18. Finding Comfort in Affliction

Hymns: RHC 335 Keep on Believing, 333 Yesterday, Today, Forever；334 Sweet Peace, the Gift of God’s Love 

诗歌：坚持地相信；颂主新歌 323 时刻靠主；390 奇妙平安由神来

Job 6:1-13

约伯记 6:1-13

^KJV Job 6:1But Job answered and said, ²Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! ³For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. ⁴For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. ⁵Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? ⁶Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg? ⁷The things thatmy soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat. ⁸Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! ⁹Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! ¹⁰Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. ¹¹What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? ¹²Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? ¹³Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me? (Job 6:1-13 KJV)

 约伯记6:1约伯回答说， ²惟愿我的烦恼称一称，我一切的灾害放在天平里。 ³现今都比海沙更重，所以我的言语急躁。 ⁴因全能者的箭射入我身，其毒，我的灵喝尽了。神的惊吓摆阵攻击我。 ⁵野驴有草岂能叫唤，牛有料，岂能吼叫。 ⁶物淡而无盐岂可吃吗？蛋青有什么滋味呢？ ⁷看为可厌的食物，我心不肯挨近。 ⁸惟愿我得着所求的，愿神赐我所切望的。 ⁹就是愿神把我压碎，伸手将我剪除。 ¹⁰我因没有违弃那圣者的言语，就仍以此为安慰，在不止息的痛苦中还可踊跃。 ¹¹我有什么气力使我等候。我有什么结局使我忍耐。 ¹²我的气力岂是石头的气力。我的肉身岂是铜的呢？ ¹³在我岂不是毫无帮助吗？智慧岂不是从我心中赶出净尽吗？ (约伯记6:1-13)

Finding Comfort in Affliction

烦恼中找寻安慰

OUTLINE

• Unspeakable Sorrow (v1-7) 说不出的烦恼
• Utter Confusion (v8-13) 心里混乱 

INTRODUCTION

One late Pastor described well Job’s plight after being verbally abused by his friend Eliphaz, “When we come to a place where we don’t understand what is happening… when everything seems to be caving in, there is Jesus. We always jave the forgiveness of the cross, the victory of the empty tomb, and the hope of Christ’s imminent return.

When circumstances occur like going to the doctor and learning of life-threatening illness. Or when a couple is told they are infertile and cannot bear a child. When we have to declare bankruptcy. When we are laid off work. When we read a note that our spouse has left. When a loved one dies because of a terrorist act. We have a Saviour … and we have a choice to believe or not to believe!

At that time, we can begin to murmur, criticize, grumble, or despair. Or we can yield to the Saviour and hear Him say, “My child, no matter what is happening, this is how much I love you. Look to the cross. Look to the empty tomb. Look at Me. I’m coming again.

Get into a position of humility. If you can, drop on your knees. If you cannt, bow your head and close your eyes. Imagine the cross of Christ. Meditate upon the shame Christ experienced, the pain He endured, and the victory He secured in His death just for you.”

We are in a much more privilege position than Job, having the comprehensive, complete, comfort of God’s full revelation in His Word. We can find comfort in our Lord and find peace and joy in our heart amidst sorrow and affliction.

We join Job here after 7 messages of verbal torment (Job 4-5) from his friend and he tried to find his feet to provide himself comfort amidst great torment within and without.

• Unspeakable Sorrow (v1-3) 说不出的烦恼
• Utter Confusion (v4-13) 心里混乱  

• Unspeakable Sorrow (v1-3) 说不出的烦恼

¹But Job answered and said, ²Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! ³For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.

约伯记6:1约伯回答说， ²惟愿我的烦恼称一称，我一切的灾害放在天平里。 ³现今都比海沙更重，所以我的言语急躁。

As Job considers his predicament, his grief weighed heavily upon his heart. It was so heavy that no words could describe his sorrow. The quiet spirit before God in the face of calamity comes as God’s grace in the heart of His afflicted ones. God’s love for His people does not simply evaporate away in the times of our calamity.

⁴For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

 ⁴因全能者的箭射入我身，其毒，我的灵喝尽了。神的惊吓摆阵攻击我。 

The Apostle Paul provides these words of comfort when he wrote:

Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39 谁能使我们与基督的爱隔绝呢？难道是患难麽？是困苦麽？是逼迫麽？是饥饿麽？是赤身露体麽？是危险麽？是刀剑麽？如经上所记：我们为你的缘故终日被杀；人看我们如将宰的羊。然而，靠着爱我们的主，在这一切的事上已经得胜有馀了。因为我深信无论是死，是生，是天使，是掌权的，是有能的，是现在的事，是将来的事，是高处的，是低处的，是别的受造之物，都不能叫我们与神的爱隔绝；这爱是在我们的主基督耶稣里的。

It is tempting to say to God “why me again?” 

Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

Isaiah 54:10 大山可以挪开，小山可以迁移；但我的慈爱必不离开你；我平安的约也不迁移。这是怜恤你的耶和华说的。

Isaiah 54:11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

Isaiah 54:11 你这受困苦、被风飘荡不得安慰的人哪，我必以彩色安置你的石头，以蓝宝石立定你的根基；

Job admits that his words have been rash, but there is a reason! His grief and calamity are heavier than the sand of the sea, and his spirit is drinking in the poison of the arrows of the Almighty. [MacDonald]

 ⁵Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? ⁶Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg? ⁷The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.

 ⁵野驴有草岂能叫唤，牛有料，岂能吼叫。 ⁶物淡而无盐岂可吃吗？蛋青有什么滋味呢？ ⁷看为可厌的食物，我心不肯挨近。

Job protests that he would not complain so bitterly without cause, any more than animals would bray without a reason. Suffering and weeping are linked just like flavourless food and seasoning. He wishes he could die because he has no strength to endure and no hope for the future. Prolonging life is useless. [MacDonald]

• Utter Confusion (v8-13) 心里混乱  

⁸Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! ⁹Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! ¹⁰Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. ¹¹What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? ¹²Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? ¹³Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me? 

⁸惟愿我得着所求的，愿神赐我所切望的。 ⁹就是愿神把我压碎，伸手将我剪除。 ¹⁰我因没有违弃那圣者的言语，就仍以此为安慰，在不止息的痛苦中还可踊跃。 ¹¹我有什么气力使我等候。我有什么结局使我忍耐。 ¹²我的气力岂是石头的气力。我的肉身岂是铜的呢？ ¹³在我岂不是毫无帮助吗？智慧岂不是从我心中赶出净尽吗？

It is in the midst of mental, emotional torment that Job wished that God would cut short his life. He finds it to unbearable. But often times, the things that comes as tragedies and insoluable problems are God’s way of drawing us to Himself. It is during this time that we must take hold of God’s promises to stir us into His peace and strength amidst of confusion. 

It is during the time of affliction that we find our strength waning and our hope perishing. We need to renew our hope in the Lord through the comfort that His spirit will minister as we cling on to Him in desperation.

Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27 况且我们的软弱有圣灵帮助，我们本不晓得当怎样祷告，只是圣灵亲自用说不出来的叹息替我们祷告。鉴察人心的，晓得圣灵的意思，因为圣灵照着神的旨意替圣徒祈求。

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 我将这些事告诉你们，是要叫你们在我里面有平安。在世上，你们有苦难；但你们可以放心，我已经胜了世界。

RHC335 – 坚持地相信

当你最弱时，危机围绕；
微妙的试探，困苦丰多；
无事见有望，无事见喜，
全都似绝望，多时忧愁。

（副歌）
坚持地相信，耶稣甚近，
坚持地相信，无事可惊惧；
坚持地相信，这是方道，
在深夜有信，如同白昼。

如一切容易，如全光明，
十架该何处？争战何方？
但在神给你的试验中，
存机会证明祂全能做。

神是你智慧；是你力量；
神与你甚近引导着你；
祂深了解你，知你所需：
相信着祂你必定成功。

让我们前进；不要绝望；
活在感觉上，胜利在那；
耶稣能保我与祂甚近，
而我们信将永不失光。