Wednesday: The Dilemma
Read the following texts in Job. What issue is Job wrestling with? What question does he not ask? Job 6:4–8, Job 9:1–12.
As stated in yesterday’s study, the issue of God’s existence never came up in the book of Job. Instead, the question was why was Job going through these trials? And, considering all that happened to him, it certainly was a fair question, especially because he believed in God.
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
If, for example, someone was an atheist and trials were to come, the answer about why could be relatively simple and straightforward to him or her. We live in a meaningless and purposeless world that cares nothing about us. Thus, amid the harsh and cold and uncaring natural forces around us, we sometimes are the victims of trials that serve no purpose. How could they? If life itself serves no purpose, then the trials that accompany that life must be just as meaningless.
While many might find this answer unsatisfying and hopeless, it certainly makes sense given the premise, which is that there is no God. On the other hand, for someone like Job, the dilemma is different.
Read Job 10:8–12. How do these texts help us understand the terrible questions that Job is wrestling with?
Yes, the question that Job is wrestling with is the same one that most believers in God have wrestled with and still do wrestle with: If God exists, a good and loving God, why do humans suffer the things that they do? Why do even “good” people, such as Job, go through calamities and trials that so often seem to produce nothing of value? Again, if the universe were godless, the answer would be that this is simply what it means to live in a purely materialistic cosmos in which human beings are merely the accidental by-products of atoms and molecules.
Job knew better than that. We do too; hence, the dilemma.
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The Lesson refers to Job 10:8-12.
Job's point in verse 8 is quite striking to me.
You "fashioned me" -- "took pains about me" in my creation (KJV margin) -- and "yet You would destroy me." I think Job had some real understanding and appreciation of the incredible skill that went into the construction of his body and soul.
He effectively says to God, "You construct a masterpiece of technical engineering, and have You constructed this body only to ruin and destroy it?"
I'm so glad that we have the story of Job in the Bible - Job had no idea what was going on - his loving God created him, and is now trying to destroy him. I am also glad that I don't have the dilemma that the world does - I know that there is a satan, and he is out to destroy anyone who follows God, when something bad happens to me I know that it is not God, it is satan, and I know that God gives the ability to go through, and that trials can help me to become a better person.
The text is saying, Job actually had a moment of doubt. Many times we talk about, and only dwell on Job's faithfulness, but here we see him wrestling and questioning himself about his God. The text shows how Job was full of sorrow, and grief, so much that he wanted to know if God is loving and Kind, why would he allow this to happen to his servant, especially this one!
Hi Ruschell, I totally agree with everything you have said here. So many Christians believe that it is a Sin to Doubt. Doubt is a nature part of being Human. As human, unlike the lower animals, we have been given the abilities, from God, to think, to reason, and to make decisions (whether right or wrong). God also gave us Free Will, from the very beginning, to choice the path we want to go based on our thoughts and reasoning.
Doubting is not sin; however, what we decide to do with our doubts could lead to sin. During his doubting period, Job could have decided to listen to his wife, who told him to "curse God and die" (she was doubting too). But Job decided, he made a decision, not to listen to his wife and to continue to be faithful to God even though he did not understand why he was going through this tribulation.
Every one of us has or have doubted at one point in our lives; maybe some of us are having some doubts right now. However, what should we do with our doubts? We should do as Job did. We should take our doubts to God, who will sometimes give us the answers we seek, and sometimes He will withhold the answers to our questions.
When I start to doubt, I immediately start praying that God show me the way, and protect me through my time of doubting; I don't give the enemy anytime to take advantage of my weaken state of mind. I've also learned that God has not answer all my questions, and has told me why, thru His Holy Spirit, which is that I'm not ready to handle the answers yet. God knows what we can bear! So, let us all be like Job, knowing that we can question God, but let's be determined to remain faithful to Him even though He doesn't answer our questions. Let's be comforted in the belief that even in not providing us with the answers, God has done this for our good. Be blessed!!
Hi Toni, yes you are exactly right, we can have doubt, but we should not give into that doubt! "Trust and obey is the only to be happy in jesus".
On the point about doubt, my mind goes to Gideon and his "fleece of wool".
He sought confirmation from the Lord that He had called him to do a work. Gideon put a fleece outside over-night, and the wool was soaking wet in the morning, while the ground was dry. This exactly fulfilled the prayer request that Gideon had made.
But then a rational doubt enters his mind. Wool naturally absorbs water, and this could be a rational reason for what had happened. So Gideon prays and asks for a second test/sign -- this time let the fleece be dry, and the ground be dry. And that is exactly what happens.
Now Gideon has no doubt. But God accepted the fact that Gideon's first doubt was not "disbelief" as such, but rational, reasonable, doubt.
(Judges 6:36-40)
A similar thing, of course, with Jesus and Thomas. Jesus accepted his doubt, and was willing to confirm His identity by the very method that Thomas requested.
correction on the second test/sign - "this time let the fleece be dry, and the ground be wet."
i like how you have linked the story of gideon to job, it is not wrong at times to ask, not question, God for a sign that indeed gives us assurance in times of doubt. if Job had asked God to show him a sign that he will deliver him at the right time from all his suffering, would he have been unreasonable? What would have been Jobs outlook if God had shown him that he was going to be delivered? I think if Job was shown the end, he would have become anxious, and that would have meant another test for his faith in God in addition to what he was going through at that time. its good that he didnt with that in mind.
Toni, I agree with your commentary.
I just want to add that in all of these, we, Christians and God's people by His election have faith and hope on our side. so long as we live we will never know the fulness of God even if we had a thousand years to our life span.
And so, come what may, I will live my life in Faith and full of Hope that my Salvation is near.
Eccle. 7:13, 14 Consider the work of God; who can make that straight, which he has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. Job did not do wrong to question what was happening to him, it is scriptural.
Brothers and sisters, I would like to invite you and I to read Isaiah 1:18 NKJV "Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord, Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool." It is unfortunate that Job didn't have this book of Isaiah as a resources for him to help him like we are today. God has always invited His children to come and reason together with Him. I maybe stretching it here, but I believe this is what God did with our first parents Adam and Eve. He allowed them to exercise their free will by asking Him questions.
The experience of Job and his reasoning is so profound, please, stop for a minute and ponder on his experience.
The invitation stand and you are ask to come and reason with our God.
Job showed that it is good to try and understand as much about God as is revealed in the Bible.
Shirley, from the text given in Job 9:1-12,his answer to Bildad is truly amazing to me. The knowledge and understanding about God and His nature that Job provides, touches what we have learned over thousands of years from the Bible and inspiration.
The Bible in the book of Rev 2:10 clearly states that; "Fear none of those tribulations that thou shall suffer, behold the devil will cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried, and ye shall undergo tribulations for ten days. Fear not, hold your faith till death and I will give you the crown of life"
God Himself did not tempt Job but He allowed the devil to do so. Most of the times its satan who tempts us into doing sin especially when he notices that we are faithful christians.
The Lord allows the devil to do so,because He is a fair God and He gave every being a choice to do what he/she wants. Sometimes i tend to think that He even gave satan a choice whether to tempt or not.
But finally we have hope, because the Lord Himself says He wont allow us to undergo temptations beyond our strength. He definitely will take us through the ordeal successfully. He did so to Job, so will He do the same to us if we only keep trusting in Him.
I believe Job's temptation wasn't beyond his strength
Though hard the struggles that Job endured, his acknowledgement of Who God is and What God did in Creation shows Job's faithfulness to The Creator! We also need to take from Job 10:8-12 to understand that admist our trials Our Creator knows and understands, and bore our affliction at The Cross and that also by our creation it is in Him that we move and have our being! Yet not once did Job ever fail to acknowledge God in all of this that he endured! God would not allow us to go through more than we can bear, afterall, the Creator took upon Himself our sorrows and pain: how could He not understand us? Yet we should remain true individually that since it is He who keeps us, it is He who'll bring us through no matter what our situation is.
"The Dilemma" ...fallen nature/the sinful flesh of humankind is systematically stimulated by the ego master, Satan and his demons. You may ask yourself, why is God allowing so much suffering ?
If you had not suffered as you have, there would be no depth to you as a human being, no humility, no compassion. You most likely would not be studying these bible lessons/or moderating them. Suffering cracks open the veneer of the fallen/sinful fleshy nature, and then comes a point when it has served its purpose. Suffering is necessary until you realize it is unnecessary.
In my humble estimation, God is in total control, even of Satan (as for instance, Job's story in the bible). In no way am I suggesting our heavenly Father is using Satan, God forbid! What Satan is or has become is likened to a virus and God has provided the anti-virus, Christ Jesus, an indescribable formula and mystery that all creation will study for eternity when the redeemed of this earth are returned to God's glorious bosom and heavenly abode.
Therefore, through Christ Jesus, true freedom and the end of suffering is alive and in us at levels we cannot fathom, so you can live in such a way as if you had completely chosen whatever you feel or experience at this moment.
This inner alignment with the Holy Spirit is the end of suffering, leaving the latter day Pentecost truly alive and well for all to receive today.
We have truly been set free, free to forgive the unaware , free to forgive ourselves for our part in it.
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
May God bless us all that keep coming back to these lesson studies, and in turn we be a blessing to those within our sphere of influence.
"Yes, the question that Job is wrestling with is the same one that most believers in God have wrestled with and still do wrestle with: If God exists, a good and loving God, why do humans suffer the things that they do? Why do even “good” people, such as Job, go through calamities and trials that so often seem to produce nothing of value?"
Do you wrestle with this? With the insight that SDA have on the great controversy scenario...this should not be an issue. I consider evil & suffering a given.
The discussion touches on God suffering with us in Christ. Exactly this is, what came to my mind studying this lesson. The book of Iob describes the suffering of Job. But behind the scene, invisibly to human eyes, there is a suffering God who is suffering with the pains of Iob. This can be compared with the book of Esther, where God never is mentioned, although He is directing the affairs of history.
As early as before the flood, the Lord was grieved to His heart at the great wickedness of man(Genesis 6:6). That same God was grieving at the death of Abel, at the wickedness of the Sodomites and the outcry of the victims (Genesis 6:20), at the banishment of Israel into the assyrien and of Juda into the babylonian captivity, until Christ Himself was suffering with and in behalf of suffering humanity. The truning point in the book of Iob (Iob 42:10) is casting a light of hope unto the final turning point of suffering humanity in a new creation(Revelation 21:4). Thus, the book of Iob is pointing foreward to the end of all suffering.
Winfried Stolpmann