Job was a good man. He feared God, helped the needy, and opposed the wicked. Yet he made the mistake of placing too much emphasis on his own good character. We see this in his bitter complaint (23:2). Job claimed that if God would only listen to him the way a judge and jury listen to a defense attorney, He would conclude that Job is pure gold (vv.2-10).

We usually take verse 10 to mean that God was testing Job to burn away the dross of sin. But Eliphaz had accused him of "iniquity without end" (22:5), and the patriarch's reply was his defense against that charge. Job said that God's testing of him would eventually reveal that he was already pure gold. So he kept on affirming his uprightness. Finally, the Almighty confronted Job. "I will question you, and you shall answer Me," He said (38:3). When God had finished, Job was silenced and humbled. Every trace of self-righteousness was gone. He admitted that he had spoken ignorantly (42:1-5). Then he said, "Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (v.6).

Whenever we think we deserve better from God, we need to remember that His sinless Son gave His life for us. This will silence our complaint and renew our trust in God's love, wisdom, and goodness.  — Herbert Vander Lugt