Job 15, 16:1-14
In chapter 14 Job had spoken of the brevity of man's life and wished he could hide in the grave from all his suffering until the resurrection day. He is now again answered by his friend, Eliphaz.
Eliphaz accuses Job of speaking unprofitably, sinfully and craftily, saying that Job's very words condemn him and illustrate his sin. He then further accuses Job of pride in thinking that he knows better than God and his friends, some of whom are older than Job's own father; and then he reproves Job's spirit - he doesn't like the way Job is answering, with flashing eyes and getting carried away with himself.
He speaks of man's sin in God's sight and then tells Job that he, Eliphaz, will tell him what he knows, and proceeds to outline all the troubles of the wicked who run against God.
Job replies saying he has heard such things himself and what miserable comforters they all are - he too could speak as they do if they were in his shoes, but he wouldn't - he would speak comfort to relieve their misery.
He speaks of his unrelieved grief, his weariness and the suffering he is enduring from the ungodly and wicked, whom he believes God has turned him over to.
As I read Job's words in chapter 16:10, I was struck with the similarity to other Old Testament verses which speak prophetically of the Lord Jesus' suffering.
Job says, 'They have gaped upon me with their mouth... they have gathered themselves together against me'. In Psalm 22:13 we read, 'They gaped upon me with their mouths' and surrounding verses speak of being compassed -or enclosed- by enemies.
In the gospel accounts of Jesus' death we know that he is literally surrounded by his enemies - the soldiers, the crowds, and the religious leaders who were against him.
Job also says, 'they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully'. In Isaiah 50:6 we read 'I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair', and in Lamentations 3:30, 'He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach'.
And then we read of the Lord in Matthew 26:67, 'They spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands'. And in Luke 22:63-64, 'the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?'
Does this touch us as we read of the Lord's sufferings?
As I typed the words above the reality of them, and the knowledge that it was because of my sins filled my eyes with tears. We so little comprehend the Lord's great love and sacrifice for us! If only what we do know could help us keep from further sinning!
It seems remarkable how Job was speaking like this all these years before Jesus! How it illustrates to us the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and it captures the deep suffering Job also experienced.
I believe that Job is an example of one of the Lord's people 'partaking' in Christ's suffering (as we read in 1 Peter 4: 13), although he may not have understood this.
We don't know how much the Holy Spirit revealed to Job of the coming Messiah. We do know from his words in Job 19:25-27 that he believed he had a Redeemer and that he would be resurrected and see him at the end of time, but would Job have been able to say with the Apostle Paul, '...I count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord...that I might know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings...'(Philippians 3: 8-11)?
Job did not have the blessing of the whole word of God as we have it - the gospel records of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. He believed that God was against him, although he still cried to him in his distress and bewilderment.
Is not this how we often may feel when all seems to be going wrong? Or do we 'rejoice' that we are 'partakers of Christ's suffering' or count all things loss that we might win Christ and have fellowship with his suffering?
Matthew Henry suggests that Paul's desire to 'have fellowship' with Jesus' suffering means to experience the transforming effects and virtue of sufferings, thus becoming more like Jesus.
When we experience trials, like Job, perhaps we do not see the blessing of God's hand in it immediately. Perhaps we only know that, for example, one of our children is being such a trial to us - pushing our patience and wisdom to it's utmost, or maybe a colleague is challenging and irritating us beyond our tolerance, or a situation we are in seems unbearable, but we are being brought to realise our limits, our failings, our inability to respond as we should and so we have to take it to Christ.
And he works through us to subdue our natural responses and make us more like him, he teaches us, forgives us and gives us what we need as we look to him - it is painful - it is suffering to greater or lesser degrees - but we have fellowship with the Lord in it. And I believe we will see how he changes us, and gives us grace so that we can endure.
As Job expressed his suffering, a prophecy of that much greater suffering the Lord would experience, may we too express our suffering. Let us tell our dear Lord what we are going through, pour it out in prayer, and take comfort in knowing that he understands, and will use it to make his children more like him.
And may we praise the Lord and give him thanks, for that much greater suffering which he endured on the behalf of his people, that they might have eternal life.
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