God Never Sins, Nor Perverts Justice
The life of Job was unique in some ways, but all believers experience similar trials. They may not be as severe as the trials of Job, but they are real, and they hurt. Sometimes those trials come even though we have not sinned. We could say the same thing that Job said to God. He did not understand his suffering since he was righteous. He wanted to know why all of the bad things were happening to a righteous man. All of that being true, we can still affirm with Elihu, the younger man that spoke up after Job's three friends, that God will never do wickedly nor pervert justice.(Job 34:12) Therefore, let's consider why God's actions toward Job and his family were not wicked, and they did not pervert justice.
Remember, God had a reason for allowing Job's family and servants to be killed. He had a purpose for taking his possessions and his health away for a time. That purpose was to affirm the faith of Job to Satan and to his friends in an undeniable way. It was also allowed so that Job's faith would get stronger. Some may say that God still required the lives of his family and servants, and that is not just. The answer there is that we do not know their hearts, but we can be assured that God rewarded them richly in eternity if they belonged to Him, and they received the punishment they deserved, if they had rejected Him. God looks at eternity, not just at how long we live on this earth. Also, Job had to suffer greatly, so how is that just? Once Job experienced God's Presence in Paradise for one second, he forgot any earthly trials because of the bliss of eternity. Also, God restored his family, servants, possessions, and his health in the end, so that he had twice as much as before the trial. God did nothing wrong at all.
The lesson we need to learn is that God is patient, so He is not in a hurry to accomplish His eternal purposes in our lives and the lives of those around us. We must be patient, too, knowing that God will work it all out in a righteous way, before it is all over.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 36-38.
Remember, God had a reason for allowing Job's family and servants to be killed. He had a purpose for taking his possessions and his health away for a time. That purpose was to affirm the faith of Job to Satan and to his friends in an undeniable way. It was also allowed so that Job's faith would get stronger. Some may say that God still required the lives of his family and servants, and that is not just. The answer there is that we do not know their hearts, but we can be assured that God rewarded them richly in eternity if they belonged to Him, and they received the punishment they deserved, if they had rejected Him. God looks at eternity, not just at how long we live on this earth. Also, Job had to suffer greatly, so how is that just? Once Job experienced God's Presence in Paradise for one second, he forgot any earthly trials because of the bliss of eternity. Also, God restored his family, servants, possessions, and his health in the end, so that he had twice as much as before the trial. God did nothing wrong at all.
The lesson we need to learn is that God is patient, so He is not in a hurry to accomplish His eternal purposes in our lives and the lives of those around us. We must be patient, too, knowing that God will work it all out in a righteous way, before it is all over.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 36-38.