(1) An introduction to Job (24th February 2008)
(2) God & Job versus the Accuser (Job 1-2, 2nd March 2008)
(3) Tired Job talks with Eliphaz (Job 3-5, 9th March 2008)
(4) Feeble Job finds no grace with Bildad (Job 6-8, 30th March 2008)
(5) My God is too big! (Job 9-11, 27th April 2008)
(6) Job turns towards God (Job 12-14, 11th May 2008)
(7) Intercession in heaven (Job 15-17, 18th May 2008)
(8) Job wrestles with political correctness (Job 18-20, 1st June 2008)
(9) Job, Jacob and Jesus (Job 21-22, 8th June 2008)
(10) A sense of justice (Job 23-26, 15th June 2008)
(11) Job's riddle (Job 27-28, 29th June 2008)
(12) Summary of the series so far (Job 1-28, 19th October 2008)
(13) Job helps others; no-one helps Job (Job 29-30, 26th October 2008)
(14) A blameless private life (Job 31, 2nd November 2008)
(15) A fool worth ignoring (Job 32-33, 9th November 2008)
(16) Elihu tells Job that he's not listening (Job 33-36, 23rd November 2008)
(17) God arrives, with a surprise (Job 36-38, 30th November 2008)
(18) God's fight with Job (Job 38, 7th December 2008)
(19) The lost king of the animals (Job 38:39-39:30, 4th January 2009)
(20) God's mysterious ways (Job 40-41, 11th January 2009)
(21) Job's resurrection (Job 42, 18th January 2009)
In this sermon we took a general look at the book of Job, to introduce ourselves to it before considering it in more detail. The first thing to note about this man Job is that he is in a time and place which is outside of the normal history of Israel, as recounted in other Old Testament books. As a result he's a man who is having to have dealings with God where he cannot fall back on the promises made to Abraham or other patriarchs. So in other words, Job is a man whose knowledge of God is very limited and as a result he is an example to us of a man coping in extreme situations. He shows us how to react when we simply cannot make sense of what God is doing. The book of Job is written in both prose and poetry, showing us that this is a story being told not just cold history. Job is a well-written book and it includes many of the features you expect to find in a good story. However, it seems that this is not simply a parable with a made-up character since Job is referred to elsewhere in the Bible as a real person (Ezekiel 14), although we're not sure when the story was written up. So what lessons can we learn from Job? Firstly, we learn to be wary of simplistic explanations for life. Job's friends see some real truths about the world but put them all together in foolish ways. God's ways are not so simple that they fit into our tiny minds and we must humble ourselves before that. This is part of the meaning of the “fear of the Lord” - recognising that God cannot be easily understood and predicted in his actions by us. Of course there are promises from God which we can rest upon and we must do so. But we are not to try and say we know why God is doing this or that, if he hasn't explained himself. And especially this is the case with suffering in life. All people suffer one way or another, and many long for explanations or reasons. What Job teaches us is not the explanation for all suffering but that we must always take it to God. As Christians we see the Lord Jesus as our great example of this. He knew he had to suffer and talked to his father about it. On the cross he felt abandoned, yet still he talked to God about it. We see in the Bible that our biggest battles in life are to be with God – like Jacob wrestling at Peniel. So when God brings us into suffering, then we must go and speak with him. But we also look forward, then, to the future for after God humbles then he exalts – as we see with the Lord Jesus. Maybe in this life, certainly in the next, God will show to his people that their suffering was temporary and that it leads to glory.
(1) Try to read Job through a few times during the course of this Sunday evening series. As you do so, note done particularly memorable moments and saying.
(2) Look back over the times in your life when you have been plunged into suffering. Can you say, at all, that even in this world your times of humbling have then given way to times of blessing?
Click here to return to the contents listing
The first two chapters of the book of Job introduce us to the characters and circumstances which will then feed into the poetic discussion which fill most of the book. This setting of the scene is all written in prose rather than poetry like the vast majority of the book. Job's life is presented to us as a fine and rich one: the story-teller uses important Bible numbers (3, 7 and 10) to portray a man with a complete life – it is all it should be. That includes his life within society and family, along with his own personal life where Job is blameless and God-fearing: a righteous man. Christians today are also to live God-honouring lives. We believe that we are righteous in God's sight through the death of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom we have put our faith. But we also believe that, therefore, our lives must reflect what has been given to us: like Job we are to be blameless and upright (1 Peter 2:1-12). Now in particular Job was concerned with the use of words: he would sacrifice in case his children had spoken carelessly and cursed God after their feasting. However, the word for “curse” in v5 and elsewhere is actually the word for “bless”, the writer is using a euphemism: saying one thing but meaning something quite different. He does this because “cursing when you think you are blessing” will be one of the themes of the book. Job's friends will say many true things but their overall meanings will actually speak ill of God and by the end they'll be in danger of judgement, unless Job intercedes for them (42:7). Christians need to take notice of this warning. We know many things about God but must be careful how we link them together. Sometimes we go astray with our theological schemes and speak about God in ways which we're never been sanctioned to do (such as the mistake some people make by saying that because God saves his chosen people by giving them faith, we must therefore not tell people to repent and believe). However, Job's use of words is questioned by one person: Satan. His name, or title, means “the accuser”. He claims that Job doesn't really bless God, it's just to keep God on side and so get good things from him. Satan shows his hatred of true relationships and cannot believe Job truly cares about God. So God allows Satan to strip all that's good out of Job's life to see what the truth is. And the truth is this: Job stands firm by God – he will not curse God but instead upholds God's reputation. Which shows us that in his suffering, Job acts as God's champion. This is one role of our sufferings: to bring honour and glory to God.
(1) Are there relationships in your Christians life which Satan has tried to break in some way? What ways has he used to try and get you to "curse God"?
(2) Think about Christians you've met and known. Can you remember any who have taken ideas from the Bible and put together a scheme of thought which went too far: saying things about God which the Bible doesn't?
Click here to return to the contents listing
In the first two chapters we see that Job is God's champion, chosen to show that Satan is wrong to say that “God has no real friends.” Now from chapter 3 onwards we get up close and hear Job's inner thoughts as he struggles to fight for God's honour. The first thing we hear from Job is his weariness. For 7 days and nights Job has sat in silence. Sleep deprivation can be caused by many things and when it comes we find it very hard. But especially it appears during times of great distress. Unsurprisingly, Job longs for peace and rest, and the only place he can imagine finding it is in the grave. This longing is right since we were designed to be like God who after six days of working at creation, rested on the seventh. So Job's desire was a good one but Christians have a better answer than the grave. We know that with the Lord Jesus we will have a true Sabbath rest in the new heavens and earth (Hebrews 4). However, Job doesn't get his wish and so instead expresses a different one: that he had never been born. This is an irrational idea since it is impossible to go back in time and adjust the day of our birth. Nonetheless, Job is wise to say such things because it helps him to cope with his struggles. Effectively Job has redirected his cursing away from God (as his wife suggested) and towards something which cannot actually be cursed. Such an action helps the suffering believer to express their real pain whilst maintaining honour to God's name. Sadly, however, Job's friend Eliphaz does not see things this way and steps in to “defend God”. He does so by reminding Job that God is just and so doesn't let innocent people suffer. Having said that, however, Eliphaz then has to add an extra statement to cope with Job's situation, so he expounds the idea that no man or woman is ever innocent when compared with God's standard and therefore all must inevitably suffer at some point. (He claims this insight came to him in the night through a mysterious vision). But this brings hope, says Eliphaz, because Job is mostly innocent and therefore can look forward ultimately to God's blessing after this time of discipline. In his words Eliphaz utter some true statements but his overall picture is wrong and we, the readers, especially know this because of chapters 1 and 2. Also Eliphaz's words cause Job extra pain since he implies Job's past sacrifices have been wasted and his children were evil. What he should have understood is that when God disciplines his children (as he does) it will be clear and not just for general "imperfections".
(1) Look at your own personality. What helps you to be kept from “cursing God” at those times when you feel frustrated and under pressure in life?
(2) Job is a very difficult person to help. It can often be so with very troubled people. Given what you've seen so far in the book, what would you have said (or not said) to Job if you were in Eliphaz's position?
Click here to return to the contents listing
In chapter 6 Job begins his second speech, and receives a response from Bildad. He starts with the thought of how suffering can feel very heavy. This heaviness, in turn, then has the effect of sapping all of our strength from us. Life, says Job, becomes like bad food: it does us no good but rather leaves us weak and complaining. In the midst of difficulties and hurts, we sometimes literally stop eating, making us weak (life becomes inedible). But Job is also pointing to a wider experience of how tragedy can take us onto a spiral of weakness. When miserable, we feel weak. As a result we leave off doing good things and so our misery intensifies. Which means that we feel even weaker. We spiral downwards and everything we do in life – even the smallest of things – can become hard work. Of course, sometimes this happens to a person because they are lazy or dysfunctional. But for people like Job, it comes about because of the disasters they're trying to cope with. So Job feels like a completely broken man and he wishes that God would get it over with and simply crush him completely. Job shows us that sometimes, for a believer, awareness of God and his control of life actually makes things worse when we are passing through difficult times: Job speaks of God's arrows striking into his body. However, even with that thought Job is doing the right thing by moving towards God, not running away from him. So Job confronts the truth of God's sovereignty, and wonders why God acts the way he does. He seems to be like a boss who gives his employees bad shifts, hard labour and is forever watching what they do to catch them out. Believers can feel, at times, that God expects too much of them. Of course, it is true that God's expectations are high. However, that mustn't take us away from God. Rather we must remember Jesus. When he faced the greatest demand upon his life – the cross – he first spoke to his Father in Gethsemane and then submitted himself to God's will. And in the resurrection Jesus was proved right to have done so! So we, therefore, have got huge reasons to press on with God through our days of suffering. This is truly to act as God's friends: trusting him even when things seem to be going wrong. Sadly Job's friends do not treat him that way; rather they just assume the worst – Job's being punished for imperfections. This is because their religion is graceless. Like the Pharisees they speak well of God but put burdens onto men. We look to God's grace. To Jesus who said, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:30)
(1) Have you ever felt the sapping of strength from troubles in life? Did you remember Gethsemane when it happened? How can you best prepare for when troubles come again?
(2) Are there ways in which Christians can end up preaching a graceless gospel? What should we watch out for in our words to others?
Click here to return to the contents listing
Job is a righteous man: meaning that he has no particular sin which demands particular punishment. So Job, therefore, struggles to understand why he is currently suffering so badly. We readers, however, know that it is because of God's dispute with Satan and that Job is suffering to uphold the honour of God – which we see Job doing in his discussions. Now thus far we've seen Job both worn out and weighed down by his troubles. To which his friends have replied by discussing a simple principle they hold to: the principle of justice. Which they interpret to mean that if you do right God blesses you and if you do wrong God punishes you, and that since Job is suffering trouble he must be being punished for some wrongdoing. Now by itself this principle sounds fairly reasonable until you see that it just does not match Job's own circumstances. Job is righteous and doesn't “deserve” what he's getting. So the friends advice is neither wise nor encouraging – in fact it upsets Job even further. Indeed as Job ponders it, it creates frustration within him: frustration with God. And what frustrates him in particular is that God is too big! God the mighty and powerful creator is so different from tiny Job that although Job wants to discuss his circumstances with God, he doesn't think he can do so: God will do what God will do. As a result Job wishes that some sort of mediator could be found to act between him and God (9:33), but none is available. So by chapter 10 Job's mind is left spinning and he wishes God would simply leave him alone, so he can pass out his mortal days in peace (10:20). Zophar, however, is not impressed and tells Job that he's in denial about his sins. Job must be a sinner – indeed to such a degree that God has even forgotten some of the things which Job has done (11:6). Well Job's words are the words of a despairing man in pain, but he still understands God better than his friends. Their mistake is consistently to underestimate God. As readers we know why Job is suffering but his friends with their “universal principle” have got God wrong. They've made God and the world too simple in their minds and do not see how much more complicated life actually is. We must not make God too small. He is the awesome and fearful God who made the world without us. So we must be careful not to misread God intentions by looking at our circumstances. Jesus taught us to deal with life's storms not by storm analysis but by following his teachings (Mt 6:24-). We live for our Lord by prayerful, trusting obedience of his word.
(1) What opportunities has God give to you in your life? What skills and situations? Are you using them for his glory?
(2) Is there any part of your life at the moment where you especially feel that God is too big, too inexplicable – his ways too mysterious – and that that makes it hard to cope with? How does Job help you to pray in this situation?
Click here to return to the contents listing
In these chapters Job makes one of his longest speeches. In the speech Job reacts very strongly to all that his friends have been saying and then he turns to address God. According to Job, the big problem with his friends is that they overestimate human wisdom and understanding: both their own and that which they've learned from their forefathers. Job tells them that only God really understands the world and how it works. Job is showing that his experiences have taught him a real fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom according to the book of Proverbs. He now really believes that God is in control and it intimidates him. Whereas Job's friends think too highly of their own ability to explain things, making their view of God very limited and controllable. So Job brings down their views by pointing to the ways of history. After all, if human wisdom is so impressive then history should be a success story. But it isn't. Empires are constantly rising and falling. Leaders go from great skill and ability, to stupidity and irrational behaviour and bring down the success they helped to create. This happens in many sorts of organisations from countries, to churches. Therefore Job tells his friends to stop talking and start thinking properly about God: they need to fear Him. At which point Job then turns towards God and he shows the fear that he feels. God could easily take his life, if he wished. However, Job is determined that his fear will not prevent him going towards God. He knows that wisdom rests with God which means his vindication – the judgement that Job is blameless – lies with God. Hence Job knows he must have dealings with God. So Job asks God what it is that he's done wrong and even though God doesn't answer, behaving in this way does Job good. It does him good because Job is treating God like a person, which is what Satan said Job would not do. Satan claimed Job thinks of God as a blessing machine; but Job clearly does not. Now, of course, Job is still suffering a great deal of pain and he cries out about how he doesn't understand why God behaves as he does. Given that men live briefly and then are gone for ever into death, why cause them so much trouble? It doesn't make sense. However, then a passing idea comes to him: what if God would put him in a grave and then raise him again after his anger has passed? It's a thought which shows that deep down Job does trust God. Sadly, for Job, the thought passes as reality reappears. But it need not for us because as Christians we know Jesus has turned God's anger away through his death – on the cross. We know that God loves us.
(1) Can you think of people you have known who depend too much on human wisdom? Have you ever done so?
(2) In what ways should Christians develop a proper fear of the Lord? Has anything in your life affected your awareness of God?
Click here to return to the contents listing
This world is a “Good Friday” world in which the wicked appear to go unpunished and the innocent suffer for no crime. Of course, it's not completely like that: wicked people do suffer and are punished. But that doesn't happen consistently. Job is the living proof of that: a man who is clearly in a “Good Friday” world. Job's friend Eliphaz, however, does not accept this to be the case. So in order to get his point through to Job – who obviously isn't listening properly – Eliphaz repeats what he said earlier, but now with greater emotion. But Job is listening and has reponded to Eliphaz's earlier point. So Eliphaz speech in chapter 15 actually shows that it's Eliphaz who is not listening properly. This comes through when he accuses Job of undermining the fear of God, which is plainly ridiculous when you read again Job's speech in the previous chapters. Eliphaz also seems to think that he can read Job's mind (as well as God's mind!) when he puts Job's attitude down to sinful craftiness. But then the most foolish moment of Eliphaz's speech comes when he provides his analysis of the lives of wicked people. Firstly he becomes overheated and talks up human wisdom again (despite Job's point in the previous chapter) and then he goes on to explain how wicked people are constantly suffering for their crimes. But this is just wishful thinking. Job's own life disproves Eliphaz's point that all suffering comes from a person's personal sin. But for Christians we have an even stronger example when we look at Jesus upon the cross: he was innocent of any personal sin yet suffered greatly. So we must be very careful about how we talk about God's ways in the world, least we say wrong things about God and dishonour him. Justice is coming to this world, but it is waiting for the great and final day of the universe when Jesus will return to judge all people (Acts 17:31). Well Job gives Eliphaz a good telling off and then describes again the darkness of his own situation. He's challenged God but God hasn't answered. Now all Job can do is wait until he descends into the grave. And yet, even as Job says this a glimmer of hope appears in his mind. He still believes that God is just and fair, and will ultimately listen to a witness who speaks on Job's behalf. It seems that this witness is Job's blood, calling out his innocence in heavenly places (16:18-21) Of course, as readers we know that Job does have someone speaking for him in heaven – God himself – so Job's insight is a good one. As Christians we know that Jesus, risen and ascended, speaks for us in heaven. And his blood means that we will be innocent before God for evermore.
(1) Do you ever start repeating yourself and becoming more animated when you feel someone isn't listening to you? Are you always right to do so?
(2) Think about the Lord Jesus speaking on your behalf in heaven. At what particular times in your life is that a great help and reassurance?
Click here to return to the contents listing
In chapter 18 Bildad is feeling frustrated and threatened by Job's view of the world, because it contradicts Bildad's own view. If Bildad were, for a moment, to accept the evidence Job is bringing forward concerning his innocence then Bildad belief's about morality and the way the world works, would fail him – and Bildad cannot bear the thought of that happening. So to rebuff Job, Bildad asserts firmly his view that wicked people always lose out in the end: their lives go wrong. And then, on the other side of Job, hemming him in, Zophar does the same thing in chapter 20. He too asserts the idea that wicked people come to a bad end. But Zophar also goes further by using graphic imagery to say that wicked people lose all their gains in life: they vomit out the stolen delights they've taken from others. But both of these men are making the silly mistake of taking an ultimate truth – God punishes the wicked – and trying to make it fit all situations in the here and now. The result is that they insist that suffering is always linked to sin, which clearly isn't the case (as we see with Job). This is an example of taking a principle and forcing it to apply in every vaguely related situation, even if contrary to the actual evidence – we sometimes refer to this as “political correctness”. This happens, for example, when somebody is accused of “abuse” simply for taking some physical discipline to a child. Such accusations are both silly and dangerous and Christians should always insist – with the Bible – that real evidence is required for condemnation. Job, however, bats away his friends assertions in chapter 19 and tells them they are causing him pain for no reason. He then describes his circumstances and shows how painfully sad they are, with friends and family members refusing to have anything to do with him. Of course Job's experience is not unique to him. Many believers have known the same and, indeed, the Lord himself experienced the rejection of family and friends in the most painful of ways. Job, however, finds some hope: one day a redeemer will rise up for him in his family (v25). He may not know who the redeemer will be, but he's sure it will happen and that he will have his innocence renewed before God and men. Job says this because he believes in the ultimate justice of God, even though he cannot make sense of his current circumstances. Christians, however, know Job's words are true in a greater way. We have one who firmly establishes our eternal innocence through his blood: Jesus, our great and everlasting Redeemer.
(1) What examples of political correctness have you seen? What was the good principle behind it? How was it applied wrongly?
(2) Read through one of the gospels and see the Lord Jesus dealing with false accusations made against him. Does he deal with them differently to Job? Or are there any similarities? How should Christians be different to Job?
Click here to return to the contents listing
Chapters 21 to 32 cover the final stage of Job's discussions with his three “comforters”. Having failed to convince Job that suffering always comes from sin, the friends are now running out of steam. Job, however, is becoming stronger – not physically, but in his heart. This reminds us of Jacob. He was a man who struggled throughout his life (Genesis 49:7) and who even wrestled with God (Genesis 32). The whole experience left him crippled and hurt, yet he was also a man who matured as a believer and gained great blessing. Job follows a similar path to Jacob. He wrestles with men and with God, but comes out at the end a finer believer with greater blessing than before. The process whereby faith matures through struggles is seen throughout the Bible as true believers wrestle for God and wrestle with God. We wrestle for God when we do battle with Satan, who comes against us through people and circumstances. If we stand against him, as Jesus did in the wilderness temptations (Luke 4), then we shall grow in our faith; the wrestling match will do us good. We wrestle with God when the darkness of our situation drives us to Him, to cry out to Him to bring justice, salvation and blessing. Such wrestling by a true believer leads on to resurrection – as we see with Job, Jacob and Jesus. Christians must press on through troubles by, like Job, grabbing hold of the glimpses of hope and by keeping on talking to God. Job, then, is maturing in his faith and as a result knocks his comforters down in this final stage of their discussions. In chapter 21 he says that they have been mocking him (v3) and so in his speech he turns the tables and mocks them. All three friends have made very exaggerated claims about the wicked, pointing out how their evil ways always end up in a complete disaster. Now Job uses language which is over the top, to make the very opposite point: that the wicked have an easy life. Why does he does this? Because he is mimicking his friends to show the foolishness of their words. Having done that, Job then brings his counterarguments and points out the silliness of some of the things his friends have said. They claim to be drawing on the sum of human wisdom,but have they never questioned those who have seen the world through their travels? The wicked do thrive, all over the place! Well Eliphaz doesn't like Job's clever response and retaliates with slander: he's now realised that Job is very wicked. Not only that but he puts words into Job's mouth which Job never said (22:13). These are the actions of a somebody showing that they have lost the fight. Job is being proved right.
(1) Can you think of situations where you should resort to “answering a fool according to his folly” (Proverbs 26:5) the way that Job does with his friends?
(2) What characteristics (sinful or not) within us lead us to resort to slander and false words when somebody is defeating us in an argument? Is it simply pride or are there other factors? Do you do this?
Click here to return to the contents listing
After Eliphaz's outrageous slandering of Job in chapter 22, Job allows his friends hardly any further words (just a few sentences in chapter 25). Instead, Job makes a long speech, to chapter 32, in which he quotes both the contents and styles of his friends, whilst refuting their arguments, poking fun at them and making his own case once again. However, although he argues strongly, he doesn't resort simply to taking his revenge upon Eliphaz. Instead Job turns towards God since in his heart he still believes God is just; that if God was around then he would uphold the truth. What frustrates Job, however, is that God isn't around and is seemingly intent on never turning up! Nonetheless, after a lifetime of following God Job feels the need of justice deeply and so he launches into a description of the unfairness of world in chapter 24. He points out the property, employment and sexual crimes, amongst others, which are committed against the weak and vulnerable. In doing so Job reminds us that a sense of justice runs right through the human race. We certainly pick up injustice very quickly when it is targeted against ourselves. But we also hate injustice on a wider scale: the unfairness of the world just seems wrong to many. Why do we feel this way? Because we have been made by God in his image, and therefore the desire for justice is built into us: it is one of the evidences of the reality of God's existence. Job certainly feels strongly about justice for all (despite Eliphaz's accusations implying otherwise) However,after his cry against injustice, it appears that in 24:18 Job returns to his friends' arguments by anticipating their comments and speaking on their behalf. Job talks about how the wicked will come to a nasty end, but he's doing so to point out how nonsensical this view is. Well Bildad sees where things are going and tries to intervene in chapter 25 by uttering some fresh platitudes about God. But his attempt to side-step Job's point completely fails. Job silences him after 6 verses by starting to make fun of him, in chapter 26. He points out how useful Bildad's comments are! They offer so much comfort and help to those who are suffering from injustice! And then Job finishes Bildad's speech for him, agreeing with him that God is awesomely great and wonderful. But so what if God won't intervene to bring justice? Bildad has failed to answer the real question! Once again Job is wrestling with reality of this world and God's role within it. He won't hide from the evidence but is trying to understand it. Deep down he remains a believer who is sure that, come what may, God is just. We must say the same.
(1) Think about the people you talk to each day. How do they discuss the injustice in the world? What points would you make to them in the light of Job?
(2) How can we best restrain ourselves from retaliating against those who do us wrong, in the way that Eliphaz wronged Job in chapter 22?
Click here to return to the contents listing
In chapter 27 Job uses the greatness of God to make a vow. The vow shows how strongly Job believes in God. Often, troubles in life expose our deep knowledge that God really is there. When life is easy then people can ignore God, but when life is hard, people start blaming God. Well Job has always believed in God but now his troubles have really shown that up in his heart and life. In his oath, Job vows never to adopt his friends' ideas because that would make him a liar. He might be tempted to agree to their statements (if for no other reason then at least to shut them up). But he will not do it because the evidence of his life leads him elsewhere. Job's integrity in this way is just more proof that Satan was wrong in his accusations about Job at the start of the book: Job's words are not shaped by his circumstances but by what is true. After his vow Job's words then change in a rather strange way when he starts to talk about the wicked getting their comeuppance (27:7-). However, it appears that what Job is doing is imitating Zophar so that he can then say “what a lot of nonsense these ideas are!” (27:11) Using this technique, Job continues to silence his friends and makes plain that their views are wrong. And then in chapter 28 Job switches to a different technique in dealing with his friends. He suddenly launches into a description of human mining operations, which seems to have no place in the current speech. But what Job is doing is setting his friends a riddle. For 11 verses he makes them wonder just what he's going on about, before he finally explains that this is all about wisdom and how hard it is to find out what life is about. Riddles are used in various places in the Bible, where people need to be made to think harder and to have their hearts tested. We see Jesus doing this in his parables where the meaning is often obscure (Mark 4:11-). This drives some people away but those who are truly responsive stay around and discover the real meaning from Jesus. Well Job is using a similar technique to get his friends to think properly. His riddle about mining seems to imply that man can discover anything. But like a good riddle, the punchline is quite different. Job is actually saying that there is one thing man constantly fails to discover: the wisdom to live life well. By comparing it with other things, Job reminds his friends just how hard it is to find real wisdom in this world. And then Job brings them back to God: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. His friends really need to learn that properly. This reminds Christians of our constant need to remember how awesome God is and to live in the fear of the Lord.
(1) What can you do to remind yourself often about the greatness of God and how you must live in the “fear of the Lord”?
(2) Read through some of Jesus' parables and see what effect they have on their listeners. What do we learn from them about preaching the gospel?
Click here to return to the contents listing
In this sermon we simply ran through some of the things we've seen so far about this book of Job. It's a book which mostly contains conversations written in a poetic form. So although it is based on real events, it is more like a historical drama than a newspaper account. The main human character – Job – lived before most of the other events recorded in the Bible; he was a man who trusted God and lived to please him. Job initially had pleasant circumstances, but these then gave way to terrible tragedy in every part of his life – leaving Job a broken, exhausted and confused man. But then three “wise” friends turn up to help Job. They bring to him their insight into life which is this: God always punishes sin; suffering is always punishment; so Job's sufferings are sin-related. However, Job has a problem with their thesis which is the fact that he's innocent: he doesn't know of any particular crime which he's committed. So he's not claiming perfection but if his suffering is punishment, then he's no idea what he's being punished for and he's frustrated by the fact that God won't come and talk to him about it. Well Job debates this point with his friends and roundly defeats them in the debate. They end up resorting to slander and platitudes, whilst Job is able to expose their foolishness with straight-talking, clear evidence, counter-argument, mimicry, sarcasm and even a riddle! However, Job and his friends aren't the only characters in the story. At the start, the reader is allowed to see into heaven and there discovers that all that has happened, has come about because of a conversation between Satan and God. Satan makes the claim that God has no real friends and that people who honour him only do so to get good things out of him. So God allows Satan to cause Job suffering to prove Satan is wrong. Job is chosen by God to be his champion and uphold his honour: God really is trusted by those who love him. What do we learn, then, from this book? Firstly, to be careful in how we apply truth. It's easy to take something true and exaggerate its application with our own wisdom – as Job's friends do with the truth that God punishes the wicked. Secondly, we learn to fear God. God is much bigger and more complicated than we can imagine. We should not treat him carelessly as though we can readily understand him and his ways. Thirdly, we see that believers must continue to cling onto God through all circumstances. He can be trusted in the end. Fourthly, we learn that suffering does have purposes, including the upholding of God's name and the strengthening of believers.
(1) In all Job's arguments with his friends, do you think he ever goes too far in the way he responds to them?
(2) Prepare yourself for suffering. Pray that God would be honoured in the way that you react. Pray that you would grow stronger through the difficulties.
Click here to return to the contents listing
Job 29-31 are Job's final big speech. His friends have been silenced and now Job makes a last appeal to God. In this speech God is proved right. At the start God told Satan that Job trusted and honoured him. Satan, however, denied it saying that Job only honoured God to get blessings. Therefore, God allowed Satan to strip away the blessings to see if Job would change. And this speech shows that Job hasn't changed: he still holds onto God and God's ways. Now in chapters 29 & 30, Job looks back over his public conduct. He reviews the blameless way he lived (1:8) and still regards it as right. But what he struggles to understand is why others, especially God, haven't treated him in the same way as he treated others. Looking back Job remembers how his life has been full of blessings and hope. However, he always recognised that this came from the mercy of God in his life (29:2). So being wealthy did not lead Job into a self-satisfying attitude towards life. Rather Job took the opportunity to take his public responsibility very seriously. He played a part amongst the elders who sat together in council near the city gate. And his role was significant (see 1:3) with both young and old recognising the wisdom that Job could bring to bear. What was the wisdom that they saw in him? That he carefully looked after those who could not look after themselves (29:11). In particular this included tackling the wicked people who caused trouble to others; as he says in verse 16, “I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth.” At the start of chapter 30 he then describes a particular delinquent group whose power-base he had to break and send away. But now Job's power has waned, that wicked group have returned and no-one (not even God) steps in to protect Job; what Job did for others, no-one will do for him! This is what hurts Job especially. He is mocked and attacked by his enemies, but when he cries for help, even in the assembly of the elders (30:28), none comes; when he pleads with God to act, God stands far off (30:20). In this first part of his speech, we learn two lessons from Job's experience. Firstly, we can see that whilst faithfulness to God will bring ultimate blessing, it may well not bring immediate blessing. Like Jesus we may pour out love towards others, and rebuke those who are evil, only to be given no help in return when our moment of crisis comes. In such times we have to hold onto God. Secondly, Job shows us the difficulties of leadership and how lonely a role it can be. This reminds us that we must pray for those who lead our country, in the workplace and in our churches.
(1) Think about people that you've sought to help over the years. How many of them have failed to be truly thankful? How should you pray for them?
(2) List out leaders that you know. What times have they faced when others have let them down? Turn your thoughts into prayers.
Click here to return to the contents listing
In this, his closing speech, Job has spoken of his public life (ch 29-30); now he speaks of his private life. In both Job has lived blamelessly, as chapter 1 said. Hence, chapter 31 displays the heart of a true believer to us: always wanting to honour God, both with public actions and private attitudes. Job shows this firstly with regard to sexual morality. He knew that as a sinner he was capable of lusting after young woman. Christians should be honest about how powerful a desire sex can be for us. Our society certainly panders to that desire in any number of ways, offering to excite and satisfy us. Job knew that he could easily start looking at girls and daydreaming about them (v1). So he determined to kill such thoughts as soon as they appeared. The Bible teaches believers that sexual activity is for those who are married. So Job reminded himself that God sees all our behaviour (v4) and he prayed a strong prayer, asking that God rip apart his marriage if he dared to damage the marriages of others through adultery (v9). Secondly, Job knew he could be proud – after all he was a wealthy and important man; he might have considered himself more important than others. But he refused to do so, instead seeing others as equal to himself, for all are made by the same God (v15). Therefore he brought justice even to his servants (v13) and helped others in a personal way: providing clothing, food and help to all those who were in need (v17-21). Believers are, in personal one-to-one ways, to help others no matter who they are. And again, Job prayed a firm prayer asking that if he should despise others that then his own life should take a radical downturn (v22). Thirdly, Job knew he could be tempted to worship other things in the place of God. In particular Job might put all his trust and hope for the future in his wealth (v24) But to take a step in that direction is to worship what isn't God. Somebody who does that might as well start bowing down and praising the sun and the moon (v26). Job saw such desires as utterly unfaithful to his God and so he refused to pursue them, saying that he should be judged if he did otherwise (v28). Believers are not to put their hopes in the things of this world. Fourthly, Job resisted any inclination to self-centredness, instead showing generosity to all whether they be enemies (v29), strangers (v32) or his own tenants (v39) . Again he prayed a big prayer, that if he act in a self-centred way, God should strip away his possessions (v40). Believers are to be giving people. So in these ways, Job resisted sin with determination. Sin is to be taken seriously by believers and opposed.
(1) Which of Job's temptations do you feel in particular? Do Job's words and prayers help you in any way to tackle your own sin?
(2) Look back over all that Job has said in his previous speeches. Are there any inconsistencies or confusions? Any ways in which Job has got things wrong?
Click here to return to the contents listing
In the book of Proverbs the Bible suggests two alternative ways of dealing with a fool. A fool is somebody who doesn't understand life, with the deepest source of foolishness being a failure to understand and appreciate God properly (Ps 14). Proverbs suggest that some fools be dealt with by answering them “according to their folly” (Pr 26:5) and that's what Job has been doing up until now with his friends. We know that his friends are foolish by their words and especially by God's ultimate assessment of them (Job 42:8). Job has dealt with them through counter argument, evidence, quotation, mimicking, sarcasm and even a riddle, ultimately reducing them to silence (Job 32:1). In doing this Job has answered them “according to their folly”. However, now a new character is introduced – Elihu – and he too is a fool but one who is treated in a different way. He makes a long, wordy speech in which he claims to have new insights into Job's situation. But he actually ends up saying nothing new, with the result that everyone in the book ignores him. This reaction to Elihu is according to the other suggestion from the book of Proverbs, which is: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.” (Pr 26:4). Why is he treated so? Probably in part because he is so full of words. This characteristic can be seen simply by reading chapter 32 and into the first part of chapter 33, throughout which Elihu keeps telling us that he's about to say something profound, but never actually says it! But what sort of man is Elihu? Well, he's certainly an angry man – that's emphasised in verses 2, 3 & 5 of chapter 32. As he's listened to the friends failing to “correct” Job, Elihu has become increasingly tense and excited, desperate to get his say in until he's at bursting point (32:18). But there is a danger for us when we get into this state, that we'll speak without thinking properly. However, as well as angry we're also told that Elihu is a young man (32:6) and like many “angry, young men” he believes that he has understanding which the older generation has failed to appreciate. Sadly, like many other angry young men, he's wrong. His new insight actually ends up saying the same thing as Job's friends. As the Bible says elsewhere, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc 1:9). Elihu is here, then, as a warning to pushy young men and women. They are to remember that often their fresh thoughts have been tried before, and they should tread carefully before telling off the older generation. Having said that, however, young people have often been used by God to move his work forward. And certainly the book of Job is far more critical of older “wise” people, than young, foolish, Elihu.
(1) What advice would you give to a young Christian man who felt that his church didn't understand the important issues of the day?
(2) “It's important for Christians to know the history of Christianity, so that they can learn from old mistakes.” Do you agree? How can a church best encourage this?
Click here to return to the contents listing
Elihu is an angry, young man who has become frustrated with the inability of Job's friends to counter Job's speeches. Therefore he offers what he believes is a new insight which will answer Job. However, he actually ends up saying what everyone else has said. Now Elihu's new insight is that whereas Job claims God will not come and speak to him, in fact God has been speaking all the time. Elihu believes that God speaks in various ways to people (33:13). He's one of those people who can sense God and messages from God. Particularly he recommends dreams and illnesses (33:15,19) as times when God is speaking, especially with regard to sinful behaviour. In some ways Elihu's point of view is very enticing because most people would like some “outside guidance” about what life is for and how we should live. But the book of Job says to us that God's ways are often clouded in mystery from our point of view, so any hope of detecting messages is prone to difficulty. It is much better to do what Job himself does: obey and trust. Job has lived blamelessly and God is pleased – likewise we are to live by the revealed words of God in the Bible (Mt 28:20) Then in time of trouble Job has insisted on going to God – likewise we are to show the same trust in God, crying to Him in all circumstances. Well, whatever Elihu claims for himself, he is actually bringing nothing new to the discussion and so everyone ignores him. This, in turn, irritates Elihu (33:31) who tells Job off and launches into a defence of God's justice and how Job is suffering for his sins – all of which has already been said in multiple ways by Job's three friends. So since Elihu is saying nothing new, he continues to be ignored and his frustration grows through chapter 34, leading him to make accusations against Job (34:36). He then goes on to insist, in the next chapter, that since God is in total, just control, does not need to come and answer people like Job, if they refuse to listen to him in the first place (35:9, 12). Elihu has learned to listen; so should Job! And wordy Elihu keeps on making this point as the book moves into chapter 36. However, his words are about to be silenced, when circumstances really do start to speak to Elihu about God, from 36:26 onwards. In all of this Elihu stands as a warning against getting carried away with our words. We can imagine that our talk is profound and full of insight, leading us to get annoyed with others who will not listen to us. But are our ideas really so new or are we just ending up saying what everyone else says? We should listen to Proverbs 10:19, “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”
(1) In what ways can we monitor the things we say to make sure we're not spouting ignorable nonsense? What can help us with this?
(2) Is anything which Elihu says actually true? If yes, how is he misusing such ideas in the wrong points he makes? Do we do the same? When?
Click here to return to the contents listing
The story of Job has been building up towards chapter 38 where the Lord himself speaks. Beginning in ch32 Elihu is the final human orator with his long and repetitive speech concerning his 'fresh insight' that God communicates with us through the events of life. But Job pays no attention to Elihu, who becomes increasingly irritated with Job. However, Elihu is then silenced by God himself. This happens when towards the end of ch36 (verse 26) Elihu launches into a description of God's power as seen in creation. In particular he picks up the theme of God's power in the thunder and lightning of a storm. But this isn't a random choice because Elihu has noticed that a storm is actually brewing. As the storm draws nearer, however, it seems to grip Elihu's mind more and more, when he realises that it is no ordinary storm. Indeed he ends up terrified and lost for words, even turning towards Job for help (37:19). Before he gets any advice from Job, however, a light breaks out of the storm and Elihu realises that the storm was indeed supernatural: God has arrived (37:22). Which leaves Elihu with only one thing to say and that is Job's advice from chapter 28: fear the Lord! This shows us that Elihu has now learned some important lessons. He's actually turned to Job for advice and listened to what Job has earlier said; Elihu has stopped thinking of God in terms of little messages he sends, and realised that God truly is much bigger than he can imagine. Elihu has moved nearer to where Job is at, and so he isn't rebuked by the Lord later (unlike the three friends). But what does God himself say now that he's here, just as Job has previously requested (31:15)? Well, surprisingly he doesn't say what we all expect. The book has insisted that Job is blameless and suffers for God's honour; but the Lord doesn't announce this on his arrival; instead he starts questioning Job. He does so firstly by taking Job to the start of the world. He asks him whether he can understand how the world was made, to which the answer is, of course: no chance! Man was barred from watching the creation of all things; God only made Adam on day six after all the other work was done; God kept creation secret from mankind. Of course that hasn't prevented mankind from desperately trying to find out. Why? Because our ignorance about how the universe was made, humbles us; makes us feel small. But so it should and that is God's point to Job: “there are some things I cannot or will not tell you.” So God's speech actually becomes Job's final and greatest test. Can he still trust God even when God is refusing to answer him face-to-face? It's a question all believers have to deal with, when trying to cope with clearly unanswered prayer.
(1) Are there events in people's lives today which God uses to silence their words, make them heed advice and teach them about himself (as he does with Elihu)?
(2) Is God unfair not to meet Job's request? Are there times when God feels especially unfair to us? How should we react?
Click here to return to the contents listing
Finally, in ch 38, God comes to speak with Job. However, whilst we might expect the Lord to vindicate Job as blameless and explain his suffering, in fact God does not. Instead, in 38:2 he tell Job to prepare for a fight and the visit actually becomes Job's final and biggest test. Although he's not understood what God has been doing, Job has at least trusted the answers lay with God. But can that trust survive God treating him badly? So how does God fight? Firstly, God frustrates Job by refusing to explain his suffering and appearing to go off on tangents. Sometimes the Lord's responses to us can be very frustrating – such as Paul found when his “thorn in the flesh” wasn't removed (2 Cor 12). When this happens we have to learn the lesson which Paul, and Job, learned: God may hurt his people, but it comes from love. Paul realised that he needed to rest and rely upon God's strength, not upon his own. Human pride is a very dangerous thing; and sometimes God has to force us to depend upon him, not ourselves. But, secondly, God also batters Job with his superior strength, using a barrage of questions to make Job feel his smallness, impotence and ignorance. Again it's in order to humble Job and bring him to know that “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9) Now in the wrestling match itself, God begins by reminding Job of his ignorance concerning the creation of the world – when no man was present to see what God did. Then he moves onto things in Job's own experience such as the pattern of each day (38:12-15). Can he control the forces which bring each new morning and does he understand the impact a day has, including the control of evil by preventing too much darkness where wicked deeds can occur? Job will particularly feel that latter comment because he's talked about how much the wicked get away with (ch 21) but here the Lord reminds him just how he works to restrain greater evil. Job needs to see that his earlier words were correct but not complete. Following this God speaks about places Job can't reach into (38:16-21), like the realms of the sea or the dead. But if Job cannot explain these mysterious places, why does he assume he could understand his life or his suffering? And then there are the heavens which fascinate mankind (38:22-38). We are amazed at the stars and name their patterns. We are astonished by the different forms of water which falls from the sky. But Job has previously commented on some of this (ch 9) and said how big God is. Doesn't he remember? So why does he now think he could understand God's answer to his life? He cannot . Rather he, and we, need to see how awesome God really is.
(1) In what ways do you feel that God has frustrated you? What lessons have you learnt from those areas of your life?
(2) What can you do to help yourself recognise God's greatness better, so that you stand in awe of him and honour him as you should?
Click here to return to the contents listing
God's arrival in this story is Job's biggest test. He has wanted God to come and explain himself; but God actually turns up looking for a fight by making Job feel small compared with his creator. So the question during God's speech is “How will Job react? Will he curse or will he still trust God?” From 38:39 to the end of ch 39 God's approach to humbling Job is to talk about various animals. These descriptions are not supposed to be scientific but rather are from Job's point of view, in order to expose how little Job knows or controls. But how does this animal speech do that? It comes down to man's original responsibility. When God made man he told him to rule the animals (Gen 1:28). However, after falling into sin man's relationship with the animals went through a serious breakdown, with the result that many animals now are wild. With a few exceptions, they give no honour to man and want no relationship with him. God's speech highlights this. Firstly, God talks about two meat-eaters: the lion and the raven. Both break the original Genesis 1 design of being plant-eaters; neither look to man for food. These two despise man's rule. God then talks about more domesticated, agricultural animals : the goat, donkey and ox. But God points out that each of these animals have rebellious cousins who do not look to man at all. The mountain goat, wild donkey and wild ox do their own thing, and ignore man. They laugh at man; mocking his weakness. To drive the point home further, God then talks about an animal which man finds funny: the ostrich. The ostrich has wings but cannot fly; it looks most peculiar; it lays its eggs in a nest on the ground. All told man finds the animal quite ridiculous. But can he control the ostrich then? Not at all. Even when riding a horse, a man cannot catch an ostrich which can outrun and outmanoeuvre both. The ostrich mocks mankind. And what about horses? Well man certainly uses them but he also lives in fear of them too. When a war-horse is charging, it fears no man nor his weapons; it strides on smashing everything in its path. The war-horse mocks man. Finally God speaks of the hawk and the eagle: high flying birds which soar and live far outside of man's reach. They even drink blood (which man is not allowed to do) showing their ignoring of human control. Man who should have ruled the animals; is ignored by them. Seeing the wild world should humble us (and Job), as we see what we have failed to be. But God has also given hope because he has promised to rescue all of creation through his Son (Rom 8:20). This is the hope for Christians: Christ is creating a new humanity and will create a new world, which at last will work properly.
(1) Look up in the Bible the different things God says about man and his relationship to the animals.
(2) What will the new heavens and earth be like when Jesus returns? Will animals live there? Read through God's descriptions and see what they say.
Click here to return to the contents listing
These two chapters (40, 41) may be the strangest part of the whole book. Reading them we can think “what an odd way for God to finish.” But if we think carefully, we can see their purpose. Firstly, we have to remember that Job has been asking questions about God's fairness: why is he, an innocent man, suffering? Now in his previous speech God has refused to answer, instead making Job aware of his ignorance on many things. This has been a test: to see if Job will still not curse God, even when all hope fails. And Job passes the test (40:4), which finally and decisively proves that Satan was wrong in his accusations. However, God cannot leave things there because the question of his fairness still hangs in the air. So God brings Job back for one more fight, on just that issue. Job has been implying, by his speeches, that he wouldn't have dealt with evil in the way God has done; there must be a better way. So God invites him to prove it: what is the better way (40:8-14)? But before Job responds, God has one more thing to say to him and then God makes a speech about two unusual creatures: Behemoth and Leviathan. Some people think these were names for the hippopotamus and crocodile, but the descriptions do not really fit. Others think the creatures to be super-creatures (dinosaurs) which are now extinct but which Job knew in his day. This is possible except Leviathan seems elsewhere to refer in a symbolic way to supernatural forces of evil (Job 3). Also, if they were creatures Job knew what would be the point of the speech? How does it address the issue of God's justice being fair, not unfair (40:8)? So maybe the answer lies elsewhere: maybe, in fact, the creatures were always a riddle: not just to modern readers, but to Job himself. God is speaking a riddle which Job cannot make sense of. But why would God do this? For two reasons. Firstly, he's reminding Job that the universe is vastly more complicated than he knows. God is saying to Job, “I've told you about two creatures I know, but which you don't. Well what if other parts of life- such as innocent suffering – are like that too? Something you don't really understand?” God is saying to Job that evil and suffering in the world are a riddle to which we don't know the answer, but he does. However, the riddle also contains a hint of an answer for Job because it speaks of great enemies which are beyond the whit of mankind. Which is why 41:33 speaks the way it does: to Job it's a description of Leviathan; but to the reader it sounds like Satan. God's hinting to Job, “I'm dealing with an enemy you cannot comprehend; it has to be this way.” And, as we'll see in ch 42, Job learns from this and draws nearer to God.
(1) Why do you think God resorts to using this riddle speech to teach Job, rather than just saying things in a matter-of-fact way?
(2) Think about somebody challenging you by saying “If God is all-powerful and loving, then there wouldn't be pain in the world!” How would you respond?
Click here to return to the contents listing
Job 42 – the final chapter – opens with Job's response to God's two speeches. After the first speech, in chapter 40, he simply fell silent. But having heard God's second speech, Job now responds in a positive way. In reaction to God's first speech, Job recognises that God's plan are right and he is filled with wonder at God's ways (42:2-4). He now sees that his whole relationship with God has developed and grown (42:5). And so, in response to God's second speech, Job apologises for those things he's said which implied he could have dealt with evil in a better way than God (42:6). All of this shows that Job has grown, as a believer, through his suffering – an experience which many Christians can also testify to. Suffering can be, in a believer's life, a pathway to greater blessing. This is certainly something which the Lord Jesus went through: he suffered, especially on the cross, but today he is the risen King of kings, sat upon the throne of heaven (Hebrews 12:2). Through his sufferings, then, Job received the great blessing of a more mature faith and a closer walk with God. However, two practical blessings also came to Job out of his suffering. Firstly, Job is able to help his friends. God is very angry with Eliphaz, Bildad & Zophar. They have spoken wrongly about God, which is a terrible crime. Twice in the ten commandments, God commands people not to misrepresent others. He does this on a human level with the 9th commandment and with regard to himself in the 2nd commandment. Hence the three friends are guilty of a dreadful sin for which they deserve punishment. (This outcome, of course, serves the friends right. All the way through their debate they insisted that sin deserved suffering; God has now said that he'll make that happen in their lives, unless they'd like, at last, to listen to Job's view!) But God says that Job may pray for their forgiveness. This shows how highly God rates the words which Job speaks and is one of the further blessings which Job has received as a result of his suffering. As James 5:16 says: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Job becomes, like Jesus, an intercessor for others (Romans 8:34) – a role which is a great encouragement to believers who know that no matter how they fall, when they repent then they always have one who speaks to the Father on their behalf. So in Job we see how suffering can strengthen our prayer-life. But finally we also see how Job receives a new life from God, which is better than the life he had: he receives a this-world resurrection. Which reminds Christians that we look forward to an even better resurrection when this world is finished. And we shall live happily ever after.
(1) Review the ways in which you have suffered. What positive blessings can you detect from them? Did they draw you nearer to God? If not, why not?
(2) There are wonderful promises about the future life Christians will enjoy. Look them up and use them to look forward to all that Jesus will bring about.
Click here to return to the contents listing