Job 3,4

Chapter 3

After seven days of silence Job speaks in chapter 3. Job is lamenting being born and then saying there are those "Who long for death, but it does not come." Job does not curse God but he does go into "Why" mode. If I counted right He asks seven why questions. If I had to sum up Chapter 3 in one sentence I would use a why question. Job is asking, "Why has thou forsaken me." The words uttered by David in Psalm 22 and Jesus on the cross. Job knew the answer...acceptance. The words he spoke in 2:10 "Shall we indeed 'accept' good from God, and shall we not 'accept' adversity. That's a good lesson for us. We can know the answer but as Job does in Chapter 3 we fight it. Our trust and our resolve weaken.

Chapter 4

Now Eliphaz speaks. He's supposedly the oldest and the wisest. I felt during his talk that he was condescending and sarcastic. First he asks if he can talk but he doesn't wait for a reply he just jumps right in. Eliphaz based his speeches on two things: his observation of life "I have seen" (4:8) and some scary personal experience he had one night (4:12-21). Eliphaz put great faith in tradition as is later explained in Chapter 15 and his God was an inflexible lawgiver, "who ever perished being innocent" (4:7)? His philosophy left little room for the grace of God. He would have made a good Pharisee. The lesson for me in Chapter 4 is: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Or other peoples understanding. :)