In chapter 8 Bildad, who had pretty bluntly accused both Job and his sons of sin (8:4), called Job to repentance (8:5), and promised blessings if Job became pure and upright (8:6f). In chapters 9 and 10 Job answers him by asking the question, “How can a man be righteous before God (9:2)?” I believe that this is a rhetorical question asked in doubt or even despair. Job has repented of his sins, he has sought God through the blood of atonement displayed and promised in the sacrifices, and he has found that God is still his enemy. In the following discourse, therefore, he is imagining a court case between himself and God in which he asks God, “Why have you not forgiven my sin as you promised? Why are you still my enemy?”
But immediately he faces the difficulty that the God with whom he contends in this legal battle is so much stronger than he that he has no hope of winning. It is not God’s righteousness that defeats him, but God’s strength and superior wisdom or skill. “If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand (v.3).” It’s very striking that this is, in fact, exactly what happened to Job when God answered him out of the whirlwind. God asked him “a thousand” questions, and Job had no answer. He is the God who removes mountains, shakes the earth out of its place, commands the sun not to rise and shuts out the light of the stars (vv. 5–7). Job cannot even perceive him when he is near (v. 11). No one can say to him, “What are you doing (v. 12)?” He has destroyed many proud men (v.13). How then can Job answer him (v.14)? Even if Job were righteous, he would be so overwhelmed by the sheer power of God, that he would end up begging mercy rather than defending his righteousness (v. 15). If God did answer him, he would not believe that God was really listening to such an insignificant creature as himself (v. 16). Even if he were righteous, his own mouth would condemn him (v. 20). He would not be able to muster the right words, and his defense would be so weak and clumsy that he would surely be condemned.
Therefore, in verses 27f Job considers other possibilities. First, he suggests to himself that he might simply put off his sad face and wear a smile, forget about his troubles and move on. The objection to that is that he is afraid of all his sufferings. They will not go away, and God will continue to hold him guilty (v. 27). Then he considers the possibility of cleansing himself of his sins, but the problem there is that no matter how clean he makes himself, God will still plunge him into the pit. Finally, he contemplates the possibility of a mediator stronger than himself “who may lay his hand on us both.” This is not the mediatorial work of the sacrifices, but rather a mediator who is able to take Job’s case to God and somehow compel or persuade God to take away from Job his enmity. There is no such mediator (v. 33).
Thus Job is brought back to himself and, in the last verses of the chapter says, I could still do this if only he would take his rod away and relieve me of my terror of him. “But it is not so with me (v. 35).” As long as God continues to crush him and terrify him, he cannot hope to present a strong case for himself before him.
In chapter 10 Job asks this strong and terrifying God some very bold questions. “I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me; show me why You contend with me (v.2).” The questions are : 1) Do you delight in the counsel and works of the wicked? 2) Are you subject to man’s limitations? Do you have eyes of flesh, or see as man sees? 3) Are you like mortal man in that you want to find iniquity where there is none (vv. 5–7)? 4) Do you despise the intricate and beautiful work of your own hands, that you wantonly destroy me (vv. 8–12)? You’ve hidden your reasons in your heart, but I know that you have reasons. Show me what they are (v. 13).
Job knows the answers to his questions, but he has no other answers, and so comes in desperation to the contemplation of the impossible.
In the end he returns to hopelessness. If I’m wicked you will not acquit me; there is no forgiveness for me (v. 14). If I’m righteous, I will still be full of disgrace before you (v.15). If I lift my head for a moment to try to speak with you, you will hunt me like a lion and terrify me into silence (v. 16). You keep on bringing back against me your witnesses (he probably refers to his troubles) and increasing your indignation against me (v.17). Oh that I had died at birth and been carried immediately to the grave (vv. 18–19)! Please stop. Leave me alone before I go to the land of utter darkness, the land “where even the light is like darkness.”
Job is dealing with the age old question, if God is good, why does he permit so much suffering? Only for Job the question is even more piercing. To him the question is not, why does God permit suffering? He knows the sovereignty of God, so that the question is, Why does God inflict such suffering? Furthermore, Job is asking as a righteous man, not righteous in his own self-conceit but righteous through the blood of atonement. The essence of his trouble is that God has become the enemy of one whom he himself has covered with the blood of Christ. How can we explain that?
These words of Job are the measure of his anguish and show to us the struggles of a righteous man when God has become his enemy. They should teach us not to condemn quickly the anguished questions of godly people who have suffered greatly at the hands of God, nor to answer them with easy platitudes. They should also teach us to take our troubles to God and to pour out before him all the bitterness, grief, doubt and pain of our hearts when he lays his heavy hand on us. Though men wiser than Job’s friends may be able to help us, their help will ultimately be that they encourage us to find the answer to our doubts and fears in the God who has for the time forsaken us.
Will the LORD cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders. (Ps. 77:7–9, 13–14)
His ways are past finding out.