Job 9:11–24

Job's reply begins quietly, moves on to bitter charges against God, and ends in a wail. It falls into seven parts... (1) God supreme; who can contend with Him? (Job 9:1-4). (2) His irresistible power (verses 5-10). (3) His inaccessibility, and His dealing as He pleases (verses 11-24). (4) Job's utter weakness (verses 25-28). (5) Longing for a daysman (verses 29-35)...

Now Job comes to the heart of his trouble. His words are beautiful poetry; only the misery of his complaint runs deeper. He says he can have no access to this great and mighty Being who hides Himself and gives account of His ways to no one. He passes by, unseen as the wind; He acts in anger, but no one can ask a reason.

As he says, God "does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number" (v.10). In fact, God moves in such a way that Job could not see Him at work, though God can do what no one can hinder (vv.11-12).

"Behold, He passes by me, and I see Him not; He moves on, but I do not perceive Him"... That is exactly where Job was. He was quite sure that it was of God, and that is the very thing that made the difficulty. Because his conscience was pure toward God, and he knew the goodness of God, and yet how was this? He could not understand it... He was not a proud man; but as all men are, until they learn in the way I have described, he had a very good opinion of himself. That must all come down.

One serious effect of sin entering the world was that mankind lost the true knowledge of God. Once lost, no effort of man's will or intellect could win back that highest and best of all knowledge... Job confessed his inability in that direction, saying, "Behold, He passes by me, and I see Him not; He moves on, but I do not perceive Him" (Job 9:11). Since, therefore, we cannot discover God, it is necessary that He should make Himself known to us. Revelation becomes a necessity. God reached the crowning point of that revelation of Himself when He made Himself known in Christ as Father.

He is, indeed, that "Daysman" whom Job sighed for, who "might lay His hand upon us both" (see Job 9:32-33). Job knew that God is not a man as he was. So there was an absolute need for One great enough to lay His hand upon God, yet gracious enough to lay His hand upon someone like Job.

He reminds Job of his own desire for such a person: "Neither is there any daysman between us, who might lay his hand upon us both" (Job 9:33)... To this desire Elihu now replies: "Behold, I am as you wish, in God's stead; I also am formed out of the clay. Behold, my terror shall not make you afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon you."

Coming to the heart of his trouble, Job says that he can have no access to this great and mighty Being, who hides Himself and gives no account of His ways to anyone. His words are beautiful poetry, and only the misery of his complaint runs deeper than their beauty. He passes by, unseen as the winds; He deals in anger, but no one can ask a reason.

"Behold, He snatches away; who can turn Him back? Who will say to Him, What are You doing?" That is exactly where Job was. He was quite sure that it was of God, and that is the very thing that made the difficulty. Because his conscience was pure toward God, and he knew the goodness of God, and yet how was this? He could not understand it, and neither did they in the slightest degree.

He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth, and none can stay His hand or say to Him, "What are You doing?" We rest, because we know who reigns. It is not mere sovereignty, the almighty despotism of bare will, to which we bow because we must, but the sovereignty of wisdom, holiness and goodness — of One in whom love is revealed in light.

He is, and must be, sovereign in His doing, so that "none can stay His hand, or say to Him, What are You doing?" Yet He will allow the question, and let everything come into the fullest light. He takes away Job's hedge and allows Satan wide limits within which to deal with him. The end, of course, is blessing for the sufferer and full vindication of God's perfect ways.

Job did not doubt that God would see him through all his difficulties. But he could not see on what righteous ground God would do it. If man was a poor sinful man, and God still showed him saving mercy, how was man to be just? You cannot put justice and sins together until you have Christ, who died for the sins and rose again for the believer's justification.

Where is there a daysman, a mediator who could enter into judgment, laying his hands upon God and Job alike? Consumed with terror, Job cannot speak. Thank God, we know, as Job later knew in part, that there is such a Daysman.

That was great ignorance of God, because God does answer and God does hear. "For He breaks me with a tempest" — and that was true — "and multiplies my wounds without cause." Ah, without cause; that is a little too much to say. He had His own wise cause; He had His own blessed purpose. He meant that Job should be a far happier man, and brighter in his state, than he had ever been before.

He began by acknowledging that God's disciplinary ways are right. But he raised the all-important question: how could a man be right with God? In our day people use the short sentence, "Get right with God," to awaken interest in the gospel message. It might well provoke the reply, "Yes, but how is it to be achieved?" That is the very question Job asked in verse 2. The rest of the chapter shows how earnest and sincere he was in asking it, for he suggested and examined four possible answers. Each suggestion begins with an "If."

A poetical name, signifying 'insolence,' given to Egypt. Ps. 87:4; Ps. 89:10; Isa. 51:9.

Coming to the heart of his trouble, Job declares that he can have no access to this great and mighty Being who hides Himself and gives no account of His ways to anyone. He passes by, unseen as the winds. He deals in anger, but no one can ask a reason — not even the "proud helpers," the "helpers of Rahab" (Egypt). They can only bow under Him.

He will not withdraw His anger from anything contrary to Him, and He will lay flat under His feet those who identify themselves with the proud.

"If God will not withdraw His anger, the proud helpers do stoop under Him. How much less shall I answer Him?" There he is beginning to feel his weakness. He was not a proud man; but as all men are, until they learn in the way I have described, he had a very good opinion of himself. That must all come down. If a man is to be blessed, or a woman, the blessing will not come by a good opinion of oneself. That is wrong, and the greatest hindrance to the blessing of God and the enjoyment of His grace.

Bildad had talked truisms about God's dealing with the wicked and the righteous. But he had not faced the question: how can mortal man have a standing of righteousness with God? For his own part Job admitted man's inability, and God's right to act according to His power. In fact, it was exactly what Job himself experienced when the LORD put His questions to him at the close of the book. To dispute it is to court destruction. So to blame his sufferings on secret wickedness showed ignorance of God's sovereign ways.

All efforts to change the judgment are useless. And oh — where is there a daysman, a mediator who could enter into judgment, laying his hands on God and Job alike? Consumed with terror, Job cannot speak. Thank God, we know, as Job later knew in part, that there is such a Daysman.

"If God will not withdraw His anger, the proud helpers stoop under Him. How much less shall I answer Him?" There he is beginning to feel his weakness. He was not a proud man; but as all men are, until they learn better, he had a very good opinion of himself. That must all come down. If a man is to be blessed, the blessing will not come by a good opinion of oneself. That opinion is wrong. It is the greatest hindrance to the blessing of God and to the enjoyment of His grace.

What words does Job have with which to answer God? He feels unable to choose words that might have any effect. However righteous he may be, he felt hopelessly unable to make any impression on God by his speaking. He feels he could only beg for mercy from Him whom he calls "my Judge." Even then he doubted that God would listen to his voice.

Could he justify himself? This would at least mean giving up the defiant attitude and quietly admitting he was wrong, and so needed to be justified. Self-justification is a very attractive idea, yet Job raised it only to dismiss it as unworkable. He knew he had only to open his mouth to condemn himself. What is more, anyone who would justify himself before the searching eye of God must prove his own perfection. Nothing short of that would satisfy.

How clear it is that Job knew he was a sinful creature before his holy Creator. He knew he had in himself no means of getting right. That being so, his only hope was that a third party would step in; but he knew of no such third party, or "daysman." His three friends could not take the part, and no other man could. The daysman must be great enough to lay one of his hands upon Almighty God, and gracious enough to lay the other upon poor, diseased and sinful Job.

Christ became the mediator between God and men. And He is not just a mediator. He is a mediator who is as divine as the God before whom He acts as mediator for us. If there had not been the hand of God in the cross, there could have been no divine redemption… therefore what now comes in is the righteousness of God. And there is nothing against that. But it is a justifying righteousness; it is not a condemning righteousness. The same God who condemned under the law saved under grace, because of Christ.

Job 9. This chapter brings out the state of Job's mind. He says, "I know it is so of a truth. But how should man be just with God?" He gets before God as Judge, and his perplexity is very great. He cannot answer God one in a thousand.

Poor Job! He does not know now which way to turn. And is not this the case with every believer the moment he gets before God as Judge? How can he or you be just before God? Would not one sin of a thousand utterly condemn you?

What words could Job use to answer God? He feels unable to choose words that might have any effect. However righteous he may be, he felt hopelessly unable to make any impression on God by his speaking. He feels he could only beg for mercy from Him whom he calls, "my Judge."

There he is beginning to feel his weakness. He was not a proud man. But like all men before they learn this lesson, he had a very good opinion of himself. That must all come down. If a man or a woman is to be blessed, the blessing will not come through a good opinion of oneself. That is wrong. It is the greatest hindrance to the blessing of God and to the enjoyment of His grace. "Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him." There, you see, was true godliness.

He fully believed that God was faithful to him, and faithful to His children in general. But where was the ground for it? Well there was no ground yet at all. It was all hope. It was a hope in the Christ who was coming. But they did not know how Christ would answer to that hope. They only knew it would be all right, but how, they had no idea.

How clear it is that Job knew he was a sinful creature before his holy Creator, and that he had in himself no way of getting right. Since that was so, his only hope was for a third party to step in. But he knew of no such third party, no "daysman." His three friends could not play the part, and neither could any other man. The daysman must be great enough to lay one of his hands on Almighty God, and gracious enough to lay the other on poor, diseased, sinful Job.

Compared with other men, Job knew that he had been righteous, and God Himself had confirmed this when He spoke to Satan. But only the New Testament gives a full answer to Job's question. It says of believers, "you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption." Christ's sacrifice on Calvary has laid a righteous basis for our eternal salvation. So God counts us righteous through faith in Christ. Of course Job could not understand this at the time, for Christ had not yet died for us.

This drew from Job the striking words recorded in Job 9. He began by admitting that God's disciplinary ways are right, but he raised the all-important question: how can a man be right with God? In our day people have used the short saying, "Get right with God," to awaken interest in the Gospel message. It may well prompt the reply, "Yes, but how is that to be done?" That is exactly the question Job asked in verse 2. The rest of the chapter shows how earnest and sincere he was in asking it, for he suggested and examined four possible answers. Each suggestion starts with an "If."

What words does Job have to answer God? He feels unable to choose words that might have any effect. However righteous he may be, he felt completely unable to make any impression on God by speaking. He feels he could only beg for mercy from the One he calls "my Judge." Even then he doubted that God would listen to his voice (vv.15-16). Instead of listening, Job saw God crushing him with a tempest and adding to his wounds for no real cause (v.17).

Though I had cited Him, and He had answered me, / I would not believe that He would listen to me.

Then Job takes up another case. He cannot answer Him in His majesty, and He does not see His love… He is troubled in his soul about it… God is not a man, as we are. Job would have escaped God's presence if he could, but he could not. He was completely wrong about this, but he could not get away from God.

Well, that was great ignorance of God. God does answer, and God does hear. He delights in His children now. Now that they are cleared, now that they know Him, He delights in perfect closeness and love with Himself. "For He crushes me with a tempest" — and that was true — "and multiplies my wounds without cause." Ah! without cause; that is a little too much to say. He had His own wise cause; He had His own blessed end. He meant that Job should be a far happier man and brighter in his state than he had ever been before.

It is clear that Job knew he was a sinful creature before his holy Creator, and that he had no way in himself of getting right. So his only hope was for a third party to step in; but he knew of no such third party, or "daysman." His three friends could not play that part, and neither could any other man. The daysman must be great enough to lay one hand on Almighty God, and gracious enough to lay the other on poor, sick, sinful Job.

God has taken away the fear in Christ, and there is a daysman between us, such as Job felt the need of.

Instead of God listening, Job saw Him as crushing him with a tempest and multiplying Job's wounds without any actual cause. This seemed so relentless that Job felt God was not giving him time to even catch his breath, so that bitterness filled him.

"For He breaks me with a tempest" — and that was true — "and multiplies my wounds without cause." Ah! without cause; that is a little too much to say. He had His own wise cause; He had His own blessed end. He meant Job to be a far happier man, in a brighter state than he had ever been in before. Until Christ came, that could only be done by making him a bag of broken bones — so Job would learn that all the goodness was in God and all the badness was in himself.

Although he speaks quietly, there is an intense bitterness in what Job says here. He seems to agree with Bildad that God is just. Job says, "Of course He is just, for there is no appeal from whatever He does. He has both wisdom and power, and can crush any useless effort to reason with Him." This is terrible. It is not someone humbly asking God for a reason, as Jeremiah does in similar circumstances. It is the hardness of despair — might is right, and God has might on His side.

Job hints that there is no use in trying to clear himself. If he is already pronounced wicked, he labours in vain to convince God that he is not. He may wash his hands in innocence, in snow water — and then this irresistible Power takes him and plunges him into the ditch! All efforts to change the judgment are useless. And oh — where is there a daysman, a mediator who could step into the case and lay his hands on God and Job alike? Consumed with terror, Job cannot speak. Thank God, we know, as Job later knew in part, that there is such a Daysman.

When there is real integrity of heart, there is struggle. The sense of integrity, without the knowledge of righteousness, is the cause of much misery in the heart. Job says, "Let not His fear terrify me." He had this fear. God has taken away the fear in Christ, and there is a daysman between us, such as Job felt the need of.

If Job thought of strength — and he had none — it pressed on him that God is strong. If he thought of justice, of course God has both strength and justice on His side. But Job felt he was not even allowed a day in court to plead his cause.

How vain to think of a favourable outcome in a lawsuit with God! It would dishonour His glory to think that He could stoop to such a contest, or listen to a creature's argument against His ways. Not only must He crush all opposition, but a man's own mouth would condemn him, and he himself would be proved perverse. So he would not dare to think of such a plea for himself, but of crying out for mercy.

He cannot answer Him in His majesty, and he does not see His love… But he has to do with God, and he cannot help it. He cannot escape His hand. He is not a man, as we are. Job would have got away from God's presence if he could, but he could not; he was all wrong about this, but he could not get away from God.

Oh Job, for these words you will yet loathe yourself, and repent in dust and ashes.

How clear it is that Job knew he was a sinful creature before his holy Creator, and that he had in himself no means of getting right. That being so, his only hope was for a third party to step in; but Job knew of no such third party, or "daysman." His three friends could not fill the role, and no other man could either. The daysman must be great enough to lay one of his hands on Almighty God, and gracious enough to lay the other on poor diseased and sinful Job.

He needs another to help him, to bring him in touch with God, to make him just with God. He calls for a daysman, an umpire, one who might lay His hand on God and on him, the sinner, so that the rod may be taken from him and he may be freed from fear. We find the daysman foreshadowed later in this book. But He has come: Christ Jesus our Lord.

When I come to the point of saying (not that the world is wicked, but) that I am wicked, I have the "daysman" between me and God. He is the One who has come to me in all the wickedness of my heart, and has come to me because I am like that. Now I have not only God working in me… but God doing a work for me. He brings in a righteousness (His own) for the sinner. He works a work for us.

There is more emphasis in this chapter than we often realise. "How should a man be just with God?" The emphasis falls on "with God." A man may be just in a certain sense. He may not fail in any way that troubles his conscience in his dealings with other people. But to be just with God is another thing altogether… How to be just with God is a wholly different question, and this is what Job's inner struggles brought him to.

At verse 20, Job suggested another possible answer. How could he be just with God? Well, could he justify himself? That would at least mean giving up his defiant attitude. It would be a quiet admission that he was wrong and needed to be justified. Self-justification is a very attractive proposition. Yet Job only stated it to dismiss it as unworkable. He knew he had only to open his mouth to condemn himself.

He gets before God as Judge, and his perplexity is very great. He cannot answer God one question in a thousand… How can he, or you, be just before God? Would not one sin out of a thousand utterly condemn you? Yet this is the desperate struggle of Job, and of every human heart — to be just before God.

Our consciences may be quite at ease while we are far from God and not yet awake to Him. But the moment we have to face what we are in God's presence, we see that our case is desperate. We all know more or less what self-righteousness is. We can carry on with it well enough until God's eye is upon us… A man may have an excellent character, and deserve it too, but he has not a perfect conscience. But the moment we recognise God's presence, the veil is off. We see God, and His word searches the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

How can Job confront such a One? If he tried to justify himself, his own mouth and lips would condemn him at once. And if he said he was perfect and blameless, God would only prove his perverseness.

If he were allowed his day in court to plead his case, he felt that just opening his mouth would ruin him, righteous though he was. Even though blameless, his mouth would prove him perverse (v.20). What does he mean? Is he not saying that no matter how blameless he is, his very speaking proves to his friends that he must be dishonest and perverse?

Nothing matters more morally than to see this: whenever we justify ourselves, we condemn God. And when we condemn ourselves, we justify God… The moment true self-judgment breaks the soul down, God rises before it in all the majesty of His grace as a Justifier. But as long as a spirit of self-defence or self-satisfaction rules us, we stay complete strangers to a deep blessing — the blessing of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. The greatest folly anyone can be guilty of is to justify himself, since God must then impute sin. But the truest wisdom is to condemn oneself utterly, for in that case God becomes the Justifier.

He began by admitting that God is right to discipline. But he raised the all-important question: how can a man be right with God? In our day the short sentence, "Get right with God," has been used to awaken interest in the gospel message. It might well provoke the reply, "Yes, but how is it to be achieved?" This is exactly the question Job asked in verse 2. The rest of the chapter shows how earnest and sincere he was in asking it, for he put forward and examined four possible answers.

Self-justification is a very attractive idea. Yet Job raised it only to dismiss it as impossible. He knew he had only to open his mouth to condemn himself. And anyone who would justify himself under the searching eye of God must prove his own perfection. He went on to say that even if he were perfect, God would judge and destroy him. Job only knew perfection as human standards measure it.

But with all this, Job had never sounded the depths of his own heart. He did not know himself. He had never really grasped the truth of his own utter ruin and total depravity. He had never learnt to say, "I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing." We must grasp this point, or we will not understand the book of Job. We will not see the purpose of the deep and painful trials Job had to pass through. First we must face a solemn fact: his conscience had never really been in God's presence, and he had never seen himself in the light.

Even if he knew himself innocent, he is completely lost and despairs of his life. God is a destroyer of guilty and innocent alike, and mocks when they perish. The earth is in the hands of the wicked — is it not so? Oh Job, for these words you will yet abhor yourself, and repent in dust and ashes.

"For He breaks me with a tempest" — and that was true — "and multiplies my wounds without cause." Ah, without cause; that is a little too much to say. He had His own wise cause; He had His own blessed end. He meant that Job should be a far happier man and brighter in his state than he had ever been before; and until Christ came it could only be by making him a bag of broken bones — to learn that all the goodness was in God and all the badness was in himself.

If only there were an effective go-between, how different it would be; but, says Job, "it is not so with me." Have we ever thanked God with enough warmth that it is so with us? The fact is that though he may not have known it, Job was longing for the coming of Christ. We can now rejoice in the "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5). By Him the ransom price was paid, so that it is possible for a man to be just with God.

In gaining this knowledge of God, Job gained a matching knowledge of himself by experience, for he added, "I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes." So it always is. The more we know of God, the more, by contrast, we know ourselves. Self-knowledge of this sort is very painful but it is very healthy, for it leads to salvation from self, which is a deliverance of the first order.

Job insists that he is blameless (v.21), yet even so he came to despise his life (v.21). He found himself on the same level as a wicked man: "it is all one thing." God's dealings lumped the righteous and the wicked together. "Therefore I say, He destroys both the blameless and the wicked" (v.22). It is true that this seems to be the case more often than not in our present life. But how different it will be in the long run!

The greatest disaster might come, and God send it, and many completely innocent people might die just as much as the wicked. Say the sack of a city, or a plague sent by God in His moral government. These things are real, I say, and Job stuck to that. All their talk never drove him from the plain fact they dodged and shut their eyes to. "The earth," he says, "is given into the hand of the wicked." … These things happen. Innocent people suffer. Guilty people escape. All of it goes on every day… Things are out of order, and will be until the Lord takes the reins.

The words that follow sound almost like the ravings of a madman. He speaks out, but not in the fear of God. He acts as if he does not care. He says it is all the same to him whether he is right or wrong, because God destroys the perfect and the wicked alike. In other words, God is unjust… If God has not done all this, who has? These are horrible words. The one who accuses God to believers as much as he accuses believers before God must have whispered them into his despairing soul.

At verse 20, Job suggested another possible answer. How could he be just with God? Could he justify himself?… Self-justification sounds very attractive, yet Job raised it only to dismiss it as impossible. He knew he had only to open his mouth to condemn himself. Anyone who would justify himself before the searching eye of God must prove his own perfection. Nothing less would do… He went on to say that even if he were perfect, God would judge and destroy him. He only knew perfection as people measure it.

A disaster comes, and the best family may fall victim to it. Shall I give up God then, and not trouble myself about it? But he has to do with God, and he cannot help it. He cannot escape His hand… Job would have got away from God's presence if he could, but he could not. He was all wrong about this, but he could not get away from God.

"For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, and we should come together in judgment. There is no arbitrator between us." That is what Christ became. Christ became the mediator between God and men. He is not only a mediator; He is a mediator who is just as divine as the God before whom He acts for us… What is brought in now is the righteousness of God. There is nothing against that. But it is a justifying righteousness, not a condemning righteousness. The same God who condemned under the law saved under grace, because of Christ.

At verse 20, Job suggested another possible answer. How could he be just with God? Well, could he justify himself? This would at least mean giving up the defiant attitude. It would be an unspoken admission that he was wrong, and so needed to be justified. Self-justification is a very attractive idea. Yet Job only raised it in order to dismiss it as unworkable. He knew he had only to open his mouth to condemn himself.

Job is troubled in his soul about it. "He destroys the perfect and the wicked. If a scourge slays suddenly, He will laugh at the trial of the innocent." A scourge comes, and perhaps the best family falls victim to it. Shall I give up God then, and not trouble myself about it? But he has to do with God, and he cannot help it. He cannot escape His hand.

Job grows bolder and says it out. Yet his piety still holds back the name of God, as in verses 22 and following. He shrank from seeming to put God's rule of the world on trial. But he does speak bitterly of God's patience while judgment delays, as if God were mocking at the trial of the innocent. This is what no saint should conclude from His allowing wrong and sorrow for a little while.

He assumes indifference. He says it is all the same to him whether he is right or wrong, for God destroys the perfect and the wicked alike. In other words, He is an unjust God. When the scourge of disease marches through the land and kills suddenly, He only mocks at the innocent who are taken away. The earth is given by Him into the hands of the wicked; injustice reigns everywhere. If God has not done all this, who then is it? These are horrible words. Some being must have whispered them into his despairing soul — the being who accuses God to His people as much as he accuses God's people before Him.

This was what Job found so hard to understand — how those who did evil prospered, while the righteous were persecuted. This is just because the time of judgment has not come. The time of mercy is going on now, and we cannot have mercy and judgment at once. So all is a riddle now. There is too much badness for man to think that things come from God. And there is too much goodness, even in all the ruin and misery, for him to say that they do not come from God.

In one word he sweeps away the unholy suspicions Job had been harbouring — "God is great, and does not despise anyone." He is infinite in power, yet He looks with compassion on the weakest of His creatures... How comforting is the truth, "He despises no one!" His greatness is never an occasion for scorn. His wisdom is infinitely powerful, but never used against weakness.

All their talk did not drive him away from the plain fact which they dodged and shut their eyes to. "The earth," he says, "is given into the hand of the wicked." And is that not true?... And further, "He covers the faces of its judges" — that is, He allows them to give completely wrong and unjust verdicts. Somehow their faces are veiled from the light, and they judge by appearances. It is very certain that this is not the way to judge soundly... innocent people suffer; guilty people escape; these things happen every day... Things are out of course, and will be until the Lord takes the reins.

He does speak bitterly of God's patience while judgment delays, as if mocking at the trial of the innocent. This is what no saint should conclude from His allowing wrong and sorrow for a little while. But there is no denying that He veils the faces of judges. The wicked sit in the highest seats of the world's authority. If it is not so, who is it? Can Bildad or Eliphaz contradict the fact, or leave God out of it?

But the words that follow sound almost like the ravings of a madman. He speaks out, but not in the fear of God... God destroys the perfect and the wicked alike; in other words, He is an unjust God. The earth is given by Him into the hands of the wicked; injustice reigns everywhere. If God has not done all this, who then is it? These are horrible words. They must have been whispered into his despairing soul by the accuser. He accuses God to believers just as much as he accuses believers before God.

When we see everything on earth in confusion, it seems to many people that there is no God in control of things at all. In all of these things, if we depend on our own understanding, we shall be left in complete confusion. Job needed the verse written much later in history: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding" (Prov. 3:5).

Job knew that "The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure" (Job 12:6). Eliphaz thought instead that "in prosperity the destroyer will come upon" the wicked (Job 15:21). What Eliphaz thought was sometimes right, but it was not always right, as the writer of Psalm 73 knew, and as we know from what is all around us. God has allowed Satan to become the god and prince of this world. Satan has authority to dispose in some way of the kingdoms of this world (Luke 4:6). Once we realise that, the prosperity of the wicked will not puzzle us.

How clear it is that Job knew he was a sinful creature before his holy Creator. He also knew he had no way in himself of getting right. That being so, his only hope was for a third party to step in; but no such third party, or "daysman," was known to him. His three friends could not play the part, and no other man could either. The daysman must be great enough to lay one of his hands on Almighty God. He must be gracious enough to lay the other on poor diseased and sinful Job.