The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Job 27:2-6,
"As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made my life bitter, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies. I will never admit you [Job's friends] are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live."
Job's "friends" had accused him of sin in his life. Job was suffering, therefore there must have been a lack of faith or some sin he was not owning up to. Here is his response. He claimed God had denied him justice, recognizing that it was God who had caused his suffering, but denied he had done anything wrong to deserve the suffering, maintaining his innocence and integrity.
Was Job right in his response? Here is what God had to say to Satan about Job, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Yes, Job was right in his response and truthful when he claimed that God had denied him justice. Job had done no wrong to deserve the treatment God allowed Satan to visit upon him. In the aftermath of Job's suffering, God said to Eliphaz (one of Job's judgmental "friends"), "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has... You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has." Job 42:7-8.
As it turns out, justice was not in view whatsoever, as God used Job to rebuke Satan. This, of course, was something Job and his "friends" had no way of knowing ahead of time. God used Job to show Satan, that unlike him, there are those who will remain faithful to God in spite of whatever suffering and hardship may come into their lives.
However, God did not leave Job without justice in the end. After making his point to Satan and following the suffering Job went through to make God's point, God, afterward, blessed Job. "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former part." Job 42:12.
The error of Job's judgmental friends is an error that is persistent today. While many give lip service to reading their Bibles, somehow there are so many who fail to understand the things of God today. Entire denominations are given to misconceptions of the things of God. On occasion I have had the unfortunate opportunity to encourage those who suffered with illness and other issues while other members in their fellowships piled on with their unwarranted condemnation, adding to their suffering.
We need to learn what Paul explained in Romans 8:35-36, where he quotes Psalm 44:22. In that psalm, the sons of Korah observed their suffering at the hand of God for no wrong of their own. This is not to say that people never suffer for their own sinful activity in this life. We reap what we sow. However, just because someone is suffering, an assumption of sinfulness or lack of faith is unwarranted. We must learn, together with the sons of Korah, "Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." Psalm 44:22.
Perhaps we can avoid the unfounded condemnation of others who are suffering by reading and understanding Psalm 44, Job's story, as well as the other Scriptures to become better informed of the things of God.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made my life bitter, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies. I will never admit you [Job's friends] are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live."
Job's "friends" had accused him of sin in his life. Job was suffering, therefore there must have been a lack of faith or some sin he was not owning up to. Here is his response. He claimed God had denied him justice, recognizing that it was God who had caused his suffering, but denied he had done anything wrong to deserve the suffering, maintaining his innocence and integrity.
Was Job right in his response? Here is what God had to say to Satan about Job, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Yes, Job was right in his response and truthful when he claimed that God had denied him justice. Job had done no wrong to deserve the treatment God allowed Satan to visit upon him. In the aftermath of Job's suffering, God said to Eliphaz (one of Job's judgmental "friends"), "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has... You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has." Job 42:7-8.
As it turns out, justice was not in view whatsoever, as God used Job to rebuke Satan. This, of course, was something Job and his "friends" had no way of knowing ahead of time. God used Job to show Satan, that unlike him, there are those who will remain faithful to God in spite of whatever suffering and hardship may come into their lives.
However, God did not leave Job without justice in the end. After making his point to Satan and following the suffering Job went through to make God's point, God, afterward, blessed Job. "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former part." Job 42:12.
The error of Job's judgmental friends is an error that is persistent today. While many give lip service to reading their Bibles, somehow there are so many who fail to understand the things of God today. Entire denominations are given to misconceptions of the things of God. On occasion I have had the unfortunate opportunity to encourage those who suffered with illness and other issues while other members in their fellowships piled on with their unwarranted condemnation, adding to their suffering.
We need to learn what Paul explained in Romans 8:35-36, where he quotes Psalm 44:22. In that psalm, the sons of Korah observed their suffering at the hand of God for no wrong of their own. This is not to say that people never suffer for their own sinful activity in this life. We reap what we sow. However, just because someone is suffering, an assumption of sinfulness or lack of faith is unwarranted. We must learn, together with the sons of Korah, "Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." Psalm 44:22.
Perhaps we can avoid the unfounded condemnation of others who are suffering by reading and understanding Psalm 44, Job's story, as well as the other Scriptures to become better informed of the things of God.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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