June
4
Job 10:4–Job
13:21
THE
CRY OF A DEPRESSED MAN
Job 9:2
"How should a
man be just with God?"
We notice as we read
the BOOK OF JOB that much of the narrative is from
conversations that Job had with his four friends. Their
names are ELIPHAZ, the Temanite, BILDAD, the Shuhite,
ZOPHAR, the Naamathite; and lastly the youngest was
named ELIHU, the Buzite. We are not told too much about
these men except they were friends of Job. Where they
came from is interesting, as their lands were in
proximity to the Land of Uz which Job called
home. Perhaps Job met them when he was on business trips
for Job was an Uzzite. He and his friends lived in the
Arabian Desert, west from Babylon and adjacent to Mt
Seir.
Job’s friends thought
themselves "wise" and "all knowing." We
know this by the way they conducted themselves with Job.
Perhaps they came to "comfort" Job as a duty and
not out of sympathy and kindness. I don’t know.
Sometimes their advice was good and sometimes it was
bad. They based their whole premise that sin caused
Job’s illness, as well as his previous catastrophes.
They looked upon Job as a terrible sinner. To some
extent, we can conclude that they came to "comfort"
their friend with their minds already made up. It seemed
as if they really did not listen to Job at all. They
just wanted to talk.
How JOB’S FRIENDS
learned about his sickness, I don’t know. Perhaps Mrs.
Job told them. I am sure that the whole area had heard
of Job’s financial losses, as well as the relentless
deaths of his seven sons and three daughters. No matter
how they learned of the tragedies, his four friends came
to "comfort" Job. Sad to say, they came with a
pre-determined mind set that it was because of JOB’S
SIN, and that because of that SIN, God was corrupting
Job’s body.
Sometimes we, as
friends, think we know it all. We think we know exactly
what is going wrong in a friend’s life. We spout off
like "know-it-alls," having a sure solution to
the problem. None of this helped Job. He was discouraged
already. Their talk discouraged him more. Some day Job
would understand, but not yet!
Job called out, "My
soul is weary of my life!" He was depressed. He
said, "I will complain in the bitterness of my soul
(7:11-b). Some say that Christians, who know Jesus
Christ, are not to be depressed. How little those
critics understand. His friend called him a hypocrite
(8:13). Job cried out for a DAYSMAN (9:33)–a
MEDIATOR between him and God. Jesus, who was yet to
come to earth and die for Job’s sin, is that "DAYSMAN"-"Mediator."
Job admits that he is a burden to himself (7:20-b). Job
reflects upon his life–how it is speeding along. It is
short. It is full of troubles and pains. He complained
that his days were swifter than a weaver’s shuttle
(7:6). BILDAD agrees that man’s days on earth are as a
"shadow" (8:9). The two men refute one another–back
and forth, and back and forth.
Then out of the blue,
JOB asks an important, soul-searching question: HOW
SHOULD A MAN BE JUST WITH GOD (Job 9:2)? Job was a man
of theology. He was a man of prayer. Just
because he was ill did not mean that Job’s interest and
dedication to spiritual things had passed. I don’t think
that his friends understood this fact about their
friend. Job had half of his question answered in verse
20: "If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall
condemn me. If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me
perverse?" The APOSTLE PAUL had the whole answer
when he wrote in Romans 5:1 the following: "Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ." Only through Jesus Christ can
one be justified. HE IS THE PERFECT DAYSMAN! (ysw)
"A
NEW MEANING TO ISAIAH 32:17"
And the work of
righteousness shall be peace;
and the effect
of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
QUIETNESS
in face of tribulation!
ASSURANCE
when the seems to be
perplexity!
THE FRUIT OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS IS PEACE WHEN THERE IS NO PEACE.
"FOREVER IS A
BEAUTIFUL WORD!
(GGS)
