There are times when we want to question God but cannot
“Have you considered My servant Job?” — Job 1:8
The book of Job transports us up into the very golden realms of heaven from the muddy earth-clod land beneath. It opens closed doors on the spiritual and gives a specific but vivid entrance into God’s throne room. What a panoramic window we have on two simultaneous worlds operating in different spheres yet linked and bearing consequence directly upon what transpires in one or the other. This is the first understanding we are given as to why we cannot question God, in the sense of judgemental questioning, about things that happen that we do not necessarily like or have problems reconciling with. For, we do not have the true insight into it that God has. We do not have the full understanding or picture of what it all entails; without which, what kind of a judgement are we in a position to make – if our mortal minds could actually judge with the greater supremacy and wisdom than He who is the Eternal God?
Oh, how Job would have loved to have had such insight into his circumstance, as we now do, prior to his trial. He knew nothing of what had transpired – nothing about what God had said about him, nothing about what God had proposed to Satan, nothing about the heavy trial to be unleashed against him nor the pain to be inflicted upon his being, and nothing about what God would do after it was all over! We are no different; God seldom tells us the reasons why. All Job knew was that he was in instant adversity, turmoil and anguish. His greatest anguish though was that of spirit – where was God, why was He silent? “Oh, that I knew where I might find Him (God), that I might come to His seat! I would present my case before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know the words which He would answer me, and understand what He would say to me” (Job 23:3). Yet Job spoke in ignorance, while God was silent, but once he gained understanding, after God had spoken at the end of the trial, there was only one thing that Job could say and one thing he could do: “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; yes, twice, but I will proceed no further” (Job 40:4,5).
God’s answer to Job was clear and decisive: “Would you indeed annul My judgement? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God?” (Job 40:8,9a). In light of who we understand God to be (Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent), consider the reality of what God asks and implies. If we had to nullify God’s judgement (His discernment and decision) are we not making ourselves to be greater than He – greater than the All-Knowing? If we would condemn Him, would we not be making ourselves greater than He, the All-Powerful? If we had to justify ourselves, our own feelings or perceptions about an issue, would we not be claiming to be more righteous than He, the only true Righteous One, the All-Present? And if, by our complaint in judgement as to why things happened the way they did and that God should have done them differently, don’t we believe that we can do things better than God? Would we not be claiming to have an arm, in working out things, greater than He? Job instantly understood this, and despite all his great hardship, pain, turmoil and suffering, he could not bring these aspects before God. He could only answer thus: “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:2–6). Job, who had sat on a rubbish heap scratching his paining sores with a piece of broken pottery, could only hate himself, throw dust and ashes on himself and repent for having questioned God! He could only acknowledge to God that there were things beyond his ability to understand or reason or know.
It is an amazing account, yet God still says that Job had spoken right of Him, not like his three friends; He also calls Job “My servant”, a title not given to the three friends (Job 42:7,8). Let us therefore learn from the insight that God has given us in His Word, through the experience of Job, the man whom God said, “there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil”, and leave to God the things which are God’s. With unwavering hearts of devotion and love for our LORD, let us rest in Him, for there are things that we cannot know or understand, but He knows and understands it all!
Oh, how Job would have loved to have had such insight into his circumstance, as we now do, prior to his trial. He knew nothing of what had transpired – nothing about what God had said about him, nothing about what God had proposed to Satan, nothing about the heavy trial to be unleashed against him nor the pain to be inflicted upon his being, and nothing about what God would do after it was all over! We are no different; God seldom tells us the reasons why. All Job knew was that he was in instant adversity, turmoil and anguish. His greatest anguish though was that of spirit – where was God, why was He silent? “Oh, that I knew where I might find Him (God), that I might come to His seat! I would present my case before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know the words which He would answer me, and understand what He would say to me” (Job 23:3). Yet Job spoke in ignorance, while God was silent, but once he gained understanding, after God had spoken at the end of the trial, there was only one thing that Job could say and one thing he could do: “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; yes, twice, but I will proceed no further” (Job 40:4,5).
God’s answer to Job was clear and decisive: “Would you indeed annul My judgement? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God?” (Job 40:8,9a). In light of who we understand God to be (Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent), consider the reality of what God asks and implies. If we had to nullify God’s judgement (His discernment and decision) are we not making ourselves to be greater than He – greater than the All-Knowing? If we would condemn Him, would we not be making ourselves greater than He, the All-Powerful? If we had to justify ourselves, our own feelings or perceptions about an issue, would we not be claiming to be more righteous than He, the only true Righteous One, the All-Present? And if, by our complaint in judgement as to why things happened the way they did and that God should have done them differently, don’t we believe that we can do things better than God? Would we not be claiming to have an arm, in working out things, greater than He? Job instantly understood this, and despite all his great hardship, pain, turmoil and suffering, he could not bring these aspects before God. He could only answer thus: “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:2–6). Job, who had sat on a rubbish heap scratching his paining sores with a piece of broken pottery, could only hate himself, throw dust and ashes on himself and repent for having questioned God! He could only acknowledge to God that there were things beyond his ability to understand or reason or know.
It is an amazing account, yet God still says that Job had spoken right of Him, not like his three friends; He also calls Job “My servant”, a title not given to the three friends (Job 42:7,8). Let us therefore learn from the insight that God has given us in His Word, through the experience of Job, the man whom God said, “there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil”, and leave to God the things which are God’s. With unwavering hearts of devotion and love for our LORD, let us rest in Him, for there are things that we cannot know or understand, but He knows and understands it all!
Judson McCawl