Based on Charles R. Swindoll's message, What Job Teaches Us About Ourselves
Last time we stopped on the principle that it takes great discernment to detect wrong advice from well-meaning people. With all their reasonableness, these people still don't have a divine viewpoint always--only the Bible has. And we also learned that sound theology or doctrine keeps you sound and stable on trying times. Yes, and what theology did Job knew at that time to be stable? He knew and believed this doctrine: We are not here to be happy; we are here for God to be glorified. He believed that we are here to praise and worship God in spite of what happens, knowing that they are all for His glory.
Now here is the fifth principle: Caring and sensitive friends know when to come, how to stay quiet, and what to say (if anything at all!). From this point on we see Job's friends. Consider the following passages:
People who may know Job's story would raise a brow against these three, but, let's face it, they were really friends of Job! Because in the first place, they visited him. They knew when Job needed them. And without words, they understood his grief, lifted up their voices, wept, and sprinkled dust upon their heads as a sign of sorrow for him. They were friends indeed, and this must have been one of the factors why Job endured the trial at this time.
Remember David and Jonathan? How Jonathan's friendship made David strong to continue in life in spite of opposition? If you read the psalms of David, many are composed in his sorrowful and depressed state, and you could he might be even suicidal. Remembering Jonathan's unwavering friendship must have been one of the factors that helped him till he became the king of Israel.
The next one must be a hard truth, but, unless we firmly cling to God, this principle will truly apply to us. Consider the following passage:
Now, there you go: It is easy to be Monday-morning quarterbacks, but then we encounter suffering, and we become weak. See the shift of words? The story didn't end with Job worshiping and praising God for the testing, nor did it end with his words about God's sovereignty--instead, it continues, and we see that Job's strong front was beginning to fade. He "cursed his day"! He cursed the day of his birth! And that frequently happens to us. If we did like Job at first, we must have been saying, The Lord saw my faithfulness to him even in this situation. Maybe He will remove this now. But if that is Job's expectation, it wasn't immediately realized, furthering his grief and peeling off this strong armor against negative thoughts. If our grip in God is not strong enough, we are sure to expect this kind of feeling. Let me show you the next verses:
This principle might have caused his three friends and Jehu to comment on Job's suffering--and formed chapters 4-41 of the book! At first they are the best of friends to have, but then, they could not keep themselves, so they began to say things--which we know are wrong! We need God to stay strong in these situations of prolonged grief and suffering.
But this is the good thing: Job never cursed God. Job might have cursed "his day," but never do you hear him curse God. He knew that God had a purpose for that. He knew that God had a better plan for his life than what he thought of. So he endured all the loss, the pain, and the accusations of his friends until the final day of his suffering. Last principle: The cultivation of obedient endurance is the crowning mark of maturity. There are two ways man can look at suffering: first he can see it as an intrusion of God in his life, that causes him to outrage and point his accusing finger on God; the second is he can see it as an opportunity given by God to let him show his faithfulness, causing him to endure all the hard things. Let's jump to the last chapter of Job to see where the principle lies:
This is true maturity: you won't deny your mistake; instead you admit them (though we may think, I've endured all this!) and repent. And Job never expected that God would change his circumstances for the good, but what was important was that he understood that he do not need to understand everything--what's important is that God is there, and all that happens never passes without His permission.
Now here is the fifth principle: Caring and sensitive friends know when to come, how to stay quiet, and what to say (if anything at all!). From this point on we see Job's friends. Consider the following passages:
Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. (2:11-13)
People who may know Job's story would raise a brow against these three, but, let's face it, they were really friends of Job! Because in the first place, they visited him. They knew when Job needed them. And without words, they understood his grief, lifted up their voices, wept, and sprinkled dust upon their heads as a sign of sorrow for him. They were friends indeed, and this must have been one of the factors why Job endured the trial at this time.
Remember David and Jonathan? How Jonathan's friendship made David strong to continue in life in spite of opposition? If you read the psalms of David, many are composed in his sorrowful and depressed state, and you could he might be even suicidal. Remembering Jonathan's unwavering friendship must have been one of the factors that helped him till he became the king of Israel.
The next one must be a hard truth, but, unless we firmly cling to God, this principle will truly apply to us. Consider the following passage:
After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. (3:1)
Now, there you go: It is easy to be Monday-morning quarterbacks, but then we encounter suffering, and we become weak. See the shift of words? The story didn't end with Job worshiping and praising God for the testing, nor did it end with his words about God's sovereignty--instead, it continues, and we see that Job's strong front was beginning to fade. He "cursed his day"! He cursed the day of his birth! And that frequently happens to us. If we did like Job at first, we must have been saying, The Lord saw my faithfulness to him even in this situation. Maybe He will remove this now. But if that is Job's expectation, it wasn't immediately realized, furthering his grief and peeling off this strong armor against negative thoughts. If our grip in God is not strong enough, we are sure to expect this kind of feeling. Let me show you the next verses:
And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months. (vv. 2-6)
This principle might have caused his three friends and Jehu to comment on Job's suffering--and formed chapters 4-41 of the book! At first they are the best of friends to have, but then, they could not keep themselves, so they began to say things--which we know are wrong! We need God to stay strong in these situations of prolonged grief and suffering.
But this is the good thing: Job never cursed God. Job might have cursed "his day," but never do you hear him curse God. He knew that God had a purpose for that. He knew that God had a better plan for his life than what he thought of. So he endured all the loss, the pain, and the accusations of his friends until the final day of his suffering. Last principle: The cultivation of obedient endurance is the crowning mark of maturity. There are two ways man can look at suffering: first he can see it as an intrusion of God in his life, that causes him to outrage and point his accusing finger on God; the second is he can see it as an opportunity given by God to let him show his faithfulness, causing him to endure all the hard things. Let's jump to the last chapter of Job to see where the principle lies:
Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (42:1-6)
This is true maturity: you won't deny your mistake; instead you admit them (though we may think, I've endured all this!) and repent. And Job never expected that God would change his circumstances for the good, but what was important was that he understood that he do not need to understand everything--what's important is that God is there, and all that happens never passes without His permission.
