Job 6-8 Another is Heard

Job answers Eliphaz, but another is heard. He also tries to ‘help’ Job understand his circumstances too. That’s what friend do; right?

Job is suffering under the weight of his trials. Honestly, he is DONE. He wants it all to end. He is ready for death but God isn’t. He does his best to understand why this is all happening and his friends are trying to ‘help’ him there too. Job does NOT agree with what they are saying.

I am again going to try and paraphrase the conversation. Let’s rejoin job as he listens and responds to his friends. Holy Spirit, lead the way. Take mi on Your journey today.

♥ ♦ ♥

Job is saddened by his friend’s response to his pain. But, some of what he says has merit. And it is something that Job has believed all his life. The righteous don’t have calamity. Yet, here he sits; in pain and anguish. He has to respond though, or Eliphaz will think that he agrees with his condemnation. He looks at his friends with pleading eyes.

“I spoke rashly. But if you could bundle up all my frustration and the disasters I have suffered and put them on a scale, it would weigh more than all the sands along the ocean! It is clear to see that God’s arrows have pierced my body and soul. They fill me with poison to the point of death.”

Job hangs his head and is silent for a few minutes. Before his friends can gather their thoughts to condemn him anymore, he continues.

“Surely you see my distress. It is no pretense. I no longer enjoy the happy times. There are NO easy moments. I can’t even eat! My body recoils against it.”

Job lists his face and voice to Heaven.

“If only God would kill me. THEN I could find happiness. Even if that death came through the most excruciating pain, at least THAT would end! What benefit is it to me to prolong this suffering? What lesson am I learning in this pain? I’m not strong enough to bear it. Am I supposed to be made of steel and impervious to pain? Well, I’m NOT!”

Tears gather in Job’s eyes again.

“And you come here to sit with me. To offer me comfort. And yet you tell me that this is all MY fault! Some friends you are. Fair weather friends. You pull back and blame ME when things become uncomfortable for you.”

Job shakes his head again. He looks up with a question for his friends.

“Have I asked you to ‘cure’ my disease? Did I ever tell you to pay me a bribe so I wouldn’t spill my pain onto you? Have I pleaded with YOU to make this pain go away? Or even asked YOU to intercede on my behalf with the Lord?”

Job shakes his fist in his frustration.

“TEACH ME what I have done wrong! If I have done wrong, I will listen. Your words are vague and have no life in them. They are full of condemnation without specific examples to point to. Do you think your words of vague excuses mean anything to me? Do you actually think that you are telling me something I don’t already know?”

Job holds his arms wide.

“LOOK AT ME! I won’t lie to you. Does this look like ‘justice’ to you? If I knew the reason, don’t you think I would try with all my might to correct it? I didn’t cause this! God has chosen for some unknown reason to bring this upon me.”

Job drops his arms, his hands landing in his lap.

“I know that EVERY man has a hard life. We are like ‘slaves’ who are forever trying to find even a small reward or rest. But I have been given MONTHS of emptiness. Not just in this pain but from the pain of loss as well. There is nothing for me to look forward to. My skin is full of puss and boils. It breaks open and bleeds, then scabs over. It is covered with dirt and worms! I cannot survive much longer. There is nothing but pain left for me. Pretty soon, you won’t have to worry about me anymore, because I will be dead!”

Job’s tone takes on an angry note and he shakes his fist towards his friends.

“I’m going to speak of my pain, cry out in agony. I’ll ask for death if I want to. Who told you to keep reign over my mouth? When I speak of my pain, you try and shut my mouth. I HATE my life! Leave me alone; please. What difference does it make to you?”

The anger drains out of Job like water when the plug is pulled.

“Just let me sit in my sorrow. If this is because I have sinned, what difference is that to you? Why have you made ‘making me whole’ your mission in life? If you are so powerful, why don’t you forgive my sins and take away my pain? For now, I’m going to lie down right here and wait for death.”

Job looks at his pottery pieces that he has been scratching with. He wipes the dirt from it and returns to his scratching.

Bildad is frustrated with Job. He has no doubt that Job is suffering, but he has to do SOMETHING to get Job to realize that there is a way through this. All he needs is to accept that HE caused this mess. And to fix whatever it is that he has done wrong. Bildad doesn’t know what that ‘something’ is yet. He is certain God does and Job does too, if he will only think about it a while longer.

“How long are you going to say these things; that you are blameless. God doesn’t pervert justice! If you are innocent, he will not punish you. If your children sinned, then they received their just reward. If you will seek God and ask for His mercy; IF you are upright, He will restore you. And when He does restore you, you will be better than you were before.”

Bildad moves a little closer to Job to look him in the eyes.

“Listen to the wisdom of the past. Learn from those who have gone before you. Even weeds don’t grow without water. But where they do grow, even the flower fades away before the plant reaches its conclusion. Not everything is beautiful for your whole life! And this is especially true for those who forget God. His confidence fades, he has no joy, and all that he does falls flat. He might flourish for a season, but he is like a plant whose roots are entwined around rocks. There is not soil to nourish him. And when he is gone, none will remember him. Don’t be like this man!”

Bildad’s tone softens as do his eyes. He pleads with Job.

“God won’t walk with those who do evil. Return to Him and do good again. When you do, He will lift you up again. He will fill you with joy and laughter. And those who mock you will be brought to shame.”

(to be continued)

I don’t know about you, but when bad things start happening in my life, I go looking for my sin. Just because I can’t come up with the exact time and place, or even vague memory of it, does NOT make me sinless. I miss my own issues too often. But that does NOT mean that my troubles are a punishment from God.

When I can’t come up with an answer, I also have to remember that we live in a fallen world. Bad things happen to good people and vise versa. Not everything that happens is consequences of my own actions. And I do NOT believe that God ‘smacks me around’ just for the ‘fun of it’. I have lessons to learn that are not always easy. And those are a result of my own actions.

More than anything else though, our God walks with us in EVERY situation or circumstances. You may not always recognize His presence while in the middle of the mess, but if you look closely, you can see His fingerprints afterwards.

Father God, thank You for helping me understand the words spoken during these encounters with Job’s friends. I feel inadequate to sharing his story, but I trust You to bring from it what You want to be heard.