God’s Way With Job and Us

God’s Way With Job and Us

Job and his three friends knew of only one reason for misfortune and God’s punishments, and that was transgression.

There was no one on earth who was more blameless and righteous than Job. When his three friends saw the misfortune that had overtaken him, they judged him to be a sinner and a transgressor; they perceived his misfortune as evidence of it. However, Job knew in his heart that his conscience was not bothering him about anything in his life. He held firm to his blamelessness and felt that God was treating him unjustly. Elihu, on the other hand, understood far more. He said that God must do many things in order to turn man from his deed and remove pride from man. Job 33:17.

Job and his three friends were thinking about the sin which a person commits, whereas Elihu understood that although a person may not commit sin, he still has sin, and that God has to use many different means in order to lead man to greater light and a deeper cleansing. Job 34:32; 1 John 1:7-8; 2:1.

It can often be just as difficult for us when God would break us down according to the flesh. He does this in many ways, and quite often He does it by having us reckoned among the transgressors. When this happens, we are inclined to stick firmly to our blamelessness. But there can be a lot of pride behind a blameless life, and it is humbling for someone who is blameless to be reckoned among the transgressors. Because of this, he often becomes like a lion in defense of his blamelessness if someone should question it.

God always wants to lead us to a deeper salvation. He thinks not only about an external blamelessness which people can see; He wants to break down our human nature, so we can partake of divine nature. He wants to make us humble and lowly of heart so He can have intimate fellowship with us. If we understand this, we do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try us. 1 Pet. 4:12.

Job thought it strange, and many in these days think it strange. They compare both their lives and their sufferings with the lives of others. A greater salvation means that we partake of more humility; we cannot simply sit down on a chair and be humble. Something needs to happen. If we understand this, we can humble ourselves under God, who is removing pride from our lives.

Once God had had His way with Job, it was an easy matter for Him to exalt him and to justify him before those who had reckoned him among the transgressors. Job 42. Consequently, we do not need to be concerned about that side of the matter.