Job 6:5-6

5 Doth the wild ass [pere'] bray [nahaq] when he hath grass [deshe']? or loweth [ga`ah] the ox [showr] over his fodder [baliyl]?

6 Can that which is unsavoury [taphel] be eaten ['akal] without salt [melach]? or is there [yesh] any taste [ta`am] in the white [riyr] of an egg [challamuwth]? KJV-Interlinear

5 'Does the wild donkey bray over his grass, Or does the ox low over his fodder? 6 'Can something tasteless be eaten without salt, Or is there any taste in the white of an egg? NASB

When does a donkey bray? When it is hungry. When it has nothing to eat. When it is bothered for some reason.

When does an ox low? When it is hungry. When it has nothing to eat. When it is bothered for some reason.

The donkey's braying and the ox's lowing, are forms of complaints.

When is it reasonable to expect a person to lodge complaints? When things are going well for them, or when things are not going well?

Well, some folks will complain no matter what their worldly state is, but we are not speaking of those who are never satisfied regardless of their situation. This is a question, which Job puts forth, for the normal function of human behavior.

When a person is wealthy and prosperous, when he is clothed and his stomach is full, when he is satisfied in all of the normal functions and activities of life, then you would not expect to hear complaints.

However, when a person is sick, feeling down and out, when he is having calamitous financial problems, when work is not going well, when his family is doing poorly, when a person is otherwise having a bad time in life, then you would normally expect to hear complaints stemming from his misery.

Ad so Job puts out his reasons for complaining. He is hurting, and hurting badly. There has never been such perpetual pain and suffering brought onto a person in all of human history, up to that point.

So Job states that this is the basis of his complaint.

Life is short. All we have in this world is our life. And when we live it in misery, it just isn't fun.

And thus Job's second set of illustrations. The unsavory foods and the egg whites.

When you go out to eat, do you expect to have un-tasteful food served to you? No. You expect that since you are paying your good money, that the foods served should taste good, be satisfying, and will make you want to come back again.

So that is life in this world. God has given us all life. Are we expected to live it without the salt and seasonings that would make life good and pleasant for us? No.

One should expect that since God is who He is, since God can do anything, since God has had the full knowledge of our individual lives since eternity past, that He would make provisions for us such that we would have a good life. And furthermore, that we would want to live the life that God had intended for us.

A good one, a prosperous one, a fruitful one, a contented life, and secure life.

But into each of our lives a little rain falls. And for some the rain is a violent storm. Why? Because this is the devils world, and more than that, because we do not take Gods advice. We don't study our Bibles daily and we just don't take all of this Bible stuff seriously.

Sure many folks believe in God, but they don't incorporate their belief into the reality of their life. Beliefs are more of a convenience for what society expects. And so when you do what the public expects rather than what God expects, then your pre-defined life, as God has defined it, will never come into existence.

Odd as it may seem, people who pursue the lies of false religions, take their false faith more seriously and support it with more passion, more so than do Christians. And so you will come into the pain arena of life and wonder why.

Job, on the other hand, is feeling the pain of life, the undeserved pain, and he is complaining because he has no explanation as to why.

Life will not be without its problems. This is the devils world. Life can be without its unpleasantness, but only if you advance to spiritual maturity, and comply with the expectations of spiritual maturity. The spiritual life is not a cafeteria from which you can pick and choose what you will believe and what you will not, or what you will define for yourself.

We are all human and therefore we will lodge our complaints from time to time. Hit your finger with a hammer and what happens? Ouch! Your reaction and language are instant reactions, which are expected.

Does that mean that you are under Gods judgment? No. Does that mean that if you have been growing up spiritually, that suddenly you have lost all of your growth? No.

Job has been a great believer. We have Gods testimony to that effect from chapter one, 'none like him.'

Job has fallen on hard times and is hurting. He has been hurting for quite some time now. Would you expect him to be silent? No. Withhold food from your pet animals for several days. Would you expect them to be quiet and peaceful while they are extremely hungry? No.

So, Job is saying that when a person is hurting, extremely hurting, then expect some form of reaction. This is no basis for condemnation. One would expect that the person would eventually recover from their complaints, and not keep on complaining incessantly. This Job has not done.

Despite his pain and misery, Job is still maintaining his poise. He is not yelling and screaming, but even if he were, no one has the right to judge him, or make cute little remarks like, 'Oh, you shouldn't have said that. God is going to punish you!' Or something similar. Only stupid people make such remarks.

So, expect complaints from time to time in your life, but keep them short and under control. Expect a good life from God, but do not have unreasonable expectations from this life.

Be responsible, be reasonable, look around yourself and see the many things that God has made available for you and use them. You probably have far more than you realize. Keep studying the Word, be patient, and let God direct your life. Don't take shortcuts, or try to complain your way unreasonably through life.

Remember that you can be your own worst enemy. Don't let your evil other, defeat you.

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