Today, I am reading and commenting on  Job 16-21.

One of the things I have written about the Book of Job in the past is that I am unsure if we are intended to understand it as events which actually happened, or if it is a story which God inspired someone to write in order to teach us important lessons.  However, even though I am unsure which is correct, I have always written about the Book of Job as if each of those mentioned were real people who carried on the conversation recorded here,  I realized today that there is some value in reading, and thinking about, the Book of Job as if each of the characters mentioned represent different ways of thinking about God and how He interacts with people.  The best part about this latter approach is that it does not require that the people mentioned not be actual people who said the things written here.

Having said that, in today’s passage Job discusses two of the things which are uniquely his viewpoint.  First, he represents those who seek God, even though they are suffering.  He realizes that in order for any mortal to approach God they will need someone to speak on their behalf (as he had expressed in yesterday’s passage).  Further, he tells us that he does indeed have such an intercessor, One who truly cares about him.  Our Intercessor will plead with God on our behalf and request that God exercise His power in our lives.  A request we can be sure will be granted, since our Intercessor is God Himself in the form of Jesus Christ.

Second, Job complains that the wicked do not suffer for their wickedness.  He says this in contrast to the claim by his friends that the wicked always suffer (they imply that if one suffers it must be because they are wicked),  Job goes on to say that not only do the wicked commit sins, the openly defy God and suffer no consequences.  Job has a point, but one which  we must think carefully about.  Yes, it often appears that the wicked suffer no consequences for their wickedness, but we must consider whether this is actually true.  If we truly believe that God has our best interests in mind (which I do), then we know that there is greater happiness and joy to be had by following His commands then by seeking pleasure through sin.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.