“YOU’RE GETTING WHAT YOU DESERVE” IS NOT THE WHOLE TRUTH by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC

Introduction:  That clip is from the Western “Unforgiven” starring Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman. You can see the burden in the character of Will Munny who was an outlaw and a murderer in his past life but now he is just a farmer and a widower trying to raise two children. It is a violent movie, not one I recommend, but it demonstrates the burden many men and women carry. They go through life believing that all the bad that happens to them is simply because of all the bad they’ve done in the past. In fact, many people judge what happens to others from the same lens. Years ago, when I was a little boy, my mom became very sick. She was pregnant at the time with my sister. Our whole world was turned upside down. Dad had to step away from preaching and take my mom to a medical hospital to find out what was wrong. My older brother and I had to stay home with our grandmother. Dad was still lining up people to preach, so that church would continue to operate as it was supposed to. One day, after a church service, a group of people who had been disgruntled with the church made a statement – “what they have eaten is coming out.” In other words, our family was paying for what we had done. As a little boy, it was very hard to understand what that meant – “Is what’s happening with mom’s health simply God’s judgment on us for some past sin?” “If we’re being punished for what we’ve done, can we do anything to change what is happening?” What makes it difficult is that in the Bible there are passages that talk about “What you sow is what you reap” and “Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.” Is life simply “Retributive Justice?” In today’s message in our series on the book of Job, we will see how Job’s friends came from that perspective and how Job had the proper godly sense to respond to them. Failure to biblically understand retributive justice can cause great damage to your faith and to those of others around you. 

Job 4 (page #780) 7 “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same. 9 By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.”

Context: Last weekend, we learned the value of silence. Job’s friends sat for 7 days and 7 nights without a word. Silence speaks volumes during a trauma. We also learned the place of poetry in the book of Job. When Job speaks, it is in poetry. In fact, the rest of the book until chapter 42 is poetry. Poetry is the best way to speak when we don’t know how to explain what is happening, whether we are in love, anger, or pain. In today’s message, we’re going to understand the importance of talking, of listening, and of dialogue.  From Job 4 – Job 41, it is dialogue after dialogue between Job and his friends. Because we are relational beings, we have the need to talk, especially for healing to happen. Janoff-Bulman in Shattered Assumptions writes: “this need to talk is yet another manifestation of the mind’s motivation to confront, reconsider, and integrate the traumatic experience.” Michelle Keener in Comfort in the Ashesnotes that “Talking about a traumatic event gives survivors space to examine, consider, and process the event.” More simply, Mister Rogers said, “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable.” The Bible told us this 4000 years ago!

Many times, people don’t want to talk about what has happened. There can be many reasons for that: shame, guilt, secrets, family secrets, reliving the trauma, don’t want to be a burden, appear weak and vulnerable, allow others to take advantage, and the list goes on and on. Only God truly knows why some people don’t want to talk about it. We need to respect that. Job’s friends did respect that for seven days until Job spoke. But, when he spoke about wanting to die, then they began to dialogue with him. Although, they messed up in what they said, they at least tried. Failure to talk to someone is the cause of much physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual problems in our world today! It is also a cause of much relationship problems as well. When we don’t share with someone what’s happening inside, we unload on those who are innocently nearby.

Application: Sunday School leaders, Care group leaders, Circle leaders, and various other ministry group leaders – are you a good listener? One reason we began Lighthouse Counseling at Clearview is to help people dialogue. It is to give people a place to work through their cognitive dissonance – where one’s experience is crashing against one’s belief. You say – “I take it to God.” Very good. Then, there’s a place where the trauma is too big for you to take alone to God and you need someone to go with you.

Usually, people skip over the dialogues in the book of Job and run to the end. In the process, the miss some powerful lessons. To better appreciate the dialogues, we need to understand the structure of the book of Job. After Job 3, the book can be divided into 3 dialogue cycles:

• Cycle 1 begins in Job 4 as Eliphaz speaks and Job responds. Then Bildad speaks and Job responds. Then Zophar speaks and Job responds. 
• Cycle 2 begins in Job 15 as Eliphaz speaks and Job responds. Then Bildad speaks and Job responds. Then Zophar speaks and Job responds. 
• Cycle 3 begins in Job 22 as Eliphaz speaks and Job responds. Then Bildad speaks, but its only 5 verses, and Job responds. But, Zophar doesn’t speak at all.

Finally, there is the Elihu speech, but Job doesn’t respond. Then the Yahweh speech, and Job responds. This happens twice. But, why is there a change in the last dialogue cycle between Job and his friends? It’s because the dialogues are not working. As Eliphaz begins the first dialogue, the tone is respectful and calm. By the last dialogue cycle, it is aggressive, critical, and sarcastic. In Job 16:2, Job even says, “I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!” The reason for their frustration is that Job is refusing to buy into their schema.

What is a schema? Nicole helped me here. To back up and give you a quick history lesson – over a hundred years ago, the prevalent theory in counselling was behaviorism. It claimed that human beings behave the way they do is because they have been conditioning by external stimuli (rewards and punishments). Cognitivism argues that we humans are more complex than that. There are internal mental processes taking places that include thinking, memory, perception, and problem-solving. I’m sure that you would agree that the second approach is much better for a proper understanding of how we think. Over our life’s journey we pick up certain deeply held (core) beliefs which are known as schemas.These are built through thinking, memory, perception, and problem-solving. They are like the glass windows in our house. When we face trauma, it is like a rock has gone through a glass window. A rock to the side of the house is no problem because it can be fixed or repainted, but glass breaks! Suddenly, we are open to the elements – wind, rain, heat, and cold. Now, we are vulnerable to birds and rodents, and even burglars. Our sense of comfort, safety, and hope for the future are shattered. This is exactly what happens to our schemas when we face trauma. 

Application: Death of a loved one, breakdown of a marriage, estrangement from kids, loss of a job, health problems, accident, etc. are all connected with a certain schema that we have built up. When trauma happens, there’s a rock through the glass window. When we go through trauma, the most painful thing that happens is not the trauma but the shattering of our deeply held beliefs. Which schema has been shattered in your life? Can you walk around and see which window is shattered?

Over the next several weeks, we’re going to look at certain commonly held schemas that Job addresses in the 3 dialogue cycles. Although his friends repeat only 1 schema, Job keeps moving from one commonly held schema to another. Even though his friends get more aggressive and angrier with him for not accepting their schema, Job refuses to fall into easy ideas. Again, there is no book like the Bible in the world!

What is their schema, the one and only one? It is the Principle of God’s Retributive Justice. Listen again to Job 4 (page #780) 7 “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same. 9By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.” What Eliphaz is giving here is the most common one that Christians struggle with when bad things happen. Where did I go wrong that God is judging me for now?

To begin with there is truth in God’s Retributive Justice (From Kynes and Kynes, Wrestling with God). It is also known as “Just Deserts,” but it has nothing to do with desserts:

• Deuteronomy 30      15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.”
• Proverbs 3        1 “My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; 2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.”
• Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

There are powerful truths in this schema:

A. Positively:

• When we do things God’s way, there are blessings. Turning away from sin and sinful people can protect us from many harms and open us to God’s blessings
• When we sow godly things, there is a godly harvest. This is especially with regards to our children. 

B. Negatively:

• When you break God’s laws and principles, there are consequences.
• When you fail to learn a lesson or you misunderstand God’s ways, he will discipline you. He will put you through a situation where you will realize what you did way back when. For e.g. Joseph with his brothers in Egypt.

Having said that, there’s more to God’s work in us than just his retributive justice:

• Sometimes, our suffering is to demonstrate to the watching world (saved and lost) how a man/woman of God responds when faced with trials. Job was being used by God to prove that Job loved him not because of what God gave him.
• Sometimes, it is to demonstrate his glory before a watching world. John 9:1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
• Sometimes, it is to show that God is faithful and always keeps his word. Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” They key there is “when he is old.”
• Sometimes, it is an opportunity for him to keep us humble and pour his grace on us. 2 Corinthians 12        7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Since this is Christmas week – Mary’s son (Magnificat) – Luke 1       46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear HimFrom generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

Actions Steps:

1. Reject the lie that I’m paying for what I did.

2. Receive the grace that comes through Christ.

Are you saved?