When you are suffering to the point that you would rather die than live, and you can’t find any solace at all then you will be right where Job is now. If you identify with Job, remember there is a happy ending.
As I read this morning my heart goes out to those who suffer. Sometimes cancer, nerve dysfunction, headaches, and other related illness and injury keep our body in constant pain. Surely all of us are hopeful that we never have to endure it, and if you know someone who is going through it now it’s hard to know what to say.
Job’s friends are struggling to understand why their good friend is being persecuted in this way. They believe that anyone who is godly will always be blessed, and that’s what’s causing their confusion. God doesn’t guarantee a permanent blessing to all Christians. He guarantees eternity in heaven, and He promises to send blessings upon us…but no mention of continual blessing without any difficulty.
Why do bad things happen to good people? Because bad things happen to all people.
Why does a loving God allow terrible things like this to happen? On the face of it I am not sure…but although God allowed this terrible thing to happen to Job, He also ends up blessing him greatly, and then uses the experience as it’s recorded to instruct millions of people for thousands of years. If you are asking the question, allow me to ask you one in return: “Do you think God has a purpose in everything that He does?” and, “Do you think that God, who is the source of all love, can do anything simply out of meanness or selfishness?” Our answer to these questions will help us endure the trials that come our way.
I am no different from you. When something goes wrong in my life I immediately suspect that I have somehow been disobedient and this is the penalty. My counsel to others is exactly the opposite, but it doesn’t change my initial reaction. I think that is programmed into us, and in one way it isn’t a bad thing; after all, it can’t hurt to conduct a spiritual health check every once in a while. Sometimes we have been disobedient and are reaping the consequences. Other times it’s simply life being life and these sort of things happen. Trust that God will bring you through it, or take you to heaven in the midst of it. Either way, you win.
I want to remember to be careful about “‘pointing the finger” at others, I see Bildad doing that here. He means well, and he is giving counsel based on his best understanding of who God is. However, his best understanding is wrong, and towards the end the book it gets him into trouble. Never forget Leroy Jethro Gibbs rule # 51 “Sometimes your wrong”.
Stray thoughts: 8: 13- I see the name “Rahab” listed here. It’s not the Rahab who took in the Hebrew spies, that happened much later. Scholars disagree on what this means. it could refer to a sea monster (there are several in Job) or the nation of Egypt, or a general reference to someone who is proud. The idea is that God makes humble the proud, powerful and important, and those who put their trust in them.
8:9 – Job mentions the Pleiades, which is intriguing. I thought the constellations derived their names from Greek Mythology, but this suggests that Greek mythology was built around the pre-existing name. In ancient Greek, the word of “sail” is similar to the root of Pleiades, and when the 7 stars appear at their brightest is the beginning of sailing season. Isn’t that interesting? I wonder if ancient Greek was one of the original languages that came from the dispersal at the tower of Babel?
Back the concrete to close here….
These chapters are good ones to recall when you are at your wits end. Read them before it happens, because you won’t be able to concentrate at that time. Remember that God may allow difficulty, and even death, but He never leaves us alone. And even in death, as Christians we emerge victorious. I know that we all want to extend our time on earth “a little longer” but that’s only because we don’t understand what heaven is really like. If we knew, we would long to be there now.
faithfully,
PR