13:1 Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it. 2 What you know I also know. I am not inferior to you. 3 But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue with God.
Against the insinuations of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar (EBZ), Job very strenuously defends his spiritual insight. In his pre-disaster, pre-sickness days, Job had well understood the theology of the ancients and the tradition of the fathers. But instead of following the remedy offered by EBZ (“Repent and plead for mercy"), he earnestly desires to meet God in court.
The Amplified version translates verse 3 in an interesting way, “Surely I wish to speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue and reason my case with God that He may explain the conflict between what I believe of Him and what I see of Him." There have probably been many times when we have wanted God to explain “the conflict between what we believe of Him and what we see of Him.”
13:4 But you smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians. 5 O that you would be completely silent, and that it would become your wisdom! 6 Please hear my argument, and listen to the contentions of my lips.
“You are putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg!” is what Job thinks of the theological salve offered by EBZ. Instead of “smear with lies” the King James has “But you are forgers of lies…” (Umbreit puts it this way, "...artful twisters of vain speeches"). EBZ so misinterpret Job's plight and so contort both the character of Job and God that Job says their arguments mirror the sign over the old blacksmith's shop, “All kinds of fancy twistings and turnings done here.”
In verses 5-6 note the words “silence” and “hear” and “listen”. We will come back to this when we look at verse 17.
The Message puts the second part of verse 6 this way, “Consider my side of things!” The problem is that in EBZ’s theological box there is no side labeled “The paradox of Job.”
13:7 Will you speak what is unjust for God, and speak what is deceitful for Him? 8 Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God? 9 Will it be well when He examines you? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man? 10 He will surely reprove you, if you secretly show partiality. 11 Will not His majesty terrify you, and the dread of Him fall on you?
Note the words “show partiality” in verses 8 and 10. It is literally “accept faces.” It is the opposite of what the Pharisees commended Jesus for, “You are not a respecter of persons…” The New Living Translation puts verse 10, “No, you will be in trouble with Him if you secretly slant your testimony in His favor.” Judges are not to pay attention to wealth or poverty or to a person’s power or lack thereof. True justice applies the law equally.
13:12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, your defenses are defenses of clay. 13 Be silent before me so that I may speak; then let come on me what may. 14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hands? 15 Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.
Various versions put the beginning of verse 13 this way:
Your wise sayings are only dust
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes
Your remembrances are like unto ashes
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes
Your maxims are proverbs of ashes
Your wise sayings are knickknack wisdom
Your platitudes are as valuable as ashes
Hartley points out that it is probably not coincidental that Job refers to the easily-recited platitudes of EBZ as “proverbs of ashes” while he himself is sitting on a heap of ashes! Hartley also writes, “Maxims are popular and pithy sayings that are easily remembered…Job refers to them as ‘answers of clay’: before the truth their wisdom will crumble like a ceramic pot.”
We will comment on verse 15 at the end, but note again the legal language at the end of the verse (and throughout this chapter).
13:16 This also will be my salvation, for a godless man may not come before His presence. 17 Listen carefully to my speech, and let my declaration {fill} your ears. 18 Behold now, I have prepared my case; I know that I will be vindicated. 19 Who will contend with me? For then I would be silent and die.
There is an art to listening well, but unfortunately a lot of us are not very good at it. We at times have already formulated a response before the person speaking is even finished. Or half way into the conversation we tune out the other individual and wonder when they will be finished (so that we can tell them our story). Listening well takes energy and implies that we value the individual. I think Jesus loved listening (really listening) to people and their stories and their problems. That’s probably one of the reasons why they found Him so different from the other religious teachers of the day.
Notice the cry of Job’s heart in these verses:
13:5 O that you would be completely silent, and that it would become your wisdom!
13:6 Please hear my argument, and listen to the contentions of my lips.
13:13 Be silent before me so that I may speak; then let come on me what may.
13:17 Listen carefully to my speech, and let my declaration {fill} your ears.
In verse 17 he ardently pleads, Listen DILIGENTLY (carefully, closely, attentively are words used in other versions). Hartley writes, “(Job wants them to listen) without missing a single word. He knows that partial attention leads to misunderstanding and wrong conclusions.”
Determine to genuinely listen to someone today. Don’t talk about your problems; just listen thoughtfully to their difficulties. You can bring a great blessing to someone’s life by being a genuine listener.
13:20 Only two things do not do to me, then I will not hide from Thy face: 21 Remove Thy hand from me, and let not the dread of Thee terrify me. 22 Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, then reply to me. 23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Make known to me my rebellion and my sin. 24 Why dost Thou hide Thy face, and consider me Thine enemy? 25 Wilt Thou cause a driven leaf to tremble? Or wilt Thou pursue the dry chaff? 26 For Thou dost write bitter things against me, and dost make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth. 27 Thou dost put my feet in the stocks, and dost watch all my paths; Thou dost set a limit for the soles of my feet, 28 While I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
The crux of the entire book is found in the first part of verse 24, “Why dost Thou hide Thy face (from me)…” The word “face” is found more than 70 times in this remarkable book, 6 times in this chapter alone. Hartley states, “A person’s countenance reveals his basic attitude toward another person.” And Francis I Anderson writes, “It is the hiddenness of God that is horrifying him.”
In verse 25 Job asks, “Wilt Thou cause a driven leaf to tremble?” Many years ago I had the opportunity of going out into the woods in the fall to go leaf hunting for our daughters’ school projects. We pursued leaves! But Job wonders why the God of the universe would pursue him (a dried up leaf) so unrelentingly!
The chapter doesn’t exactly finish on a high note, “While I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.” Translation? “In the end he lived miserably ever after.”
But in the midst of the misery and maggots a faith explosion takes place! In verse 15 Job’s heart shines brilliantly before our eyes, “Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him!!!” It is one of the most famous verses found in this wonderful book (and perhaps in the entire Bible).
Though He slay me (and it certainly looks like He will), yet I will hope in Him! In our Christian life we can either have an “If/Then” or a “Though/Yet” attitude. In Genesis chapter 28 God had just made a breathtaking promise to Jacob. The patriarch then responded to this promise by saying, "IF God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father's house in safety, THEN the LORD will be my God (Genesis 28:20-21).
IF….THEN. If God does A & B & C for me, then I will do X & Y & Z for Him. But Job’s attitude was exceedingly different, “Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him!” The prophet Habakkuk had that same spirit, “THOUGH the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines, {though} the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls, YET I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:17-18).
Determine to be a “Though/Yet” Christian.
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