II.  The Suffering  1:13 – 37:24

  A.  The First Trial  1:13-22

  B.  The Second Trial  2:1-10

  C.  The Third Trial  2:11-

    1.  The Affliction increased.  2:11-13  Message Seven

We should learn today that not every trial is personally inflicted, or even directed by Satan.  At times, he has only to start the fire and then leave it to human nature to throw on coals and fan the flames!

Proverbs 26:21-22  As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

The self-righteousness and imagination of man is inclined to hurt others.

      a.  The presence of Job’s friends.  A lesson to learn!

        1).  Their acquaintance with Job – the man they knew

Job 29:1-25  Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me; When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil; When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street! The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up. The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth. Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch. My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand. Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them. And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.

              A Counsellor, a king, a comforter, (This is the description of their friend, the man that they knew)

        2).  Their arrangement.     

Job 2:11  Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

               To mourn, to comfort.  They had best intentions!

        3).  Their astonishment.

Job 2:12-13  And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

        4).  Their assessment.

               After seeing Job’s circumstances, speaking with his wife and                neighbors, and noting his personal grief, they agreed that Job was being punished for some secret sin.

          a).  Eliphaz. 

            (1).  Relied on spiritual revelation through visions. 

Job 4:13  In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

            (2).  Related his opinion. 

Job 4:1-9  Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.

          b).  Bildad.

            (1).  Relied on ‘wise sayings’, a traditionalist. 

                    Tradition showed that God chastised the wicked. 

Job 8:8-13  For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers: (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:) Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart? Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish:

            (2).  Related his opinion. 

Job 8:3-6, 20  Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression; If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous…….Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

          c).  Zophar.

           (1).  Relied on legalism.

Zophar told Job that it is good that he is being judged in order that he may recognize his sin and that he was actually getting less than he deserved!

           (2).  Related his opinion. 

Job 11:2-6  Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified? Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee; And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

Job 20:27-29  The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him. The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath. This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

They assumed that God was limited in His actions and that Job was being justly chastised for sin. There was no other answer and they did not seek the Lord to find out the reason for Job’s suffering.  Prayer was only mentioned in advising Job to repent of his sin and pray for forgiveness. These friends added to Job’s affliction instead of being an encouragement to him and to his wife.  They lent themselves to accomplish the purpose of Satan.

Judgment is necessary and called for in the Scripture, but not self-righteous judgment.

Believer’s need to learn from these men’s error and determine to seek God’s way of consolation  –

      b.  The pattern of consolation.

        1).  It is revealed in the words of Jesus.

Matthew 25:34-36   Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

        2).  It is revealed in the walk of Jesus. 

John 9:1-3  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

Luke 7:12-13  Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

John 11:21-26  Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

John 11:33-36  When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

        3).  It is revealed as the will of Jesus. 

1 John 3:16-18  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Philippians 2:1-5  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Do we love with God’s love?  Are we prepared to rebuke sin? Yet do it not presumptuously without compassion.  Do we understand that God extends mercy as well as judgment and that He is the Judge of all men?

Job’s friends may have had the right motives when they determined to visit him, but upon their arrival, they sat in judgment.  They offered no prayer, no help, no consolation.

Today the plea is to examine our hearts, leave the judgment to God, and determine to minister to others with compassion, without compromise of truth, through the Love of God and conviction through the Word of God.