Job 30

Job 30:1

30:1-8 Now, sad to say, Job is scorned by younger . . . men . . . whose fathers were outcasts of society, unfitted even to help Job’s dogs watch the sheep; worn out, weak, and poor; so hungry they fed on desert shrubs; driven out from among men; homeless nomads; driven from the land. 30:9-15 It is these dregs of humanity who now treat Job with utter contempt. Notice the phrases descriptive of their scorn"taunting song," “I am their byword,” “they abhor me,” “they spit in my face,” “they push away my feet” (trip him?), “they break up (or block) my path,” etc. Job’s honor and prosperity have totally vanished. 30:16-23 He is racked with pains, disfigured with agony, reduced to dust and ashes, and ready to die. God won’t answer his prayers, cruelly opposes him, tosses him around, and is about to kill him. 30:24-31 Surely He will not afflict in the grave one who has prayed to Him when dying. Job had shown mercy to others but he himself was shown no mercy. His intense suffering is compounded by loneliness and rejection. His physical and emotional condition are appalling. Why would a righteous man like Job have to become a brother of jackals and a companion of ostriches?