Sermon for March 15th, 2020

Job 15:1-35 (OT p. 464)

Our scripture reading is a little longish today, so I'm actually going to intersperse it throughout the sermon. We're going to go through this chapter pretty thoroughly, so this would be a good one keep your Bibles open and follow along as we go. But first, let us pray...

The Book of Job: (Un)Hinged

After a week like this one, I think a little humor is in order. Since we're talking about becoming unhinged today...and hinges are are usually connected to doors...

• Knock knock. Who's there? Broccoli. Broccoli who? Broccoli doesn't have a last name, silly.
• Knock knock. Who's there? Tank. Tank who? You're welcome.
• Knock knock. Who's there? The FBI. The FBI who? Listen buddy, we'll ask the questions here.
• Knock knock. Who's there? Spell. Spell Who? Ok, W-H-O.
• Knock knock. Who's there? To. To who? Actually, it's "to whom..."
• Knock knock. Who's there? Control Freak. Control Fr--Ok, now you say control freak who!
• Knock knock. Who's there? Broken pencil. Broken pencil who? Nevermind, there's no point.
• Knock knock. Who's there? Amish. Amish who? No, you are not a shoe.
• Ding Dong! Who's there? Wind. Wind who? When did we get a doorbell?

Speaking of wind, in the opening lines of our scripture passage today, Job's friend Eliphaz poses a question, in which he references the wind:

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

2 “Should the wise answer with windy knowledge,
    and fill themselves with the east wind?
3 Should they argue in unprofitable talk,
    or in words with which they can do no good?

That's a great question--I'm tempted to tape it to the screen of my computer as a reminder to myself before I engage in any conversations on social media.

With these words, Eliphaz calls into question the usefulness of the entire conversation that Job and his three friends are now very deeply engaged in. Eliphaz begain this conversation, back in chapter four, in an attempt to be helpful to his friend Job, who has suffered great tragedy. But Job is, understandably, inconsolable. Now, what began as words of grief and words of comfort, has escalated into a full blown, heated argument. I'm sure we can all think of times when our own well-intentioned words were not so well received by a friend in need, or when we ourselves have snapped, over-reacted to a friend who was just trying to help us.

What's really bothering Eliphaz here is the realization that his friend Job, in his grief and anguish, is starting to come unglued, untethered, unhinged--but in a dangerous way. It's the shocking irreverence of Job's words that draws his attention:

4 But you are doing away with the fear of God,
    and hindering meditation before God.
5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth,
    and you choose the tongue of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
    your own lips testify against you.

These may sound like harsh words to say to a grieving friend, but there's a fine line between comfort and concern. For example, if you were comforting a friend who had suffered a great tragedy, and your friend started talking about going out and buying a gun, threatening harm to himself or others...at what point do you stop saying "It's okay to feel that way" and start saying "Hey wait a minute, you need help."

It might be hard for us to understand, but for Job's friends (and probably Job himself, before his tragedy) reverence for God is a life and death matter. Job has already expressed a desire to end his life, but in last week's passage he turned his accusations against God--the equivalent, in the eyes of his friends--of pointing a loaded gun at the creator of the universe and threatening to harm the moral order that held all of their communities together. This is crazy talk. And so Eliphaz tries desperately to bring Job back from the brink:

7 “Are you the firstborn of the human race?
    Were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Have you listened in the council of God?
    And do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What do you know that we do not know?
    What do you understand that is not clear to us?
10 The gray-haired and the aged are on our side,
    those older than your father.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you,
    or the word that deals gently with you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away,
    and why do your eyes flash,
13 so that you turn your spirit against God,
    and let such words go out of your mouth?

14 What are mortals, that they can be clean?
    Or those born of woman, that they can be righteous?
15 God puts no trust even in his holy ones,
    and the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt,
   one who drinks iniquity like water!

17 “I will show you; listen to me;
    what I have seen I will declare—
18 what sages have told,
    and their ancestors have not hidden,
19 to whom alone the land was given,
    and no stranger passed among them.
20 The wicked writhe in pain all their days,
    through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless.
21 Terrifying sounds are in their ears;
    in prosperity the destroyer will come upon them.
22 They despair of returning from darkness,
    and they are destined for the sword.
23 They wander abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’
    They know that a day of darkness is ready at hand;
24 distress and anguish terrify them;
    they prevail against them, like a king prepared for battle.
25 Because they stretched out their hands against God,
    and bid defiance to the Almighty,
26 running stubbornly against him
    with a thick-bossed shield;
27 because they have covered their faces with their fat,
    and gathered fat upon their loins,
28 they will live in desolate cities,
    in houses that no one should inhabit,
    houses destined to become heaps of ruins;
29 they will not be rich, and their wealth will not endure,
    nor will they strike root in the earth;
30 they will not escape from darkness;
    the flame will dry up their shoots,
    and their blossom will be swept away by the wind.
31 Let them not trust in emptiness, deceiving themselves;
    for emptiness will be their recompense.
32 It will be paid in full before their time,
    and their branch will not be green.
33 They will shake off their unripe grape, like the vine,
    and cast off their blossoms, like the olive tree.
34 For the company of the godless is barren,
    and fire consumes the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive mischief and bring forth evil
    and their heart prepares deceit.”

• A hinged door has freedom of movement, but limited.
• No hinges, and it's a wall. Or a hole in a wall.
• The door swings both ways.
• For Eliphaz, there are two hinges that hold everything together: God's sovereignty and tradition.