Page 21 - Reading Job to Know God

Chapter 2:10 his wife tells him to “Curse God and die”, but he said to her,
“You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept
good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this, “Job did not sin with
his lips”.
Job was patient, at least at first. Later on in the book he becomes very
inpatient, but he starts off seemingly at peace. God gave it; God took it
away; “Blessed be the name of the Lord”.
It almost doesn’t seem possible, but the kind of deep rooted self-
righteousness of Job can often be strengthened and more deeply set by
outward displays of patience. Being or acting patient, while all hell is
breaking lose, can appear to be great virtue. “What a great man!” He was
great in adversity. He was great in his fortunes. And now he is great in his
misfortunes. When the blessing came on him he was a great man. He said
God gave me all this. Then it is all removed, and he is still a great man.
He says look how patiently I am bearing all this. I am a great man of God.
So patience actually bolstered his self-righteousness. God had to take him
beyond that, and Job had to go through some deeper waters.

THE TRUE THEME OF JOB
All of these dealings, with all of the severity in Job’s life, brought him to
two conclusions. If you miss these conclusions you may never get the
true theme of Job. Number 1: I am righteous. I have not done anything
wrong. I do not deserve what is coming upon me. I do not deserve this
trouble. Number 2: God is my enemy. He could not be my friend and do
all of this to me. Now let me show you a couple of verses to back this up.
Chapter 30:21. Job says:
“You have become cruel to me; With the might of Your hand You
persecute me.”
Then chapter 33 verse 10,
"Behold, He invents pretexts against me; He counts me as His enemy.
He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches all my paths.”

Chapter 31, beginning at verse 35. Same thing!
“Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature; let the
Almighty answer me! And the indictment which my adversary has
written, (He’s referring to God) surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
I would bind it to myself like a crown. I would declare to Him the
number of my steps; Like a prince I would approach Him.”

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