Job 16:18-20 | KingComments | STEP | Job again describes his deep sorrow. It is so great, that he speaks of a goat-haired sackcloth that he has sewn over his skin ( ). With this he indicates that he does not wear a sackcloth temporarily, but that it is inseparably attached to him and that he will never be free of it. His “horn”, a picture of strength, has not been raised, but he has “thrust in the dust”, humiliated, indicating that there is nothing left of his strength. Job has cried so long that his face is red and swollen ( ). His eyes resemble the hollow eyes of a dying man through sorrow and the many sleepless nights. He wonders to what he has deserved all this misery and destruction, all this violence that has come upon him. He knows of himself that he has obtained nothing of his possessions by violence ( ). His closest and dearest cannot accuse him of anything. Toward them he is free in his conscience. Even toward God there is nothing that burdens his conscience. His prayer is pure, without ulterior motives, and free from the hypocrisy of which his friends accuse him ( ). He can freely express himself toward God. Job wants the injustice done to him not to be forgotten after his death. Therefore he proclaims to the earth that it should not cover his blood ( ). Like the blood of Abel, he wants it to continue to cry out to God ( ; ), Who is in heaven. If during his suffering he cannot obtain a judgment that justifies him, and so he dies in the eyes of others as a guilty person, then may justice be done through blood vengeance after his death. He wants his cries to continue to sound without rest until he is justified. Then all of a sudden there is this revival of faith and hope. No matter how much Job had a profound conflict with God, he still hoped for Him. No matter how, out of deep distress and carried away by his emotions, he rages against God, he does not let go of God. He always returns to Him. Satan had claimed that Job would curse God to His face ( ), but Job keeps clinging to God. Job sees God as his Prosecutor, but at the same time as his Witness in heaven ( ; cf. ). He is certain that God is a Witness to his innocence and that therefore he is also his Advocate. This seems to be a contradiction, but it is not. It is a mystery in God that is recognized by the converted sinner and for which he worships God. God, Who must judge the sinner, has given His Son. He has not spared His Son so that He may spare the repentant sinner. In this way the believer can say: ‘If God, Who was first against me, is now before me, who could be against me?’ ( ). What to Job is more like a vague hope, we may be sure of. We know that we have an Advocate, Someone we know, our High Priest and Advocate, our Lord Jesus Christ. He lives as High Priest to always intercede for us and to help us in our weaknesses ( ). He lives as Advocate to restore us in the fellowship with the Father when we have sinned ( ). Job does not need to expect help from his friends. They only scoff at him ( ). His tears do not arouse pity in them. They are not meant for them either, but for God ( ). God will see them and will, as he believes for certain, examine his case once and then establish his innocence. In Job asks for a man to plead with God. By this Job asks God Himself to defend a man with God. Here we see again that wonderful identification of God the Advocate with God the Prosecutor. Job adds another comparison. He says that defending is something a man does with his neighbor. “A man” can also be translated as ‘son of man’. The Lord Jesus often calls Himself “Son of Man” in the Gospels. We who know the Lord Jesus discover here in what Job says the true Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus ( ). He is the Umpire of Whom Job has spoken before ( ), Who lays His hand on both, on God and on man. For himself Job sees only a few years of life left ( ). Then he will go the path on which no return is possible. It is the path to the grave. He will go that path, but it will be easier for him to go that path if he can trust that his right will be brought to light within a short time.

‏ Job 16:18-20

Job Appeals to God

Job again describes his deep sorrow. It is so great, that he speaks of a goat-haired sackcloth that he has sewn over his skin (Job 16:15). With this he indicates that he does not wear a sackcloth temporarily, but that it is inseparably attached to him and that he will never be free of it. His “horn”, a picture of strength, has not been raised, but he has “thrust in the dust”, humiliated, indicating that there is nothing left of his strength.

Job has cried so long that his face is red and swollen (Job 16:16). His eyes resemble the hollow eyes of a dying man through sorrow and the many sleepless nights. He wonders to what he has deserved all this misery and destruction, all this violence that has come upon him. He knows of himself that he has obtained nothing of his possessions by violence (Job 16:17). His closest and dearest cannot accuse him of anything. Toward them he is free in his conscience. Even toward God there is nothing that burdens his conscience. His prayer is pure, without ulterior motives, and free from the hypocrisy of which his friends accuse him (Job 8:6). He can freely express himself toward God.

Job wants the injustice done to him not to be forgotten after his death. Therefore he proclaims to the earth that it should not cover his blood (Job 16:18). Like the blood of Abel, he wants it to continue to cry out to God (Gen 4:10; Eze 24:7-8), Who is in heaven. If during his suffering he cannot obtain a judgment that justifies him, and so he dies in the eyes of others as a guilty person, then may justice be done through blood vengeance after his death. He wants his cries to continue to sound without rest until he is justified.

Then all of a sudden there is this revival of faith and hope. No matter how much Job had a profound conflict with God, he still hoped for Him. No matter how, out of deep distress and carried away by his emotions, he rages against God, he does not let go of God. He always returns to Him. Satan had claimed that Job would curse God to His face (Job 1:11 ; Job 2:5), but Job keeps clinging to God.

Job sees God as his Prosecutor, but at the same time as his Witness in heaven (Job 16:19; cf. Psa 89:37). He is certain that God is a Witness to his innocence and that therefore he is also his Advocate. This seems to be a contradiction, but it is not. It is a mystery in God that is recognized by the converted sinner and for which he worships God. God, Who must judge the sinner, has given His Son. He has not spared His Son so that He may spare the repentant sinner. In this way the believer can say: ‘If God, Who was first against me, is now before me, who could be against me?’ (Rom 8:31).

What to Job is more like a vague hope, we may be sure of. We know that we have an Advocate, Someone we know, our High Priest and Advocate, our Lord Jesus Christ. He lives as High Priest to always intercede for us and to help us in our weaknesses (Heb 7:25 ; Heb 4:15). He lives as Advocate to restore us in the fellowship with the Father when we have sinned (1Jn 2:1).

Job does not need to expect help from his friends. They only scoff at him (Job 16:20). His tears do not arouse pity in them. They are not meant for them either, but for God (Psa 56:8). God will see them and will, as he believes for certain, examine his case once and then establish his innocence.

In Job 16:21 Job asks for a man to plead with God. By this Job asks God Himself to defend a man with God. Here we see again that wonderful identification of God the Advocate with God the Prosecutor. Job adds another comparison. He says that defending is something a man does with his neighbor. “A man” can also be translated as ‘son of man’. The Lord Jesus often calls Himself “Son of Man” in the Gospels. We who know the Lord Jesus discover here in what Job says the true Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1Tim 2:5). He is the Umpire of Whom Job has spoken before (Job 9:33), Who lays His hand on both, on God and on man.

For himself Job sees only a few years of life left (Job 16:22). Then he will go the path on which no return is possible. It is the path to the grave. He will go that path, but it will be easier for him to go that path if he can trust that his right will be brought to light within a short time.