WHO ARE WE TO QUESTION GOD?

PROCLAMATION

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?  Tell me, if you understand.”  Job 38:4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Job’s friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar speak a second and third time continuing to insist that he has sinned, and Job replies to each of them and continues to maintain that he is innocent. (Job 15:1 through 31:40)  A crowd had gathered around them and was listening to their discourse.  After the men had stopped speaking, a young man from the crowd, Elihu, began to speak. (Job 32:1-2)  He was angry because the three friends had failed to answer Job although they had stated many things which were true. (Job 32:4-22)  He asked Job to listen to him and consider what he had to say. (Job 33:1 to 37:24)  After he spoke, The Lord God spoke to Job out of a storm and began to ask Job a series of questions. (Job 38:1 to 41:34)  This is one of the questions which God asked Job.

APPLICATION

It is not our place to question God.  What right does the clay pot have to question the pot maker.  With our very limited capacity for understanding, we would never be able to comprehend why The Lord God does what He does even if He would choose to answer us.  People frequently ask, “Why me, Lord?”  To which I would respond, “Why not you?”  What makes us think that we are so special that we should not have to endure suffering and trouble?  Every man born of a woman will live a life full of trouble. (Job 14:1)  We are conceived and born in sin (Psalm 51:5) and therefore on our own we cannot be righteous. (Job 15:14)  We are justified through the blood of Christ (Romans 5:9) and it is through Him that we are redeemed. (Ephesians 1:7)  So, let us not try to adopt a “holier than thou” attitude because we are all sinners, some of whom are saved by the grace of God.