Page 27 - The Poetic Books - Student Text

3.2 Objectives

1. You will struggle with Job over the fairness of suffering.

2. You will understand Job’s desire for a mediator to judge between him and God.

3. You will appreciate the efforts of Job to please the Almighty.

4. You will be introduced to Job’s fourth friend Elihu.

5. You will see how Elihu’s insistence on the character of God is the way to understanding.

3.3 Job’s Faith and Job’s Helper: 15:1-32:27

The issue has come up several times as he has spoken of his “case” being before
God. Realizing that he himself does not have the power to make God answer to
him, Job muses. “If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to
bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would
frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now
stands with me, I cannot (9:33-35).”

Throughout his suffering, Job struggles with the possibility of a mediator. Knowing God already
in a fairly personal way, he insists: “Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.
My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with
God as one pleads for a friend (16:19-21).”

Part of his struggle extends beyond this life. He expects God to want to see him again. In another
extended metaphor, Job compares himself to a tree. He
observes that some trees, after being cut down, will
sprout again. Roots stay alive in the ground and at the
scent of water send up shoots. So, he ponders the
possibility of the same thing happening to a person. “If
someone dies, will they live again?” says the English of
14:14). The Hebrew word for “sprout” in 14:7 and “live
again” are the same. Seeing a tree sprout after being cut
down, leads Job to ponder his possible sprouting. If he
could be sure of such a future life, he would prefer to die
until God’s anger would be past, confident that “You will
call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature
Figure 14: tree stump sprouting
your hands have made (14:15).”

Job cannot imagine, however, one who has so obviously suffered from God’s hand being
welcome in heaven. “If only you would hide me in the grave [Sheol]” is the expression of one
feeling rejected by God (14:13). If he could find a refuge during this time of wrath, he would
escape the painful punishment inflicted. Since there is no place on earth for Job to hide, his only
hope is for a place of refuge in Sheol…. When God’s wrath has cooled, God will be reminded of

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