Day 9, Chronological Bible Study Timeline. Map. Go to today's Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Job 15–18
Encourage, Don't Discourage
Note: This Bible study is also available in audio format
If we have suffered terrible pain or hardship in our life, how do we wish to be treated? Friends and family may mean well, but when we are in trouble or are suffering, we don’t want them to come and “cheer us up” by doing what? (put your answer in the box below)
Let’s return to the story of Job and see what we can learn about encouraging, not discouraging those in difficult circumstances.
Job’s sufferings
Job was a faithful patriarch living at the time of Abraham. God was proud of Job’s righteousness! To embarrass the Almighty, Satan sought permission to tempt Job into cursing his Creator, and the LORD allowed it. Job lost his family (except his wife) and his business, wealth, and respect in just one day. Job kept his integrity, however, and this galled Satan, so the Devil challenged God to afflict Job physically.
“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” (Job 2:4-5 NIV)
God allowed Satan to test Job by giving him Scabies, a severe skin disease. Job couldn’t eat, and he looked emaciated, like a skeleton with skin. He spent his days and night in agony, scraping the scabs off his body. Painful sores were from the soles of his feet to the top of his head (Job 2:4-7, NIV). Job wished he was dead or had never been born.
Job’s friends misinterpret him
Because Job shouted at God and asked the Almighty to stop torturing him, his friends thought he was arrogant and wicked. They tried to defend God and condemn Job. All of his “counselors” told him sin caused his calamity. They accused him of pride, self-deceit and even implied he was evil.
In today’s Bible reading, Job suffers more criticism. Eliphaz the Temanite, like his other two friends, argues that Job’s elaborate speeches are just hot air. He says, “You even undermine piety and hinder devotion to God. Your sin prompts your mouth; you adopt the tongue of the crafty” (Job 15:4-5, NIV).
This friend takes offense at Job for not accepting their wisdom—he claims that even men older than Job’s father are on their side. He continually argues that Job has done evil, which is why God has abandoned him. After all, isn’t this the way the LORD always works?
Then, Eliphaz and Bildad gang up on Job and imply he is an unbeliever, a godless and wicked person. Eliphaz expresses their sentiments,
For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes. They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit (Job 15:34-35, NIV).
It appalled men of the west at his fate; I seized men of the east with horror. Surely, such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one who knows not God (Job 18:20-21, NIV).
We have seen Job’s friends misinterpret and judge him for the unfortunate things that have happened to him. How should we respond if we are loyal friends?
The proper response to suffering
Job says.
I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing?
I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief (Job 16:1-5, NIV).
The proper response to suffering is to bring relief, not to add to their burdens and distress. Encourage, don’t discourage those who are suffering.
Job’s response and hope
Job doesn’t deny his pain, but determines to keep his righteousness and hope.
I have sewed sackcloth over my skin and buried my brow in the dust. My face is red with weeping, deep shadows ring my eyes; yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure (Job 16:15-17, NIV).
Even though Job is in excruciating pain, intuitively, he knows he has an intercessor in heaven who will plead his case with God,
Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend (Job 16:19-21, NIV).
Job didn’t know it, but today, we know Jesus Christ is that intercessor. The author of the book of Hebrews writes,
Therefore he [Jesus Christ] is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest (Jesus Christ) meets our need — one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens (Hebrews 7:25-26, NIV).
Do we know the LORD? Jesus can give us forgiveness, peace, spiritual life, and intercede for us before God the Father.
Besides holding onto a righteous path, how else should we respond to calamities?
Hold on to God
Job doesn’t know if God will deliver him from suffering, but supposes he won’t. Job shows us another response to suffering, which is most helpful. He says,
My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow. It appalled upright men at this; the innocent are aroused against the ungodly. Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger (Job 17:7-9, NIV).
Those who suffer but live righteously, putting their trust in the Lord, are stronger than those who don’t.
Job’s resolve is much more than his friends, for he invites them to try again to break him since they are so wise. Unfortunately, Job’s friends will try to do just that for another week in this story. And, as Job continues in his pain, he will complain and justify himself more and more.
That’s hard, isn’t it? We want microwave solutions to unfortunate circumstances: just live right, and everything will be okay! Will it be? Not necessarily. If God continues to allow bad things to happen, can we still be friends and encourage them instead of discouraging them?
Write a private prayer response to today’s Bible study:
Please send your comments to me, Rod, the author
Looking Ahead: People who suffer may feel alienated and misjudged. What can they do about it? How can we help and not hurt them? Find out in our Next Lesson.
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