Job 10: Trying to Understand

Job is in the middle of a crisis and he is trying to determine why so he asks several questions. 

• God, why do you contend with me?
• God, why do you oppress me and reject the labor of your hands?
• Do you approve the schemes of the wicked?
• God, will you look at my life and see if I deserve this physical, mental, and spiritual attack?
• Why not deliver me?
• God, why did you fashion me for destruction?
• Why not, just let me die?
• God, will you let me pass into darkness/death?

Job 9: Unable To Stand

Job’s Penetrating Questions

• How can a man be in the right before God?
• Who has defied Him without harm?
• Who shakes the earth ouft of its place, and its pillars tremble?
• Who commands the sun not to shine, and sets a seal upon the stars?
• Who stretches out the heavens?
• Who tramples down the waves of the sea?
• Who makes the constellations in the sky?
• Who does great things?
• Who does wondrous works without number?
• Who can restrain Him?
• Who can question what He is doing?
• How then can I answer Him?

 Job suggests that God “destroys the guiltless and the wicked.” Job believes that even if righteousness was found God would still judge him.

Job 8: Bildad’s Response to Job’s Cry

Bildad confronts Job in misery. 

• God can never pervert justice or righteousness. Bildad was suggesting that Job’s children must have been in sin, because God delivers sinner into the power of their transgression.
• Job there are several areas in your life that you need to revive. You ought to begin seeking God and implore His compassion. You  should also consider living a pure upright life. Job, if you would choose God’s atelier (workshop) full of righteousness, justice, purity, compassion, etc. then God would show Himself by restoring you.
• Job do not succumb to the pressures of trusting in man. If you forget God while trusting in man then you will wither up like a papyrus plant.
• Job remember, God will not reject a person of integrity!

 

Job 7: An Emotional Cry

Job uses graphic images to portray the tragedy of what he is experiencing. The pain and agony causes Job to beg for death rather then suffering. Even when the pain subsides Job cannot sleep due to terrible dreams and visions. Job’s classic words, “Why have You set me as Your target, so that I am a burden to myself?” 

Job 6: Job Defends His Attitude

Job defended his grief to his friends. I love verse ten, “But it is still  my consolation, and I rejoice in unsparing pain, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.” Job denies trying to escape the pain that God is putting him through.   

Job 5: Discovering God

• God does “great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.”
• God gives “rain on the earth and water to the fields,”
• God “sets on  high those who are lowly, and mourners are lifted to safety.”
• God “frustrated the shrewd”
• God “captures the wise by their own shrewdness and thwarts their cunningness”
• God helps the hopeless.

 “…how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.”

Job 4: Words Are Important

Eliphaz the Temanite speaks first to Job about his condition. Eliphaz reminisces about the strong words of Job that have encouraged and strengthened so many people who sought Job’s counsel. Now in the midst of anguish and pain Eliphaz offers words of counsel to Job. He suggests to Job that only the sinful suffer. Eliphaz recalls a frightful dream when a spirit appeared silently and asked, “Can mankind be just before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?” So Eliphaz suggests that Job stands guilty before God so he must endure this suffering.

Job 3: Horrible Agony

In this chapter with hear the deeper inner pain of Job’s soul crying out from physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. The pain is so bad that Job wished that he had not been born. We find out a little about after death, “There the wicked cease from raging, And there the weary are at rest. The prisoners are at ease together; They do no hear the voice of the taskmaster. The small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master.  I find it interesting that Job suggests living can be a part of punishment when you long for death. “Why is light given to him who suffers, And life to the bitter of soul, Who long for death, but there is none, And dig for it more than for hidden t reassures, Who rejoice greatly, And exult when they find the grave?”

Job 2: Job’s Health

Satan’s Proposition: The only reason Job still loves God despite losing all his children is because of his physical health. Satan suggests if this was taken from Job then Job would certainly turn away from God, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.”  

God’s Permission:God permits Satan  to do all that he can to Job’s health except take his life.   

Satan’s Power: He smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

Job’s declining health was devastating to the eye. The boils caused ashes that needed to be scraped off. When Job’s friends so him from a distance they raised their voices and wept. Job’s friend joined him for 7 days and 7 nights without speaking a word. This must have been a pretty bad sight.

Rescue Mission

I have the opportunity to speak at the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission the first Wednesday night of each month. Last night we had a great service where men were very attentive and responsive the God’s word. I don’t think it was so much about the challenging words from scripture as the seizure that happened during the singing. A gentleman in his 50’s went into a seizure while singing a song, this prompted a response from so many men helping and assisting him. It was a neat opportunity to see the men helping each other.