28 September 2022

‘God will not turn back his anger;
the helpers of Rahab bowed beneath him.
How then can I answer him,
choosing my words with him?
Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him;
I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.
If I summoned him and he answered me,
I do not believe that he would listen to my voice.

From Job 9:1-13,14-16, NRSV

We know from yesterday’s reading that Job had reached the “end of his tether” when all that he had was taken from him and he was inflicted with a terrible skin disease. His friends had come to be with him, but it was not until Job broke the silence that they decided to speak. Following his anguished statement in which he wished never to have been born, Job’s friends did not respond with words of compassion, but suggested that his plight must be in repayment for sin and more or less told him to stop complaining. Job’s response shows his awareness of the greatness God’s justice and power. However, at this point, Job was not ready to admit to any wrongdoing and was not ready to submit himself to God’s justice.

• • Why do you think Job feared an encounter with the Lord?
  • Is it reasonable to question the purpose of the pain and suffering that comes into our lives?

Pray today for those who feel that God does not listen to their voice.

Image: By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55012089