If You Could Sue God…

If you could sue God, what injustice would your complaint report?

Recently I’ve been reading The Prophets by Abraham Heschel. In his analysis of the prophet’s view of God’s Justice, Heschel pointed out a new thought (to me). Among the many differences between the views of the gods among Israel’s neighbors and that of the God of Israel, God’s Justice stands out. The Greeks and other peoples of the ancient world, on the one hand, saw power as the essence of the deities. One stood condemned for trespassing “against divine power (p. 199).” In Israel, on the other hand, Justice is “inherent in His essence and identified with His ways” (p. 200). Although his book is on the prophets, Heschel also cites passages from Job: “Will God pervert the right? Will the Almighty pervert justice?” asks Bildad with incredulity (8:3); “For God surely does not act wickedly; Shaddai does not pervert justice,” asserts Elihu (34:12). That God should pervert justice runs counter to his very nature as righteous.

The extent and intensity of Job’s losses compel him to speak out to God, by appealing to his justice. Job’s complains that God has dealt unjustly with him. Job, therefore, will not only speak out, but initiate a lawsuit. He explores the idea in Chapter 9 and brings it to a climax with an written affidavit in Chapter 31.

Reading Heshel today brought up the thought that Job sues God for redress of grievances over his losses because, in spite of his experience, God is a God of Justice!

If Job could sue God for injustice, what, I wonder, would you sue him for?

 

About Grose

Gordon Grose loves most to write, speak, and preach on the message of hope from the book of Job. Using drama, video, and PowerPoint, he has preached and presented this message of hope to churches around the country. Grose pastored three congregations 25 years, then served 12 years as a pastoral counselor in a Portland, Oregon counseling clinic. He now serves with Good Samaritan Counseling Services, Beaverton, OR. A graduate of Wheaton College (IL), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Brandeis University, and Boston University, he comes from a rich and varied background in theological and counseling training. In 2015, Gordon published Tragedy Transformed: How Job's Recovery Can Provide Hope For Yours, a book about turning to Job for hope after tragedy. If you have experienced life challenges or personal tragedy, visit his Transforming Tragedy (gordongrose.com) blog to learn more. TragedyTransformed.com provides a sample of Gordon's speaking as well as an opportunity to purchase copies of his book.
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One Response to If You Could Sue God…

  1. Judy says:

    I think I would sue Him for the same thing. However, I do understand I have no right considering God is Holy and I am not.

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