Copr. 1997, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D.
INTRODUCTION: JOB'S THREE FRIENDS SUSPECTED THAT HE HAD DONE
SOME EVIL WHEN THESE TERRIBLE THINGS BEFELL HIM. WHEN THEY
LISTENED TO HIM. THEY WERE SURE OF IT. YOU REMEMBER THAT LAST WEEK
WE ENDED WITH ELIPHAZ SECOND SPEECH TO JOB.
UNLIKE ELIPHAZ'S FIRST SPEECH, WHICH STARTED OUT SO POLITELY,
THIS WAS A GROUND SCOURCHER. LETS JUST LOOK AT ONE SHORT PASSAGE
FROM LAST WEEK (THAT WE DID NOT GET TO) 15:4-6:
Job 15:4 But you even undermine piety and hinder devotion to God.
Job 15:5 Your sin prompts your mouth; you adopt the tongue of the
crafty.
Job 15:6 Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; your own lips
testify against you.
SO FRIEND AND COMFORTER ELIPHAZ SAYS, "JOB YOU SINNED" AND
SINCE YOU DO NOT ADMIT IT, "YOU'RE A HYPOCRITE TOO."
LETS START NOW WITH JOB'S RESPONSE TO THIS.
I. JOB'S RESPONSE TO ELIPHAZ.
A. READ 16:1-6 EVERYONE IN THIS BOOK LIKES TO CALL THE OTHER
A WINDBAG AND THIS IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
B. HOWEVER, JOB HAS SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS TO SAY HERE
ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD COMFORT THOSE WHO ARE HAVING PROBLEMS.
JOB ASKS: "WHAT AILS YOU THAT YOU KEEP ON ARGUING?" WHAT IS
THE ANSWER TO THAT?
1. WHY DO HIS FRIENDS ARGUE?
2. LETS ASSUME THAT IT WAS SIN ON JOB'S PART THAT CAUSED
HIS PROBLEMS, WOULD YOU HAVE TOLD JOB THAT WHEN YOU HEARD
HIM (AS WE WILL HEAR HIM TODAY) BLAME GOD FOR IT? (I TEND
TO THINK THAT I MIGHT HAVE ARGUED WITH JOB.)
3. SO WHY WOULD WE ARGUE? (MORE IMPORTANT TO BE RIGHT,
THEN TO COMFORT?)
4. DO YOU HAVE TO START WITH THE TRUTH TO GET TO THE
BOTTOM OF THINGS?
C. JOB SAYS IN v.4 THAT IF THE ROLES WERE REVERSED, HE COULD
MAKE THOSE SAME SPEECHES. DO YOU THINK THAT HE WOULD? (I
WOULD GUESS THAT HE WOULD BE TEMPTED TO BECAUSE (AT LEAST IN
THE BEGINNING) HE AGREED WITH THE THEOLOGY OF HIS FRIENDS.)
D. JOB SAYS IN v.5 THAT HE WOULD NOT. BUT, JUST AS HE SAYS IT
IS EASY FOR HIS FRIENDS TO MAKE THESE SPEECHES, IT IS A LOT
EASIER FOR HIM TO SEE WHY THOSE SPEECHES ARE NOT THE RIGHT
APPROACH WHEN HE IS THE ONE WHO IS DOWN.
E. IN v. 5&6, HE GIVES WHAT HE SEES TO BE THE GOAL OF A
COMFORTER--WHAT IS IT? (TO ENCOURAGE, COMFORT AND BRING
RELIEF.)
F. HOW DO YOU THINK THIS CAN BEST BE DONE? (JOB SAYS THAT
COMFORT CAN COME ONLY FROM HIS FRIENDS, HIS OWN TALKING--OR
LACK OF TALKING--BRING HIM NO COMFORT.)
1. DO YOU AGREE THAT ARGUING WITH FRIENDS BRINGS NO
RELIEF. SO SHOULD WE MAKE IT A POINT TO AVOID ARGUING
WITH THOSE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO COMFORT?
II. THE ATTACK
A. NOT READ: IN VERSES 7-8 JOB SAYS THAT GOD HAS ATTACKED HIM.
THIS IS LIKE HIS EARLIER STATEMENT THAT GOD IS ARRAYED LIKE A
WARRIOR IN A CHARIOT AGAINST HIM.
B. THE NEXT FEW VERSES ARE VERY INTERESTING SO LETS READ THEM.
READ v. 9-13. DOES THIS REMIND YOU OF ANY OTHER STORY IN THE
BIBLE? (SOUNDS LIKE THE CRUCIFIXION. GO INTO WHAT JESUS MUST
HAVE FELT AND THE WHOLE IDEA OF THIS BEING SUCH A GREAT
TEMPTATION.
1. STRIKE: JOB 16:10/John 18:23 "If I said something
wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But
if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?"
Jn 19:3 and went up to him again and again, saying,
"Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the
face. (NIV)
Mk 15:19 Again and again they struck him on the head with
a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they
paid homage to him. (NIV)
2. PIERCED:JOB 16:13/Jn 19:34 Instead, one of the
soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a
sudden flow of blood and water. (NIV)
3. JEER:JOB 16:10/Mk 15:29 Those who passed by hurled
insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You
who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three
days, (NIV)
4. TURNED ME OVER TO WICKED MEN: JOB 16:11; Mk 15:34 And
at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi,
Eloi,lama sabachthani?"-- which means, "My God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?" (NIV)
C. JOB DIRECTLY SAYS THAT GOD IS DOING THIS AND THAT HE IS
BEING ATTACKED. DO YOU THINK THAT JESUS HAD MUCH THE SAME
FEELINGS AS JOB?
1. HOW SAME? (JOB BELIEVES THAT HE IS ATTACKED BY GOD AND
HIS THREE FREINDS, WHO HE SAYS ARE NOT WORTHY TO ACCUSE
HIM OF WRONGDOING. JESUS WAS ATTACKED BY PEOPLE WHO HE
CLEARLY KNEW WERE INFERIOR.)
2. HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT? (I TRUST THAT JESUS HAD A
BETTER IDEA OF WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THAT GOD WAS NOT
ATTACKING HIM BECAUSE OF HIS SIN, BUT RATHER THAT HE WAS
SUFFERING BECAUSE OF THE SINS OF OTHERS.)
3. READ 16:16-17. THIS MAKES THE POINT THAT JOB THINKS
THAT HE DID NOT DESERVE THIS. AND WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND
THAT GOD DID NOT DESERVE THE VERBAL BEATING THAT HE IS
GETTING FROM JOB HERE.
III. THE INTERCESSOR
A. READ 16:18-22. FOR WHAT DOES JOB PLEAD?
B. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT IS MISSING FROM THE PICTURE SO FAR?
WE HAD SATAN TALKING TO GOD ABOUT JOB. SATAN ACCUSED JOB,
ASKED GOD TO LET HIM TAKE AWAY JOB'S STUFF, AND NOBODY STOOD
UP AND SAID, "WAIT A MINUTE!"
C. DID JOB NEED A MEDIATOR? (JOB IS TALKING ABOUT HIS DEATH
WHEN HE SAYS, "DON'T COVER UP MY BLOOD." "ONLY A FEW YEARS
WILL PASS BEFORE I GO ON THE JOURNEY OF NO RETURN." IN DEATH
HE WILL NEED A MEDIATOR. FOR HIS FRIENDS ARE RIGHT WHEN THEY
SAY (ELIPHAZ) IN 15:14, "WHAT IS MAN THAT HE CAN BE PURE, OR
ONE BORN OF WOMAN THAT HE COULD BE RIGHTEOUS?")
1. WASN'T SATAN TECHNICALLY ENTITLED TO DO WHAT HE DID TO
JOB?
2. OR DID JOB JUST THINK THAT HE NEEDED A MEDIATOR?
D. DO YOU SEE A STATEMENT OF FAITH HERE? (HE IS LOOKING TO
HEAVEN FOR HIS MEDIATOR, HIS HELP.)
E. JOB CONTINUES IN CHPT. 17 WITH A REQUEST TO GET INTO COURT
WITH GOD (AGAIN) (v.3, THE PLEDGE); HE SAYS THAT HIS FUTURE IS DARK
(11-14) AND HE SAYS THAT HIS FRIENDS ARE NO HELP (10)
IV. BILDAD'S SECOND REPLY
A. READ 18:1-4
B. READ 5-12
C. READ 18-21.
V. NEXT WEEK: JOB 19-20. SUBSTITUTE: I'M PREACHING THE SERMON!