Job 12

The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth

Do not be afraid. We hear God and his angels say this so often when they appear in the Biblical narrative that one wonders if perhaps it is the standard greeting in Heaven. But I think this phrase has another application. Job accuses his friends of lying in order to defend God. I think this is a challenge we should receive as Christians today… and every day, for that matter.

How often are we tempted to soften God’s truth. We like to shave off the corners, and sand down the rough edges until we’ve taken the brick for building and turned into a smooth river stone. God does not need our defence. Especially if we are going to misrepresent Him. That judgement will get overturned on appeal anyway.

God flooded the world, drowning almost the entire earth’s population.

God killed the guy who touched the ark, who was only trying to help.

God authorized the slaughter of the Canaanites, He created, He destroys.

God chose to bless and use people who were terrible, like Saul or Saul.

God doesn’t want us to like Him, He wants us to understand who He is. So don’t bother trying to win people to kinder, gentler, fuzzier god… that is NOT the God who created the universe. Once you start changing God so that He better fits our contemporary ideas of what a god should be, you are headed down the slippery slope of preaching what the Apostle Paul calls “another gospel”.

The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth. So help me God.

Job 12-14 | 022/365

On Mockery of God

During one monologue Job claims his innocence while insisting that God is far off and indifferent to the suffering of the righteous, or even enjoying it. In response his friend, Zophar, says — basically — “You want God to speak? Well, clearly He has!” He then goes on to say, quite forthrightly, that Job is mocking God. This is a serious accusation, and one that the Apostle Paul would address a great many years later, writing in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (NIV)

The natural question, then is, what does it mean to ‘mock God’? Well, classically we would think it means any one — or combination of — the following; disrespect, dishonour, willful ignorance, ridicule, defiance, contempt, or hostility. These are typically the actions of the non-believer, and we do see Job wrestling with what has happened and trying to understand God’s actions and motivations, I don’t see these particular verbs happening in Job’s speech.

It is the desire of Job’s heart to talk with God, even going so far as to ask for a mediator. He is seeking understanding in a time of immense suffering. This is normal. And talking through our emotions is often a helpful catharsis. But…

Not all mockery happens by outsiders. American Preacher Charles G. Finley wrote, “To mock God is to pretend to love and serve him when we do not; to act in a false manner, to be insincere and hypocritical in our professions, pretending to obey him, love, serve, and worship him, when we do not. . . . Mocking God grieves the Holy Spirit, and sears the conscience; and thus the bands of sin become stronger and stronger. The heart becomes gradually hardened by such a process.”

I think this is a good opportunity to examine our hearts and ask God to come and do a work in the secret place, the most inner parts of us that we keep hidden away from the world.

Lord, have your way in every part of me. Break my flesh. Lead me into all righteousness. Help me rid my life of the sin that seeks to destroy me. Thank you, Jesus.

Job 8-12 | 021/365