Becoming Heartstrong - Season Six (Blessed With Friends)

Week 5 of 10 | Flow with the holy spirit | Job

Use the Raquel ‘stuff’ regarding emotions and feelings? How Job let feelings become a story instead of emotions? Research more…

LS: We opened Job asking one of the big questions: “If God is good, why so much suffering?” Together we highlighted 3 invitations. TW: Speaking of 3, today there are three of Job’s friends that provide earthly insight into their answer to that big question.

Remember/Breadcrumb: The ultimate example of God/suffering is Jesus; not Job.

What is fascinating is as much as the world has changed since the book of Job was written, when it comes to suffering and God, the answers/advice these three friends provide Job are remarkably similar to what we tend to hear today.

Each of these friends come to Job with the right motives. They don’t mean harm, but that doesn’t mean they don’t cause hurt.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. Job 2:11 (ESV)

One: Eliphaz the Temanite

In suffering Job curses the day he was born, wondering why he was even born, ending with…“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;I have no rest, but trouble comes.” Job 3:26 (ESV)

Eliphaz starts by reminding Job, before suffering, how they saw God and suffering the same way. Job, in suffering pauses from him lament, and Eliphaz launche into his reason for why Job is suffering.

“Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. Job 4:7-8

Here is what Eliphaz gets right, and he gets a lot right. Not everything is random. We reap what we sow. Life has behaviour and reward or consequence. Also, in this response there is worldview mixed with spirituality.

Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. Job 4:13–15 (ESV)

In his reason, I want you to see something. In the mixture of worldly wisdom and a powerful spiritual experience, Eliphaz, unknown to him uses the identical language of Satan, the accuser from the opening chapter.

In chapter one, God says Job is blameless and upright. Satan says, his isn’t - he is only those things because of his good fortune. God says Job is, and Satan counters a lie.

In his reply, while Eiphaz gets so much right, he also becomes the mouthpiece of Satan sharing half-truths about life, God, and suffering while accusing Job. For Eliphaz, God is good. Job is suffering and any suffering is punishment for sin.

God is good; you did something bad, or haven’t done enough good. It’s your fault.

If you would have prayed more. If you would have had enough faith. Praying more is good. Having increasing faith is also good. But using good things to bring incorrect conclusions is at best not helpful and usually quite hurtful.

His advice can also be seen as instead of offering faith, he offers religion - a way to do better things to earn health, riches, righteousness from God.

Eliphaz’s reason is wrong, the story is not that suffering is his fault. While his reason is wrong, if it can count for anything, he does have compassion for Job, he means well.

Now here comes the next friend, Bildad. His reply to Job is found in chapters 8, 18, & 25. His reasoning is similar to Eliphaz, with one exception, he see’s Job as a problem to be fixed rather than a person to love. This is a temptation for certain personality types.

Once again, Job laments and now Bildad speaks.

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: “How long will you say these things, and the words of your mouth be a great wind? Job 8:1–2 (ESV)

Without compassion, Bildad presents a rather reductionist, nihilistic view of the world.

Bad things happen to bad people. Good things happen to good people. He takes it so far as to say, “If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression.” Job 8:4 (ESV)

For Bildad, your children have perished, but you haven’t - so you must not be as bad as them, so there is a possibility for redemption, but once again, it’s religion, it’s earn, it’s prove yourself before God.

If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy, if you are pure and upright, surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation. And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great. Job 8:5–7 (ESV)

The best guess is the book of Job was written during the time of Moses, and while the cross of Christ has not yet happened, the story of Moses/law/Torah is not an exclusive story of “If you then God” - rather it is a story of “in spite of us, then God.”

Bildad points everything back to tradition; in his mind, what has always been.

“Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish where there is no water? While yet in flower and not cut down, they wither before any other plant. Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish. Job 8:11–13

For Bildad, the answer to his “can” questions is obviously “no”. He is the voice of secularism/education of the West - it speaks about but without God.

It is science, philosophy, tradition, religion, life without God.

Without God, leaves us with only “yes or no” answers. But science, philosophy, tradition, religion, life with God leaves room for God. All earthly/human wisdom/tradition/culture are good, but not God.

Can papyrus grow where there is no mash - with God, yes. Can reeds flourish where there is no water - with God, yes.

For Bildad there is only deserved or undeserved suffering, cause or effect - for Bildad there is no room for God as there leaves no room for grace. He is wrong because what Job and his family are experiencing is undeserved.

Now we come to the final friend, Zophar. This friend is a little like the idea that “if you do like me, or become like me” your life will be like mine.

This is not just the language of religion, it is the currency of social media, and the allure of politics - just be like me or like us, and if you we’re the world would be a better place. All it’s problems would be fixed, and there would be no suffering.

It sounds good, but it is cruel.

Once again, Job pleads and laments to God, and now Zophar speaks starting with a harsh accusation.

“Should a multitude of words go unanswered, and a man full of talk be judged right? Should your babble silence men, and when you mock, shall no one shame you? For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in God’s eyes.’ But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you, and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. Job 11:1–6 (ESV)

Summarized in six words…

Shut up and become like me.

Zophar is profoundly arrogant. He has life all figured out, and if Job would just become like him, then his life would also be figured out. But as it does for everyone, pride thinks it sees clearly, but it doesn’t.

First, God says Job is blameless and upright; he never says he is sinless.

Zophar says something Job never says, “My doctrine is pure and I am clean in God’s eyes.” Read Job’s laments. He is humble. Confused. And never once does he call himself sinless.

To use today’s words, just because we are believers, isn’t to say we are perfect.

In fact, Zophar’s misunderstanding is the chief criticism Jesus assigns to the pharisees - you clean the outside of the cup, but pay no attention to the inside.

Verse six is the sound of the be perfect sickness that has enveloped the West.

Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. Job 11:6 (ESV)

Be better. Do more. Be perfect. Everything works uses this langage. Lose weight. Get rich. Get more followers. Vote like us. You are not, I have, to have like me, become like me.

“Zophar unwittingly aligns himself with the Satan’s position found in the prologue by encouraging Job to seek God for personal gain If Job does this in order to recover his prosperity, he demonstrates insincerity; if he refuses to do so, he demonstrates his perversity. Integrity is forfeited either way, and if it is, then Satan wins.” - Hartley

What makes each voice so challenging is how they all contain elements of truth, but are not ultimate Truth.

In answering the question, “If God is good, why so much suffering?” Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar’s wisdom are alive and well today.

Q: Are you under the false yoke of this advice? 

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV)

Next Sunday we will see how God replies.

Let’s pray.