September 25, 2015
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

God's Discipline

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Opening Prayer

Lord, amid all the tension and turmoil around me, You remain my center, my strength and my hope.

Read Job 5:1-27

[1] “Call if you will, but who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? [2] Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. [3] I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed. [4] His children are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender. [5] The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from among thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth. [6] For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground. [7] Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. [8] “But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. [9] He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. [10] He provides rain for the earth; he sends water on the countryside. [11] The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. [12] He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. [13] He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away. [14] Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night. [15] He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful. [16] So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth. [17] “Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. [18] For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal. [19] From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will touch you. [20] In famine he will deliver you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword. [21] You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes. [22] You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the wild animals. [23] For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you. [24] You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing. [25] You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth. [26] You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season. [27] “We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself.”

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

“I cried out to God for help … When I was in distress, I sought the Lord” (Psa. 77:1-2). See Job 5:8-9.

What is your motivation for seeking God? It is sometimes hard to be honest with oneself about that. We tend naturally to be very self-centered, and true altruism is rare. Well, if Eliphaz’s first premise is that sin and suffering are inextricably bound together, his second is that suffering has an escape route. Blessings can be had. Misfortune, he says, is God’s rod of discipline (17) to promote repentance, leading to forgiveness and blessing. God inflicts pain, but also heals (18-19; cf., Deut. 32:39; Isa. 45:7). Job, Eliphaz tactlessly implies, is a “fool” (2-3) for being angry and resentful about what has happened. He contends that it is Job’s own fault that he has lost his possessions and his children–one harvests what one sows (2-7).

So Eliphaz’s next piece of advice is that Job should contritely seek God and therefore discover God’s blessings for himself: blessings such as safe harvests, protection, rescue, hope–and even replacement children (8-16,19-26). Stop moaning, Job. Just accept God’s discipline and trust him to put things right. Essentially, Eliphaz is counseling Job to serve God for the benefits that such devotion brings–to seek God for personal gain (the blessings) rather than seeking God for himself. If Job were to do this, of course, he would be falling into the very trap the satan has set (Job 1:9-11; 2:4-5).

Much of what Eliphaz says is good doctrine and supported by the New Testament (e.g., Heb. 12:4-12). By the end of the book, Job does experience huge blessing from God. Eliphaz’s mistake lies in assuming that Job’s situation fits into his preconceived ideas of what God is like. He fails to realize that Job could indeed be undeserving of his suffering. Retribution theory is neat and tidy, but God is not! We can never say we know everything there is to know about God.

Apply

What part of Eliphaz’s advice is true and applicable to you? In what way?

Closing prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray that I may learn from the hardships of life, and become more like Jesus through the learning process.

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