We’ve probably all experienced buyer’s remorse—when it’s the day after and you begin to second guess your purchase. Other options, in hindsight, seem so much better. Well, for pastors, Mondays are often a day of “preacher’s remorse.” “That sermon could have been much more helpful if only I had said this.” Or, “Now I get it! Why did I not see this truth last week when I was studying the text?” Today has been like that for me with reference to our studies in Job.
It dawned on me yesterday morning that, in a nutshell, the problem with Job’s friends is that they were guilty of persecuting the righteous. No wonder Job’s prayer of imprecation upon them (27:7–23). And small wonder that they would require God’s merciful forgiveness through a prescribed sacrifice along with Job’s merciful and prayerful intercession to “undo” this imprecation (42:7–9). Think about it: Job prayed the prayer of the righteous in asking for God’s holy judgement upon their wickedness. And since God hears the biblical prayers of the righteous, these friends were in danger. But God would give them opportunity for repentance, and, along with Job’s forgiveness and prayer of intercession, they would be spared God’s pursuing judgement (27:20–23). But we will need to wait several chapters for this. In the meantime, these friends had become Job’s enemies as they emulated the wicked—that is, those who persecute the righteous (27:7).
We know from God’s own mouth that Job was “a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil” (1:8). But as the three friends increasingly articulated, they had another opinion. They were persuaded that Job was not blameless, that he was not upright, that he did not fear God, and that, rather than turning away from evil, they were convinced that he had turned towards it. They not only told him so; they also treated him so. They criticised and contemptuously condemned him. Like enemies, these men wickedly persecuted a righteous man. Is there anything we can learn from this? Plenty.
Righteous, godly people sometimes experience deep distress under God’s loving, wise, yet mysterious, sovereign hand (27:1). Such distresses as a tragic death, a severe physical or financial trial, a heart-shattering betrayal (this morning a pastor sat in my office in tears over mistreatment in the church he lovingly pastors), an inexplicable and seeming inescapable depression, etc. And too often we add to a bitter situation through irresponsible counsel, and/or heartless rebuke. Yes, even Christians can be guilty of persecuting the righteous.
I wish that life was simple and that easy answers were readily available. But life is not simple and easy answers are often merely an easy way of avoiding long-term engagement with those suffering. This perhaps was at the heart of the approach of Job’s “counsellors.”
Unable to discern God’s hand, they “discovered” the cause of Job’s troubles and tried to heap unjustified guilt on his conscience. Not having all the facts, they fancied themselves omniscient, with the result that they verbally persecuted a righteous man. Brothers and sisters, let us be careful.
Beware of making simplistic assumptions and then simplistically (mis)applying Scripture. For example, perhaps the person is in a financial trial, not because she was a poor steward but rather because she is a victim of a skelm. Perhaps your fellow church member is struggling with depression because he is exhausted, or because of inexplicable suffering. In other words, perhaps it is not because he simply lacks faith. Perhaps the marriage is falling apart, in spite of righteous efforts, because the other spouse is abusive. Perhaps the person is ill, not because they are living in sin but because they ate a bad piece of meat! All I am saying is that we need to beware of a judgemental spirit for, if we aren’t, we will be guilty of mistreating the righteous. Perhaps, like Job’s persecuting friends, we are just as much in the dark about our friends predicament as she is. Therefore, sit, listen, study God’s word, and pray. Then, when you speak, you will help rather than hurt your righteous sister and brother.
Learning from Job,
Doug