Purchasing God

Job responds once again to his friends, and the points he makes in chapters 12 and 13 are powerful. To start, he gives us these words from verses 4-6 in chapter 12:

It's easy for the well-to-do to point their fingers in blame,
for the well-fixed to pour scorn on the strugglers.
Crooks reside safely in high-security houses, insolent
blasphemers live in luxury; they've bought and paid for a god
who'll protect them.

We are again faced with the theme that too often the downtrodden bear the blame for their misfortune. When we look toward earthly comfort and success as the measure of character, those who don't live up to our standard of living don't measure up to our standards of character either. Job accuses his accusers of enjoying the prosperity of a god they've bought and paid for rather than the spiritual prosperity of the true God. I wonder if we rely too much on the prosperity of a god that is bought and paid for, mistaking the riches of this world for the riches of God. All the while, looking out at the world and seeing its misfortune as a result of its "wayward" ways.

Job is beginning to see his suffering in light of this fact and the world view that he once shared with his friends has been shaken. Perhaps our worldview could use a little shaking as well.