Job 31:35-37
35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!
I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
let my accuser put his indictment in writing.
36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,
I would put it on like a crown.
37 I would give him an account of my every step;
I would present it to him as to a ruler.)—
Job 31:35-37 New International Version (NIV)
35 Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, that the Almighty would answer me,
That my Prosecutor had written a book!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;
37 I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.
Job 31:35-37 New King James Version (NKJV)
Study Notes
In my clothing topic study, I came across this verse in Job. It surprised me & created a picture in my mind. Wearing indictments on the shoulder & as a crown, how would that look?
“let my accuser put his indictment in writing.
Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,”
It made me think of a long written scroll of indictments, maybe flowing like a cape, charges & accusations brought against Job. Then he said,
“ I would put it on like a crown.”
Wow, not only was he going to wear them on his shoulder, but now he said he would
“put it on like a crown.”
Job is braver then me, I would not be confident to wear all of my accusation proudly and walk towards him. Mostly cause Job, was more righteous that me. I fear most of the accusation against me would be true & I would not want them publicly displayed on my shoulder or as a crown.
But then I think of approaching Him, boldly walking towards the throne of grace.
Hebrews 4:16: Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
I can have confidence, I am forgiven. I have received mercy and found grace in Him.
Those charges & accusation often sneak in and start to play that same old accusing record in my mind. Like waves that push me, into old memories of sin & regret. I beg God’s forgiveness. Then I stop, I remind my self, I am forgiven. I don’t have to keep begging the Lord to do something he has already done. I have repented & turned towards him. My mind set needs to be changed to praise.
Praise
“Thank you Lord, that you have forgiven me. Thank you Lord, that you care for me. Thank you Lord that you have blotted out my transgressions.” (Ps 51:1) Thank you that you are creating in me a pure heart, (Ps 51:1;10). Thank you Lord, that I am the woman of Luke 7, the one who had the bigger debit. (v 43)
Luke 7:47-48 (NIV)
47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Responsible fix-it nature
I want to say that again, another way because as women we tend to take things on as ours. We are the mothers, caregivers, the responsible party trying fix things, the peace keepers of the family. Sometimes that responsible fix-it nature turns inward on us, and we forget to turn to God. We need to be careful that the weight on our shoulder is not a heavy baggage of guilt that we write for ourselves & willing carry it because we feel unforgivable.
At bible study a few months ago this same topic came up: our mind flipping that switch that lists our transgression and it beats at us. The group was reminded, “we need to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor.10:5) For me that personal means when those thoughts start to play in my mind & I hear my self saying “ God forgive me.” I need to change that to thankfulness.
Thankfulness & Praise
I have to change it to praise, say “Thank you God! That you have forgiven me.” He has forgiven me already. I was glad that other women in the room agreed and she needed to hear that reminder too. We all do at times ladies.
2 Corinthians 10:5 – We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Bible Quotations from: BibleGateway. (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2017, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/