World Unyielding

“Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,
And my calamity laid with it on the scales!
For the it would be heavier than the sand of the sea—
Therefore my words have been rash.
For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;
My spirit drinks in their poison;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

Job 6:2-4

Here is a man wounded by God. The immense sufferings of Job are something to behold. Eliphaz was the first of Job’s friends to step forward and offer counsel. In response, Job’s answer begins with a lament marked by these words. What griefs would Job have us weigh out? Should we calculate the loss of thousands of livestock? Should we look to the deaths of his dear servants? Should we consider the tragedy that took the lives of his treasured children? Should we think of the marital problems that soon ensued? Yes, even his wife attacked his faith, saying, ‘Curse God and die!’ I do not question the enormity of the burden laid upon Job. Calamity and grief joined hand in hand to visit Job. When troubles assail a man of faith in such number and with such severity, we do well to study him.

Beneath the weight of troubles, we are prone to slip up in our words. Rash words are best confessed before God. If we would make an appeal to God, then let it be grounded in faith. If we would express our hurt before God, then let us not lose sight of His nature and works. As Job readily acknowledges, the sovereignty of God is not undermined by his suffering. No, it is upheld. The very arrows that have wounded Job, body and soul, came from God. At this moment, those arrows were not yet removed. The dark episode was not over. Arrows dipped in poison are especially lethal. These troubles drained the life out of Job’s spirit and had him longing for death as a way of escape.

Some may suppose that life is simply battling against the chances and overcoming the odds. It was no cosmic Russian roulette when the great wind destroyed Job’s eldest son’s home with all his children. And Job acknowledged as much, saying, ‘The terrors of God are arrayed against me.’ This is the sovereignty of God in orchestrating events. It was as if a firing line was set with Job as the target, ready to shoot a hail of troubles at him. And as soon as the arrows were released, the righteous man lay defeated in the dust. But there was life still in him, even spiritual life, for there is a God who sustained him.

Though our suffering varies, believers find themselves in the company of Job. We are at the mercy of God, but that which is truly a treasure is forever secured in Him: the treasure of salvation, the riches of knowing God. Whatever worldly loss is faced, there is heavenly gain for each soul trusting in the LORD God. And I stand in awe of the man who brought me into such grace—Jesus Christ, whose griefs cannot be weighed. Indeed, He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. No wonder, for on His shoulders was a great burden. All the griefs and sorrows of His sinful people were laid upon Him. My sin-bearing Savior bore the entire weight of my guilt and shame. He became liable for my transgressions. God the Father had Jesus in the crosshairs for the sake of my sin, even the rash words I have spoken in times of hurt.

The arrows of the Almighty were fired into Jesus Christ, for sinners. The anger of God toward sin was absorbed by the Savior of the world. There is no other substitute provided for us. There upon the cross, Jesus bore the sin of His people in His own body on the tree. Surely, it was heavier than the sand of the sea, for it had incurred the infinite wrath of God, which only He could satisfy. All the arrows of wrath heading for me were taken upon the cross where Jesus died. In the heat of God’s wrath, His Spirit thirsted. Though drink was offered, no earthly comfort could ease His pain. He soaked up the poison of death and defeated it. Terrors no longer threaten my soul. The troubles I now bear are for my good, given by a loving Father as discipline. The physical signs of love are in His Son, reminding me of the wounds suffered for my everlasting good. But what was suffered as a whole, physically and spiritually, I will spend an eternity trying to fully weigh in glad adoration and wonder.