In our study of Job chapter thirteen, we see the dangers of self righteous thinking. We see how Job's defense of himself to his friends has led to a self righteous attitude. This attitude is the opposite of humility and prevents us from seeing the need for God's grace and mercy.
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"All this I have seen with my own eyes; with my own ears I have heard and understood it. Whatever you know, I know too; I am not inferior to you.
Job continues to answer his so-called friends by telling them that they have not told him anything new.
However, it's Shaddai I want to speak with; I want to prove my case to God. But you, what you do is whitewash with lies; you are all witch doctors! I wish you would just stay silent; for you, that would be wisdom! "Now listen to my reasoning, pay attention to how I present my dispute.
He goes on by explaining that it would be better if they would just shut up and listen. Now, we see Job go further down the wrong path as he says that they should listen while he reasons with God. This attitude that he has something to tell God as if God doesn't already know everthing is wrong but his friends are not grounded enough in their faith and the word of God to steer him back to a proper understanding of God's grace and mercy.
Is it for God's sake that you speak so wickedly? for him that you talk deceitfully? Do you need to take his side and plead God's case for him? If he examines you, will all go well? Can you deceive him, as one man deceives another? If you are secretly flattering [him], he will surely rebuke you. Doesn't God's majesty terrify you? Aren't you overcome with dread of him? Your maxims are garbage-proverbs; your answers crumble like clay.
Job speaks of the fact that God does not need these three men to defend his actions and he goes on to question their motives. He asks them why they do not have a healthy fear of God and that seems like a very relative question for all of us today.
"So be quiet! Let me be! I'll do the talking, come on me what may! Why am I taking my flesh in my teeth, taking my life in my hands? Look, he will kill me - I don't expect more, but I will still defend my ways to his face. And this is what will save me -that a hypocrite cannot appear before him.
Job says that he knows that he is taking his life into his own hands but he presumes to defend himself before God and that is the heart of the problem. You see, his friends had the opportunity to tell Job that we are all in the same situation and we are all guilty of sin. Because of this fact, nobody can go before God and defend themselves. The only proper action before God is to plead guilty and trest in his grace and mercy.
"Listen closely, then, to my words; pay attention to what I am saying. Here, now, I have prepared my case; I know I am in the right. If anyone can contend with me, I will be quiet and die!
We see that Job thinks that he can justify himself before God and that is very wrong. The only way that anyone every has or ever will be justified is through the blood of Yeshua Messiah. We also see that, a few chapters ago, Job was wishing he could just die but now he gives the fear of death as the reason that he cannot be quiet before God.
"Only grant two things to me, God; then I won't hide myself from your face - take your hand away from me, and don't let fear of you frighten me. Then, if you call, I will answer. Or let me speak, and you, answer me!
Job puts down a couple of ground rules for this meeting with God and that is that God will stop torturing him and remove the fear of reprisal from him. We see, once again, the fact that Job has gone down the wrong path of thinking as he presumes to make demands on God.
How many crimes and sins have I committed? Make me know my transgression and sin. Why do you hide your face and think of me as your enemy? Do you want to harass a wind-driven leaf? do you want to pursue a dry straw? Is this why you draw up bitter charges against me and punish me for the faults of my youth? You put my feet in the stocks, you watch me closely wherever I go, you trace out each footprint of mine though [my body] decays like something rotten or like a moth-eaten garment.
Job starts to plead his case with God and sorta asks for a list of charges against him and, in a way, he admits that he may have done some things in his youth that were not right. This gives us a little bit of hope for Job as at least he recognizes that he has committed sins in the past. To me (before I accepted Jesus as my Lord and savior) it would have been absolutely terrifying to think of going before God and asking for a list of my sins. That is what brought me to repentance and the knowledge of the need for God's grace and mercy. Here, it is so sad that Job did not have godly friends who could have steered him away from this self-righteous thinking and back to the need for God's grace and mercy.
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