Job: Chapters 22-24

Eliphaz Speaks: Job's Wickedness Is Great

Arapahoe Basin - Colorado

Are you arrogant enough to believe you profit God? Clearly, you have profited yourself and God has found no pleasure in your 'right' actions. Therefore you must not be acting rightly, He profits not from your blameless ways, not that I believe for a second that you are blameless. Do you think he punishes you due to your fear of Him? He judges you because you have honored Him? Your evil is rampant within your heart, even though it isn't obvious to man, but God sees the iniquities of your ways. You allow your brothers to suffer, you strip those who have nothing and leave them with less than before, you've withheld food from the hungry and stuffed your coffers with a surplus, those who are thirsty are offered nothing but the door. Widows come before you and you refuse aid, the fatherless child cries and you turn away, this is why you are surrounded by tragedy - because of your actions! Will you stay on this trodden path that many wicked men have walked and continue to consider yourself upright? Look to the heavens! Does not God reign above all and see all? Or, are you cynical enough to believe that there is a veil between yourself and God? Perhaps you believe your true self is not visible to the Almighty? God blessed your house with riches and wealth beyond your worth, now you shake your fist at God because he has stripped away from your ill-gotten gains? You are lying to yourself! Agree with God's judgment of you and be at peace, listen for instructions from His mouth and store those words in your heart for the rest of your days. If you return to the Almighty and rebuke the life you have lived He will bless you abundantly. Merely remove injustice from your house and seek redemption, then he will bless you with gold and precious silver. You must pay your vows and then God will shine His light on you. He saves the lowly and delivers even those like you, who are not innocent, you cannot be saved by the cleanliness of your own hands.

Job Replies: Where Is God?

God has appointed me with this suffering and I do not understand His ways. I have held my ground and suffer on His foundational truth. However, I am bitter, my heart weighs heavy and I have been groaning for His presence. I yearn to be with Him and lay my case before the Almighty that He might bring me out of this darkness. I have many arguments I can bring before Him as to why I don't deserve that which has befallen me. If this opportunity were presented He would answer my contentions and I would understand His response. However, I press forward and He is not there, I look around in every direction and I cannot see Him. But, He knows the direction of my feet and He will bless me in the end. I have withstood these trials and treasured His commandments as morsels. His plan is the only plan, how can I rebuke it? Regardless of my opinion, He is God, God does what pleases Him. All that said: I am terrified at the thought of Him currently, He has weakened my heart and I am silenced in the weighing darkness.

Why doesn't the Almighty judge those who openly rebuke Him? Evil moves through people like snakes in the ground on earth, they make they're living off the pain and suffering of others and seek only to gratify themselves. Those who know Him still contend with the suffering of the world, why is this reality? There are many who are suffering within the world and it seems they are never restored from their agony. There are others who rebel against God and seek to watch the world burn. The adulterer waits for the cover of night and veils their face, they seek to strip pleasure from those who are weak and frail. They move in the shadows and live a life that is built on lies. They take advantage of those who are unable to see the lies in their eyes. Yet, God prolongs their days by His power and He watches their ways. They are raised up for a time and then disappear, eventually, they are brought low and gathered up like everyone else. If this isn't true, show me the truth?

Dear Lord, sometimes it is hard to find you through the veiled darkness that I have before me. I see you only through a cloud of my own sin and it keeps me from understanding you more and more. I fear you and I love you, I seek you and I run from you, I cherish you and I despise you, I am always changing my perspective on you so that it fits my own agenda. Change in me the way that I see you and your love. Amen. 

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