Continuing a Bible study of Job, Job speaks after his friend insinuates that he is not a totally righteous man and may have brought judgment on himself.
(Job 9:1) Then Job answered and said, (2) "Truly I know it is so, but how should man be just with God?"
Job knows that what had been said before is true, probably the basic premise that God does not pervert justice. But if that is the true basis for God's judgment on him regarding all the calamities that have befallen him, how could he, as mortal sinful man, ever be considered just with Almighty God?
(3) "If he contends with Him, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. (4) God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?"
Job knows that he could not win a battle of judgment and justice with Almighty God, and by saying this, I believe he is telling his friends that that was not his intention in what he had said.
(5) "Who removes the mountains, and they do not know, when He overturns them in His anger; (6) Which shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble;"
With these words, Job is demonstrating how utterly vain it would be for him, mere mortal man, to contend with God who moves mountains and causes earthquakes.
(7) "Who commands the sun, and it does not rise; and who seals off the stars; (8) Who alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea; (9) Who made Arcturus, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;"
Job continues with a description of all the great and powerful things that God does to prove that he knows he could never pretend to contend with God. Arcturus is the constellation of the Great Bear.
(10) "Who does great things beyond explanation, yes, and wonders without number. (11) Lo, He goes by me, and I do not see Him; He moves past, but I do not perceive Him; (12) If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, 'What are You doing?' (13) God will not withdraw His anger, the helpers of the proud lie prostrate under Him. (14) How much less can I answer Him, and choose my words to reason with Him?"
The old commentaries vary slightly on what was meant by the helpers of the proud. They may have been as mighty as "they who bear up the world" and even they bow down. Or perhaps helpers are all the things on which proud men rely, as wealth, health, rank, and talent. In any event, if even those men lie under Him, how would someone as feeble as Job now was ever presume to contend with God?
(15) "Though I were righteous, I would not answer Him; but I would make supplication to my Judge."
Even if Job were truly of the utmost righteousness, he would never presume to argue his case against God, but he would approach Him as a sinner comes before the righteous Judge, and prayerfully ask for His mercy. What a beautiful picture this is of how we should approach God in times of trouble. Not with arrogance and shaking our fists. We sometimes want to feel we have been wronged by God, but Job realized that was not possible. God is the supreme righteous Judge and His ways are so far above our ways that we cannot always understand that they are better. In this sinful fallen world, with sinful people often choosing to follow the prince of this world, bad things are bound to happen to us. Whether God acts or whether He allows others to act, He WILL work all things together for good, if we would just seek to follow Him. If we could honestly have complete faith in the infallible righteous judgment of our Lord, we could truly live without fear in any situation.
But Job teaches us there is more than just living without fear because we have faith. This is where I think present-day "Word of Faith" followers miss the mark. Well, I think they miss the mark in several ways; I think their faith is placed on the wrong things. They begin to have faith in their faith. If only THEY had enough faith, they would get what they ask for. They get so focused on the THING they have faith in getting, even if it is a noble thing, such as the health of a loved one, that they forget THE ONE who should be the object of their faith and focus. If we have faith in HIM, we don't have to worry about all the THINGS, because we have faith He will take care of those things. He already said He would take care of our needs! He may not take care of all our wants, and it really makes me uncomfortable when some people presume to know what God WANTS! The only thing I can say for certain that He wants, is that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth! And because His ways are higher than our ways, is it not possible that He might allow sickness and/or death of a loved one, if it might bring that person or those witnessing it to salvation? What is the ONE thing God wants? That we are saved! Not that we should all live perfect healthy prosperous lives. Yes, there are scriptures that say He wants us to prosper, but what does that mean to the Almighty Savior God of the universe? Once again, He sees things that we cannot see and knows things we cannot know, so if we just place our faith in Him, rather than the object of our desire, we don't have to worry about how He will work it out; we can just know with certainty that He will work it for good.
I often think of a story in John when people in the faith movement try to tell me they KNOW that God wants this or that healing. Remember the man blind from birth? The disciples wanted to know who had sinned that he should be born blind, him or his parents. Jesus answered neither, but that the works of God be revealed in him. I can't help but picture some word-of-faither approaching this man's parents when he was a baby and telling them that he KNOWS the will of God is that their baby should see and not be blind...and that would be wrong. It was NOT the will of God that that baby or later that young child should see, but that God be manifest in him when Jesus performed the miracle of restoring his sight when he was grown. How many people may have been saved by witnessing that miracle at that time?! Yet "faithers" presume to know the will of God?
Job did not presume anything with regard to Almighty God. He would never venture to argue a case of his innocence before Him, but he WOULD make a plea to Him, the righteous Judge. This is where we can all learn a good lesson from Job. Job had tremendous reverence and awe for his God; he did not question HIM, but he knew he could make supplication to Him. There is a difference!
Very recently something has been laid upon my heart, before I came to this part of my study. I have learned to walk in faith in many things. We have been through so many personal trials and have seen God carry us through, making a way when we didn't see one, that it has become easy to trust Him. But I don't want to ever take Him for granted. I want to have a thankful reverential heart in awe of His wonders and mercy. Job had that.
(16) "If I had called and He had answered me, I would not believe that He had hearkened to my voice."
I believe this is referring back to verse 14 and the first part of 15, when Job said he would not presume to contend with God. The original word translated as "called" here is "qara" and its meaning rather paints a picture of one accosting another in an aggressive manner. So I don't believe Job is referring to his supplication here.
(17) "For He breaks me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause. (18) He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness. (19) If I speak of strength, lo, He is strong; and if of judgment, who will appoint my day in court? (20) If I justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me; if I say I am perfect, it will also prove me perverse. (21) If I were perfect, I would still not know my soul; I would despise my life. (22) It is all one thing; therefore I say, 'He destroys the pious and the wicked.' (23) If the scourge slays suddenly, He will laugh at the trial of the innocent. (24) The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges; if it is not He, where and who is it?"
All these things are to say that Job cannot contend with God and it would be useless to try. God is mightier than man in anything he may attempt to do to justify himself.
(25) "Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good. (26) They pass away as the swift ships, as the eagle hastens to the prey. (27) If I say, 'I will forget my complaint; I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself', (28) I am afraid of all my sorrows; I know that You will not hold me innocent."
I think the idea here is even if Job were to try to be cheerful and "forget his troubles", he knew God could bring the sorrows back because as the righteous Judge, He would not just make them disappear if Job were guilty. Once again, it's just an illustration of how there is nothing Job can do against an Almighty God.
(29) "If I am wicked, why then do I labor in vain? (30) If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands ever so clean, (31) Yet You will plunge me into the pit, and my own clothes will abhor me. (32) For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him and that we should come together in judgment. (33) Nor is there any mediator between us, who may lay his hand on us both. (34) Let Him take His rod away from me, and do not let His fear terrify me; (35) Then I would speak and not fear Him, but it is not so with me."
There is absolutely nothing that Job can do to defend himself against Almighty God. If He were to take away this perfection in righteous almighty judgment, this awesome power, His very God-ness, maybe then Job could speak with him, presumably as more of an equal, but it is not so.
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