365 Reflections

God knows.  That is perhaps the great source of peace for all who follow and trust Him. Now there are some hurdles we have to continually jump to get there and stay there. First - we do not always know. Second - we regularly think we do know when we do not know.  And that is where Job lays his heart out in Job 23.  First Job expresses his deep and profound confusion about where to go meet with God. Job 23:3–5 (ESV) Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! 4 I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would know what he would answer me and understand what he would say to me. Then Job expresses his utter faith that though God could justifiably put him to shame, he believes the Lord will not do this.  Job 23:6–7 (ESV) Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; he would pay attention to me. 7 There an upright man could argue with him, and I would be acquitted forever by my judge. Job then consi...

The third speech of Eliphaz is more of the same. He had heard what Job had to say but he has not listened. Too bad. Because he simply ends up repeating his earlier arguments once again, offering little nuance to the context Job has provided.  And in any other context, Eliphaz's message would make a fine Gospel sermon.  Job 22:21–25 (ESV) “Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. 22 Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. 23 If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents, 24 if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed, 25 then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. Those words could be used in almost any other context but not here and not now for Job. The problem? Eliphaz wants to proclaim the truth without searching out the situation he finds himself. Sometimes I wonder if I'm listening enough to the people I preach t...

The one hole in Job's friend's argument is presented by Job in chapter 21.  Job 21:7–9 (ESV) Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? 8 Their offspring are established in their presence, and their descendants before their eyes. 9 Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them. All this time the friends have been accusing Job of wickedness because his suffering must be (in their opinion) due to his terrible behavior. But Job finally puts that idea down here. And it's something I'm sure we all wonder about at some point: Why does God let "them" get away with it and even bless them? Let me ask you: Have you seen the wicked prosper? Have you seen the ungodly get blessed? Have you wondered what was up?  Perhaps this above all might be the most incomprehensible aspect of suffering. You suffer as you see the wicked prosper. Now I cannot claim much suffering in my life. God has been tremendously good to me, but when I'm dow...

The friends of Job are horrible listeners. They blindly follow only what they assume to be true about justice. God punishes the wicked, all suffering is in response to wickedness, therefore repent and seek God's mercy. These simple ideas and conclusions are coming apart as Job continues to defend himself in the face of their attacks.  Zophar only speaks twice in this book and he's learned nothing through these events. He uses his second speech to reiterate his assumptions of the destiny of the wicked. They will suffer and they will fail.  Job 20:27–29 (ESV) The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. 28 The possessions of his house will be carried away, dragged off in the day of God’s wrath. 29 This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God.” What makes Job hard to read in this middle section is that much of what the friends say is true about the common fate of men who rebel against God. But Job is the enigma. ...

The book of Job is hard to get through at times. It's full of personal attacks and false accusations and then rebuttals from Job for the lion's share of the story. YET, and this has happened repeatedly already, there are some of the most wonderful phrases of the Bible found in its pages. Consider this one from Job 19. Job 19:25–27 (ESV)  For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! This is perhaps the greatest statement of faith in the Bible. Job is utterly desperate, downtrodden, and defeated by the events of his life. But here he still holds on to the promise of God's redeeming plan for mankind. Yes, the devil had his way with him (although Job thinks it's God), but Job's faith will not waver in the ultimate plan God has for his life. And without Job...

Job 18:1–4 (ESV)  Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: 2 “How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and then we will speak. 3 Why are we counted as cattle? Why are we stupid in your sight? 4 You who tear yourself in your anger, shall the earth be forsaken for you, or the rock be removed out of its place? It's Bildad's turn to come at Job for the second round. His speech is short, to the point, and wrong. He firmly attacks Job as among those whose own evil comes back on their heads.  Job 18:5–6 (ESV) “Indeed, the light of the wicked is put out, and the flame of his fire does not shine. 6 The light is dark in his tent, and his lamp above him is put out. On and on he goes for the rest of the chapter to make one simple point - Job's wickedness is to blame for Job's suffering. It's a simple conclusion for a man who does not speak the truth nor sit to hear it. He's too busy accusing to hear what Job is saying.  Putting yourself in Bildad's position is imp...

Job continues his speech in chapter 17 by appealing to God for his cause in the face of these accusers who have leveled him with wrongdoing.  Job 17:3 (ESV) “Lay down a pledge for me with you; who is there who will put up security for me? In the NLT it's clearer: Job 17:3 (NLT) “You must defend my innocence, O God, since no one else will stand up for me. And the reason Job goes to God is because he has learned the true reality of his "comforters". They are not for him or with him in this suffering. They are eager to blame him and ridicule him for their own self-glorification.  Job 17:4–5 (NLT) You have closed their minds to understanding, but do not let them triumph. 5 They betray their friends for their own advantage , so let their children faint with hunger. Job concludes later in the chapter: Job 17:10–12 (NLT) “As for all of you, come back with a better argument, though I still won’t find a wise man among you. 11 My days are over. My hopes have disappeared. My heart...

When friends let Job down, he doesn't turn from God. That's perhaps one of the special skills Job possesses that many professing Christians do not. I have heard many people talk about the harm they have suffered at the hands of other humans being the reason they do not believe in God. Most notably, I have heard many claim their unbelief is justified because of the ill-treatment they have received or experienced at the hands of other professing Christians.  Why don't these people ever read the Bible?  Job has been viciously attacked by professing believers at every turn in the midst of his misery and pain. Instead of concern, prayer, and ministry, he has received accusation, animosity and superiority. YET, there is no breaking his steadfast trust in God's ultimate redemption. Consider how he ends his response to Eliphaz's second speech: Job 16:19–22 (NLT) Even now my witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high. 20 My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears ...

In the second round of speeches from Job's friends, the conversation turns far more direct and antagonistic. Eliphaz goes first and this time pulls no punches.  Job 15:20–22 (ESV) The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless. 21 Dreadful sounds are in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon him. 22 He does not believe that he will return out of darkness, and he is marked for the sword. This is the problem with men, the more they speak, the more right they think they are and the less compassionate or soul-searching they become. Eliphaz goes on full attack mode at Job's defense calling him wicked and refusing to believe his suffering is anything but the just punishment of God for sins.  Some friend.  But again the underlying theme of Job is that suffering and life are far more complex than what we imagine them to be. There is so much we do not understand. And Job's friends are playing the willful parts of...

This post marks the 9th anniversary of blogging through the Bible. Thanks for coming along. I hope it's been a blessing to you as it has to me.  We are still in Job's speech in Job 14. Job is now contemplating the reality of life and the inevitability of death.  Job 14:1–2 (ESV) “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. 2 He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not. Job is expressing deep realities of life. Life is hard and short. Then Job looks at the trees and sees more hope in that even when cut down, they sprout new growth from the death. Job 14:7 (ESV) “For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease. Job 14:12 (ESV) so a man lies down and rises not again; till the heavens are no more he will not awake or be roused out of his sleep. The question Job is coming around to is this: does a man live even after he dies? He clearly states that question in ve...