April 19, 2024

Is God even listening?

Job 30

Martha Illarramendi
Friday's Devo

April 19, 2024

Friday's Devo

April 19, 2024

Friday's Devo

April 19, 2024

Friday's Devo

April 19, 2024

Big Book Idea

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

Key Verse | Job 30:26

But when I hoped for good, evil came,
and when I waited for light, darkness came.

Job 30

1  But now they laugh at me,
    men who are younger than I,
whose fathers I would have disdained
    to set with the dogs of my flock.
2  What could I gain from the strength of their hands,
    men whose vigor is gone?
3  Through want and hard hunger
    they gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation;
4  they pick saltwort and the leaves of bushes,
    and the roots of the broom tree for their food. 1 30:4 Or warmth
5  They are driven out from human company;
    they shout after them as after a thief.
6  In the gullies of the torrents they must dwell,
    in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
7  Among the bushes they bray;
    under the nettles they huddle together.
8  A senseless, a nameless brood,
    they have been whipped out of the land.

9  And now I have become their song;
    I am a byword to them.
10  They abhor me; they keep aloof from me;
    they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me.
11  Because God has loosed my cord and humbled me,
    they have cast off restraint 2 30:11 Hebrew the bridle in my presence.
12  On my right hand the rabble rise;
    they push away my feet;
    they cast up against me their ways of destruction.
13  They break up my path;
    they promote my calamity;
    they need no one to help them.
14  As through a wide breach they come;
    amid the crash they roll on.
15  Terrors are turned upon me;
    my honor is pursued as by the wind,
    and my prosperity has passed away like a cloud.

16  And now my soul is poured out within me;
    days of affliction have taken hold of me.
17  The night racks my bones,
    and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest.
18  With great force my garment is disfigured;
    it binds me about like the collar of my tunic.
19  God 3 30:19 Hebrew He has cast me into the mire,
    and I have become like dust and ashes.
20  I cry to you for help and you do not answer me;
    I stand, and you only look at me.
21  You have turned cruel to me;
    with the might of your hand you persecute me.
22  You lift me up on the wind; you make me ride on it,
    and you toss me about in the roar of the storm.
23  For I know that you will bring me to death
    and to the house appointed for all living.

24  Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand,
    and in his disaster cry for help? 4 30:24 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
25  Did not I weep for him whose day was hard?
    Was not my soul grieved for the needy?
26  But when I hoped for good, evil came,
    and when I waited for light, darkness came.
27  My inward parts are in turmoil and never still;
    days of affliction come to meet me.
28  I go about darkened, but not by the sun;
    I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.
29  I am a brother of jackals
    and a companion of ostriches.
30  My skin turns black and falls from me,
    and my bones burn with heat.
31  My lyre is turned to mourning,
    and my pipe to the voice of those who weep.

Footnotes

[1] 30:4 Or warmth
[2] 30:11 Hebrew the bridle
[3] 30:19 Hebrew He
[4] 30:24 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
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.

Study Notes

Job 30:4 The plants mentioned here represent desperation.

Study Notes

Job 30:1–8 Although Job had delivered the truly needy from their unrighteous oppressors (29:11–17), those who now mock him are themselves needy, because of their own actions and foolishness.

Job 30:8 The Hebrew word translated senseless implies that these men are morally responsible for their circumstances (compare “foolish,” 2:10; see the description of the foolish in Prov. 1:7, 29–32).

Study Notes

Job 30:11 loosed my cord. God has taken away Job’s security (compare 29:4).

Study Notes

Job 30:9–15 Job describes his three friends as casting off any restraint, as if they were taking advantage of an easy military conquest (through a wide breach).

Study Notes

Job 30:16 my soul is poured out. A description of grief.

Study Notes

Job 30:24–31 Job pictures himself as one of those whose cries for help he used to answer (vv. 24–25). In his own distress he has only found evil where he hoped for good (v. 26), and isolation and mourning (vv. 27, 29–31) when he has called for help (v. 28).

S3:076 Job 30

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Job 30

Job believes that God is no longer listening to him and even that He is persecuting Job amid his calamities. At times we might ask ourselves the same question, "God, do you even hear what I'm saying?" I assure you, He does. The problem is we're not listening to Him. We are awaiting a response that aligns with what we feel we deserve, just like Job, who believed that God should listen to his cries and respond according to his good deeds. In Job's eyes, he had done all that God had asked of him. It is difficult for anyone to believe that a good and just God would listen to the desperate cries of Job and allow this type of pain to be inflicted. Yet, this happens every day in different ways. 

Psalm 10:17 says that God hears the desire of the afflicted, and Psalm 9:12 reminds us that He never forgets the cry of the afflicted. He is a God that hears the affliction in our souls and bodies even when we do not cry out to Him (Genesis 4:10). He is a gracious God; and His response is just, loving, and worthy so we should to listen to it even when it doesn't make a sound. The affliction can become so strong that it can be difficult to remind ourselves of this in those moments, but we must make sure that we listen intently to the sound of God's grace more than our pain. Then our faith can overpower our unbelief. Because it is in those moments that good comes to us, and evil leaves, that we live in the light, and we step away from darkness.

Job focuses on:

  • I've done good. Why doesn't good come to me?
  • God has turned against me and has purposely inflicted me with this pain.
  • I'm crying out to you, Lord, but all you've done is turned my affliction into more pain.
  • Everything around Job had become overwhelmingly painful.

His focus has shifted from the goodness and trustworthiness of God to Job's own pain. May we keep our focus on listening intently to the sound of God's grace in our lives.

This month's memory verse

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

– Galatians 5:22-23

Discussion Questions

1. What pain causes you to go beyond the sufficiency of the Lord or the belief in His goodness? 

2. What do you long for that has not come?

3. In what areas have you believed that God has not heard your prayers?

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!

MS

Michael Scaman

In Job 29, Job recounted his blessed life now then in Job 30 how his happy story was upended. Joel Olsteen might have troubles coming up with a sound way to look at Job with his 'Your Best Life Now" approach and mightgive a bit too easy and answer, something like: "Friends, when we look at the story of Job, we see a man who faced unimaginable trials and tribulations. Despite losing everything—his wealth, his health, even his family—Job remained steadfast in his faith. He didn't give up on God, and God didn't give up on him. You see, Job's story teaches us an important lesson about the power of faith in the midst of adversity. Even when we're facing our darkest moments, we can hold onto our faith and trust that God has a plan for us. Job's faithfulness eventually led to his restoration—God blessed him with even greater wealth and prosperity than before. So, if you're going through a difficult time right now, I want to encourage you to hold onto your faith. Trust that God is working behind the scenes, orchestrating a beautiful plan for your life. Your suffering won't last forever, and God will bring you through it stronger and more resilient than ever before. Remember, like Job, your best days are still ahead of you. Keep believing, keep trusting, and watch as God turns your trials into triumphs. Amen." A more sound mature view might be from Augustine of Hippo who might say My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we contemplate the life of the righteous Job, we are confronted with the enigma of human suffering and the mystery of God's providence. Job's story, with its juxtaposition of apparent blessings and sudden hardships, resonates deeply with my own journey of faith and discipleship. In my youth, I pursued worldly pleasures and ambitions, seeking fulfillment in the pursuit of knowledge and success. Yet, like Job, I discovered that earthly treasures are fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying. It was only through a profound encounter with the grace of God that I found true peace and purpose in life. But even in my newfound faith, I have not been immune to the trials and tribulations of this world. Like Job, I have experienced profound losses and setbacks, moments of doubt and despair. The death of my dear friend and the loss of my beloved son Adeodatus were particularly agonizing trials, testing the depths of my faith and resolve. Yet, through it all, I have come to understand that suffering is not without purpose or meaning. Just as Job's trials served to refine and purify his faith, so too have my own struggles deepened my dependence on God and strengthened my trust in His providential care. Indeed, it is in the crucible of suffering that our faith is tested and refined, and our souls are made fit for the kingdom of God. So too do I affirm my trust in the goodness and wisdom of God, even in the face of life's greatest challenges.
MS

Michael Scaman

Job lost his children in a terrible wind event. Job feels like he's being tossed about in a divine wind event (here in Job 30:21-23 ) 21 You have turned cruel to me; with the might of your hand you persecute me. 22 You lift me up on the wind; you make me ride on it, and you toss me about in the roar of the storm. 23 For I know that you will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living." God is about to speak to Job in a terrible wind event.
JC

Jason Cromwell

In a lot of ways I'm like Job. A couple of bad things, no problems. It's when all the bad news comes at the same time I feel overwhelmed.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Thank you, Martha. I loved this: "listening intently to the sound of God's grace in our lives." Job continues to pour out his DEEP depression. Dr. Constable divides this chapter into Job experiencing disrespect, disregard, and despondency. (I do love me some alliteration!) Knowing, as we do from the opening chapters of this book, that it's not God inflicting such pain on Job but Satan, provides such an amazing perspective on everything we read. It's such a good reminder that "all the available facts are not all the facts," and we never have the full picture of ANYTHING. I have had the opportunity to remind myself of this in the last week. My husband, son, and I arranged ourselves in our back yard, eclipse glasses on and intently looking at the sky. I kept praying, as I had for days and especially that morning, for the Lord to hold back the clouds so we could see totality. The once-in-a-lifetime blessing that had been on my calendar for YEARS. As the sun got to 98%, then 99%, a HUGE dense cloud rolled in, completely blocking the sun. It got dark . . . and that was the extent of what we were able to see. The only view of the sun's corona we got came from other people's pictures. People at the Hope Center, 2 blocks south of us, saw the sun. People at THEO (home school classes), several blocks north of us, saw the sun. We did not. It is tempting to ask, "What the heck, Lord? Why'd You do that to us? Why did millions of people testify, 'The clouds parted just in time for me to see totality,' but not for us? Are You punishing us?" But there's a bigger picture and a reason we don't discern, and we need to trust the Lord with what we didn't see (see what I did there?) . . . just as Job needed to.
AL

Amy Lowther

1. Extreme pain, but in trusting others who believe, I return to God and life ends up ok (with less pain). 2. God is good. God helps me set goals. God helps me be realistic. God helps me be patient and knowledgeable not to long for things. 3. God hears all prayers. Martha - Thank you for sharing your ideas. I like your point, “God; and His response is just, loving, and worthy so we should to listen to it even when it doesn't make a sound. The affliction can become so strong that it can be difficult to remind ourselves of this in those moments, but we must make sure that we listen intently to the sound of God's grace more than our pain. Then our faith can overpower our unbelief. Because it is in those moments that good comes to us, and evil leaves, that we live in the light, and we step away from darkness”. Excellent!
JC

Jason Cromwell

As I sit here tonight this story isn't some story in a Dusty Book somewhere (a common knock against the Bible). I'm sitting in a Hotel Room, not because I'm on a super awesome vacation, but because Tuesday my house caught on fire. The rooms, except my bathroom, are fine. I just have no ceiling from my hallway down. My bathroom is gone. This was after fighting a virus for a week that came out of nowhere. Bad things still happen and atheists don't stop having problems. I would rather have God in these situations than not. Just a thought.