The book of Job has perplexed me. God seems cruel to allow a man to suffer so much. When I was assigned 30 minutes of teaching this past term I took the opportunity to put some time into reflecting on and praying about this puzzling book. I'm so thankful for the truths and insights God reveals to us through these passages. I am more in love with Christ our Advocate as a result. I've compiled my findings below.
Who Will Defend You?
(pondering the book of Job)
When I was little,
my sister Heidi and I did everything together. She wasn't much older
than me but she was much more tough and brave. I had great confidence
in her and held her in highest esteem. Places I would be terrified to
go alone I'd feel safe with her. Walking down an alley once I
questioned “what if someone came to kidnap us.” She stood tall
and said “I'd just kick 'em with my shoe.” I resumed our
peaceful stroll feeling perfectly safe and content. Heidi is a great
communicator. When I'd been turned down over a request to watch a
movie or get out of a household chore Heidi would appeal and, more
often then not, she would have my parents convinced that her idea was
brilliant. In the book of Job he is accused by Satan. All of his
speeches about his righteousness fall to the wind. He needs an
advocate and a defender. Human wisdom fails him. His own
righteousness fails him? Before all is lost, God takes up his
defense. God doesn't defend Job on the basis of Job's uprightness but
on the solid ground of His own.
The book of Job
opens describing the life of this righteous man. In those days righteousness
was thought to be synonymous with obtaining blessing and prosperity. We're not sure the exact
time Job lived or when the book was written, but it is predicted that Job
lived around the time of Abraham. In the Canon the book of Job is
placed after the Law and first among the books of wisdom and poetry.
In the Old Testament
God lays out the laws to be obeyed and declares the blessing
following and the curses that go along with disobedience. Common
wisdom is understanding what is right and therefore brings blessing
while foolishness leads to harm. The book of Proverbs spells out much
of this cause and effect, paralleling the consequences of foolish
living with the beauty and rest of wisdom. The book of Job however
shows up the loop holes in this kind of wisdom in a fallen world. According to Proverbs
Job's righteous living should secure him with a problem free life. As we read on we find Job's life soon becomes far from carefree.
After a short
description of this righteous man “Job” we are hoisted up to peek
in on the assembling of the sons of God in the heavenlies. Satan is also there to report. God is bragging on his servant Job and Satan starts
accusing “Does Job fear God for no reason?” Thus God and Satan
enter into a debate that acts out in the life of Job. God puts limits
on Satan and allows him to do away with virtually all of Job's material and relational blessings.
The people of the
day didn't get in on this exchange between God and Satan. They see a
well renowned man of honor crumpling to the floor. In one day Job
loses all of his 10 children, all his flocks and herds as well as
most of his servants. His wealth and his family are whammered away in a
moment. If this isn't awful enough, next his very body is covered in
dreadful sores. Three of Job's friends come to grieve with him, but rather
than comfort they bring him more sorrow and opposition.
Job's friends find
him sitting in the dust with a potsherd to scrape the sores on his
body. Job and his friends wrestle like many of us wrestle in the face
of adversity. They seek to interpret and make sense of the story
unfolding before them. We see Job and his friends grappling with
questions like: Why does God allow bad things to happen to good
people? If Job is upright why did God allow this calamity? Why me?
What have I done to deserve this? Where is God in all of this?
We hate to be in a
place where we don't know or understand what is going on. We often
jump to conclusions and judgments to make sense of the misfortune of
others. If we can explain it away we are less likely to run into it
ourselves. We feel more comfortable with what we can understand and
control. Job's friends arrived at the conclusion that surely Job
must have sinned in some way to bring upon himself this awful
calamity? Eliphaz spoke up declaring the verdict “You must be in
the wrong because the innocent prosper.” Bildad chimes in “Repent
and God will bless you for God punishes the wicked.” Zophar spoke
up like a good Calvinist “You deserve worse than what you're
getting.” Job's friends were emptyhanded. Their wisdom didn't have
room for a good man suffering. They only had more condemnation. To
settle their own hearts they condemned Job.
In Chapter 32, a
young man Elihu shows himself. He's been listening and keeping quiet
to hear the wisdom of the old guys but after hearing them go on and
on with empty words he feels compelled to speak. He rebukes Job for
defending himself on the grounds of his own merit. Elihu declares
that a mediator is needed, a ransom is needed to plead before God. The Mediator is needed in order that God might accept us and be merciful
to deliver. Lets read a portion of Elihu's words from Chapter
33:23-33.
“If there is a
messenger for him. A mediator, one among a thousand, to show man [God's] uprightness, then God is gracious to him and says 'Deliver him
from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom....(v26b) For He
restores to man [God's] righteousness...(v29) Behold, God works all
these things , twice in fact, three times with a man. To bring back
his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of
life.”
I believe this is a
beautiful and outstanding passage in the book of Job. Elihu's ear is
inclined towards wisdom. He knows that a Savior is needed for Job. He
recognizes that he himself is made of clay (33v6).
It is at this point
that God enters the conversation. Like a symphony rising with tension, Elihu sets the stage for God declaring His glory and God
takes it up from there. God's majesty silences. It seems ironic how
little man knows, understands, or controls and yet we make great
claims of wisdom, understanding, and judgment. God's anger is
aroused. Starting with the foundations of the earth and various
creatures God questions Job on his knowledge, wisdom and power compared to the Almighty One. At
last He paints a picture of the most powerful of creatures;
Leviathan. Some think that Leviathan is a crocodile or a dragon of
the sea. According to eastern tradition Leviathan is an enemy of the
light. This word is also used figuratively for a cruel enemy. There
are a lot of parallels in the description of Leviathan and
descriptions of God's chief opponent Satan. Here in Job it is said of
Leviathan that there is nothing like him on earth made without fear
(41v33). In the garden of Eden, Satan is described as the most
cunning of all the creatures God had made. Leviathan is described as
King over all the sons of pride (41v34). In the leading verses
of Job 41 God asks of Job “Will Leviathan make a covenant with
you?.. Can you defeat him?” It's as if God is saying to Job: "Satan
is your enemy. Choose whose side you want to be on. You cannot stand
up to him. You can't appease or make it right." "Any hope of
overcoming him is false." (41v9)
Like the Jews in the
day of King Ahasuerus who were powerless to undo his verdict, they
needed an advocate and God raised up Esther. Similarly, at Sinai the Israelites
stood terrified at the foot of the mountain - afraid to approach the
King of Kings but God had raised up Moses to speak to Him on their behalf.
In the face of Goliath's threats, the Israelites were shaking in
their boots until God brought in David to fight on their behalf. In the
face of Job's adversity he needs an advocate. Job needs someone to
fight his adversary and he needs someone to defend him before God.
Finally Job gives up defending his name, humbles himself,
and casts himself on the mercy of God. Job has found that his own
righteousness and strength is insufficient to defeat the enemy of his soul.
All the good works in the world are not good enough to safe his soul
from the accusations of this relentless adversary. On his own he couldn't stand. Job
renounces his accusations against God's injustice and throws himself
upon God's mercy. Those who oppose God fail but those who humble
themselves and join God's side will stand. Leviathan is spoken of a
handful of times elsewhere in the bible. I'd like to look at Isaiah
27v1: "In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, will punish Leviathan that twisted serpent; and He will slay the reptile that is in the sea." Only Christ can stand up to the opponent Satan. Another
passage that speaks of this battle and the glorious victory of our
Savior is Rev 12v7-12a:
"And war broke out in the heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of the brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!"
God silences the
enemy and blesses Job - not because of Job's wisdom or righteousness
but because of God's own. Job isn't vindicated. God is! Because of
God's righteousness and mercy and strength Job is saved!
God rebukes Job's
three friends (excluding Elihu) for not speaking right of God as his
servant Job has.” Often when I read the words of Job's friends I
think “where did they go wrong? Job's friends quote large doses of scripture and yet they
arouse God's anger. They knew the scriptures but they missed the
Redeemer. They missed the one the scriptures pointed to. They were
too much like the Pharisees of whom Christ spoke in John 5:39-40: "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to me that you may have life."
Can you can identify
with Job's friends? Do you have people in your life that are
struggling? Like me, do you try and figure out where they've gone
wrong and recite verses so they can get it back together? Do you
bless them with your magnificent words of wisdom, advice and insight?
When you have a friend in trouble do you use scripture to lecture
and condemn them? How about when you are downcast or in trouble? Do
you lecture and condemn yourself? Or, do you give yourself/your friend
Christ? Do you comfort yourself and others with His righteousness and
faithfulness and nearness? In the face of trials and suffering
(whether your own or someone else's) Christ is our only hope...He's
the only one who can bring healing and restoration and save us from
this world of sin and despair. He's the only one that can face up to
our adversary and defend us before our holy perfect Lord.
Job's friends spoke
“wisdom.” Their speeches sound good and right. They spoke of the
general cause and effect of human behavior, they even lifted up God's
greatness, but it was devoid of relationship with God. It was truth
without love and so the truth was foolishness. Jesus is wisdom,
truth, all-knowing. We don't have wisdom if we don't have Christ. The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Without Christ, wisdom
falls short. (Job 28:20-23,28) Job's friends joined Satan in
pouring accusations and condemnation on Job. Job couldn't stand up to
the accusations and eventually tried to plead his own righteousness.
Job knew he needed someone to plead
his cause. Three times he cries out for an advocate. (Job 9v14-20, 16v21, 19v25-27) The most glorious of these is in Job 19v25-27: “For
I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the
earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh
I shall see God...”
He knew God's
holiness and God's mercy well enough to know that he needed a ransom to be paid for his deliverance.
In the face of His calamities he clung to the hope of His Redeemer.
Job saw God dimly as
if behind a veil. Now the curtain has been torn in two. We have the
whole Bible. We know that the Advocate and Redeemer that Job cries
out for lives. Not only does He live but He came in the flesh and
died that we might live with Him. Job is said to be a righteous man.
Jesus however is the only One truly righteous. Jesus is the one who bore
unjust torment. Jesus is the one whose family and name and body was
torn away from Him and broken. Jesus is the only One who could stand before Satan's accusations and yet He took on the curse for us
that we might live in His place!
The book of Job
could be said in fewer words. The poetry however allows us to enter
into the story. We hear Job's angst and we identify with his
sorrow and despair. We can see their trains of thoughts as Job's
friends grapple with bits of truth trying to make sense of what's
going on. Our heart is stirred as Job gives voice to the anguish of
his heart and body. An emotion-packed book. Not only do Job
and his friends get into a heated argument but God Himself
enters the discussion. When God speaks He uses the same passionate
tones. He engages with them in their emotional
state. God is an emotional God, just as we are emotional beings. We
are molded in His image.
In the midst of our
struggles and concerns and questions of living in a fallen world we
grapple. We don't get all the answers. We don't see all that is going
on in the heavenlies. We do however have an Advocate there,
someone to plead our cause before the Father. In the midst of our
suffering we know that Jesus Christ has given His life for us, He is
with us in our struggle and He will take us to Himself. Because He's
alive. Because He's not silent on our behalf. We can trust and rest
and even rejoice amidst our struggles. God didn't assure Job “Yes, you are good. It wasn't your fault all this bad came upon you." Instead he
showed Job Himself and He fought the battle for Job. This is how we
receive comfort in our trials. We see Christ and we see that He has
already fought the battle for us. Satan's accusations are dead and buried with
Christ. We are justified before God. We stand pure and holy before
God. We have a new identity. We are known and loved. In the face of
trials and temptations and hardships and difficulties we wait on God
to restore all things, to make all things new. Job didn't know all
would be restored to him. We however know the end of the story. No
matter what the sores and ashes we sit in today we know all will be
restored. Christ will make all things new.
Like me have you
been placing your trust in a false form of safety/security? I naively
placed my trust in the strength and bravery of my big sister. My
world crashed when I found she was as weak and frail as I am. What do
you place your hope in? Is it the faith of your parents? Is it all
the good things you've done? Or the evil you haven't done?
Is it all the committees you've been on? All the people you've
helped?
Sometimes it's the
most pure and upright of us that fail to see our need for an
advocate. If we don't see our shortcomings and failings, why would we
cling to God's mercy? Considering ourselves more holy than the people around
us we don't see our need for a Savior. We watch others get burned
and we think to ourselves “I'm beyond that.” “Why would I be
condemned, I'm rather good compared to _______.”
Do you see your need for an advocate? When
Satan's accusations come, how will you defend yourself? (Romans
8v18-27) Is Christ standing before the Father pleading for you
with groans that cannot be uttered or are you fighting a losing
battle. When I stand before God my sister's good communication or
boldness will not keep me standing. My right theology or good
parenting will not keep me alive. Only in Christ do we stand secure.
