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January 5th

Our Bible reading today comes from Job 6-9.

It will be good for us to go back to the beginning...for just a bit today...Job had no knowledge of that scene in heaven in chapter one, where God was holding court for His angelic host....where They came before God to give an account of their ministry throughout the heavens and earth. And like a Judas among the disciples, satan was among the angels before God that day. Satan was arrogant. He had taken down undefeated Adam and Eve....and so fallen Job would be no problem for the head demon. Satan was confident and boastful that Job’s faith in the Lord would not stand against his temptations and his lies about God. God was even more confident that Job’s faith would stand the tests of satan. So He accepted satan’s challenge and would prove to demons, angels, and mankind alike, that a man who did life with God would worship Him for nothing.

So Job did not know that he and his family were suffering because of God’s contesting with satan. Job never knew that, and neither did his friends. So each struggled to understand and explain the reason for suffering, especially the suffering of God’s faithful.

To this point in the story, we've heard what God said about Job. “A righteous man...upright in all his ways”...Impressive. But there’s more, as stated in Job chapter 29:

“Job is a man I have watched over...a man that my lamp has shone upon...a man that my light directed through the darkness...a man whose tent was known by My friendship...a man I blessed with children all around him...a man I was always with as demonstrated by the pouring forth of oil from his rock...a man whom young princes bowed down to...a man that the aged rose up for...a man who delivered the poor, the fatherless, and the widows...upon him I placed righteousness, and clothed him.”

Now that’s a resume. And that’s quite a reference.

Talk about a man who had it all... in his relationship with God. Everything was going his way. Until it wasn't!

Would Job deny God now? Would Job turn from God now? Would Job shake his fist in hatred for God now?

Answer...No...at least not yet in the story. In fact in chapter 6:10,24 that we are reading, Job himself, in the throes of agony accepts the pain, and refuses to deny the words of the Holy One....what words?...that God is the one and only true God, faithful, just, and perfect in all His work in heaven and on earth. I figure that Job thought his wife and friends believed in God that way too. But apparently not.

Eliphaz was gentle at first. He was sympathetic in his quietness with JOB, but he just couldn't help himself. Eliphaz had to give his reason for JOB’S great trial...” unconfessed sin.” A second friend, Bildad, added insult to injury when he accused JOB that “his sinning had caused the death of his children”. But both of these friends had no idea what God was doing from Heaven’s throne room. So they just assumed that the suffering was tied to JOB sinning.

Was JOB still wondering what God was up to? Yes. Did JOB ever wonder if he did have unconfessed sin in his life? Yes. But Job did not charge God with doing wrong toward him.

Sounds kind of like the Son of God doesn't it...he was accused of being out of His mind by family members. He was called a sinner by experts. And He was rejected by close friends too. But unlike JOB, Jesus knew exactly why He was suffering...and He walked with eyes and heart wide open right into it...not for Himself, but for you and me who believe in Him. That we might have eternal life, both now and forever. Awesome life message....from JOB to JESUS.