Job 07.20-21 l HAVE I SINNED?

Today’s reading: Job 05.01-08.22

Job 07.20-21 “20 “Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself? 21 “Why then do You not pardon my transgression And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust; And You will seek me, but I will not be.””

In today’s reading, Eliphaz finishes his first speech (Job 05.01-27). Job’s first reply stating that his friends are of no help (Job 06.01-07.06) and Job prays to God (Job 07.06-21). Bildad then gives his first speech (Job 08.01-22).

In our text above, we see that Job, praying to God, asks the age-old question that is asked by every saint who goes through difficulty…“Have I sinned?” (Job 07.20). Earlier Job asked this same question of his friends (Job 06.24).

We have the luxury to go back and see that all this difficulty is not because of Job’s sin (Job 01.08-12; Job 02.03-07), even though this was an argument from Eliphaz (Job 04.01-05.27).

Job says that God seems to continue to watch him and hit him like an archer would hit a target (Job 07.20). Job asks why God does not forgive him of his sins, and he would rather just die (Job 07.21). This cry from Job is from a man in bitter despair. Job asks why, but God doesn’t respond.

Tribulation and suffering is not always because of sin. Our LORD and Saviour was sinless (2Corinthians 05.21; 1Peter 02.22; 1John 03.05), yet He was tempted in every way that we are (Hebrews 04.15). To say that all suffering is the result of sin is to say that Jesus was a sinner, which is completely heretical.

Trusting the LORD during trials, having faith that He is truly Sovereign is difficult, even when you don’t know why.

James 01.02-04 “2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”