Looking for Job

[JLG]

58) Looking for Job


Job 9:

He passes by me, and I cannot see him;

He moves past me, but I do not discern him.


- God’s creation tells about god himself!


- We don’t understand his creation: that’s one thing!


- But God himself: no way, he is unbelievable!


- We can only approach his nature through his creation looking down!

 

[JLG]

59) Looking for Job


Job 9:

When he snatches something, who can resist

him?

Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”


- God could have erased the devil and the demons and Adam and so on as the ridiculous human dictators usually do!


- But no, he let them all act to prove through God’s justice that they are liars and that God is the only one who can govern the universe and all its creatures!


- That’s why we have to bear human rats acting and bringing misery to humanity till God would have proved we are only rats unable to govern ourselves!


- That’s why we have to wait for God to put an end to this FARCE!

 

[JLG]

60) Looking for Job


Job 9:

God will not restrain his anger;

Even the helpers of Rahab will bow down to him.


- When we think about the Israelites, they had to pay the price for their unfaithfulness and it happened many times I would say all the time!


- But Moses could prevent God from annihilating them all at once!


- So here again God is incredible because there is no one like him but he lets faithful human beings influence him: this is unbelievable!

 

[JLG]

61) Looking for Job


Job 9:

How much more when I answer him

Must I choose my words carefully to argue

with him!


- This verse is incredible: it tells a lot about Job’s relationship with God!


- You can be close to someone but yet show respect and here Job says “choose my words carefully to argue with him”!


- I don’t remember something so deep!

 

[JLG]

62) Looking for Job


Job 9:

Even if I were in the right, I would not answer him.

I could only plead for mercy from my judge.


- What does being right in front of God mean?


- He is the creator of everything!


- The universe is incredible!


- We don’t know anything!


- We have everything to learn from God!


- Even the possibility of living forever in the future won’t be enough!

 

[JLG]

63) Looking for Job


Job 9:

If I call out to him, will he answer me?

I do not believe that he will listen to my voice,


- A human being is nothing compared to God!


- A creator of the universe and one small creature of his creation!


- Just think about the few cases who had the opportunity to have a personal contact with him!

 

[JLG]

64) Looking for Job


Job 9:

For he crushes me with a storm

And multiplies my wounds for no reason.


- Here we go: Now Job finally speaks about what happened to him. He lost everything and even his health and so on. And here is the point: he only knows God and he has always served him faithfully and he has been blessed by him. And he keeps being faithful and he has lost everything all at once and he knows that it is not natural! So he can only think about God and he doesn’t understand why!


- Think about the Israelites: they only knew God! When they acted according to God’s will, they were blessed, but when they acted against him, they were struck!


- So the devil is really tricky because he knows that and he knows that Job will think that God is against him without any reason! So it is really insane!


- NOT UNDERSTANDING THIS ESSENTIAL ELEMENT AND WE MISS THE WHOLE STORY!

 

[JLG]

65) Looking for Job


Job 9:

He does not let me catch my breath;

He keeps filling me with bitter things.


- Of course! And Job speaks about his physical and mental health!


- He speaks about his stress and his anguish and his lack of rest: In fact, he has no rest!


- It is worst than torture!

 

[JLG]

66) Looking for Job


Job 9:

it is a matter of power, he is the strong one.

If it is a matter of justice, he says: “Who can

call me to account?”

- These words of Job clearly show his misunderstanding of the situation!


- Now think about God: For God there is no one like Job on earth, there is no one as faithful as him, and he must let Job think what he thinks because of the devil to show that he is a liar and also because all the angels are observing the situation! The more we learn about God, the more we may understand it was a really difficult and painful situation for God because he really cares about his faithful servants!

 

[JLG]

67) Looking for Job


Job 9:

If I were in the right, my own mouth would

condemn me;

Even if I keep my integrity, he will declare

me guilty.


- Job has so few elements so he can only be lost!


- Once again he only knows God, his only reference is God, there is nothing else!

 

[JLG]

Someone says:

If our mouth praises us, we need to examine to see if we are wrong.

My answer:

- In fact, our mouths should never praise us!

- We should tend to accurate knowledge!

- Meaning it's a path we must keep going!

- Meaning there is always a lot more to learn!

- And constantly checking what we know!

- What we know today may be wrong tomorrow!

- Depending on the elements we have or not!

 

[JLG]

68) Looking for Job


Job 9:

Even if I keep my integrity, I am not confident

about myself;

I reject this life of mine.


- Job is faithful to God and he is not going to change!


- But he knows his situation and he can’t bear it, he has enough of it!


- The use of the two verbs keep / reject are clear: he makes a difference between his faith in God and his life!


- Remember his personal situation: month after month, nothing improves, on the contrary, everything goes worse!


- And the three individuals are there to make it worse so he doesn’t get any rest!


- But whatever happens, his faithfulness is not for sale!


- But he has no hope, so it would be better to put an end to it!

 

[JLG]

69) Looking for Job


Job 9:

It is all the same. That is why I say,

“He destroys the innocent and the wicked alike.”


- When Job thinks of his dreadful situation, knowing that he has done nothing wrong, there is no difference between being innocent and wicked!


-Think about Job’s feelings!


- He is bitter!


- He has no hope!


- And time is working against him!

 

[JLG]

70) Looking for Job


Job 9:

If a flash flood should cause sudden death,

He would mock the despair of the innocent.


- Job can be killed, the innocent can be killed!


- But they will keep being innocent!


- It won’t change anything!

 

[JLG]

71) Looking for Job


Job 9:

The earth has been handed over to the

wicked;

He covers the eyes of its judges.

If it is not he, then, who is it?




- Here we are again: Job only knows God!

- He doesn’t know that the devil is controlling the world and he is the one who is responsible!


- In fact, in a way, the world is in Job’s situation, but it is the world, not only one man but the whole of humanity, and who is going to be faithful like Job?

 

[JLG]

72) Looking for Job


Job 9:

Now my days are swifter than a runner;

They run away without seeing good.


- Whatever may happen to Job, in spite of his stress, his ideas about his personal situation are clear: every day is alike, Job doesn’t wait for anything, he has no hope!


- Whatever the three individuals say, Job won’t change his mind!


- He keeps straight in his boots!

 

[JLG]

73) Looking for Job


Job 9:

They glide by like reed boats,

Like eagles that swoop down on their prey.


- Job’s mind is so clear!


- His images are so precise!


- What a man!


- Who in such a situation would be able to stand mentally straight!


- He always fights back!


- Nobody can stop him speaking and opening his mind!

 

[JLG]

74) Looking for Job


Job 9:

If I say, “I will forget my complaint,

I will change my expression and be

cheerful,”

I would still be afraid because of all my pains,

And I know you would not find me innocent.


- Job knows he is faithful!


- But he also knows he is in trouble!

- And it wasn’t so before!


- So he can’t understand because it seems he is guilty but he doesn’t know what he has done wrong!

 

[JLG]

75) Looking for Job


Job 9:

I would still be afraid because of all my pains,

And I know you would not find me innocent.


- Job feels bad because of his physical and mental conditions


- But the worst for him is to think he has done something wrong against God and he doesn’t know what!


- Of course, physical and mental conditions are deeply connected!


- But having no hope is the worst!


- It’s really hard when everything is dark and you don’t see any light!


- You need to look to the future!


- Because you can’t change the past, you have to live with it!


- But you can build something on it so you can go on!


- You need a project!

 

[JLG]

76) Looking for Job


Job 9:

I would be found guilty.

So why should I struggle in vain?


- When we just listen to Job, it makes it so powerful!


- What the three individuals say is so empty!


- And Job says it again, the worst for him is the feeling of being guilty and not knowing why!


- His relationship with God is so fundamental!


- It is like eating and drinking and sleeping and breathing: you can’t live without doing it!

- Thus the Book of Job is a good way to ask ourselves what kind of relationship we have with God!


- Are we foreigners or do we want to build a strong relationship with him!


- If so, we must study daily but we need more than that, we need to keep thinking about what we learn daily, it must feel our minds, our lungs, our bodies and help us to get up every morning!