Job 3:1-5 (ESV Strong's)
Job Laments His Birth
After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. And Job said:
“Let the day perish on which I was born,
and the night that said,
‘A man is conceived.’
Let that day be darkness!
May God above not seek it,
nor light shine upon it.
Let gloom and deep darkness claim it.
Let clouds dwell upon it;
let the blackness of the day terrify it.
Depression and Suicidal Thoughts
In the beginning of the Book of Job we read that God considered Job a “righteous” man. This does not mean that he was “righteous” in the aspect of never had committed a sin. Man is only righteous because God declares him so. By studying other portions of Scripture we must understand that Job’s faith in God enabled God to declare him righteous, since that is the only way righteousness is imparted to a believer (Romans 5-6).
With that thought in mind we have to consider the above passage. Job has had his entire world turned upside down. NOT, however, because of a sin he committed!! NOT because he was unrighteous in his living, but because he WAS righteous. Job is beginning a road of suffering because he was singled out by God, as a challenge to Satan, because of His righteousness. What would be the response of a righteous man to unfair and unjust suffering? If God singled you out and you lost everything, what would your response be? In our false sense of self we might think that a “righteous” man would always be at peace and have great strength. Yet, this is not the case. Job is actually depressed and suicidal. The facet is that the human body and human emotion, even with a righteous soul, will still feel suffering and pain. We are in unrighteous because we feel suffering and pain. There are plenty of examples in Scripture of those who felt depressed and, even suicidal (Elijah, David, Jacob, Peter, Judas). We need to realize that our response to suffering is both normal (in a physical and emotional way) but also something we have to deal with in a spiritual manner. If we hit our hand with a hammer it is foolish to think we should not feel pain ...for many days. So, when bad things happen, we are expected to feel pain and have emotional heights and lows ... especially lows.
The key lesson to learn from Job, in addition to the retaliate of the suffering, is to realize that God designed this suffering for Job to bring Job to a deeper walk and understanding of Him. We won’t read this until chapter 35, however. God will bring Job through this. God brings us through the suffering. We ought to remember some truths as we go through it. Notice what Solomon stated:
Ecclesiastes 5:2 (ESV Strong's)
Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
Job did express his frustration. There is no sin in that. However, Solomon warns us to be careful with our words. Do not be rash in what you say in suffering.
Solomon also stated:
Proverbs 25:20
Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart
is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,
and like vinegar on soda.
When we respond to those who are suffering we need to realize they ARE suffering. Job’s friends did not heed this advice. Eliphaz will, in the next chapter, condemn Job and say he is suffering because of his sin.
Depression and suicidal thoughts are a real thing, even for the believer. We are NOT less believers when we are found in this state. But, we do need to realize that the end of the story is not written and others may be idiots in regard to our fate. God is taking us through the suffering to bring us to a better understanding of Him, so we can know His power, grace, and mercy.
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