Job 9:26 | KingComments | STEP | In this section Job applies his argument about God’s arbitrariness and alleged cruelty to his own situation. Again he speaks of the speed with which his days have passed without seeing the good ( ; ). The days in which he was prosperous are long past, yea, in oblivion. In itself, it is important that we too are aware that life is quickly over. The question is how we give substance to our life. Do we live for the world or for God? What happens for the world is lost together with life; what happens for God remains forever. Job can no longer remember the good of the former days; those days passed so quickly. He makes comparisons with what goes fast on earth: “a runner”, on the water: “reed boats”, and in the sky: “an eagle”. The speed of an eagle also has to do with the food it flies toward. The days of prosperity are over and forgotten. His complaint, which he cannot forget, has come instead, ( ). He is not able to take in anything pleasant. It is impossible for him to bring even a smile to his face. There is not a glimpse of joy in him. There is only the unending physical and spiritual suffering that he cannot possibly forget, which also makes his face scarred and marred. He can say that he wants to forget his complaint, that he wants to put on another, a happy face and wants to refresh himself, but then he fears that all this suffering will start again ( ). He can’t get away from that. That reality is “all my pains”. The greatest pain, however, is that God will not acquit him, that He does not hold him innocent anyway. That is also what he keeps hearing from his friends.

‏ Job 9:26

Job’s Complaint

In this section Job applies his argument about God’s arbitrariness and alleged cruelty to his own situation. Again he speaks of the speed with which his days have passed without seeing the good (Job 9:25-26; Job 7:6). The days in which he was prosperous are long past, yea, in oblivion. In itself, it is important that we too are aware that life is quickly over. The question is how we give substance to our life. Do we live for the world or for God? What happens for the world is lost together with life; what happens for God remains forever.

Job can no longer remember the good of the former days; those days passed so quickly. He makes comparisons with what goes fast on earth: “a runner”, on the water: “reed boats”, and in the sky: “an eagle”. The speed of an eagle also has to do with the food it flies toward.

The days of prosperity are over and forgotten. His complaint, which he cannot forget, has come instead, (Job 9:27). He is not able to take in anything pleasant. It is impossible for him to bring even a smile to his face. There is not a glimpse of joy in him. There is only the unending physical and spiritual suffering that he cannot possibly forget, which also makes his face scarred and marred.

He can say that he wants to forget his complaint, that he wants to put on another, a happy face and wants to refresh himself, but then he fears that all this suffering will start again (Job 9:28). He can’t get away from that. That reality is “all my pains”. The greatest pain, however, is that God will not acquit him, that He does not hold him innocent anyway. That is also what he keeps hearing from his friends.