January 5 - Job 6-9: Job's Finds No Relief from His Woes - Or His Friends' Correction

Today’s Reading: Job 6-9 The Message, English Standard Version

This is one of those days reading The Message pays off. If you can, I would definitely suggest reading from it today (click on the link above if you do not have one handy).

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Job does not accuse God of wrongdoing. On the contrary, he continuously praises God for being just.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Job answers Eliphaz, “My misery is too great to be silent!" He calls out to God to end his suffering by killing him. “I have nowhere to hide! Your punishment is coming from all directions and even in my dreams! I don’t know what I did wrong!"
Bildad answered, “What is this jabbering? God doesn’t make mistakes. He only punishes those who are evil."
Job cries, “Yes! I know! He is awesome! But I still don’t know what I did! I feel incapable of making a defense because who could be the judge in my trial? No one but God!"

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Job defies his friends and continues to call out to God for an answer.

Eliphaz basically tells Job to be quiet because God is too awesome to complain to. Bildad tells Job he must be mistaken because God does not make mistakes. However, Job’s grief is too great to be muzzled. He must make sure God knows of his grief.

Job asks God to forgive his sins—even though he does not know what they are.

This is a gut-wrenching section of scripture. Job is on the brink of madness because he cannot understand why God would reject him. Yet never does he question God’s righteousness. He is humble even to the point of asking for forgiveness from sins he does not even know he has.

Once again, Job’s friends are (mostly) correct but their message is to the wrong person.

Please never tell a person their children died because the children were sinful. Even if the person died from a drug overdose and was a terrible person. God never makes things right by condemning the already-dead. Neither should we.

What else did you see reading this passage? Questions? Comments? Leave a comment in the section below or on the Sonoma Mountain Parkway Church of Christ Facebook page.