Only God Can Lift Our Face
Job 11:13-15 (NIV)
"Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your
hands to him, if you put away the sin that is in your hand and
allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand
firm and without fear."
In the book of Job we read that Job indeed was a blameless and
upright man, a man who feared God and shunned evil. It was because of this fact that when all the
tragedy that the enemy brought on him he was confused, yet he maintained that
God was indeed sovereign in all that he did; he just wanted to understand why
he was suffering as he was. He also was
in so much anguish of body, mind and soul that he wished he could just die or
that he had never been born.
The first friend to speak, Eliphaz, has a lot of truth in his
words and rightly agrees with Job in regards to God’s sovereignty however
incorrectly deduces that Job must have sinned somehow and that the best course
of action is to repent, receive God’s correction and allow forgiveness to bring
blessing back into his life. While this
does not sound like terrible advice on the surface but Job still knew that he had not sinned, or at least
in any way that he had been made aware of.
His own integrity was at stake; he agreed with what his friend had said
but what had he done? This is what he
wanted to know.
Bildad, the second friend to speak confirms what Eliphaz
said. God is certainly just and when one
sins, they are punished; when you ask forgiveness and/or are upright, things
will be good or get better. This is
common knowledge to them so “do right” and you will “get right.” In this he also implied that Job must have
been guilty in some way though he did not come right out and say it. Again Job agreed and even went further
recognizing that God is so supremely sovereign and great that even man’s best
efforts would still fall short of anything worth commending. He would agree with Isaiah who said that even
our righteousness is as filthy rags (see Isaiah 64:6). Job did not presume to have any standing
whatsoever before almighty God but since he was in such severe anguish just
wanted to know what he had done to deserve this. Or if he was innocent but God in His
sovereignty had reasons to bring calamity on the righteous than just take his life.
Jobs third friend Zophar now speaks. He chastises Job for even questioning God or
His actions. He tells Job that he is not
even getting what he does deserve: “Know
this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.” He tells Job that He cannot even begin to
understand the sovereignty and righteousness of God, He knows all and acts
justly. Then Zophar says, YET. “Yet if you
devote your heart to Him and stretch out your hands to Him, if you put away the sin that is in your
hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and
without fear. (emphasis mine). He goes
on to say that then life will get
good again.
These words seemed to jump off the page to me today as I read
them. Zophars greatest error in his
words was that he felt that man had the ability to become righteous through his
own effort. This is also the great error
of many religious people today. Now it
is true that the Mosaic covenant conveyed such a message and even in Job’s day
(which most believe to be before and outside that covenant) it seemed like a
natural and reasonable expectation. “Do
good, get good; do bad, get bad” If you
obey my commands you will be blessed and if you do not then you will be cursed (Deuteronomy 28). The problem with this thinking is that man is unable to perfectly devote their hearts
to God. Being fallen, man’s interest and
desires are turned inward instead of towards the creator who loves them more
than they love themselves.
There is also the reality that the stain of sin runs so deep
that no amount of sacrifice would ever be able to wash it clean. There was not enough blood in all the bulls
and goats of eternity to put away man’s
sin. While it could be temporarily
covered for the nation of Israel by animal sacrifice, only the perfect Lamb of
God could take away the sin of the
world. It is also only in Christ and
through His gift of GRACE and “no condemnation” that we are empowered to “go
and sin no more”, so allowing no sin to be in us (or our tent) by our own power
or strength is impossible therefore making it impossible to “lift up our face
without shame”. Adam and Eve could not
do it and they hid because they were
ashamed, Cain’s face was downcast because he did not “do right” and was not
accepted…shame. Throughout the Bible we read
that it is the Lord who lifts up our heads.
As we humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, HE lifts us up in due
time.
In Christ we are justified wholly and free from the guilt and
power of sin. Our sin is put away as far as the east is to the
west and cast into the sea of forgetfulness.
Our face is lifted up and we can come boldly before the throne of GRACE
free from shame and without fear of rejection.
Standing on the rock of the Gospel we stand firm and are “more than
conquerors” and have nothing to fear, “If God is for us who can be against us?”
Grace to You,
Pastor Tony
Freedom Church, USA
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