WHY ME, LORD? WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS?
Job 3:25-26
Dr. Glenn A. Jent, Pastor
INTRODUCTION
Job had a wonderful life. He lived a life of devotion to God. He was a faithful man of God. You would think that everything would be all right in his life. Right? Wrong! It does not matter how good a person you are, because you have an enemy—an enemy that is determined to defeat and destroy you. Being faithful and blessed of God does not exempt you from Satan’s attacks; rather, it makes you a more likely target. In light of these facts, let us examine and try to understand more fully what happened to Job.
I. “THE THING THAT I FEAR HAS HAPPENED”
1. There are two types of tragedies.
(1) There are impersonal tragedies.
Sabeans steal his work animals and servants.
Lightning strikes and kills all of his sheep and their caretakers.
All of his camels are stolen and their caretakers slain.
(2) There are personal tragedies.
A great wind collapses a house, and all ten of his children are killed. Job experiences pain from horrible-looking sores all over his body.
2. There are two types of responses.
(1) His wife cries out sympathetically. "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die?”
(2) His response is appropriate. "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"
II. THE THOUGHTLESS COMMENTS OF HIS FRIENDS
1. There are different kinds of friends.
(1) The three: Eliphaz, "The Voice of Experience"; Bildad, "The Voice of Tradition"; and Zophar, "The Voice of Distilled Wisdom"
(2) The one: Elihu, who come later, "The Voice of Youthful Zeal"
2. There are different kinds of messages.
(1) God is just. He blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked. They say Job is suffering because he has sin in his life (see chs. 4-5).
(2) It makes no difference to God whether you are righteous or wicked. The only difference is to the individual—i.e., the righteous person is blessed and the wicked person is cursed. They think that God does not care (see ch. 22).
(3) Prayer—confession of sins—will make everything all right (see 36:8-12).
III. THE IMPROPER REACTION OF JOB TO HIS FRIENDS
1. Job takes a defensive stance.
(1) He defends himself against false accusations and bad theology.
(2) The more he justified himself, the more he wanted to defend himself before God.
2. Job makes an offensive mistake.
(1) He was guilty of demanding justice; we should always beg for mercy!
(2) The more he demanded the trial before God, the more alienated from God he became.
IV. THE MIRACULOUS APPEARANCE OF GOD
1. God does NOT offer to explain the reasons for Job's suffering but simply reminds Job of the greatness of His creation and Job’s limited understanding.
2. God asks Job if he intends, by justifying himself, to condemn God.
CONCLUSION
The statements of Job's beloved wife did not bring comfort to him, or to her. The arrival of the friends of Job did not help him; rather, they added to his suffering. The appearance of God did not help him understand the reason for his suffering; rather, God simply helped him to endure it BECAUSE HE REVEALED THAT HE DID CARE AND THAT HE DID LOVE HIM! And, after all, is that not what we most need in the midst of our suffering—to know that someone, especially God, cares about us and loves us? After Job had come into the presence of God, his whole attitude changed. He saw a righteous and holy God and fell down and worshipped. He no longer cared about and thus did not ask God, “Why?”
Friends, let us understand this reality of life. Sufferings will come! Bad things can and do happen to good people! Thus, let us learn well the lesson of Job. Let us trust God in all of life's circumstances—both good and bad. Let us learn to say with Job: "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him" (13:15). If Job could cling to his hope with his limited revelation of God, how much more we should be able to hope in God in light of our knowledge of what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross! We know that there is a life after death (because of Christ's resurrection) and that there will be an eternal reward for suffering and remaining faithful to God.
“Oh soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.”
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