| Job 6 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 1 But Job answered and said, 2 "Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid with it on the scales! 3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words have been rash. 4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison of them my spirit drinks up; the terrors of God set themselves in array against me. 5 Does the wild ass bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder? 6 Can what is unsavory be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg? 7 The things, which my soul refused to touch, are now as my sorrowful food.1 8 Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! 9 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!2 10 Then I would yet have comfort; yes, I would harden myself amid pain; for I have not denied the words of the Holy One. 11 What is my strength, that I should hope? And what is my end, that I should prolong my life? 12 Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh made of brass? 13 Is not my help in me? And is wisdom driven quite from me? 14 To him who is afflicted pity should be shown from his friend lest he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. 15 My brothers have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks pass away; 16 Which are black by reason of the ice, and in which the snow is hidden; 17 At the time they grow warm, they disappear; when it is hot, they are consumed from their place. 18 The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing and perish. 19 The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them. 20 They were confounded because they had hoped; they came there, and were ashamed. 21 For now you are nothing; you see my casting down, and are afraid. 22 Did I say, 'Bring something to me?' or, 'Give a bribe for me from your substance?' 23 Or, 'Deliver me from the enemy's hand?' or, 'Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?' 24 Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; and cause me to understand in which I have erred. 25 How forcible are right words! But what does your arguing reprove? 26 Do you imagine to reprove my words, and the speeches of one who is desperate, which are as wind? 27 Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless, and dig a pit for your friend. 28 Now therefore be content to look upon me; for it is evident to you if I lie. 29 Relent, I pray you, let there be no injustice; yes, relent, my righteousness still stands. 30 Is there iniquity in my tongue? Cannot my taste discern perverse things?" Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | |||||||||
1 The things, which my soul refused to touch, are now as my sorrowful food. When a man is afflicted by the demons, with the permission of God, the demons serve a steady diet of profanity, sexual imagery, replaying any of your past failures by visions, terrible nightmares, and continually laying traps for you with their taunts and visions. Job is telling us that he is being fed evil words, evil images, evil thoughts instead of the sweet words of God with their gentleness, wisdom, kindness, humility, love, and encouragements. Job does not know he is only being tested and refined to an even purer state; which, when he is finished, the sweet words of God will return.
2 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! Job is obviously mistaken about God here, so you may be asking: How could he be perfect and make mistakes too? A man can be perfect in the sense of not sinning, but still make mistakes that are not sins. A perfect man according to God is: blameless, sinless, a shunner of evil; yet can still make mistakes that are not sins. William Penn wrote that a perfect man can still be subject to disease, and be without perfect wisdom or glory. And quoting John Gratton: "So it is plain, men may be really, perfectly, sincerely, children or branches, yet may grow from strength to strength, faith to faith, in and by the spirit of the Lord, yet be perfect children, and grow to be young men, and overcome the wicked one, and still grow to be fathers, and still press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded. This is the perfection we mean; we do not mean such a perfection as that nothing can be added to it."
Men cannot see perfection in another man; men didn't see perfection in Christ — they killed him; the righteous religious people of Israel mocked and ridiculed Jesus, as He was perfecting prostitutes and tax collectors. Job's friends didn't see his perfection — they ridiculed him. Yet, God called Job perfect. You will know perfection by the actions of the person, their conversation, their fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - not by their claims; that would be boasting, which is the opposite of love. A perfect man still only sees his weaknesses; but as Jesus said to Paul when he complained of his weakness, My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in weakness. He also said, you will know them by their fruits.
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