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All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target;   his archers surround me. Without pity, he pierces my kidneys and spills my gall on the ground.   Again and again he bursts upon me; he rushes at me like a warrior.   “I have sewed sackcloth over my skin and buried my brow in the dust.   My face is red with weeping, dark shadows ring my eyes;   yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure.   “Earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest!   Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.   My intercessor is my friend  as my eyes pour out tears to God;   on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.   “Only a few years will pass before I take the path of no return. – Job 16:12-22

Job begins his reply to Eliphaz with “I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you!”. Job shows great restraint and patience given the onslaught of obfuscation being perpetrated by his friends as he sits with his piece of pottery scraping at his sores.  Job is soul sick.  He is weeping openly yet his “prayer is pure”.

His eyes are pouring out tears to God.  Job is not withholding anything from God, even his anguish and disappointment with God.  I think God appreciates it when we are willing to share everything with Him, just as he has given us everything.

One of my favorite parts of this passage is when Job says “My intercessor is my friend”. Even as his cheeks are red from weeping he is able to rely upon this mysterious “intercessor”.

I do not remember this verse, or most of Job for that matter, being referred to as Messianic, but I have navigated through several “riffles” that seem to point toward an intercessor. This is a relatively new thing, at least for the parts of the old testament that I have floated so far.

Prayer: God thank You being my intercessor and my friend.