HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 825
JOB 6
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He gives rain for the earth
and water for the fields.
He gives prosperity to the poor
and protects those who suffer.
He frustrates the plans of schemers
so the work of their hands will not
succeed.
He traps the wise in their own cleverness
so their cunning schemes are thwarted.
They find it is dark in the daytime,
and they grope at noon as if it were night.
He rescues the poor from the cutting words
of the strong,
and rescues them from the clutches of the
powerful.
And so at last the poor have hope,
and the snapping jaws of the wicked
are shut.
“But consider the joy of those corrected
by God!
Do not despise the discipline of the
Almighty when you sin.
For though he wounds, he also bandages.
He strikes, but his hands also heal.
From six disasters he will rescue you;
even in the seventh, he will keep you
from evil.
He will save you from death in time of
famine,
from the power of the sword in time of war.
You will be safe from slander
and have no fear when destruction comes.
You will laugh at destruction and famine;
wild animals will not terrify you.
You will be at peace with the stones of
the field,
and its wild animals will be at peace
with you.
You will know that your home is safe.
When you survey your possessions,
nothing will be missing.
You will have many children;
your descendants will be as plentiful
as grass!
You will go to the grave at a ripe old age,
like a sheaf of grain harvested at the
proper time!
“We have studied life and found all this to
be true.
Listen to my counsel, and apply it to
yourself.”
Job’s Second Speech: A Response
to Eliphaz
Then Job spoke again:
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“If my misery could be weighed
and my troubles be put on the scales,
they would outweigh all the sands of the sea.
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6:6 Or the tasteless juice of the mallow plant?
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That is why I spoke impulsively.
For the Almighty has struck me down with
his arrows.
Their poison infects my spirit.
God’s terrors are lined up against me.
Don’t I have a right to complain?
Don’t wild donkeys bray when they find
no grass,
and oxen bellow when they have no
food?
Don’t people complain about unsalted food?
Does anyone want the tasteless white of
an egg?*
My appetite disappears when I look at it;
I gag at the thought of eating it!
“Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant my desire.
I wish he would crush me.
I wish he would reach out his hand
and kill me.
At least I can take comfort in this:
Despite the pain,
I have not denied the words of the
Holy One.
• Suffering
JOB 5:17-18
Though God later criticized Eliphaz
for not speaking accurately about him
(42:7), his words here do carry some
truth. Other Scripture passages confirm
that, like a disciplined child, we should
accept God’s correction and ask him to
bind our wounds and heal us. Can good
come from suffering? Of course. We
can develop character. We can become
more sympathetic to others. We can be
better equipped to counsel others in their
suffering. And we can know what it is
like to experience the wonderful balm of
renewal and healing.
• Compassion
JOB 5:27
Eliphaz was tall on advice and short on
compassion. In fact, Job exclaimed that
all three of his friends were “miserable
comforters” (16:2). When people are
going through severe trials, ill-advised
counsel is distasteful. They may listen
politely, but inside they are upset. Be
slow to give advice to those who are
hurting. They often need compassion
more than they need advice.