Read Job 3
Job Speaks
3 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.
5 May gloom and utter darkness claim it once more;
may a cloud settle over it;
may blackness overwhelm it.
6 That night—may thick darkness seize it;
may it not be included among the days of the year
nor be entered in any of the months.
7 May that night be barren;
may no shout of joy be heard in it.
8 May those who curse days curse that day,
those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.
9 May its morning stars become dark;
may it wait for daylight in vain
and not see the first rays of dawn,
10 for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
to hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “Why did I not perish at birth,
and die as I came from the womb?
12 Why were there knees to receive me
and breasts that I might be nursed?
13 For now I would be lying down in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest
14 with kings and rulers of the earth,
who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,
15 with princes who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,
like an infant who never saw the light of day?
17 There the wicked cease from turmoil,
and there the weary are at rest.
18 Captives also enjoy their ease;
they no longer hear the slave driver’s shout.
19 The small and the great are there,
and the slaves are freed from their owners.
20 “Why is light given to those in misery,
and life to the bitter of soul,
21 to those who long for death that does not come,
who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
22 who are filled with gladness
and rejoice when they reach the grave?
23 Why is life given to a man
whose way is hidden,
whom God has hedged in?
24 For sighing has become my daily food;
my groans pour out like water.
25 What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.
26 I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no rest, but only turmoil.”
Go Deeper
Oftentimes we find ourselves putting on a face and pretending everything’s all right. Job, however, shows us here that faithfulness looks just the opposite. In Job 3, Job lays out his pain and sorrow before the Lord. He doesn’t hide anything, pretend like it’s all rainbows and roses, or even attempt to fix any of it himself. Instead, he calls out to the creator of the universe. Job has an intimate enough relationship with the Lord that he could fall before Him and vividly express his deep anguish and grief. Even a man as godly and blameless as Job could bring his raw and real pain to God. So can we.
How often do we think that when we face tough problems, it’s up to us to fix them? It’s like we think if we just buckle up or tough it out or smile through it, we can come out unscathed. For most of us, it’s a byproduct of the world we grew up in–it’s up to us to figure it out. Determination, perseverance, and self discipline are from the Lord (2 Timothy 2:7), but we can encounter problems when we start to believe that we are capable of handling our problems on our own, without God.
Job’s words in this chapter are words of lament. It is OK for us to lament, too. But it is also important for us to remember that the beauty of the Gospel is that we do not have to carry our burdens and sorrow on our own. If we could patch ourselves up, make ourselves pretty, and fix all our bruises and mistakes, we wouldn’t need Jesus. The truth is, no matter how hard we try, we just can’t take away the pain, sin, and brokenness of this world. But there is a God who can. God sent his one and only son to die on the cross for our sins to take away the shame, guilt, pain, and death we deserved.
There is immense freedom in this! Freedom to fall at the feet of the Creator of the universe and bring him all of your hurts, hang ups, and brokenness. You don’t have to fix yourself before you come. In fact, his only requirement is that you come–broken (Matthew 11:28). Come today to the one who loves you and cares about you. To the one who sees you in your suffering. To the one who loved you enough to send his Son to die for you, so that you might have eternal peace and joy in Him.
Questions
- What verse in Job’s lament sticks out most to you? Why is that?
- Have you been believing the lie that you have to have it all together? What is one area of your life in which you have been letting others think you everything is fine? Confess this to community today!
- What are some ways that you can seek out people around you who you know are carrying deep hurts and burdens (whether they are admitting it or not)? (Galatians 6:2)
By the Way
Second Corinthians 1:3-7 speaks about the comfort we have in Jesus when we do face times of distress like Job. Read this passage–it says the word comfort 9 times in 5 verses! Remind yourself today that He is the God of all comfort.
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6 responses to “Job 3”
This is so very heavy. His words deep agony but without sin. Just a voice crying out.
Like Jesus on the cross crying out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; cf. Psalm 22:1). Jesus does not sin when He cries out. He fulfills the lament of Job.
“What Job voices in longing, Jesus fulfills in sacrifice.”
“There’s a deep comfort here for those who suffer silently under the weight of thoughts they’re afraid to say out loud. Job does not curse God—he curses the day of his birth. He does not blaspheme, but he does despair. And still, God does not strike him down. Job’s lament is not punished—it is preserved in Holy Scripture. This means there’s room in faith for raw grief—for sorrow that stretches the soul to its breaking point. You’re not a lesser believer if you’ve questioned your place in this world. God is not appalled by your frailty.” Rev. Garrick Sinclair Beckett
A lament is not to lose faith, but to exercise it. It is a form of worship.
The fix it in me would want to do something but the Holy Spirit is saying just be still with them. Wait. Be there but silent. Sometimes the need is to lament. This is not wrong.
God thank You for showing me how this can be done. God sometimes I encounter such a thing as this and have been unsure what to do. Thank You for helping to understand just listening is better than speaking. God thank You for showing me that being sorrowful is another way of worship. Baring my soul without cursing You is ok. Not liking what is happening but knowing through it all will be a testimony as is with Job’s story. (sorry for the spoiler) God thank You for joy in all seasons of life, that You are in the middle of it all and desire for me to desire You. God thank You for today and these minutes of this day. God thank You for me driving to work safely. God thank You for me doing Your will and letting go of mine in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 “After this, Job opened his mouth . . .”
Interesting that this is the first time that Job speaks in this book. Many times in life, we find ourselves at a loss for words . . . when things are good, but also when tragedy strikes.
PS – I must confess that I am not really looking forward to 42 chapters of Job! But I know it is a part of God’s word that I should meditate on from time to time. So, I will keep repeating to myself “blessed be the name of the Lord” as I move through it!
Amen! Blessed be the name of the Lord.
There will be so many learning expeditions going to happen. But yes I agree it is so heavy. BUT GOD
“What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me” (v25).
This verse struck a chord with me showing the deep humanity of Job. Scripture records him as blameless and upright, yet he still experienced fear and dread. As long as we are in these earthly bodies a war is raged against us. One day, however, those who’ve experienced the radical grace through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection will be freed from the chains of this broken world.
24 For sighing has become my daily food;
my groans pour out like water.
Job’s agony led him to deep agony, and I am reminded that in my groaning of deep despair, I have no words, just ugly crying and deeps sighs.
Hebrews 13:5: “…for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
This verse emphasizes God’s unwavering presence and support.