Comfortless Suffering

Job 7:1-21

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 saw no comfort in his suffering.  He saw life as a grudging toil, endless hard work as labor as a hired laborer who works long days in the heat of the day but finds no shade to rest in nor satisfaction until the next paycheck.  His affliction made him yearn for the dawning of the next day because each night was sleepless and comfortless.  The days went swiftly past without hope or comfort, and he lost hope in ever seeing good days again.  He saw his life as a passing breath, much like the grasping after unseen and unobtainable wind as Ecclesiastes 1:14 tells us through Solomon’s eyes.  He felt his life as a fleeting cloud passing by, as death with no hope afterwards, as one seen today but gone from view tomorrow.  He felt hopeless in his wretched state and so in verse 11 he feels he can no longer restrain himself in such anguish from bitterly complaining about his condition.  Even sleep gave him no relief; nightmares overwhelmed him, making him desire rather to be strangled to death than endure another night like that.  He gave up on living and just wanted to be left alone until the last breath came.  He cried out to the LORD in questioning the reason to be given life at all and so much wealth and family if it was all going to be taken away again anyway, and how long did he have to suffer.  Why should God care so much for man and exalt Him, if He was only going to test him so severely?  That question haunted Job in his suffering.  He wondered if it was because of some sin he committed to make him God’s target (Job 6:4) and a burdensome life as recompense.  Why did God not then forgive him and cleanse Job from his iniquities?  He gave up, lay down in the dust, and gave up hope that God would find him before he died to forgive him.  We can feel like this as well when the adversary attacks us or even if God allows other adversities to test us.  But we must remember God’s word more fully realized in Christ’s coming and explaining God’s word and will for us; the gospel of pardoning reconciliation and peace with God in grace gives us a certain hope of God’s goodness (Romans 8:28) to comfort us until we have eternal consolation and peace.  There is an absolute hope and we are not abandoned nor do we suffer unjustly.  Knowing the battles in the heavenly place (Ephesians 3:10, 6:12) gives us courage and the peace of mind in His love that we are not living futile lives.  Unlike Job, we know more deeply by His word and Spirit where we stand and why suffering happens.  We understand our sin has consequences, but forgiveness is absolute (1 John 1:9, Psalm 103:12) if we are in Christ and in His righteousness under His atoning blood.  Therefore, we do not have hopeless suffering to complain about (1 Peter 2:20, 4:19), but we have confidence in sovereign grace to endure all things which test and purify us.  We have the hope of eternal life after death in His comforting presence.  This is not the hopelessness of comfortless suffering which Job imagined.  He comforts us in all our afflictions so we can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), unlike the friends of Job.  Let us do these things.