September 22, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Job? Here’s today’s reading:
Job 3 (NIV)
Job Speaks
1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 He said:
3“May the day of my birth perish,
and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’
4 That day—may it turn to darkness;
may God above not care about it;
may no light shine on it.…..Continue Reading
This chapter begins the suffering happening mentally for Job. His words are glimpses into how he is feeling and it is certainly under these circumstances not good.
We have a very different view of suffering these days. We naturally look to others and many times God for the cause of our troubles, loss, and pain. Job does not blame anyone and yet longs for an end in the form of never being born. His despair is felt in his words, depression is felt in his words but still no mention of anger, frustration, and especially no blame to God.
My heart feels so sad for Job. He is wondering why he was ever born just to go all thru this. He is looking to go to his grave so as not to have anymore pain. He wonders why he did not die at birth since he would be lying down in peace. He would be asleep and at rest. He questions why light is given to the bitter of soul. What he feared came upon him, what he dreaded Happened to him. He has no peace, quietness, or rest. Only Turmoil. Yet he is not even wondering why God let this happen to him. It shows bad things can happen to Good people without reason.
Job 3. Trying to wrap my brain around Job’s reply.
Is he trying to commit a sort of birth suicide? In that depth of mental despair, cursing the day of birth, to himself, mother, parents, and the world, is he not in essence, killing his self existence in a spiritual plain?
Should he be granted this revision of time and history, he would not exist, and would have no suffering of his present state. That won’t happen. But in saying it, he attempts to satisfy a real need for no longer existing.
His despair is as deep as one losing his last control of balance, leaning to fall from a cliff on purpose. I can’t get into his head, and perhaps that is the point.
Rather that the Lord God provide man with this scripture, to somehow sense the uttermost despair and darkness, so that we today may not take that irreversible “lean off the cliff” in the same mental state. Peace, gordy
I believe it is just an expression of the level of his despair in all the loss he has suffered as opposed to him actually thinking he can turn back the clock or even planning his own demise…
Job is in such grief and pain do to what has happened to him, his children, servants, and livestock. He wishes that he died when he was born so he wouldn`t go through these trials. This shows how much stress he is in. He is also puzzled why all this is happening to him. He doesn`t understand any of it but despite how he feels he is still trusting God for only God knows why. Yet he was greatly blessed by God to have his family, servants, and livestock. All with great numbers. He also didn`t know how God would bless him latter which we know was more than what he had at first. Also living to see four generations and living to a great old age. What can we learn from Job. A question we all should ask ourselves. Am I great full for all the blessings He has given me. Do I have a grumbling attitude or is it one of thankfulness. I know that with myself I have to keep asking for His forgiveness and then focus on Him. We all need to guard ourselves to be sure we are walking in His Righteous ways. On our own we will surely fail. God bless us as we check our hearts and attitude and walk in Him.
Day 8 of 10 days of prayer. I did earlier.
Isn’t it great how honest the Bible is about its heroes? This man of great faith expressing the depth of despair that shows just what he is thinking and feeling as he was still trusting God. What is the only thing Job can imagine would address the sadness, loss and pain he felt while still believing in a sovereign God? Well would if that God caused me not even to be born. That is much different than a choice to end his life, but recognizing with all he has been through it would be better if he wasn’t even here. The Bible is not shy about human emotion and the depth of how we can and do internalize life. And sometimes it is hard to imagine how we can persevere through certain things that happen to us. But if any book of the Bible shows us that we can, it is this one. And God is always aware and always willing to help with all the resources He has, including the people that surround us.
And just a heads up that I am on vacation starting tomorrow and will not have internet access. So I will be reading along, but will rejoin you all here when I return….
Job 3 Job is in such despair and suffering, he wishes he had never been born, that day never existed, that he would have died at birth, you can feel his anguish, his loss and sadness but he never curses God because of it.
Job had lost his family and suffering extreme physical pain. I’d also wish I was never born. And questioning what I knew about a loving God. Would have put me at a crossroads of cursing God. Or continue to try to draw strength from Him
Job 3
Job 3 I am amazed how Job’s despair and agony is written in such a way that you can almost feel it yourself. Yet he does not blame God. His belief in the one true God remains constant. Yet he is human with human emotions. I will be reading Job in the future when I have strong feelings to remind myself that this is Gods plan for me.
“After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.”
I find it interesting that Job maintains his innocence and righteousness. I think we would be like his friends and asking ourselves, “what did I do to deserve this?” and thinking we probably did. I think it is profound that Job is actually so righteous that he knows he has done nothing wrong.