Burunche’s Blog

Job 24: Job Asks Why the Wicked Are Not Punished

“Why doesn’t the Almighty bring the wicked to judgment? Why must the godly wait for him in vain? Evil people steal land by moving the boundary markers. They steal livestock and put them in their own pastures. They take the orphan’s donkey and demand the widow’s ox as security for a loan. The poor are pushed off the path; the needy must hide together for safety.”

If you thought slum lords and loan sharks preying on the poor are a recent phenomenon, you’re quite wrong. When God was giving Moses the commandments for the Israelites, He kept emphasizing on His concern for orphans and widows. In that culture, women without men to protect them were vulnerable to all kinds of abuses, and orphans might be kidnapped and enslaved. Grasping rich men might even seize a widow’s ox or an orphan’s donkey as surety for a loan and never release them. If a rich man was traveling along a narrow path, the poor would have to get to the side and hope they wouldn’t fall and be injured. Poor people frequently found themselves huddling together for protection.

The Bible is full of assurances about God’s care for widows and orphans. Exodus 22:22 ^“You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.” Deuteronomy 10:18 “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.” Psalm 146:9 “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.” 

“Like wild donkeys in the wilderness, the poor must spend all their time looking for food, searching even in the desert for food for their children. They harvest a field they do not own,
and they glean in the vineyards of the wicked. All night they lie naked in the cold, without clothing or covering. They are soaked by mountain showers, and they huddle against the rocks for want of a home.” Homelessness is also as old as humanity, particularly wicked humanity. Few things are worse than suffering from starvation and cold. Even though God has ordained that anyone taking a cloak as surety must return it at night to keep the debtor warm, wicked loan sharks don’t care. And these people do even worse things.

“The wicked snatch a widow’s child from her breast, taking the baby as security for a loan. The poor must go about naked, without any clothing. They harvest food for others while they themselves are starving. They press out olive oil without being allowed to taste it, and they tread in the winepress as they suffer from thirst. The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the wounded cry for help, yet God ignores their moaning.” Wait a minute, Job! God depends on people to do His perfect will. God is not ignoring the moaning of the poor; it’s callous self-absorbed individuals who refuse to recognize their plight. Ironically, those who most frequently blame God are generally the very ones who should be solving the problems about which they are complaining.

“Wicked people rebel against the light. They refuse to acknowledge its ways or stay in its paths. The murderer rises in the early dawn to kill the poor and needy; at night he is a thief. The adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No one will see me then.’ He hides his face so no one will know him. Thieves break into houses at night and sleep in the daytime. They are not acquainted with the light. The black night is their morning. They ally themselves with the terrors of the darkness.”

Wicked people have always embraced darkness. John 1:5 tells us, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 3:19-21 “And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

1 John 1:5-7 “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

“But they disappear like foam down a river. Everything they own is cursed, and they are afraid to enter their own vineyards. The grave consumes sinners just as drought and heat consume snow. Their own mothers will forget them. Maggots will find them sweet to eat. No one will remember them. Wicked people are broken like a tree in the storm. They cheat the woman who has no son to help her. They refuse to help the needy widow.” Job trusts that God will eventually deal with the wicked, even those who cheat widows and refuse to help them.

“God, in his power, drags away the rich. They may rise high, but they have no assurance of life. They may be allowed to live in security, but God is always watching them. And though they are great now, in a moment they will be gone like all others, cut off like heads of grain.
Can anyone claim otherwise? Who can prove me wrong?” In earlier generations more familiar with Latin, this phrase was commonly quoted: “Sic transit gloria mundi,” or “So passes the glory of the world.” Worldly glory and power are fleeting. Many of the ancient kingdoms that surrounded Israel at one point were wiped out by other nations who also later fell apart. Two hundred years ago, Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote a poem describing a long-dead ruler.

Ozymandias

I met a traveller from an antique land,

Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Even though Job is frustrated, depressed, and discouraged, he still believes that God WILL deal with the wicked, although he wishes God would deal with them swiftly! But wickedness carries the seeds of its own reward with it, for the longer someone practices wickedness, the more they cut themselves off from God and everything belonging to Him-light, life, and love. May we choose to follow God, remembering that 1 John 1:8-9 tells us, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” We cannot clean up ourselves, but God can.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to allow You to cleanse us completely. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 23 Job’s Eighth Speech: A Response to Eliphaz

Job 23:1-6 “Then Job spoke again: “My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud. If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me. Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing.”

Eliphaz and his colleagues continue to orate at Job, mouthing meaningless platitudes about a God whom they don’t know. But Job knows God, has known Him for years, and has prayed continually. What’s frustrating Job is that suddenly there seems to be a big disconnect between God and him. Whereas in the past, Job could speak to God and God would place His answers in Job’s heart and mind, now God isn’t saying anything. Job is frustrated and afraid. Has Job really done something to offend God so seriously that God will never speak to him again?

23:7-9 “Honest people can reason with him, so I would be forever acquitted by my judge. I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed.” While Job knows he is a sinful man, he remains certain that God is a reasonable Being who does not judge unjustly. This affirmation is one of the things that sets Job apart from his self-styled comforters. Job knows God and these others do not.

Job 23:10-13 “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food.” But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind? Whatever he wants to do, he does.”

Despite all Job’s suffering and losses, he continues to have faith that God knows everything about him and that he will pass God’s tests because he has remained on God’s paths. At the same time, Job humbly realizes that God is sovereign and can do anything he wants. Many times, when facing tragedies, we fail to remember what Job has so eloquently expressed. And we don’t know the end from the beginning.

July 2025 marked the 70^th anniversary of a tragedy: my beloved father had gone to a neighboring town to collect parts to repair his combine when he was struck and nearly killed by a drunk driver. Dad’s life hung in the balance, and he even had a near death experience in which he stood at the edge of heaven and saw his grandparents and great-grandparents and others who had gone before him. Dad recovered from that accident to live another 56 years; however, it was only quite recently that I belatedly recognized one of the many benefits of that accident.

Dad suffered from chronic depression at a time when such things carried enormous social stigma. At that point, the only treatment for depression was shock therapy. One of the things about which Dad repeatedly remarked was that he had no idea how many people in our small community loved him. The evidence of that love was plastered on Dad’s hospital wall, for his hospital room was completely papered with “Get well” cards. There were so many flowers and plants that Mom had to share them with other patients. Was Dad on the brink of suicide? As a stoic Swedish American, Dad would hesitate to confess such a thing; however, the love the community poured out for us convinced him that he was a person of worth. That fall, to adad’s amazement, local farmers harvested our crops while Dad could only get around on crutches. In retrospect, I feel that accident prevented my dad from committing suicide.

23:14-17 “So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny. No wonder I am so terrified in his presence. When I think of it, terror grips me. God has made me sick at heart; the Almighty has terrified me. Darkness is all around me; thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.”

Oswald Chambers, the famous Christian writer, authored a book entitled The Shade of His Hand. This book contained Chambers’ talks on Ecclesiastes and was produced just as he was falling sick with appendicitis. One of the chapters is entitled “The Discipline of Discouragement.” One fallacy into which many Christians like to buy is the idea that once one becomes a Christian, there will be no more problems and everything will be smooth sailing. Nothing could be farther from the truth!

The second we become Christians, Satan begins searching out ways to discourage us and convince us that we have made a terrible mistake. And God allows Satan to do this. God is not a deity who produces good things when we press the right buttons or pray the right prayers or attempt to manipulate Him in some other fashion. True, God is good; however, God’s ways are far higher than ours and His aim is to perfect us in His image. That process of perfection is never easy. The Book of Job tells the story of how God perfects one man who already is a believer and who is already praying, sacrificing, and doing good works.

Job speaks truly when he asserts, “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.” What Job does not realize is the process by which God is refining the gold in Job and removing the dross.

One of the problems even the best of us has is that we assume we really are pretty good and just need a few adjustments around the edges. The last thing we want to believe is that we are really sinful people who only deserve hell unless we are cleansed spiritually by the Blood of Jesus. God has all kinds of ways and means of refining the gold in us, and only He knows what will work. And while we are in the refinement process, all we can see is darkness.

I have friends who both had active careers in medical technology until they fell sick. The husband nearly died with cancer and underwent years of treatments that have resulted in other health problems. The wife developed such severe problems that she required nursing home care for several years before recovering sufficiently to return home. On the face of it, my friends should be complaining bitterly about the loss of their careers and their health; yet, these people are two of the most loving individuals you will ever meet. When you are with them, you don’t hear complaints, but only stories of the goodness of God. God has refined my friends into “pure gold people.”

Perhaps today you are stuck in a dark place and you can’t understand why God is not changing your situation. Take heart! God only allows such darkness to advanced saints whom He trusts. God knows the way you will take. And when the darkness lifts, you will come out as pure gold.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to stubbornly trust You, even when things are difficult and we don’t understand. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 22 Eliphaz’s Third Response to Job

“Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: “Can a person do anything to help God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him? Is it any advantage to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect?”

In every group, there’s always one person who has no idea when to quit and who keeps trying to make his point from different directions. Eliphaz is already frustrated with Job because Job has refused to agree with Eliphaz that he is a horrible sinner who deserves all the suffering he is enduring. So now, Eliphaz approaches Job from a different direction: Does human righteousness, i.e., Job’s righteousness, help God or give God any gain? Obviously, Eliphaz is still trying to bring Job down, but he’s simply opening up a new angle of attack. Eliphaz is literally hell-bent on proving that Job is really a worthless human being, but why? Allegedly, Eliphaz is one of Job’s friends; however, no true friend would behave like this.

“Is it because you’re so pious that he accuses you and brings judgment against you? No, it’s because of your wickedness! There’s no limit to your sins.” Say what??? Where is Eliphaz getting his information, or are these accusations merely the product of an over-active imagination? Skilled pathologic liars don’t need truth; they can fabricate all kinds of slanderous accusations with no basis in truth whatsoever. Now Eliphaz opens up with broadside bombardment.

“For example, you must have lent money to your friend and demanded clothing as security. Yes, you stripped him to the bone. You must have refused water for the thirsty and food for the hungry. You probably think the land belongs to the powerful and only the privileged have a right to it! You must have sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the hopes of orphans. That is why you are surrounded by traps and tremble from sudden fears. That is why you cannot see in the darkness, and waves of water cover you.”

These accusations are patently ridiculous! Obviously, Eliphaz has grandly proceeded into Job’s community and has immediately begun jumping to conclusions without asking local citizens for information. In previous chapters, Job has mentioned his long history of charitable works, but Eliphaz has been so occupied with dreaming up slander that he hasn’t paid any attention. Certainly, it shouldn’t take much effort to verify Job’s reputation. There are no secrets in a small town.

 “God is so great—higher than the heavens, higher than the farthest stars. But you reply, ‘That’s why God can’t see what I am doing! How can he judge through the thick darkness? For thick clouds swirl about him, and he cannot see us. He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.’ “Will you continue on the old paths where evil people have walked? They were snatched away in the prime of life, the foundations of their lives washed away. For they said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?’ Yet he was the one who filled their homes with good things, so I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.”

Ho hum! Eliphaz is back to the same accusations he has made before. Lying statements that are cloaked with fatuous statements about God remain lies, no matter how they are disguised. Poor Job! At least Job can scrape at his sores with pottery shards and get some relief; however, getting rid of Eliphaz is a much bigger challenge.

“The righteous will be happy to see the wicked destroyed, and the innocent will laugh in contempt. They will say, ‘See how our enemies have been destroyed. The last of them have been consumed in the fire.’  At this point, Job is likely tempted to reply, “So what!” Having expended huge amounts of energy and verbiage on trying to break Job’s spirit, now Eliphaz is trying to claim moral high ground he never occupied in the first place.

“Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored—so clean up your life. If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river, the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver!” Oh heavens! Now Eliphaz is accusing Job of not submitting to God, not listening to His instructions, and living a sinful life. Not content with those accusations, Eliphaz also claims Job has lusted for money and still has great wealth despite all his losses. Which parallel universe has Eliphaz been inhabiting? Job has lost everything, including his family. Job WANTS God to be his treasure; however, Job isn’t so sure God still agrees.  

 “Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him. You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you. If people are in trouble and you say, ‘Help them,’ God will save them. Even sinners will be rescued; they will be rescued because your hands are pure.”

Eliphaz stands there, healthy, whole, and presumably wealthy; after all, he has sufficient resources to travel to visit Job. Clearly, Eliphaz either doesn’t understand or doesn’t care about the destructive force of his criticisms on Job. Prior to all the disasters that have stripped Job of possessions and family, Job was taking delight in the Almighty and looking up to Him. Job was praying constantly for those around him and was helping them.

As I am writing these studies, tributes are pouring on Facebook for the victims of the July 4^th Guadeloupe River floods. At the same time, there are also critics accusing these innocent people for not having built their cabins further away from the river or not having done something else that would have saved them. The spirit of Eliphaz is alive and well and active on Facebook!

The flooding in Texas took place due to unprecedented amounts of rainfall in a very short time, something over which nobody, apart from God, had control. One haunting video shot from a bridge shows the beginning of the flood with the Guadeloupe River meandering around several islands full of trees. The water level is at least 50 meters below the bridge. Forty-five minutes later, those islands are covered, many of the trees are being washed away, and the water level has nearly reached the bridge floor. Emergency service personnel who have lived along that river their whole lives have stated that they could never have imagined flooding of this magnitude. Even a month later, there are still a few people unaccounted for.

When the floods hit, they washed away those who believed in God and served Him faithfully along with those who did not. Water doesn’t care. Now survivors continue to deal with the wreckage and try to rebuild in better locations if possible.

Reading the criticisms of Eliphaz and his colleagues, I find myself wishing I could just drop large rocks on all their heads! Then I realize that not only did God allow Satan to strip Job of his belongings, his family, and his health, but Satan also used Job’s alleged friends to further torment him. Too bad Job can’t scrape Eliphaz and company away with a broken piece of pottery!

Throughout all the religious malarkey from supposed friends and throughout all the other losses, Job remains steadfast. We can learn a great deal from Job, for he actually gives these men a fair hearing, even though they are doing nothing but tearing him down. Many of us wouldn’t be nearly as patient but would simply dismiss such people. “There’s the door and don’t let it hit you on the way out!” But there’s also another aspect to the situation.

How many of us are guilty of behaving like Job’s friends? How many times have we pontificated, lectured, advised, and even brow-beat close friends who have deserved nothing but love and compassion? It’s easy to hate Eliphaz and his cohorts, but how many times have we done something similar? Lacking any experience of suffering, we have blithely forced our way into situations we have not understood, offering advice that nobody wants. God never forces Himself upon people; however, people readily try to forced their judgments and opinions on others. I can think of several instances in my own life where I should have remained silent and I didn’t. In some cases, my ham-handed attempts at giving advice have accomplished nothing apart from permanently destroying relationships. May God help us, so that we remain kind, compassionate, loving, and-when necessary-silent!

PRAYER:  Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to listen four times as much as we speak and to remember that people need our compassion far more than they do worthless advice. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 21 Job’s Seventh Speech: A Response to Zophar

Then Job spoke again: “Listen closely to what I am saying. That’s one consolation you can give me. Bear with me, and let me speak. After I have spoken, you may resume mocking me.”

Well, Job has had it with Zophar! Job is begging Zophar to shut up and listen; meanwhile, Zophar is likely sitting there jiggling his foot and fidgeting with impatience. All Zophar can ask himself is, “When will Job stop trying to defend himself and simply agree that he is a miserable sinner?” Many leaders advise that you should speak only 20% of the time and listen 80%. Obviously, Zophar has never heard that tidbit.  

“My complaint is with God, not with people. I have good reason to be so impatient. Look at me and be stunned. Put your hand over your mouth in shock. When I think about what I am saying, I shudder. My body trembles.”  Job feels as if he is Exhibit A for someone suffering despite his innocence.

“Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful? They live to see their children grow up and settle down, and they enjoy their grandchildren. Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them. Their bulls never fail to breed. Their cows bear calves and never miscarry. They let their children frisk about like lambs. Their little ones skip and dance. They sing with tambourine and harp. They celebrate to the sound of the flute. They spend their days in prosperity, then go down to the grave in peace. And yet they say to God, ‘Go away. We want no part of you and your ways. Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us to pray?’ (They think their prosperity is of their own doing, but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)”

Now Job is posing an age-old question: why do righteous people suffer while wicked people enjoy prosperity? It appears that the very people who reject God are the ones whom God blesses, and Job feels this is totally unfair.

“Yet the light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished. Do they ever have trouble? Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger? Are they driven before the wind like straw? Are they carried away by the storm like chaff? Not at all!”

“‘Well,’ you say, ‘at least God will punish their children!’ But I say he should punish the ones who sin, so that they understand his judgment. Let them see their destruction with their own eyes. Let them drink deeply of the anger of the Almighty. For they will not care what happens to their family after they are dead.”

Back when France was governed by kings who lived lavish lifestyles beyond the imagination of most of us, King Louis XV is said to have told Madame de Pompadour, his mistress, “Apres nous, le deluge,” generally translated as “after us, the flood.” The king said this because he had no compassion for his subjects and was totally indifferent to their suffering or to the fact that the poor of France were financing his financial extravagances. The king might just as well have said, “I’ve got what I want and I don’t care what happens after I die!” It is generally believed that it was Louis XV’s many wars and his rich lifestyle during his 59-year reign that paved the way for the French Revolution that occurred during the reign of his son, Louis XVI.

“But who can teach a lesson to God, since he judges even the most powerful? One person dies in prosperity, completely comfortable and secure, the picture of good health, vigorous and fit. Another person dies in bitter poverty, never having tasted the good life. But both are buried in the same dust, both eaten by the same maggots.” Here Job is still struggling with the same dilemma: why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? Comparisons are odious and generalizations are equally odious. Although some wicked people prosper, there are others who do not. And although some righteous people do suffer, there are also righteous people who prosper.

One of the problems we have as humans is that we have a very limited view of spiritual things. Only God knows why He allows some people to suffer; however, some of the finest people in the world have suffered the most. Joni Earickson Tada just celebrated the 58^th anniversary of the day she dove into shallow water, breaking her neck and immediately becoming quadriplegic.

Although Joni initially was severely depressed, eventually she came to view her paralysis as a blessing. Since Joni’s injury, she has founded several different ministries to the disabled, has cooperated wtih numerous other ministries, including Wounded Warriors, has authored over 48 books, and has won numerous awards for radio and TV programs, and her musical performances. Joni is also an accomplished artist, producing wonderful paintings and drawings while holding pens and brushes in her mouth. The ministry Joni and Friends has provided wheel chairs and other devices to thousands of disabled people throughout the world. Joni has been honored by a variety of colleges and universities. Had Joni remained as a normal teen-ager, she might have pursued a quiet life, but God has used her disability to bless millions of people. Although Job cannot understand what God is doing to him, Job’s story will echo through the ages as the chronicle of a giant of the faith.

“Look, I know what you’re thinking. I know the schemes you plot against me. You will tell me of rich and wicked people whose houses have vanished because of their sins. But ask those who have been around, and they will tell you the truth. Evil people are spared in times of calamity and are allowed to escape disaster. No one criticizes them openly or pays them back for what they have done. When they are carried to the grave, an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb. A great funeral procession goes to the cemetery. Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest, and the earth gives sweet repose. How can your empty clichés comfort me? All your explanations are lies!”

Why does God spare wicked people? 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” None of us can plumb divine love to its depths, for God sees all of us as sinners in need of a Savior and wants all of us to be with Him in heaven forever.

Only God knows what events are most likely to cause people to come to Him. One of my friends in a church in Charleston, S.C., had a son who was in the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang and who was involved in all kinds of evil. Despite all appearances, this woman continued to pray for her son, and finally God changed his heart. The man found himself in a phone booth (this was the 1970’s) calling his mother while gang members were approaching to kill him. His mother advised him to look in the phone book and call the first minister whose name he saw. When the man called a minister, God sent a huge guy who was an ex-marine to rescue him from that phone booth. I heard the man’s testimony at a church and then later met his mother, so I know the story is true.

When I was growing up on an Illinois farm, we used to raise hogs out in the field. Periodically, we would need to move the hogs from one pasture where they intensively grazed to pastures with fresh grazing. Did those pigs want to change locations to someplace better? Are you kidding? We would have to open the gate and then use other long gates to herd the pigs through the gate hole, bumping them on their noses before they would reluctantly back through the gate. Many people are just as foolish as those pigs. God wants to offer us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; yet, all we can think of is persisting in destructive behavior.

While Job is continuing to complain at God for tormenting him, God is perfecting Job spiritually. Even the verbal assaults from Job’s self-styled advisors are part of that process.

Perhaps you too sympathize with Job. Perhaps you find yourself in an untenable situation, surrounded by vicious critics. But if you are trusting God, then never fear. The same God who has caused Joni Earickson Tada to bless millions can equally perfect you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, please help us to trust where we cannot see and to realize that Your purposes for our lives are far greater than anything we can imagine. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 20 Zophar’s Second Response to Job

“Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: “I must reply because I am greatly disturbed. I’ve had to endure your insults, but now my spirit prompts me to reply.”

First mistake, Zophar! Your spirit prompts you, or Satan prompts you? One of the challenges when dealing with the spiritual world is discerning whether the spirits inspiring our actions are from God or from Satan. Here in Ghana, we have learned the hard way that when someone refers to God, we need to ask “Which God are we talking about?” Remember that when Satan fell from heaven to earth, one-third of the angels fell with him, becoming demons in the process. Those evil spirits are still around, deceiving anybody gullible enough to believe in them. Proverbs 14:29 tells us, “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.”  Once more, we are confronted with another guy standing there fidgeting impatiently until he can spew out whatever is on his mind. Job has not insulted Zophar, but Zophar has emphatically insulted Job.

“Don’t you realize that from the beginning of time, ever since people were first placed on the earth, the triumph of the wicked has been short lived and the joy of the godless has been only temporary? Though the pride of the godless reaches to the heavens and their heads touch the clouds, yet they will vanish forever, thrown away like their own dung. Those who knew them will ask, ‘Where are they?’ They will fade like a dream and not be found. They will vanish like a vision in the night. Those who once saw them will see them no more. Their families will never see them again. Their children will beg from the poor, for they must give back their stolen riches. Though they are young, their bones will lie in the dust.”

Hmm. OK. This guy who has just whined about being insulted is now implying that Job must be a wicked, godless man, and that his family will wind up as beggars and die early deaths. Obviously, Zophar is back to the “If you were really righteous, you wouldn’t be suffering” argument. Is this guy really listening to himself?

“They enjoyed the sweet taste of wickedness, letting it melt under their tongue. They savored it, holding it long in their mouths. But suddenly the food in their bellies turns sour, a poisonous venom in their stomach. They will vomit the wealth they swallowed. God won’t let them keep it down. They will suck the poison of cobras. The viper will kill them. They will never again enjoy streams of olive oil or rivers of milk and honey.”

Interesting. Why does Zophar know so much about the sweet taste of wickedness? Has Zophar been flirting with evil? And why describe the downfall of evil-doers in such lurid detail if he has no experience of wickedness?

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 tells us, “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.”  In contrast, Zophar gives us the impression that he is neither patient nor kind. Zophar exemplifies pride and rudeness and wants his own way, hence his scathing criticisms of Job. Evidently, all these years, Zophar has simply been waiting for the chance to lord it over Job. Whether or not Job has actually wronged Zophar, Zophar has obviously been treasuring up every petty grievance, petting them and nurturing them into full-fledged grudges.

“They will give back everything they worked for. Their wealth will bring them no joy. For they oppressed the poor and left them destitute. They foreclosed on their homes. They were always greedy and never satisfied. Nothing remains of all the things they dreamed about. Nothing is left after they finish gorging themselves. Therefore, their prosperity will not endure.”

Zophar, whom are you describing? Have you been living under a rock? All these years, Job has been giving relief to the poor and needy. The last thing Job would do would be to foreclose on anybody’s home. Job has not been gorging himself on other people’s property. Where have you gotten these ideas? Are these sins something YOU have wanted to do but have been too afraid to carry out? When listening to a confirmed liar, watch to see the accusations he levels against others, for frequently, those are the very things he himself is doing.

“In the midst of plenty, they will run into trouble and be overcome by misery. May God give them a bellyful of trouble. May God rain down his anger upon them. When they try to escape an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce them. The arrow is pulled from their back, and the arrowhead glistens with blood. The terrors of death are upon them. Their treasures will be thrown into deepest darkness. A wildfire will devour their goods, consuming all they have left. The heavens will reveal their guilt, and the earth will testify against them. A flood will sweep away their house. God’s anger will descend on them in torrents. This is the reward that God gives the wicked. It is the inheritance decreed by God.”

Well, the gloves are off! Now we see Zophar’s true nature. All these years, Zophar has stood at a distance, envying Job. Now Zophar is positively GLOATING over every imagined sin he thinks Job has committed. You can practically see Zophar rubbing his hands with glee at Job’s misery. At this point, if Job speaks Yiddish, he might be willing to respond, “Lign in drerd un bakn beygl!”: A curse meaning “May you lie in the ground and bake bagels.” To explain, this curse means that you should burn in hell for all eternity and bake bagels that you may never eat.”

If Zophar is willing to say these things to Job’s face, what has Zophar been saying in the community? Sometimes, through no fault of our own, we can find ourselves the target of a pathologic liar. Such a person, if accomplished, can convince people that black is white, righteousness is sin, and that the sun really rises in the west, not the east. No matter how carefully you guard what you say, a really slick liar can twist anything to blacken your reputation. If the liar then promises different groups of people the very things most dear to their hearts, these people, though righteous, can be swayed. Once the promises begin, the liar can then point to YOU as having blocked his ability to fulfill the promises. Before you know it, your reputation can be in tatters and people whom you thought were friends are denouncing you.

Zophar is the very model of a confirmed pathologic liar. Unfortunately, there are always those willing to believe wild stories about socially prominent people, no matter how baseless these stories might be. But despite Zophar’s attempts to portray himself as righteous, he fails miserably.

1 Corinthains 13:6-7 tells us, “It (love) does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

Corrie ten Boom and her family were betrayed by a Dutch informant, arrested, and sent to concentration camps for sheltering a Jewish family. Corrie’s elderly father died ten days after being sent to one of the camps, while Corrie’s sister Betsie died in the Ravensbruck Camp for women. Corrie escaped through a clerical error, for everyone in that camp was slated for destruction only ten days after Corrie left. After World War II, Corrie began speaking throughout Europe, and at one meeting she encountered one of the former guards at Ravensbruck. But by now, this man had repented and had become a Christian. Corrie testified that shaking that man’s hand was one of the most difficult things she ever did, but when she reached out and took his hand, the glory of God descended and she was able to completely forgive him.  

How can we handle a pathologic liar bent on destroying our reputations? First, recognize that the attack is coming from Satan and not just from any human. We can hate what someone is doing or saying without hating them as a person. Second, remember 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
 ^“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proudor rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

We can pray for those lying about us, even as we do everything to tell the truth. We don’t have to be door mats, but we don’t have to be hateful or vengeful either. 1 Peter 2:21-23 tells us, “For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.” In the end, it is only God who knows the human heart and who can judge justly.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remain loving and to trust that You will settle all scores. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job’s Sixth Speech: A Response to Bildad

“Then Job spoke again: “How long will you torture me? How long will you try to crush me with your words? You have already insulted me ten times. You should be ashamed of treating me so badly. Even if I have sinned, that is my concern, not yours. You think you’re better than I am, using my humiliation as evidence of my sin. But it is God who has wronged me, capturing me in his net. “

Job is fed up. Although Job has been as patient as possible, his critics have persisted. Job feels as if his friends are dumping huge blocks of stone on his head, crushing him. Why should Job’s friends conclude that humiliation equals sin? This problem is between God and Job, and these fellows have no part in the matter.

One of the problems many of us have is that we refuse to realize that only God truly knows the human heart. A pastor friend used to say that “God is in Management and we are only in Advertising.” Jumping to conclusions about someone else’s motives, thoughts, beliefs, and desires is just as risky as jumping off a cliff.

“I cry out, ‘Help!’ but no one answers me. I protest, but there is no justice. God has blocked my way so I cannot move. He has plunged my path into darkness. He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head. He has demolished me on every side, and I am finished. He has uprooted my hope like a fallen tree. His fury burns against me; he counts me as an enemy. His troops advance. They build up roads to attack me. They camp all around my tent.”

There are times when we do feel as if God has trapped us and we have no means of escape. But the question is this: If God has trapped us, what does He have in mind? God doesn’t toy with people; He always has a number of purposes. Many times we must be stuck in a situation before we will learn the lessons God has for us.

“My relatives stay far away, and my friends have turned against me. My family is gone, and my close friends have forgotten me. My servants and maids consider me a stranger. I am like a foreigner to them. When I call my servant, he doesn’t come; I have to plead with him! My breath is repulsive to my wife. I am rejected by my own family. Even young children despise me. When I stand to speak, they turn their backs on me. My close friends detest me. Those I loved have turned against me. I have been reduced to skin and bones and have escaped death by the skin of my teeth.”

Job lives in a society where his age alone should gain him respect; yet, family members, servants, and even small children are rejecting and despising him. Job feels that he has nearly died several times and wonders why he is still alive. There’s nothing like adversity to show you just what people actually think of you.

“Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy, for the hand of God has struck me. Must you also persecute me, like God does? Haven’t you chewed me up enough?”

“Oh, that my words could be recorded. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument, carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead, engraved forever in the rock.”

 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!” If you have never heard these words echoed in Handel’s Messiah, you owe it to yourself to view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqa8rn-hBSk&list=RDhqa8rn-hBSk&start_radio=1

This affirmation is one of the most mind-blowing statements of faith in the history of the world, and the man uttering it lives centuries before Christ. But Job looks into the future and sees a Redeemer who will save and deliver him.

“How dare you go on persecuting me, saying, ‘It’s his own fault’? You should fear punishment yourselves, for your attitude deserves punishment. Then you will know that there is indeed a judgment.”

Accusing innocent people can backfire. Although Job’s friends are certain that they are righteous and free from any sin, they are wrong. Job is warning these people, but will they listen? Their minds are made up!

The history of missions has been marked by many acts of faith and courage, among them the ministry of John and Betty Stam, missionaries to China. In 1943 the Stams were beheaded by Communist soldiers. They knew things were becoming desperate but refused to flee from the people they loved. Betty Stam wrote this poem.

“I’m standing, Lord: There is a mist that blinds my sight.
Steep, jagged rocks, front, left and right,
Lower, dim, gigantic, in the night.
Where is the way?

I’m standing, Lord:
The black rock hems me in behind,
Above my head a moaning wind
Chills and oppresses heart and mind.
I am afraid!

I’m standing, Lord:
The rock is hard beneath my feet; I nearly slipped, Lord, on the sleet.
So weary, Lord! and where a seat?
Still must I stand?

He answered me, and on His face
A look ineffable of grace,
Of perfect, understanding love,
Which all my murmuring did remove.

I’m standing, Lord:
Since Thou hast spoken, Lord, I see
Thou hast beset-these rocks are Thee!
And since Thy love encloses me,
I stand and sing.

Jesus promised that his disciples would face tribulation, but that they should be of good cheer, for he had overcome the world. Today, we might still face tribulation, but we too can be of good cheer, for as Corrie Ten Boom was fond of saying, “Jesus is Victor!”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to be faithful and to trust You, no matter what. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 18 Bildad’s Second Response to Job

Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: “How long before you stop talking? Speak sense if you want us to answer! Do you think we are mere animals? Do you think we are stupid? You may tear out your hair in anger, but will that destroy the earth? Will it make the rocks tremble?”  Hmmm! Evidently Bildad has never heard Abraham Lincoln’s say “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt!” Blessedly, Job refuses to comment on this extremely foolish remark.

“Surely the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. The sparks of their fire will not glow. The light in their tent will grow dark. The lamp hanging above them will be quenched. The confident stride of the wicked will be shortened. Their own schemes will be their downfall. The wicked walk into a net. They fall into a pit. A trap grabs them by the heel. A snare holds them tight. A noose lies hidden on the ground. A rope is stretched across their path.” PLA-TI-TUDES!!!!! At this point, Job is probably sitting there twiddling his thumbs and wondering how much longer Bildad is going to bluster on.   

“Terrors surround the wicked and trouble them at every step. Hunger depletes their strength, and calamity waits for them to stumble. Disease eats their skin; death devours their limbs. They are torn from the security of their homes and are brought down to the king of terrors. The homes of the wicked will burn down; burning sulfur rains on their houses. Their roots will dry up, and their branches will wither.”

Gracious! How vicious can one man possibly be? Job has lost virtually everything, including his family. Job’s skin is falling apart, leaving him in constant torment. Now this know-it-all comes in with these scathing statements. All Job can do is remain silent while this guy amply demonstrates his lack of compassion and judgment. Sadly, innocent people can suffer from natural disasters. In recent years, many people on the big island of Hawaii have been forced to evacuate as volcanoes have roared back into life, spouting lava and fumes. There have always been forest fires, for lightning strikes have occurred since the foundation of the world. As I am writing this, a huge earthquake in the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia is triggering tsunamis throughout the Pacific Rim, including Hawaii. And innocent people can die from accidents, horrible tumors, or with leprosy. No, Bildad is speaking out of total ignorance.

“All memory of their existence will fade from the earth; no one will remember their names. They will be thrust from light into darkness, driven from the world. They will have neither children nor grandchildren, nor any survivor in the place where they lived. People in the west are appalled at their fate; people in the east are horrified. They will say, ‘This was the home of a wicked person, the place of one who rejected God.’”

Wait a minute, Bildad! Just whom are you addressing? Job has not rejected God; however, Job fears God has rejected him. Big difference. Once more, Bildad simply demonstrates the appalling depth of his ignorance as he hints that Job is desperately wicked and will never have a single survivor from his family. Sure, Bildad’s not mentioning Job by name, but whom else can Bildad possibly mean?

Why has God allowed someone to preserve all these dialogues for millenia? Reading comments from Job’s friends leaves us wishing we could go back in time and help Job drop a large rock on each of his false friends’ heads.

God has included the Book of Job in His Word because there is so much we can learn. On the one hand, there is poor Job, struggling to stay alive as he scrapes at his sores in an effort to get some relief. Even pain is better than that eternal itching! On the other hand, there are Job’s alleged friends who appear to feel that sitting shiva for seven days and nights gives them free rein to accuse Job of all kinds of sins he has never dreamt of, let alone committed. I’ve quoted the saying before, and it’s still true. Everybody is good for something. Some folks are good as bad examples.

Face it, while we might identify with Job, most of us behave far more like the men who claim to have come to comfort him. The problem is that these guys are hyper-religious hypocrites who make a big show of sympathy, only to betray their true sentiments by spouting pious gobbledygook. Somehow, suffering any kind of problem, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental, attracts self-important critics like honey attracts ants.

I attended a workshop several years ago at which Nigerian surgeons were touting the virtues of dark honey in place of silver sulfadiazine cream for burns and open wounds. I had a large supply of high-quality dark honey, so I tried using it on one woman’s large wound. The ants nearly carried my patient away completely! I’ve dressed open wounds with sugar for years, resulting in excellent healing, and have never encountered problems with ants; however, I won’t use honey again.

One amazing aspect of Job’s behavior is that he allows these men to continue to lecture him. Personally, after the first speeches from each of these guys, I would have told them, “Thanks for your opinion. Good-bye and have a good trip. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!” Job, on the other hand is both noble and polite and allows these men to have their say, no matter how scathing their comments might be. In the process, Job continues to express his faith and to say things about God that others have since quoted for centuries. In the process of doing this, Job sets an example for all believers who have followed. May God help us, so that we remain steadfast like Job!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remain patient and long-suffering in the face of trials, particularly those inflicted on us by acquaintances taking our problems as an opportunity to say things better left unsaid. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 17 Job Continues to Defend His Innocence

“My spirit is crushed, and my life is nearly snuffed out. The grave is ready to receive me. I am surrounded by mockers. I watch how bitterly they taunt me. You must defend my innocence, O God, since no one else will stand up for me. You have closed their minds to understanding, but do not let them triumph. They betray their friends for their own advantage, so let their children faint with hunger.”

Some false friends are like jackals. Jackals wait until a lion has made a kill, hovering at the edge of the situation until they can move in to clean up the leftovers. But if the lion is injured or sick, watch out! Those same jackals that were hoping for the lion’s leftovers will now attack the lion himself. Job feels that he is surrounded by jackal-type people who will betray their friends for their own advantage.

“God has made a mockery of me among the people; they spit in my face. My eyes are swollen with weeping, and I am but a shadow of my former self. The virtuous are horrified when they see me. The innocent rise up against the ungodly. The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.”

The same people who fawned all over Job as long as he was prosperous and could give them things are now spitting in Job’s face. What has Job ever done to hurt these people? When a harvest failed, or animals died, Job gave liberally to save these people and their families. But the ungrateful have very short memories, and their constant litany is “What have you done for me lately?” Even now, despite all Job’s suffering, he remains convinced that innocent people will rise up against the ungodly and the righteous will become stronger and stronger. Job’s problem is simple: He knows he is righteous and innocent, so why does he see himself growing weaker daily?

“As for all of you, come back with a better argument, though I still won’t find a wise man among you. My days are over. My hopes have disappeared. My heart’s desires are broken. These men say that night is day; they claim that the darkness is light.”

Job finds himself surrounded by manipulative pathologic liars. Pathologic liars are one of the pitfalls in life, for an accomplished pathologic liar can convince you that light is dark and black is white. Few things are more frustrating than becoming the target of such a person, for lies have long legs and juicy scandal is always far more interesting than the plain truth. If a pathologic liar has made you a target, you will soon be amazed to learn all the horrible things you have allegedly done. Sadly, such people can even convince authorities of your wrong-doing, unless the person spreading lies begins lying about them. All you can do with such a person is pray for God to deliver you and continue to behave righteously.
“What if I go to the grave and make my bed in darkness? What if I call the grave my father, and the maggot my mother or my sister? Where then is my hope? Can anyone find it? No, my hope will go down with me to the grave. We will rest together in the dust!”

One of Job’s saving graces is that even though he is thoroughly miserable, he really does not want to die. But Job is scrambling to find reasons to live, and his chief desire is for God to prove His love and to rescue Job from this misery and to restore Job’s hope. What Job needs at this point is hope. Romans 15:13 tells us, “May the God of peace fill you with all hope and joy as you trust in Him, so that you might overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Job is clinging to the last vestige of hope that he has because despite all his trials, Job remains hopeful that God is better than He currently appears.

One of the cruelest things a doctor or nurse can do is to take away the hope of a patient or a family. Millenia ago, the Roman playwright Terence used the phrase “Where there’s life, there’s hope.” Terence was brought to Rome from Carthage, Africa as a slave by the Roman senator Terentius Lucanus, who educated him and, later, impressed by his abilities, freed him. Certainly, anybody who began as a slave and wound up as the ward of an important public figure would be qualified to make such a statement. Terence only lived to the age of 30; however, he wrote six plays that remain classics of Roman literature and that have inspired numerous authors, including Shakespeare.

Even when we must give a patient or a family bad news, we must endeavor to put as positive a spin on it as possible. Recently, we lost a 1100-gram premature infant in our NICU. When breaking the news to the family, we began by recounting the problems the infant had encountered since birth, reminding them of the child’s problems with breathing and failure to tolerate breast milk feedings. We then progressed to describing the events of the final 24 hours of the child’s life. While the family realized that the child was dead, this progressive description allowed them to understand why the child died and to begin to come to grips with the reality of the death.

In an earlier age, someone might describe themselves as being “a shadow of my former self.” That phrase originates in Job 17:7 and is generally understood to mean that the person in question has faced deterioration of some sort. But even as this chapter is finishing, Job is still clinging to hope, although now he believes he and his hope are about to die. Job is complaining, but still holding on to hope.

Perhaps you can sympathize with Job; you feel trapped in a hopeless situation. Take heart! God is still on the throne, and “as long as there’s life, there’s hope.” Psalm 130:7-8 tells us, “O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.”  Even when we are facing severe trials, we can still hope in the same God who has redeemed Israel, for He does not play favorites and He will equally redeem us.

PRRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, please restore our hope with Your love and Your grace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 16 Job’s Fifth Speech: A Response to Eliphaz

“Then Job spoke again: “I have heard all this before. What miserable comforters you are! Won’t you ever stop blowing hot air? What makes you keep on talking? I could say the same things if you were in my place. I could spout off criticism and shake my head at you. But if it were me, I would encourage you. I would try to take away your grief. Instead, I suffer if I defend myself, and I suffer no less if I refuse to speak.”

Ever notice that when someone is determined to declare your guilt, you have no means of defense? If you speak, your adversary will twist your words, and if you remain silent, your adversary will claim your silence is evidence of your guilt. Eliphaz is that kind of guy. Truth and Eliphaz have no relationship. Eliphaz has made up his mind; don’t confuse him with the facts!

“O God, you have ground me down and devastated my family. As if to prove I have sinned, you’ve reduced me to skin and bones. My gaunt flesh testifies against me. God hates me and angrily tears me apart. He snaps his teeth at me and pierces me with his eyes. People jeer and laugh at me. They slap my cheek in contempt. A mob gathers against me. God has handed me over to sinners. He has tossed me into the hands of the wicked.”  Sadly, in every community there are always human jackals, people waiting for an excuse to tear someone else apart. All these years, Job has assumed that God is good and benevolent. Job knows about the malcontents in his community; however, now he is being attacked by those whom he thought were friends, including God.

“I was living quietly until he shattered me. He took me by the neck and broke me in pieces.
Then he set me up as his target, and now his archers surround me. His arrows pierce me without mercy. The ground is wet with my blood. Again and again he smashes against me, charging at me like a warrior. I wear burlap to show my grief. My pride lies in the dust. My eyes are red with weeping; dark shadows circle my eyes. Yet I have done no wrong, and my prayer is pure.”

Job is an honest man. Had Job committed some terrible sin, he would have expected retribution from God. But Job has been searching his heart and straining to remember anything he has done that might make God attack him. Job is baffled, for he has no idea what he might have done. Many times, we assume that God is attacking us when it is actually Satan. We live in a fallen sinful world, and Satan has full opportunities to try to destroy those who have been serving God. When such attacks come, we blame God rather than blaming the Father of Lies. No matter what happens, God has not changed; He remains good throughout all time. Our biggest and most demanding task is to hold on and trust in God’s goodness, even in the face of terrible evil.

“O earth, do not conceal my blood. Let it cry out on my behalf. Even now my witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high. My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears to God. I need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends. For soon I must go down that road from which I will never return.” Can earth bear witness on anybody’s behalf? Yes. The Sentinel Organization has documented numerous cases where non-productive infertile land has suddenly produced magnificently when those working it have repented and gotten right with God. For concrete proof, check out the Transformation  series at https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=transformations+video+george+otis+jr&type=E210US105G0#id=3&vid=c4e281271381589ca323ad821dd203a5&action=click These videos document the reviving of land in Fiji, in Guatemala, Kenya, and many other places. I am a farmer’s daughter, and I can testify that land that is farmed with love and passion bears far more than land that is farmed with indifference.

Even in despair, Job continues to trust that someone can reason with God on his behalf. The use of mediators or go-betweens is a common one throughout Africa. When selecting such a person, one must be certain that they will represent honestly, fairly, and discretely. In some situations, the advocate must have an excellent command of the formalities in whatever language is being spoken, for there might be taboos that will otherwise be violated.

Years ago, we found ourselves trapped in an unfortunate living situation in which we were verbally assaulted on a daily basis. Only the intervention of two friends who were both royals and who both spoke “court Twi” granted us deliverance and relief.  Here Job is hoping and longing for someone who can speak God’s language and plead his case.

Job is also concerned, for he has no idea how much more his battered body can stand. Sometimes when we are suffering, we feel as if we will shatter if one more stressful thing is dumped upon us. But God remains faithful, and He can provide ways of escape. Viewed in the light of history, we know that Job will yet suffer more at the hands of his alleged friends but will eventually emerge with God’s favor. Many of us want swift relief and give up on God far too early; meanwhile, God is trying to fit us for a greater work, one that can only be accomplished by our enduring pain.

The biggest problem with Job’s comforters is that they have never suffered very much. Perhaps these men might have had one or two bad farming seasons, or someone has cheated them in a business deal. But none of these men has endured repeated suffering that continues for days, weeks, months, and even years. When Joni Earickson Tada dove into shallow water at the age of seventeen, breaking her neck, she thought her life was over. But in the decades that have followed, Joni has become an artist, a singer, and the founder of Joni and Friends, a group that advocates internationally for disabled people, and the author of 48 books. Because of quadriplegia, Joni produces her paintings and drawings by holding pens and brushes in her mouth.

 Joni is a breast cancer survivor and has spoken to cancer patients on many occasions through radio programs and videos. Now at the age of 76, Joni continues to minister to millions of people through videos, radio and TV programs. If anybody might sympathize with Job, it would be Joni Earickson Tada. Despite all these problems, Joni continues to witness to God’s goodness and faithfulness.

“l know just how you feel” must be one of the least helpful and most hurtful phrases ever uttered to someone with chronic pain. Nobody knows exactly how someone else feels, except for God. Equally hurtful are pious sentiments. There’s a wry saying that “They told me ‘cheer up, it might be worse,’ and sure enough, I cheered up and it got worse!” Far better to find small practical means of helping. Talk is cheap, but help is dear. Be a helper!

PRAYER:  Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to be encouragers and not attackers for those suffering. Give us Your Heart of Love so that we will heal and not inflict more pain. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 15 Eliphaz’s Second Response to Job

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: “A wise man wouldn’t answer with such empty talk! You are nothing but a windbag. The wise don’t engage in empty chatter. What good are such words?”

Hoo boy! Eliphaz, tell us how you really feel, why don’t you? Job has been eloquently pouring out his grief, only for Eliphaz, who is in good health and not suffering, to dismiss all Job’s words as “empty chatter.” This might not be so sad, were it not for the fact that there are many people who behave just like Eliphaz. Without having the slightest idea how deeply someone is suffering, these people verbally assault the sufferer, quoting bright platitudes in an effort to make themselves look good.
“Have you no fear of God, no reverence for him? Your sins are telling your mouth what to say. Your words are based on clever deception. Your own mouth condemns you, not I. Your own lips testify against you.” Malarkey! Job’s sins are not pushing him to say things; on the other hand, what’s going on in Eliphaz’s life that he feels it imperative to continue to castigate Job? Strangely enough, many times critics will single out imagined sins while they themselves are the ones actually committing those same sins.

“Were you the first person ever born? Were you born before the hills were made? Were you listening at God’s secret council? Do you have a monopoly on wisdom? What do you know that we don’t? What do you understand that we do not? On our side are aged, gray-haired men much older than your father!” Hmmm. All these years, Job has assumed that Eliphaz has been a friend; meanwhile, it sounds as if Eliphaz has associated with Job for his own purposes. Previously, when Job would speak, Eliphaz would compliment him on his wisdom. Now Eliphaz evidently feels that it’s his turn to lecture. Presumably, Job is older, likely in his fifties or even sixties, so he too is one of the “aged gray-haired men.” While Eliphaz is attempting to shore up his position by alluding to nameless elderly advisors, let’s please remember that not every elderly person is wise. Unfortunately, it’s quite possible to age without learning anything.

“Is God’s comfort too little for you? Is his gentle word not enough? What has taken away your reason? What has weakened your vision, that you turn against God and say all these evil things?” This question twists Job’s motives and mis-represents him. Job has not turned against God; on the contrary, Job is confused. Formerly, Job thought God was his friend; now Job doesn’t know what to think, as God appears to have removed Himself and to be persecuting Job. It’s highly unlikely that Eliphaz has ever enjoyed the kind of relationship with God that Job has.

“Can any mortal be pure? Can anyone born of a woman be just? Look, God does not even trust the angels. Even the heavens are not absolutely pure in his sight. How much less pure is a corrupt and sinful person with a thirst for wickedness!” Say what? Now Eliphaz is implying that Job must be “wicked and corrupt with a thirst for wickedness.” How bizarre! If Job had never endured the losses of his wealth and his family, Eliphaz might have been coming around to enjoy Job’s hospitality in hopes of getting something from Job. At that point, Eliphaz would have been praising Job, talking about how great and kind Job was. Job hasn’t changed; only his circumstances have changed. Eliphaz is giving a graphic demonstration of what it means to be a fair-weather-friend.

“If you will listen, I will show you. I will answer you from my own experience. And it is confirmed by the reports of wise men who have heard the same thing from their fathers—from those to whom the land was given long before any foreigners arrived. The wicked writhe in pain throughout their lives. Years of trouble are stored up for the ruthless. The sound of terror rings in their ears, and even on good days they fear the attack of the destroyer. They dare not go out into the darkness for fear they will be murdered. They wander around, saying, ‘Where can I find bread?’ They know their day of destruction is near. That dark day terrifies them. They live in distress and anguish, like a king preparing for battle. For they shake their fists at God, defying the Almighty. Holding their strong shields, they defiantly charge against him.”

Eliphaz argues that wicked people are always punished and that righteous people don’t suffer; however, that is not necessarily the case. Jesus promised his disciples that they would face tribulations, and he was speaking to men whom he had discipled for three years. Matthw 5:10-12a tells us, “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.” Despite Eliphaz’s claims to ancient wisdom, he is the one who is full of hot air.

“These wicked people are heavy and prosperous; their waists bulge with fat. But their cities will be ruined. They will live in abandoned houses that are ready to tumble down. Their riches will not last, and their wealth will not endure. Their possessions will no longer spread across the horizon. They will not escape the darkness. The burning sun will wither their shoots, and the breath of God will destroy them.“ Sorry, but wicked people do not always suffer as Eliphaz is claiming. God orchestrates people’s lives and God is the One who allows wealth to remain or removes it. True, wickedness carries with it its own reward. But these blanket statements from Eliphaz are simply false allegations.

“Let them no longer fool themselves by trusting in empty riches, for emptiness will be their only reward. They will be cut down in the prime of life; their branches will never again be green. They will be like a vine whose grapes are harvested too early, like an olive tree that loses its blossoms before the fruit can form. For the godless are barren. Their homes, enriched through bribery, will burn. They conceive trouble and give birth to evil. Their womb produces deceit.”

Okay, Eliphaz, so now you are implying that Job must have committed some secret sin to be suffering in this fashion? The men who are now lecturing Job and accusing him of all kinds of secret sins evidently believe that having sat with him for seven days and nights gives them carte blanche to say whatever thoughts straggle through their minds. Sadly, when friends suffer, many of us respond in the same fashion.

What Job’s comforters fail to realize is that all the time they are verbally assaulting Job, vaunting their own intelligence and experience, God is watching and listening. The best thing these men have done is to sit shiva with Job; however, after that, it’s all been down-hill. Little do these men realize that God is keeping track of everything they are saying and their false accusations.

Potholes are large cavities that develop when roads are not well maintained. Anyone driving a road with potholes must watch carefully; otherwise, they might wreck their vehicle. Going off the edge of a deep pothole feels a bit like jumping off the edge of the Grand Canyon. Here Eliphaz has blundered into a host of moral potholes and has no idea that he has done so. Eventually, God will take Eliphaz to task, but for now, Eliphaz is simply serving as a bad example. Don’t be like Eliphaz!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to be humble and sensitive when counseling those who are suffering, realizing that You are the only One who knows the human heart. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.