Dangerous Accusations
September 9, 2018

Scripture: Job 27

I. When accused you should boast in your righteous status with God.

A. Job begins to reply to his friends’ accusations by making a solemn oath in vs. 2. Job says there, “As God lives.” Job is putting his case in God’s hands. Job boasts of his integrity before his accusing friends in vs. 5 and 6. He boasts of his righteousness. Job is confused about God at this time. He knows that God is just. But it seems like God has denied Job of justice in his suffering. God “has taken away (Job’s) right” (vs. 2). So, Job is honest with God about his confusion. The only thing Job knows for sure is that he is righteous.

B. The good news of the Gospel is that if you are a Christian you too can boast in your righteousness no matter what else is going on in your life. The reason you can make such a boast is not because of any goodness or righteousness in you. You can boast of righteousness because the righteousness of Jesus lives in you. 1 Corinthians 1:30: “And because of (God) you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”

II. When accused you should pray for God to judge your accusers.

A.In Job 27:7 Job says, “Let my enemy be as the wicked, and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.” Who is Job’s enemy that he is talking about in vs. 7? His three friends who have supposedly come to comfort him in his suffering. They claimed to be friends. But by accusing Job of doing evil they were actually enemies. What does Job want God to do to his enemies? In verse 8 Job says he wants God to cut them off and end their lives. He wants God to judge them for their sins.

B. God in His justice must act against those who would falsely accuse His children. The accusers of God’s people then are in terrible danger. Job trusts that God will act in His justice. Job is not going to take matters in to his own hands. By leaving room for God to judge, Job is giving his enemies time to repent. And at the end of the book that is what we see Job’s enemy-friends do. They offered the sacrifices for their sin God told them to offer in Job 42. And God forgave them. Pray then for your enemies to repent and receive God’s forgiveness. But if they refuse to repent, pray that God will give you patience while you wait for His justice.

III. When accused you should warn your accuser of their danger.

A. In the second half of Job 27 we see Job give a series of warnings to his human accusers. Job says that the justice of God is coming for his friends with all of their accusations against him as a righteous man. In verse 13 Job begins his warning by saying, “This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty.” By wickedly blaming Job for his own suffering, the friends will now receive the justice of God for accusing a righteous man. In vs. 14 Job warns his friends of the sword and of hunger for their children. In vs. 15 he warns of pestilence, and in vs. 16-19 Job warns of the loss of their possessions. He is telling the friends that all of their wealth that they are relying on for security is like a house built on sand. Finally, in vs. 20-23, Job warns his friends of the ultimate judgment of God: death.

Application:
Be careful about making false accusations. God will defend His people.

Sources:
The book of Job
Commentaries on Job by Christopher Ash and Francis Andersen