Tragedy Comes to All

After Job faces more tragedy than any of us can possibly fathom, his “friends” come along. At first, his friends do the right thing, they just sit with Job in his sorrow. Sometimes there is no right thing to say, but just the presence of a friend can make grief and suffering better.

Sadly, Job’s “friends” don’t stay silent. First, Eliphaz starts in on Job. He accuses him of secret sin, which has brought about his present suffering:

Job 4:8 ESV
As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.

Eliphaz assumes that those who are moral and just get prosperity and those who sin get trouble. This statement is incorrect.

Asaph was troubled by the exact opposite of Eliphaz’s theory:

Psalm 73:3 ESV
For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Asaph is frustrated with God that the wicked are prospering. Clearly, if the wicked can prosper then the righteous can endure tragedy.

Jesus tells us exactly that in the gospels:

Matthew 5:45 ESV
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

God allows prosperity and sorrow to both good and evil in this life, but the same is not true for eternity. This gives Asaph peace of mind:

Psalm 73:27-28 ESV
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. [28] But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

I don’t want God to put an end to me, so I’m going to be like Asaph and stay near to God. We must remember, hard times come to all. Just stay faithful to the one who can bring us through those times, and He will usher us into eternal life!