Oh Job. Look What You Did…Now God’s Here.

… Job, the conclusion. 

Surprise! Surprise! As I wrapped up the book of Job, I encountered even MORE senseless arguing between him and his friends – if you can imagine that. Job STILL trying to justify why he didn’t deserve what God was throwing at him. And Job STILL unknowingly uncovering the answer to his suffering. God. God was, is and will always be the answer. As the narrator (background commentator, if you will) to the story of Job puts it…

Job 28 20-24 & 28 Where then does wisdom come from?
    Where does understanding dwell?
²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
    concealed even from the birds in the sky.
²² Destruction and Death say,
    “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
²³ God understands the way to it
    and he alone knows where it dwells,
²⁴ for he views the ends of the earth
    and sees everything under the heavens.

²⁸ And he said to the human race,
    “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
    and to shun evil is understanding.”

If only Job would stop letting his friends interfere between him and God. If only he just opened his eyes in the darkness to see the light. If only Job knew what he’s actually known all along. If only he knew that the only One who could help him through his struggles is the only One who has been there all along. The One who knows the ends of the Earth and see’s everything under the heaven because…well He did create it all, didn’t He?

Enter a random man whom we didn’t even know was standing amongst this arguing the WHOLE TIME. A young man by the name of Elihu. Whom I think was God-sent to start knocking some sense into these guys.

Job 32: 2-3 ² But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. ³ He was also angry with the three friends,because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. 

Job 33: 8-14 “But you have said in my hearing—

    I heard the very words—
⁹ ‘I am pure, I have done no wrong;
    I am clean and free from sin.
¹⁰ Yet God has found fault with me;
    he considers me his enemy.
¹¹ He fastens my feet in shackles;
    he keeps close watch on all my paths.’

¹² “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
    for God is greater than any mortal.
¹³ Why do you complain to him
    that he responds to no one’s words?
¹⁴ For God does speak—now one way, now another—
    though no one perceives it.

Job 35: 12-13 ¹² He does not answer when people cry out
    because of the arrogance of the wicked.
¹³ Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;
    the Almighty pays no attention to it.

Thank you Elihu. Thank you for FINALLY being the one to step up, stop the useless arguing and make Job realize that he has already found his answer amongst his rambling. That he has already found the answer because the answer has been there all along…through his prosperity and even NOW through his pain. Basically, Elihu said “WAKE UP JOB!” God is where wisdom lies. God is where ALL the answers lie. God is where understanding lies. Because He is the ONLY ONE who can understand both the pain and prosperity the we all go through. Why? Because God is the ONLY ONE Who has the power to both bless us and test us. When you create the Universe and breathe life into it, you can pretty much do anything.

Job 37: 13 He brings the clouds to punish people,
    or to water his earth and show his love.

Elihu was the one who finally did it. He FINALLY was able to open Job’s eyes and ears to God. How do we know this? Because then God started to speak.

Job 38: 19-20 (The Lord Speaks) ¹⁹ “What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?
²⁰ Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths to their dwellings?

Job 40: 3-6 ³ Then Job answered the Lord:

⁴ “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
    I put my hand over my mouth.
⁵ I spoke once, but I have no answer—
    twice, but I will say no more.”

Job 42 Then Job replied to the Lord:

² “I know that you can do all things;
    no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
³ You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans 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.”

AMEN! It’s about time, Job. Just like Job, it’s easy for us to walk in God’s light while He is blessing us with abundant joy and prosperity. But the true test comes when pain and suffering strike. It’s inevitable. It WILL happen. Not because we were bad children and “deserve it”…that’s not how God works. He’s a compassionate God, not a torturer. Rather, God puts us to the test in order to test our faith. However the test is not for His own benefit, for He knows ALL. The test is for our own benefit, so that we may realize God’s real power. So that we may realize that God is our answer in both prosperity and pain. Even as the darkness gets darker, God’s light shines brighter and brighter. We just have to open our eyes to see it. And guess what will happen? God WILL bless you again. God WILL bring joy and prosperity back to your life. Just have faith. Just KNOW that our God is a compassionate, kind and merciful God who just wants us to see Him in both the darkness and the light.

Job Epilogue ¹² The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.¹³ And he also had seven sons and three daughters.