THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION HOW CAN A MAN BE RIGHT WITH GOD Job chapter 9, this asks THE essential question. Job chapter 9, “Then Job answered, ‘In truth I know that this is so,’” and here comes the question, “’But how can a man be right before God?’” That is the all-prevailing question. How can a man be right before God? And he goes on to say, “If one wish to dispute with Him, he couldn’t answer Him one in a thousand times. Wise in heart and mighty in strength, who has defied Him without harm? It is God who removes the mountains. They know not how. When He overturns them in His anger, who shakes the earth out of its place and its pillars tremble, who commands the sun not to shine and sets a seal upon the stars. Who alone stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea, who makes the bear Orion and the Pleiades and the chambers of the south? Who does great things, unfathomable and wondrous works without number? Were He to pass by me, I wouldn’t see Him. Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ God will not turn back His anger. Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab. How then can I answer Him, and choose my words before Him? For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge. If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice, for He bruises me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause. He will not allow me to get my breath but saturates me with bitterness. If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one. And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him? Though I am righteous in a human sense, my mouth will condemn me. Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.” What a picture of God. Did you get that? What a massive identification of the greatness of God. And the question Job has is, “How can I be right with that God?” How is it even possible that I could be right with that God, a God of such magnitude? How is a man to be right with God? How is he to escape His inevitable judgment? Every religion in the world attempts to answer that question. Do you know that? Every religion in the world attempts to answer the question of how to be right with God. John MacArthur Job 9 Then Job replied: “Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God? Though they wished to dispute with him, they could not answer him one time out of a thousand. His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him. If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet. “How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him? Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy. Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing. He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason. He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery. If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[b]? Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Aug 2013 11:51:10 +0000
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