Les Misery: How Long?
One Year Bible (Aug. 25)
Job 16:1-19:29
HOW LONG
How long…will I suffer?
How long… must I wait for answers?
How long---will this situation go on without answers?
We have all asked these questions at one time or another. In our study today we see “Bullseye Bildad” ask Job, “How long before you stop talking? Speak sense if you want us to answer!”
“Bullseye Bildad” could now be renamed, “Brutal Bildad”! In fact, “The Three Amigos” have turned into “The Three Avengers”. They are avenging “The Law” and attacking Job.
How long will “Brutal Bildad” have to wait? Probably not very long as Job is now near death… his strength has left him and he is waiting in the ashes. In Round Two of the “Why Does Job Suffer Debates”, death is now the imminent topic.
Job also asks the same question in return to Brutal Bildad, “HOW LONG…will you torture me?”
In Round One “The Three Amigos” debated Job on the issue that God ALWAYS Prospers the Upright and Punishes the Sinner. Job refutes them on this theology.
We are now in the midst of Round Two and the debate is growing fierce. There is no Compassion being used towards Job, only Confrontation and Condemnation.
Elderly Eliphaz stands on EXPERIENCE. He considers himself wise and the judge.
Bulls-Eye Bildad is BRUTALLY standing on “TRADITION”. He is the LAW without liberty or love. (He is pretty good at calling names too!)
Zealous Zophar is… well, VERY ZEALOUS! He is way past experience, tradition, or facts! His entire theory is based on ASSUMPTION. Job is way past innocent and already proven guilty in his mind. He is a lawyer specializing in Circumstantial Evidence.
We must ask ourselves this same question, “HOW LONG”?
It is interesting that Jesus, himself, asked this very same question in the New Testament and the answer is related to FAITH being BUILT or ACCOMPLISHED.
Listen to Jesus’ words, “You faithless and corrupt people! HOW LONG must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” (Mt. 17:17)
Jesus was actually dealing with a sick boy. (So, the theme was also suffering and sickness in this passage.) The people, including Jesus’ own disciples, were struggling to put their faith in him. He was dealing with their lack of faith.
We see the second example in Jesus’ teaching, where we see that the real issue was “Faith” not “Sin” or “Punishment”. John 9:2 tells us that the disciples were questioning Jesus. Like Job’s “Three Amigos”, they too grew up under the law. They believed that all sickness was related to sin. This left them in a rather judgmental state. So, they ask Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents?” Jesus answered them, ``Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God may be displayed in him.”
Job’s Three Amigo’s have a faith problem. They are brashly “Schooling Job” in his time of suffering, but hang on a little while longer because God is going “To School”l them very soon!
All three of “The Miserable Comforters” have expanded their scope and sequence in Round Two of the debates. Their new expanded theme is that “The wicked always suffer and only the wicked.” Job’s response is that the righteous suffer also, but they can’t get past BLAME.
I wish that I could tell you that “The Three Amigo School of Theology” is now defunct and inactive, but sadly it is not!
You can find self-righteous religious teachers today that still teach that if you are struggling and sick you have a “lack of faith”. You need a good “faith healing”! God made you to be healthy, wealthy, and blessed. He has created you to be “your best self”.
That is not the teaching in the book of Job, the Old Testament, the New Testament, or the words of Jesus! Wrong theology leads us to wrong teachings and wrong actions!
HOW LONG… until help is on the way in this “LES MISERY DRAMA”?
Check out Job 19:25-27. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.
Very shortly, it will be intermission time in our Job play, “Les Misery”, keep reading because it is about to have a big uplift!
