February 15, 2012 in Bible Study by Ben

Job: Chapters 4 & 5

After Job’s monologue in chapter 3, his buddy Eliphaz replies to Job’s lament of his birthday (which most people look forward to!). Eliphaz is such the encourager too and begins reminding Job (in chapter four) that he has strengthened feeble hands, instructed many, his words have supported those who stumbled, he strengthened faltering knees. He then asks Job how he can be so discouraged since he has done all these good things and since he acted blameless in different circumstances. He asks “who innocent has ever perished [or] where were the upright ever destroyed”? It seems Eliphaz is telling Job to hang in there, that everything will work out for good. But he’s not. at. all.

Eliphaz continues by saying that it has been his observation that you reap what you sow meaning that Job had this coming. He believed that he had an encounter with a spirit that posed the question if a man can be more righteous than God or more pure than his maker (to which we all say, “Of course not!”)? This “friend” is telling Job that the calamity that has come upon him is a direct result of things that Job has done. Eliphaz calls him a “fool taking root” who house was cursed and all these troubles began because Job was “born to trouble.” He says that Job couldn’t have been blameless and upright before God since all these bad things have happened to him (which we know is not the case – God himself called Job blameless and upright!) and Eliphaz gives one more word of advice: turn to God and appeal to Him.

Eliphaz concludes by talking about all the great things that God can do and how He protects, saves, and blesses those who believe and call upon Him and tells Job that that he and Job’s other friends have examined this to be true and that Job should apply it to his own life. What a friend, right? Eliphaz, in one foul swoop, tells Job that he had it coming for thinking that he was so perfect (and acting that way) and that he needs to turn to God. He tells him that all this stuff that is happening to Job is simply correction from God and that Job shouldn’t “despise the discipline of the Almighty.”

This, ladies and gentlemen, is not the way to encourage your friends when things are going wrong for them. What are some ways that you CAN encourage your friends? Do bad things always come to those who do wrong or can they sometimes happen to good people?

The advice he gives is good advice, but it is given in such a way

February 13, 2012 in Bible Study by Ben

Job: Chapter 3

When we last left Job, he has lost his most of his animals, possessions, and children. He shaved his head, tore his robe and was sitting in the dust. He had painful sores from head to feet and was just filled with suffering and grief. Job’s wife came to him and told him to curse God, but Job refused. Three of Job’s friends came to visit him and last we knew they had been sitting with Job for seven days on the ground and hadn’t said a single word, but after seven days of silence, Job speaks.

In chapter three, Job begins a monologue about how it would be better had he never been born. Instead of cursing God, he curses the day he was born and he’s very creative in all the ways that may have taken place….the day not be included in the year, a barren night, death when born, nobody to care for him, etc. He ends his monologue with a question: “Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come?” This chapter reflects the suffering that Job is going through and also begins a great dialogue between him and his friends.

Have you ever found yourself in the same boat? Have you ever been in such distress or pain that you wish you had never been born? What do you do in that situation? Job says that his worst fears have been realized: he has no peace, quietness, or rest, but only has turmoil in his life. Don’t throw in the towel for Job yet, there’s more to come for this man.

January 14, 2012 in Bible Study by Ben

Job – Part 2

Job chapter 2 finds Job in a similar predicament that chapter one did. God’s in heaven, Satan comes before him, God mentions how great Job is and how he “still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.” Satan is a wily devil – he likes to test people and make them turn their backs on God and so he claims to God that “a man will give all he has for his own life.” In other words Satan is convinced that the only reason Job is still blameless before God is because he still had his health. God gives Satan permission to do what he wants to Job AS LONG AS his life is spared. Things have just gone from bad to worse.

If you remember in Job 1, Job lost a ton of stuff – animals, servants, and family. He shaved his head and is sitting naked worshiping God. This torment isn’t enough for Satan and he now comes and afflicts Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Job takes a piece of broken pottery in order to….scrape himself as he sits among the ashes. Ouch! It seems that the pain of scraping himself somehow lessened the pain of the sores and he does this while sitting in ashes. Pretty soon, a new character comes into the picture (and we’re going to meet a few more in a minute) – his wife! She looks at him and tells hims to curse God and die!! What a support! He answers by telling him that she’s foolish because “should we accept good from God, and not trouble?” There he goes again: God gives and takes away, he gives us good and trouble!”

Job’s wife wasn’t the only one around though, he had three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. When they heard about the troubles Job was having, they had a pow-wow and thought it would be nice go to comfort and sympathize with Job. They all traveled together to where Job was but when they saw him, they couldn’t hardly recognize him. They were really good friends of Job and when they saw how bad Job was, they began to cry, tear their robes, and sprinkled dust on their heads! On a side note, these old testament people tore their robes as a sign of shame, humility, and sadness (I can almost picture Hulk Hogan ripping of his shirt whenever I read about them tearing their robes. Don’t know if it’s accurate, but…). These buddies of Job’s sat down on the ground with him for seven days and nights and didn’t say a word cause they could see how much he was suffering.

There’s more to come! Stay tuned for what happens next!

January 13, 2012 in Bible Study by Ben

Job – The Beginning

The story begins in the land of Uz (not Oz, and there isn’t a wizard…) where a man name Job lives. He has ten kids (seven of them boys!) and owns 8,300 animals and a “large number” of servants. Let’s face it – Job was loaded. He was wealthy, had land, and was considered the greatest man among all the people of the East. He was the Bill Gates of Uz and he lived life in luxury. His sons had feasts and invited their sisters to eat and drink and I bet those parties were tons of fun!! Here’s the thing about Job though. He had all this stuff, but he had something way more important – a relationship with God.

Job is described as being “blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil;” and these parties that happened? When they were over he sent his kids off to be purified and early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for them “just in case.” Scripture doesn’t specify if Job was at these parties, but he got up early the day after to make sure that they were right before God and went out of his way to set a godly example for them. Remember though, this is just the start of the story – not everything stays all roses and fun.

-Satan enters-
God: Where did you come from?
Satan: I’ve been hanging around the world, sight-seeing and staying out of trouble *snicker*
God: Oh! Did you see my servant Job? He rocks! He is blameless and upright and he shuns you..err….evil!
Satan: Of course he’s that way. You’ve given him everything and blessed his socks off. I betcha if you took it all away, he’d curse you to your face.
God: It’s a bet. Everything he has is in your hands, but don’t touch him (or there will be trouble).
-Satan leaves-

Did you catch that (don’t mind the liberties, it’s just my modernization)? Satan and God have made a little wager on Job and we’re going to see what happens; Job’s life is about to turned upside-down in a crazy way. One day when Job’s kids are feasting and drinking a messenger came and told Job that Sabeans attacked and carried off the oxen and donkeys and killed all the servants (I’m the only one who escaped)! While he was speaking another rushed in a told him fire from heaven came and killed all the sheep and servants (I’m the only one who escaped)! While HE was speaking another came and said the Chaldeans took all the camels and killed all the servants (except me, I escaped)! This happened one more time (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?) This time the servant said that a big wind came in from the desert and collapsed the house that all of his kids were partying in (and I’m the only one who made it out)!

I’m not making this stuff up! In one foul swoop, Job lost a ton of animals, servants, and his kids (he does have four servants left, however). Does this make Job curse God? Nope. “Wait” you’re thinking, “how can he not scream at God for all this?” Well, he doesn’t. Do you want to know what he does? He shaves his head, tears his robes and falls to the ground…cursing? NO!!!! HE STINKING WORSHIPS!!! He worships God and says “the Lord gives and takes away, may the name of the Lord be praised!”

Go ahead and begin to breath again. Pick up your jaw from the floor. Job recognizes that God is in charge of everything and whatever He wants to do is fine. Job just lost it all (well, most…) but he doesn’t blame God. Round 1 goes to Job and God!