Today in God's Word—June 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
June 2, Job 7
“If I sin, what do I do to you, watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you? Why do you not pardon my transgressions and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be."
- Job 7:20-21
Sometimes people ask ministers questions about some tragedy they have experienced or some difficult thing they’re about to face. My heart goes out to such folks who bear their heavy burden and suffer tragic loss. I feel so sad for them when they ask one or both of these common questions: “Am I being punished for some wrong I've done?” Or, "Do you think God will forgive me for what I've done?”
A healthy understanding of and appreciation for the gospel helps answer those sad questions. The great central fact of the gospel is that Christ bore the punishment for our sins at the cross. A just and holy God would not exact payment for a sin debt his Son had already paid. We may face consequences of our own sins or the sins of the people around us, but we are not being punished for our sins when we suffer.
The gospel is the greatest news a sinner could ever hear and believe. The blood of Christ is sufficient and powerful to forgive all sins when we come to him and turn from them. That's every sin we have committed. Even after we obey the gospel and have new life in Christ, we still stumble and sin. But we have the beautiful promise that we can confess our sins and the blood of Christ will keep on cleansing us. Yes, God will forgive and he will not punish
you for sins Jesus already paid for you at the cross.
Job trusted God and lived an upright life. He couldn't understand why he was suffering. He had been exposed to the same theology his friends were using like a weapon against him: “Those who suffer greatly have sinned greatly.” But Job knew in his heart that the statement didn't fit his case. He had lived an exemplary life of blamelessness and uprightness. He (like all people) was imperfect, but he was a man of integrity and enjoyed a great reputation for being a righteous man. His friends’ cruel accusations did not fit his case, and he was at a loss to understand, much less explain his misery.
The things Job said in this chapter were spoken by a man suffering intensely without any idea of why. In such a strained state, aren’t you and I just as likely as Job to say things we don't really mean? Could such an experience make us wonder about what we thought we were sure of? In Job’s miserable condition, he felt like the days of his life were forced labor. He lived through months of emptiness and nights of misery. His days, his strength and his hope were fading swiftly. And from that awful place, he said things that he knew weren’t really so, just as you and I might do.
His pain clouded his view of himself, life and even God. He spoke of God being his watcher, tester and felt like God had made him his target. In his anguish he asked the painful question, “Why do you not pardon my transgression?” He feared he was guilty, that he would die and God wouldn't see him anymore. But he was so miserable that he looked forward to death for relief. He prayed to
God, asking why over and over again. He was trying to make sense of his suffering.
I hope that you and I never face the kind of suffering that Job did. But in whatever difficulties we face, I pray that we will have kind and compassionate people around us. And I pray that our faith in God will be strong so we can come through the trouble like Job did.
From Job’s example in Chapter 7, let's remember that tear-stained questions and brash statements are natural expressions of agony. Those doubts and fears do not mean we have lost our faith. Remember a little later Job said, "Though he slay me, I will hope in him.” Job was hurting and confused. But he never quit trusting God! May God bless you and me to be like him when our troubles come.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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