Job 9

Job 9:1

5. Job’s Response (Chaps. 9, 10)9:1-13 When Job asks, “How can a man be righteous before God?”, he is not inquiring as to the way of salvation, but expressing the hopelessness of ever proving his innocence before One who is so great. It is folly to contend with God since one could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. He is sovereign, all-wise, and all-powerful, as seen in His control of mountains, earth, sun, stars, sea, yes, wonders without number. 9:14-31 What chance would Job have of defending himself? Could he be sure that God is listening? The Lord is merciless, arbitrary, and unjust, Job says, and therefore a fair trial is impossible. In his despair, Job accuses God of undiscriminatingly destroying the blameless and the wicked, of laughing at the plight of the innocent, and of causing earth’s judges to act unrighteously. He says, “I am innocent, but I no longer care. I am sick of living. Nothing matters; innocent or guilty, God will destroy us” (vv. 21, 22 TEV). As his life runs out, he finds no hope in careless self-forgetfulness or self-improvement. 9:32-35 Job sighs for a mediator between God and himself, but finds none. We know that the Mediator who could meet his (and our) deepest need is the Lord Jesus Christ (1Ti_2:5). Matthew Henry comments: Job would gladly refer the matter, but no creature was capable of being a referee, and therefore he must even refer it still to God himself and resolve to acquiesce in his judgment. Our Lord Jesus is the blessed days-man, who has mediated between heaven and earth, has laid his hand upon us both; to him the Father has committed all judgment, and we must. But this matter was not then brought to so clear a light as it is now by the gospel, which leaves no room for such a complaint as this.