Growing in the midst of Pain

10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

His three friends heard about his calamity and came to mourn with him.

Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar.

Job 2:12–13 NKJV

12 And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. 13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Job chapter three

Job tells his misery and despair. He opens up to them after 7 days of silence. Here in their conversations is the use of poetic language. I will point some out along the way.

He wishes he had never been born. He wished that it was blotted out. Look at the use of the poetry to describe this

Job 3:4–5 NKJV

4 May that day be darkness; May God above not seek it, Nor the light shine upon it. 5 May darkness and the shadow of death claim it; May a cloud settle on it; May the blackness of the day terrify it.

In verse 7, He also uses the phrase “that night be barren” and “no joyful shout”

He wishes that he had been stillborn

Job 3:11 NKJV

11 “Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?

Also look at verse Job 3.16 “16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, Like infants who never saw light?”

He wonders why life is given to those who are miserable

Job 3:20–21 NKJV

20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery, And life to the bitter of soul, 21 Who long for death, but it does not come, And search for it more than hidden treasures;

Job chapter four

Eliphaz’s theory in regard to Job’s suffering.

Practice what you preach (4:1–6): Job has encouraged the weak in the past, and Eliphaz rebukes him for not heeding his own advice now.

B. Does the innocent person perish? (4:7–11): Eliphaz makes the case that the Lord does not allow trouble to befall the innocent, implying that Job must be sinning.

Job 4:7–8 NKJV

7 “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same.

Those who pass rash and uncharitable censures upon their brethren, do Satan’s work. We should be careful not to add affliction to saints who are already in grief, unless we are certain we have a God-given message to deliver.

C. It came in a vision at night (4:12–17): Eliphaz claims to have received his knowledge from a spirit in the middle of the night! There are certain dogmatists who have to be listened to because they have had some ONE remarkable experience, and everyone else’s case is similar to their own. The best and truest comfort is from God’s Word.

Rom. 15:4 “4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

D. Alive in the morning, dead by evening (4:18–21): Eliphaz claims that humans cannot be trusted; they are frail and die in ignorance.

Job chapter five

E. The godless are born to grief (5:1–7): Again Job is said to be suffering for his sin.

Job 5:3–4 NKJV

3 I have seen the foolish taking root, But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place. 4 His sons are far from safety, They are crushed in the gate, And there is no deliverer.

F. Present your case to God (5:8–16): Eliphaz urges Job to bring his case before God, who is able to do anything.

Job 5:8 NKJV

8 “But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause—

G. Don’t despise God’s discipline (5:17–27): Eliphaz tells Job to trust that God will heal and protect him once he has punished him.

Job chapter six

Job’s answer to Eliphaz. His appeal for pity.

Don’t I have a right to complain? (6:1–7): Job argues that the greatness of his sorrow gives him a right to complain (to tell and let something be known). Notice the figurative language

Job 6:1–2 NKJV

1 Then Job answered and said: 2 “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed, And my calamity laid with it on the scales!

B. I wish that God would kill me (6:8–13): Though Job takes comfort in having never denied God’s word, he still wishes to die.

Job 6:8–9 NKJV

8 “Oh, that I might have my request, That God would grant me the thing that I long for! 9 That it would please God to crush me, That He would loose His hand and cut me off!

C. You are unreliable (6:14–21): Job accuses his friend of being as unreliable as a brook that overflows in the spring and dries up in the heat.

Job 6:14–15 NKJV

14 “To him who is afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend, Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. 15 My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook, Like the streams of the brooks that pass away,

D. Show me where I am wrong (6:22–24): Job challenges his critic Eliphaz to show him where he is guilty.

Job 6:24 NKJV

24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

E. Stop assuming my guilt (6:25–30): With a series of questions Job maintains his innocence and rebukes his friends for assuming that he is guilty.

Job 6:30 NKJV

30 Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern the unsavory?

Conclusion: No one can judge another justly without much prayer for divine guidance. Affliction does not necessarily prove one to be a hypocrite or a wicked man.

Job chapter seven

F. Life is long and hard (7:1–5): Job is enduring his miserable life like a worker longing for the day to end.

Job 7:1–2 NKJV

1 “Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hired man? 2 Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade, And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,

G. Life is but a breath (7:6–10): Job describes life as being like a fleeting breath, for all people die and never return.

H. Why have you made me your target? (7:11–21): Job complains that God has terrified him with nightmares and has made him his target. He asks why God should go to all this trouble for no apparent reason and for such an insignificant person.

Conclusion: We should not doubt the goodness of God when His face seems for a time to be hidden from us.

Job chapter eight

Contents: Bildad’s theory of Job’s affliction.

A. Your words are a blustering wind (8:1–7): Bildad tells Job that he is being senseless—if he confesses his sins, he will be restored.

Job 8:2–3 NKJV

2 “How long will you speak these things, And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind? 3 Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice?

B. The godless will die (8:8–19): Bildad tells Job to ask the former generation and learn that those without God wither and die like a plant without water.

C. God rewards the righteous (8:20–22): Bildad advises Job to repent and be restored.

Conclusion: It is not just or charitable to argue that merely because one is in deep affliction, he is therefore a hypocrite. Let us “judge nothing before the time.” A day is coming when the secrets of God’s providence will be solved to universal satisfaction.

Job chapters nine and ten

How can a mortal argue with God? (9:1–14): Job is frustrated because, though he feels he is innocent, he cannot challenge such a mighty God.

Job 9:3 NKJV

3 If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

B. God destroys both the blameless and the wicked (9:15–31): Job argues that it doesn’t matter if he is innocent, because God attacks him without reason.

C. If only there were a mediator (9:32–35): Job longs for a mediator to bring him and God together to resolve the issue. As saints we have a mediator

1 Timothy 2:5 NKJV

5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

1 John 2:1 NKJV

1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

D. Why are you treating me so terribly? (10:1–7): Job begins to formulate his complaint to God.

Striking Facts: v. 2. The Christian’s comfort is that he is “in Christ” and that although he is afflicted, there is no condemnation. (Rom. 8:1). He is chastised that he might not be condemned with the world. (1. Cor. 11:32).

E. Did you create me to condemn me? (10:8–17): Job asks if God’s plan was to destroy him even as his body was being formed in his mother’s womb.

F. Better to never have been born (10:18–22): If Job was created only to be condemned, it would be better to have died at birth.

Conclusion: Man is an unequal match for his Maker, either in dispute or combat. If God should deal with any of us according to our deserts, we should certainly be undone.

Striking Facts: 2, 3, 33. We can never plead our integrity for our justification before God. Were it not that the believer stands in Christ’s righteousness, he would have no ground whatever before God.

Conclusion: Sometimes, when in affliction, the believer is tempted to think that God’s providences and His justice cannot be reconciled. Faith and patience would keep us from being weary of our lives and would show us that when God contends with us, there is always some good purpose in it.

Job chapter eleven

Contents: Zophar’s theory of Job’s condition. He thinks Job a hypocrite and liar.

A. God is punishing you less than you deserve (11:1–6): Zophar wishes Job could see himself as God does.

B. You cannot comprehend God’s ways (11:7–12): God’s ways are beyond human understanding.

C. Confess your sins and find hope (11:13–20): Zophar, like the other friends, assumes that Job is suffering because of his sin.

Conclusion: Those are not always in the right who are most forward to express their judgment and to conclude that if God should speak, He would agree with them. We should seek to put the best possible construction upon the words and actions of our brethren that they will bear, lest we add to their afflictions.

Striking Facts: Zophar is a type of the religious dogmatist who thinks he knows all about God’s ways and exactly what God will do in each individual case.

Job chapter 12 and 13

Contents: Job answers his three friends, extolling God’s wisdom.

What a know-it-all! (12:1–2): Job sarcastically says that Zophar knows everything.

B. Even the animals know (12:3–12): Job asserts that even the animals know that God sometimes allows the evil to scoff at the good.

C. God is omniscient and omnipotent (12:13–25): Job knows that God knows all and that he is in control of everything that happens.

Conclusion: There is a wise providence which guides and governs all things by rules with which the wisest men are but imperfectly acquainted. The afflicted one should learn to acquiesce in His disposals and the one who is tempted to criticize and censure should learn not to be over-wise in his expressions of judgment.

Striking Facts: v. 3. Nothing is more grievous to one who has fallen from prosperity into adversity than to be insulted when he is down. Our Lord Jesus is the wisest and kindest of comforters. To Him let us go in all our troubles.

D. Listen rather than accuse (13:1–6): Job challenges Zophar to hear his defense.

E. Don’t put words in God’s mouth! (13:7–12): Job accuses Zophar of using lies to defend God’s actions.

F. I will risk death to declare my innocence (13:13–19): Job is willing to risk death to speak his mind to God and prove his innocence.

G. Two things I beg of you (13:20–25): Job asks God to stop afflicting him and to cease terrifying him with his awesome presence.

H. God’s bitter accusations (13:26–28): Job feels that God has been storing up accusations against him.

Contents: Job’s answer to three friends continued.

Conclusion: We should presevere in the way of duty, though it cost us all that is dear to us in this world, rejoicing in God when there is nothing else to rejoice in, knowing that the “sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Striking Facts: v. 15. Those who walk in unbroken fellowship with Christ, having assurance there is no unconfessed sin in their lives, may cheerfully welcome every event, being in readiness for it.

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