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- [00:06]
A
Hey, this is Shelby and Scott. We are in the book of Job. We're looking forward to walking you through these chapters. We hope walking through Job has been helpful for you so far. We'd love for you to leave a review, leave a comment, let us know what you think of this or any other episode. Scott, yesterday we talked about Bill Dad's second speech and he really focuses in. And we talked about this whole second cycle of speech focusing in on the description of the wicked. But Bildad was even implying that Job himself is wicked, that the only reason he could be suffering is because of his own wickedness. He should blame himself for that. So today we're going to get into Job's response. What's his response to Bildad's take on his suffering?
- [00:52]
B
Yeah, so kind of like he did in chapter 16, he starts by complaining about his friends. So back in chapter 16, he'd said he called them miserable comforters. And here he asked them, how long will you torment me and crush me with words? And so he, he complains about them. He, he, he talks again about how God's treating him like an enemy. And Job's like, hey, I haven't messed up my life. God has brought this on me, like I had nothing to do with this. And, and he tells the friends, look, even if I did sin, it wasn't against you. I didn't sin against you, so back off. And here's this long section in chapter 19 talking about how alone he is. And you know, Joe didn't mean this to be funny, but, but I think I find this moment of levity in chapter 19, verse 17, where he says, my breath is repulsive to my wife. I just think that's really funny. Comment. I don't know why, but just makes me smile in the midst of a very sad book.
- [01:39]
A
Yeah, for sure. Yeah. There's moments where certainly humor makes its way into these difficult conversations. Okay, so Eliphaz and Bildad have now had their second speeches, which should bring us to Zophar's second speech.
- [01:57]
B
Yeah, and we'll conclude the, the second cycle of speeches today. So Zophar speaks. This is actually the last time he speaks. He didn't speak in the third and final cycle. And essentially what he points out here again is that the wicked. Yeah, the wicked do sometimes prosper. He's like, I'll grant that. Which, that's been a point of conversation here. But he says what prosperity the wicked do enjoy is short lived, like it won't endure. Eventually he's going to Lose anything. The implication is that, hey, Job's former prosperity was kind of a fluke, and him losing everything is just God's justice finally catching up to Job. Job's response to this is, look, sometimes the wicked never face judgment in this life. They grow old, they increase in power. He says, they have lots of children, their livestock are fertile. They live these secure, very lavish lifestyles. And then they. They do all this while telling God, leave us alone. Like, don't bother us, God. And I. I love his comment verses 28 to 30 where he tells the friend, the friends are like, hey, look around. Where are the wicked prospering? And Job basically responds, y' all need to get out and travel more. You know, that's the new Scott translation of that. But, and this is a really, again, a very common observation in these wisdom books. Like, one of my favorites is Psalm 73, where the wicked are prospering so much that the psalmist says, have I kept myself pure in vain? But what he reminds himself of, and what the cross of Christ I think makes clear beyond any doubt, is that though the wicked often do prosper in this life, their prosperity will not endure. The only prosperity that endures awaits God's people on a new earth. Until that happens in this world, the righteous will often suffer. And Hebrews 11 shows us this very clearly among many other places. And, you know, so while we suffer, we are to run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. That's Hebrews 12:2. And you know, Peter speaks to this as well too. In his first letter, he says, let those of us who suffer, may we entrust ourselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good. Suffering may mark our lives, even our whole lives in this world. But let's press on, because the prosperity is coming and it will last forever in a new earth with Jesus.
- [04:16]
A
Yeah, so helpful to hear how you even tied in those New Testament scriptures that help us understand this passage. And, you know, I think the thing I'm taking away here is though we may suffer, we still have hope. And a moment that stuck out to me in our reading today was job 2125, where job simply says, I know that my Redeemer lives. And so while he doesn't understand why his Redeemer, why Christ has allowed this to happen, he doesn't understand if or when he will ever be restored. He knows that God is alive and that he is in control. And I think that's something that we can also hold onto in Seasons where we may wonder what exactly is going on in our lives in the midst of suffering. So, okay, Scott, we have made it halfway through the Book of Job. We are closing out this second cycle of speeches. We're gonna do the third cycle, and then the monologues that we talked about. That's kind of the structure of the book. But even in that, we have a lot to look forward to because before too long, we're going to see the Lord speak. And got to be just one of my favorite moments in all of Scripture, really. That's cool. Okay, we're going to keep going in the Book of Job. We'll have more tomorrow.