Introduction. Read Job3

Job breaks the seven day's silence to tell his friends how he felt about the condition he was in. There were none of the platitudes beloved of Christians. He didn't say, "I've a lot to be thankful for." or "There's people a lot worse off than I am." He told it like it was without restraint in unambiguous, colourful and almost violent language.

This should be some small consolation to those Christians experiencing extremes of suffering like incessant, unrelieved pain who feel exactly the same way as Job.

We shouldn't judge Job for the bleakness of his language or those who share his misery and express the same despair. Many hale and hearty Christians are extremely uncomfortable with the negative outbursts of Job - but then they have not begun to suffer as he suffered. Severe psoriasis which may have been what afflicted Job is horribly tormenting.

I for one am glad of the realism of Job.

I am going first to look at Job's condition as he describes it at the end of the chapter, then his lament and finally how I would react if in his position.

(1) Job's condition.

Job describes his condition in extremely vivid language in verses 24 to 26. He had a greater appetite for groans than for food. Howls of pain poured out of him like a torrent. I can remember reading a short story of Tolstoy's in which a wealthy man suffered from a stoppage. Today it would be called bowel cancer. He spent the last three days of his life howling incessantly like a demented wolf. The man's cries filled the house.

Job said his worst fears had been realised. All the things he dreaded had come to pass. I can remember my father saying after he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, "It's something I've always feared." Just imagine how you would feel if you were afflicted with all the things you shudder to think about.

Job's life was in turmoil. He had no peace and no rest. The abominable itching relieved only slightly by incessant scraping with a shard of broken pottery prevented him from relaxing. His mind was a maelstrom of activity. Such was his agitation that he couldn't sleep.

I found this description of what it is like to have psoriasis on the internet:

I am not sure how best to describe it. The itching is never ending, so intense that you have to scratch and even when you start to bleed you cannot stop. You feel like you constantly have something crawling over your skin. As my skin became infected it became sore, sore to the point you just want to rip your skin off. The number of times I wished I could be a reptile and just shed my skin! Mind you, it was shedding, every single moment of the day and night. Sleep was nearly impossible by this time and when you’re working long shifts in a bar it makes sleep all the more important.

My moods had become extremely changeable, happy one second and what most people would call depressed the next. I didn’t go out, I would go to work, go home and lay there, trying to sleep, trying not to scratch. I was sure people were looking at me at work. The customers staring at me like I’m some kind of leper. And so paranoia sets in.

(2) Job's lament.

(a) Job wished he had never been concieved or born.

Job did not curse God but he cursed the day of his birth. He considered it the darkest of days - one he wished could be eliminated from the record. If only that day had never existed he would hae been spared all his troubles.

Now we must note that Job made this assessment for himself! Today others make this decision on behalf of foetuses in the womb. So the life of a foetus showing signs of abnormality is terminated. A decision is made on behalf of the unborn child that life with spina bifida is not worth living.

Now spina bifida is a horrible condition and I certainly would not wish to suffer from it but I was pleased that the article on the subject in Wikipedia listed some notable individuals who have succeeded in life in spite of it:

Tanni Grey-Thompson - Welsh Paralympic athlete, member of British House of Lords.
Blaine Harrison - lead singer, keyboards, rhythm guitarist and former drummer of the British band Mystery Jets.
Rene Kirby - US actor in films such as Shallow Hal and Stuck on You.
John Mellencamp - US rock and roll musician.
Karin Muraszko - chair of Department of Neurosurgery at University of Michigan, first woman appointed to such a position in the US.
Jeffrey Tate - British conductor.
Hank Williams - US country music singer-songwriter.
Lucinda Williams - US country music singer-songwriter.
Miller Williams - US poet.

Many people overcome their disabilities. I can remember the blessing I received reading the autobiography of Christie Brown, 'My left foot.' In it Christie describes how he triumphed over cerebral palsy to become a successful writer.

The problem with aborting 'imperfect foetuses' is that it devalues the lives of those with disabilities. Their lives are not worth living!!

(b) Job considered his past life no compensation for present misery.

Job's present misery was so intense he considered it would have been preferable to have died in infancy. If he had died in child birth then instead of being in torment he would be asleep and at rest, lying down in peace, free from trouble and at ease. As far as Job was concerned death had much to commend it. All were equal there. The wicked were unable to cause trouble and slaves were free at last.

There are two points to note:

• Job did not consider his past blessings made his life as a whole worthwhile. Such was his wretchedness that he would have foregone all the tangible tokens of earthly success for the sweet oblivion of the grave. Nor is there a hint in Job's lament of possible future blessings making present suffering easier to bear.

• Job could not see any possible benefits in the intensity of his suffering. If he had been told, "Well Job, God has permitted it to prove a point." I don't think Job would have been very impressed! Job doubtless thought that his humiliation and endless discomfit were doing him no good whatsoever.

  There are Christians whose experience is much like Job's. Life becomes so intolerable, so unbearable, that they commit suicide. I had a cousin - a worthy, caring man - a Methodist; he was afflicted by bipolar depression. He was up and down like a yoyo. One day when he was in his early forties he felt himself going down again. He couldn't stand it any longer and laid his head on a railway line. He left a wife and three young children.

  I knew another even younger man. He belonged to a Grace Baptist church. I can see him now - all spruced up - walking in eager anticipation into a Fellowship of Youth meeting. David suffered from schizophrenia. He drowned himself in a tank of pig slurry.

I have every sympathy with Job; I would groan and howl if in his position. I have three points to make:

• It is very hard to rejoice in the promises of God when in constant pain. Paul said: For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that outweighs them all. 2Cor4v17.

  Paul is writing about the very real trials he suffered as God's evangelist to the Gentiles. They were severe but he had survived them all and seen a wonderful response to the gospel he preached.

  I cannot believe he would have written like this of chronic tooth ache - the sort of tooth ache associated with an abscess that is slowly eating its way through the jaw-bone. I read of a skull being found with a hole through the lower jaw produced by such an abscess. Just imagine the pain caused by toothache before the advent of modern dentistry. Even today a person with a throbbing tooth is unable to think about any thing else.

  I don't think a Christian who suffers a severe stroke and is left with locked in syndrome is going to think in terms of light and momentary troubles or take much comfort in the prospect of eternal glory.

  There is a difference between suffering in the pursuit of a goal and suffering for no obvious reason at all. I can remember Mohammed Ali who has suffered for many years from a kind of Parkinson's disease probably induced by the terrible punishment he took in the ring being asked if he had his life all over again whether he would box and he replied, "Yes." Ali achieved his goal. He was the undisputed heavy weight champion of the world and one of the greatest fighters of all time. Ali obviously believes that his present abject condition a price worth paying for his past glory. Paul considered his very real and often acute suffering in this life a price worth paying for future glory.

• There are afflictions that are not linked to pursuing a goal and which do not bring any obvious benefits to the sufferer. If there are any benefits they are disproportionate to the misery endured. Alzheimer's disease, a crippling stroke, schizophrenia, severe and prolonged asthma and a host of other illnesses do not bring benefits commensurate with the distress they cause.

  It is not helpful for people who have never experienced such afflictions quoting glibly: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those that love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Rom8v28. There are at least 8 different versions of this text and it is important to choose the one that most nearly accords with our experience. See exposition on Rom8v28to39.

• Job recognised, and I believe correctly, that death is not always man's worst enemy. Death is for those in great distress the ultimate release. No one can be tortured endlessly for instance. Eventually, friend death spares us further suffering. How happy many in torment are to die.

  I share Job's belief that dying is like falling asleep. It is a time of peace, sweet rest and ease as the Christian awaits the resurrection from the dead. See article on life after death.

(c) Job was frustrated to still be living.

Job takes no pleasure in his life. He longs for death but it will not come. He believes he will only rejoice again on the brink of the grave. God has hedged him in, protecting him from the very death he desires so much.

We should note:

• Job does not contemplate suicide. He is not prepared to take the law into his own hands. He acknowledges in his lament that God remains in control. God has hedged him in. Job does not know why, but he is unwilling to usurp the authority of God. God has given and God has taken away - but God has not yet seen fit to take his life. Job showed faith in being prepared to wait God's time.

• Job cannot be said to have a strong, positive belief that his life will improve. He desires death - not a change in fortune. In this respect Job takes a pessimistic view of his future. He has had it all and lost it. This seems to have terminally shaken his belief that God rewards the righteous.

• Job can see absolutely no purpose in a life of loss and suffering. God's purposes are hidden from him.

I am a pessimist by nature! However, I feel that as long as we are of sound mind we can never be entirely sure when our work for the Master is done. We must leave this for God to decide.

(3) Concluding thoughts.

It is important to put ourselves in Job's position and ask ourselves how we would react in his circumstances.

(a) As a Christian I would not curse the day of my birth. Without birth there would be no new birth and no possibility of eternal life.

(b) I, like Job, would continue to believe in God's existence. I think I would continue to believe that God cared for me. However, also like Job, I would wonder if God knew what he was doing! Extreme suffering is not conducive to our well being.

During the last two years of my father's long slow decline with Parkinson's disease and with the onset of dementia I did regularly ask God in what possible way was this benefitting him. I regularly reminded God that my father and I were both his children and surely as members of his family he could help us more.

(c) If I had acute psoriasis, the disease Job probably suffered from, I would long to be cured. I would long for healing rather than death. If no cure was possible I would also look forward to death.

But Job was sitting outside on his ash heap - in the bright sunlight. One of the best cures for psoriasis is sunlight. So Job - take heart - a cure in just round the corner.