Job's friends purportedly came to console him, yet they did
little to alleviate his suffering. In their quest to win the theological
debate, they appear to have lost sight of his suffering. Whether they can or
won't assist, Job dismisses them as "worthless physicians" (verse 4)
and returns to his prayer to God.
'I will hope in him even if he kills me,' Job vows (verse
15). What exactly does this hope entail? Job appears to believe that God is
just and that, because he is 'in the right,' he would be vindicated (verse 18).
But, while his companions may be able to forget his misery, Job is unable to do
so.
It's worth remembering that Job is bereft, impoverished, and
afflicted from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head with "odious
sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head" (Job 2.7).
'Withdraw your hand far from me, and let not dread of you terrify me,' he
pleads alongside his desire for an answer from God (verse 21). He can't take
much more after comparing himself to "a driven leaf" and "dry
chaff"; will God really "frighten" and "pursue"
someone so weak (verse 25)?
The Bible's portrayal of God suggests that he is concerned
about the weak and destitute. ‘He will not break off a bent reed or put out a
flickering lamp...' says Isaiah in chapter 42.3, which Jesus applies to himself
(Matthew 12.20). 'But those who rely in the LORD for help will find their
strength renewed,' says Isaiah 40.31. In 2 Peter 3.9, God makes it obvious that
he is not aiming to destroy us: 'He is patient with you, because he does not
want anybody to perish...'
Job's faith in God, like ours, is not misplaced. We can put
our faith and hope in him.
Thank you, God, for loving, redeeming, and restoring people
who have been broken. I have placed my faith and hope in you. Fill me with your
sympathy for others and make me quick to provide genuine assistance and comfort
to those who are suffering.