In chapter three Job cursed the day of his birth. He was a good man and he was trying to keep his perfection, uprightness, and integrity, but due to his vexation he could not contain himself, and he did not know what to do. No doubt, he expected to have a time to deal with God, but this was not something that he dared to initiate. Not wanting to lose his perfection, he released his vexation by cursing his birthday.
Job broke the silence of seven days and seven nights and initiated the debate by cursing the day of his birth because of his suffering of the very great pain (2:13; 3:1-3).
Job was disturbed, perplexed, and entangled to the uttermost by his suffering of the disasters that befell his possessions and his children and the plague on his body, in spite of his perfection, uprightness, and integrity. When Job cursed his birthday, he surely was not perfect and upright. In doing this he did not hold his integrity. Rather, by cursing the day of his birth, he became bankrupt in integrity. For Job to curse his birthday meant that he cursed his mother.
Job preferred darkness and abhorred light (vv. 4-10). Concerning the day of his birth, he said, "Let that day be darkness;/Let God not seek it from above,/Nor let light shine upon it." I find it hard to believe that Job really preferred darkness and abhorred light.
Job indicated that he preferred death instead of life (vv. 11-23). It is difficult to believe that Job actually preferred death instead of life. If death had been his preference, why did he not put an end to himself and thereby solve his problem? Perhaps Job did not do this because he wanted to keep his integrity.
Job said that his sighing came as his food and that his groaning poured out like water in his suffering (v. 24). What he dreaded came upon him (v. 25), and he had no ease, no quiet, and no rest, yet trouble came (v. 26).