Introduction. Read Job9and10

Job really lets rip in this passage. He sails close to the wind! Most Christians unfamiliar with the book of Job would expect God to commend Bildad for the respect he showed his Maker and condemn Job for being audacious and irreverent. We need constantly to bear in mind the verdict of God: After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." Job42v7.

It is possible to identify six themes in Job's impassioned response to Bildad. They are:

(1) Job's diffidence. vs1to15.

Job appears to accept the statement of Bildad that "God does not reject a blameless man." Ch8v20. However, that leaves Job with the problem of convincing God that he is righteous. He would like to present his case to God but is not confident of success. The patriarch has three main reservations about representing himself:

• God would have too many questions for him. He could not answer him one time out of a thousand. 9v2. This is exactly what happened when God responded to Job's complaints. He asked Job one rhetorical question after another! "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?" Job38v4and5. And so on!

• God's immense wisdom and power are intimidating. "His wisdom is profound and his power vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed.?" 9v4.

• It is impossible to pin God down. Job cannot nail God. He is altogether elusive. "When he passes me, I cannot see him. .... Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?'"

Today most private individuals would feel incapable of taking on a huge and powerful organisation who has wronged them. They would have exactly the same reservations as Job. How could one individual dairy farmer take on the Supermarkets over, for example, fixing the price of milk.

It is little wonder Job shrinks from taking on God! He laments: "Though I were innocent I could not answer him." Each and every one of us would make a very poor fist of representing ourselves at the judgment throne of God. I certainly would not wish to stand there in my own strength, trusting in my own righteousness.

Job does arrive at the best solution: "Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy." 9v15. Surely we have a reminder here of a man, a hated enemy collaborator, a tax collector who in the words of the AV: Would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven but smote upon his breast saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Lk18v13. This is the only approach by which we will be justified. We have to cast ourselves on God's mercy and plead the merits of Christ's own shed blood - blood shed as he atoned for our sin on the cross at Calvary.

(2) Job's fear. See Ch9v16to24.

Job does not only lack confidence in himself but in his judge. He complains: "Even if I summoned him and he responded I do not believe he would give me a hearing". v16. Job is not exhibiting much trust for a man God declared upright and blameless. What are the reasons for his extreme pessimism? There seem to be three:

• His recent experience. "He would crush me with a storm and mulitipy my wounds for no reason." 9v17. Job is so shaken by the series of calamities that befell him that he has no confidence in God. He does not expect to gain a hearing.

• God is so impressive that he, Job, would be intimidated and unable to make his case. Job fears that he would either be tongue tied in the presence of his Maker or even worse liable to confess to what he hadn't done: "Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty." 9v20.

  This is pretty much what happened when God appeared to Job! He was extremely loquacious in God's absence and both tongue tied and apologetic in his presence.

  This is of course how people are. Footballers who run the manager down behind his back have far less to say in his presence. Discontented church members who have plenty to say about the pastor in his absence would voice no criticism in his presence.

  A good rule of thumb is this: Only say behind a person's back what you would be prepared to say to his face.

• Job could see little evidence for justice on earth. He says: "He destroys both the blameless and wicked ..... When the land falls into the hands of the wicked he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it?" vs22and24.

  Jesus puts quite a different slant on things: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes he sun to rise on the evil and the good, he sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Mt5v45.

• Past experience does not determine what happens in the future. For the first six years of my teaching career I taught in a boy's grammar school where I was respected. During the last 13 years I worked in a rural comprehensive school where the pupils were very affectionate and friendly. For 16 years in the middle of my career I taught in a school where I was neither much respected nor loved!

  The children of Israel spent many years as slaves in Egypt but eventually God set them free. Forty years were spent wandering in the wilderness but finally they entered the land of promise. Seventy years were spent in exile but God kept his word and the exiles returned. With the fall of Jerusalem the Jews were scattered to the four corners of the earth but after nearly 2000 years they once again occupy the land of their fathers.

• It is possible to reason with God. Moses showed this. We read in Exodus33v11: The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Moses was prepared to argue with God as his experience at the burning bush illustrates. God listened to Moses. He gave him a hearing.

  The Christian is, of course, in a much better position to know this than poor old Job. We have the wonderful words of the writer to the Hebrews to hold on to: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Heb4v15and16.

• Job underestimates the role of man to ensure justice on earth. The administration of justice is the responsibility of men. It is very interesting to note the reaction of Jesus when he was asked to arbitrate in a dispute between two brothers over their inheritance. Jesus said: "Man who appointed me a judge or arbiter between you?" Lk12v14.

  We should not blame God for our own failures. God rarely interferes with politicians, judges and magistrates in their dispensation of justice. It is their responsibility - not God's. Peter urges Christians to submit for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men. See 1Pet2v13to15.

Job is deeply frustrated on three counts:

• Life is passing him by. "My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy." v23. I suppose we all feel like this sometimes. I certainly do. I had an email from my brother Philip last week about the treatment his son Joseph had for an irregular heartbeat. Philip said that the only compensation for him and his son was the presence of three absolutely beautiful nurses. The company of really gorgeous women is very much a mixed blessing. I am very conscious that my time for romance with the same has come and gone. When you get to my age a whole lot of things you have missed out on are no longer attainable. Job is frustrated because his life is passing in such a joyless way. There are a lot of people like Job who feel they are wasting their lives in tedious, dreary, menial jobs. They are like Granville the grocer's boy in the TV comedy, 'Open All Hours,' who regularly complains, "What am I doing with my life?"

• He is not able to cheer himself up. Job saw little merit in the grin and bear it outlook on life. He had nothing to grin about! We should not expect people who are suffering a lot of pain to be cheerful about it!

• Job believed God had made up his mind about him, so it doesn't matter what he does - God will remain unimpressed. He says: "Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain." 9v29.

  The trouble is, Job buys into the same doctrine as his three comforters: God blesses the righteous and punishes the unrighteous. So it appears obvious to Job, in view of his extreme suffering, that God has judged him unrighteous. God has written him off and abandoned him.

  I fear that there remain folk who share Job's tragic view of God. They convince themselves that they are beyond God's forgiveness. They are such worthless creatures that God cannot possibly love them. God wants nothing to do with them and there is nothing they can do about it.

  This is just so, so wrong. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. 1Tim1v15. The blood of Jesus cleanses from ALL sin. In the words of Horatio Spafford's hymn:

  My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought!
  My sin, not in part but the whole,
  Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more:
  Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Job longs for a mediator: "If only there were someone to arbitrate between us." 9v33.

This is a despairing cry from the heart. Job needs a go-between. He is confident that a mediator would clear his name and remove God's rod from him.

When we are unjustly treated we yearn for someone to stick up for us - someone who carries weight who will justify us.

The difference between Job and the Christian is that the Christian doesn't want God to treat him justly. We know what we deserve! A potter has the right to cast away flawed goods and God has the right to discard failed humans.

Job was confident of his own righteousness. I am not confident of mine. However, I know that I can be justified by faith in the saving work of Jesus upon the cross where he offered himself as a sacrifice for mankind's sin. Jesus is my mediator. It is in his righteousness that I trust. Paul wrote to Timothy: For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all men. 1Tim2v3.

Job did not have the benefit of the Christian gospel. He noticed the great disparities in health, wealth and happiness among men and tried to account for them in terms of variations in righteousness. The patriarch decided that he would continue to complain. He had nothing to lose. He said: I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. 10v1

(5) Job's complaint. See 10v2to22.

Job complains by asking God a series of questions:

• "Do you enjoy oppressing me? Do you get a kick out of it?"

• Have you any idea what it is like to suffer? "Do you have eyes of flesh?" 10v4.

• "Haven't you got something better to do with your unlimited time than to probe me for faults I don't have and you know I don't have? What a waste of time!"

• "Why did you take such trouble creating me if you are so intent on destroying me?" Job acknowledges that God gave him life and thereby showed him kindness. He experienced God's providential care. Yet was God all the time concealing in his heart the intention to punish sin. Not that it made much difference to Job who considered he was blameless anyway. "Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head; for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction." 10v15.

  Job pictures God as a stalking lion - waiting to pounce upon him. He is becoming very fearful of God. God is out to get him!

Job is a righteous man who believes in God and yet he asks all these impertinent questions. He is undoubtedly insinuating that God is not concerned for his well being. Today, it is the unbeliever who talks like this. An atheist might preface his remarks with, "Well if God did exist he would be no better than a cosmic sadist." He would then go on to repeat most if not all Job's accusations. Under extreme provocation a Christian will question God - but there are some accusations it is hard for us to make. God the Son does know what it is like to suffer and bleed and die. God is our heavenly father and he does care for us but, if we are to be free, limits are imposed on the degree to which he can protect us.

I think Job was trying to provoke a response from God. What he wanted more than anything else was for God to answer him. Perhaps he is making outlandish accusations in order, for better or worse, to get God's attention. Paul prayed three times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed. He did get an answer: "My grace is sufficient for you." There are times we pray in agony of spirit and like Job long for a response.

The lyrics of, 'Hello God,' sung memorably by Dolly Parton resonate with many:

Hello God, are you out there?
Can you hear me, are you listenin' any more?
Hello God, if we're still on speakin' terms
Can you help me like before?
I have questioned your existence,
My resistance leaves me cold.
Can you help me go the distance? Hello God, hello, hello'

(6) Job's inconsistency. See 10v18to22.

As Job ends his impassioned observations he becomes increasingly irrational. There is more than a hint of this in the complaints we have just looked at. His distress is so great that his final remarks lack consistency.

Job wishes he had never been born so great is his suffering. He says: Why did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eyes saw me. 10v18. Yet he seems to regret that his few days on earth are almost over and longs for some respite before he dies so he can have a moment's joy. 10v20. Job then meditates gloomily on the finality of death - the place of no return - the land of deepest night.

When someone suffers like Job did it is no use expecting them to be entirely rational. I have known several Christians who because of their pain, weakness and helplessness long for death. Sometimes God keeps them lingering on the margins of the river for many, many months. There seems little point God prolonging the misery! However, no Christian is, like Job, without hope of life after death.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1Pet1v3to5.