The devotional - 30

The Devotional

Comment:

I always watch the morning weather forecast; before it was aired this morning I was concerned for what one reporter said. Apparently a young person was shot to death, now that is tragic, there is no excuse for murder. I would not think beyond this, but as I waited for the weather, the reporter said that someone she spoke with said that they were going to do something that would ensure that this sort of thing never happened again. Now that is an admirable statement, but it is rather worn out. At nearly every murder trial, every news report, every community meeting you will hear those words. “We will ensure that this never happens again” yet the words are repeated – EVERY DAY and have been repeated since Cain killed Abel, Genesis 4. Even the simplest of mind, ought to be able to see that there is no way to ensure or control the SINFUL thoughts and actions of persons who is about to commit a crime of any kind.

Challenge: Job 2:11-13

If you have been a child of God for any length of time you have learned to view and accept suffering from an eternal point of view rather than from the temporal earthly view of the unbelieving world around you. Eugene H. Peterson, concerning “Job” and the writer of the Message Version of the Bible says that “sufferers attract fixers, like roadkill attracts vultures.” This may be true, but I am not sure that this applies to Job, truly Job’s losses became well known to the surrounding cultures causing a reaction from Job’s friends.

In those cultures Job had some serious friendships, for me I believe the friendships developed over the years as Job built his estate. Also and as Dr. Tom Constable says this, here is his comment: Actually, four men came to visit Job, though the writer did not mention Elihu's presence until chapter 32. Elihu no doubt visited Job later, since chapter two says specifically that only three men came to visit, Elihu could have been a neighbor close by. Italic words are added by me.

Eliphaz seems to have been the eldest for several reasons. His name occurs first (2:11; 42:9), he spoke before the others, his speeches are longer and more mature, and God spoke to him as the representative of the others (42:7).

Eliphaz is an Edomite name (Gen. 36:4, 11). He was probably either from Teman in Edom (cf. Jer. 49:7; Obad. 9) or from Tema in Arabia. Bildad may have been a relative of Shuah, Abraham's youngest son (Gen. 25:2). Zophar may have come from Naamah, a Judean town (Josh. 15:41), if it existed then. Another view is that "Zophar" is a variant form of "Zepho," who was a descendant of Esau (Gen. 36:11).

This bit of history on the friends of Job is necessary since many people just read the story of Job and give no consideration to the circumstances surrounding the days of Job’s life and suffering, they simply say things like; “wow” I hope I never have to suffer this way, or say “poor Job!” some will even say that Job is just fiction. No! No, Job is not fiction and truly if you were given the opportunity to suffer as Job did and resolve to remain upright and not curse God you would see just as Job did that God is faithful and merciful beyond words.

Whether your loss is one are all, you see that in the process of suffering, God is faithful and merciful beyond all that you could ask or think – Ephesians 3:17-21.