Reflections on Job part 1 - "Care for the Hurting"

Introduction

Job is a very complex book, which seeks to deal with the area of suffering, and where faith in God fits in with this. I have to say that delving deeply into Job again this week has done my head in a bit ... such is the complexity of this book. You could spend months and years studying this book in great detail (for great profit), but I will just reflect a little on Job, and try to pull out a few major points, to give a bit of the flavour and thought processes within. There will be two parts to this message. If we can capture a little of how Job survived tragedy, this might serve us well. If we grow in our knowledge and ability to respond to those who are hurting around us, then this will certainly be worthwhile. These are the real practical applications to be gained from reading Job.

1. Job in a sorry state (chap. 3)

We have read together from Job chapter 3. Job was now at that place where he thinks that it would have been better for him if he had never been born at all. Job actually talks in terms of putting a curse on the day of his birth and even the moment of his conception ... “let that day be darkness” (v.4), “that night – let thick darkness seize it” (v.6). Job regrets his life! His birthday, rather than being a time for celebration, is now a cause for mourning. This was a horrible day!

If only I wasn’t born, thought Job, I wouldn’t have to face such trouble (v.10) [and, as later verses mention, Job would then be at rest (v.13) and out of bondage to the taskmasters of this world (v.18-19)]! In verse 20 onwards we read that Job actually desires death ... why should light and life continue to be given to Job when these are a total waste in one so besieged with troubles! These words, so uttered, would have to be a warning sign concerning the person’s mental health.

This is all because life has become too painful for Job, and there doesn’t appear to be any way forward. Job also feels that, due to his wretched state, he can make no further contribution to the community around him. Job was expressing very natural human regret and misery concerning what had happened to him. Many people will come to express themselves like this. Job cries out to anyone who will listen. Many others will actually feel like this, but in their case, bottle it all up inside. In each of these situations help is needed.

Job did not understand why all this tragedy had befallen him; after all had he not dedicated his whole life to God. And the truth of this was in evidence for all to see – the completeness of his life as seen in family, security, and financial well-being – Job was at peace with the world! This lack of understanding added to his emotional instability and he cried out in pain. Job’s theology was a little unprepared for these dark turn of events. Job is initially hesitant to blame God – there must be another answer; but this resolve is later tested.

But Job does reveal his feelings on the matter, and speaks out strongly in search of understanding; and this was a good thing for him to be doing, as the circumstances that had befallen him were completely overwhelming. This could happen to the loftiest leader in the Christian community ... or to the most anonymous person in the street – it’s just a matter of how certain events clash with a particular person’s inner being.

This all happens in the face of the grand parade of other’s people’s lives being so seemingly happy and easy. Depression also arises in the face of how wonderful life can be, and how purposeful life should be! We know down deep that each human birth should remain something to celebrate and continue to commemorate; and death should basically be something to be avoided until our genuine time comes.

Many people, for a variety of reasons, have an acute vulnerability in this area, but no-one is wholly exempt from the possibility of feeling as Job feels here. So we all should look after ourselves, and build our lives on the best foundations and coping mechanisms (and we know what those are ... we talked about it last week). But we should also be willing and ready to respond to others who present in a depressed way like Job does here).

2. How did Job get here?

I mentioned earlier that Job doesn’t initially allocate blame to God, although it seems he found this increasingly difficult not to do. Job naturally, in his perilous situation, had many reservations, doubts and questions. After all, Job had lost first his livestock, then most of his servants, then his ten children. Subsequently Job was stricken with terrible sores all over his body. No doubt that the longer his pain went on, the harder it was to maintain his resolve. And this would seem quite natural, would it not! Imagine the mental anguish in not knowing whether this shocking skin condition would ever leave him!

At the beginning of Job’s turmoil when he had lost his family, he continued to worship God and said in part, “... the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (1:21). We then read the writer’s assessment of Job’s ‘performance’: “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with any wrongdoing” (1:22). Later, following the onset of his sores, and when his wife castigated him for maintaining his faith (2:9-10), Job replied to her, “Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” Again we read that Job refused to lose his faith, and again “did not sin with his lips” (2:10b). But then, in our reading in chapter 3 verse 23, Job expresses that he feels “fenced in” by God ... somehow the boundaries of protection that Job once enjoyed and benefitted from, now seem to be restrictive and punishing. And later, Job did go so far as to say that God had targeted him (7:20). Even what we have already mentioned about Job cursing the day of his birth comes really close to challenging God’s sovereign wisdom. By 16:9 we read Job saying, “[God] has torn me in his wrath, and hated me”. Job went on to doubt God’s wisdom and ability to govern the earth properly.

However, it ultimately was of great assistance to Job, that even with his confusion, doubt and fear, that he basically sought to hang in there with God, and keep his communication up with God, and thus Job doesn’t lose touch with God.

When we trust God so much, it’s actually hard to come to terms with such terrible things happening to us. As our example, Job was actually described, at the beginning of the book, as “upright” (i.e. fully devoted to God’s ways) and “blameless” (i.e. already appropriately repentant and forgiven). We do have evidence that God is a faithful and prayer-answering God. We pray for protection from harm ... “deliver us from evil”, and usually feel secure; yet sometimes bad stuff happens. So, from our observations of the realities of life, and from our reading of biblical material like Job, we have to come to acknowledge two very important things:

(i) that the misuse of humanity’s freewill can, and often does, bring us, even the innocent, great heartache and difficult complexity – a fallen world (such as the one we live in) will get you one way or another, or in Job’s case in multiple ways (chap. 1-2:10); and

(ii) that sometimes God will let us be tested for the sake of the building of our faith (and our effectiveness). If God senses that we need some renovation or have room for improvement in some area, then he will allow such bad stuff to touch us.

It seems that both of these dynamics were in play in Job’s case. Job lost his livestock and most of his servants through the violent attacks of the Sabeans and the Chaldeans as well as through the dramatic effects of a fire-storm. Then Job lost all his children (seven sons & three daughters) through a major wind event that caused their house to cave in on itself. Then, when this didn’t bring Job down, he was inflicted by loathsome sores, bringing great discomfort and further misery.

Because we live in a world where many selfish, thoughtless and destructive deeds are done, we are likely to feel their impact on us at various times. Sometimes God provides protection and blessing; at other times, although God remains with us – we still experience the full impact of this evil.

According to the early chapters of the story, these ‘losses’ derived from the accusations of one who is referred to as “the satan”, meaning one who doubts, accuses, opposes (and puts obstacles before) human beings. This “satan” figure obviously has some function and/or ability to facilitate disorder and disaster in the world. The “accuser” suggests to God that the only reason that Job is so faithful and good, is that he has had an easy ride and that God has contributed to that ease. If a few tough things happen to Job, says the “accuser”, then he would no doubt crumble (and curse God). Perhaps, suggests “the satan”, Job is only devoted to God out of self-interest!

The question here for consideration, is whether Job would be able to survive such trauma and rebound better than ever?!?

So in Job’s case, for there to be a full demonstration of his God-developed character, disaster was going to be allowed to touch him, and touch him deeply. For the true character of a person can only be fully seen when put under pressure. Those who live uprightly will surely be put under repeated pressure in various ways to see if they can be broken! Will Job’s faith fall apart, or will he maintain (and grow) such faith in God? What happened to Job might seem very extreme, but it does serve to really bring home the point about persevering through difficulty.

But having said this, none of Job’s maturity, lessens the personal impact all this had on him; for surely he became mightily depressed. So even if a person is being tested for their own growth or for their own good, the impact of the violence being done to them or the tragedy being brought to them ... will cause them to despair. And they will need our support. If it is we who suffer ourselves, then we are free to cry out for help.

3. What was said? (chap. 4-25)

It’s really nice that Job had three friends willing to go to his side and seek to help him. This was very different to Job’s wife who wanted Job to just take the ‘easy way’ out (2:9). These three were named Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. They first met together to discuss Job’s dilemma and their strategy, which was probably a wise thing to do ... so they could work in harmony with Job and his needs. When they saw Job they were deeply distressed and expressed their genuine grief at what they saw, thus sincerely empathising with Job’s misery. They then sat quietly with Job for seven days and seven nights, just being there for him and consoling him (acknowledging for the moment that any words would be inadequate). So far so good! We certainly cannot fault their commitment to the notion of friendship. But they couldn’t help speaking eventually (and when they do we find their approach quite inadequate)!

These three friends would have heard Job’s cries of despair that we have heard recorded in chapter 3. They obviously could not cope with these desperate cries of Job without opening their mouths; and what they said (over the next chapters) largely shows an incapacity to provide helpful counsel. They spoke from their own agenda, consistently missing the pain and confusion in Job’s words, saying things that were either not right or not helpful. Job didn’t need sermons on things that he already knew well (as if he hadn’t already practiced these things). Job didn’t need to be reminded of advice that he had given to others. It was easy for Eliphaz to spout ‘trust in God’ – he didn’t have loathsome sores all over him! Probably the friends’ biggest mistake was not listening carefully enough to Job’s words over time, and just bringing Job their own judgements and ideas that didn’t particularly connect with what Job was saying. Their responses were more about them and their own apprehensions, fears, and theological agendas, than they were about Job’s own personal dilemma.

Eliphaz doesn’t think Job is patient enough (4:5), Bildad says Job complains too much (8:2), Zophar recklessly and harshly suggests that Job’s current situation is not even as bad as it should be (11:6). Each will not accept Job’s claims of innocence and demand repentance of him. If we wade through these friends’ diatribes we will notice all sorts of dodgy misrepresentations of God (e.g. 4:7) that wouldn’t have helped Job (including statements that negated God’s mercy e.g. 4:17-19). The last thing Bildad said to Job was: “If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his sight, how much less a mortal, who is a maggot, and a human being, who is a worm!” (25:5-6). Thanks for that!! Thus Job seems to get more agitated rather than less. The more these friends seek to place the blame on Job himself, the more the innocent Job frustratedly doubted God. We have to be so careful that what we say to hurting people is not based on completely wrong assumptions (e.g. ‘you must have done something to deserve this’), and that this becomes a negative and makes the situation worse. Such words tend to make someone unnecessarily doubt themselves and subsequently become more negative in their thinking and self-talk, then further feelings of hopelessness build.

These ‘friends’ wanted Job to admit that he deserved the ‘punishment’ he was receiving – to confess the secret sin that had brought about his trouble. This approach of course completely missed the mark. The reality was that Job had done nothing to deserve this outcome, but it had happened anyway. Surely if this realisation was made, then the pastoral care approach would have been totally different. Life is not as simple as actions and consequences, for there are other dynamics in play. There are all sorts of human vulnerabilities – physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual. And there are all sorts of worldly pressures – toward success, popularity, power and influence. This breeds a climate of personal instability that can lead to anxiety and depression. One thing for sure though – the person who hangs on to God despite the gravity of their problems will have a much better chance of survival. The one who remembers that God ultimately seeks to bless, nurture and heal will be the one who makes it through.

Between 1997 and 2001, despite continuing to minister as best I could, I was a bit of a depressed wreck of a person. This was due to no particular sin, but rather was due to my own need to succeed in the face of a perceived lack of success. This derived from my lack of understanding that my best was enough and God would do the rest. I needed to apply the truth that I am accepted by God for who I am, and who Jesus is, and not for what I achieve. Fortunately I got the care I needed (mainly from Raelene), got some good teaching from Allan Meyer (of “Careforce Lifekeys” fame), and I resolutely hung on to God and continued in fully committed worship. I was able to hear and sing the words written by my friend Lyndon Wesley ...

In my world I now see,
Your hand is working in me,
I accept the grace You’ve given;
Should I laugh should I cry,
I’m loving You til I die,
Now my life is extraordinary.

As some of us know from when Lyndon gave his testimony here some years back, these words have great significance for the survivor of what Lyndon and others have experienced. God certainly takes us on a journey of becoming the best we can be, if we just let Him. God rebuilt me better than I was before, and got me ready to come here amongst you people seven years ago. I still want to save the world ... I’m just not going to bash myself up anymore.

Any suggestion that Job was personally responsible for what had happened to him, was not only seen as inappropriate, but also wrong. In the very first verse of this book, Job is described as “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (1:1). Job is also well-placed in life, he loved his family dearly and sacrificed for them often (refer 1:5). God actually took great delight in Job, and saw him as a great success story (1:8). Although Job could be regarded as a ‘sinner’, in the same way as every human is regarded as a ‘sinner’, he did nothing to deserve what happened to him. The three ‘friends’ should not have sought to find or suggest a reason behind Job’s trouble, rather just entered into his suffering as supporters and helpers. Sometimes we do in fact reap what we sow, i.e. experience and endure the (sometimes dire) consequences of our misguided actions. But according to the book of Job, sometimes stuff happens to us that has no connection to our prior behaviour, and indeed happens to even the “upright”. This may not have ever sounded fair, but who should expect a fair deal from a fallen world.

Part 2 next week!