Take Pity, Not Shots

“Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.” (Job 19:21 AV)

I don’t know how Job could have made it any plainer.  For his friends to do what they are doing to him in this time of great distress and loss is inexcusable.  Job needs compassion.  Job need affirmation.  Job needs emotional support.  He does not need an intervention.  He does not need an interrogation.  He needs to be encouraged to stop the thinking and rest in the hand of God that has just touched him.  When Job stays, “Miserable comforters are ye all,” it is an understatement.  What is astounding is he still refers to them as his friends even though they have rebuked him ten times for things of which he is not guilty.

The most profound portion of the statement above is when Job acknowledges the hand of God has touched him.  With that statement, all speculation should have ceased.  If the hand of God has brought upon Job the circumstances of his life, then only the voice of God can give explanation and direction.  It is not up to Job.  It is not up to his friends.  No one but God alone can give wisdom concerning the cause and plan of what Job is enduring.  Only God can tell Job ‘why’ and ‘what now’.  To attempt to do otherwise (which is what they are doing) only leads to wrong assessments and accusation against Job, God, or both.  When the hand of God has touched, the voice of God must be given liberty to respond.

This statement is a profound one.  Job is acknowledging not only the source of the touch, but the sovereignty behind it.  Job never accused God of being unjust or misguided.  His only frustration was that he lacked perception to the cause and purpose of the trouble, this concluding that it would have been better if he was never born to begin with.  His reasoning figured that if there was no cause or plan, then his existence had none either.  If his existence had no purpose, then the trouble he experienced, need not have had happened.  When he states the trials are from the hand of God, he is acknowledging that a sovereign God has purposefully chosen to do this, even if he cannot understand anything about it.