Summary 16-20: Job is locked in this battle with his three friends, himself, and God. The friends are consistently blaming Job a sin that he has not committed and Job is shocked by the audacity of his friends to come with such claims. The two times that Job speaks he starts by wondering when their accusations and torments will stop. (16:3 Will your long-winded speeches ever end? 19:2 How long will you torment me and crush me with words?) At this point the battle seems hopeless for Job as he cries out for comfort from them, only to receive calls to be sensible from his "friends".
1. If you were in Jobs situation with three "friends" sitting with you, how long would you let them go on with the accusations?
2. In chapter 16 verses 6 through 14 Job goes off on how he feels God has treated him. Is this right of him to call out God, is it good for our spiritual being, or should he have just endured the trials with unwavering patience and faithfulness?
3. How often do you lament to God? So often are my prayers of thankfulness, and asking him to help in times of need, and praying for others, but how often do you cry out and weep toward God with your complaints and frustrations?
Interesting Points:
There is a second reference, I think, to Jesus in Job's words. CH 16 19-21.
I may be wrong but in chapter 20 when Zophar is speaking he says that he "hears a rebuke that dishonors" him. It seems as if he being hypocritical.
3 comments:
It's almost humorous how many times they go back and forth with each other (Bildad and Job even say the same line: "Will your long winded speeches never end?" 16:3 and "When will you end those speeches?" 18:2). I say almost because this is not really a laughing matter. They're pretty bitter. I kind of think that for me, it is helpful to argue in these situations. I wonder if possibly, both Job and his friends are prolonging their argument, repeating it, just to keep talking together. I think that I would want my friends to keep arguing as long as they stuck around and I got to keep venting, even if they were riling me up more than my losses. It feels good to be angry sometimes. Sometimes it's even healthy, a healthy release, you know.
Your second question is a tough question. Have you ever felt attacked by God? I don't think I have. It's easy to find so many other sources of my troubles than God, most often myself. So, no I don't think it is healthy to call out God most of the time because most of the time, it's not his fault. It's ours. But to be in Job's situation, where it's not his fault . . . I don't know. I suppose I can imagine that happening to me and it just hasn't yet: getting cancer, losing a child to a car accident, etc. In that case, it may be productive to rail against God, at least because then He'll probably answer. Hmm, I'm not satisfied with my answer. Good question, tiger.
Aaaaaaand another great question here. Very insightful. I often come to God to give him praise and to ask for things and to say thank you, but I do not often wrestle with Him regarding my doubts or the travesties I see in the world. I think it would be wonderful to do that more. I think there would be a lot of healing.
Cool Thing:
What an odd book for this song to come from:
"I know that my Redeemer lives!" 19:25
I would have thought it was from Revelation or Philippians or something.
Verse 20:17 mentions honey and cream. Have you guys ever made a honey and yogurt smoothie? So good. I love when I can connect with the visceral details of the Bible (like having oil poured on my head for Psalm 133, eh? eh? Know what I'm talking about?)
I see what you are saying about prolonging the fight just so they can spend some time with each other talking. Maybe it's elevated this point already, but it seems as if Job does not want to be arguing anymore and just wants comfort. I know I would want comfort.
I wonder what Dad's (Bob Voigts') answer would be to my second question.
I do know what you are talking about, but I wish I had known that it was going to happen, so that I could connect even more, eh.
Well, you should pass on the link to Dad and invite him to be a special guest on Cousin Job just for this week for that question.
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