Job 11

Reflection (What we deserve) - 11:5-6

“But I wish He would speak and let you know that wisdom has many different sides (9:20).  You would then discover that God has punished you less than you deserve.” (Job 11:5-6 CEV)

These two verses are part of the first speech by Job’s third friend, Zophar, and say that even though Job may think himself innocent, there is enough greater wisdom in God to prove him wrong.  Righteousness has so many and transcendent dimensions that human wisdom is bound to fall short.   

In this Zophar is right, that God is punishing Job less than he deserves;  because indeed, as Job agreed with Bildad by saying, “What you say is true.  No human is innocent in the sight of God.” (Job 9:2 CEV)  But Zophar would be wrong by thinking that God was not punishing him (Zophar) because he did not deserve it.  

 Like I said in my journal, “One is only ever in pain if they deserve to be so.  Yes, we all deserve to be in pain; but by some stupefying grace, most of us manage to disregard it.”  Any pain that we experience, we do so because we already deserve it, in fact, we deserve even worse.  God is not cruel for punishing us, he is merciful for holding back what we are truly asking for with our lifestyle.  And what we truly deserve is hell at its worst; according to scripture, God will only hold it back for so long: “It is not wise to persist in numbing ourselves, lest this grace might run out someday (on the Day of Truth/Judgment/Coming out).”