“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.”
~ Job 31:35
Hi James and Ellen,
Have you ever been unjustly accused by a guy, gal or kid of doing something that you know that you did not do? If you have been indiscriminately accused by a guy, gal or kid of doing something that you know that you have not done, what was your response or reaction to the guy, gal or kid who made the accusation? Did you take the high road by not getting angry at the guy, gal or kid who made the accusation or did you angrily defend yourself by telling the guy, gal or kid who accused you of doing something that you knew that you had not done by accusing him or her of falsely accusing you? Job robustly responded to the unfounded, implied accusations that were being leveled on him. Job 31 is part of Job’s defense summation refuting the false accusations that self-proclaimed friends had made that he had done something that he knew that he had not done. Job was absolutely sure that he had not done something wrong and that he had not sinned even though his life was in shambles and his health was declining. Verse 35 says ““Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.” Who do you think that Job is insinuating in this verse as being his accuser? Do you think that Job is accusing one of his self-assumed friends as being his accuser or do you think that Job is referring to God as being his accuser? Your grandpaa does not know who Job is referring to as his accuser in this verse; your grandpaa senses though that Job was really hurting emotionally from the untrue accusations that had been leveled at him that he had done something that he knew that he had not done.
Job systematically defended himself against the insensitive, self-righteous guys who were accusing him. Job first defended his eyes – saying that to his knowledge he had never looked at a gal with improper heart motives. Job argued that he had made a covenant with his eyes to only use his eyes for looking to God for His guidance. Job then defended his mind – saying to his knowledge he had never lied to or duped any guy or gal. Job argued that he knows that God is constantly watching where he is going and that He is always counting the steps that he walks. Job then defended his heart – saying that to his knowledge he had never been an immoral guy. Job argued that he would feel a nagging shame if he had done anything to compromise his morality. Job then defended his status as the patriarch of his family – saying that to his knowledge he had always treated fairly and impartially the guys and gals who were his servants. Job argued that he knew that the guys and gals who were his servants had been born just as he had been born and that God expected him to always treat each guy and gal servant with utmost respect – even when one of them had a grievance against him. Job then defended his social responsibility – saying that to his knowledge he had never denied food or help to the poor, widows and orphans. Job argued that he knew that because God was Who had blessed him with wealth that God expected him to be continually ready to give bread and clothing to poor guys, gals, kids, widows and/or orphans who were hungry and who needed something to wear. Job then defended his stance on accruing wealth – saying that to his knowledge he had never trusted in gold to take the place of God to give him life security. Job argued that even though he had great amount of wealth from having worked hard with his hands that he had no right to be content with his amassed wealth and that he had no right to be glad when a neighbors or an enemy suffered a serious misfortune. Job then defended his sole belief in God – saying that to his knowledge he had never worshipped the sun or moon. When Job realized that he had a shortcoming or had committed a sin against God or knew that he was holding something in heart from God, he would readily confess. Have you ever come to a point in your lives when you really wondered if God really cared how you felt about some kind of personal injustice that you were suffering from a guy or gal who for some reason had it in for or about some kind of international inequity that was adversely affecting kids – or guys and gals, who are living in the underdeveloped countries on planet Earth?
Job’s final defense was against the implicit charge made by his so-called friends of being hypocritical. Job argued that if he had been hypocritical at any time that he deserved whatever punishment was being leveled on him. Job though really did not believe that he had done something wrong or that he had sinned. All Job really wanted was some kind of affirmation from anyone – including God; it just was not happening. Your grandpaa has a real hard time with a Christ-follower guy or gal who believes that he or she has the right to judge another Christ-follower guy or gal. Your grandpaa has a real hard time with a Christ-follower guy or gal who takes it upon himself or herself to unjustly criticize and unreasonably demean another Christ-follower guy and gal simply because the Christ-follower guy or gal does not do things as he or she would do them. Your grandpaa was fired about six months ago because he wanted to do more than what he was being asked to do and because he wanted to know more than what he was being told. The guy who would have been your grandpaa’s supervisor if . . . wanted both your grandmaa and grandpaa to sign something that said that they would unconditionally support his decisions as their boss. Your Uncle Chris and Aunt Lynn are at this time in a Christ-follower fellowship of guys and gals that has a pastor who would like them to leave even though as the co-youth pastors in the Christ-follower fellowship, their youth groups are holding their own while the attendance in the Christ-follower fellowship is decreasing. Your grandpaa knows what it feels like to be accused for something that he knows that he did not do. Your grandpaa hopes that you will never be falsely accused.
Job 31 (806)