Chronological Reading Plan for Jan 7

Today's readings are Job 14-16. Tomorrow's are Job 17-20.

Job is beginning to spiral downward. As he prays to God, he begins to wonder if it would be better for him to die. Maybe God will raise him up again (Job 14:13-17). Job is not necessarily establishing a doctrine of resurrection here as much as he is trying to grapple with the question of why he was created. In Job's mind, God has to have some reason for his suffering other than merely and ultimately destroy His creation. 

Job's plight is causing him to ponder his relationship with God on a deeper level than ever before. Even as we watch him sink into self-pity, his questions become more profound. "Is this all there is?" "Does man just suffer and die?" "What lies beyond?" "Is there life after death?"

Deep inside, Job has a trust that is not yet shaken. He may not even be aware of it. But, it's there. Notice this, Job has never considered taking matters into his own hands. He leaves his fate, regardless of how miserable it may be, in the hand of God. He wonders what all suffering people wonder. "Is God even aware of my pain?" Does God care about me and what's happening to me?" "He knows I'm a good person. Why doesn't He do something about all this?"

Job is getting to the point where he would like to have a new start in a new life where his pain is ended. Even as he approaches hopelessness, we see him communing more with God and less with his friends. It's a gradual shift. But, it's there. Perhaps Job is beginning to realize the answers he seeks are not in his friends, but in God. 

Eliphaz joins Zophar in openly accusing Job of sin (Job 15:5-6). Eliphaz hopes Job will repent. 

There is some truth in what Eliphaz utters. He correctly believes that all men sin. He has an accurate but incomplete perception of who God is and how holy He is. This makes his mistaken and misplaced ramblings easy to accept. Only those who have the full counsel of God would know that Eliphaz, as close to the truth as he is, has missed the mark. Eliphaz does not have the full story of God's redemptive plan nor the full text of the Bible as we do. Our protection against half-truths and good-sounding-but-errant doctrine, like that of Eliphaz and Job's other two friends, is to be familair with the word of God, all of it. 

Job vents his frustration on his friends and his situation, ultimately pinning his deliverance on the hope of an arbiter (Job 16:18-21).