Sermons
Suffering Poor Comforters
Suffering Poor Comforters
Job 1:1
Introduction:
1. The Book of Job opens with a description of a man of God whom God had blessed abundantly.
2. Satan was loosed to afflict Job. He took everything Job had, except for his life and Job did not see this sparing of his life as a blessing.
3. Job was so afflicted that he cursed the very day he was born. But in all of this, he maintained his trust in the Lord. He did not sin nor did he blame God.
4. Job’s friends came to comfort him. Seeing him from a distance he was so marred by his afflictions that they did not recognize him. They raised their voices and wept. They tore their robes and threw dust over their heads. Then they sat down on the ground with him for a week night and day. They were speechless, for they saw his pain was very great.
5. When we are suffering we want help. When we see others suffering most of us want to be supportive. But sometimes helpers only add to our suffering. They make things worse by adding further injury to our pain.
6. What can we say and do to be good comforters? What should we not say and do? In this study we will survey the book of Job to try to gain some insight to make us effective encouragers.
Discussion:
I. Eliphaz’s first speech and Job’s response (4:1-5:27; 6:1-7:21).
A. No longer able to control himself, Eliphaz spoke. He was an older man, a man of
experience. He reminded Job of how Job had encouraged others, but then he judged him.
He said, “Now it has come to you, and you are impatient?” (4:5). He judged Job further,
“Whoever perished being innocent?” (4:7), he asked. “According to what I have seen,
those who plow iniquity and sow trouble harvest it” (4:8). Eliphaz proceeded to defend
God as a deliverer and said, “I would seek God and place my cause before Him” (5:8).
1. We think of the “patience of Job.” Eliphaz thought of Job as impatient.
2. We see Job as righteous. Eliphaz questioned his innocence.
3. Eliphaz, like us, reflected on “what he had seen.” Like us he would tell his story, and
then he judged Job accordingly.
4. Eliphaz reasoned theologically that God was a deliverer. True, but not helpful.
5. He advised as to what he would do.
B. Job is despairing. He would expect kindness from his friend. He would expect
encouragement (6:14). Judgment is not helpful. Defending God as a deliverer when there
is no deliverance is not helpful.
II. Bildad’s first speech and Job’s response (8:1-22; 9:1-10:22).
A. Bildad, another of Job’s friends speaks. Job has expressed his frustrations. Bildad says,
“How long will you say these things, and the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
Does God pervert justice? . . . If you are pure and uprightHe will restore you” (8:1-7). We
know the rest of the story. We know that Job was restored. But Bildad is adding to Job’s
suffering. Condemning his words as “a mighty wind.” He seems to question Job’s
“uprightness.” Joining with Eliphaz, he defends God’s actions.
1. I constantly preach that God is our deliverer. That is true.
2. But when you are going through the valley of the shadow of death the darkness can
be overwhelming (Psa. 23). When you are enduring a great conflict of sufferings it is
good to be reminded that God delivers us, but He has also reminded us of the need for
endurance (Heb. 10:32ff). He spoke to the church at Smyrna saying, “Behold, the devil
is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have
tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev.
2:10).
3. Then there are those people that come to you in such situations and say, “God is good.
He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.” True. But maybe not
so helpful coming from one who is not enduring a great conflict of sufferings. It
sounds trite. Unsympathetic. Weak.
B. Job says, “I know, but how can a man be right before God?” (9:1). “Though I am
guiltless, He will declare me guilty” (9:20). What Job is saying is that he has no recourse
with God. “I can’t take God to court. There is no umpire between us. I am powerless”
(9:32-35). His question to God is, “Why have you brought me from the womb only to
bring me into this gloom?” (10:8-10, 18-20).
1. Job asks the question, “Why?” Perhaps this is also the question his friends are asking.
Perhaps their defense of God is their own rationalization to try to answer this
question.
2. But God never answers the question. Yes, we know from chapter 1 about Satan’s
assault on Job and that explains some things to us. But there is no evidence that Job
had this information. Yes, we know about Job’s being relieved and blessed later. But
he did not know what the future held for him. And how, could it make up for his
losses? Having another child may bring some comfort, but it does not take away a
previous loss.
3. It seems natural to us when we experience a loss to blame ourselves, to wonder what
did I do to deserve this? Truth is you may have not done anything. You probably
don’t deserve what you are suffering. And asking, “Why?” receives no answer.
III. Zophar’s first speech and Job’s response (11:1-20; 12:1-14:22).
A. Zophar, Job’s third friend speaks. “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered, and a
talkative man be acquitted. Shall your boasts silence men? And shall you scoff and none
rebuke?” (11:2).
1. “You have said, ‘My teaching is pure, and I am innocent.’ But would that God might
speak and open His lips against you. And show you the secrets of wisdom. For sound
wisdom has two sides. Know that God forgets part of your iniquity” (11:4-6).
2. “If you would direct your heart right and spread out your hand to Him, if iniquity is in
your hand, put it far away, and do not let wickedness dwell in your tents; then,
indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect and you would be steadfast
and not fear” (11:13-15).
B. Job responded, “Truly then you are the people, and with you wisdom will die! But I
have intelligence as well as you; I am not inferior to you. And who does not know such
things as these?” (12:1-3). “Behold, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and
understood it. What you know I also know; I am not inferior to you.” (13:1-2). It is not
comforting when people speak down to you. It is not helpful when you are suffering if
people from their lofty perch of safety and security speak down to you as if they know
more than you. As if they have the wisdom that you need. “I’ll tell you what you need
to know. You listen to me.”
1. Job recommends that his friends be silent and that that would become their
wisdom (13:5). Sometimes silence is better than telling people what they
already know.
2. Job maintains his faithfulness. “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (13:15).
3. Yet he wanted to argue his case before God (13:15b). He has some questions to ask
God. Like, “Why should I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hands?”
(13:14). “Why do You hide your face and consider me Your enemy?” (13:24).
4. More “why” questions – no answer from God.
5. Job’s friends may have good intentions, but they are not very effective. Is it because
they only have partial truths? Is it because they are trying to rationalize the
“Whys?” and come up with answers for themselves? No matter. Each time Job
shoots them full of holes. They have some good things to say . . . they are just
insufficient. They are often judgmental. They are weak and do not provide what
Job is looking for. Can Job’s questions be answered? How can he make any
meaning out of his experience? Is it even possible? Patient? Perhaps all four of
them are impatient, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Job too? Maybe you are
impatient? Tired of listening to them? Tired of reading Job?
IV. But they don’t give up. Eliphaz will speak two more times. Bildad will speak two more times. Zophar will speak once more. Each time Job responds. The speeches are mostly the same. They seemed to be locked into a pattern. The intensity seems to be rising. In many ways this is just like us. When our first speech is ineffective we deliver it again with more force, as if saying it louder will strengthen our arguments and make them more effective.
A. Eliphaz speaks (15:1-16). Job responds (16:1-17:16).
B. Bildad speaks (18:1-21). Job responds (19:1-29).
C. Zophar speaks (20:1-29). Job responds (21:1-34).
D. Eliphaz speaks, again (22:1-30). Job responds (23:1-24:25).
E. Bildad speaks, again (25:1-6). Job responds (Chapters 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31).
V. Then Elihu speaks for 5 chapters. Elihu is the youngest of Job’s friends. He has been silent,
giving precedence to those older than he. He has listened. But he has had it!
A. He is angry with Job (32:1-2).
B. He is angry with Job’s three friends (32:3).
C. None of them have answers. Elihu points out that though he is a young man it is God
who has the answers (32:8). And Elihu is ready to give them (32:15-22; 33:1-7).
1. Elihu slams the old men for having nothing left to say.
2. Then he slams Job (34:5-12) while defending God’s righteousness.
3. “Oh the arrogance of youth!” But it is no better than the arrogance of old men.
4. Why are we trying to give out answers to questions we do not comprehend the
answers to? We are all in the same boat together. We are in a boat load of
unanswered questions and we are dishing out answers when we do not even
comprehend the nature of the questions. We give out our answers forcefully and
when they are not heard we increase the intensity. We become angry and we
increase the intensity further. Poor comforters we are!!!! Better we be silent.
VI. In chapters 38, 39, 40:1 God speaks to Job. The bottom line is “God is King over all the sons of pride” (40:6-14).
A. Job confesses in response (42:1-6).
B. God then speaks to Job’s three friends (42:7-9). I find it amusing that he doesn’t even
address Elihu.
C. God restores Job (42:10ff).
Lessons:
1. We expect pleasant circumstances if we are righteous, but if Job teaches us anything it teaches us that bad things happen to good people.
2. It teaches us that trying to help others with theological and moral judgments is not comforting to their suffering. Kindness and encouragement are helpful.
3. Defending God’s good nature to the suffering is not very comforting.
4. God is in control. Trust Him even though your questions may not be answered.
Conclusion:
1. While God is Deliverer, we do not have all the answers to suffering.
2. The Book of Job provides us some insight into the possible goings on in the spiritual realm that we may not know about.
3. Trust in the Lord ultimately results in good things. But together we must walk through the valley of the shadow of death. We must enter the kingdom through many tribulations. We must endure many sufferings. We must be faithful until death. It is not always going to be easy Satan will see to that! And sometimes we are even going to have to suffer through poor comforters!
