JOB- When Life hurts!
Theme of the Book: How should righteous people suffer?
Key Verse: Job 3:26 "I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest, but only turmoil.
Key Word: Trials
Outline:
I. Prologue Job’s test 1:1-2:13
II. False comfort of his three friends. 3:1-31:40
III. Elihus’ speeches 32:1-37, 24
IV. God’s discourses 38: 1-42:6
V. Epilogue - Job’s restoration
(Unger, 213)
Historical background: Poetic Book - Unger
Introduction:
Job is the oldest book in the Bible. Genesis was not written first, but Job. The time described in Job fit the Patriarchal period of the days of Abraham 2,000 years before Christ. Many believe that the author is Elihu who penned this drama shortly after it occurred.
Job is not a book of answers but rather a revelation of human experience. Job is an everyday man facing circumstances of which he has no control over. They are ordinary life tragedies of human life. Norman Vincent Peale notes:
Everyone, at one time or another, suffers a crisis, or even a defeat. “You can’t win them all, “ someone said. What, then, do you do about the challenges you don’t win? What about the harsh defeats that come? Physical defeats, for example, when you have trouble with your health, when your body begins to give up on you. What do you do about pain, sorrow, suffering, and hardship? What happens when you are defeated in some objective, or in some ambition? Or when you see that some fond hope, cherished for years, is not going to be realized? What happens when life seems to flow away from you, rather than toward you; when things get mixed up and become unhappy; when you are having trouble with yourself, and trouble with everything else? What do you do? The greatest measure of a human being isn’t how he handles himself when things are going well, but how he handles himself when things are going badly, when defeat comes. The attitude a person has in defeat is a great issue in life, for it determines whether one is able to overcome difficulties and be victorious again (In God We Trust, Nelson 1994, page 5).
Job gives us insight into not the why, because we all face trials in life. Friend there are no exceptions to this reality. Job was penned for us to convey insight into how to handle the tragedies of life. It also reveals how to help others who are suffering and teaches what not to do as counselors and care workers. The focus of the book is not on the why Job suffers but how Job handles adversity. Norman Vincent Peale adds this thought:
What are you going to do with defeat? Are you going to let it defeat you? Or are you going to make it a positive, creative experience from which you can extract much know-how and wisdom and from which you will gain strength to proceed? The individual who has placed at the center of his thinking the wonderful affirmation, “I can do all things through Christ” can recover from any defeat and can handle any situation (7).
T.S. The First part of our series will look at how not to counsel our friends and others in time of trouble. Next week in part 2 we will explore “How righteous people should handle suffering” But today lets look at the three friends of Job and learn what not to do to someone who is suffering. (Job. 2:11)
Information adapted from Johnson’s book on Job.
I. ELIPHAZ THE BLAMER & SHAMER friend of Job (Job 4, 5)
A. After Job’s inner cry of despair and his release of his pain. Eliphaz responds to Job’s honest despair.
1. Listen to Elipaz’s response to Job in 4:6-9. Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope? “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed?
As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.
At the breath of God they are destroyed; at the blast of his anger they perish.
2. He is declaring, "God is angry with evil people and He destroys them, but the innocent are spared." (Johnson, 32).
a. Basically he accuses and blames Job for all his problems. Your the blame, Job, because God lets good guys win and bad guys always lose.
b. This philosophy promoted by Eliphaz is still around today. It’s premise is that acceptance by God is based on one’s performance or works.
1.) Job knew he was not worthy and at one point cries out for an mediator. (9 :33,34,35).
33 If only there were someone to arbitrate between us,
to lay his hand upon us both,
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,
so that his terror would frighten me no more.
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.
2.) The religious legalist is always there to tell you that the bottom line to acceptance from God is you keeping the rules, regulations and laws.
1. You better watch out because lighting will strike you on the head if you make a mistake.
2. If you have problems as a Christian its all your fault!
B. Eliphaz the blamer misses God’s nature and Grace.
1. We need to know and remember that God deals with
us today, not on the basis of our "works" or "performance" but on the premise of His Grace.
2. Job is right. We all deserve death. No one is righteous.
a. Eph. 2: 8, 9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
b. II Cor. 5:21
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
3. Johnson states, "All this is given freely. All of the doing, working and trying for salvation that can be done has been accomplished for us by Jesus. That is grace." (34)
4. Let me ask you are you a finger pointer when your friend is in despair?
a. Do you make a person feel guilty and add a little fear to the guilt?
b. There are Christians who are shame-sellers motivating driving others by using this methodology and philosophy.
c. There are spouses who attempt to control each other by shame-selling, blaming and using God as their judge.
d. People try to make excuses for God and life’s tragedies.
a. I once had an evangelist tell me that a friend of mine die because he had no faith. Yet I knew this man had great faith. Share about Kathy and Dave.
b. Also share about what happened to Leo who refused to go to the doctor.
c. Friends do not make excuses for God! Jesus told us there would be hardships in this life.
i. John 16:33 “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
ii. Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
e. We need to understand that we cannot control our life 100%. Things will happen. Bad things will happen in this life. Troubles will come our way. The message of the book of Job is “How will you respond to heartache and trials?”
C. Eliphaz does, however, offer some sound instruction to Job. (Job 5:8-17)
1. Johnson states, "Obviously, these are good words. Is Eliphaz, wrong? No, but yes. They are right words and good teaching, but they are used for the wrong reason, to shut Job up. What Job wants is to unburden himself, to war out his pain." (36)
2. This friend felt uncomfortable in Job’s own pain. He wanted Job to say, brothers, I’m sorry I should not have opened up my inner pain."
3. Job, however, responds back to Eliphaz’s moralizing blame game preaching. (Job 6:4-7?)
T.S. Friend number two enters the heated argument.
II. BILDAD, THE ANSWER MAN (Chp. 8)
A. You sinned, your children sinned, therefore, you got what you all deserved. (Job 8: 2,-7)
2 “How long will you say such things?
Your words are a blustering wind.
3 Does God pervert justice?
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?
4 When your children sinned against him,
he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.
5 But if you will look to God
and plead with the Almighty,
6 if you are pure and upright,
even now he will rouse himself on your behalf
and restore you to your rightful place.
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
so prosperous will your future be.
1. Bildad is screaming like the coaches of U.S. gymnastics team back in late 90’s Olympic games, "Suck it up and deal with it and do it this way.”
2. If you did it right by following the formula you would have been fine.
B. Bildads the one, two, three do this solution guy to all life’s problems.
1. He gives Job the magic formula to correct Jobs crisis and many problems.
2. "But if you will."
a. Look to God.
c. Plead with the Almighty. (Pray)
d. Be holy and righteous.
(Johnson, 51, 52)
3. Note Job 8: 20, 21)
20 “Surely God does not reject a blameless man
or strengthen the hands of evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with shouts of joy.
* He says, “Job, God does not cause suffering to the man who follows the heavenly formula!”
4. Say “Holy, molly, rolly, polly, Abra Cadabra” Then, presto! You’re restored and all is better.
C. The problem here is Bildad’s counseling, is oversimplification.
1. His philosophy is, "the good always prosper and the bad always suffer." Such teaching does not weigh all the facts and even plays God.
i. A reality check here helps us understand that life is usually more complicated and simple answers do not usually cover all troubles in life.
a. James 1:2 states, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”
i. Once again the Scripture tells us we will suffer troubles in this life.
b. Dr. Freda Crews tells us that there are four kinds of suffering in this world.
i. Deserved- This type of suffering comes from a result of our own sin, and selfishness.
1. Example: We have an affair with another person and it costs us our marriage.
ii. Undeserved (Innocent)- This is when you are the innocent party and someone commits a crime against us or an abusive act against us.
1. Could be a generational curse of some kind!
2. It could be some else’s sin affects our life.
3. It could be we are persecuted for being Christians.
4. It could be for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
iii. Avoidable – This type of suffering is one where we can control whether we suffer or not.
1. If we make wrong decisions on something.
2. If we choose to allow others to abuse us.
iv. Unavoidable- This type of suffering is where things happen to us that we have no control over.
1. A car runs a stop light and hits our car causing bodily injury.
2. A tornado hits our house.
3. Our house burn down because its struck by lightening.
c. To be able to help someone God’s way we need address the different types of suffering differently.
i. We need to encourage those suffering to accept unavoidable suffering in this life.
ii. We may also need to allow suffering to do its work in peoples lives. To teach them to avoid what caused their pain.
iii. We may have to teach people how to make right choices to avoid some suffering.
iv. We may have to encourage some to embrace their suffering because it is from God.
1. They may have to acknowledge that it’s allowed by God for some unknown reason and they have to wait on God to come through in the future.
a. Why some die early and others later.
b. Why some have health problems.
2. They may have to believe what God says about standing up for what is right and deal with the repercussions from a fallen world and evil forces at work in the world.
a. This has to do with being martyred for the Gospel.
b. This has to do with being persecuted for being a Christian.
2. Johnson notes, "Not having the problem, Bildad has the answers. (52).
3. This is the quick fix technology of American life today.
4. We believe our answers lie in scientific human formulas.
a. Concept here is "Self Help without God".
1. Application: Johnson notes, "It is not that the formula is faulty, but what we are counting on, what we can do to make a change. We just have to get it right. The truth is IT NEVER WORKS, HE, GOD WORKS." (53)
a.) Note Phil 2:12, 13
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
b.) We need to stop trusting in ourselves to be the ultimate problem solvers and look to God.
1.) Johnson notes: "When we stop looking to some strength in ourselves, Jesus gently makes changes." (53)
2.) Enter Job’s, response. He agrees with the formula and teaching but not with the application of his circumstance. (Job 9) (Matt. 11:28) 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
T.S. Enter friend #3, Zophar
III. ZOPHAR, THE BULLY AND EXCUSE MAKER FOR GOD. (Job 11)
A. Zophar is not the brightest but full of emotion. He heeps his "guilt bombs".
1. Johnson’s Key here, "How weak are our attempts to "help" God or defend His ways. We are false witnesses when we pretend that what ought to be, is." (65)
2. Job. 11:3
3 Will your idle talk reduce men to silence? Will no one rebuke you when you mock?
3. Job 11: 6, 11, 12
6 and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.
11 Surely he recognizes deceitful men; and when he sees evil, does he not take note?
12 But a witless man can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born a man.
4. Job here is blasted by Zophar. He puts Job in the front of the world places a dunce cap on his head which reads, "Inferior, rejected, and judged by God."
a. Zophar is the emotional Judge of God.
b. He is the one who lacks empathy for others. He is right, period! And if you don’t agree, look out, the bully goes into action.
B. Job’s response to Zophar is classic. Note Job 12:2,3,
2 “Doubtless you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you!
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things?
In essence he says, "Don’t talk down to me."
1. His response then becomes general. Job 13:4
4 You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!
a. He accuses the three of whitewashing God and His actions.
b. He then gives them sound advice in 13:5a "be silent."
c. He continues to admonish all three not to "lie for God."
1.) Johnson states, "We know far more of ’lying for God’ than we care to admit. Some display phony miracles, they are invented healings, religious promoters, embellished victories; we indulge in spiritual sounding boasting. "Neat" answers that attempt to defend God’s ways or make Him look good, are put forth by His misguided servants. What a small God! Does He need our lies? If we reduce God to this, it should scare us to death." (70)
2.) Job was able to deal openly with God and his friends with honest feelings, and God accepted him. Yet he was angry with his friends. Job 12: 7a, 8b
7 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you.
Conclusion:
In the last Chapter, Job is blessed and vindicated by God. We need to remember that Job had none of the New Testament teaching of God’s grace, yet this book reveals that he knew that God loved him. He knew that God was not an ogre, but a free giving and forgiving loving God.
The point to learn here is this:
Trials will come your way but remember, God loves you and He will bring you through. What we need to do is to go through the trial and carry the attitude and response appropriately. When others are going through trials and tribulation we need to respond to them appropriately.
