Suffering always produces a why question to God, even among atheists. Why? Why is suffering not alleviated? Why is there no mercy? Why does it go on for so long.
It is a low moment for Job and he is complaining bitterly. There is no end in sight and promise of reprieve from the suffering. He asks God why he is suffering when he has done everything to live a righteous life.
“even though You know that I am not wicked and that there is no one who can deliver from your hand?” (Job 10:7).
“Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese?” (Job 10:10).
He then says that God is hunting him down to find his sin and display his power against him. He says God gathers witnesses to testify against him so as to rightfully be angry (Job 10:16-17).
Job isn’t trying to be theologically accurate. He is just being raw before God and being raw means messy perspectives. He is just letting him know that he feels like God is searching out wrong in him. While this isn’t the way of God, it’s how he feels when there is no reprieve.
Being raw before God is a double-edged sword. He knows what’s in our hearts so no use hiding. And sometimes it is helpful to get that out. At the same time, if we stay in that place of mal-conceived understanding of God it can sour our spirit. That’s why the Psalms are so challenging. David is raw before God, but he ends almost all his psalms with the hope and reassurance of God’s character.
For Job he is raw before God, but as we know there will be a moment at the end of this book where he is humbled before God. This will be his moment that will be the turning point. But for now, the raw is ugly.
