September 13: Job 18-21

At the heart of today's passage lies Chapter 19. Here, we see a display of Job's frustration with his "friends," who have exasperated him and brought him to feelings of alienation, and a beautiful statement of his trust in the resurrection power of God Himself.


Job's alienation. Job's advisors, Bildad and Zophar, continue to hammer upon the idea that God punishes the wicked -- seemingly immediately and firmly -- for their sin. By implication, therefore, Job has harbored some sin that they do not name. Job's destitute state has come about because of his falling short of God's design. As a result, Job feels angry:

"He has alienated my brothers from me;
my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
My kinsmen have gone away;
my friends have forgotten me."
　
How difficult to struggle without support from friends! We see numerous passages throughout the Scriptures that indicate we are to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2) and to help others find strength in God (1 Samuel 23:16). One of the greatest encouragements we can find during struggles is the testimony of friends' faithfulness, particularly in the Church: "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
　

Hope in the Resurrection. Despite his distress, Job may look beyond what has recently passed and see God's faithfulness and His presence on the earth:

"I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
I myself will see him
with my own eyes--I, and not another
How my heart yearns within me!"
　
In our struggles, we may find ourselves wishing for a better day. As with Job, we may have confidence in God's provision of resurrection, when He will make everything new. The Lord Jesus Christ will destroy sin and death, and pain and suffering will pass. The truths of Revelation 21 and 22 are indeed our secure hope. As we read in Hebrews 11:1,2, "now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Here, we see Job's living out of these verses. Hebrews 11 continues:

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them."

　
QUESTIONS

1. Whom can you encourage and help to find strength in God at this time?

2. Have you ever found yourself feeling like an "alien" or "stranger" on earth because of your faith? What promises do you see from Job's words and Hebrews 11? Where will we not be an "alien" or "stranger"?