I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Job 7:11
At least Job lets his friends know it is coming, and why! They have issued miserable counsel to him in the first round of discussions with him, and he is letting them in on the profound disappointment that he has in their fruitless fault-finding. His response is typical in a hard trial or what might be diagnosed as a "major depressive episode" in today's jargon: he vents all his feelings without restraint.
He had begun his grief in quiet agony. It was a grief so holy, that his own friends did not wish to interrupt him for the first week of his mourning. They simply sat beside him in the ash heap and grieved. But then they had to start analysing and figuring life out for him. And their theology and experience could only point to one source for Job's overwhelming loss of all that was dear to him: God was judging him for some sin unseen to even his closest friends.
Of course, this only added to the suffering. Job had done nothing before this trial to deserve it. God had a greater reason: to demonstrate His faithfulness and Job's faithfulness before a watching world in heaven and on earth. But none of his friends offered anything from God's perspective. They were not counselors. They became persecutors.
This is why Job felt compelled to speak in anguish, be unrestrained and unrelenting in his plea for justice, and complain bitterly. He was upset at the insensitivity and the horrible bedside manner of his friends, and that was where he was going to let himself say whatever he darn well pleased! There are few times when such a commitment is the right thing to do, and really, I do not know if Job is justified in doing this, but it makes for good drama in the text. I do realize that one of the consequences of unfair counsel is bitterness of spirit. I should realize that, watch for it in myself, and keep it in mind in my own misery and the suffering of others.
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Job 7:11
At least Job lets his friends know it is coming, and why! They have issued miserable counsel to him in the first round of discussions with him, and he is letting them in on the profound disappointment that he has in their fruitless fault-finding. His response is typical in a hard trial or what might be diagnosed as a "major depressive episode" in today's jargon: he vents all his feelings without restraint.
He had begun his grief in quiet agony. It was a grief so holy, that his own friends did not wish to interrupt him for the first week of his mourning. They simply sat beside him in the ash heap and grieved. But then they had to start analysing and figuring life out for him. And their theology and experience could only point to one source for Job's overwhelming loss of all that was dear to him: God was judging him for some sin unseen to even his closest friends.
Of course, this only added to the suffering. Job had done nothing before this trial to deserve it. God had a greater reason: to demonstrate His faithfulness and Job's faithfulness before a watching world in heaven and on earth. But none of his friends offered anything from God's perspective. They were not counselors. They became persecutors.
This is why Job felt compelled to speak in anguish, be unrestrained and unrelenting in his plea for justice, and complain bitterly. He was upset at the insensitivity and the horrible bedside manner of his friends, and that was where he was going to let himself say whatever he darn well pleased! There are few times when such a commitment is the right thing to do, and really, I do not know if Job is justified in doing this, but it makes for good drama in the text. I do realize that one of the consequences of unfair counsel is bitterness of spirit. I should realize that, watch for it in myself, and keep it in mind in my own misery and the suffering of others.
