Purposeful Suffering – Part 2

3:39O that I had one to hear me. Here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me. O that I had the indictment written by my adversary. Surely I would carry it on my shoulder. I would bind it on me as a crown. I would give him an account of all my steps. Like a prince, I would approach him. This is God's word, you may be seated. I me Job had an attitude. But we will get to that.

4:18Job, one of the greatest of all of the men of the East, had in a matter of days lost all of his wealth, all of his children. And had contracted a painful disease. Yet Job bore initially all of these calamities with amazing submission. He demonstrated that the superior worth of God becomes evident to all when God alone is our treasure. We saw this when he stated, The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord, in response to the loss of his wealth and of all of his children. And we also saw this when he stated, Shall we accept good from God and not adversity after he had lost his health?

5:24Yet I think it's one thing to experience a sudden tragedy, like a divorce, the loss of a child, or the discovery of some dreaded disease. It's quite another thing to experience the relentless misery of that loss for months or for years. We know that Job's faithfulness was not rewarded by the quick healing of his disease. If you looked at chapter 7, verse 2, like a slave, Job speaking, who longs for the shadow, and like a hireling who looks for his wages, so I am allotted months of emptiness and nights of misery are apportioned to me.

6:24Job's misery dragged on and on and on. So the question really arises now: why? Had not Job not defirmed the absolute sovereignty of God? Had he not bowed in submission? Had he not told the world twice that God alone is his treasure? So why does God not now restore his fortunes and give Job back what Job had? The answer is: Job, and because we get to read his story, and we have yet much to learn about suffering and about God.

7:14So we've been studying the book of Job. We are breaking the book into three parts: Job's initial response to purposeful suffering, chapters 1 and 2. Job's subsequent response in the middle. Of suffering, chapters 211 through the end of chapter 37, and Job's final response to purposeful suffering, chapters 38 through 42. But in the process, we were going to break this down and to answer just two questions: why do the righteous suffer, and what is the proper response of the righteous to suffering?

7:58Last week, we answered that first question: why do the righteous suffer from God's perspective? How suffering can benefit and glorify God? That is, how he would see it. This week, we will face the same question, but we're going to answer it from a different perspective, from the perspective of man. More about that in a second. And then in week three, we will answer the question: what is the proper response of the righteous to suffering? So, the central point of this sermon this week is to answer this question: Why do the righteous suffer from the perspective of man? That is, how does suffering benefit us?

8:44We will listen to three different attempts to answer this question. We will look at Job's count, the council of Job's friends in chapters 3 through 31. We will look at Job's Counsel in chapters 3 through 31, and then we will look at the counsel of Elihu in chapters 32 through 37. And we will learn that the correct answer from the perspective of man is that suffering is instructive and curative. It teaches us of our sinfulness and of God's grace and greatness. Suffering is instructive and curative.

9:30It teaches us of our sinfulness and of God's grace and greatness. Let us consider the first attempt at answering this question: why do the righteous suffer? And this can be found in chapters 3 through 31. In Job 2:11, we learn that three of Job's friends, Eliphas, Bildad, and Zophar, come to offer comfort for one entire week. They wisely just give Job their presence, and they sit quietly in support of silence. Then they launch into their argument. And you see that beginning in chapter 4 when Eliphas speaks. Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands, and your hands help them in stumbling, and you have made the feeble knees, and now it's come to you. We would have to read at that pace to get through from chapters 3 through 31 today.

10:30But obviously, to cover all of that ground, we're going to have to look at the headlines. All right? Obviously, when you look at the headlines in chapters 3 through, excuse me, from 4 through 31, largely, are 16 speeches. Eliphaz will speak, Job responds. Bildad will try and add something on, Job will respond. Zophar will speak, Job will respond. Eliphaz will speak again, and it goes back and forth, back and forth. 16 speeches. So let us look at the headlines of what Job's three friends are saying.

11:08They launch into their argument, and their answer, as Eliphaz will start, but Bildad and Zophar will have the exact same. Why do the righteous suffer? They don't. The righteous don't suffer. Only those, chapter 4, verse 8, only those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. That is, God punishes only the wicked and not the righteous, or stated differently. Suffering is the result of sin, and prosperity is the result of righteousness. Now, Job responds to Eliphaz's first attempt and says, wait a minute, that is just absolutely not right. Let me prove that. Protest my innocence. Show me where I have transgressed. We see an example of this in 6:24. Make me understand how I have gone astray.

12:17So, Job's friends, okay, that's not working so good. Let's now respond to what Job is saying. So, they respond to Job's defense by rebuking Job, by claiming, Job, you are not innocent. You need to put your iniquity far from you. We see an example when Zophar speaks: if iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and do not wickedness dwell in your tents. Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect, and you would be steadfast and not fear.

12:56Again and again and again, Job's friends insist that suffering is always the result of wickedness. You can see that again in chapter 15, chapter 18, and chapter 20. Job counters in chapter 21 with the defense that there is good evidence from all over the world that the wicked often prosper and the righteous often suffer. For example, 21, 7. Why do the wicked still live, continue on, also become very powerful? Their descendants are established with them in their sight, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, and the rod of God is not on them. They spend their days in prosperity, and then suddenly they go down to Sheol. Life's great here.

13:59Maybe bad later, but it's great here. The wicked prosper. They can push back. And finally, sensing that they just haven't been able to convince Job of his sinfulness in chapter 22, they accuse Job of imaginary sins. Look at 22,5. Is not your wickedness great and your iniquities without end? For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause and stripped men naked. To the weary, you have given no water, and from the hungry you have withheld bread.

14:45Job dismisses this final attempt at these made-up attempts. And the first attempt to explain the answer, why do the righteous suffer, is then responded to by Job's. Lengthy defense in chapters 29 through 31. This attempt by the three friends to explain that suffering is the result of sin and prosperity is the result of righteousness fails. But embedded within the debate is this second attempt to answer the question: why do the righteous suffer? And we find this in Job's counsel. So paraphrasing what Job is going to propose is this: suffering is arbitrary. God provides no rationale or justification for his actions. It's just arbitrary. It just happens. There's no explanation for it. We see Job's answer begin to develop through the course of this argument. And we're going to track it from chapter 3 through 31. Watch by the tone, even of how I read his responses, as he begins to get a little wound up, as he begins to explain that, you know, this suffering stuff isn't just because the wicked suffer. There's no reason for it whatsoever. You start it here in chapter 3, 3.11. Why did I not die at birth? Come forth from the womb and expire? Chapter 3, verse 20. Why is light given to him? Him who suffers, and life to the bitter of soul. We then begin to see Job's answer in his statement of innocence, chapter 6, verse 8. Oh, that my request might come to pass, and that God would grant my longing, would that God would be willing to crush me, that he would loose his hand and cut me off, but it is still my consolation, and I rejoice in unsparing pain that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

17:06We see Job's answer in his desire to argue with God, chapter 13. But I would speak to the Almighty, and I would desire to argue with him. It's kind of like a teenager. As a kid, they obey you, and as a teenager, they go, why? I want an explanation for this rule, right? That's what Job's saying here. He's saying, wait a minute, I've gotten a little older, a little more mature, and I think God owes me an explanation for what's going on here. We see this as Job becomes bitter. You will notice this in chapter 16, starting in verse 11. God hands me over to ruffians and tosses me into The hands of the wicked. I was at ease, but he shattered me. And he has grasped me by the neck, shaken me to pieces. He's also set me up as his target, and his arrows surround me. Without mercy, he splits my kidneys open. He pours out gall on the ground. He breaks through me with breach after breach. He runs at me like a warrior. I have sewed sackcloth over my sin. I've thrust my horn in the dust. My face is flushed from weeping, and deep darkness is on my eyelids. And all there is no violence in my hands, and even though my prayer is pure, God is arbitrary. There's no reason for this. We begin to see this as Job senses that he's been wronged. Chapter 19, verse 6. Know then that God has wronged me and has closed his net around me. Behold, I cry violence, but I get no answer. I shout for help, but there's no justice. Notice what his friends have been doing. They've got him kind of worked up. And as this argument and debate goes on, there's a spirit developing. And we really see this come all to fruition in chapter 23, as well as in 31 at The end of his defense, but chapter 23, we see this in Job's answer in his belief that God must agree with his arguments. Chapter 23, verse 1. Even today, my complaint is rebellion.

19:46Oh, that I knew where I might find him, and I might come to his seat. I would present my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn the words which he would answer and perceive what he would say to me. Would he contend with me by that greatness of his power? No, no. He will pay attention to me. And we sense this finally in Job's answer in his statement of how he would approach God. We just read it, but I'm going to read it again. Oh, that I had one to hear me.

20:31Behold, here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me. And the indictment which my adversary has written, surely I would carry it on my shoulder. I would bind it to myself like a crown. And I would declare to him the number of my steps. And like a prince, I would approach him. This is not. The Job of chapter one and two. No longer does Job pray for relief. He is ready to demand it. His life is meaningless. He is innocent. He is bitter. He has been wronged. He has a bone to pick with God. Why do the righteous suffer? Job says there's no explanation at all. It's arbitrary. In fact, I'm not even very happy with this God because he refuses to rationalize or justify or explain his actions.

21:43Let us now look at the third attempt to answer the question: why do the righteous suffer? In chapter 32, a young man named Elihu appears on the scene. And here we learn something. The real reason the righteous suffer. Suffering is instructive and curative. It teaches us of our sinfulness and of God's grace and greatness. So before we get into what Elihu says, why do we believe that Elihu's counsel is true? Borrowing some arguments from John Piper and Derek Thomas and kind of smashing them together. Let me give you some reasons. First, the words of Elihu are introduced to us in chapter 32, not as a continuation or repetition of what Job's three friends have said. Second, the writer devotes six chapters to Elihu's words. These chapters contain four separate speeches from Elihu. Now, it is true that Elihu can at times descend into that kind of instant retribution theology of Job's three friends. But it's also true that Elihu has some new and insightful elements in his speeches. And it would be very strange at this point that the writer would devote six chapters to Elihu if Elihu is saying the same old thing versus maybe saying something completely different. Third, Job never tries to argue with Elihu. He had argued with all three of his friends on numerous occasions, but he does not say one word against Elihu. The easiest explanation for this silence is that Job agreed with him. And in fact, in 42, 6, Job will actually repent of some of the things that Elihu. Calls out in Job's life. Fourth, God looks back over the period of suffering and he rebukes Job's three friends. 42, 7. The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.

24:35Why does God not rebuke Elihu? It's probably because most of what Elihu said was true. And in fact, much of what Elihu says is preparation for God and what he will say beginning in chapters 38 and on. So now that we believe that what Elihu says is true, what does he tell us? First, Elihu says that both Job and Job's three friends were wrong. Look at 32, 1. And these three men ceased answering Job because he was righteous in his own eyes. But the anger of Elihu, the son of Bereke, the Buzzite, the family of Ram burned against Job and because he justified himself before God. And his anger burned against the three friends because they had found no answer and yet had condemned Job.

25:38Now, his anger at the three friends is understandable. Their unrelenting message that suffering is always the result of God's punishment for some sin was ridiculous. They have sung this song of, you get what you deserve to death. But why has Elihu angry with Job? It is because Job was justifying himself rather than God. That is, he was claiming to be righteous while questioning God's righteousness. Job simply had gone too far in his cry of innocence. There's only one person who has lived in this world who's innocent and without sin, Jesus Christ. And we see that in John 8:46. Yet Job is so confident of his innocence, he's prepared to wear it on the shoulder, put it on as a crown, march into court, and defend himself in front of God himself.

26:52Arrogance. That's not confidence. Some might even say it's stupidity. So, some of you may be thinking, whoa, wait a minute. We have spent this whole time celebrating Job's response in those first two chapters. Job was blameless. And in fact, God calls him blameless in his discussions with Satan. How can Elihu accuse Job of sin? While all of what God said is true of Job before the trial, it has become woefully apparent that Job has failed to be blameless during the trial. Job has questioned the very integrity of God. He has called into question God's faithfulness. He has made God to be his enemy. He no longer has any confidence that God would give him a fair hearing in court. In essence, Job is no longer blameless. And this ignites Elihu's ire. And the first thing that Elihu tells us is: Job, you are not blameless. You have sinned. Second, Elihu tells us that suffering instructs us of our sinfulness. Job may have not. Been punished for some past sin when the trial began. But the suffering ongoing for potentially months has disclosed how far he is capable of falling. Job may have been blameless before the trial, but the events of these last days have given birth to demandingness, bitterness, and arrogance, just to name a few. As a reminder, look back again at chapter 33, verse 9. I am pure without transgression. I am innocent, and there is no guilt in me. Behold, he invents pretexts against me. He counts me as his enemy. He puts my feet in the stocks. He watches all my past. Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this.

29:40What sins are we capable of doing when God allows us to suffer? How far down into the abyss will we go if God steps back? What are we capable of saying? Of thinking, of doing. Job has begun to discover the sinfulness hidden down there in his heart. And before long, he will confess that sinfulness and says, I despise myself and I repent in dust and ashes. Elohue states that suffering can show us the sinfulness of our hearts. Third, Elohue teaches the suffering instructs us of God's greatness. We'll see a lot more of that next week. But Elihue makes this point in his fourth and final speech, verse 26 of chapter 36, 36, 26. How great God is and beyond our understanding. He makes a similar point in 37, 5. God's voice thunders in marvelous ways. He does great things beyond our understanding.

31:09For those of you who have suffered mightily, you learn that suffering makes us realize how small we are and how big God is. Suffering reminds us who's in charge of the universe and why. Suffering instructs us of God's greatness. Much more about that next week. And finally, Elihu states that suffering is curative and it shows us God's grace. Elihu states in chapter 36: God opens their ear to instruction and commands that they return from evil. If they hear and serve him, they will end their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures. But if they do not hear, they shall perish by the sword, and then they will die without knowledge. Skipping to verse 15. He, God, delivers the afflicted in their affliction and opens their ear in time of oppression.

32:25Suffering is curative. We read this in the New Testament, Hebrews chapter 12, verse 6. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives. Suffering can actually be a sign of God's favor. And Elihu is stating that. He believes the righteous suffer not only because they have committed some particular sin. But it might be because the Lord is correcting them, teaching them, restraining them given their inherent sinfulness. Now, Christians, honestly, we struggle with this concept, but we aren't the only one. So did the Apostle Paul.

33:25Do you remember Paul's thorn in the flesh? To ensure that Paul was kept from being prideful, God allowed a thorn in the flesh to torment him. Actually, we should say God permitted Satan to torment him. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 7 states this clearly: To keep me from exalting myself, Paul speaking, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me. Yet, Satan can't do anything on his own volition. He must first appear before God and get his assignment, just as Satan got his assignment to torment Job.

34:26Three times, Paul asked for the removal of this thorn. And three times God said no. He refused. It is because pain can teach us submission in a way that nothing else can. It can drive us to God for a way and help that nothing else does. It can show us that his grace, that's how Paul responded, that his grace is sufficient. It can grow us in Christ's likeness. It can teach us of God's grace. So, in summary, Ellahue teaches us that suffering is instructive and curative. It teaches us of our sinfulness and of God's grace and greatness.

35:17So, in closing, I would like to provide you with one warning and one encouragement: beware of demandingness. That's my warning. I wonder sometimes if the strength to deal with tough times is sometimes supported by the quiet but unspoken but strong hope that a good response from us will result in a quicker end to our trials. Remember that a demanding spirit can disguise itself in the clothing of fervent petition. But I think it's also true that the longer that we wait for hoped-for relief, the greater the struggle becomes to trust God's goodness. When things do not go well, especially for an extended time, when our heart is filled with more pain than joy, the temptation to let our desire become a demand becomes the strongest. It is neither the hurt in our soul, it's okay to hurt, nor the desire for relief and satisfaction, it's okay to thirst.

36:58It is demanding relief that is wrong. When we demand relief of our thirst now, we're not affirming God's absolute sovereignty, nor are we bowing in submission. Beware of demandingness. That is the warning. Here is the encouragement: embrace therapeutic suffering. Sometimes the righteous are punished for their sin. That is, God allows them to reap what they have sown. We get it. We've seen it. We've experienced it. But just as often, the righteous suffer in order to glorify God. Or, as stated last week in our first sermon, the superior worth of God becomes evident to all when God alone is our treasure. That's the first reason we should embrace therapeutic suffering. It will allow us to glorify God.

38:02But the second reason we should embrace therapeutic suffering is it enables us to grow in Christ-likeness. Malachi 3:3 states very clearly, He, being God, will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study, and they wondered, what does this statement meant about the character and nature of God? One of the women offered to go find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at the next Bible study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him work.

38:47She didn't mention anything about her interest beyond the curiosity of learning about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver Silver over the fire and let it heat up. And he explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flame was the hottest to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in a similar spot and thought again about that verse that says, He sits as a refiner and a purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time while it's being refined.

39:40The man answered, yes. He had not only had to hold the silver there, but to keep his eyes on the silver the whole time it was in the fire. If the silver was left one moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith the $64,000 question: How do you know when the silver is fully refined? He smiled and answered, That's really easy when I see my image on it.

40:23Recognize that suffering is apportioned to us as individually designed. Expert therapy by the loving hand of our great physician. And its aim is that our faith might be refined, our holiness might be enlarged, our soul might be saved, our God might be glorified. Embrace therapeutic suffering. Let us pray. Lord, may we stop and consider your wondrous works. We do not know how you lay up your commands or cause the lightning to shine. We do not know the balancing of the clouds or the wondrous works or your perfect knowledge.

41:36We do not know how you can do these amazing things. Teach us what we shall know so that we do not live in darkness. May we always recognize that you are almighty, you are great in power, just. And abundant righteousness. May we fear you. May we realize that we have no right to stand before you apart from the sinlessness of your Son who covers our own sinfulness. May we recognize your sovereignty. May we bow in humble submission. May we accept that suffering is instructive. May we accept that suffering can be curative.

42:39And may we accept suffering so that our faith might be refined, our holiness be enlarged, our soul might be saved, and that you may be glorified. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.