Alexander Maclaren wrote in his “Expositions of Holy Scripture” “The close of the book of Job must be taken in connection with its prologue in order to get the full view of its solution of the mystery of pain and suffering. Indeed the prologue is more completely the solution than the endings; for it shows the purpose of Job’s trials as being, not his punishment but his testing.” “So we have the grim thing lighted up, as it were, at the two ends. Suffering comes with the mission of trying what stuff a man is made of, and it leads to closer knowledge of God, which is blessed; to lowlier self-estimation, which is also blessed; and to renewed outward blessings, which hide the old scars and gladden the tortured heart.”
I love that.
As gold is purified by fire, so a good man is tested and purified by trial.
Was it unjust for God to allow Satan to test Job?
We look at the miserable and painful events that came to Job and we feel pity for him. We think, “How could a loving God allow this?”
But God had the end in mind even before the enemy ever thought of attacking him. God knew the heart of Job. He knew that Job was a good man. He said to Satan, “Have you seen my servant Job?” My servant. God knew that Job loved Him, and would continue to do so even if everything was taken away from Him. And He knew that in testing Job, Job would come to love and trust Him even more.
I am quite sure that if we could ask Job today if he regretted going through the trial, his answer would be a resounding, “No!”
If you belong to God, if you have given your heart to Him, if you have trusted Jesus and asked Him to be your Lord and Savior, don’t ever believe the lie that God is angry at you if you are going through hard times. He uses the fire to purify you and bring you into a more intimate relationship with Him.
I’m not talking theory here, my friend. I’m talking from experience. My wife and I have had many heartbreaking and painful events come into our lives over that last several years, and I am here to tell you that both of us are closer to each other and closer to God than we have ever been. Our faith has been strengthened, and we have a much sweeter and richer understanding of the love and power and faithfulness of God than we ever did before.
The book of Job is one of the greatest gifts God ever gave to us, and I will be forever grateful to Him for it.
I hope you’ve gained more of an appreciation for this book, and will be encouraged if you are now going through the fire, or when you are tested by our Heavenly Father.
Twice in the first two chapters God referred to “my servant Job”. And then four times in two verses in this final chapter. I pray that God will say the same about you, and will say when you meet Him face to face, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
It’s easy to think of this scene with God’s awesome, booming voice rumbling and shaking everything around for miles as He speaks out of the storm. And maybe it did happen that way. He can be a fearsome God.
But I like what the commentator F. B. Meyer wrote: “Divine power and human ignorance. When the storm had ceased and the thunder was hushed, a voice spoke out of the golden splendor of the sky. Job had challenged God to answer him and now he is taken at his word. We recall Horeb’s ancient cave, where, after wind and earthquake, there came a sound of gentle stillness. “Gird up now thy loins,” said the Eternal to Job. In later years, under similar circumstances, the Spirit entered Ezekiel to strengthen him. Surely some such strengthening was forthwith given the patriarch!
“A sublime series of questions is now addressed to him, not by a God of judgement and wrath, but by a Father arguing and pleading with his child and pointing out two things: first, the inability of mortal man to understand the way of God; and second, the minuteness and tenderness of God’s providence. Job had thought of him as remote, but he is near and is ordering all things wisely and lovingly. Can he forget his child?”
Job had surely been through the wringer. He was weak of body, mind and spirit. I don’t see God coming at him with anger or judgement. He certainly didn’t need to intimidate Job with awesome displays of power. I agree with Meyer. I think He talked to Job as a loving Father, pointing out that the questions Job asked had answers that were beyond his understanding. This is an oversimplification, to be sure, but God’s answer, in its essence is, “I am God. You are not. Trust me.”
Remember the last episode, Hebrews 11? The topic was faith. And that is what God is emphasizing to Job here. “Job, do you have faith in me? Then trust me.”
Dark and painful times come to each of our lives. Sometimes we raise our eyes to Heaven and as, “Why, God? Why?” And more often than not, all we get in reply is silence. …. There is no revelation, no sudden insight that offers an answer. Just silence. And then, if you linger with God a while longer, you might hear His still, small voice say, “Do you trust me?”
What do you say? I have learned to say, “With all my heart, Lord.”
Elihu had several good things to say to Job. I especially liked this from chapter 35, verse 10. Elihu said: He is the One who gives us songs to sing in the night.
In our darkest hour, when all seems lost, when we turn to Him and are reminded of who it is that we rely on, and His power and grace and glory, we can sing songs of praise and worship because we know that God is on the throne. I know this because I have been there. I have lain in my bed in the middle of the night, and have felt His presence and poured my heart out to Him, and felt His peace settle over me. And it is in those times when He gives us songs to sing.
During Elihu’s discourse, Elihu pointed out some errors Job made in his statements, but he did not attack Job’s character unlike Job’s other friends. Job in his suffering did say some untrue things about God, and Elihu addressed those things. He reminded Job that God is God, and Job is not. That’s a good reminder, and one that I am all too glad to embrace. I don’t want the job!
Elihu shows restraint and wisdom in waiting to speak until the others had exhausted their arguments. But since Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar’s statements and responses to Job were off the mark, in Elihu’s eyes, he could be silent no longer.
In chapter 33, Elihu tells Job that God tries more than once to talk to a person, and His purpose is to bring them into a relationship with Him. He uses various ways to communicate, from dreams to our conscience, other people of God, illness, healing, and other methods. And then Elihu gives Job a chance to respond, or stay silent while Elihu continues.
In chapter 34, Elihu says several good things. He’s actually become a sort of mediator between Job and the other three, and between Job and God.
One of the things he says is that God is not unjust in his dealings with man, and that if afflictions have come upon Job, then it is for his own good. It’s not that he has necessarily done something wrong, but only that God has a reason.
Elihu says that we are not able to understand all that God does, but that God is almighty, righteous, He has complete control over the affairs of men, and He is wise.
These are all true, and there is no accusation against Job in anything that he says, except that Job misspoke, because of his affliction, in accusing God of being cruel and unjustly out to get him.
Even though Elihu is the youngest of the group, so far he has made good contributions to the conversation. There are three more chapters of Elihu’s words coming up, and then God speaks.
Job covers a lot of area in these three chapters. He remembers what life was like before his afflictions came. He speaks of the horrible physical, emotional and spiritual pain he is in, and he wraps up by again proclaiming his innocence.
Speaking of his pain. I’ve never experienced anything near the physical pain that Job suffered, but I have gone through a few excruciating episodes. I have a back that every once in a while decides to lay me out. The pain can be so bad that I need help to stand up.
And I’ve had bouts of kidney stones. Oh my goodness. Talk about excruciating. The first time it happened to me, I didn’t know what was going on. I thought I was dying. I went to the ER and of course they knew right away what was going on, and they gave me a shot of morphine.
Now, I’m not a drug user, so you’d think that morphine would have an effect on me, right. Nope. It did nothing to ease my pain. So they gave me another hit. After a few minutes, the pain went from a ten to maybe a seven. But they weren’t going to give me any more morphine.
I tell you this to say that when I’m in really bad pain, my personality has a tendency to shift just a bit. Instead of the nice guy that you’ve come to know and love here on the show, I can get…shall we say…snippy. And my normally sunshiny disposition changes to gloom. I’m sure I’m going to die at any moment.
I’m a terrible patient.
So given what Job was experiencing, I don’t think we can really hold against him the accusations he made against God in the 30th chapter. Job said God had become cruel toward him, that He used his power to persecute him, and so forth. Of course we know that the attacks on Job came from Satan, and even Job (when he was in his right mind) knew that God was his redeemer. But Job had come to the end of his rope.
As Job begins, in essence he says that no matter what, his friends’ accusations against him will not wear him down. As long as he lives, he will maintain that he has been a man of integrity.
Have you ever been in an argument or debate with someone who just won’t give it up, and you finally just say, “Fine! Have it your way!” just to get them to let it go? Job is not prepared to do that in this case, because the argument is over his integrity. One’s integrity is worth defending, especially if the people attacking it are people who matter to you.
The last thing he wants is to be thought of as unrighteous. In this translation, the word used is godless, but in the King James it is hypocrite, and Job considers this to be the worst condition a person could be in. And of course it was the religious hypocrites that Jesus spoke most loudly against.
It should be said that at this point, Job is seen as taking the upper hand with his friends. He is now taking the role as an instructor, and he is telling them how it is instead of defending himself.
And so he tells them that he agrees with their point that the ungodly will be judged by God, and all their supposed gains will evaporate and their sins against others will not stand. But he tells them that God’s judgement is not always immediate, that it can take time for their consequences to come down on them.
I was actually having a discussion in this vein just last night with my former pastor. I mentioned on yesterday’s show that he spoke at my church last night. During his message, he was remembering a couple of his closest friends who have now gone on to be with the Lord. The three of them had a habit of going to coffee every morning, and Pastor Bennett was saying how much he missed those mornings, and he liked to think that his two compandres were waiting for him to join them in Heaven so that they could resume their morning ritual. The two of his friends have been gone now for about 8 years, and I told Pastor Bennett that whenever their reunion takes place, it will seem as if no time at all had passed, because our time on earth is really just a flash when compared to eternity.
And so the time that we perceive between when the unrighteous do their evil deeds and when the consequences come is really no time at all in God’s perspective. We don’t perceive time like He does. One thing is sure; sin always has consequences. God is just, and He will make things right.
I’m so glad that this is true, because the world has seen an awful lot of ugliness. But the victims of that evil will be made whole. We are told in Revelation 21:4 that God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.”
That is a promise that every believer can rely on. Throughout history, God has proven Himself faithful. He always delivers, he never fails. And this promise is made to those who put their trust in Him. It’s a part of the gift that is offered to anyone who makes the choice to take a new direction in their life, instead of the direction that inevitably leads away from God and toward the consequences of wrong choices and living for one’s self instead of the One who offers life.
We all make wrong choices, but we don’t have to face the consequences if we decide to accept God’s gift that is made available through Jesus, who lived His entire life without making one wrong choice. When we accept that gift, the Bible says that the perfection of Jesus is credited to us. It’s a gift. We don’t earn it, we can only just receive it. And it is offered to every person, not just the “good” person, or the “bad” person. Not just the educated person or the uneducated person. Not just the rich or not just the poor. It is offered to all. Because every one of us need it, if we want to see God. Jesus came that none would perish, but that all would go in a new direction.
As Job continues his response to Eliphaz, who has said that evil people are quickly judged in this life, Job restates that evil people often continue in their evil and victimize the needy and weak. And they live their lives with apparent impunity to the judgement of God. But, Job says, God is watching, and then He does take action and they are cut off.
When, in chapter 25 Bildad speaks for a third time, he talks about how true and awesome God is. And he thinks he is saying something that Job does not know and needs to hear.
But in chapter 26, Job’s response is basically, “Duh! Tell me something I don’t know. Your words are no help to me.” And then he gives a much more eloquent description of who God is and the majesty of His power.
At this point, Job is fed up with his friends that have spoken. They have done all they could to convince Job that he must have done something to deserve what has happened to him, and he has steadfastly held that he is innocent. But there is one who has come to visit Job who has not yet spoken. We will soon hear from him.
Then Job will speak again, and the finale will begin in chapter 38, when God Himself speaks. Believe me, you won’t want to miss that.
We already know that much of what Job’s friends have said to him have been ill-conceived and hurtful. In chapter 22 today, part of what Eliphaz had to say is being said by some very popular preachers today. And the message is just plain wrong, not to mention destructive to some people’s faith.
Eliphaz’s message to Job was this: Make up with God. Confess your sins. Then your life will have peace. Then you’ll get everything back that you lost, and you’ll be rich. If you say something, it will come to be. You’ll never have any more problems.
This is a terrible message because it just isn’t true. Having an easy life or getting rich has never been the reason the Bible gives to follow God. As a matter of fact, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The apostle Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
David, of whom God said, “a man after my own heart” feared for his life when King Saul was chasing him.
There are many more examples of godly people in the Bible who faced difficult situations. And many scriptures that tell us that we can expect troubles, but that God will be with us *through* those times.
When any preacher tells you that all you need is faith, faith and more faith, and that by that faith you will magically be healed, drive a big fancy car and live in the finest neighborhood, he is lying to you to line his own pockets. And I shudder to think of how many people have turned from God because this kind of faith doesn’t work. Preachers like this look good and they sound good. And there a people every where looking for a way out of the poverty or who are sick or who just want an easy way to the top who fall for the lies.
When you hear this kind of message run, don’t walk to the nearest exit. Find a place that teaches the entire Word of God, not a place that cherry-picks.
The last time we heard from Job, he had asked his friends to pity him, give him words of comfort, understand how much he was suffering.
But it’s obvious from Zophar’s words here that he heard none of that. He was so upset by Job’s assertion that he really had done nothing to deserve what’s happened to him that he heard nothing else. And he continues his point that it is wicked men who suffer the things that have come upon Job. He ends his speech with, “This is a wicked person’s lot from God, their heritage decreed by God.”
When Zophar is through, Job asks his friends to have patience and listen to him without interrupting. He’s in pain physically from the boils all over his body, and he’s suffering emotionally because all of his children have been killed and his wife has even turned away from him. His spirit is broken because he feels like God has attacked him with no reason. So he is weak and it’s hard to speak, and he just wants his friends to listen and let him say what he has to say. And then when he’s done, then they can continue to mock, if they so desire.
He counters Zophar’s speech about the fate of the wicked by saying that the wicked often do very well, even to the day they die. They have good lives. They see their children grow and prosper. They mock God.
But the wicked and the good both end in the grave.
He ends by saying that they have failed in their efforts to comfort him, and that their words are full of lies.
Not long ago we read through the book of Ecclesiastes. When we started reading it, I suggested that you withhold judging its message until we got all the way through it. The same thing needs to be said here. We are exactly halfway through the book of Job with the completion of chapter 21. So hang on until the end before forming any conclusions.
In chapter 18, Bildad comes at Job once more, and tells him that wicked people will suffer all sorts of calamities here on earth and in the afterlife, with the implication that Job is obviously guilty of some sort of wickedness since he is in such a bad state.
Job’s answer is heartbreaking. These are supposed to be his friends, and yet they insist on tormenting and crushing him with their words, when they should take pity on him and speak words of comfort. Job tells them that if he had done something wrong by mistake, it is up to God to deal with him.
And he says that not only have these friends mistreated him, but everyone, even his own wife has turned from him. But even in his deep despair, Job says, “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives!”
As David said in the 23rd Psalm, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me…”
Job does not know why he is going through this trial, and he has no way of knowing how or when it will end, but he has not lost faith in God.
Listen, God is always with the faithful. We live in a world that is suffering the effects of sin. Cause and effect. And the effects of sin go out like the ripples on a pond. The ripples spread out in all directions, and everything in their path feel their effect. It is not just bad people who feel the consequences of sin, everyone does.
What makes this reality bearable is knowing that God is real, and He can and does take the worst circumstances and turn them into something exceptionally good. In Job’s case, his season of suffering has taught untold generations that holding on to faith makes all the difference, and that just because you are suffering does not mean that God is not there or that God is mad at you.
God is NOT mad at you, whoever you are. God loves you and he wants you to know that. He wants to have a relationship with you, and He has done all the work to make that happen, through His son, Jesus. Job said even before the Messiah had come that he knew that his Redeemer lived. He said that because of his faith. We know now who that Redeemer is. It is Jesus, the Redeemer of anyone who will call on him and put their trust in Him.
Alexander Maclaren wrote in his “Expositions of Holy Scripture” “The close of the book of Job must be taken in connection with its prologue in order to get the full view of its solution of the mystery of pain and suffering. Indeed the prologue is more completely the solution than the endings; for it shows the purpose of Job’s trials as being, not his punishment but his testing.” “So we have the grim thing lighted up, as it were, at the two ends. Suffering comes with the mission of trying what stuff a man is made of, and it leads to closer knowledge of God, which is blessed; to lowlier self-estimation, which is also blessed; and to renewed outward blessings, which hide the old scars and gladden the tortured heart.”