“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 reason with God. But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians. Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom! Now hear my reasoning, And heed the pleadings of my lips. Will you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him? Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God? Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man? He will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality. Will not His excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you? Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay. “Hold your peace with me, and let me speak” Then let come on me what may! Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hands? Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him. Listen carefully to my speech, And to my declaration with your ears. See now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated. Who is he who will contend with me? If now I hold my tongue, I perish” (Job 13:1-19).
Gracious God, indeed to know You is life eternal! What a difference it makes to trust You knowing that we can be honest and open before You. Thank You for being a personal God, and a friend in every situation! We give You thanks in the precious Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
I chose a lengthy portion of Job’s speech for today’s devotional, because it is the last time we are going to listen to Job speak. In this speech Job will show his credentials, by letting his “friends” know that even though they have undermined him in their speeches, he is in no way, “inferior” to them. Whatever they have said to him, in regards to God, carries no weight. He will let them know how weak, and shallow, and inaccurate, their arguments in the name of God, has been!
Here are some of his very important declarations:
But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians. Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom!
In other words, let me speak to God. I could reason with God, but there is nothing to gain from speaking to you. There is no truth in your words! If you had not opened your mouths, you would have been considered wise!
Will you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him? Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God?
Are you going to speak evil in the name of God? Lie in the name of God? Is this your way of lifting up God? Are you attempting to defend God?
Then he says something that sounds like a warning: Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man? He will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality.
Here you are judging me, but when your day comes, will you pass the test? You will not be able to mock God as you are mocking me. And if you are pretending to exalt God by rebuking me, He will rebuke you!
“Hold your peace with me, and let me speak” Then let come on me what may! Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hands? Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
Be quiet and let me speak. Then let whatever is going to happen, happen! It may seem that I am putting my life in danger because of what I am about to say, but let me defend my own actions before Him. And even if He punishes me for what I say, I will still trust in Him!
He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him.
He will save me, because I do not come before Him as a hypocrite!
I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated.
I am prepared to bring my case before God, because I know that I shall be declared innocent!
To the very end, Job was honest and open before God, because he knew enough about God to trust in His justice!