Job 9
We now have a reply from Job to Bildad - he agrees with Bildad's view that God blesses the righteous but not the wicked, but he asks how can a man be righteous before God?
Job talks of God's greatness, his anger, and power which is seen in nature and creation, of man's inability to see him or turn him back.
He asks how can he answer and reason with God - he could only supplicate his judge. But, he says, if God had heard his supplications he would not believe it because he is breaking him with a tempest, multiplying his wounds without cause, and not letting him breathe.
He then further speaks of any inability to justify himself before God but states that one thing he is certain of, God destroys the righteous and the wicked, and even laughs at the plight of the innocent.
The chapter concludes with Job again speaking of the brevity of his life and his inability to cleanse himself in God's sight - God, who is not like a man that he could reason with, and there is no daysman - or mediator - between them. He asks that God's rod and his terrifying fear of him be taken away that he might speak with him.
I initially noticed verses 2 and 33 when Job asks how can a man be righteous before God and that there is no 'daysman' - or 'mediator' - between them. My thoughts straightway jumped to the glorious truth that we do have a daysman - our Lord Jesus Christ- a daysman who suffered God's wrath for his people's sins, and whose own righteousness is imputed (ascribed or credited) to them.
But I was struck by another thing that Job said in verse 23, 'If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial' (or plight) 'of the innocent'.
Does the Lord really laugh at people in suffering or as they die?!
Is this really true? Was Job right to say this?
It suggests that God is vindictive, unjust and takes pleasure in man's suffering! But we know that God is 'gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy' (Psalm 145:8), 'a God of judgement' (justice)(Isaiah 30: 18) and 'of great kindness' (Joel 2:13).
God tells us through his prophet, Ezekiel, 'Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the LORD God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?....For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth...' (Ezekiel 18:23,32).
We know that when Jesus was on earth - Jesus who is God in human form - we never hear of him laughing at people in their suffering. Yes, we do hear of him being angry and grieved with the Pharisees because of their 'hardness of heart' (Mark 3:5) and we hear of him sorrowing over those who have rejected him (Luke 13:34), but otherwise the gospel accounts are recording his kindness and love as he heals every single person who asks for help. Not one is turned away. We constantly read of his compassion and his care - of people who are not only sick, but of people who are hungry and tired, who have no food and are a long way from home.
Jesus' very presence on earth in human form was because of God's love for his people - to live a perfect life as a substitute for their flawed, sinful lives - to die for them and take their punishment - to make a way of saving them from God's wrath for their sins.
Well, how can we understand what Job is saying then? Does it say anywhere else in the Bible about God laughing at the plight of the innocent?
Psalm 2:4 says, 'He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision', and in Proverbs 1:26, 'I will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh'.
On checking the translation of 'laugh' in each of these verses in Strong's concordance, it does indeed mean, 'mock, have in derision, or scorn'. But in the above references the context is different - God is 'laughing' at those who are raging and rebelling against him, those who are foolishly and scornfully refusing to listen to him. God's 'laughter' is in a sense of his power being so great that he is scornful of their attempts to usurp and resist him.
We see just a little of this power when the Jewish leaders came to arrest Jesus. They said they were looking for Jesus, who said, 'I am he' (John 18: 6). The leaders and soldiers then all drew back and fell to the ground. They had no power to take him captive! They were only able to take him because Jesus allowed it - as he said to the disciple who had drawn his sword and cut off the ear of one of the high priest's servants, 'thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me (provide me with) more than twelve legions of angels?' (Matthew 26:53)
How are we to think about Job's comment in relation to our lives today then?
It seems to me that it reminds us that Job was human. He too was prone to temptations and whispers from the wicked one to think that God was unkind and taking pleasure in his suffering.
When we are in trouble and are tempted to think that God doesn't care and is even taking pleasure in our troubles, let us remember that the devil is a liar, and will do all he can to make us think badly of our God. Let us remember how God is a kind, loving, merciful and just God and that sin and the death of the wicked grieves him.
But let us also remember this verse in the context of God's great power. As we live in this uncertain world full of so many changes and troubles, let us remember that God is so great that he scorns the attempts of the devil and the wicked to rise up against him. God is in control. He knows all that will happen, and how he will use it until all his people have been saved and he brings this world to an end.
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