My computer thesaurus lists synonyms for argue: contend, reason, debate, dispute and discuss. Take a moment and replace argue in the title of this article, with each of these words and ask yourself, is that ok with God. Now I want to shine a light on the Bible character, Job, to help answer the question.
In chapter one, Job lost everything: all livestock (all of his wealth), every farmhand and all of his children, in a single day. Job’s response? “Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” 22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.”
Then Satan inflicted Job with excruciatingly painful boils and his wife told him to, “Curse God and die.” His response? “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.”
Then after suffering with the foolish talk of his 3 best friends, Job sought an audience with GOD over his circumstances, to argue with God.
13:3 But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God.
13:13-15 Let me have silence, and I will speak, and let come on me what may. 14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hand? 15 Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.
23:3-4 Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! 4 I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments.
31:35 Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!
Was it a sin for Job to want to argue with God over his persecution? Now before you answer, check this out. 42:7-9 After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you & against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.
GOD not only wasn’t mad with Job, He defended Job by saying that Job had spoken what was right and that all of his prayers were acceptable. Yes, that included the 3 times when he sought an audience with GOD so that he could “argue my ways to His face.”
So is all “arguing with GOD” ok? NO! Why was Job’s ok? Check out the rest of 13:15 “Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.” Did Job want to argue with GOD? YES! What made that ok? GOD examines what in us humans, to decide if we are ok with Him? That’s right, the heart. How was Job’s heart? AOK, super fine. How can we be sure? “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.” The human heart can’t get any purer than that.
So if you ever are in circumstances that make you want to argue with GOD, see if you can honestly, truthfully say, “Even if He strikes me dead, I will place all my hope in the GOD, with whom I want to argue.”
Oh, one head’s up about arguing with GOD. He gave Job the audience that he wanted; recorded it for posterity in chapters 38-41. Want to take a guess at who did almost all of the talking? GOD! In those 4 chapters GOD asked Job 70 questions and demanded that he answer each of them. Job’s response after 56 of those questions was:
3 Then Job replied to the Lord, 4 “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. 5 I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.” 40:3-5
But GOD wasn’t done with His response to Job’s arguing. From 40:6-41:34 GOD challenges Job with Behemoth, most likely the land dinosaur we call Brachiosaurus. Then He followed that with 14 more questions about Leviathan, most likely the water dinosaur we call Mosasaurus.
Job’s final response after his argument with GOD? 42:1-6 “Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. 4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ 5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
So before you seek an arguing audience with GOD, be sure to read over Job 38-41 very closely. Did GOD defend Job? YES! Did GOD consider Job’s heart good? YES! Did that prevent GOD from giving Job a verbal sit down that humbled him to the max? NO, it did not. So if your circumstances ever frustrate you to the point of arguing with GOD, get yourself a comfortable chair and get ready for the humbling of your life. Just because GOD loves you and approves of you and is willing to give you an arguing audience, doesn’t mean that He won’t put you in your place like never before. I don’t know if it will be these 70 questions or some new ones, but a humbling encounter is guaranteed. God bless.
