Articles
The Hope of the Hypocrite
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Job 13:15-16 - Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation, for a hypocrite could not come before Him.
Job 27:8-9 - For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he may gain much, if God takes away his life? Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?
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Before we dig into these verses, let's take a moment to define our topic. A hypocrite is a person who is consciously putting on an act to deceive others, with full knowledge that he is not living up to his own standard. A hypocrite is not to be confused with someone who is genuinely striving to do the right thing, but who stumbles here or there in the execution. There is a difference between a sinner who grieves over his own failings, and a hypocrite who knows he is living a lie and doesn't care.
Throughout the book of Job, his friends accused him of being not just a sinner, but a hypocrite. Why else would God cause such horrible tragedies to rain down upon a man? Only a hypocrite would deserve that kind of karma. Job had done a good job of hiding his crimes, but now it was time to come clean and get right with God!
Of course, Job's friends could not read his heart, and their accusations were without merit. In both of these passages, Job contrasted his own condition with that of the hypocrite. The hypocrite has no grounds for coming into the presence of God. He has no hope, regardless of whatever profit he may gain from his duplicity. He is a phony, a fake, a pretender who has no claim on God's mercy.
Job's argument is, that's not me. Job had a deep and abiding desire to see God, to honor his Creator in everything he did (19:25-27; 23:10-12). He did not claim perfection; indeed, he acknowledged his utter dependence on God's grace: "Though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge" (9:15). Even in adversity, Job refused to renounce his dependence on God. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."
Job's words provide a template for evaluating our own character. Take a close look at how you process adversity in your life. Do you cry out in prolonged prayer to God, seeking to better understand your own weaknesses, and begging mercy from the only One who can give it? Or do you respond with bitterness and anger, blaming and lashing out at others around you? Is your hope in God, or in the perfect little world you've created for yourself through your scheming?
Perhaps you've wrestled with the question: Am I a hypocrite, or a sinner genuinely trying to grow and improve? How you respond to hardship is a good indicator of your real character.
--David
