argument over

“Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?

He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

Job 40:2

One of the conclusions from the book of Job comes in the challenge that God Himself brings to Job. It is impossible to find fault with God, even as you are filled with your complaints. This effort is completely futile. You can argue with God, but God is perfect and holy, and you are a human broken and sinful. The fault will always come out on the human side. Every time. Without exception. You will lose the argument.

In Job’s case his friends had a faulty view of God, assuming that bad things only happen to someone as a result of their own bad actions. Their karmic conclusions were wrong about God. Sometimes God brings us to suffering to show what we are made of in order that His faithfulness, power, and glory can be worshiped. But Job also was at fault... he had a faulty desire to argue his case of innocence before God. What started as arguments aimed at his accusers eventually became an argument against the Almighty.

When confronted by God, Job has enough contrite wisdom to catch himself in his pride and immediately repent (Job 40:4-5). He humbly tells God that he cannot answer this question, acknowledging both sin and weakness. Lesson learned: You cannot argue with God. And we see that we can humbly grow deep in an understanding of God’s power when we simply let God be God in every way that He wants to in our lives.

Jesus was a better Job. In his suffering he offered no complaint (Isaiah 53:7-8; 1 Peter 2:23). Instead, he bore our suffering so that we might find life in Him, freedom from sin, and eternal relationship with the God Who wisely brings all things to us for His glory and our good.