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So, we left off with Job’s wife telling him to curse God and die as he has lost everything – land, animals, servants and at least his sons if not also his three daughters and now he is also covered in boils – sole to crown.
And so he sits himself down in the dust and takes a piece of pottery and scrapes the boils with it and that is where we left him.
At this point we read the following – which will launch us into our text today.
Job 2.11-13 through Job 32-37
November 19th 2023
What Kind of Friend are We to those who suffer?
Job 2:11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
You will remember that in the very next chapter Job is going to speak his mind and the tenor of his comments can be represented by his query of “why he was even born?”
It’s a deeply reflective statement coming from a man who is in deep despair and pain. Many people question their very existence and do so in the face of various states of consciousness and the state of conscious pain brings these queries forth readily.
I’ve done a lot of thinking about the thought of existence and am stunned by the various factors that exist when they present themselves.
For instance, Job here was once greatly blessed, and lived in a way that few other people in his day ever could and now he is asking this question in the face of Great loss.
What about those people who have never had what Job had, and were born deformed, abandoned, and somehow scrape through life without mobility or health, home or food and they find their children dead and themselves covered with boils?
Are they in a better position to ask “why they were even born?” Seems so, at least logically. Is it possible that the living God could use these examples to make silent all the others who complain?
Is it better to have been born and tasted some joy in this material life than to never have been born and never experience any? We have to wonder.
Are our lives worth living based solely on joys are is it worth living based on sorrows too? And relative to this study is there ever a time to make such comparisons when someone like Job is sitting in the midst of total abject sorrow?
(beat)
After Job makes his views known, the rest of the book opens up with these three friends going back and forth with Job as a means to counsel/advise him and to do what we all tend to do – give Job reasons for why he is suffering.
We are not going to read them all that they say nor explore them verse by verse. You can read that poetry yourself – I want to get to the key principles therein.
And these three friends definitely give us something to think about – especially when we look around at the religious minds today who too believe that they are equipped to explain why God allows them and others to suffer.
Before we talk about Job and friends, “suffering” is really interesting because it is so individual and subjective and hard to explain “rightly” as a result.
I mean suffering is understood only in relation to other almost innumerable factors, emotional connections, guilt and shame, circumstances, situations, mental and emotional capacities, education and intelligence and even “pain” tolerances.
It is insufferable to lose someone we love, but when that person is suffering greatly we, in our love, long to see them go and be out of it. Still sad and difficult but mitigating factors all play into suffering in the human experience.
Perhaps we can begin to use our minds to mitigate our instances of suffering in a better way, and that might include the perspective of God and eternality.
Suffering is also extremely subjective though we admit to some universal observations.
Two of my brothers-in-laws worked in law enforcement in years past and one day conveyed to me the difference between a gunshot wound to a street thug and a gun shot wound to an police officer.
The officer can get shot with a twenty-two in the foot and die from shock, but a seasoned street thug can get shot with a 45 in the shoulder and not even seek treatment.
Again, subjective mindset helps define the way a person manages suffering. I would suggest that the value of being of faith could lend to a better mindset – an eternal perspective and one that looks to our Maker in faith and trust rather than in anger.
So suffering and our ability to deal with it is certainly connected to our upbringing, nurture, nature and temperaments.
A toothache for one person who goes to work is a day in the ER for another and the loss of a child and the pain therefrom is almost always mitigated by the circumstances.
Same with the loss of a parent which is mitigated often by their age, the age of their children and even the way in which they passed.
I am just scratching the surface on this to show “suffering itself must be seen as extremely subjective” and that this fact ought to be included in the recipe on how we can prepare ourselves to respond to every example of people suffering that we come across.
But at this point we are focused more on how to speak with others we know and love when they suffer as there is a huge difference between what comforts us and what comforts others – even those with whom we share a common faith.
In this case, I suggest we stand on the following:
We know and understand very little.
And so here we come to the three friends mentioned at this point in the story –
According to Maimonides, a medieval Jewish scholar, each of Job’s friends represents a different “position” of divine providence, and he says:
“Eliphaz represents the biblical or rabbinic tradition which states that Job is being punished for his sins;
This is the common view – especially among the religiously minded.
Bildad expresses the view of the Mutazillites which states that Job is being tested to receive a greater reward;
This is also prevelant in religiously minded.
And Zophar presents the view of the Asharites which is Job suffers because of God’s arbitrary will.”
This is the more philosophically minded of religious ilk.
Let’s take a gander at some examples from each and talk about them relative to our own lives today.
Eliphaz the Temanite
Now old Eliphaz poses a loaded question to Job and it frankly stings. It’s in Job 4:7 where he asks:
“Who that was innocent ever perished?”
NOT SOMETHING TO SAY TO A PERSON WHO HAS LOST SOMEONE
At the core of that question is the statement that suggests that all humans mess up. None of us are totally innocent.
There is also blame placed on the one that passes.
And in the face of this Eliphaz notes that God disciplines even angels. So, since humans have no chance of being sinless, all humans stand in the sites of God and if he pulls the trigger, the best souls will accept their punishment and remain silent knowing that His treatments are just.
From this point of view it seems like Eliphaz interprets Job’s words as whining or complaining when he has no right. His suffering is just.
Its sort of like our attitude toward people who commit a horrible crime but from prison complain about the conditions. In Eliphaz’s mind, Job has lost all rights to complain. He deserves EVERYTHING that they get. And that is what he essentially says to Job.
When we get to chapter 22, Eliphaz will take his “ready made sin-to-punishment ratio chart” and conclude that Job must have done something really awful. (22:4-5)
We tend to do this to manage uncertainty and put a lid on events that are really painful to understand when we look to and trust in God.
Eliphaz and Job seem to agree that God gives and God takes away – which is absolutely right in terms of what He allows or disallows, but Eliphaz believes that this system corresponds to who does evil and who does good instead of the will of God alone.
Unfortunately, this logic is a major fail in this world so it must be avoided. It does not speak to childhood cancer (unless you want to take the Calvinist route and suggest that the child is evil and God hates it).
Interestingly, Jeremiah will ask in contradistinction to Eliphas, “Why do the wicked prosper?” and this is a really really good question to ask someone like Eliphaz because it’s so easy to believe that someone is suffering because they have done something to deserve it but then what about the wicked?
We might suggest that whatever suffering God allows in our lives we should avoid trying to explain WHY but to see both blessings and suffering as possessing that ability to harden our hearts toward Him or to soften then – and that choice is ours – every time.
I mean, isn’t it the same God that punishes the one who also heals and provides? Admitting this complicates things quite a bit.
Job’s view in response to Eliphaz is that the punisher is a bit more random because Job insists that he has done nothing wrong! Which is what causes Job to take his case up with God directly and what ultimately frustrates his friends to the point they surrender the conversation because of this stance.
The modern comparison of this advice from Eliphas to Job is the verbal five Point Calvinist, who are typically not slow to tell all suffering souls that we are all deserving of hell as well (again, because we are all sinners) and therefore when the Sovereign God allows any sort of suffering, we should just wrap ourselves in shame and take it like a man – because we deserve it.
Part of the short-fall of this view is it leads to finger-pointing, and in the end, a lack of compassion. Perhaps the central word in this study of Job. Instead of trying to explain cause, why don’t we just appeal to compassion in every case with every friend?
Take to an extreme, if we are all deserving of every punishment and all forms of suffering and death because He created us or created a plan that failed us in our fleshly weakness, our reaction to all pain really should be cold indifference – even rejoicing because God is the author behind it, right?
But this was not Jesus response to it. It was compassion.
But interestingly, the lack of compassion is truly the end product of Reformed Theology.
Bildad the Shuhite appears to feel the same way as Eliphaz, but he has another idea to soften the blow and asks, “What if it was Job’s kids or ancestors who had sinned?”
Anciently, people could be punished for what their relatives did. In fact, the Nation could be punished for what one of their members did. For parents, the sins of the children could mess with them, too.
In the face of Job’s insistence that “he had done no wrong,” we have Bildad trying to give him an out. But the end result is the same to Job which was, “admit fault, suck it up, and start over.”
The question must be then asked, “Is this what Job should do?” While it seems humble, and submissive and willing to consider all possibilities for the reason for what has happened to him, we have been told by the Narrator and by YAHAVAH himself that Job was an upright man.
Does this mean He should accept these insights from Eliphaz and Bildad? I believe that the answer is no – peace if possible, but truth always.
If Job had sin, we couldn’t say this. But Job is respected by God (and His friends) FOR standing up for Himself and speaking honestly, truthfully, and while introspective, he certainly was not going to play the victim nor perform false humility. That is not honest before God – and that is what God wanted – honesty from someone which he knew he would get from Job.
Yeshua did this too. Always. He humbled himself to His Father but if charged with wrongdoing He never feigned humility. He might be silent before swine and this is the point – walking by the spirit. Wisdom. Doing the will of the Lord.
This might be the lesson for us when we are suffering – be real, get real, and open your heart to him and others in the face of the pain. But only in the truth can healing begin. Not in feigning.
Then of the three friends Zophar the Naamathite follows the same line as his two friends: God is just, and Job must have done something to offend him.
If God’s power is absolute, and God’s law is that the righteous are rewarded and the wicked are punished, then Job’s predicament is his own fault. The end.
Why the end? Zophar brings something to the table to trump up his position –
he cites scripture and talks about the end of those who play with asps.
This will always establish the scripture quoter as somehow being superior to their audience.
As I have said before, scripture citers are like people who know the lyrics to every song but often have no idea how the music goes so they are constantly singing the “right lyrics” to the wrong tune.
My Lord, how many friends have I had in the past who can cite scripture? I mean I’ve sat with some of the best – but lacking the music they become nothing more than scribes citing the Law to the Lord.
Remember, if the words of God are not delivered to people today in the spirit of love (meaning with the music) we are misapplying and/or misinterpreting the words – in my estimation.
The back and forth of these three friends with Job will create chapters 3-32. But at chapter 32 we read
Job 32:1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
I would suggest that when a person is in pain, suffering, has lost something or someone important to them we NEVER EVER use that time to inflict more suffering upon them – in any way shape or form.
I think that’s a cheap shot and smacks of religiosity. And it is SO SO SOOOO easy to do.
What if these three friends did nothing more than sit in the dirt with Job. Or they offered only their hands to help him – to bring him water, and food, to be a listening ear, and to have the heart and courage if Job asked them “why” to quietly say, “I have no idea, my brother.”
What if we all choose to let God explain himself to others and if asked about God for us to say, “I walk by faith. I have no proofs of anything?” Would this not be a better approach to the suffering world?
I remember when the AIDS epidemic broke out and some of the standard fair from the religious voice was,
“You reap what you sow,” but we have to ask ourselves what that attitude will do for anyone dying of the disease? Is it supposed to be a cautionary tale for the survivors who are withing earshot? Isn’t the fact that someone is dying enough to have on their plate rather than the cause and reason?”
My suggesting today is we choose to offer only love, and the fruit of the Spirit when we engage with anyone anywhere and to truly look to God in faith and trust that He will do the redirecting, the teaching and the changing of all souls along the way while we are the ones who give people REASON to believe in Him.
Then we are introduced to another friend who has been silent this whole time and when he speaks he seems to speak against the words of both Job and his friends. His name is Elihu who pops up in chapter 32.
He is described as Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, and what does it say of him?
“against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.”
Elihu had what we call “righteous indignation,” but it was not only against Job it was also against Job’s three friends because they had found no answer or satisfactory reply even though they had declared Job to be in the wrong.
We read
4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. 5 And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.
So, who is Elihu? We get more of a description of him (than the other three) which suggests that maybe he came from a “well-known family” of that time.
As a “Buzite,” (a tribe from which I have envy over) he was descended from the son of Abraham’s brother, Nahor and we are given a partial family tree of Nahor in Genesis 22.
Where ten thousand scholars say that Elihu was a disappointment to God with what he says and another ten thousand say that God was pleased with him and his words, I want to suggest something different about him that is another take but before I do we must admit that this character fits the bill of being a young privileged type.
Having been ensconced in two major religious cultures I was able to see the common trait both views bear and that is they both have “families – with righteous parents AND righteous children” who are esteemed by the other believers around them.
I mean every LDS Ward and Stake have them – as does the religion itself – the Kimballs, the Monson’s – those whose dads are attorneys, whose moms are homemakers and whose children have all attended seminary, gone on missions and gone to BYU.
They are typically affluent and hold high position. Similarly, there are those families in the Evangelical world culture – and they are not one bit different but they think they are.
And we could place Elihu in this story as a young pious religious upstart who sits there in judgement then speaks with authority over these men for failing to convict Job or get him to produce an acceptable answer for his suffering.
In other words, perhaps Elihu’s name gives him automatic street cred as even adults will often cater to the children from such families. Elihu could be one of these and we could call it a day.
(beat) But while entertaining, I don’t think so.
We note that God does not mention Elihu or his words but that He does mention His dissatisfaction with the first three friends.
So, is there another possibility on the name, purpose and image of this unannounced person who appears out of nowhere?
Let’s begin with his name which means, “whose God is he.” The Hebrew next name in alphabetical order however is Elijah and it means, “whose God is YAHAVAH.”
Could it be that this is a representation of Elijah – and not just Elijah, but maybe the forerunner to YAHAVAH being with us?
Consider this because in it we might discover the type.
So first, the names (Elihu and Elijah) mean the exact same thing. Second, Elihu shows up on the scene without any announcement – as if he grew up in a place where he was unknown until the time for him to speak was right?
I looked this idea up and found that some have even referred to Elihu here as the forerunner of YAHAVAH,” (who will show up in chapter 39).
We might see him, therefore, as the voice of one crying in the wilderness (and saying): “Prepare the way of the Lord” (who is going to arrive at the end of the book).
See, for Job, he has been exposed to the insights of his friends (which has led to little reality) and perhaps we could say the same of the Baptist who shows up at a time when the insights of the Jews is also hollow and self-absorbed.
When their view of the Law and blame is overweighted.
For the Book of Job God will arrive in person and give his response to all that has happened and been said and as with other events in scripture the arrival of God is often prefaced by the arrival of one that prepares the way.
Elihu prepares the way for God’s arrival by silencing Job and rebuking both him and his friends. John the Baptist prepares the way for the Arrival of Yeshua by silencing the ridiculousness of the religious leaders and rebuking the religious leaders of his day.
Elihu is described as burning with anger and Elijah is the one who called fire down from heaven to consume the prophets of Baal. Similarly, but less on the nose, John the Baptist prepared the way for the One who came baptizing with the Holy Spirit, signified by it having flames of fire on Pentecost.
Again, we noted that Elihu’s words are not rebuked by God. Furthermore, God does not even refer to Elihu once he arrives on the scene—this strongly suggests he is more of an agent of God (like Elijah and like the Baptist) rather than a character in the play like Job and his friends.
In terms of what Elihu says it is all very much similar to the speeches of the friends so there is no reason to believe that everything Job or his friends said was factually wrong. In fact, much of what Job’s friends say is based on the wisdom of Proverbs in the tone of Ecclesiastes.
When God shows up and speaks He doesn’t even address a single particular stated by the friends but He does address their failure to understand Him and His majesty and righteousness – which is directly implied when Job himself by suggesting that he is dabbling with a power he ought not dabble by questioning God and in doing so tacitly sets himself up as judge of God.
The problem with Jobs friends is not that they argued so badly on potential reasons for his suffering but that they lacked information to make their case rightly or fairly – if they had, they would not have
blamed Job for his own suffering and Job would probably not have almost accused God of unrighteousness.
The interesting thing is God judges them in this context—not on the individual merits of each thing they said and that seems to be why He is silent with respect to the specific words.
The bottom line that I see?
Job, and especially his friends, have been digging a hole for themselves with their words; Elihu’s arrival on the sordid scene means its time to shut up.
I see the same results in the arrival of John the Baptist.
After proclaiming his being young, and being patient, Elihu brings some insights to the table that the Baptist could have also said relative to the Elders of his day, including:
Job 32:6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion.
7 I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
9 Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.
10 Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.
Then at verse 18 he adds
18 For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me.
19 Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
20 I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.
21 Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
22 For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away.
That sounds a lot like a real man of God. Very Yeshua-like. Very John the Baptist like.
From this point forward, Elihu, in what I believe speaks in a way to clear the deck for the arrival of YAHAVAH, gives some descriptions and supports of Him that stop Job and friends in their tracks.
I want to wrap today up by citing them beginning with chapter 36:2-
Job 36:2 Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.
3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
5 ¶ Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.
6 He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.
7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;
9 Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.
10 He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.
13 But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.
14 They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.
15 He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.
16 Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.
17 But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.
18 Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.
19 Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.
20 Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
22 Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
23 Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
24 Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.
25 Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.
26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
27 For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:
28 Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.
29 Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
31 For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.
32 With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.
33 The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.
Job 37:1 At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place.
2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
3 He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.
4 After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.
5 God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
6 ¶ For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
7 He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.
8 Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.
9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.
10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:
12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.
13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?
16 Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
17 How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?
18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?
19 Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.
20 Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.
21 ¶ And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.
22 Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.
23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
24 Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.
And then in chapter 38 we open with . . .
Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
And we will cover this next week.
Questions/Comments/Prayer
