Thoughts on Job

A Just View of God

Section 2

Chapter 2

As we enter Chapter 2 we find ourselves in God's Throne Room. Once again He has called for an accounting and satan is here to give account for himself also.

Because Job has yet to understand the lesson God has for him, God allows satan to expand his attack to include Job’s flesh but limits him from killing Job.

Job was stricken with painful boils that covered his entire body. How excruciatingly painful that must have been! The word for "boils here is - shechiyn (shekh-een'); and is from an unused root probably meaning to burn; inflammation, i.e. an ulcer; (From Strong's Greek/Hebrew Dictionary) Webster's Fourth Edition College Dictionary defines "boil" as an inflamed, painful, pus-filled swelling on the skin, caused by a localized infection. YUCH - imagine having one of these covering you from soles of your feet to the top of your head.

In Chapter 1 he suffered the loss of his family, his riches and his peace, now he was suffering physically; his health and well being had been stolen from him. Such a high price to pay for failing to listen to God.

This thought line brings to mind the scripture that says "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34). We cannot expect partiality from God based on our good deeds or standing before man. A humble and contrite heart is what God requires from us. Acts 10:35 continues with, “But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him”.

We must have a just view of the Sovereignty of God and His Will for our lives.

The pain of the boils is one thing, but what about the itching? Verse 8 is an indication that the desire to scratch the boils was so intense that Job too a broken piece of pottery to scratch himself with and sat down among the ashes. The term ash here indicates Job’s great sorrow. I believe that at this moment he was seeing his life as just that, in ashes.

There has to be a lesson for wives in verse 9. Something about being an encouragement and a helpmate to your husband. Job's wife was neither. She basically told him to give up on everything he believed in, blame God for it all and die. What a helper!

Job did not respond real well either. I know that any conversation with my sweet wife that begins with me calling her a fool is doomed from the start. Job did well to point out that we need to praise God for the good things and the bad.

Just as in this case God has a plan and purpose for all things he allows us to endure. We should learn and grow from His chastisement. We must also understand that our sin is what brought sickness and death into our world.

Romans 5:12 reminds us that it was through one man that death entered this world and spread to all mankind - because we all sin. The good news is that this death was not the end of the story. How pathetic our meaningless lives would be if it was!

The Good News is that, even though the sins of man brought death into the world, God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the debt for that sin and through His virgin birth, sinless life, sacrificial death and powerful resurrection we can be restored into peace, joy, hope and eternal life! (John 3:16, Romans 5:18-19, Romans 10:9 - 10, Ephesians 2:8 - 10, and many others)

In Verse 11 we have some new characters coming into the picture of Job's suffering: Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.

Over the next chapters we will see that these men cared greatly for Job. They came to be with him, they cried for him and mourned with him.

Good friends we need to grasp the importance of having fellow brothers or Sisters that we can confide in, be accountable to and, yes guys, share our thoughts, needs and emotions.

We will also see that God frequently speaks to us through these trusting relationships we have built with others. We should listen with great care to the direction and criticism our true friends share with us.

When these 3 friends of Job first came to visit him they did not even recognize who he was. The burdens he was carrying had worn him down so and the boils had distorted his appearance so much that he did not resemble his former self.

I spoke to a mother today who was concerned for her daughter. She had married about a year ago to a man who used to live a riotous life but had seemed to change and settle down. They now have a small baby and have had many struggles in the life of their young marriage. The husband is returning to his old ways so quickly that he did not even seem like the same person any more. Sin can do that to a person, saved or not. If we yield to the wooing of the enemy our entire appearance, mannerism and attitudes will change into something that God will not look upon.

Job's friend sat with him on the ground for 7 days and 7 nights without speaking to Job. Most of the time being there is enough. I have found that most people who want to talk to you or come from counseling do not expect you to cure all their problems. They simply want someone to listen to them as they vocalize their problems. Maybe that is why we have two ears to listen and two eyes to observe but only one mouth?

Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar saw the condition of their friend, realized the great depth of his pain and simply devoted themselves to being there for him. Sounds like they loved him greatly. How many of us "great counselors" would be able to simply set there with someone for 7 minutes without talking? much less 7 days and nights.

There is a great lesson for us here. A lesson about our love for one another, servant leadership and humility. Do you see it?