With Friends Like These . . . Job’s Friends and Religious Foolishness (XXII. Job’s Response (Ch.40:3-5)

Job has unceremoniously been put in his place by the Lord who grilled him on his complete ignorance of the natural world. How does Job respond to this devastating and overwhelming attack from the Lord? We read in 40:3-5 the following:

³ Then Job answered the Lord:

⁴ “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
    I put my hand over my mouth.
⁵ I spoke once, but I have no answer—
    twice, but I will say no more.”

The Lord’s long-awaited response to Job causes him to confess his unworthiness and complete inability to say anything to the Lord. He is overwhelmed. He physically shuts his mouth. He also admits that he had spoken once, but now has no answer to the Lord. He even was bold to speak a second time, but now determines he will say no more.

What are we to conclude from such a one-sided discussion? Is it fair to say that Job had forgotten who God was — and that he needed to be reminded of his own createdness? In his demands for an audience with the Almighty, had Job missed the point of these trials?

God’s words in 40:1-2 silenced Job. Was that the Creator’s intent? But the Lord is not done. Chapter 40 continues with God’s rebuke of Job. We will examine what else the Lord says to Job in our next post.