"...I repent in dust and ashes."

I just finished reading Job and noticed something interesting. Most of the book is spent with Job's friends giving speeches about how God only punishes the wicked, so the fact that multiple tragedies befell Job meant he had sinned against God. Job argues that he has walked the path of righteousness and his friends are wrong. God shows up and confronts Job: "Gird up your loins like a man," and "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" Job gives up his argument: "I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes." Then God says Job spoke rightly of Him while Job's friends were wrong. Job is restored in everything he lost.

But God never explains. He doesn't tell Job of the debates with Satan that occur at the beginning of the book. The answer to Job's questions are simply: I Am.

You Are A Stubborn People

I was just reading Deuteronomy 9:5-7 and was struck by the lengths God goes to to impress on the Israelites that they are not being rewarded because of their own righteousness:

"It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people. Remember, do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness; from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you arrived at this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD."

And that's being charitable. It seems like Israel is creating an idol or complaining every single page from Exodus to Deuteronomy. It's hard to believe God didn't simply destroy them all, which He threatened multiple times.

But here's the thing I come back to every time I read this section of scripture: Are we any better? Sure, we look the Israelites and say "Hey, they got to see God in a pillar of fire, what morons they are for disobeying." But we have the Spirit. No one gets any excuses.