The Isolation of Suffering and the Triumph of of Faith
The Isolation of Suffering and the Triumph of Faith
Job 18-19
“He has removed my brothers far from me, and my acquaintances are completely estranged from me” (19:13).
We celebrate with a crowd, but we suffer in isolation. When we have a reason for celebration, we have a party, and all our friends and family come. But tragically and suffering brings an overwhelming sense of isolation and seclusion. This was the conclusion of Job.
As Bildad proclaims his second speech, he offers little compassion or sympathy. In his mind, we reap what we sow; therefore, Job is suffering as a result of his actions. We often find it easy to be judgmental of others who are suffering, especially if it is connected to a specific action. We blame a child who is burned by a fire because they were too close to the flames. If someone gets into an accident, it is because they were out too late or not driving defensively. There is something deep within us that wants to ascribe personal fault when bad things happen. How often, when we see someone living on the street, do we remain indifferent to their needs because we assume that their circumstances are a consequence of their own action? When someone gets sick, we attribute it to their unhealthy lifestyle. When someone is fired from a job, we attribute it to their lack of work ethic. This was the case of Bildad and his friends. For them, Job was suffering because of his sin. His problems were a result of God judging him for his sin. Instead of hope and comfort, Job only experienced further isolation and torment as his friends seemed to turn against him.
In Chapter 19, Job expresses what many of us often feel in suffering: the isolation and loneliness that accompany it. Instead of comfort, we get opinions on what we have done wrong. Instead of God bringing deliverance, heaven becomes silent. There is no greater terror than feeling abandoned by God. There is no more deafening sound than the silence of heaven. Instead of God bringing hope and comfort, it seems as if God has broken him on every side and destroyed any hope (vs 10). Instead of compassion, God appears to be treating us as his enemy (vs 11). In 7-22, Job is at the precipice of despair and hopelessness. Everyone has turned against him, and his friend joins God in persecuting him (vs 22).
Emotionally, Job is empty. He feels completely isolated, forgotten, and hopeless. Yet, even as Job stands on the edge of the chasm of despair, faith springs alive. It is when we are brought to the end of our rope that suddenly faith kicks in. In 19:23-29, we discover something unexpected. Even though he has lost all his possessions and his family, friends, and even (so it seems to Job) God himself has turned his back upon him, faith reignites. Faith enables us to see beyond the present and see the hope we have in eternity. As his friends condemn him and it seems that even God himself is wrongly condemning him, Job places his faith that there will be one who will defend him and prove his innocence. Throughout scripture, faith is not just grounded in the existence of God; it is grounded in the belief that there is one who will bring deliverance from sin and its destructive effects. It is not until the New Testament that this person is fully revealed. But the prophecies are enough for Job. Not only does he have faith in a redeemer, but he finds hope in the promise of the resurrection. Even as Job faces death, he is confident that he will live again.
This is the hope we all have when we place our faith in Christ. No matter how dark and foreboding life becomes in the present, there is hope for eternity because we have the full assurance of our redeemer and the promise of our resurrection.
Job 18-19
“He has removed my brothers far from me, and my acquaintances are completely estranged from me” (19:13).
We celebrate with a crowd, but we suffer in isolation. When we have a reason for celebration, we have a party, and all our friends and family come. But tragically and suffering brings an overwhelming sense of isolation and seclusion. This was the conclusion of Job.
As Bildad proclaims his second speech, he offers little compassion or sympathy. In his mind, we reap what we sow; therefore, Job is suffering as a result of his actions. We often find it easy to be judgmental of others who are suffering, especially if it is connected to a specific action. We blame a child who is burned by a fire because they were too close to the flames. If someone gets into an accident, it is because they were out too late or not driving defensively. There is something deep within us that wants to ascribe personal fault when bad things happen. How often, when we see someone living on the street, do we remain indifferent to their needs because we assume that their circumstances are a consequence of their own action? When someone gets sick, we attribute it to their unhealthy lifestyle. When someone is fired from a job, we attribute it to their lack of work ethic. This was the case of Bildad and his friends. For them, Job was suffering because of his sin. His problems were a result of God judging him for his sin. Instead of hope and comfort, Job only experienced further isolation and torment as his friends seemed to turn against him.
In Chapter 19, Job expresses what many of us often feel in suffering: the isolation and loneliness that accompany it. Instead of comfort, we get opinions on what we have done wrong. Instead of God bringing deliverance, heaven becomes silent. There is no greater terror than feeling abandoned by God. There is no more deafening sound than the silence of heaven. Instead of God bringing hope and comfort, it seems as if God has broken him on every side and destroyed any hope (vs 10). Instead of compassion, God appears to be treating us as his enemy (vs 11). In 7-22, Job is at the precipice of despair and hopelessness. Everyone has turned against him, and his friend joins God in persecuting him (vs 22).
Emotionally, Job is empty. He feels completely isolated, forgotten, and hopeless. Yet, even as Job stands on the edge of the chasm of despair, faith springs alive. It is when we are brought to the end of our rope that suddenly faith kicks in. In 19:23-29, we discover something unexpected. Even though he has lost all his possessions and his family, friends, and even (so it seems to Job) God himself has turned his back upon him, faith reignites. Faith enables us to see beyond the present and see the hope we have in eternity. As his friends condemn him and it seems that even God himself is wrongly condemning him, Job places his faith that there will be one who will defend him and prove his innocence. Throughout scripture, faith is not just grounded in the existence of God; it is grounded in the belief that there is one who will bring deliverance from sin and its destructive effects. It is not until the New Testament that this person is fully revealed. But the prophecies are enough for Job. Not only does he have faith in a redeemer, but he finds hope in the promise of the resurrection. Even as Job faces death, he is confident that he will live again.
This is the hope we all have when we place our faith in Christ. No matter how dark and foreboding life becomes in the present, there is hope for eternity because we have the full assurance of our redeemer and the promise of our resurrection.
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