Surely God will never do wickedly, nor the Almighty pervert justice. Who gave Him charge over the earth? Or who appointed Him over the whole world? If He should set His heart on it, if He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. “If you have understanding hear this; listen to the sound of My words: Should one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn Him who is most just? Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,?’ And to nobles, ‘You are wicked?’ Yet He is not partial to princes, nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; for they are all the work of His hands…” Job 34: 12-19, NKJV.
Dear God, as we look into Your Word, our prayer is that You will speak directly to our hearts. In the name of Jesus we humbly pray. Amen.
Today, we are going to look at only one statement made by Job, in his response to Eliphaz’s second discourse. I considered it sufficiently significant, to dedicate some time; to dig a little deeper into it, “O earth, do not cover my blood; let my outcry find no resting place” (Job 16: 18). I found it worthy of mention, that in the first book of the Bible; in the last book of the Bible, and in the very center, of the Bible, mention is made of the spilled blood of martyrs, crying out to God from the ground! I get the feeling that Job considers himself a martyr; as many of us often do.
Let us take a look at Genesis 4: 10, NRSV, “…Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!’ ” The Bible says that God had respect unto Abel’s offering, but unto the offering of his brother Cain, he did not. As a result, we find the same spirit of destruction that the Adversary manifested toward Job, at work in Cain. He lifts his hand and murders his brother! What was Abel’s crime? He was blessed of God, as he lived in obedience to the will of God! Consider the words of 2 Timothy 3: 12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Who is behind all persecution? The Adversary!
Let us now turn to Revelation 6: 10, “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony they had given; they cried out with a loud voice, ‘Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before [Y]ou judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?’ ” Emphasis provided. Under the ceremonial law, when an animal was slaughtered as the sin offering, after its blood was applied to the horns of the altar, the blood that remained, was poured at the base of the altar. Symbolically, in the Book of Revelation, the blood of the martyrs who were slaughtered because of their obedience to God, was crying out from beneath the altar.
Job joins these martyrs, and asks God not to allow the earth to swallow, or silent, the voice of of his blood. Do not allow my suffering to go unnoticed! Along with the cry of martyrs who had gone before, and those who would come after, him; along with those who had, and would, suffer innocently; he pleaded with God, to let his cry go to the ends of the earth!
Our world has witnessed the shedding of much innocent blood. Many unfair wars have been waged, and the blood of many innocent victims have been crying out to God to bring about justice! Many have died without seeing justice being served. Maybe some of us have felt like martyrs. We feel as if we have been poured out as a drink offering! Let us take heart! God is still on the throne; and the blood of the innocent still speaks! And God is not deaf!
We will continue!