October 5, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Job? Here’s today’s reading:
Job 16 (NIV)
Job
1 Then Job replied:
2“I have heard many things like these;
you are miserable comforters, all of you!
3 Will your long-winded speeches never end?
What ails you that you keep on arguing?…..Continue Reading
19Even now my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is on high.
20My intercessor is my friend
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
I was so moved by these verses as Job is clearly so troubled and in agony with his friends, his loss, and the public nature of his suffering still he finds hope in God. Despite his momentary rants of frustration and despair these words remind us that he knows God is with him through it all.
Job answers these so called friends by saying that they miserable comforters and their words are vain. Job says that he could heap words against them if they were the ones suffering but he wouldn`t do it for he would show kindness instead of judgement upon them. Sometimes that is all we need to do is listen to someone and prayer for them. 1 Corinthians 13; 1,4 [ Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.] God bless us all as we show love to each other as Christ has loved us.
Job 16
4 I also could speak like you,
if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
and shake my head at you.
5 But my mouth would encourage you;
comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
This passage really jumped out at me as well.
Even now my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is on high.
My intercessor is my friend
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
on behalf of a man he pleads with God
as one pleads for a friend.
Man Job is such a tough book to read. His suffering is so great, and it can be hard to see him attribute that suffering TO God. While it is of course true that God allows trials to come upon us…at the same time, we know that God is FOR US. But how often do we attribute our suffering TO God…”God, if you loved me, you wouldn’t allow this thing to happen, or you wouldn’t have allowed this thing to happen.” And yet, God DOES love us. And He allows pain, suffering and loss to come upon His children, but it is not without purpose, and will not endure forever. And Job knows this too…even in his suffering, even in his attribution of that suffering toward God, he knows that he has an advocate and an intercessor. Those references propel me to 1 Tim 2:5 and 1 John 2:1…what a wondrous gift we have in the full revelation of Scripture. To know that Jesus Christ is our advocate and mediator before the Father, and that in Him, we know that our case is not only resolved, but that we are actually then adopted by the Father…heirs with Christ of the Kingdom. What a glorious truth!!
Amen, Sean!
Job 15
Job calls out his friend and let’s them know their words are not helpful and he would treat them better if the shoe was on the other foot. And yet he still feel as if he is a target of God’s and God is assailing him. He is also not getting any better treatment from other people as well. But as in the past he clings to faith and sees God as his advocate, intercessor and friend, which is certainly true. So glad that we have the promise that when we are wasting away on the outside we are being renewed on the inside day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. What a great promise when things aren’t working out well.
Job 16
Job tells his friends that if they were in this position, he would treat them better!
“Surely even now my witness is in heaven,
And my evidence is on high.
20 My friends scorn me;
My eyes pour out tears to God.
21 Oh, that one might plead for a man with God,
As a man pleads for his neighbor!”
Whenever I or someone else is struggling with illness I think of the verse in Psalms 73:25-26
“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.”
Job 16
Job says he would use words to encourage and comfort so that he brings relief to his weary friend. When we experience pain and suffering, we understand what the best way is to respond to those who are in despair. “My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man, he pleads with God as one who pleads for a friend.” We are blessed to have Jesus who intercedes before the Father for us. Because of this, we can have hope when we are hurting.