Job 34:10-15
Verse 12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.
Having shown himself as humble, Elihu takes up the case of defending God. He begins by stating how God the Almighty could never do anything evil. It would go against His very character. His holiness is not a part-time trait which He brings out when it serves His purpose. It ALWAYS serves His purpose. His holiness is the very core of who He is.
Next the young defender points out how God’s holiness sets the standard by which He holds all of creation. He is also a God who is just in and fair. He stands by His creative genius of cause and effect. Having created us with the ability to choose how we are going to act instead of just being puppets He has given us the options of having rewards or punishments. Though God is also a gracious and forgiving God, those traits wouldn’t be necessary if not for His justice.
Elihu made the point as strong as he could, “It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.” To think that God would do wrong shows a lack of knowledge of the God of heaven. It is to believe a lie about Him which leads to disbelief. We must choose to believe truth about God no matter what it means we learn about ourselves.
It is His being Creator which put order in the world, both in spiritual things and in the physical. If we are to accept Him as God, we must be willing to accept who He is as God. He created us not the other way around and that means He always knows what is best, even when we disagree. He loves justice and desires us to embrace it too.
If God wanted to He could remove our very breath, taking life away from us in the blink of an eye. He could have allowed the enemy to wipe out Job, taking his life with everything else Job had lost, but He didn’t. Why? Because of His love. Yes, He is just but His love is as great as His justice and that is why He is also gracious and full of mercy. Instead of His justice taking our lives, His love breathed His very life into a tiny babe sent to live the life He desires all of us to live but knows we can’t. We can never live a perfect life but because of Jesus coming to earth we don’t have to worry about His justice, Jesus has already experienced it for us.
Making It Personal
Do you struggle with the idea of God being just? What about His justice bothers you? Have you thanked Him lately for sending Jesus to experience His justice in your place?
Making It Personal Kids
What do you think justice looks like? Do you like justice if it means you don’t get what you want? What does it mean to you that Jesus took the justice for you?
Closing Prayer
Father, we don’t like to think of justice very often and we know Your justice doesn’t look like the world’s idea of justice. Give us a desire to understand Your justice and how is aligns with Your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ name, amen.