Job understood that if he was going to get any understanding regarding his troubles, he could not count on these three friends. Job did not want to die without trying to find out why God was dealing with him as He was. As we have noted, Job was wrong on his assessment of God in this matter. He had some right understanding regarding Who God is. However, he did not take a proper approach to where God was at in this matter.
In verses 20-22 Job pleaded with God for two things. He wanted God to withdraw His hand of judgment from him. He wanted God to remove this chastening from him so that he would not be afraid of God. He knew God was a great God Who could do anything. He knew that no man could interfere with God’s plans. He was pleading with God to show mercy toward him rather than the judgment he believed he was facing.
Job was willing to hear God’s charges against him and he was willing to answer for that. Job’s suffering was quite severe. He wanted to know why he was being punished so severely. Job had a right relationship with God and he was willing to stand before God and be shown where his sin was. If God did not want to speak to Job, then Job asked that he be able to speak to God and that God would answer him. Job was not demanding things from God. He wanted to understand what God was doing. It is reasonable for a child of God to want to understand what God is doing. Job thought God was chastening him but he did not understand why. He wanted an opportunity to reason with God on this matter.
In verse 23 Job again admitted that he was not without sin. He was asking God to show him what his sin was. This is a reasonable request. God was not being unreasonable. God knew far more about what was going on than Job did. God had His reasons for doing things the way He did. Job needed to grow in his faith in God. He needed to learn to trust God more. This is a good lesson for all born again Christians. We need to trust God even when we cannot understand why things are happening as they are. Job had a clear conscience up until his troubles started. When his troubles built, he began to wonder if there was something he had overlooked and needed to address. That is a good attitude to have toward God. If His child comes to Him in humility, He will answer them in His time.
In verse 24 Job accused God of hiding from him. Job was wrong in that assessment. God had not turned His back on Job. As we have noted, there was a bigger issue taking place than Job knew at this time.
God was not looking at Job as an enemy. The devil is the enemy and he was seeking to attack God and His child, Job.
In verse 25 Job understood how fragile he was. He was like a leaf driven to and fro. He also saw himself as stubble. Stubble is the refuse left after the crop is harvested. The stubble has some value as humus in the soil. It is not the main thing with regard to the crop. Job understood that he was not that important in the scheme of God’s dealings. As such, he wondered why he was being hit so hard at this time. Again, these are assumptions that Job was making. They were not facts, but wrong assumptions. God would straighten him out on this.
In verse 26 Job was accusing or surmising that maybe God was punishing him for past sins of his youth. From what we know of Job, he kept short accounts with God. God forgives when His child confesses sin to Him. God does not hold grudges.
In verse 27 Job further accused God of putting his feet in stocks. Job assumed that God was looking at Job’s life with a fine tooth comb and He was keeping such close tabs that He had put a print in his heels so He could keep track of him. God does have a print in all of our heels. He does not need to examine those prints to know where we are and what we are doing. God knows all about us. He is willing to guide and direct His child. Job would learn that God was not punishing him. God demonstrated His love and mercy toward Job. He allowed Job to accuse Him of being unfair. He knew better and He would soon reveal to Job what was really going on.
In verse 28 Job admitted that his life was being consumed by the boils that he had and by the grief he was facing due to the loss of his family. Job described his life as that of a rotten thing and as a garment that is moth eaten. Job was no doubt smelling as a result of the boils and due to the fact that he could not wash himself as he could before this happened. His skin was all scarred due to the boils that would be opening and the scratching that he was doing with the potsherd.
Unlike Job’s friends, Job was not arrogant. He was not trying to ignore the possibility that he could be guilty of sin. Job was desiring to speak with God. He did not realize that God was hearing his every word at that very time. God was not far from him. He wanted to be right with God. That is a good place to be. That is a mark of a true child of God. A true child of God desires a right relationship with God. He or she does not want to be aloof from God. A true child of God needs humility with God. Job was not promoting a false God. He needed to learn some things about God as every true child of God needs to.
The book of Job is important in helping us to understand God’s character as well as the nature of the devil. We can learn so much about God and about the spirit realm. We can get a clearer understanding of the devil who is a murderer and a liar.
To those who are lost, today would be the best day for you to turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation. You will never regret that if you truly get saved.
For those who are saved, we need to be sure that we build right theology into our lives. If we will accept the Word of God, (the King James Version for the English speaking world), we can grow in the Lord and we can help others to see that the true God is a good God. He is worthy of all praise and glory.
Pastor Bartel