Job 4:12-7:21

Job

4:12-6:7  -  Eliphaz sounds so ‘spiritual’. He speaks of  ‘a word’ being ‘brought’ to him. He speaks of  ‘visions in the night’ (4:12-13). Sadly, there is, in Eliphaz, a lot of pride and not much love. There’s no suggestion, from Eliphaz, that Satan might be behind Job’s suffering. ‘It’s all your own fault’ - This is what Eliphaz is saying to Job. When we listen to this kind of talk, we become despondent - ‘What have I done to deserve this?’. There are times when we cause problems for ourselves. There are other times when we must say, ‘This is the work of Satan’ - ‘An enemy has done this’ (Matthew 13:28). There are times when we must pray, ‘Forgive us our sins’. There are times when we must pray, ‘Deliver us from the evil one’. From the Lord, we receive forgiveness and victory. Let’s give all the ‘glory’ to Him (Matthew 6:12-13).

6:8-7:21  -  Job calls on God - and there is no answer. The happy days seem to be gone forever. From the Cross, Jesus cries out in agony, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’. There is no Voice from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’ (Mark 15:34; Matthew 3:17). What are we to make of this? Job is suffering. Jesus is suffering. Where is God while all this is happening? What is He doing about it? Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus said this to His enemies: ‘This is your hour, and the power of darkness’ (Luke 22:53). God allows Satan to have his ‘hour’. ‘The power of darkness’ appears to have the upper hand. This is not the end of the story. There is ‘a happy ending’. Job is raised from his depression (42:10,12). Jesus is ‘raised’ from the dead (Acts 2:23-24).