We have been looking at the suffering of Job. We have noted that his suffering and pain have been extraordinary. Further, Job’s friends have come to comfort and show sympathy to Job. But rather than succeeding, they have been miserable comforters to him. We have also noticed that Job’s suffering has caused him to feel separated from God. Job cries out that God has hidden his face from him and counts him as his enemy (cf. Job 13:24). Job longs for a return of God’s friendship (cf. Job 29:2-4). But rather than feeling close to God, Job feels hedged in by God (cf. Job 3:23). We can feel the same way when we are in the storm of suffering. We can wonder where God is. We can believe that God has turned his face away and no longer cares for us. A couple of lessons ago we addressed these false answers. But what I want us to focus our attention on in this lesson is how Job is able to move forward through his suffering. In fact, our next few lessons, Lord willing, are going to be an examination of Job’s words to learn and understand how we can work through our suffering and how to endure our hardships. But for today we are going to look at four statements that Job makes that teaches how to hold strong in our trials.
God Is Wise and Powerful (Job 9:3-10)
One of the keys that the faithful people of God are doing in the midst of their suffering is acknowledging and trust that God is wise and powerful. In Job 9 you will listen to his faith in the character of God despite his suffering and despite his lack of understanding. Job knows that it is not possible to contend with God (cf. Job 9:3). He is wise in heart and mighty in strength. No one can resist God and come out unharmed (cf. Job 9:4). God can move mountains and shake the earth out of its place (cf. Job 9:5-6). God alone can command the sun, block the light from the stars, spread out the sky, and walks over the waves (cf. Job 9:7-8). God put the stars in their places and does great things that cannot be fathomed (cf. Job 9:9-10). In verse 11 Job says that he cannot understand the way God is going or what he is doing. But who can say to God, “What are you doing?”
We will talk about this idea more in later lessons. But it is important to observe the faith of Job in the midst of his suffering. Even though he does not understand what God is doing, he does understand that God is wise and powerful. Job does understand that we are not in the position to question or challenge God. This is the very essence of faith. We know that we cannot question God. But I do not need to question God when I see his wisdom and power. If I believe in his wisdom and power, then I can trust what God is doing even in and through my suffering. We see Martha state this kind of faith to Jesus after the death of his brother, Lazarus.
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” (John 11:21-22 ESV)
She knows that Jesus is wise and powerful even though she has lost her brother. Her faith is not in the outcome but is in Jesus. She is not stuck on the circumstances but is sticking to Jesus.
I Know I Need an Intercessor (Job 16:18-22)
The second thing we see Job understanding that he is needs is a mediator. This is something that can easily be lost on us. But Job understands that you cannot just go and talk to God. But Job says he needs a friend who can plead his case on his behalf.
Even now my witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high. My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears to God. I need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends. For soon I must go down that road from which I will never return. (Job 16:19-22 NLT)
I want us to appreciate the picture. Job wants a friend that can stand before God and plead his case. Of course, Job’s case that he wants contended for him is that he has done nothing to deserve the suffering he has experienced. His friends are scoffing him. But oh that there were someone in heaven who would defend him before God, to vindicate his faithfulness. Jesus is that friend we need who lives to intercede on behalf of those who belong to him. Listen to how the writer of Hebrews gives us comfort and hope:
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV)
Do you hear the words of comfort? First, we have a high priest who stands before the Father on our behalf. Jesus is the high priest we need to go into the very presence of God. Second, we can sympathize with our situation. He is able to understand where we are coming from with our trials and temptations. He pleads for us and sympathizes with us. He does not look down upon us with scorn or derision. This is why we are able to draw near to the throne of grace, not wrath, with confidence. With Jesus as our advocate, we are able to find the help we need.
I Know My Redeemer Lives (Job 19:25-27)
In the midst of his suffering and grief, listen to the hope he has in God in Job 19.
Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! (Job 19:23-27 ESV)
It is ironic for Job to say that he wishes his words were recorded for all to read. They were. We have words and how he argued with his friends and was pleading with God. Job knows that he has one who will redeem his life. But I want us to see what he believes. Job believes that he is going to die from his suffering. But even though he dies, he knows his Redeemer lives and because of that hope, he will one day see God and be vindicated. Notice that his hope is not that God is vindicate him and solve everything here in this life. But knowing that his Redeemer lives meant that one day God would redeem him and vindicate him. The point is that Job believes that his righteous living was not for nothing. Even though he is afflicted in life, he will be redeemed and vindicated after this life.
Friends, we are tempted to give up on God because we do not see or understand what God is doing now. We want our righteous living to become a shield from suffering and trouble. We think our righteous living means that God owes us certain outcomes in this life. God should do what we want and answer the prayers that we want. To sing that we know that our Redeemer lives means that we will live for the Lord even if the earthly benefit is never experienced or seen. We will live for the Lord for who he is and our faithful lives will be vindicated when Christ returns.
This is the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus died, he died in the fashion of a criminal. Only the worst of the worst criminals were crucified by the Romans. According to Deuteronomy 21:23 a person hanged on a tree was considered cursed by God. Everything about the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus indicated that Jesus was not who he claimed to be. This is exactly the mocking that the people made against Jesus while he was on the cross.
“He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”(Matthew 27:43 ESV)
But rather than deliverance, Jesus dies on the cross and the enemies look like they are correct about Jesus. As Isaiah 53 prophesied, they considered him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted by God (cf. Isaiah 53:4). But the resurrection proved otherwise. Jesus’ righteousness was vindicated when three days later he rose from the dead. Everything everyone said about Jesus was proven wrong. Everything everyone did against him was shown foolish and worthy of judgment. Jesus was not vindicated until the resurrection. Job is proclaiming the same hope and this is our hope also. We see Job declare his hope in vindication in chapter 23.
God Knows The Way I Take (Job 23:8-10)
Listen to Job’s hope:
“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” (Job 23:8-10 ESV)
Notice that Job says that he looks around and he does not see God. He does not see what God is doing and it does not seem like God is with him. However, Job does know this: God knows the way that he takes and he will be shown to come out like gold after the trial. I may not see him. I may not know what he is working. But I do know that he knows the way I take. I know that I will be proven to be true to the Lord. I will go through the refining fire of this trial and be purified like gold. Peter tells us that this is the function of trials, just as Job proclaims.
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9 ESV)
These are the pieces that give us the help and hope we need to endure our trials. God is all wise and all powerful. God knows what he is doing in our lives and in this world. So we hope in the knowledge that we have a friend in Christ who intercedes for us. We know he is at the right hand of God because his righteous life was vindicated when he rose from the dead. Now he is our Redeemer who will vindicate our righteous lives. Therefore, we will be tempted and tested but found to be purified like God. He knows the way we take and is walking with us because we have put our hope in him alone. Staying with God through all our trials is the hope we have. If we do not stay with God, then we have no hope at all.