WHAT IF GOD EXAMINED YOU?

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“My eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it. What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom. Hear now my argument; listen to the pleas of my lips. Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God? Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal? He would surely call you to account if you secretly showed partiality. Would not his splendor terrify you? Would not the dread of him fall on you? Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.”

“Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may.”

 Job 13:1-13

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In Chapter 12 of Job we saw Job’s emotions boil over as he verbally attacked his friends who had been judging him far more than encouraging him through the words they spoke to him, each during their turn. As Chapter 13 opens, Job shows he isn’t done lashing out.

First, Job asserts that he knows what his friends know. Their attitude toward him had slanted toward them being spiritually superior and more knowledgeable of the ways of God. Job wanted to make it clear that he was not inferior to Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.

But why was Job pleading his case with his friends when it was God he really wanted to speak with? This was the next point Job made. He accused his three friends of smearing him with lies and being terrible at caring for him...referring to them as “worthless physicians”. The best wisdom his friends could offer him would to be silent and let him speak.

You would have thought Job could have left it at that but he continued. He still had things to say to his friends. Did I mention he had boiled over after the third friend, Zophar, finished speaking to him?

For Job felt that his friends were not speaking for God but rather misrepresenting Him, speaking wickedly and deceitfully on His behalf. And why would they be speaking for God at all? Why would they argue the case for God when God could do that fine on His own? Remember that Job wanted a hearing with God to defend himself against the afflictions he was currently suffering from.

Job was about to turn his focus toward God but had one final question for his friends…a question that we all should ponder.  

“Would it turn out well if he examined you?”

In other words, if God would examine his friends, how would they fare? Job felt his friends were deceiving him but he knew if they were truly deceivers, they couldn’t hide that from God, the One from which nothing can be hidden. The judgmental attitude of Job’s friends was directly focused on Job and his shortcomings. We’re all guilty of doing this because it’s easier to point out another person’s weakness and failings than it is looking at our own. An old saying on this topic goes like this:

“Before you start to try and tell someone how to run their business, you had better learn to run your own well first.”

In other words, we all have enough trouble keeping ourselves in order and maybe we should invest our time there first instead of choosing to judge others all the time.   

And so the question remains: If God examined you, what would He find and how would He view you?

In the end, that’s what really matters, isn’t it? Friends can judge you. Family can judge you. Everyone will have their opinion about you. But in reality, no one’s judgment matters except the judgment of God Almighty. Live in His will and way, and He will like what He sees when He looks inside you. Decide to live in sin and turn from His will and way, and you can expect God’s judgment to be upon you for God hates sin and will take whatever action is necessary to ensure His beloved children turn from it and its destructive nature.

And so, what will it be? What choices will you make? Will you commit fully to God as He commits Himself to you?

Make your choice wisely…and remember that God is looking into your heart to see the direction you select.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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