Jewels From Job
Job – Chapter #9
Job now speaks again. Remember Bildad has just spoken. He is the second of Job’s friends to speak. His entire first argument is found in Job chapter 8. Bildad’s argument is that people suffer because they have sinned – God is just and He does not allow the righteous to suffer. This was the common thought of the day. Of course we know this is not true. Christ suffered – not because of His sin – but because of the sins of mankind. He suffered for all of us – even those who have not yet been born.
This is a powerful chapter. There is praise because of the power of God. There is humility – for who can stand before God? There is soul searching. As Job does some soul searching he is aware of his humanity but he is also aware of the awesome power of God. God is all powerful and Job spends much of the chapter speaking about God and praising Him. As Job examines the nature and power of God, Job is “undone” – “unwrapped” before God as all of us should be.
Who can bring their case before God? This is the theme of this chapter.
No one can stand before the awesome presence of God. Do you know our own heart? Do you believe there is no unclean thing in you? It would take a small amount of self examination to see that we are not pure. Our motives though they seem honorable – may just be off base – self centered and wrongly motivated.
Oh, that I could have a spokes person to speak on my behalf. One who knows me – and knows the mind of God – a mediator. (Verse 33) Who can stand before God – only one who is the Son of God – but also the Son of Man.
In Job’s argument he will come up with three points.
1. “I cannot contend with Him” (9:1–13)
2. “I cannot answer Him” (9:14–35)
3. “I cannot understand Him” (10:1–22)
1 Then Job answered and said: 2 "Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God? 3 If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. Job 9:1-3 (NKJV)
CAN A MAN BE JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD?
Job’s first words out of his mouth are that he agrees with Bildad. “Yes, I know what you’ve said is true” Job 9:2 (HCSB) Job then asks a probing question in verse two: “How can a person be justified before God?” Job 9:2 (HCSB)
Standing on this side of the cross we know how one can be justified before God. On the other side they were still asking the question. Believers we should be certain of the answer of how we can stand righteous before God – the answer is Christ.
Man is no match for God. It is only in Christ that any will be able to stand before God. It is only by God’s own hand that one can be justified.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? 5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger; 6 He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; 7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; 8 He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea; 9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; 10 He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number. 11 If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him; 12 If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ’What are You doing?’ Job 9:4-12 (NKJV)
CAN A MAN NOT HELP BUT PRAISE GOD?
Whenever we focus on God and start speaking about how mighty He is – it becomes a song of praise. This is the case of Job also.
Notice in these verses how many times God is spoken of.
v. 4 God is wise and mighty.
v. 5 God removes mountains.
v. 6 God shakes the earth.
v. 7 God controls the heavenly bodies.
v. 8 God has put the heavens in place as well as the oceans.
v. 9 God has named the stars.
v. 10 God is beyond comprehension.
v. 11 God is beyond my vision (understanding).
v. 12 God is all powerful and answers to no one.
13 God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him. 14 "How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him? 15 For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge. 16 If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. 17 For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause. 18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness. 19 If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court? 20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. 21 "I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life. 22 It is all one thing; Therefore I say, ’He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’ Job 9:13-22 (NKJV)
CAN A MAN DEFEND HIMSELF AGAINST GOD?
Job says in verses 21- 22 that he is blameless and that God is acting unjustly. "Believe me, I’m blameless. I don’t understand what’s going on. I hate my life! Since either way it ends up the same, I can only conclude that God destroys the good right along with the bad. Job 9:21-22 (MSG)
This is the main point of Job’s argument. Job’s friends maintained that the righteous and good will always prosper in the world and that only the wicked will suffer. Job says that this is not the case. His argument is that all suffer.
Be careful of prosperity preaching. God does want to bless us. I have no doubt of that fact. Yet blessings come in many forms and fashions. It may not be wealth or health. The greatest blessing that we can receive is – the presence of God. Wealth and health can come and go – but what must be maintained is the relationship with the Father. When all is said and done that is all we will have left.
When we are in the mist of pain our eyes may see things differently. When we are giving advice to those who are suffering we often start a sentence with, “You should …” or “Why don’t you …” Job may have agreed with his friends at one time as he looked at those who were suffering. Now that he is suffering himself, his vision has changed. Perspective changes with position.
Ellison observes, “We normally see what we want to see, and overlook or minimize that which does not suit our theories. The teaching of the Wise was based on carefully selected facts. When Job had to suffer, his eyes were opened to the suffering around him; when he felt the smart of injustice, he saw for the first time clearly the prevalence of injustice around him. We know that Job’s friends were wrong; we must not jump to the conclusion that Job was right. They and he alike are giving us partial views of reality.”
23 If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent. 24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, who else could it be? 25 "Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. 26 They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey. 27 If I say, ’I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’ 28 I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent. 29 If I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain? 30 If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap, 31 Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me. 32 "For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together. 33 Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both. 34 Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me. 35 Then I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me. Job 9:23-35 (NKJV)
IS THERE A MAN TO STAND BETWEEN GOD AND ME?
Job uses three illustrations to picture how swiftly his life is passing.
1. A runner. Verse 25
2. Swift ships. Verse 26
3. An eagle after its prey. Verse 26
Three “ifs” of Job:
1. If I pretend that everything is OK. Verse 27
2. If I labor in vain. Verse 29
3. If I was my face in cold water. Verse 30
Each one of the “if” has consequences with it.
Job says in verses 27-28 that if he changes his attitude and pretends that nothing is wrong – his friends still will not consider him innocent. We can not wish away problems. Some people try to pretend that nothing is wrong while the world is crashing in around them. Perhaps this is an action of denial. But Job knows that even if he does this his “friends” still will consider him guilty.
The second insight is that if I am condemned already – why do I labor in vain? If there is no hope people perish. We all hope that there will be some type of reward for the faithful.
Job says that even if he washes up – his friends are there to throw him back into the mud hole.
In verse 33 “Job cries out for a daysman, umpire, advocate, impartial judge, who could arbitrate between God and him, someone neutral who was not afraid of God. This would suppose Job and God being put on the same level and the daysman being superior in authority to them both in order to assure a fair and impartial hearing. Of course such a thing is impossible, and Job knows it; but he imagines that only in such a case would he be treated fairly.”
Job knows that he will not be able to stand before God without a “mediator.” We all need someone to stand on our behalf. We need someone to speak up for us. That is why we have letters of reference written. From his perspective there is no one who can stand between him and God. At that point in history there was not a mediator. It was not until there was one who came who was – “The Son of God and the Son of Man.” “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” 1 Timothy 2:5 (NKJV)
Thank God that His Son is my mediator.
