1 "My eyes have seen all this,
my ears have heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3 But I desire to speak to the Almighty
and to argue my case with God.
4 You, however, smear me with lies;
you are worthless physicians, all of you!
5 If only you would be altogether silent!
For you, that would be wisdom.
6 Hear now my argument;
listen to the plea of my lips.
7 Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf?
Will you speak deceitfully for him?
8 Will you show him partiality?
Will you argue the case for God?
9 Would it turn out well if he examined you?
Could you deceive him as you might deceive men?
10 He would surely rebuke you
if you secretly showed partiality.
11 Would not his splendor terrify you?
Would not the dread of him fall on you?
12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
your defenses are defenses of clay.
13 "Keep silent and let me speak;
then let come to me what may.
14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy
and take my life in my hands?
15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;
I will surely defend my ways to his face.
16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,
for no godless man would dare come before him!
17 Listen carefully to my words;
let your ears take in what I say.
18 Now that I have prepared my case,
I know I will be vindicated.
19 Can anyone bring charges against me?
If so, I will be silent and die.
20 "Only grant me these two things, O God,
and then I will not hide from you:
21 Withdraw your hand far from me,
and stop frightening me with your terrors.
22 Then summon me and I will answer,
or let me speak, and you reply.
23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed?
Show me my offense and my sin.
24 Why do you hide your face
and consider me your enemy?
25 Will you torment a windblown leaf?
Will you chase after dry chaff?
26 For you write down bitter things against me
and make me inherit the sins of my youth.
27 You fasten my feet in shackles;
you keep close watch on all my paths
by putting marks on the soles of my feet.
28 "So man wastes away like something rotten,
like a garment eaten by moths.
Side Notes:
vs 4 Job was comparing his friends to physicians that didn't know what they were doing. It's like they were eye surgeons trying to perform open-heart surgery. Many of their ideas about God were right (God is just, God does punish sin...) but they did not apply to Job's situation. They were wrong to assume that Job's suffering was a punishment for his sin. They took a true principle and applied it wrongly, ignoring the vast differences in human circumstances. We must be careful and compassionate in how we apply Biblical condemnations to others...we must be slow to judge!
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5 comments:
Sorry it took me so long to get the scripture on here! Let the discussions begin :)
I just typed out a really long response and had trouble posting it.......grr......So here it goes again. Job sounds very defensive to me. He's telling his friends in no uncertain terms that they have no right to accuse him of anything. However, I'm not so sure Job believes that. I think he knows that he is innocent. He can't think of anything he's done wrong. (vs. 18)However, in vs. 23 Job asks God to show him his offenses. In other words, Job is assuming that while he can't think of anything he's done that's wrong, he thinks he must have done something to make God mad. Secondly, in vs. 24, Job asks the proverbial question most of us want to know when we are suffering......."God, where are you?" And that perhaps more than any other question will test our faith. Will we trust in God when we can't see Him, can't feel Him and have no idea what He's doing or "where he's at"?
The fact is that sometimes we do experience difficulties because of sinful choices we've made and it would be a mistake to dismiss our pain without trying to get at the root cause. But we cannot assume that our pain or somoene else's pain is always related to sinful choices either we or they have committed.
Secondly, we need to remember that God is always present.........even when we can't see Him.
There really is very little in the book of Job that makes sense to me. Job was doing everything right and God gave Satan permission to torment him? And for what purpose? Clearly this is a case where God's ways are not my ways, because if one of my kids were doing everything right.......I'm not sure I would hand them over to be tormented just to prove their faithfulness to me. Obviously, God had a better reason. It just hasn't occured to me yet to know what it is.
Vs 5 reminds me of the old saying... "If you can't saying something nice, don't say anything at all." It popped right into my head as soon as I read it. And while it's probably not quite what Job is getting at, it rings true to me along with what the side note says about being careful about how we apply biblical condemnations to others.
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We had another ultrasound today and my cervix has not gotten any shorter, it is the same as Friday, which at this point is good. The perinatologist (spelling?) was going to recommend progesterone shots, one more week of hosp bed rest w/ another u/s for cervical length and then if nothing changed bedrest at home if I can comply with the restrictions there. So we will see what my OB says tomorrow when I see him.
Thanks again for the prayers. We are very thankful for the support. Doc told me today that every day in the womb is two less days in the NICU for premature babies, so we are very thankful for each day.
I liked what you both had to say...Betty I liked all your insight...thank you for sharing! How about vs 15:
"Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;
I will surely defend my ways to his face."
It almost sounds as though Job knows that it's not really God putting him through this...that there must be someone else doing this...just by the way he states that he will still hope in Him. I don't know...I just thought this verse was pretty powerful...I didn't even have this verse in my notes from the first time...I think it's amazing how God points out different verses to you at different times that your read His Word. We have to keep that hope that Job has demonstrated to us when we face trials...trials of any kind. And Anna...I kinda got the same thing you did from verses 4-5...none of us should be quick to accuse! And I have said it before...sometimes I feel like Job and would like that face to face meeting with God to ask Him why...but I'm sure when I do get it...it won't really matter!
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Anna...so glad to hear that everything is going good so far...let's get that baby to at least 28 weeks! One of our favorite NICU nurses told us one time that she feels very comfortable when a baby comes at 28 weeks....sure they are little but they usually do very well...so...tell that little baby...28 weeks (or more!) :) And I don't know why but looking at the ultrasound I think you're having a little boy...but I'm always wrong...the ultrasound is so cute...if you all haven't checked it out make sure to click on Anna's name and then click on her blog...those ultrasounds now days are amazing! We still continue to pray for you every day!
Ali I liked vs 15 too. I liked that Job still had hope... hope that God had not forsaken him, hope that there was an explanation for what was happening to him, and just hope in God...
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Posting the official update after talking to the Doc on my blog today.
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