Dark Nights of the Soul - Job 42:1-10

Dark Nights of the Soul

Job 42:1-10

Lesson Setting

The book of Job concludes with Job’s humble submission to the perfect will of Almighty God.  After listening to the exchange between Job and his friends, the Lord answers Job and expounds upon His sovereignty as Creator of the Universe and the Maker of Heaven and Earth.  Job then realizes that he does not know the Lord as well as he previously thought.  Job further appreciates how he nearly falls prey to apostasy, abandoning faith in Almighty God, because of Job’s self-absorption.  When Job finally sees God in His majestic and magnificent mercy and love, Job repents of his sin of doubt and rebellion in his heart.  Incidentally, the Lord rebukes Job’s friends and asks Job to pray for them to enable Job’s faith, humility and sincerity to intervene for them thereby sparing them God’s wrath.  Lastly, the Lord rewards Job’s patience, however ragged and uncultured, with an overwhelming restoration of health, wealth, joy, and wholeness. 

Lesson Outline

I.                 Job 42:1-3 – God Can Do All Things

II.            Job 42:4-6 – I Have Seen the Lord!

III.        Job 42:7-9 – Repenting of Religious Foolishness

IV.         Job 42:10 – An Inimitable and Grand Restoration

Unifying Principle

People often wonder who or what controls the final outcomes in life’s many challenges.  Where can people find answers to life’s ultimate questions?  Job declares that God can do all things and will ultimately prevail over all obstacles, restoring the fortunes of those who are faithful; and the psalmist illustrates how God’s people can pray that God will be gracious to them and preserve their lives.

Introduction

Who is in control?  Is it really God?  A former news junkie, I presently limit my viewing of the local, national and international news programming to once every two to three days.  The overwhelming and disproportionate coverage of negative events such rape, molestation, murder frequent occurrences of natural disasters create feelings of horror and dread.  Spiritually, they result in a crisis in faith as inevitably the question arises as to whether God’s permission of these misfortunes equates with His direct will.  Also, you consider God’s ability or inability to prevent such despicable deeds.  These hard questions demand satisfactory answers.  Reluctantly, many disciples accept their inability to protect their families from these everyday dangers.  Thus, they rely more heavily upon Almighty God to do so.  If He appears indifferent, then they digress to blaming Him.  If He were really in control, it stands to reason He would protect righteous persons from such horrors.

As Job nears the end of living through a season of dark nights of the soul, his friends insist his personal disasters and suffering equal just punishment for hidden sin that Job fails to confess.  Job, however, steadfastly declares the moral error in his dilemma and forthrightly blames God.  Job reasons God’s character in Job’s present crisis belies God’s previous revelation of Himself as the Sovereign Lord of the Universe.  Simply put, Job questions God’s abilities when he assesses his sudden and inexplicable pain and suffering.  Both Job and his friends, extremely loyal to their conceptualizations of God, fail to see Him as He reveals Himself in Job’s life.  Requiring humility, an open mind, honesty inquiry and willingness to change and grow, genuine faith matures as disciples progress spiritually in a relationship with Almighty God.  Distinct from formulaic and traditional religion which depends mostly upon human creeds and rituals, genuine spirituality enables disciples to learn about God’s attributes through a direct relationship with Him.  Humbled by the Lord’s answer to His ramblings and protestations, Job finally realizes and clearly sees God’s essence as love, faithfulness, grace and mercy in the midst of Job’s ordeal.

Simply stated, Job understands God’s favor and blessings are not restricted to peaceful surroundings and happy circumstances.  Job discovers, in a moment of incredible revelatory truth, no situation however dreadful and disastrous nullifies God’s character and sustaining presence.  He humbly repents of his dogged pronouncements of his innocence.  He eventually sees God for the first time.

Job’s example teaches disciples the redemptive nature of God’s love as He utilizes natural chaos and unexplained human suffering as venues to demonstrate His faithfulness, goodness and peace.  As disciples will never be able to comprehend the mysterious and majestic motives of Almighty God who does not subordinate His sovereignty to human whims, we respond to God’s will and correction with unwavering obedience.  Our fellow disciples journey with us in difficult times; sharing their experiences, strength and hope.  Together, we reaffirm the foundational truth that God has the whole world in His hands.

Exposition

Point I – Job 42:1-3 – God Can Do All Things

In many ways, Job’s extensive period of tribulation has been one big test of faith.  Does Job genuinely believe in God’s intrinsic attributes (all-powerful, ever-present, all-knowing and inherently kind)?  Does Job authentically worship Almighty God because of who God is?  Is Satan correct when he suggests at the beginning of the book that Job’s allegiance to God depends solely upon God’s financial and material blessings?  If God removes them; then Job will abandon his faith because it no longer yields creature comforts.  The deal which God and Satan strike necessitates that Job experience unimaginable horror and destitution.  Will Job continue to rely genuinely upon God despite the loss of his children, health and material possessions? 

Commendably, Job adamantly resists the simple-minded approach of his “friends” who arrive to comfort Job in his deep distress.  Job boldly and firmly asks the most difficult theological questions.  He struggles to reconcile his conceptualization of God with his sudden, unexpected and inexplicable reversal of fortunes.  He wants to know how his God who made an enduring covenant with Job’s forbears could allow such personal tragedy and permit limitless evil in the world.  How is Job to understand his pain and suffering as he has served diligently and worshipped faithfully a God who pledges to bless those persons who live in right relationship with him?  His predicament rightly encourages Job to consider whether God indeed possesses the inherent attributes that Job had been taught?  Instead of articulating sacrilegious questions out of bitterness, resentment and strife, Job endeavors to strengthen his relationship with God through these hard and unpleasant inquiries.

Questioning, contrary to prevalent beliefs in many church circles, is a significant aspect of spiritual progress.  Just as little children mature as they ask questions to resolve their curiosity and discover new dimensions of life, disciples equally grow spiritually as they courageously embrace difficult faith questions.  Living through dark nights of the soul necessitates a greater trust in God’s faithfulness, love, provision and protection.  Questions enable a greater appreciation of these divine attributes.  Recitation of clichés hardly reassures a disciple who penetratingly feels forsaken and abandoned by Almighty God.  Honestly admitting his angst and apprehensions, a disciple opens his mind and heart to receive a greater revelation of God’s unfailing love and trustworthiness.  For Job, his tribulations enable him to see God’s sovereignty as clearly as he ever has.  As the Lord allows Job to interrogate Him, perhaps even cross examine Him, for a lengthy period of time without interrupting Job or punishing Job’s defiance, He graciously demonstrates His loving patience, tender mercy and longsuffering kindness.  Throughout his ordeal, whereas Job questions God’s abilities and character, Job unwaveringly trusts in God nonetheless.  The sum of his experience equates with an epiphany.  God can do all things regardless of life’s adversities and challenges. 

Parenthetically, it is important to contrast questioning God with trust in God.  In the former instance, a disciple straightforwardly seeks greater understanding in how to reconcile God’s character with negative experiences that contradict God’s nature.  Also, a disciple desires to understand the reasons for which God permits an unfortunate event.  A devoted lay officer in his local church and member of the choir and men’s fellowship, a retired New York City bus driver wants to know why God allowed the car accident that took his eldest son’s life.  He stands at the scene of the collision and ponders why an angelic presence instructed by Almighty God did not intervene.  Parents of an honor roll scholar-athlete struggle to comprehend the death of their son who fell asleep at the wheel on the way to school.  An infertile couple who suffered multiple miscarriages wants to know why the road to parenthood is filled with so many potholes when blithering imbeciles seem to conceive without trying.  All of these people have very legitimate questions which loving and gracious fellow disciples will extend them the liberty and patience to proffer.  Nevertheless, their questions do not mean that they do not trust God.  They may ask to obtain a greater revelation of God’s love and character.  Actually, their questions which I believe Almighty God welcomes affords them exactly that blessing; they realize that God’s love is indeed powerful enough to triumph in any adversity and disaster.  In accordance with Romans 8:28, they steadfastly believe that God will orchestrate each detail of their misfortune toward a loving and redemptive outcome.  The bus driver reasons his mind will not be able to accept any explanation as the trauma of his loss and depth of his emotions far exceed any earthly attempts to help him comprehend his son’s death.  As a consequence, he accepts the peace of God which surpasses human reason.  Practically speaking, he realizes a greater sense of gratitude for his remaining children and recommits himself to being the best father to them of which he is capable.  Eventually, the parents of the honor roll student soberly accept their negligence as it related to insisting that their son sleep enough as he had only slept four hours on the night before his fatal collision with a tree.  As a result of their tragedy, they dedicate themselves to comforting other parents who suffer a similar loss.  Not surprisingly, the infertile couple becomes adoptive parents a boy and a girl for whom they are grateful eternally.  The Lord majestically and magnificently ordained both adoption processes in which every legal technicality unfolded perfectly.  Today, they cannot imagine the heartache they once felt as they see God’s love and their hearts personified in their children. 

Both Job’s example and the challenges of the foregoing disciples reflect the spiritual certainty that Almighty God can do all things.  Job learns this maxim through his ordeal.  Previously, he assents to the concept as a matter of theoretical truth.  As Job genuinely rely upon God and unwaveringly trusts Him, Job experientially learns that God is indeed all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present and all-kind.  These attributes intellectually and concretely cohere in the character of God.  Thus, God rightfully will not permit any human occurrence to thwart His divine purposes.  When it appears such a fallacy occurs, God behind the scenes redeems human pain and suffering to accomplish His direct, intentional, perfect and ultimate will.  As Job lives through his tribulation, he digresses to relying upon physical sight instead of spiritual insight.  He then cannot understand God’s sovereignty as grace, mercy and love instead of autocratic power and indifference to human fragility.  Eventually, when the scales fall from Job’s eyes, he comprehends this vital truth.  God is love and every event offers an opportunity for disciples to better understand and receive God’s unfailing love.

Point II – Job 42:4-6 – I Have Seen the Lord!

In the next few verses, Job repents of his arrogance and self-righteousness both of which he cloaks appropriately in righteous indignation.  It appears Job’s ego undermines his best intentions to understand divine mysteries.  Job focuses heavily and meticulously upon the unfair nature of his suffering given his stalwart righteousness prior to the onset of his colossal misfortunes.  In addition to the epiphany, a sacred and profound moment of realization of a previously hidden truth, relating to God’s sovereignty and integrity, Job acknowledges “Surely, I spoke of things I did not understand.”  As he more greatly appreciates the Lord’s unquestionable faithfulness and unfailing love even during his recent trauma, Job more significantly apprehends the necessity of humility as an effective means of rightly relating to God.  Job’s humility enables him to actually see God for the first time.

Interestingly, our presumptions and traditions often blind us as we uncritically accept the beliefs of other people.  I suggest many disciples particularly trust the creeds and affirmations of their forbears without examining the practical and pragmatic relevance as well as intellectual respect ability of these tenets of faith.  Whereas we inherit a rich tradition of faith which we combine with reason, personal experience and scripture, we humbly accept that our beloved forebears saw through a glass dimly just as we do.  Practically speaking, they were wrong in some of their beliefs just as we are because of limitations of human thought and experience.  When contemporary disciples insist God’s character accords with their uncritical acceptance of someone else’s experience, they inadvertently engage idolatry as they worship their impressions of God rather than the One True God of the Universe, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.  Devoutly religious persons are more prone to confusing God with their conceptualizations of Him.  Conceivably, Job suffers from this type of religiosity which esteems rituals, rites and works righteousness as the surest means of relating to God.

It is in the midst of his trauma that Job clearly sees Almighty God in His purse essence, perhaps for the very first time.  It is said that crisis forges and reveals character.  To really know someone, you observe their actions and listen to their thoughts during a catastrophe which usually does not allow anyone to maintain pretenses.  In the utter darkness of his adversity, Job sees God’s love and faithfulness with a clarity that religious creeds and doctrines however logical and enduring cannot yield.  Humbly, Job acknowledges the limitations of his previous theoretical knowledge of God.  “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”  His insight unfolds through the eyes of Job’s heart.  He understands God because of his newfound relational and experiential knowledge of the Lord.  Job no longer need rely upon traditional sayings or clichés.  His direct experience assures Job of God’s infinitely good and powerful character.

One of the key insights that Job apprehends is God’s incredible and mysterious ability to redeem human pain and suffering toward His purposes.  Perhaps, wishing it were avoidable, Job grasps God’s use of Job’s suffering to teach Job about God’s authentic character which does not change like shifting sand and shadows.  Rather, God’s divine attributes are intrinsic and infinite; thereby meaning anyone who trusts in God has assurance of His unfailing love and unquestionable faithfulness regardless of personal circumstances and human affairs.  Further, Job possibly recognizes God’s use of Job’s experience to instruct the rest of His chosen people.  Israel and Judah need not fear any reprisal of foreign enemies nor shenanigans of other gods as their God will protect, deliver and provide for them.  Always, He will redeem and transform their pain and suffering toward a more favorable and prosperous outcome. 

In response to this monumental spiritual awakening, God repents in dust and ashes.  Possibly, he forever renounces religion in exchange for a genuine reliance upon Almighty God.  He now appreciates that the most reliable way of knowing God is a vibrant, progressive, primary and direct relationship to which Job commits himself unreservedly.

Point III – Job 42:7-9 – Repenting of Religious Foolishness

The Lord condemns the words of Job’s friends.  He sternly rebukes them for their religious foolishness; whereby in their wholehearted intent to protect God’s character and maintain righteousness by insisting upon Job’s unabashed confession, they actually slander Almighty God.  In a court of law, the Lord would due them for falsely misrepresenting Him and His character.  Again, many religious people who are far more committed to their ideas and traditions than they are to God fall prey to this temptation and sin.  Many of them are more conversant with church culture and mores than they are the Word of God.  They serve the “God of the Religious Right,” the “God of the Moral Majority,” the “God of the Christian Coalition,” or the “God of the Diaspora.”  They pledge allegiance to these gods of their historic institutions and contemporary politics.  In stark contrast to the God that the Bible reveals who demonstrates partiality to poor and oppressed persons, these false gods only blesses American citizens who are gainfully employed, law-abiding, aspiring middle strata taxpayers who contribute significantly to the gross domestic product of the United States.  To equate the One True God with these concept equates with taking the Lord’s Name in vain as these misguided disciples insist that God only adheres to their idea of who He is.  Centuries earlier, Eliphaz, the Temanite, and his companions exemplified this fallacy as they sought to defend God against Job’s reproaches.  Instead of commending them, God angrily attacks them for them sanctimonious behavior and self-aggrandizing words.

Most interestingly, the Lord tells Eliphaz that he and his companions have not spoken the truth about Him as Job has.  The persons who are convinced that they have most straightforwardly and correctly represented Almighty God are being told they have not!  Captives to their religious worldview and unrelentingly committed to furthering its aim, Eliphaz and friends willingly distorts God’s image to maintain their psychological and emotional comfort.  They flatly refuse to entertain any of Job’s legitimate questions about God’s character in the midst of the dark nights of the soul.  Eliphaz and friends act as if they are a celestial police force which zealously protects the integrity of God’s character.  Their self-righteous pretense actually distances them from God as He resents their attempt to limit Him to their finite definitions and descriptions.  In an act of extreme irony, the Lord instructs Job to intercede for them in order that they may receive an authentic revelation of God to replace their petrified religion.  After Eliphaz and friends offer an acceptable sacrifice, the Lord graciously receives Job’s prayer on their behalf.  Hopefully, they leave Job’s residence finally relinquishing their allegiance to religion and permanently replacing it with a right relationship with Almighty God.

In modern terms, Eliphaz and his companions represent longstanding church members who are unmerciful in their insistence upon the exacting conditions that seeks and new disciples must meet in order to demonstrate their sincerity as Christians.  Usually, these long-term church goers utilize their traditions and customs as the means of determining the Christian lifestyle.  Their pervasive biblical illiteracy eliminates the Bible as criteria.  Nevertheless, these persons fail to acquire humility and appreciate that they can learn a lot from new believers about God’s current expressions of His love, grace and faithfulness.  Instead, they are willing to allow the spiritual and practical death of their churches in order to preserve their traditions rather than receive new disciples with open minds and hearts.  This contrast between the two types of believers parallels the differences between religion and spirituality.  In the former instance, well-intentioned moral and ethical persons adhere to credo and code of behavior seeking to acquire a righteous lifestyle that Almighty God accepts.  In the latter case, sincerely humble persons willingly submit themselves to God and His will, both of which are greater than they are, with a genuine hope of maturing into a spiritual being who unselfishly and purposely serves the Lord by meeting the daily, concrete and practical needs of humankind.

Point IV – An Inimitable and Grand Restoration

Essentially, Job passes the test.  He finds true humility as he understands that he, Job, will never be able to limit God to Job’s conceptualization.  In the grand mystery of God’s character, the Lord orchestrates humankind’s affairs to accomplish His ultimate and perfect will.  For creatures of time like Job, the Lord’s seemingly glacial pace in fulfilling His will creates a crisis in faith.  Inevitably, Job articulates very hard questions seeking to understand God while simultaneously advocating his own righteousness despite the unfair reversal of fortunes.  Nonetheless, though Job forthrightly confronts God about Job’s dilemma, Job does not renounce his faith in God.  Thereby, Job maintains faithfulness as a son and believer of God.  In turn, Job’s fidelity enables him to witness God’s unquestionable faithfulness.

As God consistently rewards faith with blessings that emerge naturally for the actions disciples take in demonstrating their faith, Job receives double what he lost.  The final chapter enumerates Job’s bountiful blessings which greatly exceed his losses.  It is significant to note that these blessings originate from God’s inherent kindness, generosity, grace and love.  They are not a quid pro quo whereby Job or other believers refer to their righteousness as deserving concrete, financial and material rewards.  Also, believers cannot bargain with God.  Incidentally, the story of Jephthah teaches the dangers of covetousness, taking the Lord’s Name in vain and making self-seeking vows to the Lord.  Still, God intrinsically desires to give good gifts to His children just as any loving parents of limitless means would simply share his bounty with his beloved children.

The Lesson Applied

Let’s Talk About It

1.     If Job asks you to pray for him, what would you include in your prayer of intercession?

2.   Define humility.  Share an instance in which you were humbled by Almighty God.

3.   After Job’s ordeal, should he maintain friendship with Eliphaz and his companions?  Give reasons for your answers.

4.   Considering the turbulence of the world (Northern Ireland, the Sudan, Somalia, Middle East, terrorism, etc), do you still believe that God intervenes in human affairs?

Can questioning God lead to a maturing faith?  Answer this question using Job’s example and the story in Mark 9:14-29.