Job 23-24, Where is God?

Where is God? Where is God when I'm in pain? Where is God when I have questions? Where is God when the wicked oppress the needy? Where is God when the unrighteous are successful? Where is God when I need him?

If you're a person who has lived a life of faith for any time, you have found yourself asking these questions. Job asks these questions as well in Job 23-24. Again we find that doubt and struggle with our faith is not confined to those of us who are "weak" or "young" in our faith, but also to those of great character and experience who had walked with God for a long time.

In Job 22 Eliphaz told Job that he was a sinner, that he had turned from God in his heart, and if he would only repent then everything would be okay. In other words, same old, same old from Job's friends. Job is going to follow up in 23-24, lamenting his current state and refuting Eliphaz's arguments yet again. Please read along in the Bible...or here...or here.

Job 23:1-7 - Where is God? Why won't he hear me? Why can't I find him? Sometimes I throw little funny pictures or comments in here, but it just doesn't seem appropriate for this heartbreaking section of verses. Job is pouring our his heart before God. He's broken. He's searching for God. He wants to find God so he can find an answer for the suffering he's had to endure. "Today also my complaint is bitter; my hand is heavy on account of my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat," (2-3) He wants to find God and ask, "Why?". "I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know what he would answer me and understand what he would say to me," (4-5). Job is still confident that if he could present his case before Him, that God would vindicate him as a righteous man, (6-7).

Job 23:8-17 - Job's inability to find God and his despair at God's sovereign and mysterious will. Boy, I don't think anyone can relate to this section, right? I mean no one has struggled with the hidden will and purpose of the Almighty, right? Well that's where Job is right now. "Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him," (8-9). Job despairs at being unable to find God to answer his questions. He despairs at being lost in his "why" questions. I know you and I have been there too. We've found ourselves alone, in pain and in doubt, crying out for God to show himself and to care for us. We've all experienced being alone with our questions. Why does God work this way? I don't know. Job despairs at the mysterious will of God.

"But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind. Therefore I am terrified at his presence; when I consider, I am in dread of him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me," (13-16). 

Yet throughout all of this, Job holds fast to his integrity. He knows he has not sinned against God. He knows there is no evil in his life to justify the pain and loss he has experienced, (even as his friends keep stating the opposite). "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold," (10-12).

Job 24:1-12 - Where is God in the presence of unrighteous oppression? Job had despaired at the hiddenness of God's will in the previous chapter. (Yes, "hiddenness" is a word. Look it up). Now Job's despair has led him to cry aloud at the hiddenness of God in the face of oppression on the earth. This is also the beginning of a rebuke of Eliphaz's idea that evil men do not prosper on the earth. "Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him never see his days?" (1). In other words, why don't we see God judge sin in the world? "Some move landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them. They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow's ox for a pledge," (2-3). Not only do the wicked exist, but they ruin the lives of the poor and needy. "They thrust the poor off the road; the poor of the earth all hide themselves...They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold...From out of the city the dying groan, and the soul of the wounded cries for help; yet God charges no one with wrong," (4-12, selected). Job's not only asking, "Where's God for me?" but also, "Where's God for the poor and oppressed? Why are the poor oppressed by the wicked? Why doesn't God show up and help them? Why is there so much suffering and injustice in the world?"

Job's friends had confidently stated that the wicked are judged on the earth and that God swiftly punishes the guilty for their sin. Job looks at his life and the world around him and says, "That's not so." In our day all we have to do is turn on the six o'clock news to see that things are not right in the world. There is injustice, oppression, poverty, evil, and war. Evil men invade countries. Poor people are wronged. Justice is perverted. Where is God?

Job 24:13-17 - Where is God in the darkness of evil? "There are those who rebel against the light...the murderer rises before it is light, that he may kill the poor and needy...the eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, saying 'No eye will see me'...they do not know the light...for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness," (selected, self explanatory).

Job 24:18-25 - Job confronts and rejects an expected response from his friends. Job knows his friends are going to counter his arguments, so he will acknowledge it and then respond to their arguments ahead of time. This is a bit of a tricky passage. Some translations read this differently. My understanding is that the original Hebrew is a bit hard to interpret. I'm going with the ESV translation because it appears to match up with the flavor of what Job was saying in the passage. Then again, I may be wrong here. My advice to you is to read it on your own and come to your own conclusions. But since you're reading my blog, I'll give you mine. Read along in the ESV if you want to see what I'm reading.

"You say, 'Swift are they on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the land...Drought and heat snatch away Sheol those who have sinned," (18-19). Job expects his friends to respond with the same comments they have made previously. Now he counters in 21-25, tell his friends they are wrong. "They, (the wicked), wrong the barren, childless woman, and do no good to the widow. Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power...He gives them security, and they are supported," (22-23). Ultimately, Job sees that the good and the wicked all live and die alike, so what is the point? Then he challenges his friends to disprove him if he is wrong. "If it is not so, who will prove me a liar and show that there is nothing in what I say?" (25).

Job spends this chapters crying out at the seeming "hiddenness" of God. He not only asks, "Why God?" but also, "Where are you?" "Where are you why I cry out for help? Where are you when the wicked prosper? Where are you when there is injustice and oppression in the world? Where are you in my pain? Where are you when the wicked murder, corrupt, destroy, and mock your righteousness?" We have asked those questions too in cuddled up in our beds, alone with our tears. Job is not so fortunate to get answer in these chapters, either from God, (who will respond eventually), or from his friends, (who are morons). But it would be rude of me not to offer some Biblical perspective here.

The world is not as it should be. God did not make the world with suffering, sickness, despair, evil, corruption, and oppression. God made the world perfect, safe, pure, and whole (see Genesis 1-2). Man, from the very beginning, has rejected God, his ways, his authority, and his kind and holy instructions about life, love, righteousness, and what is good (see Genesis 3 until Revelation, which is a rather large reference, don't you think?). This is why Christians describe the world as fallen. It is not as it should be.

And God is not silent or aloof. Job asked where God was in the midst of his broken life and the broken world around him. What Job didn't know is that one day God would enter the world as a man, Jesus Christ. He would live on this earth, faithfully obeying the Father's will, and bringing the goodness of God into this fallen world. He healed the sick, touched those who were unclean and cared for the poor. He also taught the beautiful truth God's Word, instructing the simple, correcting the proud, and revealing the will of God to all. Ultimately, he was tortured and killed on a cross, convicted of crimes he had not committed. He died and rose again from the grave. Where was God? God was in Christ. He stepped into this fallen world, bore its sorrows and wickedness, and paid the price so that men might believe on him as a Savior, be forgiven of their sins before God, and restored to a relationship with their Creator.

The Lion will return. 

Finally, the world is not as it will be. One day Jesus is coming back. The world is going to be restored to as it was before the Fall. Those who are not believers in Jesus Christ will receive the appropriate judgment for their sin. The wicked will no longer oppress the needy. The poor will no longer be have no advocate for their suffering. The corrupt will no longer deceive. Evil rulers will no longer trample on the weak. There will be a king, Jesus, who will rule forever in righteousness and mercy. Job didn't know this. Maybe you didn't know this either, but now you do. How are you going to respond?

In the meantime we ask "Why?" and "Where?", but one day we won't have to.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, or crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away," (Revelation 21:1-4).

Amen.

Job 21-22, Job, Chickens, and Arguments

Wait, I don't have what? 

Have you ever been talking to someone and they have this great idea? Everyone is going to love their idea, according to them. And then you ask a question, which seems totally obvious to you, but completely exposes some flaw in their thinking? It'd be like if I had this great idea to sell chap-stick to chickens. And I'm just so excited because the chap-stick chicken market has never been approached before and I'm just guaranteed to make millions of dollars. Everyone else has chap-stick, so why not chickens, right? But then you look at me and say, "But Travis, chickens don't have lips." To which I would be like, "Oh...right?" That's kind of what's about to happen in the next chapters of Job.

All of Job's friends have been saying that people only suffer in this life because of their sin. They've also said that the wicked never prosper in this world. Instead, God wipes them out because of their evil. Ergo, according to Job's friends, Job must have sinned or else he wouldn't be suffering because the righteous don't suffer. Well ole' Job is about to pull a "Chickens don't have lips" moment on all of his brilliant friends. As always, please read along in your Bible or genius phone application.

Job 21:1-6. I am tired of you guys and I'm tired of God not answering me. "Bear with me and I will speak, and after I have spoken, mock on," (3). Job is sick of his friends and their attempts to answer him. He wants to be answered by God and is impatient for his reply. "As for me, is my complaint against man? Why should I not be impatient? (4). Now Job is going to shift to totally destroying his friend's arguments. Batter up...

Job 21:7-16: The wicked prosper and die in peace. Why? These verses (7-16) require little interpretation, so I'm going to offer you a special T.J. Hendley modern day paraphrase. Compare this with the Bible to see if I'm on target:

"You have said the wicked are wiped out by God and the unrighteous suffer for their evil. Why then do I see wicked men live long on the earth, experience prosperity, and get to bounce their grandchildren on their knees? Why do wicked men live in safety from destruction? Why do they have success in business when they lie, cheat, and steal? Why are their children safe from danger and sickness? Why do they make successful movies or gross music videos that mock what is moral and good? Why do they get to rule over countries while their people suffer in poverty? All of this happens while they abandon God and his ways."

Job 21:17-26: Job doesn't see the wicked suffering like his friends describe. "How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity comes upon them?" (17). Job says the wicked don't suffer on earth like his friends have stated. Instead of the wicked being destroyed by God they thrive on this earth. Why? "You say, 'God stores up their iniquity for their children.' Let him pay it out to them, that they may know it...For what do they care for their houses after them, when the number of their months is cut off?" (19, 21). Job confronts the rationale of his friends who say that God brings punishment on the children of the wicked. To Job, that seems stupid. If God is going to punish the wicked, why doesn't he just punish the actual transgressor, rather than letting them die in peace and punishing their children. In verses 22-26, Job says there is no consistency in the death of the righteous or wicked. Some of them die in prosperity and health while others die in poverty and bitterness. "One dies in his full vigor, being wholly at ease and secure...Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted of prosperity," (23, 25). Job destroys his friend's faulty assumptions. He says the wicked are not treated in accordance with their deeds. I think you and I, as we look around in the world around us, would agree with Job. What goes around doesn't necessarily come around to the wicked. Karma doesn't play out in our world, (where good people get what's coming to them, etc). The righteous aren't always blessed and the wicked don't always suffer. Sometimes very nice chickens get made into chicken sandwiches. It's not fair, I know.

Mmmmm...Chick-fil-a Chicken Sandwiches...Where was I? Oh yes, Job.

Job 21:27-34: Job preemptively strikes down an argument of his friends. Job knows his friends are going to respond by saying, "Oh yeah. Show us a wicked man who is currently living in prosperity and wholeness. Tell us where he lives?" "For you say, 'Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?" (28). So he's going to nip that argument right in the bud. "Have you not asked those who travel the roads, and do you not accept their testimony that the evil man is spared in the day of calamity, that he is rescued in the day of wrath," (29-30). Job says, "Ask around. People everywhere know wicked people who are doing quite well." Like I said previously, wicked, immoral, and violent people sometimes live long and healthy lives. They are not immediately killed by a giant chicken for their sin. They aren't wiped out by God, as Job's friends contend. We see it all around us in the world we live in. Job says it was evident in his day as well.

So Job has just exposed a flaw in the statements of his friends' arguments. Now Eliphaz is going to respond in chapter 22.

Job 22:1-11: I'm not going to respond to your destruction of my arguments. You're a dirty rotten sinner, Job!
That about sums it up. This is a known tactic in arguing. If you can't win your position, just attack the other person's character, (this has been known to happen in politics quite often). Eliphaz is not going to answer Job's argument. He just doubles down on Job's sin. In fact he gets pretty nasty. "For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and stripped the naked of their clothing. You have given no water to the weary to drink...You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed," (6,7, 9). Did you see an answer to Job's contentions? Me either. Maybe he'll provide one in the next section...but I don't think so.

Job 22:12-20: Your motives are corrupt, you have rejected God in your heart. Eliphaz attacks Job's motives, stating that inwardly he has turned from God. "But you say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?...They said to God, 'Depart from us,' and 'What can the Almighty do to us?" (13, 17). Did you see any answer to Job's refutation of their arguments from the prior chapter? No? I still don't see one either.

Job 22:21-30: You should repent, Job, and all will be well, (blah, blah, blah). We've heard all of this before. Job's friends still contend that Job had sinned because suffering only comes upon the wicked, and if he would just confess and repent before God then all would be well. "Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you...If you return to the Almighty you will be built up...then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver...You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you," (21, 23, 25, 27). Never mind the fact that Job was a righteous man in whom they could find no sin. Never mind the fact Job had exposed the lie in this argument in the previous chapter. Never mind the fact the wicked sometimes prosper and are not wiped out by God or that sometimes the righteous get cancer, get defrauded, or suffer needlessly.

This is what happens when you argue with an ignorant or unthinking person. You get the same old arguments that ultimately prove nothing. Job finds himself there now. He has illustrated how the wicked don't necessarily suffer in accordance with their sin. We know this as well. His own life has illustrated how the righteous sometimes suffer without just cause or explanation. We have seen this in our world too. Job continues to seek God to answer why he has suffered so much in his life. He still hasn't heard an answer from God or anything intelligent from his friends. Job will continue to cry out "WHY?" So do we when we're in pain. We know every difficult thing in life is not necessarily equated with God's judgment, so we struggle to understand God's purpose in our pain and loss. Unfortunately we're not going to find an answer from Job's friends. Eventually God is going to answer Job's "why" questions. Stay tuned.

Job 20, Where we skip Zophar, (Yay!) and I ramble instead, (Uh oh!)

Today's pictures are dedicated to meat.

"Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: 'Therefore my thoughts answer me, because of my haste within me. I hear censure that insults me, and out of my understanding a spirit answers me," (Job 20:1-3).

Travis' translation, "What you've said bothers me, Job. I'm about to respond to you." In the South, instead of going saying all of that we'd just say, "Baloney", or in Spanish, "Caca del Toro". Is anyone else tired of hearing the same old stuff from Job's friends? It's okay, you can admit it. I'm sick of it myself. They keep saying: "Job, God only punishes the wicked. Bad things only happen to bad people. Now listen to me as I ramble on for another 15 verses saying the same thing in different ways, yada yada yada." I know, I know. It's getting old. Can you imagine how Job feels at this point?

Have you ever watched someone on TV who is arguing some position, (whether it be related to sports, politics, etc), but all they do is keep repeating the same old talking points over and over again? It makes you want to pull your hair out, right? Unfortunately that's where Job finds himself right now and that's where we find ourselves having to listen to and read this from Job's friends over and over again.

So why do I do it? Why do I keep coming back to each chapter and, as accurately as I can, go through what is being said, even if it comes across as boring and overly redundant? For that matter, why should we struggle through hard or boring passages of the Bible? Why not just skim over it? Why don't I just summarize long portions or chapters of the book for you and tell you what it says? I seem like a smart and somewhat nice guy, right? You'd be willing to trust my thoughts on the Bible, right?

It's okay to admit that some or lots of the Bible is hard to read and quite possibly, boring. I'm not naming any names or books for you, but they might rhyme with ShLeviticus and CaNumbers. Don't even let me get started on the difficulty of a book that rhymes with BubRevelation. So why shouldn't we just read nice Christian books on Bible related topics instead of struggling through the Bible for ourselves? There are reasons I have toiled over each chapter of Job in an effort to faithfully understand and explain what is going on. They are the same reasons why you and I should take our time and energy to work through the Bible, even the boring or difficult parts.

Reason #1: Jesus. Most everybody seems to like and respect Jesus, even people who don't like Jesus' followers. So what did Jesus think about the Bible? Jesus said that every word, "every jot and tittle", of the Bible is true and cannot be broken.

"For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished," (Matthew 5:18).
"If he called them gods to whom the word of God came--and Scripture cannot be broken--" (John 10:35).

It is said that about 2/3 of the recorded words of Christ in the Gospels were either direct or indirect quotations of the Old Testament. When Jesus was staring down Satan's temptations in the desert his only answers to Satan's questions were quotations from the book of Deuteronomy, (Luke 4). When Jesus was dying on the cross he quoted Scripture. When he spoke with the Pharisees he quoted from the Bible. When he spoke to common folk he quoted the Bible. You get the idea. Jesus believed in the truthfulness of the Scriptures and they were deeply ingrained into the fabric of everything he did and every word he spoke. He knew the Bible. It was very important to him. My point is that if it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for you and me. As one pastor has said, "I never argue with men who rise from the dead."

Not for Jews.

Reason #2: There is no other revelation from God. The Bible is the means by which God has revealed himself, his Son, and his truth. There is no other provision from God, to man, but the Scriptures. There is no mystic who can reveal the truth of God. There is no other document given, that reveals God's truth. There is no man who has heard voices who will reveal the plan and purposes of God. God has given the Bible as a means of knowing truth, knowing Him, and knowing his salvation. God has not given Christian literature, no matter how good it may be, as a primary means of knowing Him or His will. God has not given experience or feeling as a means of knowing what is true. God has given his Word, and we are foolish to neglect it.

Reason #3: It is the Scriptures that bring about changes in your life and mine. What does God say in the Bible about the Bible? "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ." "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a lamp to my path." "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

We thank thee, O Lord, for Colonel Sanders.

What are the people of God commanded about the Word of God?
 "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus...preach the Word," (2 Timothy 4:1-2). "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth," (2 Timothy 2:15). "But this is the one to whom I will look; he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word," (Isaiah 66:2). "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).

Reason #4: We are meant to think for ourselves, not let others do the thinking and work for us. Paul praised the Bereans in Acts 17 because "they were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so," (11). You are not meant to digest what some other person teaches and simply accept it as fact. You and I are meant to examine what we hear to see if matches up with what God has said. That is why I try to explain what I think and why I think it in the book of Job. I want you to see what I'm thinking and why. I don't want you to just accept what I say. I want you to examine the Scriptures to see if these things were so.

Self explanatory.

We struggle through difficult and sometimes even boring parts of the Bible because it is THE revelation he has given about himself, his truth, and his salvation. He has given no other Word or revelation. We know what is truth because he has told us in the Scriptures. We know about his Son Jesus because we learn about it in the Scriptures. It is the tool by which we know God, grow, and are protected from evil. So even though some of Job is hard and repetitive, we must continue to struggle on and work through it. All the while we are trusting that God will use his Word to transform our hearts and minds.

So we skipped Zophar today, (Yay!). Next time we'll come back to Job in chapter 21. I thank you for allowing me a little interlude and explanation for why we struggle through these chapters. God bless.

Job 18-19, Bildad and Job, Round Two

Have you ever seen the movie Rocky? It's the story of a down on his luck boxer that finally gets a chance. He ends up fighting the heavyweight champion of the world. Rocky then goes on in Rocky IV to end the cold war after beating a nine foot tall Russian, but I digress. Today we think about Rocky II, when Rocky fought Apollo Creed for the second time, (SEGUE WARNING), just as Job is about to debate with Bildad for a second time. Yo Adrian!

In the last section Job debated Eliphaz again. Eliphaz, having exhausted all of his words and ultimately saying nothing, (he must have been a politician), now gives way to Bildad. As always, please read along in your Bible or your telephono inteligente. Ole!

Job 18:1-4 - Bildad is angry at Job for rejecting the words and wisdom of his friends, (which have been spoken with such gentleness by the way). He feels as if Job, by rejecting the wisdom of his friends, is treating them as if they were stupid, (no comment). "Why are we counted as cattle? Why are we stupid in your sight?" (3). To Bildad there are some absolute truths Job is rejecting; these truths are as certain as gravity and the rising of the sun. "Shall the earth be forsaken for you, or the rock be removed out of its place?" (4) So what are these absolute truths?

Job 18:5-20 - An absolute truth of life, according to Bildad. Bildad goes into a rather lengthy explanation here. Let's see if we can pick out the theme of his speech.

"Indeed the light of the wicked is put out, and the flame of his fire does not shine...Terrors frighten him on every side and chase him at his heels...He is torn from the tent in which he trusted and is brought to the king of terrors...His memory perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the street...Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous, such is the place of him who knows not God," (selected verses). 

An absolute and unshakable truth of life, (according to Bildad), is that the wicked are destroyed by God and do not prosper on the earth. This is as plain as the blueness of the sky and the tastiness of a Hot Kripy Kreme doughnut. Therefore Job must accept that God is punishing him for his wickedness and just move on with life. There can simply be no other explanation for what is happening. Suffering only happens because of sin.

Does what Bildad say match up with reality as you've seen and experienced it? Do murderers always get found out and punished? Are greedy swindlers always convicted? (Consider Washington D.C. and Wall Street before answering). Are dictators and cruel oppressors quickly overthrown or killed? Does their memory perish from the earth and do they have no name in the street? (Do you remember Stalin, Ghengis Kahn, Hitler, Pol-pot, etc?). Do the wicked "have no posterity or progeny among his people"? I seem to remember Fidel Castro's brother taking over Cuba and Kim Jong Il's crazy son taking over North Korea. Was that true for slave owners all over the world who prospered for years in the slave trade? Was that true of the Catholic church during the Spanish Inquisition when they either drove out or killed hundreds of thousands of Jews and Muslims?

No. Bildad's words ring hollow. Bildad's idea that people who do evil are justly punished in this life is faulty. You know it, I know it, and Job knew it. We all experience or have witnessed injustice and corruption in this world on a daily basis. Whether it be someone taking 15 items in the 10 items or less line, (jerk), a bully messing with your children at school, or a killer getting off in court. These people don't immediately get the Bubonic plague or have their eyebrows catch on fire. The wicked sometimes prosper. Sometimes they live long and healthy lives. Suffering in one's life is not an automatic indicator of God's judgment. Neither is prosperity in this life and indicator of God's favor, by the way.

So Bildad ends his second speech without saying anything too helpful, (and we are all surprised). If this was a boxing match, he would be the equivalent of Glass Joe. Now Job responds. Cue the "Eye of a Tiger" theme music.

Job 19:1-6 - Job's rebukes his friends and God for their unjust attacks upon him. "How long will you torment me and crush me with your words?" Job is obviously tired of his friends' commentary and attacks on his integrity. He still retains that he is innocent and his sin is not the cause of his suffering. Then Job boldly states that God has wronged him by the way he has treated him. "Know then that God has wronged me and has closed his net around me," (6).

Job 19:7-12 - Job describes how God had unjustly treated him. God has not answered Job's pleas for justice. "Behold I cry out, 'Violence!' but I am not answered; I call for help, but there is no justice," (7). He then continues to list things God has done to him, as evidence of God's injustice. "He has...he has...he has...he breaks...he has...his troops...they have," (8-12). Job is listing out the ways he perceives God has wronged him. In the mind of Job's friends, God was treating Job this way as judgment for his sin. In Job's mind, God was treating him as an enemy without any just cause. Job did not think it fair for God to be treating him this way.

Side note: Do you know who are the absolute experts at fairness? Children. Children are the supposedly perfect judge and jury of all things fair. Whenever someone gets the bigger fish stick, they cry out, "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Whenever someone gets a cookie and they don't, they cry out, "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Whenever they have to clean their room or make their own lunch, they cry out, "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" However, children are not very good at the opposite end of the fairness spectrum. They don't consider other children in the world who don't have beds, warm meals, and loving parents to care for them. Is that fair? Children don't consider the amount of presents or desserts other children don't receive. Is that fair? Children don't consider the jobs or restrictions other children have placed on them. Is that fair? Children are experts at understanding what is "unfair" in their own lives, but aren't so good at considering how graciously and kindly they have been treated by those who love them.

What's that you ask? Do I consider how good I have it? Do I ever complain about unfairness? Did I ever act that way as a child? Do I still act that way?...I'm sorry, you don't get to ask those questions. Let's just move on.

WARNING! WARNING!

Here's my point. Job has so far complained that the incredible suffering he has endured did not match up with the righteous character of God or the integrity of Job's life. He had valid concerns. He wanted to know "why" God had treated him this way. But now Job is starting to complain about the justice of God. Personally, I don't think it's such a good decision on Job's part. It's never a good idea to argue about the justice of the sovereign, holy, righteous, perfect and eternal God. Nevertheless, when we're suffering it is hard not to doubt the fairness of God. It may seem to us that God is acting cruelly and out of touch with his character. However, if there was a warning light on Job's dashboard, it should be going off right now. He continues...

Job 19:13-22 - God has also ruined Job socially. "He has put my brothers far from me, and those who knew me are wholly estranged from me. My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me...I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer; My breath is strange to my wife...Even young children despise me." God has treated him unjustly. Men, women and children have rejected him. Where is Job's hope?

Job 19:23-29 - Job hopes in a life after death where he will see and be vindicated by God. Throughout the book, Job has been arguing for his integrity against his friends, and in some ways against God. He believed he did not deserve the suffering he was enduring. "Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!" (23). Job hoped that a record would be taken of his complaint and certainty of his integrity. (If you can't see the irony here then I just can't help you). Then he announced his trust in God's ultimate vindication of his character, even if that vindication came at the end of the world. "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God," (25-26). Did Job know about Jesus? No. Did Job have a clear understanding of the resurrection of the living and the dead? Not really. Remember, this was written around Abraham's time period, when the revelation from God was a bit limited. However, Job trusted that God would one day support and vindicate Job for the life he had lived. Job believed there was a Redeemer for him who would present the truth of his case to God and thus vindicate his righteous and faithful life.

Even if Job didn't get the answer he wanted in this life, he believed God would give it to him in the end. Even if Job was mocked and scorned by everyone around him, he believed God would make things right in the last day. Even if he was viewed as a sinner in this life, he believed God would justify him as a righteous man when he stood before God in heaven, (or his understanding of heaven, anyways). There's a point here for the rest of us. We may not grasp the purposes of God in this life, but one day we will see and understand God's plan. We may not be approved of by people around us now, but we should ultimately looking to the smile of God, the "Well done" in heaven. Life on earth is not easy and not fair, but there is God in heaven to whom we can fix our eyes and trust that one day he will make things right.

Let's close with some insights from Hebrews 11, (right side of the Bible, towards the end):
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation," (1-2). 
"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him," (6). 
"If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city," (15-16). 

Job 15-17, Job and Eliphaz, Round Two

I haven't forgotten about Job. I usually try to write at least two of these a week, but I got sidetracked last week. Life's been pretty busy lately. I was also struggling with the passage and wanted to make sure I had studied it adequately before writing about it. Plus, I'm trying to condense each blog appropriately so that each blog contains one person speaking and Job's response. Therefore this week will be Eliphaz's response to Job and Job's corresponding answer. I'm basically trying to put three chapters of Scripture in one blog. It's rather difficult and I beg your pardon for the delay. That being said, onward and upward! (Cue the Superman theme music).

I'll give you the short version of Job up to now: He suffered tremendously. His friends told him it was because he was sinful. Job knew he was a righteous guy and began asking "Why God?" In the last section Job specifically turned his attention directly to God, fully knowing he was being bold and brazen towards the Almighty and he just might decide to drop a Chevy Malibu on his head. Eliphaz did not care for Job's words toward God and steps in to talk once again. We all await with baited breath for Eliphaz to speak, (sarcasm intended). Please read along Job, chapters 15-17 in your Bible, online, or on your brilliant phone.

Old Chevy Malibu.

Job 15:1-6. Eliphaz thinks Job should have more sense than to talk to God like this. "Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge...Should he argue in unprofitable talk? (1-2). In the last chapters Job announced his intention to present his case directly to God. It was a pretty bold move. Eliphaz tells Job that the way he was speaking to God was irreverent and foolish. "But you are doing away with the fear of God and hindering meditation before God," (4). Wise men, according to Eliphaz, do not speak to God boldly and challenge his ways. Apparently Eliphaz was not familiar with Moses, David, Abraham, and Jeremiah boldly poured our their hearts to God and still lived to speak of it

Job 15:7-13. Eliphaz rebukes Job arrogance in refusing to listen to the counsel of his friends. "Are you the first man who was born, or were you brought forth before the hills?" (7). We, according to Eliphaz, are wise men as well. We're just as old and experienced as you. Why do you stubbornly refuse to listen to what we have to say? "What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not clear to us?" (10). Eliphaz and his buddies are getting a bit frustrated that Job won't submit to the words of brilliance that drip from their tongues like honey, (sarcasm intended yet again). And here, ladies and gentleman, is my favorite verse in these chapters. "Are the comforts of God too small for you, or the word that deals gently with you?" (11). Eliphaz calls the counsel he and his friends have given as "comfort" and "words that deal gently". ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!? These guys have been telling Job he was dirty rotten sinner and God should be treating him worse. If this is what you call comfort, then I'd hate to see you when you're angry. (The same is true of the Hulk by the way).

Job 15:14-16. No man can be righteous before God according to Eliphaz. "What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?" (14). Eliphaz's point is this: 'Job, you say you're not suffering because of your sin. But man is inherently sinful. There must be something in your life that would cause God to treat you this way'. Obviously there is some truth to what Eliphaz is saying. Man is a sinful being and no man is righteous before God. I don't think Job would dispute this. The problem is, Job knows there wasn't an issue of sin in his life to warrant the punishment and suffering he was experiencing. This is why Job cried out for God to answer him and explain why he had treated Job this way. Job did not claim to understand why he was suffering, but he did know the reason given by his friends, i.e. "It's because of your sin", was wrong.
P.S. One has to wonder, if Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar believed what they were saying, then why weren't they expecting God to drop a grand piano on their own heads? Irony abounds.

How Job's friends view God.

I'll go ahead and tell you that the rest of chapter 15 is a bit odd and wordy. If you can make sense of it you're a better person that me, (which isn't saying much, but still). In 15:17-24, Eliphaz describes what happens to the wicked. He provides the basis for his wisdom, which is his own experience and what he has learned from the aged. "I will show you, hear me, and what I have seen I will declare what wise men have told, without hiding it from their fathers," (17-18). Basically Eliphaz says that wicked men suffer all of their lives. "The wicked man writhes in pain all his days," (see I told you so), "distress and anguish terrify him;" etc. (20, 24).

All of this comes upon the wicked, "because he has stretched out his hand against the Almighty, because he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat upon his waist," (25, 27). Basically, the wicked suffer on earth because they've rejected God, selfishly gathered up for themselves, and defied the Almighty. To which I have one question: If that's true, why aren't Hollywood, Las Vegas, and Washington, D.C. burning wrecks of God's punishment? Listen I'm sure there are fine folks in those places, but they represent the epitome of what Eliphaz is describing. The fact of the matter is, which Job has already pointed out, that the wicked sometimes prosper and live long and healthy lives. Evil men don't always get what is coming to them. Sometimes the evil harpy on the Bachelor wins the guy and the diamond ring. Godly people don't always get the promotion. Sometimes good folks get robbed. What Eliphaz is preaching doesn't match up with reality.

Job 15:29-35. Eliphaz ends with more discussion about how awful he believes sinners have it on earth...somewhere Fidel Castro and Kim Jong Il are laughing. The verses speak for themselves. "he, (the sinner), will not be rich, and his wealth will not endure...It, (punishment), will be paid in full before his time...for the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of bribery." Somewhere Hugh Heffner is like, 'oh really?' I am not sure what Eliphaz was trying to convey to Job here. He just comes across sounding wordy. Apparently Job didn't care for Eliphaz's words as we shall see is Job 16.

So what's the point of Eliphaz's rambling in chapter 15. He's upset at Job's rejection of God's punishment, Job's attitude towards God, and his refusal to accept the "comfort" of his friend's counsel. He then ends on a wild rambling monologue about how and why the wicked suffer. What does this mean for you and me? I don't really have any other conclusions except that Eliphaz is a horrible counselor and that he talks too much. Seriously. I wish I had a more spiritual conclusion than that but I don't. I think Job would agree with me that Eliphaz should stop talking.

Job, like Wolverine, is angry. 

Job 16:1-6. Job's response: You guys are lousy counselors. "I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all. Shall windy words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?" (2). Job told his friends that their words offered no help. If he were in their place he would be a much better helper to a friend who was suffering. "I could strengthen you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain," (5).

Job 16:7-17. Job launches into a long statement about how God has broken him to pieces. Here are some verses that will break your heart. I would quote them in their entirety to show the depth and size of Job's anguish, but alas space will not permit it. Still, a lengthy selection is necessary. "Surely now God has worn me out, he has made desolate all my company...He has torn me in his wrath and hated me; he has gnashed his teeth at me...God gives me up to the ungodly and casts me in to the hands of the wicked. I was at ease, and he broke me apart...He slashes open my kidneys and does not spare...he runs upon me like a warrior...My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is deep darkness." Wow! I read verses like this and I feel so unqualified to talk about suffering, pain, and faith in God because I think about people going through difficult divorces, cancer, the loss of a child, the unjust imprisonment of a loved one, or natural disasters. I think of folks like these and I know I don't know the first thing about suffering and loss. Nevertheless, some people understand what Job was talking about and how he felt like God was treating him. Such raw emotion is hard to digest, but there are those out there who understand what he was feeling.

The greatest superhero of all time. Period.

It's worth pointing out that Job did not blame Satan for what had happened, but put the responsibility at the feet of God. Does that mean God is responsible for evil? No. But it does mean God is in charge. How does that make sense? If I could tell you that I'd be a very rich man. We know God is holy. He is without sin. He cannot do evil or sinful actions. YET God is also sovereign over everything that happens in the universe. Jesus said a sparrow does not fall apart from the Father's will. So how do these two contradictory ideas marry? I don't know. It's a Biblical tension we all have to wrestle with. Job knew that God was in control, which is why he directs his comments towards the Almighty. "God has...He has...He has...He broke me...He slashes...He runs upon me," (see verses above). Job rightly understands God is sovereign, (a fact none of his friends disputed, by the way). What he doesn't understand is the God's reason for these events. "Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure," (17).

Job 16:18-7:2, Job asks that even if he should perish, he wants someone to make his case before God. "O earth, cover not my blood, and let my cry find no resting place...that he would argue the case of a man with God...For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return." It's not really clear who the "witness" in heaven would be.

Job 17:3-5. Job's plea for someone to stand with and believe in him. These verses are tricky. Job seems to be asking God to lay down a pledge, or a promise of payment. This would be a bet, or agreement on Job's innocence. Job is having to ask God to do this because his friends did not believe in his innocence. "Since you have closed their hearts to understanding, therefore you will not let them triumph," (4). If nothing else these verses highlight how alone Job is and has no one to stick up for him, believe in him, or plead his case. I reckon many people who have experienced similar suffering have felt the same way.

Job 17:6-16. Job's despair at his rejection by people around him and expectation of a death without any hope or resolution. "He has made me a byword of the peoples, and I am one before whom men spit," (6). Now Job challenges his friends to bring their arguments again, through he expects no wisdom from any of them. "But you, come on again, all of you, and I shall not find a wise man among you," (10). He then says that he thinks he will die with out hope, without light, and without answers from God. "Where then is my hope? Who will see my  hope? Will it go down to the bars of Sheol, (the grave)? Shall we descend together into the dust?" (15-16).

Even superheroes have bad days.

These last two chapters are tough. Job expresses his despair at how God has treated him, his repugnance at the foolishness of his friends, and how utterly lonely and hopeless he feels. Do you know what scares me? Clowns. Do you know what else scares me? Snakes. Do you know what else? The thought that I may one day find myself in Job's position, as a man all alone, abandoned by friends, with questions about God, faith, good and evil and suffering. It's terrifying to imagine myself even close to where Job is right now. I am not sure what I would do. I'm scared to think I would not be strong enough to survive. I am scared to think I would not be strong enough to trust God. This also breaks my heart to know that some people I know either have been or are right now in the same position Job finds himself in these chapters.

If you are in the same sort of situation may the Lord, in his divine and confusing sovereignty, grant you the grace to endure with whatever faith you have. May Jesus, with his heart that weeps with those who weep, give compassionate care and love to you. May the Holy Spirit grant you the faith when you have none of your own. Amen.

Job 13:20 - 14:22, Valentine's Day Hints for Men Included*

Hint 1: Clean these.

*Yes, I know it's after Valentine's Day. I was trapped in a house for a week with three children because of snow. You try getting anything done under those circumstances. 

Last time Job was confronted by Zophar, who told him he deserved worse than he was getting from God because he was such a sinner. He told him to repent and God would make everything okay. Job knew he had not sinned against God. He also had enough of the counsel of his friends, so he rebuked them in chapters 12 and 13. He then announced he would present his case directly to God, even if such bold action put his life in danger. He trusted in his integrity and he would rather deal with God directly than his foolish friends.

We're picking up where we left off last time, (a brilliant journalistic move, I know), at Job 13:20 where Job will turn his attention to God. He asks God directly why he would permit such suffering and injustice in his life and in the lives of those he cared about. He has seen injustice and pain from a God who he believed to be merciful and just. He just can't make sense of the contradiction between what he knows about God and what he's experienced in his life. (Perhaps you can relate). Please read along in your Bible, at a Bible website, or on your highly educated phone. Once again, we're in Job 13:20-14:22.

Hint 2: Buy these.

Job 13:20-28, Job wants to know WHY God is treating him this way. Job needs to know the reason why God is doing these things in his life. He asks God to take away the fear of judgment for speaking openly to him. "Withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors. Then summon me and I will answer, or let me speak and you reply." This would be like saying to your wife/girlfriend, "Can I tell you something if you promise not to get mad at me?" Has that every worked for any guy, anywhere?

Job is begging God to show up and explain why all of these things have happened to him. If it's because of sin, then Job asks God to make it known, "How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me known my transgression and my sin," (23). God has done horrible things to him and he can't understand why. "Why do you hide your face and count me as your enemy? For you write bitter things against me and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. You put my feet in the stocks and watch all my paths," (24-27).

Hint 3: Deal with these people. Babysitter, tranquilizer, whatever it takes.

This is a perfect example of why people can relate to Job and his story. Every person who has had to live with God has asked "Why?" You have found yourselves in situations where life didn't make sense and you want to understand what God is doing. You have felt like God was deliberately rejecting you. What he was doing in your life made no sense at all! It seemed as what you were experiencing did not match up with what you had heard about the love and goodness of God. Why would he allow your divorce? Why wouldn't he answer your tearful prayers? Why wouldn't he heal your child from cancer? "Why do you hide your face and count me as your enemy?" Why would he allow such a good man/woman to die in that horrible accident? Job mirrored those same feelings in his cries to the Lord.

In 14:1-6, Job despairs at God's judgment of men so small and short lived. Job's cries and questions to God now lead him to despair and depression over the smallness of man. "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not," (1-2). Man's life is brief, so why does God judge one so pitiful and small? "And do you open your eyes on such a one and bring me into judgment with you? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one." Why does God punish men who are inherently sinful? Men are so weak and pitiful. When then does God judge them so harshly?

Hint 4: Women like shiny things.

Job 14:7-17, Job hopes for an afterlife where God will answer his questions.
Job starts out by showing that a tree may be destroyed, but will yet have hope for a new life. "For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease," (7). A tree may be cut down, but still grow again. It may be resurrected, (so to speak), to new life even after its destruction. Unfortunately, Job is not sure of the same for himself. "But a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he? (10-12). Job had no assurance that one day he would stand before God and get the answers he was seeking. To him it seemed he would die without understanding God's purposes for his suffering. Yet he hoped that was not the case. "If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come. You would call, and I would answer you; you would long for the work of your hands," (14-15). Job's hope is that one day he would stand before God and the Lord would be able to make sense of his suffering and sorrow.

However, in Job 14:18-22 Job's ultimate expectation is that God will wipe him out completely. He makes note that the flow of nature is to wear down and erode itself. "But the mountain falls and crumbles away...the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so you destroy the hope of man," (18-20). Therefore it is Job's expectation for God to wear him down into death as well. "You prevail forever against him, and he passes; you change his countenance, and send him away," (20). Job hoped he would have a chance to stand before God and get an explanation, but ultimately he expected a death with no resolution to his questions of "Why God?" He had no revelation to teach him of life after death, so his expectation was that he must have all the answers in this life, or have none at all.

Hint 5: Women dig Chocolate. 

I hope you're enjoying our study of the book of Job. If you're like me, you probably have had to start eating large amounts fast food or chocolate just to keep your spirits up. I know, I know. It's a depressing book. But in some weird way that's actually an encouragement. God chose to include this horribly depressing book in the Bible. He included the story of a man who expressed great doubt towards and disappointment in God. This account of Job's life shows a man struggling with deep and hurtful questions of the soul. God could have chosen to not allow Job's story to be included in the Bible. I certainly would if I wanted to encourage people to believe in me. I mean seriously, who wants to read such a depressing story where a guy spends 30 chapters asking "Why God?" "Why God?" "Why God?" all over again. I get enough repetitive questions with my children every day. Why would I want to read that in the Bible? But what's encouraging is the Lord included this story of struggle, despair, doubt, and depression. He allows himself to be questioned and doubted. He knew men would struggle with the "why" questions.

So hold on. In the meantime, don't eat too much chocolate or fried food. Happy post Valentine's Day.

Job 11 - 13:19, Zophar the Jerk-ite, and Job's Response

If you're just joining us here at the SoWhatRamblings blog, raise your hand and one of the ushers will give you a complimentary bag of oatmeal, a pamphlet regarding our yoga class for Seniors, (led by Richard Simmons), and an envelope where you can donate money to the Travis Mansion Fund. Our motto is: "God's already building me a mansion in Heaven, so why not have one down here too?"

Um...right. Sorry Church Lady. Just kidding.

In all seriousness, we're walking through the Bible book of Job. Job was a righteous man who suffered much and thereby asked many of the "Why God?" questions we've all asked ourselves. If you want a more detailed explanation, go back and read the Job blogs previously written. Today we're getting into chapters 11 and 12. Please follow along in your Bible or wise-phone.

Hey Job, want a friend? Job? Don't run away!

I have decided I would like to be Job's friend. The poor guy obviously didn't have any. All of his so called buddies just hung around and told him how sorry and sinful he was. He needed a guy who will just hang out with him, drink a cold glass of sweet tea, and just be there. That's what I want from my friends and my wife when I'm hurting. Unfortunately Job doesn't have such luxury. His wife's a nag and his friends are jerks. Is it going to get better today in chapter 11? Nope. The next "friend", Zophar, steps up to offer his "advice." Ugh.

"Should a multitude of words go unanswered, and a man full of talk be judged right? Should your babble silence men, and when you mock, shall no one shame you? But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you...Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves," (2-6, selected verses). 

And with that, Zophar confirms he is the south end of a "Equus ferus caballus". He tells Job he's talking too much, he's arrogant and God should be treating Job a whole lot worse because of his sin. In all of his suffering Job should be grateful it isn't worse. Thanks Zophar. Are you done

"Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven--what can you do?...For he knows worthless men; when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it? But a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey's colt is born a man." (7-12)

Translation: "Job, you're too stupid to understand all God is doing. You're too small to understand his ways. God judges sinful worthless men and you don't have the sense to understand what he's doing!" I find it ironic that Zophar can understand God, (because he tells Job about God's ways), and at the same time he says God is too high and awesome to be understood by Job. He then tells Job that he will understand God when "pigs fly", i.e. when donkeys give birth to men. What a pleasant individual Zophar is.

Finally, Zophar concludes by telling Job to repent and everything will be gravy, (never mind the fact that Job's kids and servants are all dead and he's lost everything).

"If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands towards him. If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents...You will forget your misery...and your life will be brighter than the noonday...You will lie down, and none will make you afraid" ...AND JESUS WILL GIVE YOU A MILLION DOLLARS! HALLELUJAH! (sorry, I added that part. It seemed appropriate). (13-20, selected)

Job continues to ask God "why?" Job's friends continue to tell him, "It's your fault because you sinned." Job knows he was a righteous guy and what God had done to him didn't make sense. Job continues to search for an explanation from God. Thus we enter chapter 12 and Job's response. "I'm sure you speak for the experts, and when you die there will be no one left to tell us how to live" (2, the Message)

Job opens up chapter 12 with a sarcastic rebuke of his friends and their "wisdom". He lauds his friends, (sarcastically), as the wisest men on earth. You can tell Job's had enough of the council and advice of his friends. In fact the whole chapter is going to involve a discussion on their so called "wisdom". In verse four Job laments how his friends consider him a joke, even though he knows he is blameless. His friends, who are free from trouble, think that Job's trouble is because he is a sinner. However, Job shows how evil men, robbers and blasphemers, are secure in their homes, while the righteous suffer. "He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt, as prepared for those whose feet slip. The tents of the destroyers prosper, and those who provoke God are secure," (5-6, NASB).

Next in 7-25 Job makes it clear that God's sovereign control over the universe is obvious to every creature on earth. It is obvious to all that God is in control of the suffering Job is enduring.

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you...Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this. (7, 9)
To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man he imprisons cannot be released. (13-14)
He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them. He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he sends them wandering through a trackless waste." (23-24)

Job is clear on God's sovereign control. He doesn't have any disagreement with his friends on this fact, (13:1-2). What he can't understand is why God has done this in his life. He still comes back to this question of "Why?" You, dear reader, may have found yourself in this same sort of situation. You are suffering through illness, injustice, pain, weariness, stagnation, or loss. Friends have surrounded you and offered their "helpful advice" but in the end their words are like salt on an open wound. They say, "It'll get better." "It will all work out in the end." "God's in control." "One day you'll look back on this and smile/laugh." No matter what they say, however well meaning, it doesn't answer the deepest question of your heart. "WHY GOD? WHERE ARE YOU GOD? WHY DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN GOD? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? HOW COULD YOU ALLOW THIS?"

Job's friends

That is exactly where Job finds himself. He's gasping for answers and understanding from the Almighty, yet his friends only offer stupid or cruel words. Job's had just about enough of them and rebukes them for their foolishness. He wants to speak to God directly, not these men who offer no help. "But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. You, however, smear me with lies; You are worthless physicians, all of you! If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom." (3-5). Ouch. Job's friends really do sound like the Stooges.

His friends have attempted to represent and defend the honor of the Almighty. But Job says they have not spoken rightly about God. "Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? Will you show him partiality? Will you argue your case for God? Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay," (Job 13:7-8, 12). Inevitably in the face of suffering, sorrow, or injustice, men will try to understand or rationale the workings of the Almighty. The problem is men can make the mistake of trying to make sense of things that just don't make sense, (to a human's limited understanding, anyway). If we're not careful we can begin making assertions about God, his character, and his plan and these assertions may be incorrect. Whether we're the one suffering or the one trying to comfort those in pain, we have to remember be careful about the counsel we give regarding the Almighty. "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" (Romans 11:33-34). Job says the Stooges have not represented God accurately. It seems he is right.

"Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may," (13). Now having rebuked the three Stooges, Job says he will present his case directly to God, no matter what the consequences. Job stands like a lawyer in court. He is going to argue and make his defense directly to the Lord. His arguments throughout this book should be viewed like a prosecutor before a judge. Although he knows it is a dangerous thing to argue to the Lord, he is confident he will be vindicated in the end as a righteous man. "Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands? Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face," (15).

I WANT THE TRUTH! So does Job.

Just an aside. Job 13:15 is one of those verses that is often misquoted out of context by Bible-quoters everywhere. Most people quote or remember the first part of this verse, "Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him," while neglecting the second part. Job is not saying he is going to confidently trust God no matter what the consequences, which is how most people quote or remember this verse. What Job appears to be saying is connected to the second part of this verse, "I will surely defend my ways to his face," (15b). Job's confidence is not in the sovereign goodness of God per se, but rather that he would be vindicated at God examination of his life and character. Please make sure to use this verse accordingly. Thank you. I appreciate it.

"Listen carefully to my words; let your ears take in what I say. Now that I have prepared my case, I know I will be vindicated. Can anyone bring charges against me? If so, I will be silent and die," (17-19). Job finishes his statement/rebuke to his friends and their wisdom. He has now announced the course he will take, which is to approach God directly with his complaint. From this point on he will speak to God directly.

I think it's important to take a step back here from all the emotion, the yelling, the Three Stooges and remember what's going on here. I don't believe Job is approaching God as an arrogant man who is confident he is a man who has never sinned. He is coming before God as a man who knows there was nothing in his life to warrant the degree of suffering and sorrow he has experienced. He is a man who is seeking an answer to the question "Why God?", just as you and I have sought that answer in our times of pain, distress, and unanswered prayer. His friends have told him God has given him what he deserved because of his sin. Job knows that isn't true. He knows he was a righteous man who feared God and turned from evil, (see chapter one). Their answers have been awful, so Job has rightly rebuked them.

Nor is Job at this point finally cursing God. He is not speaking poorly of God or damning God for his actions. Such an action would fulfill his wife's desires in chapter two. He is simply seeking to understand why God has acted this way. Like I said, you and I have asked those questions too. Next time we will watch as Job makes his case directly to God. Stay tuned.