Devotional Thoughts: Though he slay me, I will hope in him

Onward to Job 13.

Job goes into a thrust and parry mode.

He takes a poke at Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar and says their arguments are not unfamiliar to him.

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.

What Job wants is an audience with God.

But I would speak to the Almighty,
and I desire to argue my case with God.

Job pokes his friends again!

As for you, you whitewash with lies;
worthless physicians are you all.
Oh that you would keep silent,
and it would be your wisdom!

Job switches back to wanting to make his case.

Hear now my argument
and listen to the pleadings of my lips.

He slaps at his friends again.

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.

He demands silence from his friends so he can have the floor to make the case with God.

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.

The phrase that really jumps out at me is Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face. Whoa. Audacious. Chutzpah. Any other words you want to use to describe Job here?

Job straddles that fine line of respect for God ... he realizes he could be zapped on the ground he is standing on ... and intimacy with God ... he wants to get in God's face!

He goes on and demands two things from God ...

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.

Paraphrasing Job by drawing from my own prayer life when sometimes I feel anguish such that all I can barely croak out in prayer is, God I'm in pain (emotional or physical), make it stop, talk to me, listen to me. HELP!

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?

Job knows he isn't a perfect man. He pleads, God, did I mess up somewhere? I know its possible, tell me!

He brings all his doubts to God's feet

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.

To be continued into Job 14 ...

Lord, Job, one of the oldest books in the Bible reads and sounds as real today as prayers anguished believers pray each night as they bring their sorrows to you. God, I have heard words from my mouth no where near as eloquent as Job's words but they come from the same heart. Lord God, grant comfort to those people in my life for whom I know sorrow is their portion at this moment. Grant me some of that blessing too as I face difficulties in day-to-day life. Amen.