Why Do You Not Pardon My Iniquity?

Read Job 7 as a family

Job is loosing hope. We get a glimpse of the pain and agony that both day and night bring to this man of God. He longs for the night so that he might find some rest. Yet the night only brings discomfort, bad visions, dreams, and crawling worms across his dry and cracked skin. The sun comes up but brings no comfort. Job is loosing hope.

This man of God is beginning to let self restraint slip away from his grasp. He mentions in verse 11 that he will not restrain his mouth any longer. He is going to complain in the bitterness of his soul. If there were such sin in the life of Job that merited this level of punishment, why would God not just pardon his transgression and take away his iniquity. Job wonders this near the end of chapter seven.

Physical pain and suffering tend to reveal what we are made of. When these times come upon us, will we wait patiently in silence, or will we open our mouth and complain in the bitterness of our soul? Job is suffering more deeply than I will ever know. My heart feels his pain and I see myself reflected in his words. God has promised us that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. Why then does God allow such agonizing suffering if sin has been forgiven? To glorify God and bring conformity of Jesus to the sufferer. Job will become more like Jesus in the end. He just has to go through much pain in order to get there.

Questions for the kids

1. Can you sympathize with Job in his suffering, or does it seems too distant and unrelated to you?
2. Do you find that during times of physical and emotional pain, your mouth can get away from you and begin to complain?
3. Even though Satan was the direct cause of Job’s pain, Job only attributes his suffering to God. Do you think he was right to ascribe such actions to God alone?