Good Words When Taken Out Of Context

Job 5

I do not want to give the impression that everything Job's friends said was wrong. Some of it was wrong, but most of it was right. The problem came with their application. They assumed to know the mind of God. Paul spoke of this with the church at Rome.

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For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Romans 11:34

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Also, the prophet Isaiah said:

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For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

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Job's friends were trying to do something that they were not capable of. They were trying to know God's mind, plans, and actions. Sure, there are times when we can know all three, to a degree. For instance, when God called me to pastor, I knew God's mind about the calling. I knew his plan for my life. I knew the action of his spirit calling me. However, I had no idea what any of that would entail. It went far beyond my scope of understanding, and even now, 16 years into this, I still do not know everything. Only when I get to heaven will I begin to grasp the magnitude of what he willed to do through my life.

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Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust,

Neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

7 Yet man is born unto trouble,

As the sparks fly upward.

8 I would seek unto God,

And unto God would I commit my cause:

9 Which doeth great things and unsearchable;

Marvellous things without number:

10 Who giveth rain upon the earth,

And sendeth waters upon the fields:

11 To set up on high those that be low;

That those which mourn may be exalted to safety.

Job 5:6-11

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If we didn't know better, we might think these were the words of David in the Psalms. Think about what is being said: "Trouble doesn't just come out of nowhere. However, man is born to trouble. Because of this, I will see God and I will give him my cause. He does mighty and amazing things that cannot be counted. He sends rain on the earth to water the fields. He exalts the lowly and those that mourn." These could so be the words of David! It even hints at later words of Jesus (Blessed are the poor in spirit...Blessed are they that mourn...Blessed are the meek...Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake... [Matthew 5]).

So, why do I say that these are "Good Words When Taken Out Of Context"? Because you have to read them along with chapter 4. Remember in chapter 4 Eliphaz accused Job of having some dark hidden sin, and therefore he deserved what was happening to him. He was reaping what he had sown. So, now Eliphaz is saying that God is with the righteous. By implication, because Job is abandoned by God, Job is not righteous. Ouch! Now, all of a sudden, these true statements are a painful attack.

Context is important. We see over and over again what happens when the media takes a quote from someone out of context to push an agenda. Here, Eliphaz takes truth out of context to push his agenda. He is trying to convince Job that he has committed some terrible sin to deserve this judgment from God. He and his friends will continue to push this agenda until God steps in.

Truth misapplied becomes a lie.

We should be very careful of how we use God's word against other people. There is very much a time and a way of doing this. God's word corrects and and teaches. It confronts our sin and calls us to repentance and sanctification. However, we should not use God's word to push our own agendas. God's word is not about our agendas, but about his will.

Father help me to apply your word in truth. All men are opinionated. We criticize others for misusing your word to push their agendas, but help me to not be guilty of doing the same. Give me understanding and wisdom to apply your word in my own life and in the lives of others!