For Christian Sisters

Perception is different from knowing

11 October 2020 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Twenty-first in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

Job 20:1-3 NIV At the end of Chapter 19, Job threatened his friends with God's wrath and severe judgment should they continue to castigate him. Rather than considering this possibility, Zophar perceives he has been insulted.

Likewise, the Pharisees were insulted when they heard John the Baptist call them to repent. However, not all who heard the Baptist were wounded in vanity; some confessed their sins and were baptized.

Job 20:4-7 NIV Now comes a profane stream of bile intended to shame Job into confessing his wickedness. Thankfully, we do not hear from Zophar again, except for one last mention of his name in the final chapter of Job, as he is directed by God to repent of his evil words and to atone.

Job 20:8-9 NIV Zophar perceives that Job is evil and therefore destined for oblivion.

The Psalms teach what Zophar believes: A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. (Ps 37:10 ESV) However, the Bible does not teach that a reversal of fortunes is an indicator of God's wrath. Think of John the Baptist.

The Bible states, The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. (Isa 57:1 RSV) Yes, at times God rescues his children from calamities not yet in view, by taking them to heaven.

Job 20:10-11 NIV Zophar predicts the ill-gotten gains of the wicked will become debts his children must repay when his own youthful vigor departs. This is an especially cruel jab considering Job's children have all died.

Job 20:12-22 NIV Zophar is accusing Job of many sins: love of evil, perfidy, bitterness, greed, extortion or fleecing, miserliness, lack of compassion for the poor, opportunism, rapacious discontent. Job will answer each of these charges and refute them in his self-defense.

Job 20:23-29 NIV But now, the condemnation and vitriol crash and swirl in waves sure to overwhelm Job, pushing him under, suffocating him until he MUST gasp curses at the Lord.

But no, the man of God is not so much animated or affected by false accusations as by the separation he so keenly feels between himself and his God. To Job, the real tragedy is much deeper than his personal decimation. It is the loss of the center of his being. But that is only how he feels, that is, what he perceives. In truth, all is well, and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deut 33:27)

And there is a closer walk he has yet to discover.

Bildad's venom

29 September 2020 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Nineteenth in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

Job asked, “Who can see any hope for me?” (Job 17:15b previous post) Does Bildad respond with a word of comfort? No, he reacts instead to Job's remark, “I will not find a wise man among you.” (Job 17:10) He scolds Job as one as one rebukes a child, and upbraids him for making too much of his miseries.

Job 18:1-4 NIV We could see this coming. Job insulted Bildad so he is getting what he gave.

Job 18:5-10 NIV Could we not expect better from Bildad? Considering he is older and not suffering anything other than the insults of a man who has experienced the most extreme tribulation imaginable, could he not be less judgmental and more forgiving?

No, Satan will not give his victim a rest. Once he has worn down his composure, he is close to achieving his end, namely the defeat of his resistance. Without resistance to the wiles of the devil, a man can be seized and carried away by his suggestions. Bildad will not let up.

Job 18:11-15 NIV To resist the devil in his specific campaigns against us it is helpful to discern what he wants to accomplish. From Bildad's words we see Satan's accusation that Job brought his terrors on himself by his own wrongs.

Such condemnation could evoke several possible responses from Job. He could begin to doubt his own experience and accept these accusations as true. One Christian author has pointed out that if we accept the devil's attacks on our character or lives as valid, we will suffer as much as if they really were true. We will condemn ourselves and hate our lives for no reason.

Another response might be to defend himself as he has been doing. In this he is letting Satan win by focusing him on himself. A self focus is a noose. A third response would be retreating into depression and discouragement, and Job has exercised this option, too. The right response is to resist the devil.

Job 18:16-19 NIV It would not occur to Bildad that the wicked could experience anything but calamities, nor that the righteous could know anything but cheer and ease. Thus he believes that Job deserves the condemnation of his words.

When the Lord rebukes a man, he is strengthened and helped, but Satan's rebukes are designed to weaken and hurt us.

Job 18:20-21 NIV When Satan provokes us to speak in an ungodly way, he is only stirring up what is already in our hearts, not putting something new or different there. This verbal bile that Bildad has spewed on Job is from his own heart even though Satan inflamed him to deliver it. He, too, must learn to resist the devil.

Can mortals stand against the flaming darts of Satan? When those arrows bored into Bildad urging him to slander and accuse Job, and to particularly spotlight the death of his descendants, could Bildad have resisted? In a category 5 tempest it is very hard to stand, but with God all things are possible.

Speaking for Satan

06 September 2020 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Sixteenth in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

A God-ordained trial such as Job endured, is not to be viewed as divine permission for onlookers to help bring the subject to a right view of things. Job's friends believe they are promoting God’s agenda by castigating Job, but they have no concept of what the Lord has determined to achieve, so how can they assist him?

Job 15:1-6 NIV Nevertheless, Eliphaz, in Chapter 15, striving to defend God in the courtroom brawl, takes the floor to cross examine Job. In his previous speech he was solicitous, but now he wants only to prove that Job is guilty.

The “east wind” in that land was the most violent. Job is being accused of attacking and weakening the foundational knowledge about God's very nature. Such an offense must be strongly opposed!

Job 15:7-14 NIV Job, you are not a discerning man. (But wasn't it Job who initially stated that man is by nature impure? (refs Job 15:14; Job 14:4)) We, your friends, have tried to comfort you with our words and you have shown no respect for our wisdom, even though we are your elders!

Job 15:15-16 NIV Next, Eliphaz repeats his previous insight that God “puts no trust” in his servants, “and his angels he charges with error.” (Job 4:18)

God takes a dim view of his angels who were created with mightier powers and better qualities than man, so how can man expect any greater consideration?

This line of reasoning rephrases Satan’s own complaint against the Lord. I was the most beautiful creature of all — I was anointed as a guardian cherub. Every precious stone adorned me… But I was driven from the mount of God — I, the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty… (Ez 28:12-17) —If God would do this to me, the highest angel, then he would surely do it to you, a mere man. Thus we detect the influence of Satan in the discourse of Eliphaz.

Satan wants us to identify in his rebellion against God and to doubt our prospects for salvation. Man needs assurance of salvation and to know that God is love. We must minister in this way to those in deep distress.

Job 15:17-30 NIV Job had pointed out that the evil are not always hounded by God (Job 12:6), but Eliphaz thinks differently. The evil man is a marked man and will be punished. In fact the two would agree: evil men are not always promptly punished, but in time, they will be. Arguments cause us to bicker over things about which we agree.

Job 15:31-35 NIV Eliphaz has begun to view Job as a reprobate.

In Proverbs we read that the wounds of a friend are faithful (Prov 27:6), but here we see that they can be deadly and cruel. We also read in Proverbs: The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? (Prov 18:14)

Will Job collapse under Eliphaz’s tirade? Stay tuned.

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