The mystery of suffering and mans destiny on earth. Job

Job lived in the time of the old patriarchs. The time is not exactly known, but properly between the time of Noah and Abraham, before the law was given to Moses.

People lived longer in ancient time, thus making it easier to pas down knowledge about God. Noah sacrificed clean animals after landing on top of mount Ararat, also Job offered sacrifice to God, acting as a priest on behalf of his family.

Job and his friends wrestled with understanding suffering from Gods and mans point of view. Even today the subject is not much touch on in the churches. People tend to make their own reasoning for trial and misery in life of others, as was the case with Jobs tree friends.

The book of Job is the greatest book written on this subject.

There is no easy answer to suffering and Gods dealing with mankind.

Epilog.

Chapter 1.  Job was the greatest man in the east, a territory east of Jordan. 

7 sons and 3 daughters where born to him.

His wealth was great:

7000 sheep – 3000 camels – 500 yoke oxen – 500 female donkeys – servants.

Verse 6. There was a day, when the sons of God came to present them selves before God and satan was among them.

Verse 8. The lord said to satan: Have you considered my servant Job, for there is no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.

Verse 9. Satan answered: Does Job fear God for nothing. You have made a hedge around him and all that he has. Satan goes on to demand everything that Job has, to prove that he will curse God after that.

Verse 12. God answer satan: everything he has is in your power, only do not put fort your hand and touch him. Then satan departed from the Lords presence.

It sounds like a betting and it actually is. Why would God allow Job to suffer, for in the end to restore everything to him double?

Matthew 12 – 36: I tell you, that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an account for, in the day of judgment. By your words you will be justified or condemned.

God said to satan, there is no one like Job on earth.

No accusation once raised can be removed not even by destroying the accuser. So God let the accuser have his way with Job, within specified limits.

Blameless means freedom in morality. Job feared God, and offered sacrifice continuously for him self and his family.

The righteousness of a godly suffer has such a supreme value, that God treasure it more than all other things.

Matthew chapter 5 -12.  Jesus told us to rejoice, if we are accused for the Gospels sake, for great is our reward in heaven.  

Words spoken must be answered in order to stand for all eternity. We also must give account for every spoken word. Thanks to God for forgiveness and the cross.

Fearing God is not the same as trusting God, who in the end work everything

together for good, to the one who loves him.

There are two great mysteries to mankind:

The mystery of Gods eternal love, and the mysteries of the debt of evil.     

Deuteronomy 29 – 29:  The secret thing belongs to our Lord God, but the things revealed belongs to us and our children forever, that we may observe all the words of the law.

Lucifer’s name was changes to satan, meaning accuser after disobedience was found in him. How can it be, that he still walks in heaven, with the angels, sons of God and talk to God?

2 Corinthians 12 – 2:  There are tree heavens. Paul was caught up to the 3 heavens.

Adam was given authority over the earth, but he lost it to satan because God had put a tree of obedience in the garden of Eden.

Satan still had the right to walk in the 3 heavens, after he had made Adam and Eve eat of the tree of disobedience.  

God choose a legal system to get satan out of the heavenly dwellings.

He did that through Jesus Christ, who fulfilled all that the law required. Jesus conquered death and hell and was resurrected bodily and vent back to his first estate the third heaven, thus making a bridge between God and man for all eternity.

Satan was cast out from the 3 heavens at that point, and he was stripped of his power as well. One third of the angels followed him, when he rebelled against God.     

Jesus statement: John 12 – 31: Now is the judgment upon this world, the ruler of this world will be cast out.

Luke 10 – 18 and 19: I was watching satan fall from heaven like lightning.

I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

What satan is able to do today, is deceiving people not to believe in almighty eternal God and his unlimited power.

Ephesians 6 – 12. We do not struggle against flesh and blood, but against rulers and  powers, against the world forces of darkness, against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Satan and his co-workers dwell in the second heaven the universe and has aces to our earth. Their main goal is to make man ignorant of God, to promote mans sin-full fallen nature and to close mans eyes for the saving grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

God shoved satan man can obey

thus satan had nothing more to say

Satan rebelled and stole mans right

to stay in fellowship with the light

He therefor became the accuser of man

he is still around to do what he can.

1 John 2  – 16 and 17:

There are 3 main sin to test mankind of obedience to God.

The lust of the flesh – the range is wide.

The lust of the eyes – material things.

The boastful pride of life – who am I.

The world is passing away and also its lust, but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

Ignoring God for the things of the world, will make God ignoring us, when time has run out. We will not be found worthy, to enter Gods eternal kingdom.

Jesus experienced suffering before and on the cross, and he was obedient unto death.

Chapter 1 Verse 13 – 22.Satan did a very good job. In one day Job was crushed with a number of overwhelming calamities.

His herds of camels where stolen, and their attending servant killed by a band of Chaldean robbers. At the same time his herds of oxen where stolen, and their attending servant killed by a band of Sabean robbers. Also his 7000 sheep and their attending servants where killed by a thunderstorm.

His family of 10 children where killed by a cyclone on the same day.

A little later Job himself was smitten with the most hideous and painful decease known to the ancient world.

Jobs disastrous situation became known far and vide, and he was a subject of public conversation everywhere.        

 Dialog.

Chapter 2:  Job had 3 friends. They stand for 3 categories of believers.

When they heard of Jobs adversities, they came each from his own place to visit him. When they saw him at a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept. Each of them tore his cloth and threw dust over their heads towards the sky. Then they sat down on the ground with him for 7 days and nights, with no one speaking for they saw that his pain was very great.

 Job

Might have looked like some kind of a monster groaning for pain. Maybe his friends expected him to die, waiting patiently to hear him confess his sins.

They run out of patients after 7 days, and started to speak to him.

Chapter 3: Sitting in ashes and scraping himself with a potsherd Job is lamenting. He wishes, he had newer been born and long to die.

Verse 25. What I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.

The voice of experience.

Eliphaz

the Temanite a descendant of Esau – see Genesis chapter 36-11.

Chapter 4-8: According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble harvest it.

Chapter 5-3: I have seen the foolish taking root, and I cursed his abode immediately.

Chapter 5 verse 8-17 to 27. He suggests, if Job would repent his trouble would disappear.

Job

Answers in chapter 6 – 14: For the despairing man, there should be kindness from his friend, so that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.

Verse 10: I have not denied the words of the Holy one.

Chapter 7 – 5:  My flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt.

Verse 11: I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

Verse 20: Have I sinned – what have I done to you: O Watcher of men?

Verse 21: Why then do you not pardon my transgression?

The voice of tradition.

Bildad

Chapter 8 – may have been a descendant of Shuah the youngest son of Abraham and Keturah. 

Verse 8: Please inquire of past generations, and consider the things searched out by their fathers.

Verse 20: God will not reject a man of integrity, nor will he support evildoers.

Job

Give some interesting answers which shoves, that after all, wisdom and knowledge has been imparted to him to enable him to understand.

Chapter 9 – 19: It is a matter of power, behold he is the strong one, and it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

Chapter 10 – 3:  Is it right for you to oppress, to reject the labor of your hands, and to look favorably on the schemes of the wicked?

The voice of assumption.

Zophar

The Namathite chapter 11: He conclude his speech without proving and in a direct way.

Verse 4 and 5: You have said: My teaching is pure – but would God open his lips and speak against you.    

The conversation shift to arguing.

Job.

Chapter 13 – 4.  You smear with lies. You are all worthless physicians.

Verse 15: Thought he slay me, I will hope in him. Nevertheless I will argue my way before him. 

Chapter 17 – 9:  Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hand will grow stronger and stronger.

Verse 10:  But come again all of you – for I do not find a vise man among you.

Chapter 18 – 4: O you who tear yourself in anger, for your sake is the earth to be abandoned.

Verse 5: The light of the wicked goes out.

Job answers prophetically.

Chapter 19 verse 23 – 24 – 25. O that my words where written and inscribed in a book with an iron stylus and a lead and engraved in a rock forever.

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives.

Zophar

Answers asumely: Chapter 20 verse 27-28-29: The heavens will reveal his uniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. The increase of his house will depart, his possession will flow away in the day of his anger. This is the wicked mans portion from God, the heritage degreed to him by God. 

Job

Answers: Chapter 21 – 3: Bear with me, that I may speak, then after I have spoken, you may mock.

Job and Bildad

Goes on to trying to understand God – chapter 23 up to 28.

Job

Finally comes to the point through his suffering: Chapter 28 – 28:  Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil that is understanding. Confirmed in Psalm 111 – 10.

Sometimes mankind needs to experience Gods spoken word.

To fear God in spite of suffering is to go through the test.

Job

In chapter 29 – speaks positively of his past life – and changes start to take place.

The result of looking at circumstances inwardly is depression. Looking outwardly sets free and deliverance takes place. 

Elihu

A fourth person arrives, a descendant of the Busite of the family of Rahm:  chapter 32: The 3 men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes, but Elihu sharply rebuke Job.

Chapter 33 – 6: Behold I belong to God like you. I too have been formed out of clay.

What Elihu says is: I am on the same level as you. That is a picture of Jesus Christ  who came down to earth to identify with human flesh and made a new man out of us, born of the spirit of God.

Verse 29: Behold God does all these oftentimes with men to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

In the following chapter he goes on to reprove Job.

What Elihu actually is saying is: There could be a higher purpose for Jobs suffering.  God is highly interested in our life.

Chapter 36, verse 15-16-17:

God deliver the afflicted

Open the ears in time of oppression

Entices you from the mouth of distress

What was set on your table was full of fat.

But you where full of judgment on the wicked

Judgment and justice has taken hold of you.

Verse 24: Remember you should exalt his work of which men have sung.   

God speaks out of the whirlwind: The great summery.

Chapter 38: Verse 4 – where were you when I lade the foundation of the earth.

Tell me if you have understanding.

Verse 18: Have you understood the expanse of the earth.

God goes on to explain the greatness of his creation in chapter 39 as well.

Chapter 40 – 2: Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty. Let him who reproves God answer it.

God verbally shoves Job his greatness and majesty indirectly shoving him that he is nothing.

Job finally confess.

Chapter 42: He has encountered God and is ready to take instruction.

Verse 3: Therefor I have declared, what I did not understood, things to wonderful for me, which I did not knew.

Verse 8: God is not pleased with Jobs 3 friends, because they did not speak right of him, like his servant Job, and he charge them to make a burnt offering.

Job prays for his friends, and God accepted Job and forgave his friends.

The 4 person Elihu is not mentioned as a wrong doer.

It was not wrong of Job to complain to God about his condition. In the end God did answer him and opened op his understanding. He also restored to Job double of everything he had.  

God will always supply all our needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus.  

Epilog

There are different areas of suffering:

Suffering for a reason – like immorality

Which comes from wrong choice in life. Such people have willfully ignored Gods wisdom to satisfy their own desire.

Fearful of God  

Job had a righteous heart, but his mind was not renewed fully to understand the wisdom and knowledge of God.

To be afraid of God, is to be under law. In the end, the purpose of God is the whole counsel – Jesus Christ – as preached by the apostles.

Neglecting physical laws   

Like wrong doings because of lake of knowledge or poor training.

Sometimes people suffer because of other people.

Jesus suffered for the sin of the world. Paulus suffered for the church.

Sometime we suffer because of other people. It can be all kind of injustice in our surroundings, change of circumstances and loss of loved once.  

Sickness

Result of a fallen world, but Jesus has given us hope, by having faith in him to overcome, satan is still accusing and demanding people to be tested from the second and first heaven.

The apostles teaching warns us, not to give satan a foothold, and to refuse him, when he comes around to try peoples conscience.   

Suffering make us to come to end of our self, because there is no solution in suffering itself. People, who has suffered much, realize that life is a wonderful opportunity to do good and praise God with a thankful heart.

Jesus promised us, that he has overcome all fear in the world and given us a spirit of power, peace, love and a sound mind.

Our oldest son was born with cerebral pulses, and remained totally paralyzed throughout his life. I nursed him for 26 years at home. I can testify to, that there is a power, that does carry sickness and people around the person to the extinct, that it become like living on the doorstep to heaven.    

Suffering is a mystery indeed

But compared to hell there is still hope in it

It softens the heart and bind with silver cord

To the days eternal to be with the Lord

Revelation of God is wisdom and knowledge

Humility comes from knowing the cross

And being redeemed from the law

Obedience makes patience

Tribulation builds character