I worship You who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water; (Revelation 14:7) who spoke, and it came to be; who commanded, and it stood firm; (Psalm 33:9)
4 GOD is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? 5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger; 6 He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; 7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; 8 He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea; 9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; 10 He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number. (Job 9:4-10)
It is interesting in Job's answers in this section that he really only gives token answers to his three "friends" and their "comfort" (which is really, ultimately, an attack on his character) offered to him. In all of his responses, he almost immediately turns to a theoretical answer and consideration of the issue of justice as it pertains to God. That is surely the case here as Job in chapter 9 of the book of Job verses 3-10 does not respond further to the specifics of Bildad's argument but instead describes the difficulty that anyone would have arguing the case before God in verses 3-4.
This is another indication of Job's basic point of view. He is not arguing this from a sinful point of view, but rather is simply speaking forth his own inner conflict. It is impossible to argue or fight against God because of God's power and strength, Joe argues in verses 5-10.
Joe uses a form that is frequently used in other parts of Scripture called a "Participial Hymn" to express himself. We see such a form in Psalm 136, Jeremiah 10:12-13, Amos 4:13, Amos 5:8-9 and in Amos 9:5-6. Here, Job is using that power to describe the futility of arguing with a God who can frustrate all attempts at fighting with Him and contending with Him. It seems a bit trite, but the argument is very similar to suggesting that my cat argue with me against being taken to the Vet. What chance does she stand? Surely, that is an awkward analogy, but you get the point!
Remember, by and large, Job is not committing sin in all of his protestations. If he does anything he strays over a line and charges God with injustice as he progresses along throughout the book. In other words, he he protests too strongly, he maintains his own innocence so strongly that the only one who could be guilty in his explanation of matters ends up being God. This results in God taking the stage and setting the account right.
So one asks the question, what should Jobs' response have been? How should he have responded to his accusers and how should he have responded within himself? The truth of the matter is, that many of the things that his "comforters" said, from a human point of view, from their point of view, are things that you and I would have said or suggested. Given his answers, and the increasing vehemence of his insistence on his insistence of innocence as the chapters went by, our response, even as godly people, might have been very similar to theirs. So let's stay off of our high horses and let's not treat them too harshly as many have done over the years. There are many who have sent some very very harsh things about "Jobs' comforters" over the years. While I certainly would not have wanted to be one of them, you're Elihu, I would not want to go so far as to say that I would not have said those same things, or similar things where I in that position myself.
I has to Jobs' responses, I suspect the scripture when counsel us to respond more with silence or minimal responses then with the lengthy responses that Job gave. Remember that the book of Job is given to us for our teaching and learning; that means that the entire experience that Job underwent was for that purpose, and for the glory of God. The Scripture tells us to respond with humility and meekness when we are rebuked. It tells us to respond to fools, not according to their folly, but to respond with silence. It counsels us to be careful not to defend ourselves but to be sure and to defend God and his character. It says that we need to be certain that our words and our deeds are that which glorify God and His Holiness and His actions, and are not that which defend ourselves and our actions and our character. Sadly, Jobs' words did none of those things. His silence would have done them all.
Men seem to have an overwhelming need and desire to defend themselves, and to defend God. God can take care of Himself and does not need to be defended, and we, most often, can't be defended.
As to how Job ought to have dealt with the matter within himself? Well, he was doing wonderfully in the first couple chapters of the book. It wasn't until he began to think about how he looked to others that things began to go awry. When difficulties come, even horribly difficult, profound troubles, it is essential that our attention remain on our Lord God. When that attention is shifted; when our attention gets turned to anything else. Disaster sets in. Oh, it happens a little at a time. It took some 30 chapters or so for it to happen in the book of Job. But it happened nevertheless. Job went from one who was, though admittedly unhappy, but one who was worshiping his God and who was described as having "not sinned in all of this" to one who was needing a rebuke by that God. Now he demonstrates his character in that he quickly receives that rebuke, stands up on his feet and is used by God and returns to favor.
We are all have things to learn from Job.
It is such a common saying that it borders on being a truism. First, it is easy, so easy that it is frightening, for our eyes to end up off of our Lord and on our own matters, particularly when things are difficult. What seems right and "normal" ends up being, sadly, the object of rebuke if we are not careful to deal with in godly fashion.
Second, self is is a harsh task master. It doesn't bend and has an agenda that it doesn't tell us at first, or even second or third. If we do not deal with it as the Scripture tells us, then we will deal with as Satan tells us and us on the rebuked end of the stick. there is no middle ground.
Third, unless we are ruthless with our thinking and insist that we continue to think Biblically and no other way, we WILL end up thinking in a way that dishonors God - there is no if ands or buts. Once again, there is no middle ground. If it can happen to one such as Job...what chance do you and I have? Remember, Jesus said that the actions, our deeds, are only the indications of "the thoughts and the intents of the heart".
The will can shape our actions, but the will can't change your hearts. There's only one thing that can change the heart; and that is the word of God. Whether we're talking about an unsaved person or a redeemed person. In the case of an unredeemed person, that must be the gospel. Only hearing the Law, and realizing that they cannot meet the claims of that Law and then hearing the Gospel, the good news that Christ has come and met the requirements of God's Law for them can save them.
In the case of those who are already God's children, our hearts can only be changed by His word as well. Our flesh, our "Will, is still prisoner to sin. It too must be changed. As we submit to God's Word, read it, study it, take it in, God's Spirit changes us and molds us into the shape of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is then, and only then that our behavior, our actions begin to demonstrate genuine godliness.
But this is an ongoing process. Just as we must take in food in an ongoing basis in order to sustain our physical bodies and enable us to continue to walk around as living beings; so also we must take in the Word in an ongoing basis to continue to allow us to function as spiritual beings. Of course, I'm oversimplifying matters, and there is more to it than I'm saying in just a couple of paragraphs, but I do hope you're getting my point.
As Job allowed to happen in his life, should we allow our eyes to be diverted from the Word, and thus from the character and person of our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, then we begin, spiritually, to starve. Our spiritual life, our behavior and the demonstration of that behavior in the world almost immediately begins to show the results of that starvation.
What are those results? Sin! Failure to bring God the glory due Him. That is what we see in the account of Job's life as we read through the book of Job. I'm sure that as you think for your own life, you can remember occasions when that has happened to you. Let's learn our lesson and purpose to refuse to allow it to happen again!
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