Joyelle Elizabeth Bull December 30, 2008
Because He is GOD
(1) Job might have been written in the 1st part of the 2nd millennium B.C. as thought by some. Although others think it was written at the end of the Old Testament time. Jewish tradition has it that Job was written by Moses. Contradicting that others believe that Job was written by someone who lived in Edom, a city of Esau's descendants. Undeniably Job is very mysterious about where, when, and by whom it was written. Throughout Job there is wisdom, making it a "wisdom book" like the Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. Job raises the age old question "Why do bad things happen to righteous people?". It also answers it. Job is a book that has many interpretations such as, GOD is unjustly cruel, Jobs wife is nearly unloving, and surly when you become a Christian you won't have troubles. Can you discern what is right and what is wrong?
A lot of people think that GOD was unfair. Punishing is for bad people and rewards are for good people, right? Well thats what we think anyways. So why isn't that what GOD did to Job? The thing is we want GOD to be predictable. We want GOD to be like us, instead of striving to be like Him. Sadly we forget who hung the stars, but Job didn't, although his friends thought he did. In ctheir rather long discussion they remind him, when Zophar articulated:
(2) "Who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;"
"Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea. If he passes through and imprisons and summons the court, who can turn him back? For he knows worthless men;
when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it? But a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey's colt is born a man!"
Zophar is saying that GOD knows and sees you. He also talks of the constellation Pleiades which in fact is a part of Greek mythology. The stars were thought to be the seven daughters of Atlas. Kinda ironic eh?. He was telling Job that GOD was utterly uncontainable, ultimately indescribable, and positively incomprehensible and then mentions mythology as if it was true. Job completely trusted GOD. Because he wasn't getting better, Jobs friends, thought that he was resenting GOD and needed to be told that GOD was watching his every move. Job already knew this attribute of GOD. Without a doubt, it would be unjust for us to afflict someone for doing good, but we are not GOD.
Jobs wife is only mentioned three times in the book of Job. One of the times is when Job and his wife are talking. This is what they say: Jobs wife declared: (3) "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die". Job answered: (4) "You are talking like a foolish woman.". When Job solemnly says "foolish" it literally means one who obviously is not a believer. In Psalm14:1 and again in Psalm 53:1 David states:"The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is not one who does good." Naturally most people are hard on Jobs wife, but she lost 10 children too along with livestock, servants, and money. Along with that she had to watch her husband gruelingly suffer. She couldn't help. She just wanted him to die so she didn't have to be pained in his pain anymore. Considering all this doesn't make it ok, she should have watched her tongue, but we learn from her mistake. It becomes clear that Jobs wife's three seconds of fame were not spoken in vain.
Finishing the scripture above the second half of verse reads "(6)Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?". Job was right, he was saying that when we are blessed by GOD, we need to accept the trial He will lay in front of us. Christians suffer. When you enter the church all your problems don't just fall off and never come back, in fact a lot of times they multiply. Surely people throughout the Bible suffered. For example in Jeremiah 20 it tells of how Jeremiah was oppressed because of his prophesies from GOD. Also the book of 2nd Samuel Uzzah reached out and touched the ark of the covenant to steady it, because the oxen had stumbled, and he was instantly struck down by GOD. Of course the best example is definitely CHTIST the LORD who openly suffered, even before He painfully died. He was mocked. He was scorned. He was jeered at. All these things, by his own creation. GOD undoubtedly, is going to give us trials in life and the only way to pass them is to keep praying for the strength to get through another day.
(7) As Dr. Derek Thomas points out, in his teachings on Job, "Job had a good point but argued it poorly, Job's friends had a bad point and argued it extremely well.". So was GOD unfair? Was Jobs wife unaffectionate? In knowing CHRIST do people become like a clown fish in an anemone; invincible to harm? Thoroughly no, absolutely no, and wholly no. Ergo to answer the question "Why do bad things happen to righteous people?", for GODs glory. Like it says in Isaiah "(8) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.". Isn't that great!? GOD is so sovereign and holy. Unlike Jobs friends we need to learn to trust that GOD has his sovereign hands on our lives. Ultimately Job teaches us that GOD should be served simply because He is GOD.
(1) Anonymis Bible Basics Job Net ministries. 2001. December 28, 2008.
<netministries.org/Bbasics/BBjob.htm>
(2) Job ESV <biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=22&chapter=1&version=47>
(3) ibd.
(4) ibd.
(5) Psalm ESV <biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm;&version=47;>
(6) Job ESV <biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=22&chapter=1&version=47>
(7) Dr Derek Thomas November 22, 2008. Why do bad things happen to "good" people. Cornerstone Christian Church lecture series <cccm.org/index.php?option=com_sermons&task=16&submit=View>
(8) Isaiah ESV <biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah;&version=47;>
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