Most scholars translate the text in verse-13 to say: “he (God) is one…” vis-à-vis of one mind or purpose (Job23:13), then going on to say that the Lord is unchangeable. However, I think the better rendering is, according to the minority reading, “he is alone…” (so the Vulgate) and even, “it is he, himself, alone” (so Coverdale). The idea seems to be that no one is with God! That is to say, he has no partner, who would be powerful enough to disagree with him and thereby influence his will or purpose for mankind. Certainly, man is unable to change the Lord’s mind or will, but more to the point, neither is there anyone with God who would be able to do so. Thus, the Lord is unchangeable! Whatsoever he proposes to do is what he does, and no one is able to prevent that from occurring (Job 23:13-14; cp. Isaiah 55:8-11).
Job seems to conclude that death without vindication is inevitable, for he understands that his fate is not designed for him, alone. Rather there are many other instances that he could point to, whereby the innocent suffer and die without a favorable judgment on the part of the Lord – “…and many such things are with him” (Job 23:14). Job’s conclusion is given with a kind of moaning, wishing it weren’t true, but yielding to what he knows is true!
Therefore, Job says he is troubled at God’s presence, because the inevitable truth of the matter isn’t encouraging. Job feels helpless, in that the Lord is silent when he prays. God is immovable, unchangeable, and there is absolutely nothing Job is able to do to cause him to reconsider what he has done. So, he’s afraid of God. Job’s inner strength has been melted, and he finds himself troubled in the presence of this Almighty and relentless Authority (Job 23:15-16).
Job isn’t afraid of death, but he laments the fact that the Lord had not taken him in the midst of his prosperity. There, he had been known to be the friend of God, the one whom the Lord had blessed abundantly. Before his trials, Job was honored by men. He was a figure sought after in the gates of the city, and his name was unblemished. Now, however, the friends had labeled him as the chief of sinners (Job 4:7-8; 15:5-6; 22:5; cp. 1Timothy 1:15). Even he didn’t know why the Lord had treated him so terribly. Although he protested that he was righteous, appearances denied his words, according to the popular traditional beliefs, and he would go to his death with everyone believing he was a great sinner.
Hope had faded, as Job sought to remain above the dark waters of the Lord’s purpose for him. It was disheartening for him to be unable to see the order that must be in the chaos that is ever present before him (Job 23:17). He, therefore, concludes that his obedience to moral responsibility, and his sense of justice and truth were no more than worn out tools that don’t avail much in attaining the answers he seeks. With nothing left but a sigh of despair for life and vindication, Job must, finally, admit that the Lord is that Unknown God (cp. Acts 17:23), who was yet to be fully revealed in Christ. While it is true that God could be known to exist through the things he had created (Romans 1:20), the deep things about him, the unknowable things, the things not revealed in his creation, can only be taught us by the Spirit of God, which was yet to be given man (1Corinthians 2:10), because Christ had not yet come and was not yet glorified (John 7:39; 1Corinthians 3:17).
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38 responses to “It Is He, Himself, Alone!”
Concerning your opinion of my blog study, I can see now where you are coming from. Nevertheless, your comment (and most of your comments) merely takes one or two things I say in my studies and you blow them up out of context. Job’s discussion with his three friends has nothing to do with politics, or even monotheism. Nevertheless, I see your heart now, and I’ll try to discuss these things with you.
I find your comment hard to follow. Earlier, I thought your comments pointed to your Jewish faith. With this comment, you make reference to Muslim’s concept of God. Are you defending Judaism or the Islamic faith?
You tell me that my concluding remarks come totally out of context to the current discussion. Are you speaking of a comment I made to you, or are you referring to my remarks in “It Is He, Himself, Alone!”?
Okay, I believe you are referring to my study. Your comment is well taken, but you don’t tell me exactly what I am **dictating** that you MUST believe. I’m merely offering my understanding of the text. I wasn’t aware that that meant I was telling you or anyone else how you should believe.
Okay, you seem to have added to the last comment here. As I said earlier, I’m not a political person. I vote in the elections but that’s as far as it goes. I use my vote as a kind of prayer to God to save us from evil men. Well, now I know you are not a Muslim. You are Jewish. Okay, fine. However, now I seem to be getting the impression that you don’t believe in God. Sorry, for my confusion. Discussing things over the internet isn’t always the best of things. Misunderstanding is rampant at times, at least this is my experience. So, let’s get this out of the way, so we both know where we stand. I believe in God; do you?
You have one more comment, but it is an exact copy of this one. Maybe you clicked twice. So, I did get to respond to all of your comments after all. I’ll await your response. Good night and may the Lord bless you (if you are a non-believer be blessed anyway).
Rava, a great Talmudic sage, held the opinion that Job: a story of an imaginary man. What does the fiction Harry Potter\gospels like story of Job come to teach? G’lut/exile. G’lut\exile a major theme in the Torah. From the expulsion of Adam from the Garden, to Noach forced into an Ark, to Abram told that his future unborn children would endure oppression and slavery in a foreign land.
Xtians read the Hebrew T’NaCH like טיפש פשט little children who naively believe in stories of JeZeus or Santa Clause myths.
The 2nd commandment fits nicely with Moshe going to Egypt and the plagues judging the Gods whom Par’o worshipped or Joshua invading Canaan and HaShem judging the Gods worshiped by the kingdoms of Canaan. Brit a word which the Xtian bible abomination perverts into “covenant”, complete and utter bull shit. Brit refers to an oath alliance.
Xtians make a טיפש פשט, roughly translated as ‘bird brained stupidity’ with the story of the Golden Calf. Honestly do you imagine for a second having witnessed the 10 plagues, the splitting of the Sea of Reeds and the revelation of the Torah at Sinai wherein all the people felt they would die, that a “Golden Calf” these same people would “believe” took Israel out of Egypt? LOL what a joke! The Torah speaks/employs a metaphor/משל of the Golden Calf to teach that the רוח הקודש (which Xtian theology perverted into the absurd Holy Spirit Trinity in 325 ce) Name revealed in the 1st Sinai commandment … that this Spirit Name … human lips cannot pronounce as if this Spirit Name exists as a word. Specifically Aaron said: שמות לב: ד אלה אלהיך ישראל אשר העלוך מארץ מצרים Aaron translated the רוח הקודש first Sinai commandment Name revelation to a word! The new testament forgery and the koran abomination duplicates this error, known as avoda zarah by translating the 1st commandment Name revelation of Spirit to the words “Lord” or “Allah”.
Israel has a oath brit alliance with HaShem/the Name\, idolatry perverts this Spirit Name into other words. Herein the intent of the 2nd Sinai commandment.
I love President Trump. He recognized Jerusalem and the Golan Heights as Israeli lands. He destroyed Obozo’s criminal UN Security Council 2334! Vile criminal masturbation which merits contempt on par with UN General Assembly resolution 3379: Zionism is Racism! The post 6 Day War French/British (President Johnson tied down in the Vietnam War) Security Council UN Resolution 242 (Britain and France in the 1956 war attempted to steal control of the Suez Canal from Nasser’s Egypt! President Ike would have no part in this European imperialism. He forced both 2nd rate European powers out of the Middle East.)
Xtianity continuously jabbers about belief in God. A defining trait of avoda zarah. Torah defines faith as the pursuit of judicially established justice. Justice defined as fair compensation to persons whose property or person damaged by others. Avoda Zarah has God on the Brain. The Mishnah commands: better for a Man never to be born than that he contemplate that which is above, below, or behind him. Meaning God, Devil, or ancient history. Torah commands mussar NOT history.
God on the brain Xtians do not even know nor consider what mussar means. A T’NaCH prophet commands mussar. Witchcraft avoda zarah abominations a man foretells the future. Like the gospel counterfeit declares that JeZeus fulfilled this or that words of the prophets. LOL what a tumah joke!
The heart and soul of Torah faith centers upon tohor and tumah spirits. The king james bull shit bible mistranslates this key idea as “clean” and “unclean” טיפש פשט narishkeit.