Job 13:1–5

Eliphaz had based his condemnation of Job on what he himself had observed. Well, Job too had powers of observation. He had seen all these things he had just spoken of, as he says in the opening verses of Job 13. He did not claim to be superior to his friends, but at any rate he was not their inferior. Yet he admitted that God's dealings mystified him. They were far above him and out of his sight.

Next, Job boldly charges his friends with being false witnesses for God. They used well-known truths, familiar to everyone, to back up their charge that Job was wicked. What kind of physicians were they to treat a case like this? They have decided what his disease is, and they misrepresent his symptoms to confirm their diagnosis!

They did not know how to present God to Job. As a result, they did not know how to lead Job's conscience into the presence of God. Instead of leading him to self-judgment, they only fed a spirit of self-vindication. They did not bring God into the scene. They said some true things; but they did not have the truth. They brought in experience, tradition, legality, but not the truth.

Abstract truth is of no use at all to the saints of God. Things that are true, but misunderstood and misapplied, may do more harm than many a thing that is false. Misapplied truth gives the apparent authority of God to an error. That error then carries all the more weight, because it comes as the truth. If someone says a foolish thing, or one that is clearly false, people dismiss it; but no believer can brush aside the truth of God.

But now he says (Job 13), "Behold, my eye has seen all this" — you have been boasting of what the ancients all thought — "my ear has heard and understood it. What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God." That is just what he was doing. But how? He did not know. There was no New Testament yet. There was no One to stand between God and man, as Christ does. So he did not know how to get to Him. If he could only find Him; if he could only be before Him! He knew very well what he would find there — a faithful God.

A greater knowledge of God Himself enriched Job, for he said, "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you." In these words he contrasted two kinds of knowledge. His former knowledge had been by report only. What he had now gained came by direct sight. He had, if we may put it this way, exchanged second-hand knowledge for knowledge of a first-hand kind. Before, he knew about Him; now he knew Him.

Job did look up. But his own mind was at work inside him. Instead of waiting for God to come in and explain everything, Job put himself on show and prolonged the furnace and the trial. But God did come in, and Job learned.

Job has spoken at length of God's wisdom and power. Now he tells Zophar that his eye has seen all this, and his ear has heard it and understood it. What Zophar knew Job knew also: he was not inferior to his critics (vv.1-2). In fact, what Job has said proves he knows more than they do. So his words in verse 2 are an understatement.

He had said in the previous words that he was not an ignorant man. He fully understood everything his wise friends had told him. Both nature and history had taught him the greatness of God that they kept stressing. What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. I am just as good as you are. What he desires is not to speak with them but to the Almighty; he wants to reason with God.

Eliphaz had based his condemnation of Job on what he himself had observed. But Job could observe too. He had seen all these things he had just spoken of, as he states in the opening verses of Job 13. He did not claim to be better than his friends, but he was certainly not beneath them. Still, he admitted that God's dealings puzzled him. They were far above him and out of his sight.

Next, Job charges his friends with being false witnesses for God. They used well-known truths, familiar to everyone, to back up their charge that Job was wicked. What kind of physicians were they to treat a case like this? They have decided what his disease is. Then they misrepresent his symptoms to fit their diagnosis! And they bring in their theory that God always punishes sin in this life, to prove that Job is a sinner! Job turns from them in disgust (Job 13:1-5). And poor Job himself is the victim of the same false theory. He is in danger of blasphemously charging God with injustice.

But now he says (Job 13), "You have been boasting of what the ancients had all thought" — "Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God." That is just what he was doing. But how? He did not know. There was not the New Testament yet. There was not One to stand between God and man, like Christ. So he did not know how to get at Him. If he could only find Him; if he could only be before Him! He knew very well what he would find there — a faithful God. But somehow there were difficulties and riddles between God and his soul that he could not understand.

Job gained a greater knowledge of God Himself, for he said, "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you." In these words he contrasted his old knowledge, which came by report only, with the knowledge he had now gained by direct sight. He had, if we may so put it, exchanged knowledge acquired at second hand for knowledge of a first-hand sort. Formerly he knew about Him but now he knew Him.

He did not claim to be better than his friends, but he was certainly not beneath them. Still, he admitted that God's dealings mystified him. They were far above him and out of his sight. So, as verse 3 shows, he wanted to speak to the Almighty and reason with God. He did not want to spend his time reasoning with his friends.

Notice how "the Almighty" appears freely in the speeches of Job and his friends, alongside "God" itself. That name is how God revealed Himself to the fathers. As a rule, the writer uses the name Jehovah only when he is describing events himself, or introducing God as the speaker.

"But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God." That is just what he was doing. But how? He did not know. The New Testament did not exist yet. There was no One to stand between God and man, like Christ. So he did not know how to reach Him. If only he could find Him! If only he could stand before Him! He knew very well what he would find there — a faithful God. But somehow there were difficulties and riddles between God and his soul that he could not understand.

Job charges his friends with being false witnesses for God. They took well-known truths that everyone accepted and used them to prove that Job was wicked. What kind of doctors were they, to treat a case like this? They have decided what his disease is, and they twist his symptoms to fit their diagnosis! … Job turns from them in disgust (Job 13:1-5). … Poor Job, he is a victim of the same false theory. He is in danger of blaspheming by charging God with injustice.

He doubts God's ways and accuses Him. Yet he is sure that if he could only see Him, everything would be cleared up. … It is all a strange contradiction. Still, this longing to come before God is far better than pride. Pride says to Him, "Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways." It is always better to bring even our doubts about God to Himself, if we have nothing else to bring.

But how dare he speak before the One he would flee from by instinct? Let God at least remove the awful dread that chills Job's heart and relieve his pain. Then he will answer Him or speak to Him. These words are beautiful even in their anguish. They cry out for the blessed Mediator, the One who stands between God and man! Blessed be God! We can "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Job could only grope in the dark.

"Now my eye sees you." This was nothing outward now; no distant rumour. … He was dealing with God Himself, who used it all for that very purpose, and so turned Job from everything to Himself.

He says, "Worthless physicians are you all." You came to heal me. You had heard of my terrible state. You came to heal and cure me in my dreadful sickness and suffering — and what have you done? You have poured poison on my wounds. You have poured no wine, no oil. You have poured no balm on the poor sufferer.

The LORD Himself was the physician of His people Israel, ready at all times to heal and restore them (Jeremiah 8:22). Job, in the bitterness of his soul, found his friends to be physicians of no value. They did not understand his case, and only added to his misery (Job 13:4).

Next, Job boldly charges his friends with being false witnesses for God. They used well-known truths, familiar to everyone, to confirm their charge that Job was wicked. What kind of physicians were they, to treat a case like this? They have decided what his disease is, and they misrepresent his symptoms to confirm their diagnosis! And they bring in their theory that God always punishes sin in this life, to prove that Job is a sinner!

All their arguments were founded on man and on the world. Everything a believer stands on is what is in God, and what God gives and reveals. And there we find it, in all its perfection, in Christ. But they were resting on man's thoughts and man's experience.

They did not truly understand God's character, so they could not understand His dealings with a soul. They had no proper sense of sin. So they did not know this: if God is to deal in blessing with man, it must be entirely on the ground of grace. They did not know how to meet his case. They had said many true things, yet not one single right thing that applied to Job, because they did not understand him.

They were speaking wickedly on God's behalf, using deceit in claiming to speak for God. Job knew that God was fully aware that the charges of his friends were not true. So God was certainly not backing them up. Job knew that God was not deceitful, as his friends were proving to be. When the time came, God would search them out and would surely rebuke them. … Men should deeply fear to misrepresent God, whose glory is so high above the heavens.

God does not accept honour at the expense of truth. It is His glory that all His attributes blend in one harmonious light. Can He then accept a defence of His character and ways that rests on a false charge? Can He let it brand a man as wicked and hypocritical? Of that same man He Himself had said, "There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil." … What then becomes of His testing of His own, and of the sanctifying effect of chastening?

The LORD speaks to Eliphaz, the leader of the three. He declares His wrath against them all, because they had not spoken of Him what is right, as His servant Job had. And yet their whole argument had apparently been for God's righteousness! Had they not held to this from the very start, with many a noble description and many a fierce condemnation of evil? Had they not fastened the charge of wrongdoing on Job, despite a total lack of proof and against well-known facts to the contrary? Zealous for God's honour — that had been their one theme.

"You are all physicians of no value." You came to heal me. You had heard of my terrible state. You came to heal and cure me in my dreadful sickness and suffering. And what have you done? You have poured poison on my wounds. You have poured no wine, no oil. No balm have you poured on the poor sufferer.

Still, there his friends were, and by this time they had goaded Job into sharper retorts. What he wanted was truth for his mind and healing for his body. He advised them to keep quiet and listen to what he had to say, and he kept on in this way up to verse 13.

Job boldly charges his friends with being false witnesses for God. They used truths everyone knew to back up their charge that Job was wicked. What kind of physicians were they, to treat a case like this? They have decided what his disease is. They misrepresent his symptoms to confirm their diagnosis! And they bring in their theory that God always punishes sin in this life, to prove that Job is a sinner! Poor Job — he is the victim of the same false theory, and is in danger of blasphemously charging God with injustice.

"Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom!" And it often is a man's wisdom when he sits quiet and holds his tongue. But the moment he begins to speak about what he does not understand — well, what then? That is exactly where they were.

They were speaking wickedly on God's behalf, using deceit in claiming to speak for God. Job knew that God was fully aware that the charges of his friends were not true. So God was certainly not backing them up. God was not deceitful, as his friends were proving to be. When the time came, God would search them out and would surely rebuke them.

The three friends failed to convince Job. Their ministry was one-sided. Instead of silencing Job, they only led him out into a field of discussion that seemed almost boundless. He gives them word for word, and far more… No doubt the friends were wrong, quite wrong. But their being wrong did not make Job right. If Job's conscience had been in the presence of God, he would have made no reply to his friends, even if they had been a thousand times more mistaken and severe.

Job did not claim to be better than his friends, but he was not below them either. Still, he admitted that God's dealings puzzled him. They were far above him and out of his sight. So, as verse 3 shows, what he wanted was to speak to the Almighty and reason with God, instead of spending his time reasoning with his friends.

But how could he reach God? He did not know. There was no New Testament yet. There was not One to stand between God and man, like Christ. So he did not know how to get at Him. Yet he knew very well what he would find there — a faithful God.