Day 157, Job 6-10

Today started out with Job replying to his friends that his complaints were just. He appealed for a sympathetic understanding of the harsh words he previously spoke, but does not know why God was “aiming his arrows of judgement” against him.

Job seemed to believe he was justified in his bellowing, since he had been wounded by God and was offered tasteless food (words) from his friends. He hoped he would find joy in the afterlife for continuing to be true to God, but with no human resources left he considered his condition hopeless.

After talking to Eliphaz, Job then addressed his complaints toward God about how his life had no hope. As a chronic sufferer he had lost all sense of purpose in life and did not anticipate healing and saw death as his only escape.

Job seemed determined to cry out against the apparent injustice of God who, it seemed, would not leave him alone. He began to think that even the nightmares that disturbed his much-needed sleep were sent from God.

Job was still questioning why everything was happening to him. He wondered what sin he had committed that deserved that kind of suffering, complaining that God was too critical. Job confessed that he was a sinner, but couldn’t understand why God refused to forgive him.

Then Bildad the Shuhite, in contrast to the older Eliphaz, was impatient and answered him. Even though Job had not yet blatantly accused God of injustice, Bildad reasoned as follows: God cannot be unjust, so Job and his family must have been suffering as a result of sinfulness. Job should plead for mercy, and if he had been upright, God would restore him.

Bildad was a lot more blunt about Job being an evildoer, where Eliphaz had only insinuated. At this point, we already know God’s verdict about Job, but Bildad was confident that Job was a hypocrite.

Then Job replied explaining to his friends that he knew he was not sinless, but he still wished to have his “day in court” so he could prove his innocence of the kind of sin that deserved the suffering he was enduring. In his despair he voiced awful complaints about God.

Yet, he did not abandon God; he did not curse him as Satan said he would.

Job’s speech here in Chapter 9 is filled with the imagery of the courtroom: “answer him,” “argue with him,” “pronounce me guilty,” “judges,” “innocent,” etc.

God is so immense that Job felt he needed someone who could help him, or someone who could argue his case in court. Job’s call was not directly predicting the mediatorship of Christ, for Job was not looking for someone to forgive him but for one who could testify to his innocence.

Job argued his innocence but felt that since God is so great there was no use in contending with him, seeming that Job’s innocence had done him no good. There was a beautiful hymn here about God’s greatness, but Job was not blessed by it, for he did not see that God’s power was controlled by goodness and justice.

Job still did not know that God had allowed Satan to crush him for a high purpose.

Job continued with a plea to God, but since he was so bitter, his mind had conjured up a false image of God. Job imagined that God was angry with him, an innocent man, and was taking delight in the wicked.

These words should be a reminder not to argue theology while sick or in times of severe suffering, when people require a response of love and understanding. Job would later repent, and God would forgive him.

Job continued to question God as if they were adversaries in court. Job questioned how God, who so wonderfully formed him in the womb, could all the while have planned to punish him; even though he may be innocent.