December 4, 1999
I have found this chapter of Job particularly interesting in
the past few weeks.
Job's friends have been trying to convince him that God's righteous
rule means that the wicked receive swift payment for their evil,
and the righteous prosper here in this life. Job says that their
assumption is just not true -- facts prove otherwise, and he is
an example.
Jobs' complaint throughout this whole book is that God has withdrawn
from him, and he has no direct access to God. Job was sure that
if he did have that direct access, God would hear his complaint,
and would side with him. Job feels that God is out to destroy
him.
However, despite all of his difficulties, he is assured of his
own integrity, and of God's willingness to aid him, if he could
only communicate with the Lord.
Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great
high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high
priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Vv. 1-7
V. 2, Even today... Evidently, this exchange had gone on for several
days.
My stroke means that the hand of God is against him, and that
hand is so heavy that Job cannot find relief by complaining. Job
admits that his complaint is bitter, but his complaint is not
as loud as are the strokes of God against him.
V. 3 -- 22:21-30. Eliphaz said that if only Job would return to
God, then everything would be OK, and all of his problems would
be over.
Job says there is nothing he would like to do more, but it seems
that God is not to be found. Job tells his friends, "Show
me or tell me how to find God; lead me to the throne of God, and
I will plead my own cause."
His friends have no answer for him at this point - how to find
God.
Throughout this book, Job is confident in God's grace and mercy,
even to save sinners. Job is also confident that if he can get
through to the Lord and present his cause, that same grace and
mercy will be his, though he is not a lost sinner.
V. 4, the reason he wants to come before God is so he can plead
his cause. Job would like to be able to find answers for the reasons
these things are happening to him. He knows he is not the sinner
that his friends are making him out to be, so there must be another
reason for what is taking place. And he would like to know that
reason.
I might point out here that we might as well verbalize
our grievances to God, because he knows them anyway. We present
our arguments before God for our own benefit,
not for his. When we lay them out before him, then he can start
dealing with our hearts.
V. 5, Job does not care what others think of him, including his
fiends. He is concerned about what God things of him. He sais
that if only he could speak face to face with the Lord, then Job
would know and understand what is taking place.
Job is confident that God is righteous and just in all things.
If only he could plead his cause face to face, then God would
hear and judge righteously. And Job would understand what is going
on.
He will gladly let God settle the dispute between him and his
friends. If the Lord sides with the friends, then Job will be
quiet. If God sides with him, he expects them to be quiet.
This should settle all disagreements we have with others.
Let the word of God be the final word, PERIOD.
V. 6, Job's friends keep telling him he surely is a wicked sinner,
or these things would not be happing to him. Rather than using
their power for his benefit, they are against him. Job sais that
God would not be like that. If Job could only speak to the Lord
and plead his cause, he is confident that God would strengthen
him, rather than tare him down like his friends are doing.
Job is confident that God in his mercy would not overwhelm him
with his glory and majesty; he is confident that God would not
deal with him in strict justice. And this is our hope
also -- that God will not deal with us in strict justice, but
through his grace and mercy as found in Christ..
Psalms 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth
that we are dust.
God will deal with the lost in strict justice, but he deals with
his people in loving mercy and tender compassion.
Job is also confident that God would strengthen him to plead his
own cause before God.
Note that it is God who gives to us the power to persevere
and prevail before him. Our prayer is a prayer for God power (grace)
to sustain us in whatever he has ordained for us to go through.
V. 7, Job is not desiring to dispute with God; rather, he is confident
in the righteousness of God, and if he could only plead his cause,
the righteous Judge would judge righteously.
Job is fully convinced of his own innocence.
Let me say here that when "bad things" happen to us
and there is a reason, God will readily
show us the reason if we want to know the reasons. Job
was perfectly willing for God to show him his errors. However,
Job knew his friends were not being honest with him as they tried
to point out his sins.
Vv. 8-13
Vv. 8, 9, these two verses tell us that Job has done everything
he knows to do to find God's favor, or to understand his
workings.
Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his
ways past finding out!
Job left no means untried, and no place unexplored. These are
the words of genuine penitence.
Job says he has looked in all four directions, yet he can not
find the Lord, nor why these things were happening to him. Though
he sought every means to "find the Lord," yet he could
not fasten his mind upon the Lord:
1) Job could not fasten his mind on the Lord.2) Job could not
find the cause of his troubles, nor what he had done to provoke
the Lord.3) Job could not foresee the end of his situation. He
could not see if God would deliver him or not. Job was totally
at loose ends, not knowing what God's intentions with him were.
V. 10, despite all the trials Job was going through, he never
lost sight of God's providence. Job was still confident that God
knew where he was, and what was going on.
In v. 10, Job says, "Though I don't know the way the Lord
takes, he knows the way that I take."
Though his friends were falsely accusing him, Job was confident
the Lord would be just.
Job also knew that though he had taken the wrong path at times,
the Lord knew that his desire was at all times to take the right
path and do the right thing.
Vv. 11, 12, because Job's heart's desire was to walk in the way
of the Lord, he was confident that when he hath tried
me, I shall come forth as gold.
1) tried - not destroyed. What we go through
as God's people is not for our hurt, but for our well-being:
1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being
much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried
with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at
the appearing of Jesus Christ:
2) tried -- trials do not last forever.
3) tried - as gold. Gold goes into the furnace,
and it comes out as gold. Gold is precious to the refiner, and
his desire is not to lose the gold, nor to decrease its value.
The furnace is to increase the value of the gold for its owner.
God's word is the only rule to walk by. And without this necessary
food, we will perish in the trials that
come our way.
Vv. 13-17.
V. 13, But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his
soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job did not feel God's favor nor presence, yet he was assured
that what was taking place was for his own good.
Job here confirms the sovereignty of God. God preforms his
own good will in all things, and no one can question
him -- What doest thou? (Dan. 4:35; Rom. 11:34.)
Which brings up a point I have no answer for. God's mind is made
up, yet we are commanded to pray.
The Lord opened his parable about the "Unjust Judge"
with:
Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men
ought always to pray, and not to faint;
We are not to be concerned about the mind of God other than what
is revealed in Scripture, but we are certainly to be concerned
about prayer, or we sin by not praying.
Notice here that the mind of God is set for the
good of his own name and for the good of his
own people, not for their harm:
1 Thessalonians 3:1 Wherefore when we could no
longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our
fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and
to comfort you concerning your faith: 3 That no man should be
moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed
thereunto. 4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before
that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and
ye know. 5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent
to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted
you, and our labour be in vain.
V. 14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and
many such things are with him.
Whatever happens to us, it is God who does it. And only
what is appointed for us happens to us. He has appointed us to
eternal life, as well as to the afflictions and
trials we may go through.
We will not know the perfection of what he is doing until all
things are competed.
I might mention here that he appoints many things
for us that hold no rime nor reason in our eyes,
and can only be understood in the fact of God's divine sovereignty.
Are we sick, sore, dispute, or naked? Are our children or loved
ones removed by death? This is what God has appointed for us.
and many such things are with him. We are not unique
in the situations we face:
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for
you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the
same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in
the world.10 But the God of all grace, who hath called
us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have
suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle
you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
V. 15, Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider,
I am afraid of him.
When we consider God's infinite justice and purity compared with
our own sinfulness, we have every reason to be troubled at his
presence and fear him. However, because of the forgiveness of
sin through our Redeemer, we have no reason to
be afraid of God:
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
V. 16 For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth
me: 17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither
hath he covered the darkness from my face.
God made Job's heart soft, so that Job would fear the Lord. God
made his heart soft, so that Job could not see the end of what
was taking place in his life.
Then Job complains because he sees no end to his troubles; he
complains that he did not die before his troubles overtook him.
Though we may go through trials and temptations, we have an assurance
that Job did not have. We have the assurance that we have free
access to God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. We have
the assurance of sins forgiven, which gives us a clear conscience.
Through Christ, we have what Job could only dream about.