In Job 13:15, Job declares,
“Though he slay me, yet will
I hope in him.”
This faith-filled statement
has challenged countless believers
through the centuries
to strive for a similar trust in the Lord
in the face of trials.
Job made this statement
when he was in
a terrible time of pain
and suffering.
He had lost all of his children, his wealth, and his health.
His friends were of no help.
His wife offered no support and was
in fact
telling him to give up
(Job 2:9).
Job felt as though his life was over.
The only thing left was to die.
But, as Job says, even if God did “slay” him,
Job would still trust in Him.
Of note here is the fact that Job realizes that,
ultimately,
the suffering he endures is
allowed by God.
It is God
who has the right and the power to “slay” Job.
Even in the midst of his pain, Job knows that
“the LORD
brings death and makes alive;
he brings down
to the grave and raises up”
(1 Samuel 2:6).
The Lord alone holds
the “keys of death” (Revelation 1:18).
The faith of Job is seen
in the fact that even if God’s plan results in Job’s death,
Job will continue to trust in God.
Nothing can shake the faith
of someone so grounded
in the goodness and
glory of God.
Job may not understand
what is happening to him and why,
but he knows that God is good, loving, and
trustworthy.
In the following verse, Job adds, “Indeed, this will
turn out for my deliverance,
for no godless person would dare come before him!” (Job 13:16).
The idea seems to be that, if Job dies,
he will be with God (the this refers to Job’s death).
At the same time, Job maintains his innocence:
he is not a “godless person” and will therefore
be admitted to God’s presence.
Job realizes his pain was not permanent.
With God, there is a way of escape.
The suffering of this life is temporary
and will end for those who trust in the Lord.
After this life,
there is eternal life with God in heaven
for the believer.
In fact, Jesus came to offer eternal life
to all
who would believe (John 3:16).
By God’s grace,
faith
is all that is required to be made
right with God
(Ephesians 2:8–9).
Job appears to also challenge
God at
the risk of his own life.
In other words,
Job is willing to go before God with
his case even if he dies in the process.
Job’s statement that
he is innocent in Job 13:16
becomes more insistent
throughout the rest of the book.
The final chapter of Job
shows the results of Job’s pleading.
Job oversteps what was
right in saying he was without sin.
As a result,
Job ends his conversation with God differently,
stating, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know” (Job 42:3).
He concludes, “I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes”
(Job 42:6).
The apostle Paul echoes Job’s statement of faith
in Philippians 1:20, “I eagerly expect and
hope that I will in no way be ashamed,
but will have sufficient courage
so that now as always
Christ
will be exalted
in my body,
whether
by life or by death.”
When we suffer
and do not understand why,
we can trust that God has a greater plan
in place that we cannot see.
Instead of seeking to defend ourselves before God,
Job’s experience shows us
we can instead trust the Lord.
He has a perfect plan in place,
and “by life or by death,” may
Christ be exalted.