Job

Job Chapter 10

Job Continues: A Plea to God

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.
2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

It is hard to read of this sometimes. To see his struggles even though I know his end is good. He now asks God to show him what he has done wrong. He is now asking God to show him why He has oppressed him. He still is blaming God. There are many religions that assume God brings evil and sickness. I guess we could say that when God removes his protecting hand anything can happen. To those that trust in the Lord, He doesn't allow anything that is beyond our ability to overcome through His power and help.

Bad does happen to good people. It is hard sometimes to understand. Yet believers are promised that they will not receive more than they can bear.

I think of the poor Jews that were forced onto box cars and taken to death camps, some suffering medical experiments, gas chambers and more. We know though that the judge of all the earth will do right in the long run. Abraham pleaded for the judge of the earth to do right when he was pleading for his nephew Lot to be delivered from the judgment of God over Sodom. God does bring judgment but sometimes He gets blamed for something Satan does. Because of Abraham's prayer, Lot and his two daugthers were saved from that judgment. Prayer works. Sometimes it is instant, especially in emergency situations but sometimes it take longer because God answers in His own timing and no always our timing.

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?

Now he questions God, wondering why all these things have happened to him.

Job 10:4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
5 Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,
6 That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

He pleads with God that he is not wicked and does not deserve this judgment he things God is sending him. Perhaps the accusations of his friends is starting to make him doubt God. He really is having a hard time with this as we probably would do also.

Job 10:8 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

His God created him and fashioned him yet he now thinks God is destroying him.

Job 10:9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?
10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

He now speaks of God's past goodness of granting him life. Job believes in creation and that God made and created him.

Job 10:13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.
14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
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;

He is confused and troubled, and asks God for understanding. He really is disappointed in himself and in God at this time. Totally confused and bewildered to his plight.

Job 10:16 For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.

He longs to receive understanding and find out what is going on and why it seems like his prayers are not being heard. I really believe God hurts for Job and is really desiring to undo all this Satanic attack on Job. In reading this, we think it's taking a long time but we must remember that Job is with the Lord now never to hurt or be troubled again. So it is with all who die knowing God.

Job 10:17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.
18 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!

He is wondering now why he was even born and thinks he would have been better off dying before he was born.

Job 10:19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;
22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

Job knows now that the future is not darkness but light. At the time of this event in his life though He would rather be dead than be alive. On top of it all he has three friends who are doing nothing but making things worse by saying true things about God but applying it to the wrong person at the wrong time. DC

Job Chapter 11