Let God weigh me on the scales of justice,
    for he knows my integrity. (Job 31:6)

In Chapter 31, Job concludes his closing arguments with a call to action: Go ahead, he says to God. Try me. Examine my actions thoroughly, and tell me where I was wrong. Job has rejected the accusations of his friends on the basis that they speak about what they do not know. Only from God will he at this point accept an accusation of wrongdoing because only God has been there with him every step of the way. God alone speaks about what he knows.

Doesn’t he see everything I do
    and every step I take? (Job 31:4)

Job proceeds to defend his actions: he does not lie, take advantage of the weak, worship anyone or anything but God, wish harm on anyone, cover up his guilt, steal or murder, keep quiet when he should speak up about God, or even neglect his chores. This is the point where I find I can no longer relate to Job! He can honestly say what all of us wish we could say: my conscious is absolutely clean. I have never put a moral foot wrong. He calls down consequences on himself if ever he has done any of these things because he knows he has not. Like a student who has studied hard and knows he aced the test, he is completely willing to write his name all over his choices because he knows every single one of them is correct. Oh, to have Job’s confidence! But which of us has done the work as well as he has? Do you want your name written all over every one of your choices? I don’t. If only.

Look, I will sign my name to my defense. (from Job 31:35)

I would face the accusation proudly.
    I would wear it like a crown.
For I would tell him exactly what I have done.
    I would come before him like a prince. (Job 31:36-37)

The “then let” phrases in the passage prove just how confident Job is in his assertions: he calls down curses on himself if anything he has said is not true. “Let all these terrible bad things happen to me if I am lying” is his way of swearing by all that he has left – his wife, his body, his food, his land – that he is telling the truth. After so much loss, he is still willing to risk every last scrap that was left to his name by calling down curses on these things should he be found a liar. His friends would have nothing left to say about this. He has proved himself willing to accept punishment if he can be proven guilty by the only one among them who has witnessed every single one of his actions: God.

Let the Almighty answer me.
    Let my accuser write out the charges against me. (from Job 31:35)

What else is there to say?

Nothing, as far as Job is concerned. So after expressing his willingness to accept punishment so long as there is proof of wrongdoing, he calls God to take action: Go ahead, he dares, tell me why you have done this to me.

I’m gonna go ahead and put that on my list of “Things I Never Dare Say to God.” But Job said it. And God carefully saved this moment so we could all see it, and so we could hear his reply. It is absolutely that important to him that we know he is willing to have this conversation.

Job is wise enough to stop talking now. He waits for God’s reply.

But we will have to wait a moment longer – there’s one more person, a very fascinating person, who still has something to say.