How Can A Man Appear Before God Justified?
Yes, I know what you said about God is true.
How can a man appear before God justified?
If he wanted to contend with Him,
To answer His questions, he would be mystified!
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has rebelled and prospered?
He can remove mountains and they do not know.
He overturned them in His anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place.
The pillars thereof are caused to tremble.
He commands the sun and it does not rise
And with darkness He seals up the stars.
He spreads out the heavens and treads on the sea.
He made the Bear, Orion and Pleiades
And the chambers of the South;
He does great things which are past finding out.
Wonders without number, I attribute to Him,
He goes by and Him I do not see;
He passes on and I perceive Him not.
If He takes away, who can stop Him?
Or who can quiz Him for His doings?!
If God will not withdraw His anger,
The proud helpers do stoop under Him.
How much less should I answer
And choose my words to reason with Him?
For though I were righteous, I could not answer.
I would make supplications to my Judge.
But if I called and He answered me,
I would not believe He had listened to my voice.
He crushes me with a tempest
And multiplies my wound without cause.
He will not allow me to catch my breath
But fills me with bitterness.
If I speak of strength, lo, He is strong, and of judgment,
Who will appoint my day in court?
Though I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me.
Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.
I am blameless, yet I do not know myself.
I despise my life.
This is one thing, therefore I said it;
He destroys the blameless and the wicked.
If the scourge destroys suddenly,
He laughs at the plight of the innocent.
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.
He covers the eyes of the judges.
If it is not He, who else could it be?
Now my days are swifter than a runner.
They flee away and they see no good.
They pass away like swift ships,
Like an eagle swoops in on its prey.
If I say, I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face and smile,
I am afraid of all my sorrows,
I know You will not judge me innocent now.
If I stand condemned now, why do I labor in vain?
If I wash myself with snow water
And make my hands ever so clean,
Yet, You will plunge me into the ditch
And my own clothes shall be as filth.
For He is not a man, as I am
That I should give answer unto Him
And that we should go to court together,
Neither is there one who can mediate between us,
To render a verdict on us both.
Let Him take His rod away from me
And let His fear not terrify me.
Then would I speak and not fear Him.
But that is not possible with me!
D Arbaugh