Quick References: Job’s Questions and Strong Emotions
There are a number of references across the book of Job for this entry. Your understanding will develop if you study them along with the entry, but if you are unable to read them all at once, the messages are still digestible. Do try to read the texts when you have some time though!
1. Job’s Questions – Why did God allow his birth?
• Job 3: 1, 11: Job regrets his birth.
• Job 6: 4, 8-11: Job wishes for death but acknowledges that God is with him.
• Job 10: 18, 20: Job tells God to leave him alone (ease his suffering) and wonders why He allowed his birth.
2. Job’s Questions – Why did God allowed him to suffer?
• Job 7: Job feels hopeless, blames God for his suffering and justifies his complaints.
• Job 12: 4; Job 14: 14: Job’s self-righteousness.
• Job 19: 1, 11, 6, 21, 25-6: Job blames God and feels deserted but also declares hope in his redeemer.
• Job 23: 8-10: Job feels forsaken but is confident in his redeemer.
• Job 25: 4: Job feels he could never please God.
• Job 29: Job misses his wealth and thinks it is futile that he helped others.
• Job 31: Job defends his righteousness.
3. Job’s Questions – Why doesn’t God punish wickedness?
•Job 21: 7-9; 24: 1: Job’s disappointment at the prosperity of the wicked.
As noted in Chapter 1, Job’s first response was humility and prayer in which he acknowledged God’s sovereignty. However, by Chapter 3, as his suffering continued, Job’s emotions shifted – he is a prime example of someone who God helped to overcome suffering, but he was also truly human.
One of our responses to suffering is to demand answers. We somehow feel that if God gives us full insight into why He allows suffering, it would help us to cope with it more effectively? Why does God not intervene when countries are at war? Why do wicked people seem to prosper? Why does God not deliver me from a unique set of circumstances over which He has full control? I have asked my fair share of questions too in times of suffering or mere confusion; the human need for logic often causes us to wonder. Why? Sometimes we do get answers or eventually see ways in which suffering has helped us to grow, but the lack of answers during the suffering can be daunting.
Throughout the book of Job, his raw and passionate emotions are evident. Interspersed with his questions about his suffering are declarations of his faith and hope in God. It is possible that we may walk with God, believe in Him and hope to spend eternity with Him, whilst we grapple with contradictory feelings in times of suffering; we wonder whether He has forsaken us when our prayers seem unanswered, whether He loves us, and whether the suffering will end. Like Job, we may resort to questioning God’s sovereignty and love for us when He seems silent. From Job’s laments, it is evident that there were deep underlying feelings of abandonment by the only one who could help or deliver Him. It is truly an unpleasant experience to not only suffer, but to know you have prayed, fasted and trusted in God, but He seems silent.
In the texts, though Job speaks of his former wealth, prosperity, joy and influence, one season of his life overruled every prior experience and caused him to even question why God allowed his birth. He wished for death, blamed God for his suffering, demanded that God left him alone to die and get the ease he longed for and ultimately perceived God erroneously as one who opposes the righteous and pardons the wicked. Job’s suffering also highlighted some pride; he felt his suffering was undeserved as he had served God, helped others, been faithful to his wife and family and in his eyes, did nothing to deserve such loss – he felt that suffering was always a consequence of sin. If we are honest, though our emotions may not be as intense, we also wonder whether our walk with God should have prevented suffering, especially when it is caused intentionally by others. In the season when I felt I was most obedient to God in pursuing His instructions to write for His glory, I was under intense pressure and endured trials which I indeed questioned, similar to Job.
Despite our understanding that we are human and often fragile emotional beings, we must also question whether answers from God would make our suffering less intense. If God had answered Job’s questions, your questions and my questions, would the suffering hurt less? Would we suddenly understand, accept it and rejoice our way through? Would we truly and instantly feel deserving of it? I doubt whether I would have felt less overwhelmed if God explained all His ways and plans to me. Maybe it is different for you. Maybe you readily embrace suffering. I am still work in progress and though I now have a greater understanding of suffering, it is still unpleasant.
I don’t have the specific answers you seek either fellow pilgrim, but I will tell you what I have learned that has caused me to somewhat shift my perspective on suffering; the word does give us ‘answers’ about suffering in advance of the suffering, or as we endure it. Our brother Job also learned these lessons in his suffering, but had to endure it until Chapter 42 when God restored him. Though he didn’t get specific answers, Chapters 38-42 (more on that next week), indicate that his fears were not justified. God was there all along, and had indeed considered him righteous in the conversations with the enemy in Chapters 1-2.
Firstly, if like Job, you have walked with God and feel He has treated you unfairly in allowing suffering, remember the reason for his suffering in the first place; God was confident that Job would endure and continue to trust in Him (even if his emotions and perspective were often skewed due to his limited human knowledge). Job was specially handpicked for his suffering because God knew that He would ultimately get the glory from his attitude in the suffering. He may feel the same about you fellow pilgrim, and maybe that’s why you haven’t had the answers you seek. God has already ‘answered’ the enemy’s questions for permission to attack you – He triumphs. We have the benefit of Job 42 to see how God can take us through suffering, but Job didn’t. When, like Job, you are hurt and confused, trust the process. Ask questions, cry, wonder – God understands and like He did for Job, He will meet you in your suffering. God’s gracious and loving heart towards us doesn’t mean He will reveal every purpose for our suffering, immediately end it, or answer our prayers on demand, as He does honour His word and intentions (Psalm 115:3; Isaiah 45:9; Isaiah 46:9-10). It does mean however, that He will honour His word to be with us every step of the way, regardless of whether we feel He is there (Hebrews 13: 5-6 and Deuteronomy 31:8). Secondly, it may not be the answer you seek, but in addition to being chosen to display God’s grace and ways to the world in suffering, we suffer because we are not higher than our Saviour. Jesus suffered on earth, and He pre-empted our suffering as His followers. That is a hard pill to swallow, but as He promised, He overcame and so can we, even if it feels unfair (John 16:33). Thirdly, we suffer because God does not like stagnation. We never ‘arrive’ in growth; if we are growing and get to a point of maturity that He is happy with, expect pruning to lead to more growth (John 15: 1-4)! Ouch! In our human logic, the reward for growth should be ease, but His ways are higher (Isaiah 55: 8-9). A fourth reason for suffering is God’s ability to use it to give us the character He desires to see in us, whether it is a consequence of sin which requires His discipline (Hebrews 12: 6-7), or a result of obedience. We want closure, relief and ‘manageable’ problems, but God wants maturity and traits which we may not necessarily prioritise, more than He wants our comfort (James 1; 1-4). Double ouch!
Like Job, suffering makes me irritable, anxious and fearful of the experience and indeed the future. I have suffered panic attacks during suffering when it seemed God was allowing the suffering to continue, despite my pleas for His intervention. Prior to that period of suffering, I had no understanding of panic attacks! I simply had no experience which drove me to such anxiety. Yet, it wasn’t specific answers that helped me to feel calmer and now even write about it – it was the epiphany through God’s word, that regardless of the reasons behind the suffering, my life is in God’s hands, He is not a silent and uninterested bystander and there is more that I must develop and learn about Him and the future He has for me (Job 38-42).
I know perhaps this isn’t what you wish to hear fellow pilgrims, but trust that God loves you and is in control of the process of your growth. You may not get the answers you seek to then get the closure you long for, but you can get a deeper understanding of God’s unchanging plans for His children despite their suffering. I pray He will help you to encounter Him in His word through these texts (and others), giving you peace in knowing you have not been forsaken, and He always has a plan to use your suffering for His glory and for your good. Patience is often learned in seasons of waiting for our questions to be answered, and this patience is often the foundation for our next promotion (James 1: 1-4). More to conclude the series next week.
Heartfelt Prayer: Lord this suffering that You have allowed has overwhelmed me. Will You reveal the purpose behind it? Will You ever answer my prayers? Why are You silent? Why don’t you do something? A simple solution would be to……..I know You are able to work miracles. Will I ever overcome this? Why do wicked people prosper? Why do You seem to allow them to run wild while Your children endure trial after trial? That’s not fair! Yet, like Job, I ultimately know You are God and I know I have a hope of a future with You. Help me Lord, to trust You even when You don’t respond as I expect. If You didn’t allow trouble to take Job’s soul and purpose, You won’t allow it for me either. Help me when the doubts arise. I want to always feel hopeful but I honestly don’t when You seem silent. Please help me in my times of unbelief and pride which make me think I should not endure suffering – something You told us in advance we would encounter as Your followers. I don’t know whether answers would make this less painful, but I pray for more grace to cope while I wait for deliverance and/or discovery of the reasons for the trouble. I commit every trial, my soul, concerns and destiny to you. Please help me in this season Lord. Amen.
