{"id":1293,"date":"2018-02-19T13:50:05","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T02:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hopeuc.com\/la\/?p=1293"},"modified":"2018-02-19T14:18:51","modified_gmt":"2018-02-19T03:18:51","slug":"reboot-week-two-happening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hopeuc.com\/santa-fe\/2018\/02\/19\/reboot-week-two-happening\/","title":{"rendered":"Reboot \/ Week Two \/ Why is this happening to me?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.<\/em>\u00a0Job 1:1-3 (NIV)<\/p>\n

The story of Job begins with a description of his blamelessness. The location is not certain, his connection with anyone else is not known. Uz was not anywhere in Israel. The story will never tell us whether Job was an Israelite. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for the story\u2019s ongoing relevance. A long time ago in a place far, far way, a man once asked, \u2018why is this happening to me?\u2019, and it\u2019s also something that we all find ourselves doing from time to time.<\/p>\n

What we do know from the outset is that this is the story of a man who experienced undeserved tragedy. The author tells it to us, he\u2019s blameless, but then we are shown a behind the scenes conversation that Job never finds out about.<\/p>\n

One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, \u201cWhere have you come from?\u201d<\/em>Satan answered the Lord, \u201cFrom roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Then the Lord said to Satan, \u201cHave you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u201cDoes Job fear God for nothing?\u201d Satan replied. \u201cHave you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Job 1:6-11 (NIV)<\/p>\n

Job never finds out that this is starting point for the tragedies that befell him. \u2018Satan\u2019 which means Adversary, comes to God with a challenge. Satan\u2019s challenge is that Job only obeys God because it\u2019s in his self interest.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. To what degree is that a valid challenge, do people only obey God because of\u00a0self interest<\/span>?<\/li>\n
  2. How does this scene affect our response to what happens next? Read Job 1:12-22<\/li>\n
  3. How would you describe Job\u2019s understanding of these events?<\/li>\n
  4. What does his response show us in relation to the challenge of Satan?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    God has allowed great tragedy, yet Satan is still issuing the challenge:<\/p>\n

    Then the Lord said to Satan, \u201cHave you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u201cSkin for skin!\u201d Satan replied. \u201cA man will give all he has for his own life. But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>The Lord said to Satan, \u201cVery well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Job 2:3-6 (NIV)<\/p>\n

    Perhaps this shows that the Adversary will never be satisfied, it is a functional name (Adversary is as Adversary does), but the result is more tragedy for Job.<\/p>\n

    So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.\u00a0<\/em>His wife said to him, \u201cAre you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!\u201d\u00a0<\/em>He replied, \u201cYou are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?\u201d\u00a0<\/em>In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.\u00a0<\/em>Job 2:7-10<\/p>\n

    Question: What Job\u2019s wife imply about God in her response to Job?<\/p>\n

    This is the last we see behind the scenes, presumably the Adversary went back to roaming, never finding resolution. Job is now visited by three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, who come to comfort him in his distress (2:11)<\/p>\n

    Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.<\/em>\u00a0Job 2:13<\/p>\n

    Everyone is thinking, ‘Why is this happening to Job?’ From our privileged position we may be shouting answers, but those in the arena have no access to what we have just witnessed. This won\u2019t stop them developing their theories, which turns into an extended argument that takes up chapters 3 to 37. But it starts with a beautiful moment, three friends sit down and say nothing. For a whole week they give the gift of presence, presence without judgement. If you are ever unsure about what to do when tragedy strikes someone, here\u2019s the perfect demonstration: just turn up. You don\u2019t have to say a word, in fact as we will see, it\u2019s probably better if you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

    The question is sitting there with them, \u2018Why has this happened to Job?\u2019<\/p>\n

    Read chapter 3. Job starts by questioning why he should have survived birth if only to experience this?<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhy did I not perish at birth,
    \n<\/em>and die as I came from the womb?
    \n<\/em>Why were there knees to receive me
    \n<\/em>and breasts that I might be nursed?
    \n<\/em>For now I would be lying down in peace;
    \n<\/em>I would be asleep and at rest.\u201d
    \n<\/em>Job 3:11-13<\/p>\n

    Questions:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. What emotions would you attribute to Job in this speech?<\/li>\n
    2. What might his friends be expecting to hear and yet is not present?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Their replies focus on the belief that his suffering must be divine retribution for wrong doing.<\/p>\n

      From Eliphaz:<\/p>\n

      \u201cConsider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?
      \n<\/em>Where were the upright ever destroyed?
      \n<\/em>As I have observed, those who plow evil
      \n<\/em>and those who sow trouble reap it.
      \n<\/em>At the breath of God they perish;
      \n<\/em>at the blast of his anger they are no more.<\/em>\u00a0Job 4:7-9<\/p>\n

      \u201cBut if I were you, I would appeal to God;
      \n<\/em>I would lay my cause before him\u2026
      \n<\/em>\u201cBlessed is the one whom God corrects;
      \n<\/em>so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.”\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0Job 5:8,17<\/p>\n

      Questions:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. What aspects of Eliphaz\u2019s view are accurate?<\/li>\n
      2. How do we know that Eliphaz is wrong in this case?<\/li>\n
      3. How would Job know that he is innocent?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Job feels abandoned by his friends, “Now you too have proved to be of no help;\u00a0<\/em>you see something dreadful and are afraid.\u201d (<\/em>Job 6:21).<\/p>\n

        He also expresses his frustration with God:<\/p>\n

        “If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
        \n<\/em>you who sees everything we do?
        \n<\/em>Why have you made me your target?
        \n<\/em>Have I become a burden to you?
        \n<\/em>Why do you not pardon my offenses
        \n<\/em>and forgive my sins?
        \n<\/em>For I will soon lie down in the dust;
        \n<\/em>you will search for me, but I will be no more.”<\/em>\u00a0Job 7:20-21<\/p>\n

        Each of his friends take turns with epic poetic force to try to convince Job that the cause of his plight must be his own wrong doing. God is just and so his suffering must be punishment. Job remains insistent that his conscience is clear, and as the theological debate continues Job becomes more convinced that God has in fact wrong him (Read Chapter 19).\u00a0 His final defence is a call to God to bring him justice, which he has so far been denied (Read Chapter 27-31). He gives an insightful outline of the wise way in which he has lived his life, by avoiding evil and actively doing what is right and then calls for the opportunity to present his case directly to God.<\/p>\n

        \u201cOh, that I had someone to hear me!
        \n<\/em>I sign now my defense\u2014let the Almighty answer me;
        \n<\/em>let my accuser put his indictment in writing.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Job 31:35<\/p>\n

        The power of this story is in Job\u2019s experience of innocent suffering. The most basic question in the moment of suffering is not answered. Like Job, when we are asking the question \u2018why is this happening to me?\u2019 we too are denied the behind the scenes perspective. Like Job, we can only examine our behaviour and with a clear conscience trust God in the midst of our trials and tribulations.<\/p>\n

        Finally, after a new younger \u2018friend\u2019 gives a commentary on the whole situation (chapters 32-37), God turns up. But rather than finally give the answer, God asks a series of more than 50 questions, finishing with,\u00a0\u201cWill the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?”<\/em>\u00a0(Job 40:2)<\/p>\n

        Then Job answered the Lord:
        \n<\/em>\u201cI am unworthy\u2014how can I reply to you?
        \n<\/em>I put my hand over my mouth.
        \n<\/em>I spoke once, but I have no answer\u2014
        \n<\/em>twice, but I will say no more.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Job 40:3-5<\/p>\n

        God has still more questions, essentially asking Job: can you save yourself, do you have enough power to contend against all the forces of nature?<\/p>\n

        Then Job replied to the Lord:
        \n<\/em>\u201cI know that you can do all things;
        \n<\/em>no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
        \n<\/em>You asked, \u2018Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?\u2019
        \n<\/em>Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
        \n<\/em>things too wonderful for me to know.<\/em>\u00a0Job 40:1-3<\/p>\n

        Now Read Job 40:7-17<\/p>\n

        God declares Job to have spoken the truth, unlike his friends who are told to repent. Job is given the role of restoring them. Job is then restored with a new family and new wealth.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Questions:<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. How does this bring the story to\u00a0conclusion<\/span>?<\/li>\n
        2. How does the conclusion help us in our own conversations with God?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Take a few moments to think the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.\u00a0 Do you see any parallels with Job?<\/p>\n

          Final Question: If you knew it was pointless trying to answer the question of why Jesus suffered and died, how would you tell the gospel and what would change about your life today?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reboot","entry","no-media"],"yoast_head":"\nReboot \/ Week Two \/ Why is this happening to me? - HopeUC Santa Fe<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hopeuc.com\/santa-fe\/2018\/02\/19\/reboot-week-two-happening\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"pip_hopeuc\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hopeuc.com\/santa-fe\/2018\/02\/19\/reboot-week-two-happening\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hopeuc.com\/santa-fe\/2018\/02\/19\/reboot-week-two-happening\/\",\"name\":\"Reboot \/ Week Two \/ Why is this happening to me? 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