March 19, 2024

Are All of My Problems God's Fault?

Job 12

Chuck Adair
Tuesday's Devo

March 19, 2024

Tuesday's Devo

March 19, 2024

Tuesday's Devo

March 19, 2024

Tuesday's Devo

March 19, 2024

Big Book Idea

God is at work even when we can't see it.

Key Verse | Job 12:10

In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind.

Job 12

Job Replies: The LORD Has Done This

1 Then Job answered and said:

2  “No doubt you are the people,
    and wisdom will die with you.
3  But I have understanding as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know such things as these?
4  I am a laughingstock to my friends;
    I, who called to God and he answered me,
    a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
5  In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
    it is ready for those whose feet slip.
6  The tents of robbers are at peace,
    and those who provoke God are secure,
    who bring their god in their hand. 1 12:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

7  But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
    the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
8  or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; 2 12:8 Or or speak to the earth, and it will teach you
    and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9  Who among all these does not know
    that the hand of the LORD has done this?
10  In his hand is the life of every living thing
    and the breath of all mankind.
11  Does not the ear test words
    as the palate tastes food?
12  Wisdom is with the aged,
    and understanding in length of days.

13  With God 3 12:13 Hebrew him are wisdom and might;
    he has counsel and understanding.
14  If he tears down, none can rebuild;
    if he shuts a man in, none can open.
15  If he withholds the waters, they dry up;
    if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16  With him are strength and sound wisdom;
    the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17  He leads counselors away stripped,
    and judges he makes fools.
18  He looses the bonds of kings
    and binds a waistcloth on their hips.
19  He leads priests away stripped
    and overthrows the mighty.
20  He deprives of speech those who are trusted
    and takes away the discernment of the elders.
21  He pours contempt on princes
    and loosens the belt of the strong.
22  He uncovers the deeps out of darkness
    and brings deep darkness to light.
23  He makes nations great, and he destroys them;
    he enlarges nations, and leads them away.
24  He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
    and makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25  They grope in the dark without light,
    and he makes them stagger like a drunken man.

Footnotes

[1] 12:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
[2] 12:8 Or or speak to the earth, and it will teach you
[3] 12:13 Hebrew him
Table of Contents
Introduction to Job

Introduction to Job

Timeline

Author and Date

The unknown Israelite author of this book presents Job as a person living in Uz (see note on 1:1). Job’s godliness (1:1) matches the ideals of Israelite wisdom literature. He clearly knows Yahweh (1:21). The events of the book seem to be set in the times of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).

Theological Themes

The book of Job concerns itself with the question of faith in a sovereign God. Can God be trusted? Is he good and just in his rule of the world? The book shows that the reasons for human suffering often remain a secret to human beings.

In the book of Job, God seems both too close and too far away. On the one hand, Job complains that God is watching him every moment so that he cannot even swallow his spit (7:19). On the other hand, Job finds God elusive (9:11). Though God is greatly concerned about humans, he does not always answer their most agonizing questions.

At the same time, Job’s friends offer no real help. They come to “comfort” him (2:11), but Job ends up declaring them “miserable comforters” who would console him “with empty nothings” (21:34). These friends represent an oversimplified view of faith. They think that all human troubles are divine punishments for wrongdoing. Their “comfort” consists largely of urging Job to identify his sin and repent of it. These friends are negative examples of how to comfort those who are suffering.

The book illustrates that one does not need to fully understand God’s will in order to be faithful while suffering. Those who suffer need not be afraid to express to God their confusion and questions.

Purpose

The book of Job was written to those who struggle with the question of how God can be good when the world is filled with suffering.

The author does not provide a formal defense of God’s justice. Rather, as Job’s friends offer their inadequate answers, the author shows how their reasoning fails. Then, in chs. 38–41, the Lord speaks in his own defense, bringing Job to fuller understanding (ch. 42).

Even during his suffering and confusion, before God finally speaks, Job can triumphantly declare, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (19:25).

Outline

  1. Prologue: Job’s Character and the Circumstances of His Test (1:1–2:13)
  2. Dialogue: Job, His Suffering, and His Standing before God (3:1–42:6)
    1. Job: despair for the day of his birth (3:1–26)
    2. The friends and Job: can Job be right before God? (4:1–25:6)
      1. First cycle (4:1–14:22)
      2. Second cycle (15:1–21:34)
      3. Third cycle (22:1–25:6)
    3. Job: the power of God, place of wisdom, and path of integrity (26:1–31:40)
    4. Elihu: suffering as a discipline (32:1–37:24)
    5. Challenge: the Lord answers Job (38:1–42:6)
  3. Epilogue: The Vindication, Intercession, and Restoration of Job (42:7–17)
The Global Message of Job

The Global Message of Job

Universal Questions

With its story of one man’s life and suffering, the book of Job raises universal questions. Why do people suffer, especially godly people? Where is God in suffering? Can God be trusted amid suffering? Job’s friends try to answer such questions with superficial and simplistic solutions, eventually earning God’s rebuke (Job 42:7–9).

Ultimately we learn from Job that we can hope steadfastly in our sovereign God. Instead of providing easy answers to hard questions, this incomparably glorious, all-knowing, and almighty God presents to people in all places and in all times the simplest, most powerful, and most universal answer to these questions. God’s answer to human suffering has everything to do with his own infinite goodness and care for his creation.

Suffering in a Fallen World

In the life of Job we see the breadth and depth of human suffering. We see suffering in health (Job 2:7), suffering in the loss of property (1:14–17), and suffering in the tragic death of family members (1:18–19). In Job we also listen in on a discussion in the heavenly courtroom between God and Satan (1:6–12; 2:1–7), in which God delights in the upright life of Job. There we are given a window into the normally invisible reasons for our trials and suffering.

Sin and suffering. Suffering is universal, though the kind of suffering differs from circumstance to circumstance. Sometimes we suffer because of our own sin. There is no such thing as sin without consequences. Sometimes God himself directly chastises his people for their sins. However, Job’s friends are wrong to assume that his suffering is a direct result of disobedience (Job 8:4), and it would likewise be wrong to conclude that all or even most suffering in the world today is divine punishment for specific sins. The speeches of Eliphaz (chs. 4; 5; 15; 22), Bildad (chs. 8; 18; 25), and Zophar (chs. 11; 20) reflect such wrong assumptions.

Common suffering. Another type of suffering is what we might call “common suffering.” This is suffering that affects all people without distinction. It is simply the result of living in a fallen world. It includes health problems from colds to cancer. It includes bad weather, earthquakes, and typhoons. It includes financial struggles, and even death itself. Each tragic incident in Job’s life includes an element of this common suffering.

Godliness and suffering. Not only are godly people afflicted with suffering just as others are, but the godly experience some kinds of suffering due specifically to their godliness (Matt. 10:24–33; Acts 14:22; 2 Tim. 3:12). Faithfulness to Christ will bring insult and at times persecution—suffering that could be avoided if we were not disciples of Christ. We see this principle in Job, for it was precisely Job’s uprightness that prompted God to single him out to Satan and then led Satan to seek to afflict him (Job 1:8–12).

Devastating suffering. Job’s suffering is uniquely profound and painful. Some suffering, we learn, defies any category. We discover in Job that Satan has a hand in some of the suffering of God’s people (Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7; compare 2 Cor. 12:1–10). But even such demonically instigated suffering is not outside of God’s sovereignty. Nor should our focus be on Satan when we suffer but rather on persisting in steadfast faith amid such God-ordained pain. At the very least a lesson to be learned from Job is that our vision and insight into suffering is severely limited. What is not limited, however, is God’s perfect understanding and sovereign control over every event in our lives. In the “Yahweh speeches” of Job (chs. 38–41), God does not engage Job in the details of his questions and complaints. Rather, God reminds Job that God is God and Job is not. God laid the foundation of the earth (38:4); he is God over the seas (38:8, 16), over the stars (38:31–33), and over every creature (39:1–30; 40:15–41:34).

A Global Message of Comfort and Hope

The almighty, all-good God. Despite its focus on challenges and sufferings, the book of Job speaks a message of great hope to the world. We live in a world longing for comfort and hope, and such hope is found in the sovereign God who sees, who is good, and who is faithful. We are not victims of random fate or uncontrolled circumstances. We are loved faithfully and passionately by a sovereign God who works all things for our good (Rom. 8:28). The suffering global church can take comfort amid suffering, knowing that God is pleased with our faithfulness to him, even as God expressed delight in “my servant Job” (Job 1:6–8; 2:3). James 5:11 reminds us that God will fulfill his good purposes and is indeed compassionate and merciful toward his people.

No neat formulas. Living an upright life of faith in God does not exempt us from suffering. This was the fundamental misunderstanding of Job’s friends (Job 8:6) and the reason that their “comfort” was so “miserable” (16:2). Indeed, in Job and in all of Scripture we see that suffering is a part of the experience of godly people, and that suffering is also a means for our sanctification. Suffering is a blessing as through it we learn that God’s ways and purposes are much greater than we can know (chs. 40–41). His purposes and faithfulness are much greater than the achievement of ease and a comfortable life; the global church must not make an idol out of worldly comfort and earthly abundance.

The sufferings of the Savior. Job confessed faith in the living Redeemer (Job 19:25). That Redeemer would one day come and suffer for us on a cross. Here we have yet another kind of suffering, the atoning sufferings of Christ. He suffered for our salvation, bearing the penalty for our sin. It is also our great privilege to share in his suffering (2 Cor. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:8; 2:3; 1 Pet. 4:13). These are not the sufferings of health problems or bad weather or the consequences of our own folly. These are sufferings that flow from our union with and loyalty to Christ. There is a global attack on the righteous, but God will continue to provide sufficient grace to his people (2 Cor. 12:9).He will grow both his people and his kingdom through such suffering as it is endured in faith.

Our Intercession and Mission of Hope

Though God’s righteous anger burned against the three friends of Job, their folly was forgiven in response to the righteous intervention of Job’s prayers (Job 42:7–9). What then is the Christian response to those who suffer—and to those who cause suffering?

We are to intercede for the world, both in prayer and in life. We are to “comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1:4). This comfort must find expression in our ministry and service to those in need both where we live as well as around the world—to orphans, widows, and all those who suffer.

This comfort is most gloriously and eternally known as the church ministers the gospel of new hope in Christ to the world—to the lost, to the downtrodden, and even to our enemies (Matt. 5:44). For the greatest suffering in this world is not the loss of property or even family; it is to be lost in sin, without the living Redeemer.

Proverbs Fact #1: Wisdom

Fact: Wisdom

Wisdom is a key term in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. The word can mean “skilled at making sound decisions in life.” Proverbs 9:10 states that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”

Job Fact #1: Comfort

Fact: Comfort

Comfort is a key word in the book of Job. When faced with personal tragedies, Job receives no comfort from his friends (16:2). But when God answers him (see chs. 38–41), he finds the comfort he needs.

Job Fact #7: Three cycles of conversations

Fact: Three cycles of conversations

The book of Job includes three cycles of conversations in which the friends of Job offer their comfort and advice, and then listen as Job responds. The first cycle covers chs. 4–14.

Job Fact #15: Elihu

Fact: Elihu

Elihu is the only character in the book of Job with a Hebrew name.

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar

After the Lord allowed Satan to afflict Job, three of his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, came to comfort him. However, all three wrongly assumed that Job’s suffering was the result of some hidden sin. Each man urged Job to repent so that God would have mercy on him. But Job insisted that he was innocent. Although it is true that some suffering is a result of sin, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar oversimplified this truth. They believed that all troubles are punishments for wrongdoing, which was not the case for Job. The wrong actions of Job’s three friends should remind believers today to be wise and sensitive when dealing with people in distress. The Lord rebuked Job’s three friends and instructed Job to pray for them. (Job 42:7–9)

Study Notes

Job 12:2–3 Job reveals his frustration through sarcasm. Responding perhaps to Zophar’s wish that God would tell Job “the secrets of wisdom” (11:5–6), Job says, “wisdom will die with you.” In other words, Job’s friends seem to think that they alone are wise.

Study Notes

Job 12:4–6 Job argues that his friends’ understanding of wisdom seems to ignore both the suffering of the righteous and the security of the wicked. Furthermore, while true wisdom would make a person want to comfort those who are suffering, his friends have shown contempt instead (see note on 6:14).

Job 12:6 Job’s reference to the tents of robbers may have been in response to one or more of his friends’ earlier assertions (see 5:24; 8:22; 11:14).

Study Notes

Job 12:7–9 Job suggests that his friends inquire of the animals and plants of creation, because they know that it is the LORD who governs all of life.

Study Notes

Job 12:18 He looses the bonds of kings, that is, kings lose their thrones. The bond is the royal sash or belt.

Study Notes

Job 12:21–24 He pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in a trackless waste. God governs the powerful as well as the weak. Loosens the belt is a way of describing the disarming of a soldier.

Study Notes

Job 12:13–25 In these verses, Job asserts that God’s providential governing of the world is much more extensive than his friends realize.

S3:057 Job 12

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Dive Deeper | Job 12

The book of Job is a powerful revelation of who God is. As we journey through this book, we see glorious pictures of God's character, His greatness, and His power. And here, in Job 12:10, we see His sustaining power in our lives.

Job, a man who had lost everything, including his children and his wealth, was going through the most difficult time in his life. In the midst of his suffering, he questioned the ways of God and wondered why he had to endure so much pain. Despite his despair, Job acknowledged the greatness of God and the wisdom that comes from Him. Let's look at what Job concludes.

Job recognizes that all of creation is under the control of God. The animals, the earth, and the sea all demonstrate the wisdom and power of God. Job understands that God is in control of everything, including his own life, and he can trust Him to provide for his needs.

 Job argues that God does it all. He is sovereign over everything, even suffering. Job's comforters, who accuse him of diminishing God, are really the ones who have a small view of God. They cannot understand how God can use even suffering for His purpose.

As we go through our own struggles and difficulties in life, we can learn from Job's example. Instead of questioning God's ways, we can trust in His sovereignty and wisdom. We can look at the world around us and see the evidence of God's power and love for us. We can take comfort in the fact that God holds our lives in His hands, and He will never leave us or forsake us.

Job 12 teaches us about the greatness of God and the wisdom that comes from Him. It reminds us that all of creation is under God's control, and we can trust in His sovereignty, even when we don't understand His ways. Let us look to God for comfort and guidance in every aspect of our lives, knowing He holds us in the palm of His hand.

This month's memory verse

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

– Romans 5:8

Discussion Questions

1. In Job 12, we are reminded of how powerful and sovereign God is. How does God's power and sovereignty bring you encouragement?

2. Read Job 12:10 again. How are you comforted by knowing that in God's hand is the life of every living thing, including the breath of all mankind? Explain your answer.

3. According to Job, what does God do with those people who think they are secure in their own comfort?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

GJ

greg jones

@Phillip Metcalfe yesterday For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. Job 11:6b In the book of Job, Job himself is “a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil”, so says God. (Job 1:8) What Job has received he has received for being too good. Per the book of Job Zophar is not speaking rightly of God as Job does. In the end God will exact less than Zophar’s guilt deserves when he brings a sacrifice and Job prays on his behalf. Ironic considering it was Zophar speaking to Job. The picture that is painted in Job is more in line with a thought that is expressed in Isaiah 40. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand <<<double>>> for all her sins. Isaiah 40:2
GJ

greg jones

“As we go through our own struggles and difficulties in life, we can learn from Job's example. Instead of questioning God's ways, we can trust in His sovereignty and wisdom.” Isn’t the example that Job will set happen in about the next 20 seconds of this speech when he actually does question God’s way in his situation? “How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. Why do you hide your face and count me as your enemy? Will you frighten a driven leaf and pursue dry chaff?” Job 13:23-25 Job in other words. Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him? Will you show partiality toward him? Will you plead the case for God? Will it be well with you when he searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man? Job 13:7-9 I see the example of Job as being, he questions the “God answers” that his friends are giving him. There is much that they agree on but they are coming to different conclusions Those answers give his friends comfort and it’s a comfort that is blinding them to the reality of their day in the narrative. For Jobs part their conclusions are not aligning with what he has experienced. He feels entitled to question God’s reasoning. Will you show partiality toward God by speaking falsely about him while pleading his case for Him? A pretty profound question. As for the book of Job it is much more profound than “have you considered my servant Job”? that was asked in heaven. Now on earth Job and his friends are considering God. His friends are like, Job have you considered God? And now between Job and his friends we have to consider who is “baraking”, that Hebrew word in the first two chapters that means to bless but is used as a euphemism for curse. On the one hand we have Job’s friends defending God. Sounds like a blessing, saying all the right that wouldn’t step on God’s toes. On the other hand we have Job demanding answers. That probably sounds like Job cursing God while he stomps on his foot to his friends. We know who God sides with in the end.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Hey Chuck! Thanks for how deeply you minister to the body of Christ. Your regen testimony is one of the most powerful ever. V. 3--"But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you." What struck me is that Job's statement nails the heart of defensiveness. He is protesting the unfair judgment from his friends, but "I am not inferior to you" is striking in how it expresses the hurt of a heart that feels looked-down-upon. I'm thinking of how Jesus responded when the self-righteous religious folk looked down on Him in contempt and disgust. He knew they were judging Him wrongly and sinfully, but He was never defensive--because He was completely grounded in His Father's love and acceptance. His self-image and self-esteem were totally impervious to the judgment of people with darkened understanding, who could not see God Himself standing before them. When we receive the truth, revealed in scripture, that like Jesus, we are also the Father's beloveds, our hearts can be so filled with grace that we don't feel the need to even feel, much less say, "I am not inferior to you,"
PM

Phillip Metcalfe

@gregjones21737 I appreciate your response and insight! Thank you!
LG

Linda Green

Thank you for today’s encouragement! Comforting reminders that God is in control no matter what is happening in the news or in the world. Come, Lord Jesus!
AL

Amy Lowther

1. God is a person higher than all of us who cheers for and supports all of us. God helps set order in life and in opportunities in a clear way so we don”t stress things. 2. It is a conversation piece when no conversation seems to be available. 3. They are secure. They have wisdom and might. Chuck - Thank you for sharing your ideas. You make good points in saying, “Instead of questioning God's ways, we can trust in His sovereignty and wisdom. We can look at the world around us and see the evidence of God's power and love for us”. Excellent!
MS

Michael Scaman

In this chapter there is the one and only time in the whole book of Job where a mere person calls God YAHWEH, the more personal covenant name, and it is Job and only this time Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? Job 12:9 And he is talking about the animals. Perhaps it is written for the readers as the narration uses YAHWEH at the beginning and end while YAHWEH speaks through the whirlwind. It adds to the mystery of what God is doing as Job's wife, Job's friends, Elihu and Job all except this one time use more distant words like El Elohim, El Shaddai, Eliaoh. And they aren't covenant people. Let's make a song as if by Lauren Daigle Title Creation Knows, Why Don''t you? as if by Lauren Daigle Verse 1: In the whisper of the wind, Yahweh's voice resounds, Through the dance of leaves and the song of birds, In the depths of the sea, His power abounds, And in every creature, His presence is stirred. Chorus: The birds know why, why don't you? The wind knows, why don't we? In every whisper, in every view, Yahweh's glory, for all to see. Verse 2: From the towering mountains to the smallest ant's crawl, Yahweh's handiwork, in every detail, is clear, In the silence of the night, in the daylight's sprawl, His creation sings His praises, far and near. Chorus: The birds know why, why don't you? The wind knows, why don't we? In every whisper, in every view, Yahweh's glory, for all to see. Bridge: Let us open our eyes, let us open our hearts, To the wonders around us, to the divine art, For the birds know why, why don't you? The wind knows, why don't we? Chorus: The birds know why, why don't you? The wind knows, why don't we? In every whisper, in every view, Yahweh's glory, for all to see.