More Anxiety About Court – Job 13

Do you imagine you would be nervous to defend yourself in a court of law? That’s why we have lawyers, right? But what about your lawyer’s nerves? The website Legaler Blog writes some helps to calm your nerves in court: 1) be prepared, 2) be a good lawyer first (know the law), 3) develop a ritual, 4) know your audience, 5) know your opponent, 6) know when to sit down (before you become boring), and 7) be confident (fake it till you make it).

But suppose you are Job, appearing in trial before God. How nervous would you be then? Would those suggestions help at all? Job already believes that there is no arbiter or lawyer he can take with him to appear before God (Job 9:33). He’s on his own. And he is scared to death.

“Behold, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it. What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. As for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you all. Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom! Hear now my argument and listen to the pleadings of my lips. Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him? Will you show partiality toward him? Will you plead the case for God? Will it be well with you when he searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man? He will surely rebuke you if in secret you show partiality. Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you? Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.

“Let me have silence, and I will speak, and let come on me what may. Why should I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hand? Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face. This will be my salvation, that the godless shall not come before him. Keep listening to my words, and let my declaration be in your ears. Behold, I have prepared my case; I know that I shall be in the right. Who is there who will contend with me? For then I would be silent and die. Only grant me two things, then I will not hide myself from your face: withdraw your hand far from me, and let not dread of you terrify me. Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and you reply to me. How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. Why do you hide your face and count me as your enemy? Will you frighten a driven leaf and pursue dry chaff? For you write bitter things against me and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. You put my feet in the stocks and watch all my paths; you set a limit for the soles of my feet. Man wastes away like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten. (Job 13, ESV)

Job wants to make his case to God, and not these false friends, whom he considers whitewashers with lies, worthless physicians, whose silence is the most wise part about them.  He accuses them of showing partiality in their judgment by taking up God’s case, and warns them that when God searches them out they will not be able to deceive Him as they have tried to deceive Job and will be judged for it.  He asserts that their wisdom is pitifully inaccurate and useless.

Job calls for silence so he can speak aloud to God and present his case, though he fears that God will slay him as a result of his accusation and that God has made a mistake.  His only hope is that he can defend his righteousness to God and he will be allowed to stand.

He believes he has a strong case but asks God for two things: (1) ease up on the suffering, and (2) ease up on the terrorizing.  Then Job feels he will be able to make his case fairly.  God can either call to Job and he will respond, or Job can speak and let God respond.

Job wants God to make known Job’s sins to him, to stop hiding His face from Job and acting as if Job is His enemy.  Job is a nothing that God should bring such force against him.  But God has indeed brought His force against Job, making him inherit the sins of his youth (which presumably were confessed and forgiven and should no longer be held against him), because it is not for any current sin that he should be so judged.  God has so attacked him that he is withering away like a moth-eaten garment.

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever had to defend yourself in a court of law, or at least before others who held your fate in their hands?  What was it like?
2. Is Job right to believe that God is not aware of his blamelessness, or that God would only slam him down hard for trying to correct God’s judgment of him?
3. Is Job guilty of believing that God only allows suffering in the life of those who are in sin?
4. Is Job wrong to ask for a meeting with God?
5. What would you do if you felt God was treating you unjustly?
6. What do you want to tell God right now about your life, even though, of course, He already knows it?