Job 9

1 Then Job replied: 2 “Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God? 3 Though they wished to dispute with him, they could not answer him one time out of a thousand. 4 His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?

5 He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. 6 He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. 7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars.  

8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. 9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. 10 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

11 When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.  12 If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?' 13 God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.

14 “How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him? 15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy. 16 Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing.  17 He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason.  18 He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.

19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him?  20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty. 21 “Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.  

22 It is all the same; that is why I say, 'He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.' 23 When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.  24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it?

25 “My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.  26 They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey.  27 If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,'  28 I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent.

29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain?  30 Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder, 31 you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me. 32 “He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court.

33 If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, 34 someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.  35 Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

Job 10

1 “I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I say to God: Do not declare me guilty, but tell me what charges you have against me.

3 Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked? 4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as a mortal sees?

5 Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a strong man, 6 that you must search out my faults and probe after my sin— 7 though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand?

8 “Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? 9 Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to 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 gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.

13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind: 14 If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished. 15 If I am guilty—woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction.

16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me. 17 You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger toward me; your forces come against me wave upon wave.

18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me. 19 If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!

20 Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment's joy 21 before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and utter darkness, 22 to the land of deepest night, of utter darkness and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”

SNAPSHOT 19 CHILD OF AN ANGRY GOD

Job 9-10

Job 9

Job agrees with Bildad -to a point.  You are right, but I did not do it!  He wants to know how he can prove his innocence to God.  Well, that is a thought I have never entertained.  Even in courts of law, we find someone “not guilty” rather than innocent.  Everyone is guilty of something, but the verdict says they are not guilty of this charge.  Job is not innocent, but he did not do whatever crime merited this punishment.  We call that being guilty of a lesser included offense, but there is no such thing as a lesser included sin.  

Job goes poetic here, even with the loss due to translation, and describes a God in need of anger management classes:  

God moves mountains without their noticing and then knocks them over in anger.

God shakes the whole earth to its foundation.

God tells the sun to go dark and covers the stars.  

Then Job seems to stop himself and recall God's true nature:

God stretches the heavens.

God walks on water.

God makes places the stars.

God is a miracle worker.  

I like the walk on water thing because Jesus does that years after Job.  Job considers all of this and decides that God is unstoppable.  His anger is unrestrainable.  

Recently, I had a conversation with friends about feeling let down by God.  My friend said this is not a possibility because God is always working for us.  I reminded her of Job.  Conversation stopper.  There will be times in life when you feel let down by God.  That does not mean He failed or that His plan is ruined.  Feeling let down when something horrible happens is normal.  Feeling God is no longer good if we are not happy is not.  Job is not happy here.  He feels let down.  He still knows that God is in control.  I think there is a danger in believing that we will always see that God is working for us.  He is working for good and he loves us.  We need to trust Him even when we cannot understand.  Especially when we do not understand.  

I wonder who the “cohorts of Rahab” are in verse 13.  Better look it up because I know that there is a Rahab the prostitute later on.  Some say this word is rahab  and should be read as the word “proud.”  So, either it was a person known then but not now or a proud person in general.  

Job does not think he can convince God he is innocent.  He does not even think God would give him a hearing.  He thinks instead God would crush and wound him for no reason.   God wins, whether it is a matter of strength or justice.   God destroys the innocent and guilty alike.  Bad things happen to good people   If it is not God doing these things, who is?  I notice Job does not implicate Satan.  

Job says his life is brief.  Why struggle against the pain?  He wishes he had a mediator.  We have that today in Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Job felt hopeless.  I feel for Job in that moment.    

Job 10

Job hates his life and is going to complain about it.  He wants to know why God is hurting him and allowing the wicked to prosper.  So many of Job's questions are questions we still ask today. Why do bad things happen to good people?   Why do bad people prosper?  Good questions, Job.    

Job tells God that he has had enough and poses hard questions. I love that God does not get angry at Job for his frustration or for the bold hard questions. God does not respond yet though. I think Satan uses that silence to attack Job spiritually on top of the physical attack.  I hate the times between my cries and God's answer.  They feel endless.  

Job wants to know why God even made him.   Job says he loses whether or not he is guilty.  He regrets his life.  He wants God to turn from him so that he can have a minute of joy.  Gulp.  

Who feels the need for a Psalms pick me up right now.  Anyone?  

Psalms 37:

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil.  9 For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.