Job 23:1-17
Job is already in the middle of his eighth discourse and the gulf is growing ever wider between him and his companions. Like many people today, they see in God a sovereign Creator, too great to condescend to attend to their particular circumstances or to take account of their feelings (see Job 22:2-3; Job 22:12). Job has more understanding. He knows that God is interested in him, even more than he would wish Him to be (Job 7:19), but he believes Him to be inaccessible. "Oh that I knew where I might find him", he cries. Does each of us know where he can find God? He has come near to us in the person of the Lord Jesus, so that we can in our turn freely come near to Him by prayer and have access to the place where Christ is seated at God’s right hand (v. 3; Hebrews 4:16).
V. 10 reminds us of the purpose of the testing – "I shall come forth as gold", declares Job. Even though he lacks the understanding of the grace which is operating for his good, our patriarch is in agreement with the apostle Peter. He writes: "Though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold which perisheth . . . might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7).