“Apply yourself wholly to the Scriptures, and apply the Scriptures wholly to yourself.” —J.A. Bengel
As the Lord concludes the first part of His appeal to Job, He poses a challenging question: “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?” (Job 40:2). The Hebrew word for “contend” comes from a root meaning “to toss or grapple.” If this is verbal wrestling, what weight class would the two combatants qualify for? You know there’s a massive difference right away when One of them is called “Almighty”! Of course, it’s one thing to contend; it’s quite another to correct. Obviously the Lord wants us to think, or as the Great Commandment puts it, “love the Lord your God with…all your mind” (Mt 22:37). Job had said, “I desire to reason with God” (Job 13:3). But here’s the issue. Truth is what God thinks about something, and He’s always right about everything. Early on, Job had declared, “I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me; show me why You contend with me” (10:2). Now he knows the answer. It’s not the contending, but the correcting—in fact, the rebuking—of God that must be confronted head on. Now Job had expressed two desires for his expected engagement with the Lord. “Only two things” (13:20) he asks God not to do. “Withdraw Your hand far from me, and let not the dread of You make me afraid” (v 21). But the Lord has extended His hand to him, and spoken to Job in the most gracious and kindly way. So let the debate begin, Job first! “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; yes, twice, but I will proceed no further” (40:4-5). And thus ends the debate! When God speaks to us, it should not result in contention, but in contemplation, then careful consideration, and finally consecration to do what He has revealed to us.