25 ¶
Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
26 They are passed away as the swift
ships: as the eagle that hasteth 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 thou wilt not hold me
innocent. 29 If I be wicked, why then
labour I in vain? 30 If I wash myself
with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; 31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and
mine own clothes shall abhor me. 32 For
he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together
in judgment. 33 Neither is there any
daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. 34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let
not his fear terrify me: 35 Then would I
speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
Job’s life is
passing in front of his eyes, so to speak, and he feels there is nothing left
for him to look forward to in his despair. Job goes beyond complaining to God
and begins complaining about God. It is enough that he complains about his
suffering because he is suffering horribly. Time goes by fast and at the end of
life it seems like you had five minutes rather than 30 or 90 years. It is
pointless to tell Job to forget about his sorrow and comfort himself because
his troubles are too heavy for him. Grief and pain are terrible burdens to bear
and can consume a person.
He says he
doesn’t believe God will ever justify him and restore him to his former
condition in verse 28. Wicked or not, Job, in his friend’s eyes, looks wicked.
Why waste time being wicked? If he tries to cleanse himself in the purest of
water God will dump him into a filthy ditch and his own clothes will be
disgusted by him. Here is a good example, even though this is spoken of in
Job’s bitterness, of the futility of attempting to justify yourself before God.
But literally, Job is merely saying that he can’t win. His friends won’t have
pity on him and neither will God.
Job complains
that God is not a man he can confront. We have a demand that Job often repeats
that he would fare better if he could face God man to man and reason with Him.
God also stated a desire to reason with His people.
He made this
statement to His people, the Hebrews, promising them good things and prosperity
if they simply obeyed Him.
Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins
be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool.
Man has had God
face to face in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Job laments that there is no
intermediary for him. We have that intermediary between us and God.
1Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a
ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Job is
beginning to talk about God as his enemy, wishing that there was a judge between
him and God that would prevent the damage being done and stating that then Job
would not be afraid, as he is now.
How many
Christians have defiantly, or even jokingly said, “when I see God I’ve got some
questions I want answered!” Really? You think so?
Well, ask those
questions now of the testimony that God has left you in His Book. You are
reasoning with the Lord Jesus Christ through His Book, giving you the answers
you seek if you will only open your heart.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and
of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart. 13 Neither is there any creature
that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the
eyes of him with whom we have to do.
If you don’t
believe the written word is alive and connected with God then read these cross
references and think.
Romans 9:17
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I
raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be
declared throughout all the earth.
Now, see God
speaking through Moses in Exodus 9.
16
And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in
thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
And here,
speaking of Abraham.
Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would
justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham,
saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Referencing
these words of God Himself speaking prophetically to Abraham.
Genesis 12:3
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:
and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Is the
Scripture being likened to God Himself?
For you
Greekophile funnymentalists (fundamentalists), as Ruckman calls you, the same
Greek word, Logos, used for Christ as the Word, capital W, is translated as
word (little w) in Hebrews 4:12, so the translators, under the inspiration
given by God, knew that that verse was a reference to God’s written word as
synonymous with God’s Living Word, Jesus Christ. Think about it for awhile.
Now, Jesus
Christ is the intermediary between man and God, the judge Job wishes for.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Because of Him
we can come boldly before God’s throne.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Job is stepping
further and further into that error of hardening oneself against God. You see,
the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom and knowledge.
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding
have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise
wisdom and instruction.
And Godly fear
is reverence.
Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot
be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence
and godly fear:
And awe.
Psalm 33:8
Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world
stand in awe of him.
We, as
Christians, are called upon to submit to each other in that fear.
Ephesians 5:21 ¶ Submitting yourselves one to another in the
fear of God.
But Job has the
fear and dread of the Lord of one that is being judged and knows it. He wishes
God had left him alone and not singled him out for this horrible time of
suffering and what his friends are calling judgment.
Isaiah 8:13
Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let
him be your dread.
Revelation 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great
men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every
bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the
mountains; 16 And said to the mountains
and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the
throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
We are learning
a great lesson here if we will hear it.
As Job’s
torment begins to twist him into viewing God as his enemy and regretting God’s
power over him, the Christian must ask him or herself if they are living their
lives in a way that they can be rightly said to be living in the awe and
reverence, the Godly fear of the Lord. Remember, Job is innocent of specific
wrongdoing to merit this particular punishment. But, is the Christian living their
life, although saved, as an enemy of God, as a subject of God’s judgment and
vengeance, as Job is accused of by his friends, living in the fear and in the
dread of God because of their carnal and sinful behavior?
Remember, proud,
selfish, and haughty Christian, God can take everything you have from you on
this earth, your children, your family, and your substance, just to make you
have to look up. It’s time to wake up before that happens.
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