23 How many are my iniquities and my sins?
Make me know my transgression and my sin.
24 Why do you hide your face
and count me as your enemy?
25 Will you frighten a driven leaf
and pursue dry chaff?
26 For you write bitter things against me
and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27 You put my feet in the stocks
and watch all my paths;
you set a limit for the soles of my feet.
28 Man wastes away like a rotten thing,
like a garment that is moth-eaten.
In chapters 12 and 13 of Job we read this suffering man’s argument, mostly spoken to his three friends, but, as above, also to God. Somewhere in chapter 13 there is a shift from Job responding to his friends’ criticism and, instead, speaking directly to God. Job has stated he wants a hearing before God. He wants his day in court:
Job 13:3 (ESV)
But I would speak to the Almighty,
and I desire to argue my case with God.
And, he believes he has a great argument:
Job 13:18 (ESV)
Behold, I have prepared my case;
I know that I shall be in the right.
In the above verses, we read several things about how Job feels about these attacks on his family, his finances and his body. Note:
1. (V. 23) He wants to know, from God, how many are his iniquities? Remember, per the first and second chapter, we do know that Job was innocent and righteous. He is not claiming that he is not without sin. If that were true we would not have read in the first chapter how he brought sacrifices to God about he and his children’s possible sinful living. What Job is saying is that he doesn’t believe he deserves this suffering due to his sin. In reality (we know the whole story) he doesn’t. But his friends only believe that those who suffer must be guilty of grave and deep sinning. Job believes he is innocent.
2. (V. 24) He believes God is hiding His face. We have all had times in our lives that we thought God was not there. In depression and suffering we often feel alone, abandoned and forgotten. God has not left Job. But Job does not feel God’s presence, either.
3. (V. 25) Job feels like a dead leaf, driven across the landscape by a rough wind. The leaf has no defenses. Job, in essence, is asking, “Why to you treat me like a dead leaf and blow me all about?” He feels like chaff, residue left over from a more grander portion of the harvest. He is not the wheat, he is the chaff.
4. (V. 26) Job mentions the sins of his youth. He is probably speaking about the sins before he knew better. He is asking God, “Is this what this about? Sins I had before I was even conscious of right and wrong?” Job has no current memory of him doing something to offend God. But perhaps he thinks, this might be sins before he even acknowledged sin in his life; sins of youthfulness. If so, he believes that is not a good reason to inflict him with such suffering.
5. (V. 27) Job believes God has hedged him in. He has no idea why, but acknowledges that this suffering is like a prison on him and in him. Before he had freedom and joy and blessings. Now he has prison and pain and boils. You can see his sense of despair. We can relate.
6. (V. 28) Here we have the deep thoughts of a depressed man. He believes that God has forgotten him and he will simply rot away. Remember, this is the same chapter that contains this verse (perhaps the most popular of all the verses in the book of Job):
Job 13:15 (ESV)
Though he slay me, I will hope in him;
yet I will argue my ways to his face.
In these verses we have the pain and suffering of a man who does not understand what God is doing in his life. On the one hand, his faith demands he has hope. On the other hand, he wants to argue with God and present his case. In the Christian life it is okay to hold both thoughts. God knows what He is doing. We often do not. Though He slays us, we still hope. Though He slays us, we still argue. The complex life of innocent suffering, for a man of God who believes in God, but must always remember that God can do what He wants with the pot of clay He has made. We can redeem our suffering when we realize that God is okay with us arguing with Him and bringing our case before Him. Just remember, however, how this all turns out. God will redeem the suffering of Job. But God never explains to Job the reasoning for the suffering.
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