Tuesday: Other People’s Pain
Job finished his first lament, as recorded in chapter 3. For the next two chapters one of his friends, Eliphaz, gives Job a lecture (we will come back to that next week). In chapters 6 and 7, Job continues to speak about his suffering.
“‘Oh, that my grief were fully weighed, and my calamity laid with it on the scales! For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea’” (Job 6:2-3, (NKJV). How is Job expressing his pain here?
Image © Erik Stenbakken from GoodSalt.com
This image gives us an idea about how Job perceived his suffering. If all the sands of the sea were on one side of the balances and his “grief” and “calamity” on the other, his sufferings would outweigh all the sand.
That’s how real Job’s pain was to him. And this was Job’s pain alone, no one else’s. Sometimes we hear the idea of the “sum total of human suffering.” And yet, this does not really express truth. We don’t suffer in groups. We don’t suffer anyone’s pain but our own. We know only our own pain, only our own suffering. Job’s pain, however great, was no greater than what any one individual could ever know. Some well-intentioned people might say to someone else, “I feel your pain.” They don’t; they can’t. All they can feel is their own pain that might come in response to someone else’s suffering. But that’s always and only what it is, their own pain, not the other person’s.
We hear about disasters, human-made or otherwise, with large death tolls. The numbers of dead or injured stun us. We can hardly imagine such massive suffering. But as with Job, as with every case of fallen humanity from Adam and Eve in Eden to the end of this world, every fallen being who has ever lived can know only his or her own pain and no more.
Of course, we never want to downplay individual suffering, and as Christians we are called to seek to help alleviate hurt when and where we can (see James 1:27, Matt. 25:34–40). Yet, no matter how much suffering exists in the world, how thankful we can be that not one fallen human suffers more than what one individual can. (There’s only one exception; see lesson 12.)
Dwell more on this idea that human suffering is limited only to each individual. How does this help you (if it does) to look at the troubling issue of human suffering in a somewhat different light?
(25)
In Job 3:3, Job acknowledges that he has spoken rashly- very interesting. Hence we have to be careful when quoting the words he uttered in deep agony.
The picture used in today's lesdon depicts a Job with nice smooth skin, chilling out with 3 friends. Even art falls short od depicting the degradation and humiliation of Job. Just reading his lament is a taxing exercise. I find it difficult to put myself in his shoes.I therefore appreciate the opportunity provided by the Sabbath School lesson; persuading me to read a Bible section that i would have easily avoided.
Now, in response to the qyedtion at the end of the lesson- I dont think human suffering is limited to one individual at a time. Somehow parents suffer much in thr face of their children's suffering. I believe the same happens to spouses. In some extreme instances the death of some parents has been associated with the children's waywardness or lack of progress ib life.
However, Job did not have a bible to refer to. We thank God fo the gift of His written word; because when the weight of sorrow seens to exceed sea sand, we can recall and recite 1 Corinthians 10:13-
'No temptationc has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be temptedd beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it"
The text quoted in this page (Job 6:2-3), gives me the impression that Job believed his sufferings were worse than anybody else's. But Job still had his home; he still had his wife; he still had servants. And while I do think it likely that Job lost all his children when the building collapsed, the messenger actually told Job that the house "fell upon the young men, and they are dead". No mention is made of Job's daughters having being killed.
________
But many of the spies overstated the problems when they came back from their reconnaissance of the land of Canaan. (Num 13:32-33.) Elijah overstated the matter when he thought that he was the only one left. (1Kings 19:10,18.) I think Job overstated the magnitude of his sufferings too.
Overstating would be the last word to be applied in Job's case....as the end of the book clears talks of God giving him back all his children plus double the wealthy e had it should be clear that Job indeed lost all he ever called his own. To accept that the facts presented in the first two chapters are an overstatement waters all the lessons we have learnt so far from the four three lessons.
Indeed pain is experienced at a personal level. Even in calamities that affect several people and families jointly, there is none whose experience of the pain can be similar to another. In the case of Job, its only him that understands what he was going through...the least we can do...many years after the incident..is to accept it as it and reflect on our lives and the pain we ex[erience
Well, may be not an overstatement, but the feeling! Job knew and could only describe his pain. We too respond to things differently but most importantly we do understand our pain differently. We should never underestimate peoples' suffering but rather desist from making conclusions about how they feel. Our job is to support them in the best way possible so that they can overcome their burdens. And as an example, Jesus dealt with people having different forms of suffering with the same compassion and concern regardless of what the problem was. Many at times he purposed to heal their spirit and renew their hope.
Very interesting Stewart as I always felt so bad each time I read that all his children were killed. I quickly went to the Book to verify, it would be great if not all his kids had died. You made a great point about things being overstated, with references to back up your statement. Translations change words, the KJV says 'the young men', while the NKJV says 'the young people'. I am back at square one. I learn so much from the different perspectives posted.
Thank you Paulette. I appreciate that. I often compare a number of Bible versions when I'm looking at a particular point. But not in this instance. The comparison you give, between the KJV and NKJV, is good. I've since looked at a few others and am completely satisfied that the text (Job 1:19) refers to all of Job's children.
All ten of Job's children were killed, that is what the Bible says. You have to take into account the culture - in the french language if there is a group of people with say; four women and three men, they would be referred to as; Ils and not Elles - the masculine pronoun is used even though there are less men than women. In the Bible days, as seen in the "begattings" the men are mentioned and not the women.
Elizabeth, This brings a question to my mind. If the the daughters were still alive why is there no reference to them visiting their father in his calamity? And in the end, the record states that Job had ten children born to him in addition to twice his possession.
Hi Delreta, I did not say that the daughters were still alive - I was speaking to Stewards point - he said that the Bible mentioned that the building fell on the young men, and he was questioning if the daughters were killed as well. My point was to say that it was written that way because of the culture that they belonged to.
Job 1:13 (KJV) "And there was a day when his sons AND HIS DAUGHTERS were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house . . ."
So daughters were in the tent.
Job 1:19 (KJV) "And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I ONLY AM EXCAPED alone to tell thee."
So only a servant survived the disaster -- none of Job's children.
However other verses state we should be: "As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things, (2 Cor 6:10 KJV). I figure one of the ways to do so is to look @ what one has (instead of doesn't have) and to meditate on Christ's sacrifice and God's glory as David did in many Psalms.
God gave up His Son for each individual and we're told we have to be ready to: (Luke 14:26 (KJV) "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
Thank you Dorothy. I mentioned in my earlier comment that "I do think it likely that Job lost all his children when the building collapsed". (This might have been missed or misunderstood by some of the respondents here, I'm not sure.) But probably the main reason I thought it was likely, were the words of that messenger [which you've referred to], "I only am escaped...".
Brother Stewart,Kindly note that during the exodus, the total number of people given that left Egypt,were of men and young men who can be included in the battle they were to face with women and children left out of the censure.Men were head of families.That is why Moses used to call all men to the tent of meeting as they represent their families.Exodus 12:37-38,Numbers 1:46.
So it is worth noting culture was factored in.As Dorothy had put it, its clear that the daughters were there.The issue of escape does not arise neither being mentioned.After the collapse of the house in which they were feasting all died except the messenger who was there, witnessed and now telling Job.
I find no where in the story of Job a place to minimize the suffering of Job. The pain became much better after his friends turned the attention to criticizing and blaming him with sinning. As well as near the end when God restored all that Job suffered and more. I would imagine that Satan inflicted pain beyond what he expected would cause Job to curse God. It is said to know how someone feels , walk a mile in their shoes.
i mean we all believe at some point that our suffering is so much than the next person, untill we meet someone seemingly suffering more than us according to our eyes. n honestly we all know that the kids died.
I think that if Lucither had free range in doing what he could to Job, I don't think Job was over stating his demise.
This is a word of God, its not all about your mighty singing in the church or your calm uninsultive code of conduct, what matters most is what you does to God's people in need,Thanks to God
I beg to disagree Stewart. Job did not overstate his grief. His daughters were with his sons. They all died. This is what the lesson was teaching today. We each suffer pain. What is painful to me might not be to you. You can never feel my pain. You may understand it, but you can't feel it. So no one's tribulation is greater than another except Jesus.
what is the author of the lesson trying to say?
Hi Mqhele, I think the writer is saying that we all have pain, but pain cannot be measured so we cannot judge someone's pain as more or less than others or your own. We are all the same where pain is concerned. We all hurt. But we can empathise with others through their pain. In other words we can help them bear their pain as best as we can without being judgmental. Have you ever had someone ask you "how are you" and before you can finish answering them, they are telling you all their woes? It is as if your pain isn't as bad or as Important as theirs. Truth is, we all go through our own crucibles. Others might misunderstand us but God is with us through them all. I hope this helps.
When Paul spoke of "light affliction", he spoke on behalf of all his brethren.
"OUR light affliction", he says, "which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory". (2Cor 4:17) Paul's "affliction" included being beaten with rods, being a night and a day in the open sea; it included suffering hunger, cold, and lack of clothing. Paul was also afflicted with opposition. Some sought to kill him; others sought to ruthlessly discredit him. But of all his own hardships, and of all the hardships faced by his brethren, he says, "our light affliction...".
After him, there were many that suffered terribly for their faith. Their skin and flesh was flayed; molten lead was dripped and poured down their throats. The "science" of affliction [both physical and emotional torture] was studied and honed, and yet these still spoke of their ordeal as, "our light affliction...".
Compare Job 6:2-3
Paul compared our afflections to the glory we are to behold in the hereafter (Heaven), i thought he understated the matter but on a more careful thought, he didn't, bearing in mind all the that bible has revealed about heaven.
Job on the other hand did overstate the matter like you correctly observed Mr. Stewart cos if all his challenges outweighted the sands of the sea, then he meant they were overbearing, yet our heavenly father said He will not allow us to face challenges that outweight what we can bear. I think one outstanding difference between us and Job is that we have better knowledge about God than he did, glory!! But yet again he was able to weather ''his'' storm than many with a better know-how of God today ever can.
I think challenges are personal just like we are all different (perspective wise, environment wise, culture, etc.). Different people, different strokes. I think this is obvious enough, dunno how else to analyse this other than what God said about not giving us trials that we cannot bear. God bless you all.
It's quiet hard to feel another's pain. Just this year, early march, I had followed my expecting wife to the labor ward, and when she started panting and grasping for breath in untold pain, I almost fainted. I sobbed like a baby..and yet all the pain in me was not even half of what she was experiencing. I was overtaken by emotional pain , but I guess she had both physical and mental. Jesus cautioned us not to 'judge' others. U may judge someone wrongly simply because you never' ever understand the weight of pain or problems they are carrying,.
The loss of one child is bad enough, however the Bible mentions he lost all his children, 7 men and their three sisters, who were invited to the feast.
Not to decry anybody else's grief, but only in an effort to bring some relativity to it, I would mention an episode involving Abimelech, the son of Gideon. In an attempt to secure the throne to himself, Abimelech killed 70 of his brothers. There was one brother however, - Jotham, the youngest of Gideon's sons - who managed to escape the murderous scheme. (Judges 9:5.)
One able commentator remarks that "this was a usual way of securing an ill-gotten throne" (Clarke). Another says that "such wholesale slaughters have always been common in Eastern monarchies" (Barnes). Jotham's grief at the murder of all his brothers must have been tremendous, but such tragedies were not uncommon. Familiarity with death never makes such killings acceptable, and yet my point is that we ought not to think that our tragedy is greater than somebody else's. If a man owned 10 sheep, and lost them all to thieves, and then saw his family killed before his eyes; is that man's tragedy any less than that of the man who lost 10,000 sheep to thieves, and lost his children in a freak "accident"?
I am saying, in effect, that while Job lost a lot, numerically speaking, his losses were not much necessarily greater than those of other people in his day.
Just maybe because of how much sin this world has taken on, how much we see on a daily basis, our hearts have become much harder, and even the disciples who spoke of their pain as minor afflictions (although horrible), it shows that through time and exposure to sin we all become hardened - but Job was early on in the history of our planet, and according to Satan, his life was easy and blessed (Job 1:9,10), so possibly Job's heart was untainted from sin, still a heart of flesh, soft and loving, feeling his loss with greater agony than one with a hardened heart. Ezekiel 36:26, 27 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
Good point Jill. I especially like the contrast between the heart of flesh and the heart of stone. The heart of flesh can feel - it is sensitive - it is able to feel things deeply; whereas the heart of stone does not feel (neither the grief of others, nor the promptings of the Holy Spirit).
I must agree with regards to the early timing of the Book of Job. Although I suggest that it was post-flood, because we hear of the Sabeans (Job 1:15) and the Chaldeans (1:17), and I believe that both those groups came into existence after the flood. But were the old cultures then less accustomed to death and suffering [and therefore more sensitive to them when they came]? Jill, I don't think I could share/embrace that thought. In my opinion there would have been more barbarity, even in the time of Job, than there is now. Even then I would say that life would have been regarded [by many] as a very "cheap" commodity.
Hi Elizabeth,
I really was questioning Stewart's statement and agreeing with your point. My enquiring mind did not allow me to express myself clearly.