Job 19
The Reply of Job to BildadJob answers Bildad and the other friends, who have judged him harshly and accused him of being wicked because of his suffering. Job explains how much their words hurt him and how unfair it is to treat someone this way just because they are in trouble. He wants them to understand the pain they cause and to think more carefully before judging others.v. 1-2: Job asks his friends how long they will keep tormenting him with their words. How long will you torment me and break me in pieces with words?(Job 19:2 a). Their harsh criticism hurts him deeply, even more than his physical pain (Psalm 6:2-3 b). – v. 3: He says they have insulted him many times. These ten times you have cast reproach upon me; are you not ashamed to wrong me?. Job feels their repeated accusations are cruel and unfair, and that true friends should show kindness, not shame. v. 4: Job admits that if he has made mistakes, he suffers for them himself. And even if it be true that I have erred, my error remains with myself. He is not trying to force his ideas on others or make them suffer for his actions. v. 5: He accuses his friends of using his troubles against him. If indeed you magnify yourselves against me and make my disgrace an argument against me. Instead of showing compassion, they use his suffering to make themselves feel better or look wise. v. 6: Job reminds them that God is the one who allowed his suffering. Know then that God has put me in the wrong and closed his net about me. They should not add to his pain when God is already testing him (Psalm 69:26 c). v. 7: He says he cries for help but does not get justice. Behold, I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I am not answered; I call for help, but there is no justice. Job feels that even God seems far away and silent, which makes his suffering even harder to bear. Job Complains of God's Displeasure; Job Complains of His Friends.In this section, Job speaks about his deep suffering. He feels like God is against him and that everyone close to him has abandoned him. Job’s pain is not just physical, but also emotional and spiritual. He wants his friends to understand how much he is hurting and to show him some kindness instead of adding to his pain.v. 8: Job says, He has fenced up my way, that I cannot pass . He feels trapped by God, with no way to escape his troubles. There is darkness in his path, and he cannot see any hope for the future. He feels completely stuck and helpless. v. 9: Job remembers his past happiness. He says, He has stripped me of my glory . God took away everything that made his life good, such as his wealth, honor, and even his children. Job realizes that all worldly things can be lost quickly, and that God is in control of everything that happens to us. v. 10: Job feels destroyed on every side. He says, He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; my hope he has pulled up like a tree . He compares himself to a tree that has been uprooted and will never grow again. To Job, it seems like his hope for a better life is completely gone. v. 11: Job says, He has kindled his wrath against me . He feels that God is treating him like an enemy and is punishing him with anger. Even though Job thinks God is angry with him, God actually loves Job and is proud of his faith. Sometimes, people think God hates those He allows to suffer, but really, God often disciplines those He loves (Revelation 3:19 d). v. 12: Job says, His troops come together and build up their way against me, and encamp around my tent . He feels like God has sent trouble after trouble against him, like an army attacking a city. In the past, God protected Job, but now it feels like everything is against him. v. 13: Job complains that God has made his family and friends turn away from him. He says, He has put my brothers far from me (Job 19:13 e). His relatives and old friends avoid him, and those who once cared about him act like he is a stranger. Even though it is not God’s fault that people are unkind, Job knows that God allowed this as part of his test. – v. 15: Even Job’s servants do not respect him anymore. He says, Those who dwell in my house, and my maids, count me as a stranger . They ignore him when he asks for help. This hurts Job because he had always treated them well. v. 16: Job says, I call for my servant, but he gives me no answer . Even when Job begs his servants, they do not listen to him. He feels powerless, even in his own home. v. 17: Job’s wife does not support him either. He says, My breath is strange to my wife . She does not want to be near him, even though they have shared so much together. This makes Job feel even more alone. v. 18: Even the children in his house make fun of him. He says, Even young children despise me . When he tries to speak to them, they ignore him. Job feels completely rejected by everyone around him. v. 19: The friends Job loved most have turned against him. He says, All my close friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned against me . He is heartbroken because the people he cared for are now his enemies. v. 20: Job’s body is falling apart. He says, My bone sticks to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth . He is only skin and bones because of his sickness. He barely survived, and even his gums are affected by his suffering. v. 21: Job begs his friends for kindness. He says, Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has struck me . He wants his friends to feel sorry for him and show compassion instead of being so harsh. v. 22: Job asks, Why do you persecute me as God does? . He feels like his friends are being as cruel to him as God’s punishment. He asks them not to make his suffering worse with their words and actions. He reminds them that it is important to be gentle with people who are hurting. Job’s Hope in His Redeemer This section is about Job’s deep pain and his strong faith in God, even while suffering. Job wishes his words could be written down forever. He feels abandoned by friends and family, but he expresses a powerful hope that his Redeemer lives and that he will see God one day. This passage is famous because it shows faith in God’s justice and a belief in life after death, even during the hardest times.v. 23: Job says, Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! . He wants his story and his faith to be remembered by future generations. v. 24: He adds, That they were engraved with an iron tool and lead, forever in the rock! . Job wants his words to be permanent, so people will always know what he believed. v. 25: Job makes a strong statement of faith: I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth . Job believes that God will rescue him and that God will have the final say. v. 26: Even after his skin is destroyed, Job says, yet in my flesh I will see God . He has hope that he will be raised up and will see God with his own eyes. v. 27: Job says, I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! . This shows Job’s deep desire and confidence that he will have a personal encounter with God. v. 28: Job warns his friends not to keep accusing him. He says, If you say, ‘How we will pursue him!’ since the root of the matter is found in me . He reminds them that their harsh words do not help. v. 29: Job tells his friends to be afraid of the sword, because anger brings punishment by the sword, and then you will know there is judgment (Job 19:29 f). Job is warning them that God will judge everyone for their actions and words.
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