Job 6: Job’s Second Speech: A Response to Eliphaz
“Then Job spoke again: “If my misery could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, they would outweigh all the sands of the sea. That is why I spoke impulsively. For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows. Their poison infects my spirit. God’s terrors are lined up against me.”
Poor Job! Not only has he lost virtually everything, but Eliphaz has begun pontificating about Job’s alleged secret sins. Obviously, Eliphaz has never suffered very much himself; those who have suffered are far more compassionate.
“Don’t I have a right to complain? Don’t wild donkeys bray when they find no grass, and oxen bellow when they have no food? Don’t people complain about unsalted food? Does anyone want the tasteless white of an egg? My appetite disappears when I look at it; I gag at the thought of eating it!”
Job is suffering from two different kinds of nausea, nausea at his situation and physical nausea, likely due to the infections in his boils. Why shouldn’t Job complain? Any of these self-styled comforters would complain loudly if they were in his position.
“Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant my desire. I wish he would crush me. I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me. At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One. But I don’t have the strength to endure. I have nothing to live for. Do I have the strength of a stone? Is my body made of bronze? No, I am utterly helpless, without any chance of success.”
One of the toughest parts of suffering is when a chronic condition sets in, forcing us to change our lives and our goals. We have a friend who suffers from fibromyalgia, a condition that causes her to “hurt all over more than anyplace else.” Despite the pain, our friend remains the bread winner in her family, working long hours from home. One of the biggest challenges with chronic diseases is that the sufferer may appear perfectly normal, causing others to assume that there’s really nothing wrong or that the person must simply be a complainer. Job might identify with our friend.
“One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty. My brothers, you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook that overflows its banks in the spring when it is swollen with ice and melting snow. But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears. The brook vanishes in the heat. The caravans turn aside to be refreshed, but there is nothing to drink, so they die. The caravans from Tema search for this water; the travelers from Sheba hope to find it. They count on it but are disappointed. When they arrive, their hopes are dashed.”
Obviously, Job lives in a part of the Middle East where water is at a premium and caravans must search carefully, lest they get lost in the desert. In the same way, false friends are just as disappointing, promising comfort but giving nothing but pain.
“You, too, have given no help. You have seen my calamity, and you are afraid. But why? Have I ever asked you for a gift? Have I begged for anything of yours for myself? Have I asked you to rescue me from my enemies, or to save me from ruthless people? Teach me, and I will keep quiet. Show me what I have done wrong. Honest words can be painful, but what do your criticisms amount to? Do you think your words are convincing when you disregard my cry of desperation? You would even send an orphan into slavery or sell a friend. Look at me! Would I lie to your face? Stop assuming my guilt, for I have done no wrong. Do you think I am lying? Don’t I know the difference between right and wrong?”
Ah, now we’re getting at the meat of the matter. Job’s friends continue to remain at a distance emotionally because they fear something similar might happen to them. Since these men aren’t sure why Job is suffering in the first place, they are afraid they too might suffer. Truly, Job is correct when he dismisses their criticism and their assumptions of his guilt.
One of the most difficult parts of suffering is the simple endurance of it. When we begin to suffer, we assume that there will be a swift end to our problems and that we will soon get relief. But what happens if we have a chronic condition that sets in early and plagues us for the rest of our lives?
Annie Johnson Flint lost her mother when she was an infant and subsequently was raised by family friends. Just as this young woman was about to begin a teaching career, she began developing signs of severe rheumatoid arthritis that would progress, crippling her for the rest of her life. But this courageous woman of faith forced her suffering to yield precious fruit in the form of poems and hymns that still continue to bless believers throughout the world. Here is one of her most famous poems that has become a beloved hymn.
He Giveth More Grace
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
Chorus: His love has no limit; His grace has no measure.
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
Chorus
Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
Chorus: His love has no limit; His grace has no measure.
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remain calm when we are unfairly criticized and to remember that You are the One who gives us the grace to bear up under every trial. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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