Job 40:15-41:34 – The unquestionable power of God

Continuing in His response to Job asking for an audience with him, God wanted Job to see how baseless his complains were. They bordered on the sin of trying to usurp the place that rightly belonged to God. So here God quizzed him over two ominous beasts - the Behemoth and the Leviathan. What sort of animals were these? Some had suggested that they were ancient mystical creatures. Most identify the Behemoth as the hippopotamus and the Leviathan, the crocodile. The purpose of this discourse was to show Job that if he was wise and powerful as he thought he was, he would be able to subdue these two ominous beasts. His inability to overpower them was surely an indication that he could not contend with God. How could Job be able to stand up against His creator if he could not even subdue the Behemoth and the Leviathan?

Job 40:15-24 discussed about the Behemoth or the hippopotamus. God had created the Behemoth, the strange animal that although by its size and strength could prey on other animals, yet like cattle would feed on grass. Its bones were described as tubes of bronze meaning they were strong. Its limbs were like bars of iron. Besides, the behemoth was never intimidated by ragging waters. It was difficult to capture. In Job 41, God describes the Leviathan or the crocodile for Job. We get the impression regarding the difficulty of hunting and taming the Leviathan.

From this conversation that God had with Job, we conclude that it’s impossible to contend with God. He is still sovereign over the world and all His creatures, even the fiercest animals are under His dominion. When we have faith in God, we trust Him even though we do not fully understand why certain events happen in our life. Do we have the faith to believe that He is in control?

Job 40:1-14 – God’s capability can never be rivaled

God is in control of everything concerning us. He knows best. He has the answer to everything there is to life. No matter what life may hurl at us, God has the capacity to turn everything into a blessing for us and a glory for Himself. This is what Paul meant in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

The suffering of Job did not come from God. It came from Satan, who instigated God and was granted the permission to make Job suffer. God agreed to the testing of Job because He had every confidence in His servant. His evaluation of Job was that he was a blameless and righteous man. Trying to make sense of his suffering Job griped and insisted in his innocence. He insisted that if he had an opportunity with God, he would maintain his innocence. He would like to know the justification why he had to undergo such a horrific time. God’s challenge to Job was, “Shall mortal man contend with God?” He then gave him an opportunity to say his peace. Then from the lengthy discourse in chapters 38-39, God showed Job’s ineptness concerning the working of nature and God’s other creation. How then could he understand God’s moral governance and providence?

  

Then in Job 40:1-5, God invited Job to make good his charges against Him. Job, of course, declined the opportunity. He knew too well that he had no right to argue with the Sovereign God. So, he conceded that God was greater, and acknowledged that he himself was of no account. And he knew that the best thing for him was to silently submit to God’s will for now and for the future. Though Job was godly and self-assured, the attitude he displayed in his insistence of innocence bordered on pride and self-trust. Job had unwittingly alleged that God had mismanaged and shown injustice in His control of the world. In verses 8-14, with cutting sarcasm God challenged Job to try to rule the world if he could. He told Job, “If you think you can do it better than I, go ahead and try”

What lesson can we learn from these verses. Man ought to evaluate himself and not judge God. For we can never rival Him. A person who thinks he has the capacity to rival God is self-deluded. What we can see with our physical eyes is only a tip of the iceberg, because the future of the glory to be unfolded will surpass what we are seeing now. Let us trust God and never for a moment think we can do a better job than Him. Let us trust God absolutely, even in time of great distress! 

Job 38-39 – God is not through with us yet

At the beginning of the book, Satan accused Job before God, insinuating that the patriarch served the Almighty because of the blessings He had bestowed on him. Satan alleged that Job would reject God, if he was made to suffer. God then permitted the trials to come upon Job. He not only suffered the loss of his property and children through a series of calamities, he was also inflicted with incurable skin lesions. Job suffered greatly but had successfully endured the trial. However, it must be said that he did entertain thoughts that were not so wholesome. But it was not as Satan had predicted. In the trial Job’s insights concerning righteousness were sharpened. The devil was sure that Job would reject God but was proven to be wrong totally. Although Job lamented his sufferings, he nevertheless clung on to God. In chapter 19:25-27, we see expression of his profound faith in God. He said:

²⁵“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
²⁶ “Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
²⁷ Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.”

All the while God was silently watching all that was happening. He heard all the dialogues Job had with his three friends. He heard what Elihu had said. God was now about to intervene and bring an end to Job’s suffering, and to bestow on him the fruit of what he went through. Job 38-41 are records of God’s response to Job and his accusing “friends.” These four chapters are divided into two parts. They are divided by Job’s confession in chapter 4o verses 3-5. Job had been asking for a chance to argue with God. So, here in Job 38:1-3 God offered him the opportunity to present his case in His presence, before He painted a panoramic view of the act of creation for Job. In a series of questions, God pointed out the patriarch’s ineptness concerning the natural world and their operations and the world of the animals. Beginning with chapter 38, questions concerning:

·       The earth (4-6)

·       Stars (7)

·       The sea (8-11)

·       The sun (12-15)

·       Light and darkness (19-21)

·       Snow and hail (22-23)

·       Wind, rain and lightning (24-27)

·       Dew, frost and ice (28-30)

·       Movement of the stars (31-38)

·       And the animals in chapter 39

The point of God to Job is this: If he could not fully comprehend all the workings of nature and the animals, how then would he be able to understand the profound, incomprehensible and mystery of God’s moral governance. These chapters are timely reminders to us. If we cannot fully comprehend the mystery of nature and creation, much less will we be able to understand the mystery of God’s eternal governance and providence. It behooves us then to remain humble before God, to stay reverent in His presence and to simply trust and submit to His will for our life. We are to be obedient to God for what we know, and to trust Him to reveal where we do not understand. Remember He is honing our life progressively. He is the loving Heavenly Father and His love never fails!  

Job 36:26-37:24 – Nature declares the greatness of God

Elihu now went on to talk about the great and unsearchable God. The number of His years is unsearchable is a way of saying God is eternal. He transcends all the knowledge of men. If He did not reveal Himself, it would not be possible for man to know Him. However, from nature we can catch glimpses of His greatness. The formation of raindrop is an example. From the vapor drawn from the mass of water, He condenses it and form the rain that falls upon earth in abundance. In Job 36:29-30, Elihu went on to describe the wonder of thunders, lightnings and cloud. In the thick dark clouds God may not be seen, yet He is up there enfolded with His light. The thunders and lightnings are at God’s disposal and He uses them to declare His presence. Elihu also cited the formation of snow, and the movements of wind and clouds to show the greatness of God.  

  

Elihu urged Job to observe the wonders of God through nature and see how unsearchable He is. Not only is God majestic but also powerful and just. And through a series of questions in Job 37:15-19, Elihu sought to humble Job and ignite his sense of reverence for God. The vast expanse of the heavens speaks of the unsearchable greatness of God. And in talking about the great and unsearchable God, Elihu had prepared the way for God to speak. The clearest way to unravel man’s dilemma would be for God to speak into our circumstances. This was about to happen to Job in the nest few chapters.  

God’s hand can be seen in nature for it is His handiwork. It reveals to us His wisdom, power, beauty, greatness, goodness and justice. We must learn to see God in nature and through it be reminded to fear God and to keep his commands. We are brought back to Psalm 19 as we meditate on the passage today. Like the Psalmist, we exclaim, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”

Job 36:1-25 – He watches over us

In Job 36, Elihu began to wind down on his counsel to the patriarch. Here he was appealing to Job to submit to God and to patiently consider His perfect justice, wisdom and strength.  In the first four verses, Elihu made four appeals to Job to listen to him. He assured Job that, first of all, he had more things concerning God to tell him. Secondly, what he was about to say was not inconsequential or insignificant stuff. They were significant matters that would help to clarify Job’s experience. Thirdly, what he would say would defend the righteousness of God. And finally, he claimed to have the complete truth in what he was about to say.

In verses 5-16, Elihu then proceeded to argue for the justice of God. In His dealing with everyone, both the upright as well as the sinful, God has demonstrated His perfect justice. His perfect understanding enables Him to give each person aptly what is due to him or her. Although great, God has shown Himself to be merciful. To Elihu, God used affliction to bring about deliverance. In crisis and hardship people tend to be generally more open to receive God’s instruction and align themselves with His word and will. In verses 17-25, Elihu then applied what he had said to Job’s situation. He warned Job to accept that his afflictions were designed to lead him out and to rescue him. He was telling Job that his grouchiness, if not rightly harnessed, might lead to more evil and utter destruction.   

It is undeniable that much of what Elihu said were true. The fact that Job did not retort him could be an indication that Elihu’s speech contained a great deal of truth. He was right to point to the error of blaming God for suffering. He was right to recognize the justice and righteousness of God. True to what he had said, if God’s righteousness and justice were not at the center of the fabric of our existence, mankind and the universe would have collapsed long ago. We take comfort in the assurance that in the shadow of all the mystery and unexplainable experiences of our life, stands the great God, Who is keeping watch over our lives. We are His and He cares for us. And as Jesus Himself had assured us that if His eyes are on the sparrows, surely He will watch over us. What a thought! 

Job 35 – God will see us through

Job’s earlier statement seemed to suggest that there is no profit for a man to do what’s right. We can understand why he made such a statement. Bear in mind that God Himself testified in chapters 1 and 2 that Job was like none other on earth. God said that Job was righteous and was pleasing to Him. But then came the barrage of afflictions without any explanation. The troubles did not just trickle, they came pouring like a mighty torrent. His family and property were wiped out in a day. And here he was, left to struggle with his ill health. He couldn’t make sense of his affliction, and in searching found no wrong to warrant such a treatment. Making a blunder statement was not intentional but situational. A close examination of his life shows that he didn’t do anything to justify such an affliction. 

Elihu on the other hand was like a Monday morning quarterback. It is always easier to criticise others when one is not affected by the situation. So here in Job 35, he proceeded to answer him saying that neither godliness not unrighteousness affects God. The Almighty is far too exalted to be affected by anything a human being does. Elihu refuting Job, said that since God is so highly exalted, He could not be touched by man’s righteousness or his ungodliness. So, the effect caused by being righteous or godless remains in the realm of man’s experience. It does not affect God either way. This is a fallacy that God was nonchalant about how we conduct our life since He is so transcendent and highly exalted. Elihu explained why the cries of sufferers were not heard by God. The reason he proposed was because they were merely crying out in pain and not really making a true appeal to God. People who know their God, he insisted, would not inquire “Where is God my maker?” For God could be known through fellowship and in observing the way He deals with us. God does not answer the plea of an empty cry. It suggests that even when the righteous approaches God the wrong way, they should not expect God to pay any attention to their plea.

From this excerpt of Elihu in Job 35, we learn that God watches over man and will deal justly with man, even when we do not understand or cannot explain what we are experiencing. When going through suffering, no one has seen the end yet. For God is silently listening to our cries even though we are not aware of it. Hence, we must wait for the outcome and be confident that God will never lead us to where His grace won’t be able to sustain us. He does hear our cry, even the silent one!

Job 34 – Wrong way of correcting a wrong is equally wrong

Earlier we saw how conflicted Job’s emotion was. On the one hand he was certain that he had not done anything to warrant such a severe affliction. Yet on the other hand, he was suffering an inconceivable affliction. He could not understand why God would want to wipe out all that he had and inflicted him with seemingly incurable skin lesions without any justifiable cause. He was puzzled. For a close scrutiny of his life did not yield any answer to why he was afflicted. Of course, he did not know that he was the subject of a wager between God and Satan. Hence, his was an innocent puzzlement over his condition. And in trying to make sense of his suffering he had unwittingly accused God of injustice. So, in Job 34 Elihu was seen repudiating his idea of the injustice of God, or that the Almighty God would bring infliction on a person without a justifiable reason.

Job’s claim had incited Elihu’s indignation, who then began by addressing the wise men among them. Whether he was referring to Job’s three friends or to the people that could have gathered to hear the debate is uncertain. To indirectly address Job in the presence of the crowd was obviously not showing any respect for him. Considering the fact that Elihu was a younger man and so brutally frank, we must conclude that he was not being considerate toward Job. Perceiving that the patriarch as showing disdain for God and alleging Him for not being just, prompted Elihu to set out to vindicate the Almighty in verses 10-30.  He showed how ridiculous and impious it was to make the claim about God being unjust. It is unconceivable for God to be unjust. He argued that God had no motive to be unjust. Then in verses 31-33 he felt that Job ought to have responded with contrition, before he appealed to those hearing him to endorse his indictment of Job as a rebel and sinner. He felt that Job in his defiance and showing impiety to God, had added to his other sins and so deserved more severe affliction

The way Elihu had condescendingly went about telling Job, shows us what not to do to a person in his or her dilemma. We must proceed cautiously knowing that we do not have all there is to know of the situation. We must not cast an aspersion on others and leave wrong impression about them. It is needful for us to ensure that our words be few and economical. Knowing God and seeking to defend His good name is honorable but we must not do so by putting others down condescendingly. We must learn to build up and not to tear down.

Job 33 – Be truthful, honest and upright in speech

In the first seven verses Elihu who addressed Job by name gave reasons why he should listen to him. He promised to speak candidly and sincerely and claimed that he had insight from the Spirit of God. Elihu wanted to engage Job in a dialogue and would not be condescending. Neither would he take advantage of his weakened condition. Unlike his three friends, he wanted to speak to Job before God as equal and not as more superior to him. Hence, there should be no reason for Job to feel pressured.

In the next four verses, Elihu summarised Job’s earlier insistence of his innocence. And that in spite of his blamelessness God came against him and reckoned him as an enemy to be impeded. Job felt that God had come against him. Elihu felt that the greatness of God over man made Job’s contention absurd. In his presentation, Elihu reminded Job that God has many ways of communicating with men. He speaks through dreams and vision, and would also speak through messengers who were sent to comfort the afflicted. His point was this: if Job would listen and take to heart what God had already made known, he would be restored

The honesty and sincerity of Elihu is worth emulating. He tried to be measured and balanced in his approach, keeping an ear opened to God and the other to Job. He sought to be upright in whatever he was saying, seeking to be clear, concise and comprehensive. Like Elihu, in helping others, we should seek to make our speech honest, sincere, nothing self-exalting but always pleasing God and not men.  

Job 32 – True Wisdom begins with knowing God

Job’s three friends, Eplihaz, Bildad and Zophar, failed to convince him that he was punished because of his sin and wickedness. Silenced by Job’s insistence that he did not sin and would not acknowledge any wrong on his part, they gave up on him. They were put off by what they felt was Job’s self-righteousness. In Job 32, we see the introduction of a new character of a younger man, Elihu by name. Up to this point he was observing the debates between Job and his three friends. Verse 2 gives us some background information about him. He was a Buzite and his father was Barachel. He came from the line of Ram, and based on deduction from Ruth 4:19-21, he could well be King David’s ancestors. The name Elihu means “My God is he.” We see him being presented as an impetuous man, for just in the opening five verses, three times the word anger was used to describe his feeling toward Job and the three friends.

The crux of Job’s argument was that God had wrongly judged, smote and inflicted him with a terrible affliction. Without specific mention to Job’s experience, Elihu tackled the question of “Can God’s justice be protested?” Elihu was angry with Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar because they did not have any answer for Job, yet they had the audacity to condemn him. He had waited in vain to hear some wise counsel from the three older men but they did not come. He was exasperated that they did not have adequate answers to Job and his perplexity concerning God. His anger arose because he felt how inept they were with their reasonings. Elihu was appalled that they could not silent Job’s charges against God.

In verses 6-22, Elihu gave reasons why he was qualified to speak out. Up till now, he had been a silent bystander, listening to their argument. Being young, he did not want to intrude in the discussion between the older men.  He felt that they were older and should be able to impart wisdom to others. But on hearing their arguments, he concluded that wisdom does not always accompany age. Wisdom is a gift of God. He presumed on his right to speak because of his God-given insight and asked for their indulgence to hear his thoughts. The arguments of the three friends, he felt, were not providing Job with a convincing answer to his perplexity.

Elihu felt that all three of them should not be excused for their ineptness and refused to let them get away. Feeling that he would be able to disarm Job’s insistence, he expressed his desire to make his opinion on the issue known. Elihu felt compelled to speak out and insisted that he would speak fearlessly and sincerely without partiality. He insisted that his concern was for the truth to be known and would not resort to flattery because it was not in his nature to do so. Besides his fear of God would restrain him from doing so.

God is the source of true wisdom. According to James 3:17, “…wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”  Gray hair and experience do not automatically make one wise. It is being connected with the All-knowing, All-wise God that we are imbued with wisdom, and enabled to walk wisely. God wants to educate our conscience so that it can be the informed inner voice to guide us in the journey of life. Our conscience can be educated by our constant reading, understanding and living out His Word. The Word of God keeps us in contact with the ever-present Spirit of truth. God is nearer to us than we know. He is not far off. So, stay in touch with Him!

Job 31 – God chastens those He loves

Job had come to the conclusion of a long speech in chapter 31. Here we see a series of personal avowals and insistences of his innocence. He was so sure that he was not guilty of any of the charges made against him that he was prepared to subject himself to a curse, should any of the charges be found true in his life. He was confident that he did not sin against God nor man.

In verses 1-12, he vowed that he was not guilty of any sexual sin. Early in life he had made a decision not to look at a young virgin lustfully. And adultery was definitely out of his life. Regarding his treatment of his slaves and the poor and needy, Job never dealt with them unjustly. In verses 25-28 he insisted that he was neither covetous nor idolatrous. He was generous and magnanimous, and never unkind or malicious. In reality he was very hospitable and would not take advantage of those around him or those he met. He would be more than glad to face the consequences if he could be proven guilty.

Lessons to be learnt from Job’s insistence of his innocence. It is God’s absolute prerogative to act as He wills. Hardship does not necessary mean punishment of sin. In truth we know that the storms of life are allowed by God so that our character can be forged and harnessed. There is no necessity to insist on self-indictment. Being overly scrupulous in dealing with our conscience can lead to needless suspicion of the goodness of God. Just remember what Jesus said in John 15. Every branch i.e. every Christian, that bears fruits He will prune so that he or she will bear more fruit. When God prunes us it’s because He loves and appreciates us. Know that if His eyes are on the lesser sparrow, He will surely watch over us.  That’s the promise of Jesus!  

Job 30 – Joy comes in the morning

In the last chapter, we saw how Job described his former state where he was flourishing. His relationship with God and friends were intact. He had the means to help the poor and the needy. In Job 30, he described the reversal of his condition. He painted a portrait of his isolated and degraded state. In pathetic mood, Job talked about the abject state of his life. He had never felt do defeated and lost. Once he was rich, respected, and blessed with plenty of children, property and stocks. He was in total favor with God as well as man. Job 30 tells us how woefully he had fallen!

We see several things Job said of his condition in this chapter. In verses 1-10, he saw himself the scorn of men. In these verses he tells us that even those younger than him despised him. Verse 11 tells us that he felt afflicted by God. It was as if he was surrounded by terrors and his body was inflicted with multiple unbearable pains. In verses 19-20, he felt cast off by God who had turned a deaf ear toward his plea. Death seemed to be waiting at the wing and he had nothing to look forward to.

Thankfully, we live with the knowledge of the promises of God in the New Testament. Christ, in His suffering and death, took our guilty place. He had come that we might live life more abundantly. Without a doubt, without divine help none of us would be able to bear the burden of any affliction, However, we learn that it is utterly foolish to glory in our strength and status because they can be decimated and become dust and ashes in an instance. Whatever life experience brings us, we must never allow the negative ones, especially the tragic moments, to re-configurate, mar or pervert the image of our marvelous God. We must take time to contemplate our journey in life and to keep on charting our course and align it with His purpose and will for us. We must never allow the hard experiences of life to cause us to lead a complaining and grumbling life, to malign against our faithful God. We can be assured that in Christ, our mourning will be turned into dancing, and sorrow into joy. Here is an assuring word from Psalm 30:5, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.”

Job 29 – Be an instrument of blessing

In this chapter, Job reminisced his past. He was recollecting his past happiness where he was respected and adored by men. He also anticipated his good fortune to last and continue. He was musing over the respect and honor people accorded him. And my! what a contrast it was with his present condition.

Job wished for his former glory, where his relationship with men and God were intact and flourishing, where God watched over him and kept him from harm. God ‘s lamp also illuminated his path and gave light to his journey. His children, who were alive then, and his prosperity were proofs of how blessed he was. His ways were smooth as if they were bathed with butter. Besides, his friends respected him and he enjoyed being with their company. He was also a generous man, and was kind to the needy and would often bless the fatherless and the widows. Job was so caught up in doing what was right. He assisted the blind and the lame and was always conscientious in dealing with his work. He anticipated his life and prosperity to continue and would be surrounded by his family at death. Unlike now, his three friends respected him then, and he had many pleasant relationships with his fellowmen in his past.  

Some lessons from the musing of Job here. Life is transient and we must hold on to earthly riches gently. They should not be the primary focus of life because nothing on earth is permanent. Instead like what the Lord had exhorted us to do in Matthew 6:33, we must seek first His kingdom and righteousness. For when we do that, everything we need will be added to our life. We are not to hoard our blessings. We are blessed so that we can be a blessing to others. So, let’s seek to demonstrate an attitude of benevolence and be an instrument of blessing to others, whom God will place in our path.    

Job 28 – God is our source of true wisdom

Job 28 provides us with a lengthy discourse on wisdom. The three friends of Job had maintained that they knew the ways of God. To that Job said, no one can fathom the incomprehensible mysteries of the magnificent God. Wisdom is a commodity that man finds hard to attain. In poetic language he illustrated this truth.

In verses 1-14, Job said that man does have the capability and the know how, to mine the different kinds of treasures from the earth. Silver, gold, copper or iron and all sorts of precious commodities had all been discovered, unearthed and hewed by man. But for all his capacity, man cannot find among the earth a mine containing wisdom which he could excavate. In verses 15-22, Job’s point is this: man could purchase all kinds of produce in the marketplace, but wisdom just simply could not be bought at any price anywhere. God alone has the Wisdom and it is secretly hidden from man. Echoing the words recorded in Proverbs we are told that the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom.  

If we are seeking to be wise, the greatest key is in knowing and connecting with God.  In knowing Him we have access to His heart and mind. As we dig into His Word we will find Him. He has given us the Holy Spirit to illuminate our heart and mind so that we can have insight into His truth. When we discover His truth, we will be able to live to please Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 reminds us of what God had made known, the “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” We are indeed richly endowed. Hence, let us gratefully thank our loving and merciful God, who has kindly made available to us the manifold wisdom in Christ.  

Job 27 –Do not be self-exalting, just live with integrity

The second round of debates had ended. Many things were dealt with. Job and his friends had discussed so exhaustively that Zophar, who participated earlier, did not have anything to say. So after a pause, Job summed up his defence. He seemed to be a little coherent here. What he said here seemed to contradict what he said earlier in chapter 24. This has led some to believe that part of this speech could be Zophar’s. But, we all know that Job was greatly traumatized by his suffering. It would not be a surprize for someone undergoing so huge a struggle not to be thinking as clearly as he should. Hence, his thoughts seemed to be inconsistent. But remember that Job was struggling to make sense of his predicament and dilemma.  

In summary, we see Job insisting on his innocence in verses 1-6. He maintained his blamelessness before God. Then in verses 7-23, he proceeded with a boring and monotonous description of the destruction of the wicked people. He was taking a shot at his friends who were just as insistent that he had sinned, and was to be named among the wicked. In Job’s discourse, he pointed out that he was not among the wicked. Even if he should die, he would maintain his innocence. And he was sure that his conscience would bear witness to his innocence.

We must admit that even the greatest of saints is subjected to stumbling and sin. Hence, there is a necessity to remain unassuming and unpretentious in life. We may maintain our innocence but do not cross indulge in self-exaltation. While we do not need to give in to pressure to admit guilt, we must not be over bearing in our insistence. Instead be prayerful, for the amount of time we engage in prayer will determine how well we can hold on to our integrity in life. 

Job 26 – The unfathomable greatness of God

Job responded by telling Bildad that his short admonition on the greatness of God was a mockery to him. It was not only empty but also not helpful. He had added nothing to what he already knew. To prove it, Job in verses 5-14 went on to present a far better and more complete picture of the greatness of God than Bildad’s version. Yet, in spite of having the knowledge of the greatness of God, Job still could not see how to connect. The knowledge of the greatness of God did not help to solve the mystery of suffering.

His conclusion: God is powerful and has absolute control over every arena of life. Whether in the underworld or the realm of nature or earth, yes, even in heaven, God sovereignly controls every realm. The conclusion then is: the knowledge man has about God’s power had hardly scratched the surface of all that could be known about God. His infinite power has surpassed the knowledge of man. It has no boundary known to man.

Consider what Job has said. If the eye of God can search even the deep fissures of sheol, and caverns of the seas, will He not be able to search the inner chambers of our heart? If the world is upheld by His hand, will our problem be too big for him to solve? The power of God seen in all the realms is only an indication of how much power God has. And how able He is to shower His grace upon our life. Hallelujah! 

Job 25 – God has richly blessed us

Bildad was the last to retort Job in this second round of debates. He was obviously unable to out argue Job, yet he felt compelled to speak out against his adversarial spirit. He could not find any other convincing views to counter Job and so was essentially repeating the same old thing. What Bildad said in these six short verses is simply this: In the presence of the great and powerful God, how could a man, who is like a worm, ever thought himself to be faultless and pure? His whole aim was to get Job to face up and admit his own worthlessness. For Job, the argument that God is powerful was not an issue. He knew that full well. Hence what Bildad said was pointless. What he said offered no hope for Job’s yearning for exoneration nor any hope for his purification. As far as Job was concerned, he never said he had no sin, but that his intense sufferings were disproportionate to his sin.

Job did not refute the greatness of God and none of us should. Instead we, his creature, must honor and respect His greatness. We need to cultivate an attitude of humility before Him. We are thankful that God had elevated us man, whom Bildad said was as worm, through what Jesus Christ His Son had accomplished for us at Calvary. And in Paul’s word in Ephesians 1:3-4, “(He)…has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.” What a blessed truth!

Job 24 – Though God is patient, don’t test it!

Job was trying to make sense of his suffering. He was deeply conflicted. On the one hand he was aware that the God he worshipped was righteous and just, but then he wondered why He seemed to be ignoring the plead for vindication of one who had done no wrong. So, in this chapter he cited several examples, giving the idea that God’s righteous rule was absent in the world. He started by asking, “Why are times not stored up by the Almighty, and why do those who know Him not see His days?” The crux of this question was an accusation. He was looking at his situation in perplexity. Job was in fact accusing God for failing to exercise a righteous rule. He wondered why do righteous people, more specifically himself, who has a relationship with God, yet has to wait in vain to see the manifestation of His divine righteousness.

In verses 3-12, Job cited a list of the sins of the wicked that he believed beckoned to be punished, yet God seemed to overlook them. He mentioned three crimes that God seemed to be ignoring. Firstly, there were those who shifted landmarks of others unjustly. Seeking to take advantage, some had unscrupulously moved stones that demarcate the property of others. What they had done was illegally seized land not belonging to them. Secondly, he cited situations where workers were defrauded of their rightful rewards. And thirdly he saw the mistreatment of the needy. Yet in all these, the righteous rule of God seemed to be absent. In verses 13-25, Job cited sins that were done in concealment. Thieves and adulterers who had acted covertly seemed to go unpunished. To Job it was as if God was protecting the wicked at times. And despite their sinful acts they experienced peaceful deaths much like all others.

Job’s argument contradicted the philosophy of his three friends. They insisted that only the wicked had to suffer but prosperity belonged to the righteous. They had deductively analyzed the situation of Job. So, they concluded that since Job was suffering, therefore it was an indication that he was wicked. Job vehemently refused to accept their argument. He insisted in his innocence. His point was simply this: both the righteous and the wicked can experience suffering as well as prosperity.

In perplexity, Job was echoing God’s marvelous grace. He saw God who doesn’t discriminate. He provides for the villains as well as the virtuous. His patience is demonstrated because he desires that none should perish but all to inherit the blessing of everlasting life. When the wicked does well, it’s not an indication that God condones wickedness but that God is merciful and giving them the opportunity to receive His grace. The point is this: we should not test God’s patience. No one knows when it would end. So, righteous living is still to be preferred. Let’s live righteously for God!

Job 23:1-17 - God knows our way

In response to Eliphaz, Job began by justifying why he complaint so passionately. He argued from the fact that his suffering was very severe. And should God accord him the opportunity to come before Him, He would exonerate him. Feeling isolated by God, he was sure no matter how justified he felt, God could not be dissuaded from fulfilling His purpose which seemed to be set against him.

Job was very sure that he was going through an inconceivable wrong at the hand of God. The Almighty must have mistakenly put him through such an excruciating experience. He wished he could come before God and argue his case before Him. But as he contemplates his condition and how hopeless it was, he lapsed into discouragement. His desire was expressed in verses 1-7. He knew it was rebellious of him to complain against God. Yet he wished he would be given an opportunity to come before His judgement seat and plead his case. Job was sure that with his irrefutable facts, God would be convinced that he was unjustly treated. That was how sure Job was that he did nothing wrong to deserve his suffering. He was confident that God was not one who would abuse His power and would accord him the justice. And he would be exonerated forever.

Job was refuting Eliphaz’s accusation that he must have deviated and wandered into the path of the wicked. He was very sure that he had done nothing to warrant such a severe testing. He had never wandered away from the truth and was confident after God had tried him he shall come forth brilliant as gold. God’s command was precious to him and was his daily portion. In all these, Job had left us with a precious example. Despite his tremendous pain he never departed from partaking of God’s word daily. No matter what life may dish out to us, we should never forsake the word of God. We should come to it even more diligently.     

Some thoughts for our consideration. Whatever our experience in life may be, pleasant or unpleasant, we must be confident that God is in control. This will help us to accept and submit to the dealings of God. Know that He alone has the right to act as He wills. Everyone of us is dependent on His will. Bear in mind that no loss in life can ever be worse than losing divine favor. Be sure that while we may not fully comprehend God’s way, but the reverse is not true of God. Our ways are never hidden from His sight. And when he had tried us, we shall come forth pure as gold. Praise His loving kindness!

Job 22:1-30 – Action speaks louder than words

So far Job had two rounds of sparing with his three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.  As their theme, they began by debating on the nature of God in the first round. Then in the second round they discussed about the destiny of wicked man. Up till now, Job’s three friends spoke only in veiled terms by hinting about Job’s sin. Now in their third round of debates they went straight for Job’s jugular. They blatantly and brutally charged him with sin directly.     

Just like the previous two rounds Eliphaz spoke first. He insisted that God was not the cause of Job’s suffering. He felt that man’s sin is not a loss to God, neither would man’s righteousness be a gain to Him. Hence, he concluded that to search for the cause of his suffering, man must trace it in himself. In verses 1-4, it seems unimaginable to Eliphaz to think that God would punish a man when he is good. Therefore, the suffering of Job must be surely because of his own sin. So, in verses 6-10, he then directly accused Job with being inhumane, for being greedy and abused his power. He even accused him of injustice and being oppressive toward the poor.

In verses 12-20, the questions Eliphaz asked, accused Job of thinking that God was too far away to take notice of what he had done. He felt that it was foolhardy of Job to think that he could hide these sins from God. In verses 21-30, he then sanctimoniously exhorted Job to be reconciled with God. He even insisted that God would bless Job again if he would place his trust in God again. What we see here is like a good sermon preached to the wrong audience. Eliphaz’s words were loaded with noble content but applied to the wrong person and situation. He had a standard that even he himself would be hard put to measure up. Therefore, let us live out the truth and apply the principle to our life first, before we attempt to share it with others. 

Job 21 – God’s dealing can come in different ways

Zophar seemed to have adopted the popular philosophy that suffering belongs to all sinners and prosperity to all righteous man. In what he said to Job, he was actually propagating this viewpoint. Job repudiated this thinking. It’s true that the wicked are destroyed by their sin yet there are some who seem to experience otherwise. Job, in verses 6-16, insisted that he had seen wicked men flourish, their stock increasing and their children established. They were not religious and God was never part of their lives, yet their pleasure seemed to be abounding. And they died in peace. This however, was not always the case. In verses 17-21, Job also had seen other wicked utterly destroyed. Job’s point was this: the experiences of life indicate no set pattern is cast in stone. Thus, it was wrong for Zophar to typify every case so definitively. Just as wicked men do not always suffer, neither will good man always prosper. In verses 22-34, Job set out to remind Zophar and his other two friends that they were not wiser than God. Therefore, they should not impose their thinking on God. Neither should they so flippantly propagate their viewpoint and insist that God has only one fixed way of dealing with men.  

What principles can we glean for our life in this Job 21? We should never be weary to stand for God and the truth. When we align our allegiance with God we have the best ally in our life. Here we are taught not to be so dogmatic. We must hold gently and lightly to what we know. Be sure to practice what is clear obediently, but trust God to eventually provide the answer for those experiences we do not clearly comprehend. Be assured that in His time, God will make all things beautiful. Know that the best soul on earth does not automatically preclude hard times. We can never be free from facing tough situations and answering hard questions in life. But we can be sure God’s best gifts are equally open to all, saint and sinners. This is proven in the Gospel. It tells us that God commended His love towards us while we were yet sinners. Someone said it it’s better to be God’s wheat than the devil’s chaff, because bruising may come upon the wheat, but the chaff will be blown away or gathered as fuel for fire.    

Job 20 – Engaging in needless controversy is worrisome

Hearing what Job told Bildad, Zophar became angry. He already felt that Job had treated his previous speech with contempt. And now he had the audacity to threaten him and his other friends with the sword of judgement (Job 19:29). Job seemed to have accused God of deserting him yet at the same time proclaimed that as his Redeemer, He would exonerate him after he had died. Agitated by Job’s bitterness and inconsistency, Zophar could not remain silent any longer. So, full of passion, he exploded with his second speech in response to the things Job told Bildad.  

In the first 14 verses, Zophar maintained that the prosperity of the wicked would be transitory. He was sure that the sweetness of their sin would turn bitter. Then in verses 15-29, he asserted that while man could be satisfied quickly by his sinful desires, he would also become sick of it all and unable to enjoy them. Zophar illustrated graphically with a picture of a powerful rich man who was made poor and weak suddenly. He was in fact bluntly and brutally indicating to Job that he was that man.

We can see that unfriendly bantering is often not only controversial but also irritating. Engaging in it will lead a person to speak out in exaggeration rather than laying out logical reasons to substantiate one’s point. There is also this tendency to generate anger leading one to denigrate another with frustration. In such needless bantering, half-truths are often mistaken for the whole, a brilliant insight taken for a universal truth and an occasional idea can be interpreted as a perpetual truth. No wonder Paul’s advice in Titus 3:9 is to “…avoid foolish controversies … for they are unprofitable and worthless.” 

Job 19 – Hope does not fail

In this chapter, Job made his reply to Bildad the second time. He added nothing new to what he told him the very first time. Reiterating how he felt, Job expressed his present loneliness. He felt so deserted, alienated and hopeless in his situation. Be sure that Job was not alone in this type of experiences. Some of us must have also gone through moments like his. Though surrounded by people, even those we trust and look up to, yet we have never felt more alone. The people we trust just don’t seem to understand and empathize with what is happening to us. Their seeming inability to comprehend what we are going through would leave us feeling frustrated, deserted and all alone.

This, perhaps, was how our Lord Jesus must have felt when he was struggling in prayer alone in Gethsemane. He came to His closest disciples, Peter, James and John, three times and they couldn’t even watch with Him for an hour. When he was hanging between heaven and earth on the cross He even felt that His Father had deserted Him. We all can recall this agonizing question, “Father, why have you forsaken me?”  

Feeling deserted and abandoned was how Job felt at this point. However, he kept his sight on the future, and expressed hope that he would be delivered. He hoped that God would exonerate him sometime in the future. Aware of it or not, in all his loneliness, his confidence in God was hidden latent within him. Hence, he could express so assuredly in verses 25 that “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.” Here, he reached another high point in his courage and faith. Job was truly confident that God would affirm his righteousness.   

One message of Job seems clear here. Men may forsake us, even our family and those closest to us may fail us, God never will.  Worthy of emulation is how Job clung on to his faith in God, whom he was sure has the final authority over life and death. He expressed trust in Him despite what he was going through and the injustices he felt. Like Job, we can be sustained by our hope in Christ, our Redeemer. Our faith must look up to Him, and in Him we can confidently rest.     

Job 18 – Being correct is better than being brilliant

Having heard Job’s response to Eliphaz, Bildad resented how he kept insisting on his innocence. He objected angrily at how Job spoke about himself and God. Both Eliphaz and Bildad dealt with the subject of destruction of the wicked. Eliphaz saw the punishment of the wicked from his conscience, Bildad saw destruction coming from without. Nature itself came against the sinner. Eliphaz rebuked Job for dealing with his friends unfairly, calling them by all sorts of names such as: annoying comforters, scorners, mockers, blind and ignorant advisers. Bildad felt that Job had also maligned his friends thinking that they were stupid and beastly. Besides, he felt that Job had also accused God without according Him the reverence. In Job 18:4, Bildad told Job that it was not God who had torn him up but it was his own uncontrolled fury against God that was tearing him up.

Bildad then described the downfall of the wicked using several figures of speech. While he spoke about it generally, he was referencing Job in veiled language. He lumped Job together with sinful men and spoke generally about the negative experiences sinners would have to endure. In verses 5-7, he was saying that the light of the sinners would go out, meaning they would experience darkness. In verses 8-11, Bildad said that sinners would be snared and be caught in their own errors. Verses 12-14 describe for us how sinners would be stricken physically and devoured. In verses 15-17, we are told of the extinction of the sinners’ name and race. Finally, in verses 18-21, Bildad said that what sinners would go through would puzzle and astound the onlookers.  

What Bildad did to Job is something that we should never do to another person, no matter how justified we feel about it. It is better to be true and correct in what we say more than being brilliant in our presentation. No matter how right our message maybe, it is pointless when administered to the wrong person. A right message can only make impact when it is given to the right recipient.  

Job 17:3-16 – The nature of true hope

Job was obviously feeling the tremendous weight of the false accusations of his friends and his failing health, that he was resigned to die. Yet he maintained his innocence and was sure that his guiltless blood would cry out for exoneration. Though he was reeling under the tremendous weight of his condition, he was sure God would ultimately vindicate him, even if the exoneration would take place after his death. For he was certain that God’s justice would prevail. His three friends had insisted that if he repents, healing and restoration would come upon him and he would be restored. Job however, felt he would die, and maintain that death and the grave awaited him.

Verse 9 deserves special mention. Job said, “…the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.” This is a very insightful statement concerning one, who despite being just, and yet had to undergo suffering. Such a person remains firm and continues to trust God despite his inability to understand or explain his predicament. He would not vacillate in his trust and conviction about God. Suffering cannot rock him. He remains righteous despite his suffering. He becomes stronger and stronger instead of crumbling and succumbing to his plight. Even though he may not understand why he had to go through the suffering, he remains trustful of God and will not cave in. The inner resolve of such a righteous man continues to be strengthened even if it means that he has to pay dearly for being righteous.

In these verses, we get an insight into the nature of true hope. Such a hope is founded on God who never fails. The faithfulness of God is the foundation of true hope. In hardship, a person with such a hope continues to trust God and does not doubt Him. And the key to growing in true hope is to build it through knowing, trusting and living by the promises He has made in His Word.

Job 16:18-17:2 – The certainty of God’s love

Discouraged by his condition, Job seemed to lose control and gave up on any hope of being restored. Yet he wished for vindication in the life to come. Job was insistent that even in death his blood would not stop crying out his innocence. And he pleaded with the earth not to cover his innocent blood. But in the midst of all his despair, verse 19 reveals that inwardly, he still had a little glimmer of remaining faith. He expressed his faith that he had an advocate in heaven who would testify on his behalf to ensure that he be justly dealt with. 

Who is this advocate before God? He couldn’t be talking about God, as he had earlier felt that the Almighty was opposing him. Could Job have caught a glimpse of Christ the redeemer at this point? He could have caught a glimpse of Christ in His pre-incarnation. We know that Christ was there in the beginning, in the eternal council of God. Speaking prophetically, Job could be talking about Jesus Christ. We can only postulate concerning his situation. But for us, we are sure that Jesus our advocate is at the right hand of God. He is always speaking on our behalf against all of Satan’s accusations. This is what the apostle John in his letter tells us. He said we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sin.  

In Job’s estimate his friends were mockers. He could not expect any sympathy from them. Hence, Job took the right course. He pleaded with God and wept before Him and yearned for someone to speak out on his behalf. In his horrendous suffering and the incessant criticism of his friends, Job felt the imminence and inevitability of death. Job then conclude his appeal here by describing his plight. His spirit was broken and was existing like a little flickering flame about to be extinguished. Yet his friends did not stop mocking him and he had to endure their provocation. Job was amazed by his friends’ impudence.  

Reading these verses leads us to the conclusion that our faith must rest in God alone. The source of true faith is God. When we come to Him, we have a faithful friend. He always hears us for His ears are not dull that He cannot hear us. And we truly have an advocate in the eternal council of God, Jesus The Righteous. He is always pleading to God on our behalf. That’s why nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. What a comforting thought!

Job 16:6-17 – God will never abandon us

In these verses, Job painted a pathetic pictured of him being rejected by God as well as his friends. He felt the weight of loneliness and isolation. So, whether he spoke out or refrained from speaking, his condition did not get better. He even felt that God was the cause for the desertion of his friends. And that He even turned his friends into his enemies. Assuming that his condition was an indication of his guilt, all those whom he had leaned on for support had strangely turned against him. Attributing to God as the cause, he felt intensely the treatment of those who were once his friends. They, it seemed, had come to devour him. It was as if God had handed him over to the ruffians.  

Recalling how he was at ease and resting in comfort and security, when all of a sudden God seemed to target him. He described how brutally he was treated. His friends had suddenly become his enemies. They had seized upon him, dashing him into pieces. God had made him the target of His arrows that ripped into him, spilling his internal organs to the ground. He felt like a fort that had been breached and stormed by warriors. In verses 15-17, he felt the destructive impact brought onto him. He became mournful and felt totally humiliated. Verse 16 talked about how he despaired and cried until his eyes were swollen with redness and his sight had become blur. Even going through all these intense sufferings, he couldn’t identify his misdeeds to warrant them. He insisted that he had exercised integrity and his prayer was pure. The way he framed his speech tells us that he was repudiating the insinuation that he was sinful to be inflicted with such a condition.  

Know that in the midst of our suffering, we are still being held firmly in the hand of God. We need to be reminded that our feelings are never perfect representation of His dealings. We must get used to the fact that in living for Him, we need to deal with the negative representation of God from people we associate with. Be assured that sufferings do not always represent divine punishment but they are always designed to produce our dependency on God. No matter how bleak our storm may be, He has the power to sooth it. Certainly, God will use others as instruments to deal with us but take heart, He will never abandon us.