“I will say to God, do not condemn me, let me know why You contend against me. Does it seem good to You to oppress, to despise the work of Your hands and favor the designs of the wicked?”
– Job 10:2–3
So here’s Job in his anguish and with his questions coming before God, but notice how his questions are related to the character of God and even the posture of God toward His people. Why are You contending against me? God are You against me? Job doesn’t know what we know reading this book that God is totally for Job. But Job is wondering God are You against me? Then he says does it seem good to You to oppress?
God Hates Oppression
We know, Job knows deep down in his heart that God hates oppression. We know that from all of scripture, and yet we can find ourselves in the middle of suffering and anguish asking questions about God’s character. But this is where we all must be so, so careful amidst our questions which are good to bring before God, honestly and humbly. But as we ask them to always hold fast to what we know about God.
Job 10:2–3 Tells Us to Keep Our Minds Fixed on God
I remember my dad used to say, “David when you don’t know what to do, do what you know to do.” I think that applies here. When you don’t have an answer, focus on the answers you do have. Amidst all our questions in the middle of pain and suffering and anguish and grief, let’s hold fast to what we do know about God, and pray according to those realities that are fixed in Him. We pray even now I know some of us are amidst anguish and grief and struggle right now.
God, please keep our minds and our hearts fixed on that which we know about You, amidst all our questions about things we maybe are walking through now or will walk through in the days to come. God help us not to forget Your character. Help us not ultimately to question Your goodness, Your greatness, Your wisdom, Your love, Your righteousness, Your justice. God, we know You are all these things.
Job 10:2–3 Reminds Us God is Faithful
So hold fast our faith in difficult days with the assurance of these things. Even when we don’t understand why Your justice isn’t being shown in this or that way. When we’re struggling to see Your goodness in something. When we are even tempted to doubt Your wisdom God help us to trust Your character. To trust what we know about You from Your word.
You are faithful God, You are always faithful. You will prove faithful to Your word, to Your promises, and to who You are to Your character. For this, we praise You. Even in the middle of our suffering and our questions. We praise You for the constancy of Your character, and the faithfulness of Your promise. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
View the 2022 McLean Bible Church Reading Plan.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
