Reflections on Job 10

 Job 10 (Contemporary English Version)

1. I am sick of life! And from my deep despair, I complain to you, my God.
2. Don't just condemn me! Point out my sin.
3. Why do you take such delight in destroying those you created and in smiling on sinners?
4. Do you look at things the way we humans do?
5. Is your life as short as ours?
6. Is that why you are so quick to find fault with me?
7. You know I am innocent, but who can defend me against you?
8. Will you now destroy someone you created?
9. Remember that you molded me like a piece of clay. So don't turn me back into dust once again.
10. As cheese is made from milk, you created my body from a tiny drop.
11. Then you tied my bones together with muscles and covered them with flesh and skin.
12. You, the source of my life, showered me with kindness and watched over me.
13. You have not explained all of your mysteries,
14. but you catch and punish me each time I sin.
15. Guilty or innocent, I am condemned and ashamed because of my troubles.
16. No matter how hard I try, you keep hunting me down like a powerful lion.
17. You never stop accusing me; you become furious and attack over and over again.
18. Why did you let me be born? I would rather have died before birth
19. and been carried to the grave without ever breathing.
20. I have only a few days left. Why don't you leave me alone? Let me find some relief,
21. before I travel to the land
22. of darkness and despair, the place of no return.

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Job was becoming bolder in his complaint against God, maybe moving into the anger stage of his grief. He decided to confront God and demand that He declare Job's guilt and why He was doing this to Job. Even though God knew he was not a wicked person, He was acting capriciously as would a human. If indeed Job felt this way and was not just slinging accusations out of anger, then he must have been taking his life in his own hands and striking out at God expecting God to respond by taking his life.

As Job continued in his challenge to God, he reminded God that as his maker He had a responsibility to the one He made. Responsibility to preserve rather than to destroy the life He had made: "Please remember that You formed me like clay. Will You now return me to dust?" (10:9) Then he turned to accusing God of having a hidden plan in which He stalked him like a lion watching his every move ready to pounce on him when he messed up. And what could Job do about it? Even though he was righteous he was powerless against God.

Then Job returned to his death theme. He opened his challenge against God by saying he was disgusted with his life and then launched his accusations as if he had a death wish. Now he repeated what he had voiced earlier,"Why did You bring me out of the womb? I should have died and never been seen." (10:18) But he had been born and was now suffering immensely. So just let him die. But before he died he had a wish: "Stop it! Leave me alone, so that I can smile a little before I go to a land of darkness and gloom, never to return." (10:20-21)

Job still had not cursed God and turned away from him. He recognized God as God, and though he felt that God was being unfair with him, he was in God's hands for Him to do with as He saw fit.