Just What WAS Job’s Problem?
Something I’ve always asked myself is this: Why, after God initially said that Job did NOT sin against Him, did God then spend four chapters reprimanding him? How did Job get from the position where it was initially said of him: “In all this, Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” (Job 1:22 NKJV); and “And in all this Job did not sin with his lips.” (Job 2:10 NKJV), to the place where God felt he needed correction?
After Job’s initial attack by the devil and his seven days of total silence, the book of Job divides into a series of accusations by Job’s three friends, followed by a Job’s rebuttal for each accusation. Let’s take a look at Job’s first response to his first friend, Eliphaz, who accuses Job of having sinned against God (See Job 6,7). Eliphaz bases his argument on the belief of the day that bad things only happen to bad people; therefore since bad things were happening to Job, he must be a “bad” person!
Job doesn’t believe this. In fact, Job doesn’t believe he has sinned at all! “Now therefore, be pleased to look at me; For I would never lie to your face. Yield now, let there be no injustice! Yes, concede, my righteousness still stands! Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern the unsavory?” (Job 6:28-30 NKJV)
And when we begin to see ourselves as perfect then we have fallen deeply into the sin of “self-righteousness”!
But let’s look Further:
“For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; My spirit drinks in their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed against me.” (Job 6:4 NKJV)
Job is accusing God of having brought all this upon him!
True enough, it was the mentality of the day and age to attribute to God the things that God did not prevent. Yet nowhere in history does the fact that it was the “mentality of the day” excuse sin. In our day and age, it is the “mentality of the day” to live with your boyfriend/girlfriend outside of marriage. The “mentality of the day” didn’t excuse Job then, and it certainly doesn’t excuse us today!
Let’s jump to verses 11-13:
“What strength do I have, that I should hope? And what is my end, that I should prolong my life? Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh bronze? Is my help not within me? And is success driven from me?” (Job 6:11-13 NKJV)
Here we find Job making some pretty erroneous statements. He says he is without strength and without hope, that his help comes from within himself. Yet we know that our strength doesn’t come from within, it comes from God! “For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.” (Isa 12:2 NKJV); “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped . . .” (Ps 28:7 NKJV). We know that we can trust God to give us the strength and hope we need to get through any situation!
But let’s not be too hard on Job. Don’t we all fall into the same trap oh, too often? And it’s a deadly trap to fall into! The more we start looking to ourselves for answers, the more desperate we become! The more depressed, the more without hope! And this is exactly what we see happening to Job. Friends, let’s learn from Job. Let’s remember that that hope comes from the Lord:
“But I hope in Your word.” (Ps 119:81 NKJV); “Lord, I hope for Your salvation . . .” (Ps 119:166 NKJV); and “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.” (Ps 147:11 NKJV)
So back to my initial question. How did righteous Job fall into all these sinful traps?
Let’s go back to vs. 1,2 of Job 6 for the answer: “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed, And my calamity laid with it on the scales! For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea – Therefore my words have been rash.” (Job 6:2-3 NKJV)
The answer is simple! Job allowed himself to wallow in self-pity!
Well, that’s pretty justifiable, wouldn’t you say? After all, he has lost literally everything!
Justifiable, perhaps, yet look how it opens the door for Job to come up with a horrible mis-representation of God.
Is it for naught that we are told to rejoice in our times of trouble? This may be hard, but it is a vital step in avoiding the trap Job fell into, the trap of self-pity, and thus keeping us from entering into more and more sin!
But if self-pity isn’t the answer, then what is? Please join us next week for MANAGING TROUBLES. Tips From the Book of Job, Part 3.
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Speech-Language Pathologist, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries.
(To access the entire “Managing Troubles” mini-series, please click here.)