Job 6:24-28 "Teach me, and I will be silent; And show me how I have erred. "How painful are honest words! But what does your argument prove? "Do you intend to reprove my words, When the words of one in despair belong to the wind? "You would even cast lots for the orphans And barter over your friend. "Now please look at me, And see if I lie to your face”. (NASB)
I have been challenged recently with thoughts from shall we say, “A different perspective”. The thoughts though are just that, thoughts; dreams of a human nature not based on truth. Not even based on logic or a position that might be articulated clearly. Ideas and opinions of fools in my view, but what does Scripture have to say.
Job is where I found this passage. I found it searching on the key word “Honest” or “Honesty”. Oddly, that word appears very few times in Scripture – just 7 times by my count. Most references were in Genesis and had to do with fair dealings. This reference hits home on the topic.
The passage starts out with the simple declarative and open view of the listener, “Teach me” and (if you do)”I will be silent”. So, in other words, if you are able to lay out your position clearly, teaching me, then I will be silent. Crudely, you might say, “I’ll shut up and listen”. The premise though is that you have the capacity to, “Teach me”. “Teach me, and I will be silent”. And as you teach me … “Show me how I have erred”. So not only am I open to your teaching but I am open to the possibility that I have had it wrong previously. Bottom line – I am teachable if you are capable of teaching.
“How painful are honest words”! Paraphrased again – the truth hurts sometimes. This isn’t Job speaking about being hurt himself. He’s talking about the other guy. Make a legitimate case and convince me! But instead, “What does your argument prove”? There is nothing to the argument that has been made. The painful truth is your argument is hollow at best and most likely foolish.
Matthew Henry sums up the situation this way:
“If, instead of invidious reflections and uncharitable insinuations, you will give me plain instructions and solid arguments, which shall carry their own evidence along with them, I am ready to acknowledge my error and own myself in a fault: Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; for I have often found, with pleasure and wonder, how forcible right words are. But the method you take will never make proselytes: What doth your arguing reprove? Your hypothesis is false, your surmises are groundless, your management is weak, and your application peevish and uncharitable.”
Now you may not like the Old English but he got right to the point.
Personally, I am open to legitimate challenges to my weaknesses. I admit I am a sinner saved by grace and I continue to make mistakes every day. In my weakness, I may bow up and argue at first but I will admit my error when confronted with real truth. But, I stand on the truth of God’s Word and the principles derived from that place alone. Try to make an argument from another position and you will find yourself in the bucket of fools referenced above. 2Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work”.
Those confronting Job were not coming from a righteous place. How do we know for sure? Check out verse 27 … “You would even cast lots for the orphans And barter over your friend”. Now Job may have gotten a little personal in verse 27 with, “Casting lots for orphans” but it does speak to the character of the guy he is dealing with. Fortunately I don’t think the ones’ I have encountered are in that league so we’ll let this verse go for now.
The section closes with, “Now please look at me, And see if I lie to your face “. I wanted to include that because it is important that as we enter into these situations that we are completely honest with ourselves and the other individuals. If we are going to say the other party isn’t being clear and speaking the truth even being honest with themselves then we had better not be guilty of the same thing. So, “Please look at me, And see if I lie to your face” AMEN!
