Job 7:11-21 | KingComments | STEP | From , there is, as it were, a sudden revival with Job. After his words in about the brevity and vanity of life, his resistance to the fate that God has bestowed on him flares up and he challenges God for it as it were. He calls Him to account. He cannot keep silent about what God has done to him, he will not keep his mouth shut about it ( ). The anguish of his spirit seeks a way out. He finds it by complaining, by expressing the bitterness of his soul. He cannot bear the thought of his rush to the grave and thus the loss of all that is dear to him. He calls out to God whether he is the sea, or the sea monster to Him ( ). Is this how God sees him? For God sets a guard over him as if he were a fierce sea or a sea monster devouring everything. He feels as if God is doing everything He can to restrain him so that he does not harm others. He tells God that he is trying to find comfort on his bed ( ), by which he says that he is not a destructive sea or a sea monster. He also goes to his couch to ease his complaint. He is someone who needs comfort and support, he only yearns for peace and security. How, then, does God come to think that he must be restrained like the sea or the sea monster? In addition, God frightens him with dreams and terrifies him with visions when he tries to find peace ( ). Eliphaz has also had visions ( ) and seen the greatness of God in them. But Job only experiences nightmares and sees in his dream only the horrors of God. Through all his torments, Job experiences God as an enemy, even though he has a strong need for a Friend. But Job accuses God of making life so unbearable for him that he chooses to die by suffocation ( ). After all, life no longer makes any sense at all. It consists of a chain of misery that is felt uninterrupted every day and every night. Surely then it is clear that he would rather be dead than alive, isn’t it? He despises life as it is now ( ). It has become a heavy burden and has nothing attractive anymore. It is a comforting thought for him that he will not live forever, not always, in this misery on earth. In itself this is a thought that also gives the Christian peace and comfort when he is in trouble. Many Christians live on earth as if they will live here forever. With them there is no desire to leave the earth in exchange for heaven because they are having a great time here. What for Job is a flee is a desire for the dedicated Christian. Job wants to be free of misery. The Christian looks forward to the joy. Job looks to the here and now, the Christian looks to the future. Job begs God to leave him alone. His days are a sigh, they are over just like that, but God does not give him a moment’s rest in the little time he has. And he has just such a need for rest. Here Job does not know what he is asking for, and fortunately God does not answer his supplication. If God really would leave him alone, He would take His hands off him. That would really mean endless unrest. If God leaves a man to himself, he is lost without salvation. Once again Job asks God his desperate question as to why He considers the mortal human, that puny man, of such great value, that He concerns Himself with him ( ). Why does the great God of eternity take the time and the effort to visit him every morning and to try him with plagues and pain ( )? Surely it is a waste of time and effort, for it does not benefit Him at all. Job undoubtedly means himself. He impatiently asks why God enjoys tormenting and paining a mortal human like him every day. The answer to the desperate question of is magnificently given in Psalm 8 by presenting Christ, the Son of Man, the last Adam ( ). The value of man to God we see in the Man Christ Jesus. Every trial with which He visits one of His own is meant to make him more conformed to that unique Man. Job asks God how long He thinks He will continue His trials before He stops paying attention to him and focuses His gaze on something else ( ). How long must he be the target of all God’s arrows? It feels to Job as if God is constantly pointing His gaze at him in order to hit him. God gives him so little rest that he does not even come to swallow his spittle. Swallowing spittle doesn’t take much time, it’s done in no time. But even this short time of rest is not given to him by God, as Job experiences.

‏ Job 7:11-21

God Is His Enemy

From Job 7:11, there is, as it were, a sudden revival with Job. After his words in Job 7:1-10 about the brevity and vanity of life, his resistance to the fate that God has bestowed on him flares up and he challenges God for it as it were. He calls Him to account.

He cannot keep silent about what God has done to him, he will not keep his mouth shut about it (Job 7:11). The anguish of his spirit seeks a way out. He finds it by complaining, by expressing the bitterness of his soul. He cannot bear the thought of his rush to the grave and thus the loss of all that is dear to him.

He calls out to God whether he is the sea, or the sea monster to Him (Job 7:12). Is this how God sees him? For God sets a guard over him as if he were a fierce sea or a sea monster devouring everything. He feels as if God is doing everything He can to restrain him so that he does not harm others.

He tells God that he is trying to find comfort on his bed (Job 7:13), by which he says that he is not a destructive sea or a sea monster. He also goes to his couch to ease his complaint. He is someone who needs comfort and support, he only yearns for peace and security. How, then, does God come to think that he must be restrained like the sea or the sea monster? In addition, God frightens him with dreams and terrifies him with visions when he tries to find peace (Job 7:14). Eliphaz has also had visions (Job 4:14-21) and seen the greatness of God in them. But Job only experiences nightmares and sees in his dream only the horrors of God.

Through all his torments, Job experiences God as an enemy, even though he has a strong need for a Friend. But Job accuses God of making life so unbearable for him that he chooses to die by suffocation (Job 7:15). After all, life no longer makes any sense at all. It consists of a chain of misery that is felt uninterrupted every day and every night. Surely then it is clear that he would rather be dead than alive, isn’t it?

He despises life as it is now (Job 7:16). It has become a heavy burden and has nothing attractive anymore. It is a comforting thought for him that he will not live forever, not always, in this misery on earth. In itself this is a thought that also gives the Christian peace and comfort when he is in trouble. Many Christians live on earth as if they will live here forever. With them there is no desire to leave the earth in exchange for heaven because they are having a great time here.

What for Job is a flee is a desire for the dedicated Christian. Job wants to be free of misery. The Christian looks forward to the joy. Job looks to the here and now, the Christian looks to the future.

Job begs God to leave him alone. His days are a sigh, they are over just like that, but God does not give him a moment’s rest in the little time he has. And he has just such a need for rest. Here Job does not know what he is asking for, and fortunately God does not answer his supplication. If God really would leave him alone, He would take His hands off him. That would really mean endless unrest. If God leaves a man to himself, he is lost without salvation.

Once again Job asks God his desperate question as to why He considers the mortal human, that puny man, of such great value, that He concerns Himself with him (Job 7:17). Why does the great God of eternity take the time and the effort to visit him every morning and to try him with plagues and pain (Job 7:18)? Surely it is a waste of time and effort, for it does not benefit Him at all. Job undoubtedly means himself. He impatiently asks why God enjoys tormenting and paining a mortal human like him every day.

The answer to the desperate question of Job 7:17-18 is magnificently given in Psalm 8 by presenting Christ, the Son of Man, the last Adam (Psa 8:5-8). The value of man to God we see in the Man Christ Jesus. Every trial with which He visits one of His own is meant to make him more conformed to that unique Man.

Job asks God how long He thinks He will continue His trials before He stops paying attention to him and focuses His gaze on something else (Job 7:19). How long must he be the target of all God’s arrows? It feels to Job as if God is constantly pointing His gaze at him in order to hit him. God gives him so little rest that he does not even come to swallow his spittle. Swallowing spittle doesn’t take much time, it’s done in no time. But even this short time of rest is not given to him by God, as Job experiences.

Appeal in View of Sin

Here Job speaks of his sin, that is, in form of a questioning (Job 7:20). It is not a confession. Job has a long way to go before he comes to the confession he makes at the end of the book (Job 40:3-5 ; Job 42:6). Suppose he had sinned, what should he do? It is not a question of a convinced conscience, but of calling God to account. Who can resist Him? If He seeks sin in man, He will always find it.

“Watcher of men” is a name that indicates that God cares for men and watches over them or protects them from evil (Isa 27:3; Psa 31:23). However, Job does not use this name in that sense, but in a disapproving sense. He sees in God Someone Who always looks after him and never leaves him alone. He is God’s target and how does God hit him! No arrow is amiss, every arrow hits its aim. God is aiming at him. He pours out all His displeasure on him.

It feels to Job that he has become a burden to himself. This is the heaviest burden a man can bear. We can carry another man’s burden, but there’s no one who can take over our own self as a burden. Everyone knows in depth only their own need. There is no greater deliverance than the deliverance of ourselves, of our own self.

In Job 7:20 Job speaks about his (possible) sin. In Job 7:21 he asks why God does not forgive him his transgression if indeed he should have sinned. He also asks why God does not take away his iniquity. The reason he gives is that he will lie in the dust after all. Then he is no longer there.

Job is desperate. Why can’t God forgive him instead of continuing with His punishing hand? There is a need for Job to be redeemed. If God is able to forgive and redeem, why does He keep punishing him? After all, God does not gain anything by continuing to punish him, for he is going to die anyway and will lie in the dust (Job 3:13). Then God will no longer see him at all, even if He were still looking so earnestly for him.

Although Job here speaks too humanly of God, we still hear his longing for God. He does not want to abandon God and also expects God not to abandon him, but to seek for him.