Job 12:1-25 - A Good Defense Points to God

Job 12:1-25

Job Answers His Critics

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 “No doubt you are the people,
And wisdom will die with you!
3 But I have understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Indeed, who does not know such things as these?

4 “I am one mocked by his friends,
Who called on God, and He answered him,
The just and blameless who is ridiculed.

5 A lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease;
It is made ready for those whose feet slip.
6 The tents of robbers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure—
In what God provides by His hand.

7 “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?

11 Does not the ear test words
And the mouth taste its food?
12 Wisdom is with aged men,
And with length of days, understanding.

13 “With Him are wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.
14 If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.
15 If He withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.

16 With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of the judges.

18 He loosens the bonds of kings,
And binds their waist with a belt.
19 He leads princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.
20 He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.

21 He pours contempt on princes,
And disarms the mighty.
22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He enlarges nations, and guides them.

24 He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
25 They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

When Job heard the blame and mocking of his supposed three friends come to help in his suffering and misery, he had to respond to their suppositions and insinuations of guilt for sins being the cause of his adversity.  He began by pointing out that they were not the only ones who were wise and he knew more than they assumed about his condition.  Job was mocked by them as he called on God who answered him as they ridiculed the just and blameless one in the sight of the Almighty.  They acted as his judges and jury in sentencing him without proof, on mere hearsay of their own unfounded reasoning and wild imaginations.  He used parable sayings to show their folly and error such as the need for a lamp when it is dark that is despised when the light shines, and how robbers fill their houses while those trusting God are secure in His provision and do not take from others.  These friends of Job seemed to despise the light of understanding that Job had, only liking the light they needed to illuminate his problems; they also took from God His discernment and passed their own judgment on Job without understanding the spiritual battle wrought from heavenly places by the adversary as the real cause of Job’s suffering.  Job pointed them to the creation itself — animals, birds, and fish — understand these things are in the hands of their Creator, so why do they not also?  God alone holds the life and breath of everyone in His sovereign omnipotent hands with all omniscience of every situation of each one.  He told them in a way that they needed wisdom from experience as they tested the words they heard in the light of God’s word to grasp these things without leaping to their own conclusions.  God alone has perfect wisdom, strength, counsel, understanding, and rule over everything and everyone.  They needed to likewise humble themselves and their judgment to Him and His and not assume to tell Job what the cause of his suffering was without that divine understanding.  God alone rules over the deceived and deceiving ones and is the final Judge.  He alone controls kings and kingdoms (Daniel 2:21, 22) as He causes them to rise and fall and accomplish His purpose in all the earth to make them great or to destroy them according to His times.  He alone reveals the secrets of the hearts (Psalm 44:21, 1 Corinthians 4:5) of men as He shines the light of truth on the dark and hidden places of circumstances and intentions of the heart.  Without the guidance and wisdom of God, all simply wander in the wilderness without a clear path to walk and stagger as drunken men in the dark.  Job seems to apply this to his friends with their unwise counsel to answer with a good defense (1 Peter 3:15-16, 17) that points to God and a good conscience while walking in the light to the best of one’s abilities for the unknown answers to his plight and to curb their unfounded accusations and assumptions that Job’s sin must be the cause of his suffering.  How we still hear those who assume sickness and suffering are only the result of our sins and fail to consider the attacks of the enemy and trials which the Lord permits for our sanctification for our good and His glory!  We therefore are called by this example to walk by faith, not what we see with our eyes, and trust His grace and providence through all bad times as well as the good as we withhold judgment on our own and others’ adversity in the circumstances we face.  In all accusations, we remember that a good defense points to the Lord and His saving grace of atonement in the righteousness of Christ in whom we stand.  Amen.

Job 11:1-20 - Zophar Unjustly Judged Job

Job 11:1-20

Zophar Urges Job to Repent

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

2 “Should not the multitude of words be answered?
And should a man full of talk be vindicated?
3 Should your empty talk make men hold their peace?
And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?
4 For you have said,
My doctrine is pure,
And I am clean in your eyes.’

5 But oh, that God would speak,
And open His lips against you,
6 That He would show you the secrets of wisdom!
For they would double your prudence.
Know therefore that God exacts from you
Less than your iniquity deserves.

7 “Can you search out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
9 Their measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.

10 “If He passes by, imprisons, and gathers to judgment,
Then who can hinder Him?
11 For He knows deceitful men;
He sees wickedness also.
Will He not then consider it?
12 For an empty-headed man will be wise,
When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.

13 “If you would prepare your heart,
And stretch out your hands toward Him;
14 If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away,
And would not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
15 Then surely you could lift up your face without spot;
Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;
16 Because you would forget your misery,
And remember it as waters that have passed away,
17 And your life would be brighter than noonday.
Though you were dark, you would be like the morning.

18 And you would be secure, because there is hope;
Yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety.
19 You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid;
Yes, many would court your favor.

20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they shall not escape,
And their hope—loss of life!”

The third friend come to help Job now spoke.  This Zophar also blamed Job for his suffering and called him to humble himself and repent.  He chided Job for answering in his defense with many words to justify his actions as righteous and not intentionally sinful.  He told Job that his doctrine was not so pure as he believed and he was not innocent before God, which of course in the estimation of Zophar was the reason Job was suffering for his sin, not knowing that the enemy in the heavenly places was attacking Job who was seen as upright and blameless by God in grace as a picture of our own righteous standing counted to we who are in Christ.  This friend of Job told him that if God were to open His mouth right then and talk to Job, that the secrets of His wisdom would show the sinfulness of Job and that the mercy of God was giving him less than he deserved, a true statement of grace not intended by Zophar, but ultimately true.  This friend continued by pointing out that nobody can find out all the secrets of the Almighty, His deep things and limits (limitless in the omnipotence and omniscience of God) higher than the heavens and unreachable by any man.  His ways are also deeper than the grave, longer than the earth, and wider than the sea!  Nobody can thwart His judgment because He knows the hearts of men in their deceit and wickedness as well.  He was pointing out to Job that he did not have a leg to stand on in defending himself before the Almighty, in other words.  He called Job to repent, to prepare his heart to reach out to God for forgiveness and mercy, to stop sinning, and only then look God in the face without fear of judgment and be released from his suffering and misery.  Then his life would he bright with hope again as a new day dawning in renewed hope and safety from judgment and fear of death.  This of course is not possible by works alone, for only in Christ and His reconciling righteousness (Romans 4:3-4, 5-6, 22-23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:9) is this ever really possible.  Yes, the concluding words of Zophar have truth in them to point out that the wicked fail and cannot escape judgment and death, yet this was a condemnation of Job that did not take into account the grace and calling of God who called Job righteous on God’s behalf and merit, and not that of Job who was more righteous than any other man alive (Job 1:1) as Noah was also named by the LORD (Genesis 6:9), yet still just as much a sinner in need of grace and pardon as his friends and us.  Just as Zophar unjustly judged Job based on works and not the grace of God, so we are not to condemn others for their imperfections of sin in their lives if God’s grace reckons them as righteous (Romans 3:21-22, 23, 3:28, 6:11) in Christ alone and not our own works by His imputed righteousness. 

Job 10:1-22 - Pleading with and Trusting God

Job 10:1-22

Job: I Would Plead with God

1 “My soul loathes my life;
I will give free course to my complaint,
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
Show me why You contend with me.
3 Does it seem good to You that You should oppress,
That You should despise the work of Your hands,
And smile on the counsel of the wicked?
4 Do You have eyes of flesh?
Or do You see as man sees?

5 Are Your days like the days of a mortal man?
Are Your years like the days of a mighty man,
6 That You should seek for my iniquity
And search out my sin,
7 Although You know that I am not wicked,
And there is no one who can deliver from Your hand?

8 ‘Your hands have made me and fashioned me,
An intricate unity;
Yet You would destroy me.
9 Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay.
And will You turn me into dust again?

10 Did You not pour me out like milk,
And curdle me like cheese,
11 Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?

12 You have granted me life and favor,
And Your care has preserved my spirit.

13 ‘And these things You have hidden in Your heart;
I know that this was with You:
14 If I sin, then You mark me,
And will not acquit me of my iniquity.
15 If I am wicked, woe to me;
Even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head.
I am full of disgrace;
See my misery!

16 If my head is exalted,
You hunt me like a fierce lion,
And again You show Yourself awesome against me.
17 You renew Your witnesses against me,
And increase Your indignation toward me;
Changes and war are ever with me.

18 ‘Why then have You brought me out of the womb?
Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me!
19 I would have been as though I had not been.
I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 Are not my days few?
Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,
21 Before I go to the place from which I shall not return,
To the land of darkness and the shadow of death,
22 A land as dark as darkness itself,
As the shadow of death, without any order,
Where even the light is like darkness.’”

Job pleaded with God in his bitterness of suffering that led him to loathe his life and beg for Him to reveal why He contended with his loyal servant who pursued righteous living.  He asked the LORD if He despised him as the unworthy work of His hands by allowing the wicked to persecute him.  He asked if the Almighty was looking to expose his sin and sinfulness, knowing that he was not wicked and also acknowledging that God alone was able to deliver him from this suffering for reasons beyond the grasp of Job.  He alone held Job in a grasp of divine hands that nobody could snatch him from (John 10:28-29), just as we now know this to be true for all who are in Christ.  Job knew and acknowledged that he was made by God’s hands (Psalm 119:73, 139:13-14), and could not understand why God seemed to want to destroy the work of those mighty and righteous hands, turning his body back to the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7, 3:19, Ecclesiastes 3:20, 1 Corinthians 15:47) which men were created from.  He realized that he had been granted life and grace, and that his spirit was still preserved by God’s loving care for His creation, in spite of all these doubts and fears felt in his immense suffering.  He still trusted God, an example and reminder for all who suffer until His return when we will see Him (Job 19:25-26, 27) at last on this earth in our sight.  Job had these truths hidden deep in his heart as God had them hidden in His, and he knew he was accountable for his sins.  He also knew that even in his righteousness he was unable to lift his head to look at the perfect one, for he knew that he still fell short (Psalm 143:2, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:23) of God’s perfect holiness.   He let this give way to self-pity as he wondered why he was even born if this was the outcome, desiring that he had been stillborn instead, carried from the womb to the grave, to avoid this suffering.  He just wanted to die and not come back to this world of adversity, feeling the darkness of the shadow of death where no light seemed to be found.  He was in despair due to the immense suffering without knowing why he personally had to endure this, even though h had the pieces of truth yet unassembled in his hands as he had been pouring out in prayer to God here.  We must not fall into the same pattern of despair while suffering, knowing God works everything for our good and His glory, as we read in Romans 8:28 and other places.  Trust Him, only trust Him, as we know His grace and providence in Christ with the hope of deliverance either possibly here or definitely in eternity, as we plead with God in our suffering and trust Him through it all since we cannot see the battle for our souls (Ephesians 3:10, 6:12, Revelation 12:17) in the heavenly realm. 

Job 9:1-35 - We Need a Mediator

Job 9:1-35

Job: There Is No Mediator

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 “Truly I know it is so,
But how can a man be righteous before God?
3 If one wished to contend with Him,
He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 He shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars tremble;
7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
He seals off the stars;
8 He alone spreads out the heavens,
And treads on the waves of the sea;
9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south;
10 He does great things past finding out,
Yes, wonders without number.

11 If He goes by me, I do not see Him;
If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;
12 If He takes away, who can hinder Him?
Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13 God will not withdraw His anger,
The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.

14 “How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words to reason with Him?
15 For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him;
I would beg mercy of my Judge.

16 If I called and He answered me,
I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17 For He crushes me with a tempest,
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills me with bitterness.

19 If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong;
And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?
20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me;
Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

21 “I am blameless, yet I do not know myself;
I despise my life.
22 It is all one thing;
Therefore I say, He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the scourge slays suddenly,
He laughs at the plight of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, who else could it be?

25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.
26 They pass by like swift ships,
Like an eagle swooping on its prey.

27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’
28 I am afraid of all my sufferings;
I know that You will not hold me innocent.
29 If I am condemned,
Why then do I labor in vain?

30 If I wash myself with snow water,
And cleanse my hands with soap,
31 Yet You will plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes will abhor me.

32 “For He is not a man, as I am,
That I may answer Him,
And that we should go to court together.
33 Nor is there any mediator between us,
Who may lay his hand on us both.

34 Let Him take His rod away from me,
And do not let dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak and not fear Him,
But it is not so with me.

Job continues to question his circumstances and their cause and comes to the conclusion that he desperately needs a mediator between him and God to settle the case set against him to find relief from his sentence of suffering.  He admits that nobody can possibly be righteous before God no matter how many times a man tries to reason or answer the accusations of the Almighty.  The only recourse is to beg for mercy from the Judge of all.  He needed a mediator between him and the Judge, a lawyer to present his case and take the punishment of judgment himself, for the man standing in the heavenly court has been proven guilty already and needs such a Mediator.  That Man is the Lord Jesus Christ.  He alone is our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 9:15, 12:23-24) who can stand before the Judge and step into the docket to then assume our guilt and take our sentence for our sin.  Job continued his discourse with the power of God to create such a vast universe in the heavens and on earth, doing marvelous innumerable things for us to see His character and ultimate authority over everything and everyone.  He works also in ways we cannot see with our eyes and we have no right to question anything He does; we are to trust in His goodness and work in all our bountiful and suffering times therefore, as Job was beginning to understand the mere edges (Job 26:14, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Romans 11:33) of His ways.  Once again, Job cries out how he cannot reason or justify himself before God and calls for mercy, which is the same cry required by the gospel to us today, even if when we call we still experience suffering and even wonder if He truly hears us.  We can be confident that He does because we cannot see the war behind the scenes in the heavenly places for our souls and must trust His goodness in the answer as our Mediator before the Eternal Sovereign Judge.  Job realized that though he seemed to live a righteous life and do no wrong, he was guilty before the LORD and had no defense argument against the true accusations of the inward corruption that he faced.  He saw his days swiftly pass by in this state and realized that putting on a happy face did nothing to take away the inward suffering of his guilt; he wondered why he labored in vain if this proven lack of innocence is what he faced.  He could not make himself clean and realized his desperate need for a Mediator to go with him to court to escape his sentence looming before his eyes.  Only then could the rod of justice and terror of the LORD be taken away and his fears relieved.  But he could not yet see this for himself and continued to wallow in his woes throughout the rest of this book until the account provided such a hope of a Mediator.  We know the rest of his story, but we also know the story this was a dim picture of, namely that God was in Christ reconciling us to Himself as our Mediator in the court of heaven to provide absolute hope of release from the sentence of judgment and death we all face.  Our sinful and hopeless state is why we all need this Mediator to stand (Ephesians 6:13, 1 Peter 5:12) before the Judge on that final Day! 

Job 8:1-22 - Bildad’s Accusations against Job’s Heart

Job 8:1-22

Bildad: Job Should Repent

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

2 “How long will you speak these things,
And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?

3 Does God subvert judgment?
Or does the Almighty pervert justice?
4 If your sons have sinned against Him,
He has cast them away for their transgression.

5 If you would earnestly seek God
And make your supplication to the Almighty,
6 If you were pure and upright,
Surely now He would awake for you,
And prosper your rightful dwelling place.
7 Though your beginning was small,
Yet your latter end would increase abundantly.

8 “For inquire, please, of the former age,
And consider the things discovered by their fathers;
9 For we were born yesterday, and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are a shadow.
10 Will they not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their heart?

11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the reeds flourish without water?
12 While it is yet green and not cut down,
It withers before any other plant.
13 So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish,
14 Whose confidence shall be cut off,
And whose trust is a spider’s web.
15 He leans on his house, but it does not stand.
He holds it fast, but it does not endure.

16 He grows green in the sun,
And his branches spread out in his garden.
17 His roots wrap around the rock heap,
And look for a place in the stones.
18 If he is destroyed from his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’

19 “Behold, this is the joy of His way,
And out of the earth others will grow.
20 Behold, God will not cast away the blameless,
Nor will He uphold the evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughing,
And your lips with rejoicing.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.”

Job’s friend Bildad heard Job defending himself from the assumptions and accusations of Eliphaz and then began judging Job and calling him to repent since he obviously must have sinned before God in his estimation to suffer such things.  He began by asking how Job could just vent hot air like wind that has no substance of truth according to Bildad.  He takes the attributes of God and assumes how they apply, stating truth that the LORD is just and punishes sin to hold men accountable to Him.  But then he assumes Job has sinned and pleads with him to repent, seeking God and asking forgiveness because if Job was pure and upright (Job 1:8 and 2:3) then he would awaken God to hear him as he deserved by admitting his sin and would increase in prosperity again.  Bildad urged him to recall those who went before him and learn from them the transitory nature of life and insinuated that the lessons they give were meant to move the heart to obey God more faithfully.  He compared the need for plants to have fertile ground and water to grow and bear fruit or it withers and dies.  He compared this analogy to those who forget God and His word to be hypocrites without true trust in God’s word or a house on a shaky foundation of disobedience to that word, ready to fall (Luke 6:49).  He also compared this sin to a plant growing in the sun but on rocky soil (Matthew 13:5) that leads to destruction as if not seen anymore by the LORD.  According to the friend of Job, he had to find joy in God’s way to multiply but mercy was found to be for the blameless and judgment for those doing evil.  He judged Job’s heart motives and assumed his suffering was a result of blame.  He urged Job to rejoice in turning back to God to laugh and rejoice once more (James 5:11) as he would find compassion and mercy if he repented of the sin which his friend assumed was the cause of Job’s suffering.  Then his enemies who turned against him would be ashamed and their evil intentions and actions would be thwarted.  These things sounded good in principle but they were assumptions for Job’s plight caused by the adversary in the heavenly realm to discredit God’s blessings on Job by allowing such unearned attacks on his body, life, and character.  We do well to remember that the enemy still wanders the earth like a lion waiting to attack and deceive us (2 Timothy 4:17-18, 1 Peter 5:8-9) still.  May we not judge the motives and intentions of one another as we leave that to the Lord when it is not proven, and may we be aware of the wiles (Ephesians 6:11) of the devil who comes against us for our testimony (Revelation 12:17) of the gospel.  We do well to remember the unfounded accusations of Bildad against the heart of Job and stand humbly firm in following God’s word no matter what assumptions are leveled in unfounded judgment against us when we are called righteous and blameless like Job (2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Jude 1:24) in Christ. 

Job 7:1-21 - Suffering without Relief by Faith

Job 7:1-21

Job: My Suffering Is Comfortless

1 ”Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?
2 Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade,
And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,
3 So I have been allotted months of futility,
And wearisome nights have been appointed to me.
4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,
And the night be ended?’
For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.

5 My flesh is caked with worms and dust,
My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh.

6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.

7 Oh, remember that my life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more;
While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
So he who goes down to the grave does not come up.
10 He shall never return to his house,
Nor shall his place know him anymore.

11 “Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent,
That You set a guard over me?

13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’
14 Then You scare me with dreams
And terrify me with visions,
15 So that my soul chooses strangling
And death rather than my body.

16 I loathe my life;
I would not live forever.
Let me alone,
For my days are but a breath.

17 “What is man, that You should exalt him,
That You should set Your heart on him,
18 That You should visit him every morning,
And test him every moment?

19 How long?
Will You not look away from me,
And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?

20 Have I sinned?
What have I done to You, O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?

21 Why then do You not pardon my transgression,
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust,
And You will seek me diligently,
But I will no longer be.”

Job vented his endless suffering to his friends as if speaking to God and not them in this discourse of suffering without relief in sight not any apparent reason for it all.  He spoke of being as a hired servant who has nothing but futility in his endeavors and sleepless nights at the end of each day of toil, looking only for his wages at the end of long days when he can find his bed to recover.  He then pauses to look at his body with its worms and dust covering the boils cracking his skin open (Job 2:7-8) over and over.  His days passed by swiftly and without any more hope after suffering so long; he realized his mortality, that his life is as a short breath that is exhaled and gone away as a cloud moving across the sky or a body buried and not rising again from the dead and never able to return home again.  Job went on to vent his anguish over his sorry state of a bitter soul that could not understand what he did or why he was suffering so badly.  Thinking that going to sleep would ease the pain and suffering, he only saw that going to bed amplified his suffering with dreams of terror and desire to strangle his anguished soul instead of his suffering body.  He ended up loathing his life the way it was now compared to how he started in prosperity (Job 1:1, 3) and as a leader of the community who lived a righteous life before the face of God, as much as possible for any mortal son of Adam.  Job then questioned God how He could set His heart on any man to visit and test him daily, moving into asking if he sinned in some unknown way to cause the Almighty to look away suddenly from him after all that he had in the past and make him a target of suffering instead of forgiving his transgressions and taking away his sins’ penalties.  He knew that even then Gods would diligently seek him as he lay down in the dust of sorrow to death, knowing the grace of God in some measure of his understanding in the blinded state of his extreme suffering.  How we can lose sight of the grace and providence of our Lord when we also suffer, especially when we suffer for righteousness and not for our sin as deserving the consequences of it all.  We can take heart knowing that suffering for doing right (1 Peter 4:12-13, 19) does not mean we have a life free of adversity, for the adversary attacks us and God allows us to be tested (2 Chronicles 16:9, 1 Peter 1:6-7) to be refined in the fire of suffering to trust and glorify Him even more for all we are and possess.  May we then choose to suffer according to the will of God by committing our souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator, by faith in His working all for our good and His glory until we find relief from our suffering.

Job 6:1-30 - Job Justifies Himself Under Fire

Job 6:1-30

Job: My Complaint Is Just

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,
And my calamity laid with it on the scales!
3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea—
Therefore my words have been rash.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;
My spirit drinks in their poison;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

5 Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass,
Or does the ox low over its fodder?
6 Can flavorless food be eaten without salt?
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7 My soul refuses to touch them;
They are as loathsome food to me.

8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
That God would grant me the thing that I long for!
9 That it would please God to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and cut me off!
10 Then I would still have comfort;
Though in anguish I would exult,
He will not spare;
For I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

11 “What strength do I have, that I should hope?
And what is my end, that I should prolong my life?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Is my help not within me?
And is success driven from me?

14 “To him who is afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend,
Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook,
Like the streams of the brooks that pass away,
16 Which are dark because of the ice,
And into which the snow vanishes.
17 When it is warm, they cease to flow;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 The paths of their way turn aside,
They go nowhere and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema look,
The travelers of Sheba hope for them.

20 They are disappointed because they were confident;
They come there and are confused.
21 For now you are nothing,
You see terror and are afraid.

22 Did I ever say, ‘Bring something to me’?
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’?
23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand’?
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of oppressors’?

24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue;
Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
25 How forceful are right words!
But what does your arguing prove?
26 Do you intend to rebuke my words,
And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind?

27 Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless,
And you undermine your friend.
28 Now therefore, be pleased to look at me;
For I would never lie to your face.

29 Yield now, let there be no injustice!
Yes, concede, my righteousness still stands!
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my taste discern the unsavory?

Job began justifying himself before his friend who had been blaming his adverse circumstances on his own actions that he judged must have been the reason God was allowing all this misery on the loss of family, health, and possessions.  He explained how heavy his grief in suffering was as the “terrors of the Almighty” within him were as poisonous terror to his life.  He was unable to eat or even think about enjoying food if he was able to in his sorry state.  He justified his complaints and begged God to end his suffering by ending his life, that God would cut him off and let him find comfort in death as an end to suffering.  He seemed to know God’s word and yet could not fathom his seemingly innocent suffering he was enduring.  Job lost all strength to hope and no desire for a prolonged life, seeing hope within himself dwindling and success to overcome this suffering out of his reach.  Then he spoke plainly how his friend should show him kindness as he suffered and not deal deceitfully in accusing him of assumed sins as the cause of his predicament.  He compared the accusations as coming from a stream that freezes and disappears into the darkness beneath ice or is warmed by the heat in summer to dry up, go nowhere, and perish from sight, useless to counsel or comfort Job.  His friend was confident and convinced he knew the cause of Job’s plight with his assumptions and was afraid when seeing the state of Job in his suffering covered with freshly scraped boils all over and starving in the heat.  Job made it clear he did not ask for his friend to come to help him by bringing something or delivering him from an oppressor or enemy.  He asked for true words of help, right words with the power to help Job understand his situation and the he would listen, stopping the desperate arguments and rebutting of Job’s justification of his position.  Then he would gladly listen to the good and godly advice.  He saw Eliphaz as undermining his understanding of the suffering he was enduring and overwhelming him with words void of attempts to truly understand what was happening instead of automatically blaming Job for his sickness and situation on his sinning against the Almighty.  Job then stood firm on justifying his righteousness (God had already said so in heaven out of hearing by Job in Job 1:8 and 2:3) and fair dealing with others as his position, one that was not as his friend had been accusing him of.  We also may face those who judge our suffering and the thoughts of our hearts without knowing them as the Lord in heaven (1 Corinthians 3:13, 4:3-4, 5, Hebrews 4:12, James 2:4) alone can do.  This demonstrates how Job justified himself under fire from the assumptions and judgments of a friend.  We, however, do not need to justify ourselves in our suffering, but continue to commit our souls to Him in doing good as our faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:19) who sees from heaven and tests our hearts and minds in the face of our adversity and the wiles of our adversary. 

Job 5:1-27 - Chastened by God?

Job 5:1-27

Eliphaz: Job Is Chastened by God

1 “Call out now;
Is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?

2 For wrath kills a foolish man,
And envy slays a simple one.
3 I have seen the foolish taking root,
But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.

4 His sons are far from safety,
They are crushed in the gate,
And there is no deliverer.
5 Because the hungry eat up his harvest,
Taking it even from the thorns,
And a snare snatches their substance.

6 For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring from the ground;
7 Yet man is born to trouble,
As the sparks fly upward.

8 “But as for me, I would seek God,
And to God I would commit my cause—
9 Who does great things, and unsearchable,
Marvelous things without number.

10 He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on the fields.

11 He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.
13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime,
And grope at noontime as in the night.

15 But He saves the needy from the sword,
From the mouth of the mighty,
And from their hand.
16 So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts her mouth.

17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His hands make whole.

19 He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.
20 In famine He shall redeem you from death,
And in war from the power of the sword.

21 You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 You shall laugh at destruction and famine,
And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

23 For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
24 You shall know that your tent is in peace;
You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.

25 You shall also know that your descendants shall be many,
And your offspring like the grass of the earth.
26 You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.

27 Behold, this we have searched out;
It is true.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”

Eliphaz continued his speech against Job, assuming his suffering is the chastening of the LORD for something Job has done wrong and is deserving of.  He tells his friend that calling out to holy ones will not be answered because it is foolish to assume God would hear since he seemingly deserves his suffering in his friend’s estimation.  Eliphaz goes on to speak what seem like multiple parables or sayings such as we find in the wisdom of Proverbs, beginning with how foolish people are killed in the gates where importance in the community is seen and the starving people devour all such a foolish man has.  He goes on to say a universal truth is that man is born to suffer trouble just as sparks from a fire devour the wood and fly up into the air because trouble and affliction does not just come up from nowhere like out of the dust of the ground, but from man himself — Job, in this case, according to Eliphaz.  Eliphaz then offers sage advice for Job to do as he would, seeking God and committing his sorry cause to Him who “does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number.”  He then names some of these limitless great things such as sending needed rain on the earth and lifting up the lowly (Psalm 113:7, 147:6, Luke 1:52) and those who mourn (Matthew 5:4) who will be kept safe.  God catches the crafty in their schemes and brings them to nothing, thwarting their plans and blinding them (John 9:39, 41) as they deserve.  Yet God saves those who know their need and trust Him to deliver from the oppressor holding the sword of power over them to give hope and true justice as men do not.  This truth holds still, for in Christ we are delivered from our adversaries (Luke 11:4, 2 Timothy 4:18) and given a certain hope of justice bought with mercy and grace on the cross which we do not deserve.  This accuser of Job says some things that are true about him and us, even if he meant them as an accusation of guilt and his own self-righteousness.  Truly the man God does correct is happy and blessed (Hebrews 12:5-6, 7-8, 10-11) as He bruises and binds our wounds and makes us whole in the process of discipline.  God does certainly deliver His own from trouble, evil, famine and want, and even from attacks of the wild beasts as Daniel was in the lion’s den.  He can deliver us from death in battle and slander from our accusers, as well as meeting our basic needs as Eliphaz wisely pointed out here.  God alone brings peace in suffering and a long life with fruit of many children to follow us as was promised to Abraham (Galatians 3:6, 29) in both a physical sense in the expansion of Israel in the promised land and in the larger spiritual sense of that faith (Galatians 3:8-9) we share in Christ for (2 Timothy 2:2) spiritual children through the gospel we share with others as our eternal fruitfulness.  Though Job’s friend may have meant well, he assumed he knew why Job suffered and attributed it to God’s chastening for some sin Job had committed in pride or otherwise, yet the foundational truths he spoke still apply in the right context to us all.  We just cannot see behind the scenes in the spiritual realm to understand fully why we suffer at the adversary’s hand or by our own sin.  Either way, we trust Him in His sovereign grace to keep us and justify us in Christ to the end when true judgment is leveled fully on our adversary the devil for all the harm he has done to God’s people as our (1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:10) accuser.  We are therefore chastened by God, disciplined, for the right reasons and not by the accuser’s false judgments as Eliphaz repeated to Job.