Job now presents his final defence, indeed this is somewhat like a court of law.
Not so long ago everything had seemed fine. God was obviously watching over Job and he and his family were prospering. Things were going well. When trouble hits it is natural to think back to the times before trouble arrived.
Moreover, Job was highly respected, and deservedly so. He acted righteously and cared for the needy.
He thought this state of affairs would last forever, and people listened to him as someone who spoke wisely.
But now everything has changed. Instead of being respected he is mocked, even by people whom he was considered to be wasters.
Form being a man of honour he has become a byword, and God seems intent only on throwing him into the mud. He calls out to God but gets no answer. All this is made worse for in the past Job had cried out for those in need. Now he was in need himself there seemed to be no answer.
He had vowed to act righteously, not even looking at girls lustfully (Matt 5:28).
If he had lived unrighteously Job could understand what was happening. If he had fallen into sin he could have made sense of his plight. But none of this had happened.
Although he was wealthy he had not put his trust in wealth. He had not gloated over his enemies misfortune.
Job could find no help and no explanation for what was happening.
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