Trusting God in Affliction (Job 13:15)
A deep trust in God is an expressed trust. It cannot be hidden. Job demonstrated this.
In the midst of personal crisis he could say, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him” (13:15).
In saying this Job recognised God’s right to do as pleases. Our lives are in the hands of our Creator and he does as he wills.
Job also accepted his lot which in this case was extreme adversity. Although he accepts his lot Job was not fatalistic. The fatalist does not talk of a mighty God, but Job did.
He was not fatalistic but believed and trusted in a sovereign God.
Job said “Yet I will trust him.” He knew God was merciful and that whatever happened was from the hand of a merciful God.
Job further said “Even so, I will defend my own ways ….” This meant that Job was prepared to plead his case before God and to defend his integrity, that is, maintain his innocence...
Job was prepared to appear “before him,” that is, before God. Ultimately we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of our lives.
In all your circumstances trust in God and be ready to vindicate yourself. But will you be vindicated?
The book of Job is ultimately about Jesus Christ. What Job went through was a foreshadow of the one who was to come — the Christ who is Jesus.
Consider that before his affliction Job had a certain glory. He was revered by young and old (29:8). This pre-affliction glory Job had reflects the pre-incarnate glory of Jesus Christ who had a glory in heaven before he came to earth (John 17:5).
Job suffered greatly. Jesus likewise suffered greatly not only physically on the cross, but spiritually within himself as he wrestled with the awesome responsibility of his calling. Note the similarity between Job and Christ.
Job was surrounded by ignorance. His friends simply did not understand the purpose of his suffering. Jesus also was surrounded by ignorance. His own people did not receive him. His disciples were slow to understand. Jews and the Gentiles ignorantly crucified him.
Job was vindicated and his latter days were more glorious than his earlier ones (42:12). Jesus also. His glory now exceeds the glory he had before he came to earth, not in his essence, but in his fulfilment of God’s plan of redemption. He returned to heaven with the added accolade of being the Redeemer of sinners having finished the work of redemption.
Consider that Adam and Eve would not have known the Lord God as Redeemer were it not for their fall and redemption. Before they fell they knew him as Creator-God but now as Redeemer-God.
Jesus has ascended to heaven more glorious. He is not only our blessed Lord but is our blessed Redeemer. Job would not have appreciated the mercy of God without his suffering. He now saw the Lord as his Redeemer (19:25; 42:5). We know Jesus as Saviour our Redeemer which would not be possible unless we knew our redemption from sin.
From this perspective the book of Job is not about Job but about Jesus of whom Job is a shadow. Let us trust in Jesus that although he may afflict us yet we will trust him and be ultimately vindicated