Job 13 - Defending God

Job 13:5, 15 (ESV)

[5] Oh that you would keep silent,

and it would be your wisdom!

[15] Though he slay me, I will hope in him;

yet I will argue my ways to his face.

Why is it that we think we have to defend God? That is essentially what Job’s friends have been doing. He tells them that they would be better off not speaking. His hope is in God, yet he desires direct access to God in order to argue his case. What follows is Job’s case against God. He accuses his friends of judging with partiality. They have decided that God is right before even hearing Job’s argument.

Job 13:7-10 (ESV)

Will you speak falsely for God

and speak deceitfully for him?

Will you show partiality toward him?

Will you plead the case for God?

Will it be well with you when he searches you out?

Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?

He will surely rebuke you

if in secret you show partiality.

Job argues that their partiality in the case is unnecessary and wrong. God doesn’t need us to defend him. He doesn’t need us to tip the balance of justice in his favor. That is not to say that we don’t present arguments for what we believe. Peter wrote, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). According to Peter, we should be ready with an answer or defense for our hope. But notice that the answer is to be given in gentleness and respect.” I am afraid that we have been better at having answers than at showing gentleness and respect. 

Job’s friends would have been better off to remain silent. God’s response to them at the end of Job demonstrates that Job was correct. God didn’t need them to unjustly defend him. He was quite capable of handling Job’s arguments himself. There is a lesson for us here. Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” Proverbs 11:12 warns, “Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.” Job’s friends would have done well to heed the wisdom of these proverbs.

I’ll never forget one of my seminary profs telling the story of a class he was taking. His professor was railing against Christians and Christianity. Then she turned to him and demanded that he defend his position. His response was one of gentleness and respect. He said, “Someone must have hurt you deeply in the past to make you so angry with God.” He knew that he didn’t need to defend God. God is quite capable of doing that himself. He didn’t need to tip the scales of justice in God’s favor. That would have only fueled the fire. His response of gentleness and respect took the wind out of her sails.

It makes me wonder if we have been so quick to defend God that we have failed to let people see God in us. Maybe we need to defend God less and emulate God more. Maybe, if we stopped trying to tip the scales of justice in God’s favor, and just cared for those who are struggling with God we might be more effective in pointing people to him. Yes, we need to be ready with a defense for the reason of our hope, but we need to wait for them to ask, and we need to provide our answer with gentleness and respect. I don’t think we do that very well.