Oh that one would hear me

"Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book... Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high" (Job 31:35; Job 16:19). Sometimes that's just what it comes down to. Everybody that has a mouth, a tongue, and vocal cords that work can talk and say whatever they please. We can say this or that or whatever we want to say about one another, but the bottom line is always what God KNOWS about us, and not what somebody else SAYS. It really is that simple. There's a very good reason that Jesus said, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (Jn. 7:24). "Righteous judgment" by the way, is what GOD SAYS. If we don't truly know what God is saying about someone, we really ought to shut up. The scripture says rightly, "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding" (Prov. 17:28). It also says this to the same point: "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few" (Eccl. 5:2). Jesus gave us a REALLY good reason to heed that saying: "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak , they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Mat. 12:36,37). Job was accused of many things by his friends, and he tried in vain to convince them that they were wrong about him. But when God finally spoke on the matter, this is what HE said: "And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job" (Job 42:7,8). Yeah, Job's record WAS "on high," and it turned out that he knew more about himself than his friends did, though it literally took God to convince them of that. Maybe it would have done his friends good to have overheard what God said to Satan before Job was afflicted: "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (Job 1:8). Maybe had they heard God say that about Job they would have dealt with him with a bit more mercy and godly fear. I would hope so anyway.

When it comes to judging major faults about someone who is well known for righteousness, mercy, forgiveness, and unwavering stability of faith; one should really consider Job's friends, who really believed they were speaking according to the knowledge and word of God. There are just too many people today who are supposedly speaking for God, citing so many major faults and 'heresies' about brethren who are usually a light year or two beyond them in the Spirit of God. I see these things and I wonder where the fear of God has gone to. If someone is truly spiritually minded enough to make these judgments, and we should be; then why is it that it never includes this admonition from the apostle Paul? "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Gal. 6:1). These 'righteous judgments' that I see and hear are always accompanied by a harsh, scornful spirit of supposed righteous indignation. Folks had better wake up and heed the instruction of Jesus, lest they have to learn the hard way: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (Mat. 7:1,2). I would like to think it would have done Job's friends some good to have heard that before they became his 'righteous reprovers.' If you find yourself on the 'judged' end of this kind of thing, and you are not guilty, have no fear because that which is will ALWAYS be manifested for what it is, regardless of who says or thinks what. The apostle Paul dealt with this kind of thing against himself, and like Job he knew what was what: "But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God" (I Cor. 4:3-5). So what is the remedy for the practice of this kind of thing, which by the way is not going to go away? "Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed... And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him" (Psm. 37:3,6,7). That should get you where you need to go, regardless of who thinks or says that you're doing it all wrong. Amen.