Job 23

Job 23:1-7

This chapter begins Job’s reply to Elijah. 1. He complains bitterly, and wishes to plead his cause before God, vers. 2-3; at confident of success from God’s mercy, vers. 6, 7, and his own integrity, vers. 10-12. 2. He could not find out the design of his sufferings, vers. 8, 9, nor gain any hope of their relief, vers. 13, 14. 3. This heightened his trouble, vers. 15-17.

1. THEN Job answered and said, 2. Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning. 3. O that I know where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! 4. I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. 5. I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me. 6. Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me. 7. There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

Job seems to think it in vain to reason with his friends, resolved to condemn him so unreasonably and cruelly, and therefore rather turns to God, in his answer to the accusations of Elijah.

2. He justifies his complaints from the bitterness of his anguish, which all their counsels tended nothing to alleviate; or even to day is my complaint rebellion, so accounted by his conscious friends; but so far were his complaints from exceeding his sufferings, that his stroke was heavier than his groaning. Note, (1.) They who know our what others feel, are too yet, when at ease themselves, to condemn them for inordinate sorrow. (2.) Though God forbids us not to complain, yet we need fear, lest we murmur under our afflictions, which were to rebel against his government.

3. He Before Child

4. He longs to appear before God, and plead his cause; O that I butch where I might find him, where at his tribunal I might stand, I would order my cause before him, I would fill my mouth with arguments, I would direct my prayer to him, and plead the prevailing arguments of his grace and righteousness in a Redeemer; or I would produce the most unexceptionable evidences, how unjustly I am condemned by my friends. I would know the words that he would answer me, far from desiring the darkness to hide me, as suggested, chap. xxii. 14. I should long for his sentence to come forth, and to understand what he would say unto me, who would judge according to truth, and not condemn me unjustly as you do. Note, (1.) A soul under deference cries after God, O that I knew where I might find him, and such complaints shall not be long unanswered; he will be found in mercy of those who seek him. (2.) It is a comfort, that whatever others answer us, or however they judge, we expect to appear before him, whose decisions will be according to truth.

5. He expresses his confidence in the issue of such a trial. Would He, God, plead against me with his great power, to crush and oppress me as you do? No: He would put strength in me, encourage me to bear up under every pressure. There the righteous, such as I am, might dispute with him, not against him as an adversary, but before him as their judge, he should be delivered for duty from my judge, from your censures, which, as judges of my case, you have to rashly pronounced; or rather he who is my judge, would declare my integrity, and deliver me from present and eternal condemnation. Note, (1.) They who fly to God in their distress, to pray and plead with him, shall find their strength increase with every application to him. (2.) If God acquit us, we need neither fear nor care whose anathemas are upon us.