Doctors Bury Their Mistakes Series

Job 13: 1 – 28

Doctors Bury Their Mistakes

1 “Behold, 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 reason with God. 4 But you forgers of lies, you are all worthless physicians. 5 Oh, that you would be silent, and it would be your wisdom! 6 Now hear my reasoning, and heed the pleadings of my lips. 7 Will you speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for Him? 8 Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God? 9 Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man? 10 He will surely rebuke you if you secretly show partiality. 11 Will not His excellence make you afraid, and the dread of Him fall upon you? 12 Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes, your defenses are defenses of clay. 13 “Hold your peace with me, and let me speak, then let come on me what may! 14 Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hands? 15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. 16 He also shall be my salvation, for a hypocrite could not come before Him. 17 Listen carefully to my speech, and to my declaration with your ears. 18 See now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated. 19 Who is he who will contend with me? If now I hold my tongue, I perish. 20 “Only two things do not do to me, then I will not hide myself from You: 21 Withdraw Your hand far from me, and let not the dread of You make me afraid. 22 Then call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, then You respond to me. 23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. 24 Why do You hide Your face, and regard me as Your enemy? 25 Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry stubble? 26 For You write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. 27 You put my feet in the stocks, and watch closely all my paths. You set a limit for the soles of my feet. 28 “Man decays like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.

There is a famous quote that says, ‘when the world gives you lemons, make lemonade.’ Studying the book of Job is heavy stuff. At a minimum it puts you in a serious pensive mood.

In today’s study we see a very interesting quote in verse 4 – ‘But you forgers of lies, you are all worthless physicians.’ So Job, why don’t you tell them what you really think of them.

Now before we begin our in depth look at this awesome scripture perhaps it would be good to somewhat lighten things up a bit. Here are some lighthearted quotes regarding our interactions with doctors;

. Did you hear about the guy who lost his whole left side? He’s alright now!

. The best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can't ask his patients what is the matter-he's got to just know.

We also need to beware of doctor’s uttering these phrases during surgery

.Darn ! Page 47 of the manual is missing!

Better save that. We'll need it for the autopsy.

Could you stop that thing from beating; it's throwing my concentration off

The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993

Even serious issues of life can be laughed at. Yet, as it is said often – ‘now back to the real world.’

Looking up medical statistics I came across a study in a issue of the Journal of Patient Safety that says that between 210,000 and 440,000 patients each year who go to the hospital for care suffer some type of preventable harm that contributes to their death.

That would make medical errors the third-leading cause of death in America, behind heart disease, which is the first, and cancer, which is second. These problems can be listed in categories;

Receiving the wrong diagnosis

• Being given the wrong medication

• Having an allergic reaction to a medication

• Receiving treatment that led to more complications of an existing medical problem

1 “Behold, 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.

Job here expresses his resentment of the unkindness shown to him by his friends. He lets them know that he understood spiritual matters as well as they did and did not need to be taught by them.