Job 9-10

Introduction

Bildad had just finished speaking. I can sum up Bildad’s speech in 2 verses:

Job 8:3 “Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?”

Job 8:20 “Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, Neither will he help the evil doers:”

In effect, Bildad’s point is the longer you claim innocence the more you are questioning the integrity of God’s judgement. Your suffering is the result of sin.

Job’s Frustration

Who can be innocent before God

Job 9:1–3 “Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: But how should man be just with God? If he will contend with him, He cannot answer him one of a thousand.”

At this point Job concedes the point. Job 9:1–2 “Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: But how should man be just with God?” God blesses the righteous and causes the unrighteous to suffer. At this point, his friends must have thought they had finally gotten through to Job. They would have thought this for just one moment becasue Job continues by saying what man can declare their innocence with God? “Job’s question is the most important question in the world. How can a man find God’s approval? How can a man be considered righteous and not guilty before God?” The answer comes at the end of the chapter.

The next 11 verses Job gives evidence to support his supposition that no man is innocent.

No man win a lawsuit against God - Job 9:3 “If he will contend with him, He cannot answer him one of a thousand.”

If God brings a suit against man, man cannot answer him 1 time out of a 1000.

The word “thousand” here is used to denote the largest number, or all. A man who could not answer for one charge brought against him out of a thousand, must be held to be guilty.

Job could not answer God in cross-examination.

No man can prosper whose heart is hardened - Job 9:4 “He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?”

Job agrees with the basic premise of Eliphaz and Bildad. God will not hear the blatant sinners plea.

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.

No one can behave severely to the Lord and be safe.

The point - Though God does not pervert judgment, Job cannot find a way to vindicate himself.

God’s majesty and power

Job 9:5–13 “Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: Which overturneth them in his anger. Which shaketh the earth out of her place, And the pillars thereof tremble. Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; And sealeth up the stars. Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea. Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, And Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. Which doeth great things past finding out; Yea, and wonders without number. Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: He passeth on also, but I perceive him not. Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou? If God will not withdraw his anger, The proud helpers do stoop under him.”

God is too magnificent to be resisted in court.

Job launches this section on the heels of verse 4:

These verses should be viewed in terms of triplets:

v.5-7 - Destructive or negative acts to God’s power - Mighty Strength

Who can alter the geological stratosphere like God?

Who can cause the earth to rotate or stop like God?

v.8-10 - Speaks of God’s creative acts and summary appraisal - Wise in heart

Who can create the universe like God?

Who can defy natural laws like God?

Possibly mythological language

Who can do great things past finding out and wonder without number like God?

Job praised the great might of God, who created the worlds and put the sun and stars in the sky. Yet the might of God was no comfort to Job; it just made him feel that God was more distant than ever.

v.11-13 - The implications of this picture of God - In short, the impossibility of a successful litigation with God - God’s victory over His foes - who hardens themselves against God and prospers.

God is too great to successfully stand before Him.

God is beyond comprehension - Job 9:11 “Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: He passeth on also, but I perceive him not.”

God is not as simple to figure out as his 3 friends supposed God to be.

Can He be found.

God is too magnificent to be questioned in court - Job 9:12 “Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?”

God is irresistible in His power, who can thwart Him.

You cannot take God to court to ask Him what is he doing.

On Aug 17, 1960, Betty Penrose's house in Phoenix was hit by lightning. Nine years later she sued God for damages — and won. Kinda. Sorta. Technically, what she won was the right to summon God to a trial which (assuming God would be a no-show) would have resulted in a default judgement against the deity.

The proud are prostrate before Him - Job 9:13 “If God will not withdraw his anger, The proud helpers do stoop under him.”

God’s permanent hostility towards Job.

“Proud” - Hebrew word “Rahab” - Anger has been God’s predominant impulse ever since primordial times, when it was unleashed against the sea monster Rahab, a symbol of chaos and her partisans.

Job cannot answer God

Job 9:14–20 “How much less shall I answer him, And choose out my words to reason with him? Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, But I would make supplication to my judge. If I had called, and he had answered me; Yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. For he breaketh me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause. He will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness. If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: And if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead? If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.”

Even if I met God in court, I cannot reason with God

Job 9:14–15 “How much less shall I answer him, And choose out my words to reason with him? Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, But I would make supplication to my judge.”

If the primordial powers of chaos could not resist God, how can I?

I would not know what to say to the righteous God.

Even if I were righteous (Job believed he was innocent), I would have to bow before the judge.

I am inferior to God.

What if God answers

Job 9:16–18 “If I had called, and he had answered me; Yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. For he breaketh me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause. He will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness.”

I do not believe He would respond to my voice v.16

God’s power is against me v.17

He will not allow me to take a breath of fresh air.

Without cause - not guilty of a crime worthy of this response.

He understood his weakness

Job 9:19–20 “If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: And if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead? If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.”

What if I speak in strength or justify myself?

He is stronger than me

My justification will demonstrate my perversity.

In short, there is nothing I can do to argue my case against God.

He believes God is the only Person who has the right and authority to judge him. But, can Job carry out his defense effectively.

Job needs a Mediator

He does not know himself or God

Job 9:21–24 “Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life. This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, He will laugh at the trial of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: He covereth the faces of the judges thereof; If not, where, and who is he?”

He does not know himself - Job 9:21 “Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.”

He does not know God - Job 9:22–24 “This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, He will laugh at the trial of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: He covereth the faces of the judges thereof; If not, where, and who is he?”

God destroys both the perfect and wicked; therefore, it does not matter if his is innocent or guilty.

God enjoys being God at the expense of godly people suffering - Does this mean that God is a sadist?

The earth is filled with wickedness and God is responsible

Hopelessness

Job 9:25–31 “Now my days are swifter than a post: They flee away, they see no good. They are passed away as the swift ships: As the eagle that hasteth to the prey. If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself: I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. If I be wicked, Why then labour I in vain? If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean; Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me.”

In the first 24 verses Job writes of God in the 3rd person. With the exception of v.32-35, the rest of this discourse Job references God in the 2nd person.

Job’s days are coming to an end - Job 9:25–26 “Now my days are swifter than a post: They flee away, they see no good. They are passed away as the swift ships: As the eagle that hasteth to the prey.”

A series of “if’s” that demonstrate his hopelessness:

Job 9:27–28 “If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself: I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.”

He realizes that positive thinking falters as the surge of pain a sorrow grips him.

Job 9:29 “If I be wicked, Why then labour I in vain?”

If he is wicked then why should he work to overcome his guilt by challenging God.

Job 9:30–31 “If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean; Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me.”

God is not man

Steve Lawson: “Job realizes that it will be impossible to approach God an prevail. Thus, he needs a mediator.”

Job cannot come to God - Job 9:32 “For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, And we should come together in judgment.”

He needs a Mediator - Job 9:33 “Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both.”

The mediator will remove the rod so that Job will not fear - Job 9:34–35 “Let him take his rod away from me, And let not his fear terrify me: Then would I speak, and not fear him; But it is not so with me.”

Job complains to God

Claims his innocence

Job 10:1–7 “My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, That thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked? Hast thou eyes of flesh? Or seest thou as man seeth? Are thy days as the days of man? Are thy years as man’s days, That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin? Thou knowest that I am not wicked; And there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.”

Job 10:1 “My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.”

“I will leave my complaint upon myself” - I will give myself to complaining.

I will speak in bitterness of soul.

There was no mediator found for him.

Do not condemn me - Job 10:2 “I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.”

Show my why you are fighting against me.

Questions God - These questions reflect how Job felt God was dealing with him. And suggests God’s motive.

Is it good to oppress me - Job 10:3 “Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, That thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked?”

Motive - Is it good

Oppress me

Treat me with no value

Shine upon the counsel of the wicked - The wicked were made richer at his expense.

Do you see the way man sees - Job 10:4 “Hast thou eyes of flesh? Or seest thou as man seeth?”

Motive - Are you short-sighted.

Do you just look on the outward and not the inward?

1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

Are your days like man’s days - Job 10:5–6 “Are thy days as the days of man? Are thy years as man’s days, That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin?”

Motive - Are you limited in life that you are pressured to find some fault in him.

Will you die soon?

Therefore, are you govern by human passions and prejudices?

Marking faults and not willing to forgive.

Are you behaving like a man?

He declares his innocence - Job 10:7 “Thou knowest that I am not wicked; And there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.”

God had no good reason to punish him.

God knew Job was innocent but treating as if he was guilty.

You created me

Job 10:8–12“Thine hands have made me and fashioned me Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again? Hast thou not poured me out as milk, And curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And hast fenced me with bones and sinews. Thou hast granted me life and favour, And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.”

You made and fashioned me but now you are destroying me - Job 10:8 “Thine hands have made me and fashioned me Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.”

You made me from clay and now ill do wipe me from existence - Job 10:9 “Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again?”

You developed me, even from the womb - Job 10:10–11 “Hast thou not poured me out as milk, And curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And hast fenced me with bones and sinews.”

You gave me life - Job 10:12 “Thou hast granted me life and favour, And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.”

You did all these things for me. Why are you destroying me?

He does not say that God did not have the right to destroy me but why are you destroying me.

Confusion

Job 10:13–15 “And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee. If I sin, then thou markest me, And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;”

Job 10:13 “And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.”

“These things” - calamities

Even though you hid these calamities from me, You knew that You were going to bring these calamities upon me.

Job 10:14 “If I sin, then thou markest me, And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.”

“Markest” - Hedge

Job 10:15 “If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;”

If I am sinning, I understand my sentence.

If I am wicked, I understand my punishment.

But, I am neither sinning or wicked; yet, I am treated as a sinner a wicked person.

I am confused.

Respite from God

Job 10:16–22 “For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: And again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me. Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine indignation upon me; Changes and war are against me. Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave. Are not my days few? cease then, And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, Before I go whence I shall not return, Even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness itself; And of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as darkness.”

Calamities increase - Job 10:16 “For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: And again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.”

Your anger against me is revived - Job 10:17 “Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine indignation upon me; Changes and war are against me.”

Wherefore:

I should have died at birth - Job 10:18–19 “Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.”

Leave me alone so I can die and go to a place of darkness - Job 10:20–22 “Are not my days few? cease then, And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, Before I go whence I shall not return, Even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness itself; And of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as darkness.”