Yesterday’s declaration (blog) had a different twist than most
Victors (readers) expected, including me because it wasn’t my intentional
goal. However, as I studied the second chapter
of Job much closer and conducted more research the Holy Spirit enlightened me
to share MJ’s story (Mrs. Job) through the eyes of a grieving mother and wife,
who like Job lost everything too. As I
began to humanize her experience and as a woman, wife, lover, mother and
friend, I was compelled to view her losses, disappointments and grief. No offense, but I have a feeling that the
majority of the commentators who wrote and/or teach about MJ were men living in
a fantasy that MJ should have sucked it up like a good little wife and not
complain, grieve or show any emotion. So
much for the status quo, Imma keep goin. Because we have so much ground to
cover, I would like to invite you to read yesterday’s blog: Job – It’s Nothing Personal Pt. 3.
Let’s pick up at Job 2: 11-13 paraphrased through my eyes.
Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar were all older, well established
more affluent friends of Job and each other. They initially heard about the
loss of all of Job’s children but based upon their distance it was impossible
for them to make the funeral. Since that
time they had heard all types of rumors about him by those who were far too
eager to offer their news and some even seemed excited about Job’s
misfortune. Through correspondence with each other they
decided not to subject themselves to hearsay but to arrange a trip to visit Job
together as brothers. It was a sacrifice to leave their business and families
but it was worth it because Job had been an incredible mentor to them and a
genuine friend, always willing to help.
During their journey Eliphaz said that one of his associates told him
Job fell into hard times because he had struck some shady business deals with
the Chaldeans. Zophar refuted that
because it was completely out of character for Job. Bildad cautioned that they not focus on
gossip but rather how they could be an encouragement to Job once they
arrived. The caravan finally stopped but
as they looked around they were confused as to why they had stopped in this
portion of the city which looked like a ghetto.
They confirmed the location with the caravan leader and he assured them
this was the spot. As they talked to the
caravan leader a woman made her way towards them. They didn’t recognize her, but MJ recognized
them right away. She sat her water jugs
down and came over to greet them. They
tried to hide their shock at seeing her look so, “industrial” but they didn’t
do very well. She saw how they looked at
her but she didn’t let it bother her.
She was so glad Job’s friends were here to visit she could hardly
contain herself. They put their
belongings in the modest tent that had become home to her and Job and then she
led them to their friend.
He was sitting where she had left him earlier that day when
she left to do her chores, in a pile of ashes.
When they saw Job’s condition and disfigurement tried as they may, they
couldn’t hide the shock of seeing their friend who looked like sitting death. As was the custom of expressing grief, they
tore their garments, threw dust above their heads and wept aloud. My God!!! My God!! Our brother and friend!! Be merciful!!
Job thought all of his tears were gone, but he soon discovered that he
had enough left to share with is dear friends and they cried until they were
all empty. As was the custom during that
time his friends did not speak until he spoke and so they sat there on the
ground with Job day and night for seven days.
When
Job finally does speak, his friends are shocked at his language as recorded in
Chapter 3. He is happy to see his
friends to have someone to talk to other than MJ (who is having the same
experience as Job minus the sores all over her body. But he is at a point now where he is clearly
frustrated due to his circumstances, but the lack of sleep and constant pain
would cause most of us to think and speak irrationally. He curses his conception and birthday,
suggesting it would have been better for him not to have been born or to have
been a still born birth. If he had died
at birth or was still born he would be at peace, etc. Job is right on the edge he is deeply deeply depressed
but he is not suicidal. He curses his
birth but does not curse himself or God.
Tania
not Tanya moment: Before you sit in
judgment of Job I need you to remember that he is human and just like 99% of
those listening (READING) we may have done the exact same thing if not
worse. Has he abandoned his faith, given
up on God, decided to throw in the towel.
No, he is simply having a meltdown and if you’re honest you will admit
that you have had a similar experience too and your stuff wasn’t nearly as bad
as Job’s, come on, be real. If you won’t,
I will be. I have had “why-downs”. What’s a “why-down”? I have asked myself and God “why is this
happening?” to the point of wearing my spiritual man down to almost despair.
In
Chapter Four, Eliphaz (son of Essau) asks for permission to speak though he
clearly had every intention of doing so regardless of whether Job obliged
him. He strokes Job’s ego first,
reminding him of what an amazing encourager he has been; how has helped
countless people to get (financially) to get back on their feet and the
countless times he has given wise counsel to people that have regained their
footing, discovered/re-discovered themselves, and identified their purpose,
etc. Then he subtly begins to blame Job
for his own calamities based on the “spirit” that visited him in the middle of
the night which “confirms” Job has done wrong.
Job 4:12-16 (The Message). “A word came to me in secret—a mere whisper of
a word, but I heard it clearly. It came
in a scary dream one night, after I had fallen into a deep, deep sleep. Dread stared me in the face, and Terror. I was scared to death—I shook from head to
foot. A spirit glided right in front of
me—the hair on my head stood on end. I couldn’t tell what it was that appeared
there— a blur …” There are good
spirits (angels) and bad spirits (demons).
This was clearly a bad spirit sent by the accuser in an attempt to
confuse Job into ultimately cursing God.
Meanwhile
Job is thinking to himself, this dude is crazy, he has lost his cotton pickin
mind. How can he come to my tent and
accuse me of wrong without asking me any logical questions, like: “Job, did you mess up, it’s us, you can be
honest.” No he sits in his self-righteousness
and accuses me. Abso-freakin-lutely
unbelievable.
In
Chapter Five, Eliphaz really goes off the deep end as he tells Job that his
misfortune is not fate and that trouble doesn’t just come from nowhere. He continues by telling Job that God is using
this opportunity to correct him and that he should go to God and beg for mercy
and when he does all of this trouble will disappear. By now he is spewing so
much nonsense that Job is letting it go in one ear and out the other and he
thinks to himself “this cat has lost his natural born mind, but at least I have
something to keep my mind off the pain.”
Tania
Not Tanya moment: I have been in
situations where people close to me were accused of doing things that were not
true and a well meaning uninformed Christian friend “emailed me” to tell me that person needed to humble
themselves and repent. First of all their well-meaning actions were cowardice
because they didn’t have the guts to call the person directly, secondly they didn’t
have all of the facts and the ones they thought they had were wrong because
they got one-sided information and thirdly, God allowed the truth to be
revealed and they completely changed their story to say how much they had been
praying and knew everything was going to work out. Really??
In
closing, if you’re going to be supportive of a friend pray before you speak,
ask God to give you what to say or the self-control to shut your mouth and just
be there to listen. By all means if you
didn’t see it with your own eyes assume you don’t have the facts and even if
you did see something out of order you are not a prosecutor, jury or judge but
you can be the friend that helps to pull your “assignment” (friend) out of the
pit.
I’m
out of time, we’ll have to pick up tomorrow
In
His New Excellence,
Tania
Not Tanya
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