How Can You Say Job Was Self-Righteous?

Hi,

Just read what is the meaning of Job 3:25 “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.”

http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/Thing_I_feared.php

You say a lot of good stuff, however how can you say Job was self-righteous when God said Job is righteous [Job 1:8 (NKJV)]

Job 1:8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright (Hebrew translated RIGHTEOUS 9 times in KJV ) man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

And that Job has spoken about God what is right Job 42:7 (NKJV)

Job 42:7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”

This verse is, I believe, Job’s cry of anguish, Job has done what is right in the eyes of GOD, and STILL destruction from God has come upon Job.

Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

See Job: Job 31:23 (KJV) For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure. ( not endure meaning could not have lived the way his accusers claim )

Job is a type of Christ, a righteous man suffering because of the wisdom of GOD.

God bless,

T____

 

Hi T____,

Thank you for your question.

You ask me:

“You say a lot of good stuff, however how can you say Job was self-righteous when God said: Job is righteous [Job 1:8 (NKJV)]”

We have a whole series on the book of Job at this link if your are interested: http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/studies/the-book-of-job/

Here is a cut and paste from this link in the study (http://http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/job_1_1_3/) in which God Himself tells Job and us that Job is contending with, reproving, and condemning Him to make himself righteous:

“What we will find in this study of this book of Job is that Job’s condemnation of God to make himself righteous, is the “same event” we all experience, when we see ourselves as a blameless Pharisee, thinking we are living our lives in the service of our Lord, when in fact we are doing nothing less than “contending with God”, and ‘condemning Him in order to make ourselves righteous’.

Job 40:1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

While the commentaries are forced to acknowledge that Job was contending with God and actually condemning God and God’s ways to make himself righteous, they have not been granted eyes to see that it was Christ Himself who brought Satan into this relationship, for the very purpose of showing Job and you and I that Satan is nothing more than a tool in His hand. They are not granted eyes to see that this entire story demonstrates for us all, that until we all acknowledge the total sovereignty of God in all the affairs of all of mankind of all time, we too, are contending with God to maintain our own righteousness, and our own supposedly superior ways, when the Truth of the matter is that even our self- righteousness was itself ‘written in God’s book before any of our days were’.

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.

This verse revealing that Christ is the author of every one of our books should make another New Testament verse even more meaningful to us.

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We must all be brought to the same humbled position to which God brought Job, via His use of the waster He created to destroy our old man.

Job 40:3 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Job 40:6 Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Isa 54:16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.”

There it is. Job is contending with, reproving, and condemning his own Maker “that you [your self] mayest be righteous”.

I hope this makes clear why I agreed with God that Job was making himself righteous and condemning God for not acknowledging how righteous Job considered himself to be. If you have any doubt about Job’s self-righteousness, just read Job 29. Oh yes! Job was a very righteous man in his own eyes, and to Job God had no right to do to him what God was doing to Job.

I hope this answers your question of how [I] can say that Job was self-righteous.

Your servant in Christ,

Mike