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Job 30:20-31, 31
Job has just been speaking of how he used to be so highly esteemed by men but now he feels he is treated as the scum of the earth.
The chapter continues with Job's words crying out to God that he doesn't answer him, accusing God of cruelty, opposing him, and treating him like something blowing in the wind, destroying all his success.
And then he starts again speaking of his good works, momentarily returning to his current sad condition, before speaking extensively of these.
He lists how he has kept himself from lusting after women, from acting deceitfully or dishonestly, from coveting his neighbour's wife, from mistreating his servants, how he has cared for the needs of the poor, the widow and the fatherless, how he didn't trust in his wealth or worship the sun or moon, or act vindictively towards his enemies, his hospitality to travellers and strangers and his confession of his sins.
These words are interspersed with references to God, explaining his actions were because it would have been wrong in God's sight to be otherwise - he knew that God knew all his deeds and was in awe of him.
Finally he again appeals to God to answer him and that he might suffer consequences if what he has said is not true.
Job sounds a lovely person to have known.
Kind, considerate, thoughtful, honest, wise and genuine. No wonder God said of him, "...there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil" (Job 1: 8).
How sorry we would be if a dear friend like Job, or somebody who was well respected for their kindness and honesty, suddenly experienced the loss of everything they had.
Mightn't we wonder why?
Job certainly wondered why. Throughout these last words to his friends he seems to be saying,
"Why has this happened to me, when I took such trouble to honour God'?" "What have I done to deserve this?"
He was also in such conflict of soul. On the one hand he declared his belief that God knew all his ways and steps (31:4), but yet on the other hand he deeply felt God's silence to him (30:20,21) and longed for God to speak to him (31:35).
Do you know this conflict, dear reader?
Are you in a trouble which has brought you to your knees, crying out, "Why? Why? What have I done to deserve this?"
Perhaps you search your heart for sins that you might have committed thinking that this situation is a result of these.
Perhaps you know the Lord loves you and deals with you only in love and yet you cannot find the comfort of his presence. The heavens seem silent to you, your prayers only seem to shake the gates in your despair and anguish - and perhaps frustration. Perhaps you long to escape this situation but you cannot.
A recent sermon speaking on Psalm 107 was a great comfort to me. It reminded us that as the Lord brings us into troubles, so he will deliver us from them, 'He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof...they cry unto the LORD in their trouble...he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm' (Psalm 107:25-29)
The minister further spoke of how sometimes these troubles are not a result of our foolishness, rebelliousness or our loss of appetite for spiritual things. Sometimes it is just part of God's mysterious plan for us; but all these troubles are to bring us to cry and pray to God - to 'prove' God and see his faithfulness in delivering us.
Perhaps it may be of comfort to you to remember how Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a boat - knowing that a storm would come - knowing that he would not physically be with them.
Have you been constrained into a certain pathway, believing it was the Lord's will for you to take those steps? Does it all now seem to be going wrong and you are asking, "Why, Lord, when I was doing as thou commanded?"
Jesus came to those disciples, who were further terrified by his presence, walking on the water towards them. They did not recognise him until they heard his reassuring voice, 'It is I, be not afraid'.
How we may be like that - not recognising his hand at work in a matter, until we plainly hear his comforting words through the scripture or whispered into our soul.
Another recent sermon beautifully expounded the time of Jesus' visit to Jerusalem at age 12 to attend the yearly passover. On returning home Jesus' parents didn't initially notice he wasn't with them in the crowd, but then spent three days anxiously looking for him.
On eventually finding Jesus in the temple Mary said, "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us, behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing." (Luke 2:48).
Like Job, it was as if Mary was saying, "Why? Why did you treat us like this - what have we done to deserve this?"
And Jesus' answer, "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49)
The minister brought out how this answer can be applied to those difficult things in our lives, when we are asking, 'Why Lord...?' Jesus is still about his Father's business, doing all that is needed in our lives and our souls, preparing us for heaven, working out our salvation, and he is telling us to trust him.
Does this remind us today to trust the Lord? However strange and difficult our path.
As we read in 'On asking God Why' sometimes when in a trouble such as an illness we eagerly grasp at reports and records of healing, only for the illness to get worse and worse until there is no hope. The heavens seem as brass as we cry to God and seemingly get no reply - as we see so clearly in Job's case.
But then, we notice the records of those in the Bible who didn't get out of prison, didn't get better, who lived in goatskins, who died in a land of captivity.
What went wrong there?
The author suggests that the answer lies in the records of the widow of Nain and the household of Bethany who had the experience of the finality of death. For x number of days it was as if their faith was defeated - they had the dead to prove it, and in the case of Lazarus Jesus hadn't come - he had seemingly not helped them.
The author suggests that this x number of days is like the x number of days Christians have to wait, until the Lord's second coming, and then we will understand how all the tears, petitions, vigils and fastings have been 'piling up in the great treasury kept by the Divine Love to be opened in that day'.
Then we will understand how these 'lost' things have rather been hidden and transformed and multiplied as God has worked out his plan - as the Lord Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes.
We will understand how, although there are times when God seems to be silent to us, that as he has known when a single sparrow has fallen so he has known about every single time of suffering, endurance, loss, prayer, waiting, death and tears in your life and mine.
Lastly, another aspect that we have not really touched on is that Satan hates God and his children.
Murdoch Campbell writes that Job is 'a dread example of Satan's hatred of the saints'... and Job 'suffered not for his sins but for the holiness of life'...although 'apparently Job was unaware that the adversary had any hand in his woes'.
'In these sudden and unexpected trials we often fail to see God's wisdom in allowing Satan to buffet us' but 'the Bible everywhere warns us against any illusions of going to heaven without conflict' and then Campbell quotes from 1 Peter 5, 'Beloved, think it not strange, concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you...'
So, if you and I, as Job, and many others who have gone before us, are asking, "Why?" perhaps we are being taught a new 'lesson' in the 'school of Christ'...a lesson that we are not to be surprised - we are in a spiritual battle with one that hates us and our Lord.
But may we be helped to rest in this knowledge - that the Lord knows the reason that he has allowed the trial and he will reveal it in his time.
And he has said, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee' (Hebrews 13:5).
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