“Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him,“ (Job 13:15).

My first week traveling through the chronological reading plan took me on quite the journey, beginning “In the beginning” in Genesis 1 through 11; then meeting up with the patriarch, Job, in the first 16 chapters of the book bearing his name.

I was escorted through God’s good and glorious creation, man’s tragic fall, and the Lord’s gracious promise for redemption and victory over the enemy. I was confronted with the first murder and imagined the unparalleled grief it brought to Adam and Eve before being introduced to the line of the Promised Messiah established in Seth.

Then came the unfolding of mankind’s decline into total depravity; but thankfully there was one man, Noah, who found favor in the eyes of the Lord. I caught a glimpse of God’s grief as He sent the flood and I heard His heart for us as He unveiled His plan to began again through the line of Noah. Finally in Genesis 10 and 11, I was dumped into the prevailing pride of man that resulted in God’s miraculous intervention by confusing the languages and scattering the peoples to fill the earth as He had so commanded.

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth,” (Genesis 9:1).

Needless to say, I had my fair share of questions as I was quickly ushered into the life of the righteous Job who “was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil,” (Job 1:1). It is an account I am quite familiar with, but one that often provokes even more questions. However, there was no question that the conundrum caused by reading about him would ever compare with the quagmire that had become Job’s existence.

Even knowing what had occurred in the heavenlies before the coming devastation, and even knowing the ultimate outcome of Job’s story, did not assuage the pity I felt for this man. Job, who had placed all his faith in God, walked with God and had even been commended by God, now found himself staggering through this dark place, wondering where God was; wondering why. Not only did Job ask why he was in this situation, he wondered why he had ever been born. Was this what his life was meant to be?

“Why then have You brought me out of the womb?
Would that I had died and no eye had seen me!“ (Job 10:18).

Who can blame him? If you’re like me, even though we have been made privy to the why in Job’s life, we still have questions. And even knowing what occurred in the heavenlies from the beginning of time and the final outcome of God’s plan for all of history, doesn’t always bring us out from the weight of our questions. Yet, in the hopelessness of what had become his life, still Job boldly proclaimed:

“Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him,“ (Job 13:15).

I was reminded of Someone else gripped with the why. Someone Who was perfectly “blameless, upright;” Someone Who lived His entire time on earth perfectly “fearing God and turning away from evil.” Someone Who walked with God and had been commended by God. Someone Who already knew what had transpired in the heavenlies before the coming devastation. Someone Who already knew the ultimate outcome of His Story. But Someone Who still asked, “Why?”

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).

I was struck with this thought: if Jesus asked, “Why?” then it must be okay for me to ask. I’ve heard it said, and even said it myself, “God can handle our questions.” So, when life doesn’t make sense; when “why” screams into the silence; when there is no answer to keep us afloat and it feels like we are drowning and sinking under the weight of our “why,” what then?

Jesus experienced the full weight of His “Why.” Knowing exactly where He was headed, Jesus still wrestled with God’s plan in the Garden. But rather than allowing the weight to increase, before He ever asked Why on the cross, Jesus had already yielded in surrendered trust to His Father:

saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42 NKJV emphasis added).

We often quote Job’s famous declaration of faith as “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.” But Job concluded his assertion with “Nevertheless…”

“Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him,“ (Job 13:15 emphasis added).

But as we look at the original language, we can ascertain the intent behind the use of these words (in Hebrew and Greek), translated in English as Nevertheless.

(Job 13:15): Nevertheless/I will still
Strong’s Hebrew: 389. אַךְTransliteration: ak ,
Usage: The Hebrew word “ak” is an adverb used to emphasize a statement, often conveying certainty or exclusivity. It can be translated as “surely,” “only,” “nevertheless,” “but,” or “indeed,” depending on the context. It serves to affirm the truth of a statement or to limit the scope of what is being said (emphasis added).

(Luke 22:42): Nevertheless/Yet
Strong’s Greek: 4133:  πλήν Transliteration: plén,
Usage: The Greek word “plén” is used as a conjunction or adverb to introduce a contrast or exception. It often serves to highlight a shift in thought or to introduce a qualification to a preceding statement. In the New Testament, it is used to convey the idea of “nevertheless” or “however,” indicating a transition or a contrast to what has been previously mentioned (emphasis added).

Job, was a righteous man, but he was still a man who was not perfect. Job declared his faith, but he still needed to argue and affirm the truth of his innocence in order to limit the scope of accusations. Jesus on the other hand, fully innocent and fully perfect, would take the full brunt of man’s accusations as He chose to shift His thoughts from Rightful Heir to Humble Servant, transitioning in submission to the Father, in direct contrast to His Deity.

Job made a declaration of faith followed by “Nevertheless” to affirm his innocence. But in His Nevertheless, Jesus was deliberately giving up His rights as Divine Heir and transitioning to obedience as Submissive Son.

And that is my prayer in my why… That I will choose His Nevertheless: not to argue but to accept; not to prove but to pray; not to resist but to rest in His Good and Perfect Will.

“…Nevertheless, not my will but Yours be done,” (Luke 22:42 NKJV ).

So, when life doesn’t make sense; when “why” screams into the silence; when there is no answer to keep us afloat and it feels like we are drowning and sinking under the weight of our “why,” before we ask Why, let us pray His Nevertheless.

Surely that will lift the weight of our why. And as we take hold of His Way, our why will diminish. Because He cares for us, we can leave our unanswered questions in His loving arms and confidently cast the weight of our why on Him as we follow the perfect example of our perfect Savior and choose His Nevertheless.

casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you, (1 Peter 5:7).