Just asking! Well actually it’s not me this time, the question comes from the mouth of one of Job’s comforters. (And we all know how wonderful they were!) Job was concerned about his sin and God making him his target. He noted God as the ‘watcher of mankind’. So this ‘comforter’ simply told Job to repent. Easy? Hmmm.

The mixture of wisdom and folly from those ‘comforters’ takes up many chapters in that book. We too could debate whether God makes us his ‘target’; watching our every movement. But it is to this vital question I want you to turn. Bildad the Shuhite asks it – and the whole world should ask it. And you should ask it of yourself. ‘How can a man be right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure?’

Interestingly, the end of the book of Job brings the greatest wisdom as Job truly ‘sees’ the wonder of the One True and Living God and despises himself.

So now I’m just asking – in a day that exalts self-expression and identity; and in all world religions, including Judaism, exalts human effort and mitzvot, are you willing to ‘despise yourself’? Even King David said he was born as a sinner (Psalm 51:5) Our greatest problem is first of all to know our greatest problem!

But I haven’t answered the question yet – the one I didn’t ask; the one Bildad asked. (Sometimes even foolish people ask the right questions!) So we’re sinners, yes; Adam and Eve and all that. But how can we be righteous?

Interestingly, the prophet Habakkuk also considered this question. He similarly said of God, ‘You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong.’ (Hab 1:13) Then he challenged God about evil’s triumph, but got an ultimate answer to an ultimate question, from the LORD. ‘the righteous shall live by faith’. (Hab 2:4)

Faith In what? Faith in my faith? No there must be a worthy object. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. (Gen. 15:6) But what was Abraham’s ‘object’ of faith? God? A God who delivers on his covenantal promise? Yes, and yes. But what is that? I’m glad you asked!

I think we now need to consider a covenant promise of monumental, even eternal significance. Have you checked out Jeremiah 31:31 yet? Just asking!