I’ve been reading through Job. It’s been a much different experience than any other book in the Bible. Not that many of them have been the same experience. Let’s just say it has been a unique journey making my way through the Old Testament. We can talk about that another day though.
Today I read Job 17. It’s a fairly short chapter. I would say go read it, but I don’t think that would be very good advice on its own. Job is a narrative, so reading one random chapter in the book would be like picking up The Great Gatsby and turning to a random chapter. It wouldn’t make much sense out of context. Let me tell you – context is crucial in Job; as it is in most of the books of the Bible; you might be able to get away with some verses in books like Psalm or Proverbs without knowing much of previous chapters, but typically context is more important than we beginners realize. And yes, I would still consider myself a beginner – no, I have no real credentials for you to consider anything that I say or write other than I’m trying and I love me some Holy Spirit guidance!
So Job. I’ve never really felt a true connection with many Bible people (I usually call them characters, but I think that alludes to the whole Bible being a piece of fiction; thus, I’m not a huge fan of the term “Bible characters.”); I can often relate to experiences and thoughts, but for some reason, Job feels like a buddy rather than just a story to learn from. Perhaps that reason is just this stage of my journey through the Bible, maybe it’s that my understanding of what I’m reading is growing, maybe God just really wants me to get it as I’m making my way through this particular book. I’m not sure, but it just feels so much different than reading Genesis, in which I felt more like an observer on other people’s lives, or Isaiah, where I felt truly moved by the lessons and hope he taught, or even Jonah, a book I know well from childhood in Sunday school and watching Veggie Tales.
You might be wondering, What in the world is she talking about that Job is her buddy? I think I can explain. When I’m reading this story, sometimes I feel like Job is with me reading alongside me. I thought, at first, that I felt like I was there with him through all his turmoil, but that doesn’t seem quite right because I know I would be thinking of all kinds of comebacks for all of Job’s less-than-supportive friends. No, instead, I catch myself focusing on certain places that bring me to a halt. Sometimes that halt forces me to think about my own life; and other times it pulls me further into the story as if that line or that chapter has something more waiting for me to grasp.
This might sound odd, but it’s like Job is pointing out certain spots over my shoulder saying, “Oh you’re gonna want to pay attention here,” or “Are you sure you read that right?” I even visualize him sometimes, not with distinct physical features by any means, but just the concept of him shaking his head, or scratching his beard as he recalls the different events of his life. But every time I receive this visualization, he’s always just slightly smiling. Grinning seems too lighthearted. There’s something else behind his smile. I know it has to do with everything he learned through all his hardships. It makes me eager to keep reading. I don’t always feel that way either. I’m still trying to find that true love of His word. Right now, I think I’m just getting to know it. Gotta know it to love it though!
Anyway, chapter 17 is labeled Job Prays for Relief in my NKJV Bible – if you were wondering which version I had. Actually, I’m gonna go read it again real quick to refresh my memory after unloading all my thoughts in the past several paragraphs. Give me just a second.
Okay, I’m back. Man, Job is sassy. That would be my professional assessment of Job’s interactions with his so-called friends. Now, more accurately, exhausted, forward, fed-up, and honest might be better words to describe his responses, but dang! Some of the things he says to his friends are downright dirty – like slap you in the face, I know you, and I know my Father, so you are about to get an ear-full.
I’m of course considering the conversations they are having in today’s culture, and I tell you what, there would be more passive aggressive social media posts and rumors whispered in homes and hallways than I would know what to do with. But that’s not how these guys handle their beef. They are all just straight up calling each other out. The tough part is, some things are called out in fear, others are desperate, while others still are hoping for Truth to be revealed. That is the main reason why I wouldn’t advise anyone to just jump into Job willy-nilly, no context.
Between Job and his friends, there is a lot to learn what not to do. That could be another reason I feel like Job is hanging out with me as I read. I don’t want to assume that he has done anything wrong or too aggressive if it wasn’t, so sometimes I think brief thoughts to him to make sure we’re still cool (If I could add a little laughing emoji right there, I would because I know I sound crazy, but ya know, the closer I feel to the Bible and the people, it’s probably for the better right?); eternity is a long time, we’ll probably meet at some point! I hope we get to talk about this stream-of-consciousness – that would surely give us both a good laugh.
Like I said, there’s a lot to learn about what not to do throughout Job, but some of it sounds dangerously wise. Job’s friends often use pieces of the Truth in order to convince Job that he has done something wrong to deserve everything that has happened to him. They’re caught in this cloud of fear because if Job hadn’t done anything wrong, they would all be at the mercy of these terrible things happening to them as well! In order to keep their sanity and comfortable lifestyles, they cannot hear, let alone believe, that Job has led an upright life. That could mean destruction for them all.
I can’t imagine how scary that would be for such awful things to be happening to a neighbor, a friend, seemingly without reason. I would be afraid too. Now do you believe me that reading Job without knowing the whole story could be dangerous to one’s theology? God himself says that Job is blameless and upright in chapter one. Unfortunately, Job’s friends didn’t have the Bible to check before accusing him of needing to repent.
Oh, but Job snaps back fast every time. He knows he hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s still confused as to why God has taken all of his good fortune, but he doesn’t for a second let his friends come at him without reproach. And I know I keep saying Job 17, but everything I’ve mentioned so far is mostly before chapter 17. So let’s get into what really set a fire under me today.
Job is devastated at this point and addresses that quite plainly in verse one. In verse 2 he makes an intentionally snarky remark in his prayer about his friends: “Are not mockers with me? And does not my eye dwell on their provocation?” If you aren’t sure what that means, I translate it a little something like this: “My friends are really grinding my gears here because they know everything they are saying isn’t fixing anything nor is it making me feel better. Can’t they just go away?” And it doesn’t seem like this was a prayer Job said in his head; he doesn’t care if they know how annoyed he is at this point. In fact, in the next few verses he speaks even more harshly about them saying he knows God won’t “exalt” them. I’m no scholar, but I do believe that means Job is saying they won’t be in heaven with God one day.
What?! Can you fathom being so direct with someone? Not just someone, but your friend! Someone you will have to see again after that moment!
The verse that hit me hardest is verse five, “He who speaks flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children will fail.” The rest of Job 17 is weighty as well; he stays hopeful through the intense grievances he is relentlessly encountering. But I can’t help but go back to reflect on verse five. I don’t know about anyone else, but I like my friends a lot. I love their company, their conversations, their care, their willingness to listen, their non-judgmental attitude towards me even if they know my past. I wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize those kinds of relationships. However, I’m worried that the last piece of that list is a cultural development over time rather than an aspect of friendship that people should cherish.
I’ve always leaned toward Miley Cyrus’ ideology “Only God can judge us.” (I am a little hesitant about using Miley Cyrus lyrics in my reflections on the Bible, but I’m just here to share my thoughts – no matter how off the wall they seem.) WIth that being said, I’m a little reluctant to say that’s not exactly Biblical – reluctant because that means I’m admitting to my lovely husband that I’ve been wrong (I do love him very much, I’m just not very good at admitting I’m wrong – it’s something I’m working on). I remember one day hearing him say we should judge each other; to which, I quickly retaliated with something along the lines of You don’t know me! Of course he does know me and did know me well at the time of this conversation as well, but my concept of love and relationship did not include “judging” each other. Most people I know would relate to that, yet 1 Corinthians 5:12 is pretty clear about christians judging each other. I would compare it to keeping each other accountable.
I personally don’t think we, as christians, are very good at judging each other because typically people’s judgements come out of a place of offense and comparison, and that has surely been induced from the competitive comparisons and superlatives of our western culture. Therefore, if we are called to judge each other from Biblical standards, Job was right in rebuking his friends (not in questioning God though, as you’ll see later in the book). He knew they were wrong, so he tried time and time again to show them.
When I started putting all of this together, I worried. I began to think of all my friends over the years. I thought of all the times I knew they were up to no good, and they knew I was up to no good, but out of fear of saying something that might ruin our friendship, we stayed quiet and let our dark secrets slip further and further away into the shadows. We prized the superficial expectations of friendship more than we even tried to understand the Word of Christ that we inconsistently yet “boldly” proclaimed. I use quotation marks there because I know my daily actions were not nearly as righteous, let alone as bold, as my worship in church on Sunday mornings.
My biggest concern is that the world has taught us – no, the enemy has taught us that our relationships with people are more valuable than a person’s relationship with God. I think what I’ve learned so far from Job is that we don’t want to call each other out on unbiblical actions and conversations because we are more invested in the presence of people rather than those people (and ourselves) being in the presence of the Lord. I believe we will be accountable for every opportunity we had to lead someone closer to Christ, and I don’t think the excuse “I was worried she might not like me anymore” or “I didn’t want to cause any tension or lose a friend” will work to convince God that it was worth losing her soul.
