I want us to note something in today’s reading. Job is a righteous man, remember what we read God Himself said about Job in a previous reading,

“There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” (1:8)

Here is why that statement has such significance to me as I did today’s reading of Job 7 & 8.

Job was:

• One of a kind in the eyes of God
• Blameless
• Upright
• Fearing (respecting/reverance for) God
• Resisting and turning away from evil

And yet even with all of this Job has a distorted view of God:

“What is man that You magnify him,
And that You are concerned about him,
18 That You examine him every morning
And try him every moment?
19 “]Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 “Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 “Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, but I will not be.” -Job 7:17-21

Job sees God as the aggressor against him. Job thinks God is the one that harms people when they do wrong. Job thinks that God is punishing him for some great sin. Job thinks God is TORTURING him…yes torture, “why have you set me as Your target?”

Yes the friend in chapter 8 has the same distorted view, in fact the friend has some prosperity gospel distortion as well (8:5-7) “Job if you just make things right with God He’ll make you rich again.” Foolish…but we don’t expect more from the friends of Job.

But from a…

• One of a kind
• Blameless
• Upright
• God fearing
• Evil resisting man

…we’d expect a right view of God.

But no, Job STILL has a distorted picture and understanding of God.

So what does this teach me and maybe you?

1. Just because we’ve been walking with Jesus all our lives doesn’t mean we understand Him as well as we could or maybe should.
2. The devil’s lies about the character and wrath of God can infiltrate even the most elect.
3. Even the righteous at times blame God for their problems and that doesn’t necessarily make them unrighteous, it makes them foolish, but not unrighteous.
4. If all the above is true then why would I not daily study and inquire of God to reveal more and more of Himself to me?!?

I didn’t know what I was going to get out of Job 7 & 8 it turns out I was blessed beyond my expectations!

Thank you Holy Spirit for teaching me!

Tomorrow’s Reading: Isaiah 18-22