Sat.’s Devo - Job’s First Debate

Read: Job 4:1-7:21; 1 Corinthians 14:18-40; Psalm 37:30-40; Proverbs 21:27

Job is a reminder of how we try to help people solve their problems with only man’s knowledge. None of the characters, including  Job, knew the context of Job’s misfortune. They looked for the reason and how to solve it instead of seeking to know God and his ways. 

It is a great reminder to us when we are counseling others or going through the struggles of our own lives. We need to seek God his wisdom and ask for discernment because there are no pat answers.

Eliphaz is Job’s first “friend” to speak. He begins saying that Job has counseled so many other people and now that he needs help…  will he listen or be impatient? He asks him if he has ever heard that it was the innocent who perished and were cut off. Instead, he has witnessed that people reap what they sow. They get what they deserve. 

Eliphaz even strengthens his argument with a vision he had seen one night where a spirit came to him and asked him if mortal man could be right before God. He argues, it is not God who trusts man, and he can’t even trust his angels who sinned and rebelled. 

Eliphaz suggests that Job pray and commit his life to him. God is the only one who can help him. He only reproves those who he loves, so Job should not despise his discipline. The sign of Gods blessing is that he delivers man from famine, war, slander, destruction, the beasts of the earth and from dying off without an heir. Job might need to consider why he is not walking in this blessing.

Job replies that his calamity is more than he can take. He has lost hope and wants to die. He has nothing to offer anyone. He describes Eliphaz’s words as wind. He wants vindication because he has done nothing wrong to deserve this. He sees what has happened to him as his lot in life. He has lost all hope of anything good coming to him. He feels he has a right to complain. Then Job cries out to the Lord to leaven him alone. He asks God what he has done to deserve this. Why has God not pardoned his sin and taken his iniquity away. 

In Corinthians, after Paul has downplayed speaking in tongues in the church, he tells them in his private life he speaks much in tongues. He tells them to be mature in the thinking, but innocent of evil. God would use those who speak in tongues to speak to his people who are hard-hearted. Tongues is a sign to the unbelievers, but prophecy is a sign to the believers. If an unbeliever comes into their service and people are prophesying,  he will be convicted by their words. The secrets of his heart will be disclosed and he will repent and worship God. 

When they meet, each person should come with something to give: a song, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All things should be done to lift one another up and encourage them to continue growing in the Lord. In the church, there should be order and peace. 

To maintain order, the women were not allowed to speak, but were to talk to their husbands about anything they had questions about when they got home. 

Paul sums his sermon up with we should desire to prophesy and speak in tongues. They are both helpful if done orderly. 

Lord, give us discernment about our troubles and those of others. May we desire to prophecy and speak in tongues. May we not be afraid of your ways and your gifts, but seek you above all.