How Long?
How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?
Job 7:19
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How Long?
How long? It’s a question posed to God in the Bible more than once. Here Job focuses on what he perceives to be God’s punishing of him for his sins. He asks how long the penalty will last, how long will God keep His focus on Job and his punishment. Though we don’t agree with Job that this is God’s fault, we can understand why Job would react this way. We might also be tempted to think this is the only reasonable way a person would react, but this is simply not the case. Listen to David as he is suffering in his own way as Saul attempts to bring about his demise, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” (Psalm 13:1–2) So on the one hand we have Job not wanting God’s attention and the on the other David, turning to God for rescue, thinking he has been abandoned. This just goes to prove that we fallen creatures will blame God no matter what. And yet though it all God does not turn His attention away from His people nor does He abandon them. Through it all God is the one constant which we can trust in. He is our rock of salvation in an otherwise fragile existence. In Christ we have salvation and can with David proclaim, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me,” (Psalm 13:5–6), and with Job, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (19:25)
Job 7:19
+
How Long?
How long? It’s a question posed to God in the Bible more than once. Here Job focuses on what he perceives to be God’s punishing of him for his sins. He asks how long the penalty will last, how long will God keep His focus on Job and his punishment. Though we don’t agree with Job that this is God’s fault, we can understand why Job would react this way. We might also be tempted to think this is the only reasonable way a person would react, but this is simply not the case. Listen to David as he is suffering in his own way as Saul attempts to bring about his demise, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” (Psalm 13:1–2) So on the one hand we have Job not wanting God’s attention and the on the other David, turning to God for rescue, thinking he has been abandoned. This just goes to prove that we fallen creatures will blame God no matter what. And yet though it all God does not turn His attention away from His people nor does He abandon them. Through it all God is the one constant which we can trust in. He is our rock of salvation in an otherwise fragile existence. In Christ we have salvation and can with David proclaim, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me,” (Psalm 13:5–6), and with Job, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (19:25)
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