seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Job 16:1 Then Job replied:
2 “I have heard many things like these;
you are miserable comforters, all of you!
3 Will your long-winded speeches never end?
What ails you that you keep on arguing?
4 I also could speak like you,
if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
and shake my head at you.
5 But my mouth would encourage you;
comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
you are miserable comforters, all of you!
3 Will your long-winded speeches never end?
What ails you that you keep on arguing?
4 I also could speak like you,
if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
and shake my head at you.
5 But my mouth would encourage you;
comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
6 “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
and if I refrain, it does not go away.
7 Surely, God, you have worn me out;
you have devastated my entire household.
8 You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
my gauntness rises up and testifies against me.
9 God assails me and tears me in his anger
and gnashes his teeth at me;
my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.
10 People open their mouths to jeer at me;
they strike my cheek in scorn
and unite together against me.
11 God has turned me over to the ungodly
and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.
12 All was well with me, but he shattered me;
he seized me by the neck and crushed me.
He has made me his target;
13 his archers surround me.
Without pity, he pierces my kidneys
and spills my gall on the ground.
14 Again and again he bursts upon me;
he rushes at me like a warrior.
and if I refrain, it does not go away.
7 Surely, God, you have worn me out;
you have devastated my entire household.
8 You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
my gauntness rises up and testifies against me.
9 God assails me and tears me in his anger
and gnashes his teeth at me;
my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.
10 People open their mouths to jeer at me;
they strike my cheek in scorn
and unite together against me.
11 God has turned me over to the ungodly
and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.
12 All was well with me, but he shattered me;
he seized me by the neck and crushed me.
He has made me his target;
13 his archers surround me.
Without pity, he pierces my kidneys
and spills my gall on the ground.
14 Again and again he bursts upon me;
he rushes at me like a warrior.
15 “I have sewed sackcloth over my skin
and buried my brow in the dust.
16 My face is red with weeping,
dark shadows ring my eyes;
17 yet my hands have been free of violence
and my prayer is pure.
and buried my brow in the dust.
16 My face is red with weeping,
dark shadows ring my eyes;
17 yet my hands have been free of violence
and my prayer is pure.
18 “Earth, do not cover my blood;
may my cry never be laid to rest!
19 Even now my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is on high.
20 My intercessor is my friend[a]
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
21 on behalf of a man he pleads with God
as one pleads for a friend.
may my cry never be laid to rest!
19 Even now my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is on high.
20 My intercessor is my friend[a]
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
21 on behalf of a man he pleads with God
as one pleads for a friend.
22 “Only a few years will pass
before I take the path of no return.
before I take the path of no return.
a. Job 16:20 Or My friends treat me with scorn
I have been blamed for stuff that wasn't my fault. I'm the oldest of five kids..... my dad went right to the top to take care of the mess five kids would make..... even if the fault was lower down in the age chain..... but, truthfully.... even tho I wine about taking the consequences for stuff my sisters or my brother did.... I'm glad I could take the switch.... it saved them..... I could handle it better. Oh I'm not a martyr..... by any stretch of the imagination.... my sisters and my brother had this blood curdling scream they would let out when the switch was coming for them.... I'd rather have the switch myself than hear them cry.
Just because I got some bad picks out of life.... I didn't start hating God..... some do though. Some figure if God isn't handing out sunshine and lollipops than why bother.... a lot of rules [and sometimes humiliation] for nothing..... some figure Heaven can't possibly be real.... after all... the world is flat right????
It just occurred to me..... not once did my brother or my sisters stand up for me..... hhhmmmm...... maybe that's what Job is saying here.... maybe Job was saying something as simple as "if you were a true friend.... you wouldn't be spending your time blaming me.... maybe, if you were my friend.... you'd believe me when I say I'm not at fault.... and you, as my friend, would plead to the Lord on my behalf"...... "No Dad.... wasn't him"
This is from studylight.org.
Job replies to Eliphaz, and through him to all his friends, who, instead of comforting him, had added to his misfortunes; and shows that, had they been in his circumstances, he would have treated them in a different manner, Job 16:1-5. Enters into an affecting detail of his suffering, Job 16:6-16. Consoles himself with the consciousness of his own innocence, of which he takes God to witness, and patiently expects a termination of all his sufferings by death, Job 16:17-22.
This is from the easy English site.
Job’s friends wanted to help him. They tried to teach him about God. They tried to show Job his errors. And they wanted to encourage him.
But their words did not help Job. They never understood the real reasons for Job’s problems. And the friends did not believe that Job was a good man. So they blamed Job, although Job was innocent.
Job thought that God caused these troubles. Job did not know that the devil was responsible. But Job was very careful about his words. He knew that he should always respect God. So Job did not want to accuse God unfairly. And Job did not want to blame God. So Job only mentioned God once, in verse 11.
So Job thought that God was not merely Job’s enemy, but also his friend. This thought confused Job. Job knew that God does many good things. So Job thought that God might also do some bad things. God had given many good things to Job. So God could take these things away. But Job believed that God would still deserve honour. And Job would continue to praise God, whatever happened. Job had this attitude because he was a genuine servant of God.
Whenever I say..... "I'm reading the Book of Job now"..... they say "Oh Job..... love that book". I guess some get beaten down in life.... and then they read Job.... and they realize they're not alone. It's easier to understand Job now than it would have been back in Job's day.... I am familiar with satan... and his nasty little deeds.... Job didn't know satan back then.... satan hadn't been identified as the culprit in chief. So when people read about Job.... I wonder... how many fell "wow.... I must be like Job.... a good guy that God let satan punish"...... but I have to worry..... when my friends think they are as good as Job..... they might be stepping off a cliff..... after all.... we have Jesus reminding God that we are His children.... His adopted babies..... so we get the benefit of the doubt..... If I think of this as a consequence from God for my behavior..... I could be stealing some of the thunder from God's Son Jesus. I may not deserve everything bad that is coming my way..... but I'm not blameless. Jesus went to the Cross without complaining. He did it for me..... and He didn't have to do it.....
