Though He Slay Me

The title for this article comes from the Old Testament book of Job, chapter 13 verse 15, where Job makes the statement, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” (NKJV)

The story of Job as told in the Old Testament is one of pain, suffering, and sorrow, of the loss of loved ones (sons and daughters), of possessions, of health, and very nearly of hope. His state got to be such that his wife’s advice was, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9 NKJV) Death was seen as preferable to life as it was. While Job agreed that his death was preferable to life yet the idea of cursing God was anathema to him (Job 2:10).

In the next chapter he expresses a sentiment I became very familiar with in my own father’s last days when life became more of a burden and a trial for him than a treasure to be held onto. Job says, “Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, who long for death, but it does not come, and search for it more than hidden treasures; who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they can find the grave?” (Job 3:20-22 NKJV)

There are questions we can ask that we will never have an answer to in this life and this is one of them. I have sometimes wondered if, in cases like my Dad’s, life was not prolonged for the testing and maturing of the care givers, for our benefit, but who can say? None of us can. We only make wild guesses and speculate but it is certain God has his reason.

God had a reason in the case of Job and while the whole reason was never completely revealed to Job we are given a glimpse of what was going on behind the scenes and out of human sight. Who can say today what is going on behind the scenes and out of sight?

James talks about Job in James 5:11 where he says, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord – that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” (NKJV) We say, as I did, that James said this. So he did. However, these were truly the words of the Holy Spirit speaking through James about Job.

Hundreds of years after the fact God saw fit to use James as his mouth piece and reveal more of the purpose behind suffering that seemed without reason or purpose, even unjust at the time. Job was to be an example for mankind (along with the prophets – James 5:10-11) of the kind of patience and endurance we are to have and it is made known to us that the end result of all such godly endurance is to be great blessings from God who is “very compassionate and merciful.”

I am reminded of Paul’s words in Rom. 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (NKJV) He is speaking to Christians.

Do you ever despair in your life? I know Paul did at least once. He said in 2 Cor. 1:8-9, speaking of the trouble he had in Asia, “we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.” Paul speaks as though he was pretty much prepared to die at that point in time.

We can get to that point, to a point where we basically have given it all we can give it, done all we can, and have come to the end of our rope. It can be in any area of life, not just with regards to the matter of physical life.

Perhaps you have struggled financially, done all you can do and have gotten nowhere and now wonder what you will do perhaps even reaching a point of desperation. You find no answers. In an article in a recent edition of the local area newspaper I read of a woman who had been living in an alley with her two children eating out of garbage dumps until finally someone was made aware of her plight and came to her aid. Yes, we have desperate people living among us in despair not knowing where to turn or what to do who like Paul have nearly given up.

With others it may be in family relationships. Every year hundreds of families are deserted by a mother or dad, a husband or wife, through no fault of the innocent party (yes, there are some innocent parties). Desperation, fear, and despair set in. How will we go on becomes the question.

One could list figuratively a thousand things that can happen in a person’s life where it looks like hope is gone and we have no options and the point I want to make here is that there is no use in trying to smooth things over and say it does not get that bad or it is just our imagination. Things can literally get that bad. Ask Paul (2 Cor. 1:8). Sometimes we just find ourselves in a situation where it is beyond any control or ability that we have to affect a positive change.

The question then becomes what am I to do if I find myself in a situation that seems to be nearly unbearable and yet it is beyond my control to bring about change as was the case with Job (and with Paul)? Paul said trust in God (2 Cor. 1:8). Job said the same thing (Job 13:15). We can trust in God no matter what comes and we can pray.

I knew a lady once, a Christian woman, who said she prayed regularly, all of the time, and it did not do any good. I am convinced she prayed sincerely and was telling the truth about her own supplications to God. Do we get to feeling the same way? Job did. He was praying fervently and it did not seem God was answering him.

One thing we can learn from Job’s experience is that while we may think God is not hearing our prayers that is not the case. God is well aware of what is happening to us and what we are going through. He knew Job’s situation. We also learn that he will respond in his own time and in the way he sees best and taking the long view of things we can be assured his way is the best way for us even though at the time it may not feel that way.

Things may well not get better for us as far as our earthly plight goes. Paul spoke of his thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him, that he prayed 3 times that it would be removed from him and perhaps would have continued on praying indefinitely about the matter had not God spoken to him. God’s answer was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9 NKJV) This also may very well be the answer we must accept in our own life.

In Hebrews 11 the Bible says, “Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented – of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.” (Heb. 11:36-38 NKJV)

Do you wonder if any of these people ever prayed for a change in their life’s circumstances? Jesus did for his. Three times he prayed that he might be spared the cross. Yes, I suspect many prayers were offered by those mentioned in Hebrews 11. God’s people are praying people by definition. Would you have prayed had you been in their shoes? You know you would have and thus you know they did also.

James tells us, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NKJV) Here is a good that can come from our suffering.

Although I consider the New Living Translation a paraphrase if I think it accurately reflects the meaning of a passage in order to make it clearer then I sometimes use it. This is one such case as found in 1 Peter 1:6-7.

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

We can, if we are not careful, get to the point that we feel God does not care but there is always a reason behind our suffering even if unknown to us as was pointed out earlier in reference to Job’s suffering.

We may have to suffer much in life but if we will remain steadfast through it as Christians then we will receive our reward, an inheritance eternally with Christ in heaven, life everlasting.

No, we do not understand. We know why Jesus had to die and what God’s purpose was behind that but why did Stephen have to die so soon after the preaching of the gospel and the establishment of the church? Why did John live so long? Why did Paul have to suffer so much? Jesus had said he would, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:16 NKJV) We have to believe God is being active behind the scenes and trust him, believe it will all work out in the end even if we die getting to the end.

All of this brings us back to the beginning, to Job. What is going on? He did not know, did not know why. He did know God had the power to intervene if he was willing. But, it all came down to this in the end, “though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” (Job 13:15 NKJV)

So, how about me, how about you? What do we do when our world has fallen apart and it seems as though God is not listening and hope is almost a thing of the past? First, we remember we were not the first and only ones to be in those shoes. Others have been in the same boat as we and many were not rescued other than by death itself. There is no guarantee that what we think is best is what will come to pass. We are in God’s hands. His will will be done just as Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus’ prayer, in that respect, has to be our prayer, “not as I will, but as you will." (Matt. 26:39 NKJV)

(I remind the reader that death is not an unmitigated evil. For the righteous it is the end of suffering and the entrance way into glory. If that is the way God chooses to rescue us from our trial so be it. He is taking us to a better place where there is no more sorrow or suffering. That is a pretty good answer to prayer even if it is not what we were seeking.)

Secondly, as Job said, even “though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” To whom else is there to turn to? Who else can bring us out on the other side? We must be resigned to his will in our life, trust and obey, and believe that in the final settling of accounts God will be merciful to those who love him no matter what may come. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (Peter, John 6:68 NKJV)