene of a trial before the Judge; he just isn't sure how one goes about it. The correct terminology is all there in his mind and mouth, but how does one meet God in court, and does he want to? In verse 12 Job chastises the friends again, telling them that their words are meaningless platitudes in the reality of his situation. Verses 14-16 show that Job still trusts in the goodness and justice of God, though he is far from understanding it. His hope is still strong that if he goes to God, everything will work out, even though he approaches God defending his own goodness.

Job has consistently demonstrated confusion and fluctuating emotions. He wants to hear God's charges, but he wants God to leave him alone. He hopes in God, but he is sure that God will kill him for a sin uncommitted. In some way the arguments of Job's friends have helped him make his decision. Unsure before, he now is eager to take his case to God and face the consequences. Perhaps he believes that he has nothing to lose except his life, which has become "like a garment eaten by moths." (13:28)

Job points out to God that man (speaking mostly of himself, but including all people) has only a short life, which is itself controlled by God. Man cannot even make himself clean, so why bother with his punishment? Why not let him live in peace?

In 13:13-16 Job professes his determination to wait out God's anger; until He misses him and calls him back into His presence. Job says that terror brought by God is irresistible. He does as He pleases with a man and then takes his life. However, in all of his frustration, fear, anger, and confusion Job still wants to be in God's presence. There is no cursing of God, only questions. Are we sometimes like Job in that we can be angry and confused about what God permits, yet long for nothing as much as to be with Him and understand His ways?

Next Time: Still Surrounded by Accusing Friends