Daily Devotion, February 5, 2020

Devotion:

Read Job 22:5-11. (The Message Translation)

This is one of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, who is trying to explain the reasons for Job’s suffering. It was common in Biblical times to believe if one is suffering that it must be because of the great sins of that individual. Up until this point, Job’s friends have never yet identified Job with the wicked. In previous speeches, Job’s friends said his sufferings were caused due to divine discipline, or because his children had sinned, or that Job had sinned but not in an intentional way. But now, Eliphaz is identifying Job with the wicked. The solution according to Eliphaz is for Job to repent of all his wickedness and then the suffering would end and life would be good again.

 

But Job knows that what Eliphaz is saying is not the truth. And Job remains faithful to God. Dr. Carol A Newsom writes “The irony of Eliphaz’s depiction of Job’s restoration as an intercessor is that it truly comes to pass, when Job intercedes with God to spare Eliphaz and his two friends from God’s anger (42:8).”

Job’s dear friends judged Job too quickly by putting themselves in God’s place and by trying to discredit Job’s character. In Matthew 7, Jesus says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

We also can judge too quickly, putting ourselves in God’s place, and discredit a dear friend or acquaintance. Because we know how Job’s story concludes, we see how ridiculous Eliphaz’s speech is! Let us hear Jesus’ words again, “Do not judge.”

Personal Worship Option:

Dear God, too often, I judge too quickly things I don’t truly understand. Thank you for your understanding and grace unto us all. Help me to be an encouraging friend instead of a judging friend. Amen.