Job 13 Commentary

Job 13 Commentary

Job continues to speak. He begins by addressing his friends. They are useless physicians. Their arguments are baseless. Time wasters. Job has had enough of them. He would take his case to God directly. They should keep quiet and listen. God doesn’t need a lawyer. They shouldn’t speak on His behalf.

Job has taken a hard line on his friends. He feels they have misrepresented God with their lame arguments. This can be a preacher’s greatest fear. Have I delivered the word of the LORD correctly? Is this really what the LORD wants me to say?

Job makes two requests to the LORD. First: clear off my pain and suffering. Second: speak to me, and I will answer, or let me speak and you answer me. The LORD will attend to both requests, but not just now. This is very important for us to take in. The time comes when the LORD clears all pain and suffering, but the timing of healing isn’t in our hands.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4.

And, “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” Revelation 22 verse 4.

In the meantime, the scripture must emphasize the brevity of life for us to understand that complete salvation is just a breath away.

What we hope for this side of existence is “like something rotten, human life fast decomposes.” The chapter is drawing us to a point where we all need to be. Like Job, let the pain and suffering stop. And let us enjoy the presence of the LORD like it was at creation in the Garden of peace and tranquility.

In the meantime, Job won’t keep quiet. Probably because the LORD hasn’t responded.

So Job asks: “How many wrongs and sins have I committed?” We all know Job is not expecting an answer like 4 or 0. His real question is, “Why am I suffering?” Since sin isn’t a factor in Job’s pain and suffering, the question remains unanswered.

Or, could we also conclude, by this question, that Job has bought into Zophar’s theology? Zophar and his friends have stood by the thought that Job sinned and that his sin caused pain and suffering. Most likely, Job repeats this question to God as a protest against the “Causation Principle”.

In his own words, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” 2:10.

Indeed, the above is Job’s original and authentic reaction to his intense pain and suffering. The chapters we read after chapter 2 are a reaction to the voices from Job’s environment. One thing is clear: the world around us affects the shape and color of our walk with the LORD.

You can wake up in the morning feeling great and content in the LORD. All can be fine until sister X shows up in her latest car, or you hear about the profits that brother Y is making. Then you nearly withdraw your prayer of thanksgiving for a cup of tea the LORD provided for you at Breakfast.

Job is written for us. We face these situations daily. We redefine our blessedness depending on what we see and hear, often away from the realities of our relationship with the LORD. Often away from our stated position of faith.

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