Turn, Sinner, Turn!

⁷ He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
  But they are on the throne with kings,
  For He has seated them forever,
  And they are exalted.
⁸ And if they are bound in fetters,
  Held in the cords of affliction,
⁹ Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—
  That they have acted defiantly.
¹⁰ He also opens their ear to instruction,
   And commands that they turn from iniquity.
¹¹ If they obey and serve Him,
   They shall spend their days in prosperity,
   And their years in pleasures.
¹² But if they do not obey,
   They shall perish by the sword,
   And they shall die as one without knowledge. - Job 36:7-12

This is a wonderful description of how our lives go.  God never turns His eyes from us and He has high places for those who love Him - they are exalted, lifted up.  What an awesome promise to those who love Him!  But if they are bound, "held by cords of affliction", God tells them their transgressions and their defiant actions.  He does not let them go forth and not know that they are sinning.  The Holy Spirit does this for Him.  And all of us Christians are very aware of when He is speaking to us, warning us, reminding us, pulling at us to turn away.

Verse 8 is where many people gain the idea that if someone is going through a trial or are afflicted that they have done some transgression or defiant act against God.  But this is not the intention of this verse.  Jesus' disciples asked on this topic regarding the blind man wondering who had sinned to cause him to be blind, his parents or him.  Jesus answered neither.  So, the affliction was not a product of sin.  Verses 8 and 9 are referring to the cords of consequences.  The afflictions binding these are consequences that result from their transgressions and defiant actions. 

God tells them what they have done against Him and opens their ear to hear His instruction and commands them to turn away from their sin.  Verse 10 is very, very powerful.  Oh, how crushing it is to know people who hear this but stand defiantly still!  We know that they have heard His Word because here we are told that God tells them.  We know that they have been told what they are doing wrong because here we are told that God tells them.  We know that God commanded them to turn away from their sin because here we are told that God Himself tells them.  Oh stubborn man!  Why do you stand against God? 

Following this, there are two directions to go.  You can obey and serve God.  Verse 11 is a promise that the days will be spent in prosperity and in pleasures.  I believe it is critical to understand that this prosperity and these pleasures are for the person who's heart wants only God.  Therefore, these things are not things at all, but the prosperity of peace, love, joy, knowledge of salvation, faith in God, etc.  Of which there are no higher pleasures or items of prosperity of equal value in creation.  Certainly, there is nothing else I would want more.

The other direction is to die by the sword.  To die as someone who does not know the truth.  Relating the sword as the Word of God, it can be said then that the person who does not obey the command of God will perish from His Word.  They will be as someone who knows not His Word.  They will die with their sin.  God will see their sin when He sees them.  What a terrible position to put oneself.  Turn sinner turn!  Do not put yourself under the curse of God!  Oh how much better it is to be someone who has never heard than to be one who has heard but rejected Him!