Job 13

In Job 13, Job continues to speak, initially addressing the subject he discussed in Job 12.  Job will also denounce his friends as being worthless and vain speakers.  Job then turns to God and requests an audience.

Job 13:1

¹Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.

Job is referring to the previous chapter.  What he previously discussed are issues he has not only heard, but he understands them.  This brings up a failing of many in today’s world.  In Christianity, people often teach concepts they have heard, but do not understand.  One should not teach or declare something unless they have the revelation of the issue from God.

Throughout the book, Job has maintained his understanding of the eternal purposes of God.  However, Job will later admit to be lacking in one particular area.

Job 13:2

²What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

Job claims equality with his friends as a minimum.  He is telling them this because he wants them to understand that they provide nothing that will help his situation.  Neither do they have some great revelation that is not already known by him.  Their words bring nothing new or of value to the discussion.  His friends present themselves as all knowing, but they know nothing that is not already known by Job.

In this chapter, Job is confronting his friends.  However, it is not to merely challenge them, it is to make a point.  Job will bring the conversation back to his original request of God, Job 13:3.

³Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

Job wants to obtain understanding from God.  Job, who has placed himself in the eternal purposes of God, who has followed God with a diligent heart, is at a loss of why things are happening to him.  If given the opportunity at this time in the book, Job might state to God:

I have followed you with all my heart.  I have put you first in my life.  I have put you before family.  When there was the potential that they would have offended you, I sacrificed to you and asked for forgiveness.  But I do not understand, why this is happening to me.

Job speaks to his so-called comforters that have become his tormentors, with strong words.  There should be no confusion as to Job’s meaning, Job 13:4.

⁴But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

Job calls his friends forgers of lies, because they speak without facts or understanding.  Their doctrine is shallow and incomplete.  They have been building upon half truths mixed with their observations to fit the situation.  It is no different than experiential Christianity.  That is, when a person’s experiences are used to interpret scriptures.  That is a very dangerous way to understand scriptures.  What may appear to fit in one case may not be true in all cases.  It leads one down a path of inconsistent understanding.  Just because one is sick the cause may not always be the same.  The Bible gives many reason why one would be sick.  One may be sick as a result of chastisement, an attack by the devil, a random occurrence, or even due to a person’s foolishness.  As such, like Jobs comforters, many will create explanations that are frivolous and provide no lessons that will eternally benefit others.

Further as comforters, they have done nothing to alleviate his condition.  They have shown little to no compassion.  Job’s friends would be wise to learn that there are times when answers are not what a person needs.  To tell someone that it will work out is little comfort when they are going through their suffering.  A person going through suffering needs compassion and an ear that will listen without judgment.  Too often we try to answer questions people are never asking.  We need to listen and not give advice, just listen.  This is what Job tells them in Job 13:5.

⁵O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

Job is telling them if they would stop talking, that would be true wisdom.  Just like in Proverbs 17:28.

²⁸Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

Job explains their failings further in what is to follow, Job 13:6.

⁶Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

As stated earlier, this is a major failing of Job’s friends.  They did not take time to listen and understand Job nor did they consider his life prior to these events.  In the eyes of God, Job lived an exemplary life.  Yet Job’s friends did not consider it so.  If they had they would not have accused him of committing a sin worthy of his present situation.  They would have been just as dumbfounded as he was.  Or possibly they had another motive for disregarding Job’s former life.  More than likely they were jealous of Job’s prominence.

Job pleads with them to listen to what he has to say.  Job tells his friends that they have taken a position counter to God.

Job 13:7-8

⁷Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? ⁸Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

Job is accusing Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar of speaking wrongfully for God.  Job is making an important point here.  Peter records in his first Epistle, 1 Peter 4:11.

¹¹If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Yeshua Messiah, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

To speak as oracles of God means that an individual speaks only those words of God that are authentic.  In the case of Job’s friends, God clearly stated in Job 42 that they did not speak right as Job had.  We must understand what God was expressing to us in Exodus 20:7.

⁷Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain

What seems to be clear in meaning, there are many erroneous thoughts associated with Exodus 20:7.  Some believe that we should never mention the name of God.  If we never do that, then we can be assured that we will never take His name in vain.  As if God cannot understand a reference or inference concerning Him.

This false belief has resulted in God’s name not being properly translated in the Bible over 6,500 times.  LORD was substituted for the proper translation because of superstition.  This started with the Rabbis and today much of Christianity has followed the tradition of the Rabbis.  Even more bizarre, people will write Lord instead of God’s name.

The Rabbis take the third commandment pretty serious, as should we all.  As a matter of fact, the Rabbis took the third commandment so serious that they decided it was best not to even say God’s name.  The Rabbis believe that this would eliminate the chance of accidentally taking God’s name in vain.  So what the Rabbis and scribes have done is not change the Bible, but change how it is read and translated.  Within the Bible there is the Hebrew word:  Yod Hay Valv Hay

Rabbinic Jews and most Messianic Jews would pronounce it ADONAI {ad-o-noy’}.  Which is actually spelt in the Hebrew:  Aleph Daled Nun

However, Adonai means LORD.  In reality:  Yod Hay Valv Hay

is the Hebrew letters Yod – Hay – Vav – Hay it is Y^ehovah {yeh-ho-vaw’}.  There are those that claim that:  Yod Hay Valv Hay

is pronounced YHWH.  However this is incorrect too, because the vowels are known, based on the Masoretic text.  (The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Tanakh for Rabbinic Judaism.)  Not reciting the Name of God occurs in the reciting of the Shema, Deuteronmy 6:4

 ⁴Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

In Hebrew the transliteration is

Sh’mah Yisraw-ayl, Adonoi Ellohaynoo, Adonoi ehchawd.

Twice the word Adonoi is used, however, the Hebrew word is Y^ehovah {yeh-ho-vaw’}.  It should actually be:

 ⁴Hear, O Israel: JEHOVAH our God is one JEHOVAH:

Although the Hebrew word Y^ehovah {yeh-ho-vaw’} is in the text over 6,519 times.  In the Rabbinic Hebrew translations of the Bible, one will not find Jehovah in the text.

As for most Christian translations, they have followed the tradition of the Rabbis.  In the King James, Y^ehovah {yeh-ho-vaw’}, Jehovah which means, ‘the existing one’,  the proper name of the one true God is translated very few times correctly.  Of the 6,519 times it is in the Bible, it is translated LORD 6,510 times, GOD 4 times, JEHOVAH 4 times and a variant 1 time.

Another thing that Rabbinic Jews will do to prevent accidentally taking God’s name in vain is instead of writing L-O-R-D; they will spell it L – — – R – D.  They leave out the O and replace it with a dash.  For God instead of G – O – D, they will spell it G – — – D.  Again leaving the O out and replacing it with a dash.  Do these people actually think that God will not know what they mean?  God is much smarter than some appear to give Him credit.  Again, many Messianic Jews, that claim to follow Yeshua and not the Rabbis, follow the Rabbis in this tradition.  This leads us down a path of making God a nameless, faceless, impersonal God.

Further, there are many that believe that taking God’s name in vain means using God in conjunction with Damn.  However, God is not his name, it is a designation.

The illustrations above of taking God’s name in vain seems almost trite.  They lack much depth and understanding as to who is our God.  Taking God’s name in vain is a significant transgression and should be properly understood.  If we are to understand Job’s point of view, it is important to understand what God meant by taking His name in vain.  Again, Exodus 20:7:

⁷Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

It is a pretty serious matter to take the Lord’s name in vain.  God will hold you guilty if you take His name in vain.  Vain means to state things that are a lie, falsehoods, or empty words.

There is an instance of taking God’s name in vain in Leviticus 24:10-11.

¹⁰And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; ¹¹And the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)

God told them what to do with the offender in Leviticus 24:13-14.

¹³And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ¹⁴Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

This is the only known case when an individual was killed by the community for blaspheming God.  The text states that the individual blasphemed God and was punished, yet we do not know what the individual said or did.  We can make all sorts of assumptions, but that only leads to error.

It is interesting that the text states that he blasphemed and cursed; not that the blasphemy was a curse.  He could have said something as simple as God is not a loving God.  That would be blasphemous.  Again, we do not know what was stated.  However, we do know that it is a serious matter.

In Jeremiah, we read of another example of taking God’s name in vain, Jeremiah 28:1.

 ¹And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

Hananiah is about to speak.  He is going to declare in front of Jeremiah, the priest, all present including God, a supposed prophesy soon to come past, Jeremiah 28:2.

²Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Note that Hananiah claims that God has proclaimed this prophesy.  Hananiah goes on to tell everyone present in Jeremiah 28:3-4.

³Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon: ⁴And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

This is a pretty significant prophesy.  Hananiah claims that God will break the yoke of the Babylonians and bring forth freedom to Judah.  Hananiah claims that this is the word of God.  Hananiah did not claim that he believed this based on current events, he stated that God proclaimed the word.  In effect, Hananiah claimed to have heard directly from God.  Hananiah was speaking as a personal emissary of God.

Jeremiah responded to Hananiah in Jeremiah 28:5-6.

⁵Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD, ⁶Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

Jeremiah is very specific in his response.  He did not state that this was from God.  He stated may God bring to pass Hananiah’s word. Jeremiah knew that these were not word’s from God, but from Hananiah’s heart.

It was the hope of Judah to be free of the control of the Babylonians.  Jeremiah, like all the prophets of Israel, did not want bad things to happen to the Children of Israel. However, the Children of Israel refused to walk in God’s pathway and brought their troubles upon themselves.  Jeremiah knew this.  Jeremiah has more to say in the form of a warning, Jeremiah 28:7-9:

⁷Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people; ⁸The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. ⁹The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.

Jeremiah is effectively stating that we are proved by our words.  This is Hananiah’s chance to back out.  However, Hananiah does the opposite, Jeremiah 28:10-11.

¹⁰Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it. ¹¹And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

Hananiah shows the impact of his word by a demonstration and again claims that it was from God.  Then in Jeremiah 28:12-14:

¹²Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ¹³Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron. ¹⁴For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.

Jeremiah refutes Hananiah’s words of freedom; then claims his word is from God.  Jeremiah specifically tells Hananiah in Jeremiah 28:15-16:

¹⁵Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. ¹⁶Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.

The end result is in Jeremiah 28:17:

¹⁷So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

Today, it is easy to see that Hananiah took God’s name in vain by claiming a false prophecy.  Hananiah was held accountable for his word, because he led the people astray.  Hananiah was warned, yet he did not repent, so he died.

Too often people will proclaim a prophesy or doctrine in the name of God.  They will state things that could never have come from God.  Recently, I heard a story of two individuals.  One told the other that they were not listening to God based on their interpretation of the Bible.  The second individual told the first person that one must walk in the revelation that God has given them.  The first individual continued to argue, even though, it was one sided.  Come Judgment Day, he will be held responsible for what he said.

We must be careful in what we say, especially when dealing with others.  We really have no right to insist on telling someone else what God would have them do.  To assume that authority is to make ourselves the intermediary.  We must be careful when we have a word of prophesy.  God will hold us accountable for vain words, Matthew 12:36.

³⁶But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment (krisis).

There was a time in the midst of a worship service, when someone stood up, and started yelling forth words.  Later that week the individual told me that the Holy Spirit came upon them.  Paul recorded in 2 Timothy 2:24-25.

²⁴And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, ²⁵In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

We are to be gentle.  Nowhere in the Bible does it state that at the appropriate time, we are to embarrass or yell at someone in the presence of others.  That person took God’s name in vain and they too will be held accountable.  To take God’s name in vain goes beyond just His mere name.  Name comes from the Hebrew word shem (H8034), it also refers to His reputation, fame, glory.  We should be carefully when we speak of God.  There is an admonition in James 3:1.

¹My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

Masters is the Greek word didaskalos (G1320), it refers to a teacher.  In the Greek Scriptures, it is one who teaches the things concerning God.  Condemnation is the Greek word krima (G2917), it refers to judgment.  Specifically, the punishment with which one is sentenced.  One must be very careful what they teach.  They will be held accountable by God.

There is a popular Christians book series where one of the authors was asked, is it alright to scare someone into believing in God?  He answered that, if that is what it takes to have someone make a confession of faith, then it is a good thing.  Yet in Romans 2:4.

⁴Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Further in 2 Timothy 1:7.

⁷For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

God does not scare us into salvation, God draws us with His love.  And certainly, fear is not one of God’s tactics.  These people who do this will be held accountable.  They have effectively taken God’s name in vain.  In all things we do, we should take what we say and do very serious.  If not, we could potentially take God’s name in vain.

Job 13:9

⁹Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

Job is telling his friends that it would be good for God to examine them.  If that were to occur, they would fall short of His glory.  They may be able to deceive others, but they will not be able to deceive God.

It is a good thing to have God evaluate us.  By searching us out, God is testing us so that we can grow spiritually.  However, this only works out for the individual, if they are willing to grow with God.  To actually walk in God’s ways takes a willingness to change what one does and to conform to His ways.  One must be willing to change even when it means admitting they were wrong, even when it hurts.  For most of us, the results would be as in Psalm 14:2-3.

²The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. ³They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Job is telling his friends, like all of us, we all fall short of the glory.  So often we think that we are doing pretty good, but what are we using to measure ourselves?  If we use the world’s standard, we may not seem too bad.  However in God’s eyes, are we meeting the mark?  In comparison to the Perfect, we are most miserable.  Further, when we speak for God we mock him, because often we are hypocrites.  Too often, religious individuals speak as the authority, when they ought to be looking in the mirror.  Our failure is that too often we excuse our mistakes and judge others to a higher standard while showing little compassion.  Job, understanding this, tells his friends in Job 13:10-12.

¹⁰He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons. ¹¹Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you? ¹²Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

Job is making an important point here.  If we judge an individual to win acceptance by others, we are using the wrong standard.  If we think we can get away with judging based on a standard other than God’s, we will be judged accordingly.  We should not take lightly the things that we do in this life time.

For believers, Peter stated in 1 Peter 4:17.

¹⁷For the time is come that judgment (krima) must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Peter stating that in the future there is a judgment of all believers prior to the judgment of nonbelievers.  Since one cannot lose salvation, there is something else at sake.  Paul stated about this judgment in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

¹¹For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Yeshua Messiah. ¹²Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; ¹³Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. ¹⁴If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. ¹⁵If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Believers are not judged on all the things that they have done wrong.  They are judged on what they did right.  All the things that one has done wrong are like wood, hay, stubble.  They are burnt up in the baptism of fire at the Judgment Seat of Messiah.  The only things left are those that one has done right, the gold, silver and precious stones.  The question one needs to ask themselves, are the things that they are doing right in God’s eyes?  Forget about the world’s standard, forget about all the awards one may receive and recognition from our fellow man, all that is flawed.  Are we meeting God’s standard?  Because that will be the only thing that will matter.  If an individual bases their life on the world and other believers, they may find themselves lacking in the end.  And in this lifetime, one will not have much of a hedge of protection.

Job questions whether his friends have a healthy fear, a reverence for God.  If they did they might think twice before stating some of the things they have stated.

Job 13:13

¹³Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

Job is clearly asking his friends to quit speaking.  He is merely asking them to listen to his words, something they have not done.  They may have heard them, but they have neither tried to understand nor looked at his overall life.  They have lacked comprehension and compassion.  Job wants to state his case and he is willing to accept what may come next.  However, he is looking for his judgment to come from God, not his so-called comforters.

Job 13:14

¹⁴Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?

Job is stating that he is not his own judge.  Job clearly tell us who he serves in Job 13:15.

 ¹⁵ Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.  I will correct (yakach) mine own ways before Him.

This is a tough truth.  Many have said it, yet few are really willing to live it.  Remember it was Job that stated in Job 2:10.

¹⁰But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Job was willing to accept evil or better translated calamity and affliction from God.  Job’s overall concern was to serve God.  Too many of us serve our bellies and forget what God is looking for in Psalm 27:8.

⁸When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

This is what makes Job different from so many of us.  Whether God blesses Job or curses him, Job trusted in the mercies of God more than all man could do.  We are not only to worship God for the good, we are to worship God in all things.  Believers need to get to a place, where they honestly follow what Paul stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:18

¹⁸In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Messiah Yeshua concerning you.

Do you give God thanks for all things?  Not that you thank him for the bad, but you thank Him even when it is bad?  Do you thank Him, when it is not really what you expected or wanted?  Even when you follow God and things start to go dark and you can barely see the light in your life?  When we absolutely walk with God and can give thanks to Him, we can start to see the truth of Romans 8:28:

²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

It was never supposed to be all good, it all works for the good.  Meaning sometimes we have to suffer for the overall good, that is if, we absolutely want to walk in His perfect will.  Job was willing.  No matter what happened to him, he would worship God.  Job would maintain his integrity, he would not curse God.  Because being with God whether in the throne room or serving in the outer rooms; Job was satisfied to be a part of the kingdom.

One addition thought for Job 13:15.

 ¹⁵ Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.  I will correct (yakach) mine own ways before Him.

Job stated that he would maintain his own ways.  This is important because later he will be criticized for this.  Regardless of what others may say or think, remember God’s words in Job 2:3.

³And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

It is in the last part of Job 2:2, one needs to focus on.  If God stated that Job was being destroyed without cause, then that means there is no reason for the calamities that have occurred.  As such, maintaining Job’s ways would have been good.  However even when you are very good, maintaining your ways is not sufficient.  Maybe for the world, but not for God.  God is always looking for us to take the next step.  God was bringing Job to a new level.  Not because he had previously done something bad, but because he had been a mature and upright servant that feared God, disdained evil and had integrity.

Job 13:16

¹⁶He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

God was Job’s savior in all situations.  He was not looking for man to save him.  Job did not want to be counted among the hypocrites, who love God when things are well and cursed him when things are bad.  Job would not please man over God, this is why he maintained his ways.  If he had repented for something he had not done, that would make Job a hypocrite.  That would only serve to please man and not God.  Job had no  choice other than to be consistent, until it was clear of what he was to repent.  We must be consistent in our approach to God.  We have to consistently believe that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  That God is always for us.  When one is on again, off again, that equates to being a hypocrite.  God does not favor the hypocrite.  Job would not do the things that would make him a hypocrite in the eyes of God, regardless of man’s opinion.

In Job 13:17-22, Job is addressing God.

¹⁷Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears. ¹⁸Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified. ¹⁹Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost. ²⁰Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee. ²¹Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid. ²²Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.

Job is desperately trying to be heard by God.  Job believes that if he could get an audience before God, he would be justified.  Regardless of what those around him may claim, Job knows that he will be proven innocent of the heinous sins that his friends have accused him.  Job is asking God to not overwhelm him.  Job is still looking to reason with God and for some enlightenment.  Job knows that this can only come from God.

Job 13:23

²³How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

Job wants to know why all this is happening.   He asks is it the accumulation of a lifetime.  Job asks why?  A small sin no matter how small, over a lifetime can add up.  Especially when God has told an individual to stop.  Job wants to know if this is the case, so that he can properly repent.

Job 13:24

²⁴Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

Job feels as if God has drawn away from him.  Throughout Job’s life he experienced God on a level so few of us will achieve.  What is occurring to him now is deafening.  To Job, it is as if God has hidden himself from Job and is now in opposition to him.

Job 13:25-28

²⁵Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? ²⁶For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth. ²⁷Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet. ²⁸And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

Job again describes his situation and the pain he is experiencing.  The suffering that Job is experiencing is literally beating the life out of him.  It has brought him to the point of barely having anything left in him.  Job is worn out and dried up.

Job speaks of the sins of his youth.  He acknowledges that he has not always walked with God as closely as he does today.  He reasons that although he may have repented at one time, the chastisement is coming upon him now.  Those sins were long ago repented.  As for Job, it is the only thing that he can understand for which he is being chastened.

Job is worn out and feels as if he has become useless.  The calamities, the disease that has over take his body and the total lack of God in his life has made him feel practically worthless and torn.  Job is coming close to the point where he can no longer feel as if he is human.  Yet remember Job’s words in Job 13:15, these define him.

 ¹⁵ Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.  I will correct (yakach) mine own ways before Him.

Job will walk with God as best he can regardless.  This sets Job apart from most, if not all of us.  Do not discount Job’s words just yet, he is just getting started.  Job has a lot more to teach us.

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