Cry

Job 19:6-8 Know now that God hath subverted me in my cause, And hath compassed me with his net. 7) Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry for help, but there is no justice. 8) He hath walled up my way that I cannot pass, And hath set darkness in my paths.

Have you ever felt like the Proverbial 'voice crying in the wilderness'? Poor Job has been suffering hideously. He has lost all of his former 'wealth'. His flocks, his herds, and worst of all his family and friends--all gone. Now he's sitting in the junk heap, the place where trash was burned, scraping his oozing sores with a broken piece of pottery. Worst of all his three 'friends' have come to 'comfort, and advise' him. This is truly where the phrase 'with friends like these who needs enemies?" comes from. They add to his torment, accusing him of being a wicked sinner. Consider a sample of their accusations from chapter 18:

"Job 18:5-21 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, And the spark of his fire shall not shine.... Job 18:21 Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous, And this is the place of him that knoweth not God."

Many times through out the book of Job he cries out in anguish with his sufferings. He knows-- and we know--that he is not a ' wicked, unrighteous, sinner,' as his three friends accuse him of being. He doesn't understand why God is 'punishing' him. We aren't told exactly why Job was tried, but we do know God allowed Satan to test Job.

The challenge in Job was from Satan: Job 1:10 Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11) But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face. Satan continually accused Job, telling God does Job serve thee for naught? Job is only a 'fair weather friend', so Satan says.

In chapter 19 Job makes this beautiful statement:

Job 19:25 But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth: 26) And after my skin, even this body, is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God; 27) Whom I, even I, shall see, on my side, And mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. My heart is consumed within me.

"I know that my Redeemer liveth..." what a affirmation of faith. "Mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger." Not as a stranger? Abraham is known as 'a friend of God', apparently, Job was at least a friend of God.

There are many lessons for you and I today. Like Job, we don't always understand why we are suffering. Sometimes we need to check our lives and be sure that it isn't because of something we need to change. Something we need to do--or undo in our lives to bring ourselves into line with God's law. If, after examination--using God's standards not our own, we find that we are walking in "His light" then realize that God uses trials for other reasons.

Ephesians 3:9 and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things;
10) to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God,

God uses trials to 'make men see His wisdom, and he uses them to show principalities and powers--in heavenly places (could that be Satan as well as the 'heavenly host'?) His wisdom.

Job 19:25 But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth: 26) And after my skin, even this body, is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God; 27) Whom I, even I, shall see, on my side, And mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. My heart is consumed within me.

Ephesians11&12) according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12) in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.

Ephesians 3:13 Wherefore I ask that ye may not faint at my tribulations for you, which are your glory.

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!