I'm Confused

TODAY'S READING: Job 41, 42; 2 Cor. 1, 2

SCRIPTURE: Job 42:1-9
¹ Then Job replied to the LORD:

² “I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.
³ You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

⁴ “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
⁵ My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
⁶ Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”

Epilogue

⁷ After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. ⁸ So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” ⁹ So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.

OBSERVATION: I like the book of Job because it debunks Christian myths that are still circulated today; such as, if bad things are happening to you, you must have sinned. Or its converse, if you obey the Lord, you will prosper in all you do and not suffer. Not true! Clearly, not true! However, the last part of Job has always confused me. I have studied it, have sought answers from other pastors and Bible scholars, and no one has given me a satisfactory answer. After God responds to Job and rebukes him as one who had obscured God's counsel without knowledge, Job repents of what he has said about God. Then God goes after the three friends (but not the fourth young guy who was there) and tells them that they didn't speak what was right about him as Job had done. God says they better ask Job to pray for them so that they don't get judged by God. Interesting that the Lord has them ask Job to pray instead of letting them repent to Him directly. It was an extra measure of humility they had to swallow to have Job, against whom they had been railing, pray for them. I liked that part. But what I don't understand is the total absence of anything said to Elijhu, the young, arrogant punk who was the last to speak to Job. He said he wouldn't use any of the same arguments to prove Job wrong that the others had used, and yet, though he did bring up a few new points, his arguments were much the same as the others. Why didn't the Lord say Job needed to pray for him too? Was it just his young age that excused him? I don't get it! The Lord also says to the three that they have not spoken what was right about Him as Job had done. What? Didn't Job just get rebuked by God for speaking without knowledge? Was God simply being understanding of Job because he had suffered so much for no good reason? These are questions that have never been resolved to my satisfaction. I have had Bible scholars try to explain it with convoluted reasoning that really doesn't fit with the facts, leading me to believe that they really don't have a good answer to these questions either.

APPLICATION: This leads me to the "So what?" question. What does it matter if I don't understand it fully? Does that mean it loses validity? No, it does not. I have learned much from Job. I have learned that sometimes suffering has no good explanation. I have learned I should not judge why another person is suffering. I have learned that humility and righteousness are important and that God is pleased with those attributes in my life. I have learned it is worth serving God and not denying him no matter what kind of injustice and undeserved calamity I may be going through. So Job has taught me many valuable lessons, and I am looking forward to meeting him in heaven. I am also looking forward to God explaining to me things that I do not understand now and that no one has been able to adequately explain to me. Who knows? I may not understand God's answer either. But this I do know: God loves me and has my best interest at heart. Serving anyone or anything other than Him leads to destruction. I choose the Lord!

PRAYER: Father, I really don't like it when I read things that I can't fully grasp. You made me a curious person, and I hate it when I can't figure things out. But I trust you to lead me and guide me into all the truth that I need to live as you want me to. The rest I leave in your hands. But I will ask you to give me revelation and understanding where I don't have it. I don't know when I will have my questions about Job answered, but I trust you to lead me even when I lack the understanding that I so desire. You are a good God. I love you and hope that you are as pleased with me as you were with Job. In Jesus' Name, Amen.