Point of Grace Worship 8.10.25 Seeking Wisdom – Part 5 “ Job – It’s ‘Still’ Not That Simple!”
“It’s ‘Still’ Not That Simple!”
Why is Job suffering?
The 3 Friends + 1 make long winded attempts at answering the question. (As if their answers would help.)
Chapters Summary
Eliphaz 4-5,15, 22 Job is suffering because of some secret sin. (Retribution Theology)
Bildad 8, 18, 25 Job won’t admit he has sinned so he is still suffering.
Zophar 11, 20 Job’s sin deserves even more suffering than He is experiencing.
Elihu 32-37 God is using suffering to mold and train Job for the future.
Job Replies
“Stop assuming my guilt, for I have done no wrong. Do you think I am lying? Don’t I know the difference between right and wrong? (6:29-30)
“I loathe my very life; therefore, I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.
I say to God: Do not declare me guilty but tell me what charges you have against me”. (10:1-2)
“ As for me, I would speak directly to the Almighty. I want to argue my case with God himself. As for you, you smear me with lies. As physicians, you are worthless quacks. If only you could be silent!
That’s the wisest thing you could do. “Listen closely to what I am about to say. Hear me out. I have prepared my case; I will be proved innocent. Now summon me, and I will answer! Or let me speak to you, and reply. Tell me, what have I done wrong? Show me my rebellion and my sin.
Why do you turn away from me?” (Job 13)
God Speaks Chapters 38-41
Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:2 “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? (38)
“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
2 Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. (39)
The Lord said to Job: 2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” (40)
Job Replies 40:3-4 3 Then Job answered the Lord:4 “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.”
Job 42
Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. 4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ 5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
7 After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer.
“In the end it is not Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar with their ‘retribution’ theology who are right but Job with his ‘lament’ theology who is right. He addressed God. He came to God with his hurt and his grief, his pain and his desire to get an answer. The friends never addressed God.” – Chad Bird (1517 Podcast)
10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came to him, all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.
12 And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and full of days.
Five Wisdom Gifts from Job
· In suffering as well as all life’s twists and turns, the path of hope is complete surrender to God in trusting faith that He is all powerful, filled with grace and functions in ways beyond our understanding.
· God knows the path of “Why _____?” does not lead to peace but is only resolved (not necessarily answered) as we take refuge in His Presence. “Lament” is a gift that helps us process pain in the Presence of God.
· It is not wise to make up things about God and the way He runs the world as we feel the pressure to make sense of our own suffering and that of others. It’s usually not that simple.
· When walking with people suffering, our ears are often more helpful than our mouth.
· In Job’s stark but gracious encounter with God he was jolted out of the “wise in your own eyes” mindset and began to learn that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom” (Job 28)