Afflictions

“Oh that I knew where I might find Him! that I might come even to His seat!” (Job 23:3)

This is Job’s reply to his friend Eliphaz’s accusations. Eliphaz is one of three friends who come to see Job when he is afflicted. Instead of comforting Job, his three friends accuse him of sin and the reason that all these bad things have come on him. Job had been esteemed for his riches, his position and power, but now he is stripped from everything. He had been considered a righteous man because of his prosperity. But now that everything he had was destroyed and his body was rotting with sores, they accuse him of living a lie. They say God is punishing him and now his unrighteousness has been revealed. When we read the book, the very first verse of the first chapter, we read, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” (Job 1:1) In Job 1:6-12 we learn the reason for his affliction. God gave satan permission to tempt him because he was a righteous man and God knew that Job would continue to worship Him in spite of his circumstances.

In our affliction many times we run from God. We stop attending church to take care of the troubles. We stop fellowship because we don’t want to explain our troubles. We stop praying because our minds are flooded with the trouble. But Job turned to God. He was seeking God. One has to understand God’s relationship with man in ancient times. Man did not have the privilege of coming before God’s throne of grace like we do. Those who believed in the One God, Creator and LORD God, from the beginning of time had knowledge of right living. Job lived in the time before the Law, after the flood and about the time of the Tower of Babel. Everyone did what seemed right in their eyes. There was no sin because there was no Law against sin. Those who believed in the One God learned about making sacrifices. There was not one place accepted by God at that time and there were no Levi priests yet. So, Job did what righteous men did at the time. He sacrificed burnt offerings to the One God. (Job 1:5) But God did not speak directly to man except to Noah, Moses, Abraham, Joshua and others we read about in the Bible. So, Job had not heard God’s voice. He hadn’t gotten any revelation of any kind. He just knew what was right to do from the teachings most probably handed down from Noah.

Job’s friends were not convinced of his righteousness. When things come against us, it may be the first thing that comes to our mind. What did I do wrong or what do I need to do right? But that is not the case in the New Covenant with Jesus. Jesus took away our sin. (Romans 5:8-11) We don’t earn God’s favor by doing “good.” We learn that from Job. To think we need to do something right or to stop sinning to win God’s favor is in error. Afflictions are not a result of doing wrong, sinning or not doing the right thing. Yes, we must try to stop sinning of course, but that’s a whole other topic. The Truth is that God has gifted man with His righteousness and His pure and holy nature to those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior. Afflictions may come due to bad decisions, wrong speaking and wrong actions from which we may have to suffer the consequences. But most times they’re barbs from the enemy and God allows them to perfect us, to strengthen us and to teach us. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” (2Corinthians 4:17)

Like Job, seek His Face. “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” (2Corinthians 1:3-5) How did we overcome? How did we triumph over the trouble? It was in His Presence that we received His power, His patience, His wisdom and His strength to continue, trusting our God and our Help. “...I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 121:1-2)