Job 13:17-19

17 Hear [shama`] diligently [shama`] my speech [millah], and my declaration ['achvah] with your ears ['ozen].

18 Behold now, I have ordered [`arak] my cause [mishpat]; I know [yada`] that I shall be justified [tsadaq].

19 Who is he that will plead [riyb] with me? for now, if I hold my tongue [charash], I shall give up the ghost [gava`]. KJV-Interlinear

17 'Listen carefully to my speech, And let my declaration fill your ears. 18 'Behold now, I have prepared my case; I know that I will be vindicated. 19 'Who will contend with me? For then I would be silent and die. NASB

In his agony and pain, Job certainly expressed his feelings, preferring that all this misery would go away, but he never once complained or blamed God for his situation.

Most people when they come face to face with catastrophe, and especially with personal physical trauma, as they look forward to the rest of their life, especially if they believe that it is gong to be a bad future, then they will cry and complain, and have a tantrum royal.

Everyone will get blamed, and whomever is close by will get their ears bent off.

Those folks are weak in their spiritual life. And, those folks will typically have their eyes on the things of this world, rather than on God and their spiritual life.

When you are ruled by your five senses, what you can see, feel, taste, smell, and hear, then you become a slave to the things in your would around you. The worldly things you have or want, are more important than your eternity, which is the next life, which will last you a very, very long time.

Job expresses his confidence in God, and no matter what the outcome of his life, he feels himself vindicated, even though those around him at the moment think he is nothing more than being obstinate in his refusal to admit his sins to them.

From within his own mind, Job knows doctrine. Job is confident that his situation is not due to his own evil doings. He is not a perfect person. No one is. But he knows that this is not the classic case of evil being hammered for all to see.

Therefore, since he has not been bad, and since he is currently under suffering, and since God controls all aspects of history, then there must be another explanation as to why he is in the situation that he finds himself in.

Again, most people will whine and complain to everyone and anyone who will listen. And blaming God is the easiest thing in the world. Likewise, most people will believe that their bad luck in life is due to their past sins. 'God is punishing me for my deep dark past.' Or, folks will wonder, 'Why me? What have I done? Why can't I be a billionaire, or beautiful, or wanted, or something else?'

But as for Job, his attitude is that God is right in all that He does. Job has presented his case, and Job is confident within his own mind, that no one besides God, can bring his life to its rightful conclusion. Whatever that conclusion might be.

And, if anyone wishes to stand up against him, and argue a case against him, and in substitution of Gods argument, then let him try.

If anyone has a better argument than God, then Job will simply fall into silence, and die, or place his arguments to a permanent rest.

And so, all of mans judging, gossiping, and maligning are put in their place. No person has any right to judge the life of another. And this is in the social realm we are speaking of, not in a criminal trial process.

God alone will evaluate the life of the individual. People, when they judge others, in a negative sense, usually base their judging on personal bias, prejudice, hate, envy and so forth. They just want to get even, or they just want to bring harm to their intended victim.

But be very careful if you are going to judge someone. Your gossip or judging will come back to haunt you, and if your victim is a believer, and more importantly is a mature believer, then your judging will come back against you like a ton of bricks. Generally this is called triple compound discipline.

Matt. 7:2

'For in the way that you judge, you will be judged. And by your standard of measure, it will be measured against you.'

In triple discipline, you receive punishment from God for the mental attitude which motivated you to judge or gossip against others, you receive punishment for the actual sins of judging or gossiping, and then you receive punishment for the actual sins you mention or assign against your intended victim.

No one but God, knows the heart of the individual. No one but God has the right to evaluate a person. Therefore, interfering in Gods business is an invasion of ones privacy, as well as the unlawful theft of Gods sovereignty.

So, think twice before entering into your little telephone gossip sessions, innocent as you might believe them to be, or justified as you believe you are to express your opinion against someone.

Job has given all fair warning. If someone knows more than God, then by all means, let them speak. But if not . ?

Now is the time to post a prayer.