John W. Ritenbaugh
11/28/2017
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“For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court and judgment together.
“There is no arbitrator between us,
Who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were].
“Let Him take His rod away from me,
And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.
“Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself. Job 9:32-35
As early as Job 9:32-35, Job complains that what he is enduring is completely and totally unfair and that God is wrong in permitting it to occur. The Revised English Bible clearly exposes at least an irritation against God, showing that Job, despite admitting that God is far greater, feels a measure of equality with Him!
God is not as I am, not someone I can challenge, and say, "Let us confront one another in court." If only there were one to arbitrate between us and impose his authority on us both, so that God might take his rod from my back, and terror of him might not come on me suddenly. I should then speak out without fear of him, for I know I am not what I am thought to be.
Despite being aware that a vast difference exists between God and man, Job
is nonetheless unaware of how immeasurably different the reality is, shown in
his willingness to stand with God before an umpire who would hear both sides
of the case! He wants to be heard, not realizing he has no case to argue at
all! He truly deserves nothing but death. At this point, Job is not yet overly
concerned about God's right to do with him as He sees fit, but rather he
is disturbed that God has not intervened and vindicated him before his
accusing friends.
Job's complaint also reveals that he thought of
sin merely in terms of an unrighteous act. He does not yet grasp that sin is
more than a transgression of a code; it is a breaking of our covenant
relationship with God that distorts life itself. Sin is the distortion, and
whether it is an act visible on the outside or one of heart and motivation,
the relationship with God is damaged because all sin is against Him. Jeremiah 17:9 reads,
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know
it?"
To speak or act of sin as though it is of no account to God, as
though He is indifferent to it, to disclaim responsibility, strikes at the
very core of our relationship with Him. This is what Job was doing in claiming
that God did not care about him. The reality is that God was putting Job
through this rigorous trial because He did care and did not want to lose the
relationship with him.
Job's trial thus becomes a witness to us of
the vast difference between God and us. Besides God's being eternal spirit
and our being flesh, the greatest difference between Him and us is in our
hearts. Jesus points out in Matthew 15:18-20 that
sin begins in the heart. It is man's heart that needs changing. For one
thing, its pride needs to be wrung from it.
— John W. Ritenbaugh
Read more from The Berean, here
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