A Cup of CassAng.

Job 4

There are a couple things here I noted. First off, Eliphaz says, “If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary?”

And then, though no answer is given, he launches in to what becomes a pretty scathing diatribe against Job.

He begins by noting that Job has been pretty consistent in helping those who falter, edifying and building up those in need of comfort or assistance. Evidently, Job is well respected for wisdom as well as integrity. He is an example of right living, and it’s been noticed by those around him, not just by God. But then Eliphaz turns around and says that Job’s troubles must be his own fault, must be because he has done something wrong.

I”m interested to see what he adds in chapter 5, but I am going to hold off reading it, and just think on this lesson today:

How often are we like Eliphaz? When something bad happens to a brother or sister in Christ, we may jump to the conclusion that God must be trying to teach a lesson. There must be some hidden sin. Because, surely, God protects all those who serve Him from all bad things. Perhaps, we even go on our way feeling a little superior because we aren’t having any problems just this minute. Pastor like to say, “let me assure you, if you are not having any problems in your life, then you have just come through a problem or are about to have some.” We do this to ourselves, too,
when we are facing trouble. We assume like Eliphaz that trouble only comes as a result of sin, and so we must be doing something wrong. Maybe sometimes, but maybe not.

There are a couple of things here: sometimes bad stuff happens just because we live in a fallen world. We are told in the epistles that the earth itself groans because of the ramifications of the fall. Life sometimes sucks just because life sucks. The other thing touches on what we discussed yesterday–perhaps God really is protecting us from something much worse. For example, when Drama was so little, and she stopped eating, so I had to take her to the emergency room, right? And they were ready to release us when she stopped breathing? Her not eating, was in reality a good thing, because what if I had put that baby to bed?

Job 3

I guess that knowing that God is sitting with you is enough. Or it should be. It was for Job. He cursed the day of his birth. He cursed the night of his conception. But he did not curse God. I don’t know maybe it wasn’t enough. I guess I need to put more thought into that. But he still held God above all of the misery in his life. And he was mad at God for hedging him in so he couldn’t die! That is powerful. Instead of seeing that God was protecting him from dying, he was thought he was keeping him in misery. And yet, still he did not curse God. I wonder how many times we have been in such a place and cursed God for it. It is just like our kids….they get mad and call us mean or worse when we keep them in a safe place and don’t allow them to do what they want. Gosh, Cass, we are only just children pretending to be adults! Job was steadfast in his faith despite his frustration with God. I think that his example will serve me well the next time I am frustrated with the path that God has put me on. And if it doesn’t….remind me!

Job 2

Am I the only one who reads the voice of Satan in a sassy nasal whine?

And do you see in verse 9, how his wife says for Jb to just “curse God and die”? I always read that kind of sarcastic, too, but I then I pause and think ….. that’s vinegar to the bones, just like in Proverbs. She wasn’t taking the long range view. She didn’t try to build up, only to get a let up. She was a discourager and not an encourager. She was like we all can be if we aren’t careful.

And then, in 13: they just sat. That verse used to just confuse me. And then I had occasions of grief so great that simply knowing there were other people breathing air helped me. And you walked through some of that with me, and I was comforted just knowing that you knew my grief. There is power in that. Grief shared really is grief divided.

Job 1:21 and 22 And he said

“Naked I came from my
mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord
has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the
Lord.”

In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Do you ever wonder if Job was a real person? I sometimes fail to grasp how a human could have such an inhuman response. I mean, whoa, what happened to him was …… bad. It was bad in a way that I cannot fathom. And I know my own tendency is to run to God and say “Hell-OOO, yoo-hoo, remember MEMEMEME??!!?? Did You fall asleep or sumthin’ up there?” when things start to go wrong. And that is shameful.

Furthermore, people say “oh, he/she has the patience of Job”, as if it is some grand attainment. I don’t want to have the patience of Job. You know how you get the patience of Job, right? You walk in his shoes for awhile. No thanks. Those shoes are NOT on my list of must have fashion accessories. Not even as good as I love a shoe, and we both know I love me a shoe!

P.S. Welcome to our super cool and on the cheap Bible Study. Our text for this high-tech class is…THE BIBLE. Tonight’s passage was Job 1.

Bible Study

I am ready to get started? How about you?