The Tasteless White Of An Egg
Photo by Fabio Sasso on Unsplash
(Job 6:6 KJV) Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt? or is there [any] taste in the white of an egg?
Eggs Don’t Taste Like Chicken.
No Trial Should Make Our Lives Egg White Tasteless
There was a comedian years ago (I forget his name) who was talking about how anytime we eat something new we say, “It tastes like chicken”. He said, “If chicken tastes like everything, why don’t eggs taste like chicken”? That made me stop and think. That’s true. Eggs don’t taste like chicken. Every egg has three parts:
The Shell – which protects and contains the contents of the egg
The White (call the albumen) – provides water and protein for developing life
The Yolk – which provides energy and nutrients to the chick
The White of the egg, when eaten, has no taste to it. It surrounds the developing chick, and is necessary, but to us it’s tasteless. It surrounds the developing life of the egg, and helps strengthen the chick as it grows.
This is the only place in the Bible where the “white of an egg” is mentioned. This is a statement that Job makes to his “friends”. Job is talking about his life. Like an egg white, his life has purpose – but it has become tasteless and without joy.
What Led Job To This State Of Mind?
The Book of Job is considered the oldest manuscript of scripture. I believe that our Lord Jesus had Job written first because – from the time Adam sinned in Eden and rejected the Word of God, humans have suffered. Women suffer in childbirth, and in life (Genesis 3:16). Men suffer and struggle against nature itself (Genesis 3:17-19). Life is tough for us all. Adam not only brought a separation between us and God, but everything we do comes through “the sweat of our face we eat bread, labor, then leave this life”.
Every person in this building and under the sound of my voice has suffered, is suffering, or will go through suffering. Job said:
Job 5:7 … man is BORN UNTO TROUBLE, as THE SPARKS FLY UPWARD
The campfire burns and provides heat and comfort. But it only burns because a tree suffered. Every campfire has sparks that fly upward. Every human suffers. We have good times, but suffering is just around the corner. What is it that keeps your life worth living? What keeps your life from becoming “the tasteless white of an egg”? It isn’t a big bank account, or a huge family. It isn’t success in business.
What keeps our lives from becoming the “tasteless white of an egg” is the presence of God in our lives. We need the companionship of Jesus. We need the continued purpose that the Holy Spirit gives us. We need to know that whatever we are going through, that it has a higher purpose.
Job loved the Lord. The Bible says that “Job was … BLAMELESS and UPRIGHT, one who FEARED GOD and SHUNNED EVIL” (Job 1:1). Job cared about the Lord, and Job cared about his family. He was a good father, and he honored the Heavenly Father under the Old Covenant.
One day God gave Satan permission to test Job. Job lost his farm. Job lost his herds. Job lost his workers. Job lost his sons and daughters. Did this make Job’s life like “the tasteless white of an egg”? No. The Bible says that:
(Job 1:20-21 KJV) … Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, [21] And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.
What gave Job’s life meaning was not family – though he loved his family. What gave Job’s life purpose was not his business – though he was prosperous in his business. Job knew that it was the Lord that saved him. He knew it was the presence of the Lord that blessed him. When God told Moses to lead Israel to the Promised Land, Moses replied:
(Exodus 33:15-17 LSB) {Moses} said to {God}, If YOUR PRESENCE DOES NOT GO WITH US, DO NOT LEAD US UP FROM HERE. [16] Indeed, how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? IS IT NOT BY YOUR GOING WITH US, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the [other] people who are upon the face of the earth?” [17] Then Yahweh said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight, and I HAVE KNOWN YOU BY NAME.”
The greatest thing is not what we have, but WHO has us. The Lord saved us. The Lord called us by name. And we are to live to glorify Him. “Blessed be the Name of the Lord”
Moses was in a covenant relationship with God, and understood this. David also said of the Lord:
(Psalm 16:11 LSB) You will make known to me the path of life; IN YOUR PRESENCE IS FULLNESS OF JOY; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
To walk with the Lord is to glorify the Lord. When we go through trials we need to know that God is walking with us. That the trials are not purposeless, but for His glory and our good. In chapter 2 God allowed Satan to afflict Job with a bitter wife, and
(Job 2:7 KJV) … Satan … smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
Did this cause Job to declare that his life had become “the tasteless white of an egg”? No. When challenged by his wife to “curse God and die”, Job said:
(Job 2:10 KJV) … Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? IN ALL THIS JOB DID NOT SIN WITH HIS LIPS.
The pain of losing his farm, losing his family, and losing his health did not cause Job to give up, for he knew God was with Him. Job trusted in the promise of God. Hasn’t God promised His Children that He purchased through the Blood of Christ:
Hebrews 13:5-6 … I will NEVER LEAVE YOU, nor FORSAKE YOU … the LORD IS MY HELPER, and I will not fear what man shall do to me ..
Deuteronomy 31:6 … The LORD YOUR GOD GOES WITH YOU, HE WILL NOT FAIL YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL: for THOU ART WITH ME; Thy rod and Thy staff they COMFORT ME.
The Lord is the Shepherd of His people. Jesus Christ is the GOOD SHEPHERD WHO GIVES HIS LIFE FOR HIS SHEEP (John 10:11). He KNOWS US (John 10:14) and watches over us. Job went through the darkest moments any person has ever been through, and retained his love for God. He glorified the Lord Who saved him.
There is no mountaintop without a valley.
There is no empty tomb without a cross.
There is no eternal life without temporal death.
There is no heaven without the suffering of earth.
What The Devil, Disease and Death Could Not Do,
A Delegation Of Three “Friends” Could
(Job 2:11 KJV) Now when Job’s THREE FRIENDS heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come TO MOURN WITH HIM and TO COMFORT HIM.
Job does not blame God, but he begins to focus on all that his life has lost. Job began to think there was something wrong with his life, with how he lived it. After all, how much tragedy comes to an innocent man? Job said:
(Job 3:24-26 KJV) For MY SIGHING COMETH BEFORE I EAT, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. [25] For the THING WHICH I GREATLY FEARED IS COME UPON ME, and THAT WHICH I WAS AFRAID OF IS COME UNTO ME. [26] I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
What was the “THING WHICH I GREATLY FEARED” that Job is speaking of? Could he be thinking that God punished his children, and punished him because of his children? The only “FEAR” we see in Job’s life up to this point is found in chapter one:
(Job 1:4-5 KJV) {Job’s} SONS WENT AND FEASTED IN THEIR HOUSES, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. [5] And it was so, when the days of [their] feasting were gone about, that JOB SENT AND SANCTIFIED THEM, and rose up early in the morning, and OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THEM ALL: for Job said, IT MAY BE THAT MY SONS HAVE SINNED, and CURSED GOD IN THEIR HEARTS. Thus did Job continually.
If there was anything that Job feared – according to our context – it would be that his family depart from God. Job acted on this fear. He said:
(Job 3:26 KJV) I was not in safety (šālâ, to be at rest), neither had I rest (šāqaṭ, to be at peace), neither was I quiet (nûaḥ, to be satisfied); YET TROUBLE CAME.
Job does not know that the Lord allowed Satan to test him, and this is why he is afflicted. But when his sons started having “feasts” or parties at their homes, he didn’t ignore the problem. He feared they would offend God, and lose His Presence in their lives. This is what he feared, the loss of God’s presence. Job acted by making burnt offerings which, under the Old Covenant, covered sins.
The Burnt Offering was a shadow, a type or teaching of the sacrifice that our Lord Jesus Christ would make upon the Cross for our sins. Job made a burnt offering for his children, lest they blaspheme God.
(Hebrews 9:11-12 NKJV) But Christ came [as] High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. [12] Not with the blood of goats and calves, but WITH HIS OWN BLOOD He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION.
(Hebrews 10:8-10 NKJV) Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and [offerings] for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure [in them]” (which are offered according to the law), [9] then JESUS SAID, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.” He TAKES AWAY THE FIRST that He may ESTABLISH THE SECOND. [10] By that will we have been SANCTIFIED THROUGH THE OFFERING OF THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST ONCE FOR ALL.
Job saw a problem in his family, and addressed it through the will of God. He made a burnt offering for his children. And yet, the thing he greatly feared happened anyway.
His children were taken.
His business was taken.
His own health was taken.
Job’s three friends came:
Job 2:11 … made an appointment together to come to MOURN with him and to COMFORT him.
Did they do that? No! Job is in despair, and his friend Eliphaz tells him that innocent people DO NOT SUFFER.
Job must be a sinner. Not only that, Job must be a hypocritical sinner. Eliphaz says:
(Job 4:7-9 KJV) Remember, I pray thee, WHO EVER PERISHED, BEING INNOCENT? or WHERE WERE THE RIGHTEOUS CUT OFF? [8] Even as I have seen, THEY THAT PLOW INIQUITY, and SOW WICKEDNESS, reap the same. [9] By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
Eliphaz tells Job that God is Just. That Job deserved what happened to him. That his children deserved to die. And that if Job just repent, then God will turn from punishing him and restore him to prosperity.
Let me ask you Eliphaz’s question:
WHO EVER PERISHED, BEING INNOCENT?
– When Herod tried to kill the Baby Jesus, and killed all the children two years old and under in Bethlehem, were those babies guilty or innocent? (Matthew 2:16-18). Did the babies deserve that? Or was it a fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:15.
– What about Abel, Cain’s brother? Did he deserve to be murdered by his brother, or was Abel innocent. Our Lord Jesus called Abel “righteous” (Matthew 23:35).
– What about Naboth (1 Kings 21:13), who was falsely accused and executed by King Ahab so he could steal his land? Naboth was an innocent man who loved the Lord.
– And what of Stephen, the first Christian martyr? (Acts 7:59-60). As they stoned him to death, he looked up and saw the Lord Jesus Christ STANDING at the right hand of God the Father.
– And in this list I cannot skip the Lord Jesus Christ. His executioner Pilate said, “I find no fault in this man” (Luke 23:4), and yet He was crucified to death nonetheless. Did Jesus deserve what He got? Then how does Eliphaz know that Job deserved what happened to him. Deserve has nothing to do with it. God allowed it for His glory and for Job’s growth. Though Eliphaz’s words are accurately recorded in scripture, they are not supported as Biblical truth but as heresy.
Preach: There are times when righteous people are “cut off” and merciful men are “taken away” (Isaiah 57:1). David wrote of this in Psalm 12:1. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Rather than accuse Job, Eliphaz should have encouraged his friend, and pointed him back to the Lord Who loves him.
Friends Should Salt The White Of The Egg With Jesus
After his friend was done with him, Job replied:
(Job 6:1-3 KJV) … Job answered and said, [2] Oh that MY GRIEF WERE THROUGHLY WEIGHED, and MY CALAMITY laid in the balances together! [3] For NOW IT WOULD BE HEAVIER THAN THE SAND OF THE SEA: therefore my words are swallowed up.
Eliphaz did not speak so as to show Job the Lord Jesus. Instead, he added to his friend’s misery. The purpose of Christ’s Church – His Kingdom on earth – is to (1) Glorify God, (2) Make Disciples, and (3) Bless those around you with salt and light. Eliphaz did not glorify God in his statements. He acted as God. He made judgments that he could not support scripturally nor spiritually. Jesus said:
(Matthew 5:13 NKJV) YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Job felt like his life was now the tasteless white of an egg. He needed to be reminded of the love of Christ. He needed to be reminded that God is good, and that “all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Convinced that God is angry at him, Job says:
(Job 6:4 KJV) For 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.
Job believes that God is angry with him, that God is warring against him. And with this in his heart, Job says:
(Job 6:8-9 KJV) Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant [me] the thing that I long for! [9] EVEN THAT IT WOULD PLEASE GOD TO DESTROY ME; that HE WOULD LOOSE HIS HAND and CUT ME OFF!
Job is praying for death. He sees his life as futile. And that is so sad, because his friends should have mourned with him and comforted him. The Bible tells us:
Romans 12:10, 12, 15 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; … 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing {focused} in prayer; … 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Unlike Eliphaz, we are to come alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ when they suffer, reminding them that our God is faithful. We are to remind them that, as they go through this valley, God is with them. Christ does not leave His people unattended. Trials have a purpose.
God can punish us by trials if we fail to love Him. In the Book of Revelation Jesus addresses the Church at Ephesus. The Church at Ephesus was, at one time, Pastored by the Apostle John. The Bible says that the Apostle Paul established the Church (Acts 18:19-21), and spent three years preaching there (Acts 20:31). The great evangelist Apollos preached there (Acts 18:24-28), and Ephesus enjoyed the work of Silas, Luke, Tychicus,and Timothy. The Church was well funded, and very blessed. But Jesus told His Church:
(Revelation 2:4-5 NKJV) Nevertheless I have [this] against you, that YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE. [5] “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; REPENT and DO THE FIRST WORKS, or else I will come to you quickly and REMOVE YOUR LAMPSTAND FROM ITS PLACE–unless you repent.
The most important thing we as Christians have is the presence of Christ. God promises never to leave His children. God promises His people that He will fulfill His purposes in Him. God told Jacob:
Genesis 28:15 And, behold, I AM WITH THEE, AND WILL KEEP THEE in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I WILL NOT LEAVE THEE, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
God told Jacob that He would not abandon him until He fulfilled His promise in him. Shall God promise His Child Heaven, and abandon him while on this earth? Absolutely not! God does not leave His child by faith. Moses told Israel:
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of {the enemy}: for THE LORD THY GOD, HE IT IS THAT DOTH GO WITH THEE; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
God never fails His child. The Psalmist declared:
Psalms 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and FORSAKETH NOT HIS SAINTS; they are PRESERVED FOR EVER: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
Beloved, we are not to be like Eliphaz toward our brothers and sisters when they suffer. We are to remind them that Jesus is with them, and will stay with them no matter what. If we have sinned, the Lord disciplines us. But He stays with us. If we stray, the Lord will find us. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
The first 37 chapters of this Book show Job suffering, and his friends making it worst. But in chapter 38 God presents Himself directly to Job for the first time in his life.
What is significant in Job 38:1? This is the first direct speech of God in the Book, and the first time Job hears God directly. God speaks out of the whirlwind, out of the trials. And God is glorified.
In the last chapter of the Book, Job acknowledges that through the trial he learned much of God. Job said:
Job 42:5 I have heard of thee BY THE HEARING OF THE EAR: but now mine eye seeth thee
I believe that Job saw the pre-incarnate Jesus because of the trial. The trial drew him closer to the Lord Jesus than ever before. God also chastised Eliphaz and the other two friends for misrepresenting His glory. They were to offer burnt offerings to God, and have Job pray for them before they could be forgiven (Job 42:8).
And Job got back double all that he had previously lost. May we be as faithful as we are tried in this life. Let us glorify God. Amen.
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