The loss of possessions or family or health are terrible trials to contemplate. Nobody likes to dwell on such matters, but sometimes we must in order to prepare for the possibility that they may occur.
Despite being a spiritually complete and upright man, Job, the spiritual giant of his time, failed to make adequate mental preparation for the troubles that engulfed him. His failure to do so resulted in wrong behavior once the trials came.
He was aware he could lose all that he had: “the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me” (Job 3:25). He had thought about the possibilities and had reacted with fear. His problem was that he went as far as fear but no further. Evidently, because of the terrifying nature of his considerations, he had prematurely dismissed them.
Consider the time of trial
Job was not untypical in this regard. The prospect of serious trouble in life is something no one enjoys considering. By nature, we tend to escape quickly from such contemplation into thoughts of pleasure and fun. Well-meaning brethren may even discourage talk of premature death or tragic illness as faithless or as being self-fulfilling worries. By contrast, scripture indicates there is great advantage in considering such possibilities before they occur: “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth” (Eccl. 7:4).
The preacher is not here referring to the physical presence of the wise but to the thoughts of their heart. The wise are in a state of constant awareness of the tragedies that bring mourning; they never forget because they know that these are the days of our mortality and they must be ready for a right response if such trouble should befall them. Like the world around us, “fools” try to drown such concerns by continued mental preoccupation with the house of mirth.
The passage in Ecclesiastes is illuminating on the issue of suffering. It suggests very strongly that our ability to endure affliction is based on the extent to which we are prepared for it. When Job reacts to his suffering, it is evident his mental preparation for trial was not adequate. The critical point in his case was a weakness in faith that any of us need beware of. The specific point of weakness is the lack of firm confidence in God’s wisdom. It is a lack of faith that, no matter what occurs in our lives, God knows what He is doing.
Job’s weak spot
While never doubting the existence and power of God, Job accuses God of acting unwisely:
“He multiplies my wounds without cause” (9:17); “Oh that I knew where I might find Him! that I might come even to His seat! I would order my cause before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments. ..there the righteous might dispute with Him; so should I be delivered forever from my judge” (23:3-7).
This passage is remarkably clear evidence that Job feels very strongly God doesn’t know what He is doing! He feels that through “arguments” and “dispute” God could be enlightened. If God would only listen, Job would teach Him the injustice of God’s actions toward Job.
Elihu’s assessment
Elihu puts his finger on this same weakness in Job when he said:
“Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?” (35:2).
Job considered his own evaluation of the situation to be superior to God’s; he lacked faith in God’s wisdom. Elihu was right in his appraisal, for his accusation is repeated by the Almighty:
“Wilt thou also dis-annul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?” (40:8).
This divine assessment leaves no doubt that Job felt God was wrong in what He was doing with him. In Job’s view, he could educate God if only God would listen — God was all powerful, but not all wise.
Job concedes God’s wisdom
While we may be startled that an upright man would make such statements, the position he took, under the circumstances, was no less than typical. The great value of the book is that so many faithful people can see themselves in Job and can benefit from the answers he received. His charges were answered; he becomes completely convinced wisdom lay with God and not with himself.
“Then Job answered the LORD and said…who is he (Job) that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not” (Job 42:1-3).
Notice the completeness of Job’s turnabout. Instead of claiming his knowledge was superior to God’s, he acknowledged his profound ignorance and God’s unfathomable wisdom. If the answer to Job’s complaint helped him in his terrible afflictions, surely recognizing the same point will help us in ours.
Wisdom, not power
The key is to note that Job’s contrition was not a response to an intimidating display of divine power. In fact, there was none of that in God’s answer; there was instead an appeal based exclusively on reason.
The answer actually begins at the end of Elihu’s speech:
“God thundereth marvelously with His voice; great things He doeth, which we cannot comprehend” (37:5).
This verse begins a section which draws Job’s attention to the wisdom, rather than the power, of the creative acts of God. The following phrases continue the point:
“And it (the bright cloud) is turned round by His counsels… consider the wondrous works (instead of the mighty acts) of God…Dost thou know the balances of the clouds, the wonderful works of him which is perfect in knowledge”? (37:12,14,16)
Thus Elihu began to draw Job’s attention back to the intricate detail of creation and demonstrated a subtle but critical oversight in Job’s perspective. Truly, there is a dramatic demonstration of God’s power in created things, but not to be overlooked is the unsearchable wisdom required to use such power for good. Job had overlooked the purpose of creation and had failed to consider the perfect knowledge behind it all.
The same emphasis is found in the one-on-one confrontation between God and Job. God meets with Job on Job’s terms, using argument only and refraining from the use of intimidating power. To Job’s surprise, God wins the debate.
The Almighty continues the theme begun by Elihu:
“Declare if thou hast understanding …whereupon are the foundations …hast thou perceived…where is the way…knowest thou it?…knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? …knowest thou the time” (Job 38:4, 6, 18, 19, 21, 33; 39:1).
No specific answers
It is extremely important to notice that God does not give Job any specific reason for his suffering. Rather, He demonstrates powerfully a very simple point. God’s knowledge of everything around us is no less than perfect. If we truly believe this, there can only be quiet and firm confidence that God knows what He is doing in our lives. He knows us perfectly; therefore, whatever He does in our lives is a result of His perfect knowledge of what we need.
Those who experience intense trial have a strong desire to know why. We reason that it would be so much easier if we only knew why. The irony is that this is probably just the opposite of the truth. If we knew the specific reason, we might find that our tendency to disagree with God would only intensify.
Consider the sacrificial work of our Lord. Consider how the circumstances of our Lord’s death run contrary to our natural thinking. He was a man without sin or iniquity, yet he died a criminal’s death. He suffered not only physical torture and public shame but also experienced the emotional torment of betrayal and denial by intimate friends. He knew the reasons for his sufferings but knowing the reason only made the situation more difficult. Imagine ourselves living with the knowledge that, though personally without transgression, we must suffer agony because others were guilty of sin. Such knowledge would not soothe the flesh, it would provoke it! Rebellion would instantly swell within us!
Christ’s knowledge of the reason why did not make his work easier; it made it harder. In like manner, if we knew we were suffering because our husband or wife or parents or children needed character development, our resentment could know no bounds. If we suffer for our own spiritual growth, we could readily challenge God that others need the development more than ourselves.
We are better not knowing the specific reason for our afflictions. As with Job, we are better to have a firm grasp of the point God demonstrated to him: God knows perfectly what He is doing.
It is His good pleasure to give the faithful the kingdom. We must wholly trust that He knows what we need to help us get there. We may not properly respond to His hand; but we can have perfect confidence in the knowledge and wisdom of the Almighty.
Before trials come, we need to realize this point and seriously contemplate the perfect wisdom of God. Then, when suffering does enter our life, we will be better equipped to handle it to the end that we might be saved and God might be glorified.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One