Day 1,167: Job 27- Justified

And Job again took up his discourse, and said:
2     “As God lives, who has taken away my right,
and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
3     as long as my breath is in me,
and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
4     my lips will not speak falsehood,
and my tongue will not utter deceit.
5     Far be it from me to say that you are right;
till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
6     I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.
7     “Let my enemy be as the wicked,
and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
8     For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off,
when God takes away his life?
9     Will God hear his cry
when distress comes upon him?
10    Will he take delight in the Almighty?
Will he call upon God at all times?
11    I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12    Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves;
why then have you become altogether vain?
13    “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:
14    If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword,
and his descendants have not enough bread.
15    Those who survive him the pestilence buries,
and his widows do not weep.
16    Though he heap up silver like dust,
and pile up clothing like clay,
17    he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it,
and the innocent will divide the silver.
18    He builds his house like a moth’s,
like a booth that a watchman makes.
19    He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more;
he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.
20    Terrors overtake him like a flood;
in the night a whirlwind carries him off.
21    The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;
it sweeps him out of his place.
22    It hurls at him without pity;
he flees from its power in headlong flight.
23    It claps its hands at him
and hisses at him from its place.
 
Meditation
Someone’s sufferings and struggles are NOT justification to condemn them if God has declared them righteous through Jesus blood. Jesus Christ justifies all who believe, taking our sin on the cross and counting us righteous through imputing His perfect record through faith alone.
 
Satan constantly accuses those whom God has declared righteous (Revelation 12:10), speaking against saints so we will see ourselves as unclean or not right before God. Despite efforts to condemn, Christians celebrate the great exchange whereby Christ became sin in order to make us the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
 
Job focuses his point- God has declared Job righteous and despite their accusations, Job will “hold fast to his righteousness and will not let it go” (6). Job refuses to distill his faith to moralism, allowing his suffering to be explained by his sin. Despite Job’s suffering, Job boasts in His righteous standing before God.
 
Job prays for his accusers (7-10) before warning them of the danger in aligning with Satan in accusation of the saints. Job turns the tables declaring, “I will teach you…” before warning that the fate of accusers of the righteous are with the wicked of the world (11-23).
 
Paul sums up the tension well in Romans 8:28-35. Believers suffer in a fallen world, yet God is working all things for our good and His glory. No one can bring a charge against God’s elect using suffering as justification to accuse and condemn the righteous. Christ Jesus has died and been raised again- and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Him.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about Job’s holding fast to his righteousness in the face of his “comforters” accusations?
 
-Why is it difficult to celebrate our righteous status before God in Christ when our lives are marked with struggle and suffering?
 
-How can you grow in celebrating the secure status you have in Christ, justified by His grace alone to live with no condemnation before His throne?
 
Key verse
6     I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.