Job 16: 1 – 22
Road Trip
1 Then Job answered and said: 2 “I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all! 3 Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer? 4 I also could speak as you do, if your soul were in my soul’s place. I could heap up words against you, and shake my head at you; 5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief. 6 “Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how am I eased? 7 But now He has worn me out; You have made desolate all my company. 8 You have shriveled me up, and it is a witness against me; My leanness rises up against me and bears witness to my face. 9 He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens His gaze on me. 10 They gape at me with their mouth, they strike me reproachfully on the cheek, they gather together against me. 11 God has delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over to the hands of the wicked. 12 I was at ease, but He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target, 13 His archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; He pours out my gall on the ground. 14 He breaks me with wound upon wound; He runs at me like a warrior. 15 “I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, and laid my head in the dust. 16 My face is flushed from weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death; 17 Although no violence is in my hands, and my prayer is pure. 18 “O earth, do not cover my blood, and let my cry have no resting place! 19 Surely even now my witness is in heaven, and my evidence is on high. 20 My friends scorn me; My eyes pour out tears to God. 21 Oh, that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleads for his neighbor! 22 For when a few years are finished, I shall go the way of no return.
I am amazed that in today’s society people actually pay others just to listen to them. There is a family here at church that has experienced a lot of issues. To try to overcome these major problems they sought out so called Christian counselors. To date they have shelled out over seventy thousand dollars and things have not improved. What is it about us humans that we will try everything to improve our conditions yet not go to the One Who can heal and fix everything?
This chapter begins Job’s reply to that discourse of Eliphaz which we had in the foregoing chapter; it is but the second part of the same song of lamentation with which he had before bemoaned himself, and is set to the same melancholy tune.
1 Then Job answered and said: 2 “I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!
We need to remember that it takes two people to tango. We need the insight from Almighty God to avoid doing that dance with someone who wants to argue. I like to think that we all have this line of patience. It is different for each individual. Once that line is crossed by someone hurling comments at us we go on the defensive and its fight time. We undervalue the other persons worth, wisdom, and knowledge. And if anything else comes to mind we throw that also at him or her. The longer we stay in this verbal battle the hotter it grows.
Eliphaz had responded that Job’s discourses were idle, unprofitable, and nothing for any worthwhile purpose; and Job here fires back and gives Eliphaz the same character build down.
I like the movie Smokey and the Bandit when Burt Reynolds says to Little Enos played by Paul Williams, ‘that’s cute [in relation to his insults] why don’t you say something about my mother.’ Little Enos takes up the challenge and is interupted as he begins to say, ‘your momma…” The point here is that those who are free in passing such censures must expect to have them retorted; it is easy, it is endless: but —what good does it do? It will stir up men’s passions, but will never convince their judgments, nor set truth in a clear light.
Job here reproves Eliphaz for needless repetitions: "I have heard many such things. You tell me nothing but what I knew before, nothing but what you yourselves have before said; you offer nothing new; it is the same thing over and over again.’’
It is amazing to me how some things can be used in two ways. In this venomous dialogue from his so called friends Job thinks it as a great trial of his patience as almost any of his troubles. The inculcating of the same things thus by an adversary is indeed provoking and nauseous. Yet we see that it is beneficial if it is used by a teacher. It then is often necessary, and must not be grievous to the learner, to whom precept must be upon precept, and line upon line. Many things we have heard which it is good for us to hear again, that we may understand and remember them better, and be more affected with them and influenced by them.
Job also berates him for his unskillful applications. They all came supposedly with a design to comfort him, but they went about it very awkwardly, and, when they considered Job’s case, quite mistook it: "Miserable comforters are you all, who, instead of offering anything to alleviate the affliction, add affliction to it, and make it yet more grievous.’’
I just reviewed a book on the abuse of men relative to prostate problems. The study revealed that only around 20 % of those who undergo the painful surgery actually need it. The patient’s case is sad indeed when his medicines are poisons and his physicians his worst disease. This is nothing new to mankind. Our Precious Holy Spirit brings out this fact in the Gospel of Mark chapter 5. I know that you are aware of this story. Take another look at it with me.
“21 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. 22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. 25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
3 Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
Have you ever heard of the statement, ‘some people love to hear themselves talk’? Some people talk about themselves because they genuinely think they’re more interesting than anyone else they know. But many people are overwhelmed by their own feelings and push them away by talking.
Job wishes these self-obsessed words might have an end. Isn’t it true that we wish that pointless words were never begun, and the sooner they are ended the better?
I hate the court system. You get these lawyers who are all from the same cesspool. They have nominated themselves to be officers of the court room. In many cases like we see Job’s comments these people can say something very insulting to you. If you’re lucky you might have an attorney who will stick up for you. But in most cases they smugly just walk back to their seats by withdrawing the ‘question’ You would love to ask the judge to allow you to switch places with this attorney and let him experience firsthand the stuff he has been pulling. My good friend Job is thinking the same way.
4 I also could speak as you do, if your soul were in my soul’s place. I could heap up words against you, and shake my head at you; 5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.
Job, however, is not set on getting even as we see in verse 5. If the shoe was on the other foot and Eliphaz was going through the ordeal that Job is currently under he would speak words of comfort.
I ran into a similar situation when I was beginning my time in the army. During basic training the drill sergeant picked squad leaders. These are guys who are in charge of about ten other misfits who were also stupid enough to have signed up for the military. Anyway, this one ‘boot licker’ made a big deal that he was in ROTC [officers training] while in college so he was then picked to be over me and the other recruits. Now you might have a hard time with this statement but this guy and I had a hard time Seeing Eye to eye. He didn’t like me and I was not very fond of him. Maybe I was wrong in my view of his actions against me but somehow if there was a dirty job – I was the one to be selected to do it, such as cleaning all the latrines and being the number 1 man for KP [Kitchen patrol]
By the grace of God I managed to become first in the brigade in shooting. As a reward I was promoted to squad leader and my nemesis was demoted back to the ranks with me now in charge of him. Now it was my time for revenge. I could not give this guy the same type of treatment that he dished out on me. But, somehow, I couldn’t do it. It isn’t my job to do that. Even though I wanted to, God implanted on my heart not to. Oh well.
Scripture teaches us that our hearts deceive us; we know not what we should do. We find it easier to discern the reasonableness and importance of a command when we have occasion to claim the benefit of it than when we have occasion to do the duty of it. In other words if it is in our best interest we then respond, if not, then forget about it. We should say and do all we can to strengthen people, suggesting to them such things as are proper to encourage their confidence in our Holy God and to support their sinking spirits.
6 “Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how am I eased?
Sometimes giving vent to grief gives ease. At other times keeping silence makes the trouble the easier and the sooner forgotten. In this case Job is thinking if I complain then you try to censure or shut me up. And if I do not say anything you charge me that my silence is evidence of my guilt. I can’t win either way.
7 But now He has worn me out; You have made desolate all my company.
Sadly all Job knows is that our Holy Ruler Is in charge of all things so therefore Job says that ‘My God has made me weary, weary of speaking, weary of hanging on to any thread of hope, weary of my acquaintances, weary of life itself; my journey through this world proves so very rotten that I am quite tired with it. Everyone important to me, my children and my faithful servants have been killed. I am left alone.
8 You have shriveled me up, and it is a witness against me; My leanness rises up against me and bears witness to my face.
His face was furrowed, not with age, but because of his sickness: Lord You have filled me with wrinkles. His flesh was wasted with the running of his sore boils, so that his leanness rose up in him, that is, his bones, that before were not seen, stuck out. These are called witnesses against him, witnesses of God’s displeasure against him, and such witnesses as his friends produced against him to prove him a wicked man.
9 He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens His gaze on me.
Job is slowly yielding to the intense persecution that Satan is leveling against him. Job is so at the end of hanging in there that he feels that God Is his enemy. In all the truth that he had come to know of Almighty God and His Characteristics Job now feels that God has turned against him. He has begged for mercy and none has come. He has begged for forgiveness for any possible wrong that he might have committed against the Creator and it seems that God has shut His ears to his cry. People who are worldly could care less of having a relationship with our Holy Maker. But if you are one who seeks God than nothing is worse than thinking He has abandoned you.
It is nothing more painful than to have someone that you have loved or really respected every time they see you give you a hateful stare with their eyes and grind their teeth in hatred at you. You haven’t done anything wrong to them but their looks makes you feel like they hate your guts.
10 They gape at me with their mouth, they strike me reproachfully on the cheek, they gather together against me.
Job now focuses on the three messengers. They gathered themselves together against him. They came upon him with open mouth to devour him, as if they would swallow him alive, so terrible were their threats and so scornful was their conduct to him. They offered him all the indignities they could invent.
These verses should be somewhat familiar to you. For the suffering that Job is going through is a picture of our Master, The Lord Jesus Christ. These very expressions are used in the predictions of his sufferings. Take a look at these verses
Psalm 35: 15, “But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered together; attackers gathered against me, and I did not know it; They tore at me and did not cease;
Psalm 22: 13, “They gape at Me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion.
Micah 5: 1 “Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
Matthew 26: 67, “Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands,”
11 God has delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over to the hands of the wicked.
Instead of delivering him out of their hands, as he hoped, The Lord delivered him into their hands. Job thinks all that is happening is strange, wouldn’t you, and almost thinks it hard, that those should have power against him who were God’s enemies as much as his. God sometimes makes use of wicked men as his sword to one another like we read in Psalm 17: 13, “Arise, O LORD, confront him, cast him down; Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,
We see in this verse also that Job was a type of Christ, who was delivered into wicked hands, to be crucified and slain, by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of Father God - Acts.2:23, “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;
12 I was at ease, but He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target
We see Job’s thinking is that God not only delivered him into the hands of the wicked, but took him into His own hands too, into which it is a fearful thing to fall. In afflicting Job, it had seemed, as if God were furious at him. Though fury is not in God, he thought it was, and felt that He took him by the neck (as a strong man in his fury would take a child) and shake him to pieces. Again we see Job referencing that God was shooting at him with arrows. Job feels that God has singled him out. He feels that he is a human guinea pig set for target practice.
13 His archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; He pours out my gall on the ground.
In Pennsylvania there are many people who enjoy hunting deer. During a certain period hunters can only use bow and arrows. In talking with them they tell me about their adventures. If they are successful in killing a deer, they gut the animal and drag it out of the woods. In a way Job is comparing himself to a similar situation. He has been hunted by not only Almighty God, but He has also accompany Him a host of other archers. They all have taken their shots. And though he is not dead yet, he feels as if they have gutted him.
14 He breaks me with wound upon wound; He runs at me like a warrior.
If you have been with us since we began this book of the Bible we have learned that Job’s troubles came at first; while one messenger of evil tidings was speaking, another came, then another and so on – wounding him again and again.
Have you ever watched the new no holds bar cage fighting? It is very popular with both men and women involved in the fights. When one warrior has knocked down an opponent, he or she goes in for the kill. In many cases the one on the map is probably already knocked out but that does not stop the warrior from pouncing on the fallen one with punches to the head one after the other. Job is the guy on the canvas.
15 “I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, and laid my head in the dust. 16 My face is flushed from weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
Sackcloth and ashes were used in Old Testament times as a symbol of debasement, mourning, and/or repentance. Someone wanting to show his repentant heart would often wear sackcloth, sit in ashes, and put ashes on top of his head. Sackcloth was a coarse material usually made of black goat’s hair, making it quite uncomfortable to wear. The ashes signified desolation and ruin.
Job reports that he has cried so much that his face is red. And since he could not sleep dark shadows encircled his eyes
17 Although no violence is in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
Eliphaz had represented Job as a tyrant and an oppressor. "No,’’ says he, "I never did any wrong to any man, but always despised the gain of oppression.’’ Job has reviewed over and over in his mind that he did not commit any injustice from ripping off another person. He had the testimony of his conscience for him that he had walked uprightly, and had never allowed himself in any gross sin. None was ever more ready than he to acknowledge his sins of infirmity; but, upon search, he could not charge himself with any enormous crime.
Therefore he knew that his prayers were not hindered by some hidden sin. We see another saint pray similarly – Daniel. In chapter 9 verse 3 we read, “Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.”
18 “O earth, do not cover my blood, and let my cry have no resting place!
Job cries out that if there were any injustice in his hands, he wished it might not be concealed. Remember back in Genesis when Cain killed Abel. The Lord told Cain that Abel’s blood cries out. This truth was known by Job. So, he is letting these guys know that if this was ever the case, which is was not, let the blood of those he is somehow charged with murdering be revealed.
There is another probable sense of these words, that Job is bringing out, as it were, and this is to lay his death upon his so called friends, who broke his heart with their harsh censures, and charges the guilt of his blood upon them, begging of God to avenge it and that the cry of his blood might have no place in which to lie hid, but might come up to heaven and be heard by him that makes inquisition for blood.
19 Surely even now my witness is in heaven, and my evidence is on high.
Job recognizes and appeals to God’s Omniscience concerning his integrity. The witness in our own hearts will be of no value if we have not a witness in heaven for us too; for God is greater than our hearts. This therefore is Job’s victory. It is an unspeakable comfort to a good man, when he lies under the censure of his brethren, that there is a God in heaven who knows his integrity and will clear it up sooner or later.
20 My friends scorn me; My eyes pour out tears to God. 21 Oh, that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleads for his neighbor! 22 For when a few years are finished, I shall go the way of no return.
With his thoughts back on his earthly conditions, Job did not expect either a fair hearing or a fair dealing from them. He is praying to the Lord while these guys listen in on his prayer. "Lord my friends (so they call themselves) scorn me; they set themselves not only to resist me, but to expose me; they all take counsel against me, and use all their cunning and eloquence to run me down.’’ The scorns of friends are more cutting than those of enemies; but we must expect them, and provide accordingly.
His sorrow was not that of the world, but he sorrowed after a godly sort, wept before the Lord, and offered to him the sacrifice of a broken heart. Even tears, when sanctified to God, give ease to troubled spirits; and, if men slight our grief, this may comfort us, that God regards them.
Here is a truth we all need to firmly keep in our minds. All who pour out tears before God, though they cannot plead for themselves, by reason of their distance and defects, have a friend to plead for them, even the Son of man, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and on this we must solidify all our hopes of acceptance with God.
In the book of Isaiah chapter 50 this truth is displayed, “For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me
To die is to go the way where we shall not return. It is to go on a journey, a long journey, a journey for good, to remove from this to another country, from the world of sense to the world of spirits. It is a journey to our home; there will be neither coming back to our state in this world nor any change of our state in the other world. All of us very certainly, and very shortly, will go on this journey; and it is comfortable to those who keep a good conscience to think of it, for it is the crown of their integrity.
Job was ready and anxious for his road trip, how about you?
