Just Shut Up

“I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me—I despise my life. [Job 9.21]

This verse is not the only verse in today's OYCB reading that Job declares his innocence. In fact, he repeatedly declares himself guiltless.

The problem with Job's defense is this:

The LORD looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! [Psalm 14.2-3]

God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! [Psalm 53.2-3]

The apostle Paul confirmed it later on too:

As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” [Romans 3.10-12]

Have you ever argued a point and found out later, to your embarrassment, that you didn't have all the information? Job's problem, so much like many people's problem today, was ignorance. Job argued a point that he had incomplete knowledge of:

The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges. If he’s not the one who does it, who is? [Job 9.24]

While Job (and his friends) did make some accurate statements, they were not all accurate statements about God! The irony of the verse above is that Satan, the deceiver, does precisely that - mixes truth with error - to confound absolute truth rendering "the deceived person" powerless to combat him. Job evidently had no knowledge of Satan.

Here would be a good place to ask, "How could Job have known about Satan?" And, this question brings up an excellent point for us today: Just because do not (or even cannot) know everything there is to know about God and His Kingdom does not give us license to make assumptions about God based on what we do know (that appear to make God unpredictable).

"So," one might ask, "what is a person to do then?"

For starters, just shut up! And, in particular, shut up making assumptions about God on incomplete information (human knowledge)! Let's fast forward in Job's story to support my suggestion here:

Then the LORD said to Job, “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” Then Job replied to the LORD, “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.” [Job 40.1-5]

Jesus was very revelatory to us in His encounter with Satan in the wilderness. Jesus didn't shut up, but He only speak with the only defense man can muster against Satan: "It is written..."

In other words, if it is not "written," we should be silent on making assumptions about God.

Hmm.

Father, help me to take to heart the fact that, for all I think I know about You, I know only a tiny portion. May my words be few except to declare, "It is written..."