Job 3:10–12

And so he asks, in the anguish of his soul, why, if such was to be his lot living, did he not die from the womb? Why should he have been so tenderly cared for, only to meet such agony in the end?

Job did not even now charge God foolishly, but he did curse the day of his birth. This did not blame God directly. But however little he realised it, it blamed God indirectly, for it was God who gave him life... Later Job would thank God he had been born, and that thankfulness will endure for eternity... The doors of Job's mother's womb had been opened long ago (v.10), and Job knew this could never be reversed. But he was moved by his anguish, not by faith.

It is sad when a man cannot look back on those early days of helplessness with tender thoughts. Loving care watched over him when he was too young to know it. Of all creatures, man is the most helpless and dependent in infancy. It is to "hide pride" from him, and to call forth love on his behalf. To curse his infancy like this was to trample on what is best in our fallen humanity. It shows a soul far from communion with God. Job had forgotten all the past; the sorrow of the present had eclipsed everything else.

The original cause of such despair lies deeper. If the creature had not turned away from his Creator in the beginning, he would not now curse his existence. When men like Job and Jeremiah could curse the day of their birth, it only proves how far man has drifted away from God. As long as all goes well, the rebellion and sullenness of the human heart stay hidden. Trials bring them to light. Temptations are therefore good and necessary — not so that God may find out what is in man's heart... but so that man may learn to know himself.

One great object in God's dealings with souls is to produce real brokenness and humility. He strips us of all false righteousness, empties us of all self-confidence, and teaches us to lean wholly on Christ. Everyone must pass through what we may call the process of stripping and emptying.

What a contrast this is to the joy of the believer as he dwells on his spiritual birthday. How Paul loved to look back to the time when the light above the brightness of the sun shone into his darkened heart... So in the many persecutions and afflictions that came on him for the gospel's sake, we hear not even a hint of these laments of Job. He and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison, their feet fastened in the stocks. Even then their thoughts were not of cursing the day of their birth. They brought songs in the night.

Job remained as exemplary in his adversity as he had been in his prosperity. The root of sin was not yet reached. He then became more remarkable for his patience than even for his goodness. Scripture bears this testimony to it: "You have heard of the steadfastness of Job." God at last permits his friends to come and offer him comfort. How many hardships we can endure alone; but as soon as our friends see them, our pride stirs. The compassion of man often provokes our impatience; and Job, so distinguished for patience, at last curses the day of his birth!

He was in the depth of his trial, and the silence of his friends made it worse. Soon they would make it worse still, attacking him with suspicion they voiced more and more openly. And so he asks, in the anguish of his soul, why, if this was to be his lot in life, he did not die at birth. Why should he have been so tenderly cared for, only to meet such agony in the end?

Job did not even now charge God foolishly, but he did curse the day of his birth. This was not directly blaming God, but however little he realised it, he was indirectly blaming God, for it was God who gave him life... Later Job would thank God he had been born, and that thankfulness will last for eternity. But when trouble comes like the trouble Job had to bear, we do not tend to think soberly and calmly. Yet wishful thinking never achieves anything. The doors of his mother's womb had been opened long ago, and Job knew this could never be reversed. But he was moved by his anguish, not by faith.

It is sad indeed when someone cannot look back on those early days of helplessness with tender thoughts. Loving care watched over him while he lay there unaware. Of all creatures, man is the most helpless and dependent in infancy. It is to hide pride from him, and to call out love on his behalf. To curse his infancy in this way was to trample on what is best in our fallen humanity. It shows a soul far from communion with God.

Job puts everyone into an unconscious sleep, "as infants who never see the light." Is there no distinction between the condition of the wicked and of the righteous after death?... The constant contrast between the righteous and the wicked, and their moral unlikeness, points quite clearly to very different futures. Scripture says: "The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death." By blurring the future in this way, Job shows how far his soul had drifted from the truth of God.

Every question can be asked in two ways. One person asks in humility, with a sincere desire to learn. Another asks in presumptuous rebellion against the answer, whatever it may be. In the first case the questioner honestly takes the place of a learner, which is the right thing for him to do. In the second case he assumes there is no satisfactory answer, or that the answer is withheld.

Job must know himself, in a way he never could have imagined otherwise. To know yourself is a very different thing from being converted to God, and it is necessary if we are to be fully blessed... A man might be pious and yet never have really stood in God's presence for himself. I mean a thorough judgment of self, measured by God Himself.

And so he asks, in the anguish of his soul, why, if this was to be his lot in life, did he not die from the womb? Why should he have been so tenderly cared for, only to meet such agony in the end? Why did he not share the quiet of the grave with the great ones of the earth? They spent their lives building monuments that decay, or cramming their houses with silver and gold they must leave behind.

In the second part of his lament (verses 10-12) Job wishes he had died at birth, or that no one had cared for him or fed him. It is sad when someone cannot look back on those early days of helplessness with tender thoughts. Loving care watched over those hours he cannot even remember. Of all creatures, man is the most helpless and dependent in infancy. It is to hide pride from him, and to call out love on his behalf. To curse his infancy in this way was to trample on what is best in our fallen humanity. It shows a soul far from communion with God.

Job did not even now charge God foolishly, but he did curse the day of his birth. This was not directly blaming God. But however little he realised it, he was indirectly blaming God, for it was God who gave him life... The doors of Job's mother's womb had been opened long ago (v.10), and Job knew this could never be reversed. But his anguish moved him, not faith.

But wishing is not facing facts as they are. Faith faces facts and gives God credit for doing what He knows is best. But Job's faith had become very weak.

But notice this. Job gives way to his feelings in this passionate outburst, yet he did not renounce God, and there is not a word of rebellion against Him. All through his answers to the arguments of his friends he does not lose sight of God. Again and again he expresses confidence in the unseen One, as in that matchless saying, "Though he slay me, I will hope in him" (13:15).

Job had never really been brought into the presence of God... He was resting in what he was to others, and not in the favour of God Himself... So God goes on dealing with Job, until He brings him to nothing in the very thing Job was most famous for. Job, the most patient man, curses the day of his birth. Why is this? Because we must be broken down. We must be brought to a sense of what we are, as well as of what we have done. Then God can deal with us out of His own heart.

He was dependent, sorrowful, made to suffer and despised, but He never murmured and was never embittered. No despairing words fell from Him like those we may hear from a Moses or an Elijah, a Job or a Jeremiah (Num. 11:11-14; 1 Kings 19:4; Job 3:3-14; Jer. 20:14-18).