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Job Continues: Still I Will Hope in God
13 “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 argue my case with God.
As for you, you whitewash with lies;
worthless physicians are you all.
Oh that you would keep silent,
and it would be your wisdom!
Hear now my argument
and listen to the pleadings of my lips.
Will you speak falsely for God
and speak deceitfully for him?
Will you show partiality toward him?
Will you plead the case for God?
Will it be well with you when he searches you out?
Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?
He will surely rebuke you
if in secret you show partiality.
Will not his majesty terrify you,
and the dread of him fall upon you?
Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
your defenses are defenses of clay.
“Let me have silence, and I will speak,
and let come on me what may.
Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
and put my life in my hand?
Though he slay me, I will hope in him;
yet I will argue my ways to his face.
This will be my salvation,
that the godless shall not come before him.
Keep listening to my words,
and let my declaration be in your ears.
Behold, I have prepared my case;
I know that I shall be in the right.
Who is there who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.
Only grant me two things,
then I will not hide myself from your face:
withdraw your hand far from me,
and let not dread of you terrify me.
Then call, and I will answer;
or let me speak, and you reply to me.
How many are my iniquities and my sins?
Make me know my transgression and my sin.
Why do you hide your face
and count me as your enemy?
Will you frighten a driven leaf
and pursue dry chaff?
For you write bitter things against me
and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
You put my feet in the stocks
and watch all my paths;
you set a limit for the soles of my feet.
Man wastes away like a rotten thing,
like a garment that is moth-eaten.
(ESV)
Job 13 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
I want to build on what Hank has written here with a few thoughts. If it’s true that the enduring attitude of a believer is a great threat to everything the enemy is trying to do, I would argue that Satan’s mentality is to pit us against God’s sovereignty. If he can convince us that God is the source of our suffering, and even more, convince us that God doesn’t love us, then he has won. There is a great battle that takes place in the hearts and minds of each person when they face trials and suffering.
If you notice, Job and his friends have been completely focused on God as the source of the suffering. There has been no mention of Satan or the enemy. We know of his involvement because of his request to torture Job with all these afflictions. I would argue this is Step 1 on the enemy’s protocol.
The enemy must convince the believer that God is the source of their suffering so that they will lose trust, hope, and faith. They redirect the focus away from this world, their sin, and the demonic forces of evil so that they begin to blame God for everything. How many people have you known who asks the question, “If God is so good, why does He allow suffering in this world?”
As believers, we know that God does allow suffering. But the absolute truth we must cling to is that His purposes are far greater than we could ever imagine. When we are placed in a position such as Job, we arrive at the crossroads of our faith. We can choose to lose trust in God, or we can choose, as Hank has written, to trust Him despite.
Even if He kills me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways before Him.
Job 13:15 HCSB
“Job 13:15 is almost the greatest sentence ever uttered by mortal lips! Let us ask for grace to affirm it.”
F.B. Meyer
These thoughts are so counter-cultural. They make zero sense to the world. They require the gift of faith to understand. But this is just like God. He would send His Son to be tortured, beaten, and killed for people who deserve eternal punishment. It’s radical and offensive. It’s grace.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Ephesians 1:18-21 NASB