October 2, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Job? Here’s today’s reading:
Job 13 (NIV)
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.…..Continue Reading
Job is saying to his friends that they don`t know anymore than he does and that maybe if they were quiet they would show more wisdom. He goes on to say that God can speak for Himself. He doesn`t need anyone speaking wickedly for Him. They will be accountable to God for their words and attitude of judgement and He will reprove them. Job`s desire is to speak with God and to walk with Him for he says in verse 15. [ Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him, but I will maintain mine own ways before Him.] He asks God to show him his sins and to speak to him. For he realizes his helplessness before God He comes before God in all humility. God bless us all as we come before Him in humility.
15Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;
Job still frustrated with his friends responses, still confused by why this is happening, still holding to the truth that he knows he has done nothing to deserve what is happening still has hope and trust in God. He never claims to be sinless but certainly unlike his friend’s evaluation he knows there is no big sinful secret he is trying to hide from God that he needs to repent from. He starts to seek God in this chapter instead of wanting God to leave him alone. He asks God to speak to him and in all his pain we see him lean back into God in this chapter and ask for God’s counsel to help him understand what he has done.
Verse 15 really hits hard here for me. “Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him.” It pulls me out of the world and reminds me that God’s grace is sufficient for me. Paul is speaking of a specific matter in 2 Cor 12:9, but God has often used that verse to remind me that regardless of my circumstances…His grace is sufficient for me. How could the grace God shows through Christ be anything less than sufficient for us? It is infinitely more than sufficient…and His Spirit helps us see that, even in times of trial!
Worthless physicians all of you!! They were right to say God punishes sin. But wrong to ASSUME that Job’s sufferings was punishment for sin. This gets personal with me. Had 3 friends in the 90’s do this exact thing to many in the congregation. I confronted them and lost their friendship. They left the church with their wrongly judgement doctrine and started their own church. Which failed and so did the doors close to the church they left behind. This knowing all theology has no place in a church
Job 13 Job is fed up with his friends and lets them know it. He calls them worthless physicians. They were wrong to assume Jobs suffering’s were because of sin. It wasn’t up to them to judge Job, something we should remember as Christians it’s not up to us to judge another that’s in God’s hands.
How comforting to know that God is never against us, and even when bringing discipline or undeserved suffering, we know it flows from His love for us and His higher purposes for us. But with all that Job has been through, it makes sense that he would be confused and want to state his case before God. And kudos to Job for recognizing the false accusations coming from his “friends” and being forthright to reject their counsel. It can be challenging to do that when the bottom falls out of our lives. And yet what faith he expresses in verse 15 to say effectively nothing can shake his faith in God. So he turns from his friends to God and looks to Him to bring solace and answers even though He thinks that God is coming after him. He has confidence that he will be vindicated, but just can’t seem to see how. How important it is for us in times like these to keep pressing into God and the 5 Ps that our God makes possible through Jesus Christ.
Job 13
Job 13
Proverbs 20:27 The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being. If we are committed to understanding and following God’s word, he feeds the light of our spirit by revealing himself to us so we can get to know him in a personal, loving way.
Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to reason with God.
But you forgers of lies,
You are all worthless physicians.
Oh, that you would be silent,
And it would be your wisdom!