Innocent Suffering - Job 31

 Job 31:2-4 (ESV)

What would be my portion from God above

and my heritage from the Almighty on high?

Is not calamity for the unrighteous,

and disaster for the workers of iniquity?

Does not he see my ways

and number all my steps?

Job 31 is Job’s last, full speech.  He will speak briefly, later, when God questions him.  He is about to end his speaking to his friends (and God) with a series of “if” claims.   We have to remember that his friends believe in retribution theology: That God sees us and disciplines us according to our deeds.   His friends believed that when we do wrong, God will punish us.  They believed when we do right God will reward us. It was that simple for each of Job’s companions.   However, Job, in his arguments, has continuously made the point that if what they were saying is true, why does he see the unrighteous flourish and the innocent (like himself) suffer.   His friends have given no good answer to Job’s practical claims.   Neither Job or his friends can comprehend the suffering of the innocent, however.   Which is what the story of Job is all about.   

In the above verses Job is setting up his final argument with is (retribution theology) “if” I have done “x,” then yes, God, give me “y.”  In these opening verses Job makes the following claims or acknowledges the following:

He confesses that it is God who give man his “portion” and his “heritage.”  By confessing this Job is literally acknowledging that God has the knowledge of man’s life and that God has the power to respond to man’s life.   In essence Job is admitting that what is happening to him is FROM GOD!  Job is not blaming Satan for his ills.  He is fully stating that it is God who knows man and gives man his due.   

Job then, in an odd way, agrees with his tormentors (his three friends) about “retributive theology.”  He simply states that “calamity” and “disaster” are for the unrighteous (implying that God brings that to them).  But, Job’s argument is since God does that, then God should be punishing me “IF” I deserve it.  Job then goes off on over 15 “IF” phrases about what He could have done, implying, however, he HAS NOT DONE!  

Job’s argument in this final speech is to continue to confess his innocence.   He is correct, as we have read that, twice, in the in beginning of the story.    Job openly admits that God “sees”his steps.  He even goes as far to say that God “numbers” his steps.   That is the detail that God has about Job’s life.   His argument is that if God can see each step he takes he must see that he has not done a single one of these “If” statements that follow.   Job acknowledges God sovereignty over his life, His omniscience of his life and his omnipotence in his life.  The only thing Job has failed to acknowledge in all that is that God can (and does) allow the innocent to suffer.   How do we know this?  Because God allowed His Son to suffer.   God allows the believes to suffer under the cruelty of the world (1 Peter).  God allowed Paul to suffer.    God allowed Joseph to suffer.   We may not understand the why, but we can not argue with the what.   Innocent suffering does happen.   In the end, God is glorified through it.  During it, however, man is often confused by it.