Argument

CONTROVERSY WITH GOD

But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God
-- Job 13:3

Why not? No one else really matters, and if we don’t find God’s answers, of what value are the words of another?

HE AVOIDED CONTENTION

And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.

Then Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the same names which his father had given them.

But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.

Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah.

And he moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” -- Genesis 26:17-22

Water is essential for the maintenance of all life. But no less essential, especially today, is harmony among men and a spirit of conciliation.

AN ADVERSARY’S GOOD WILL

Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, in order that your opponent may not deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there, until you have paid up the last cent. -- Matthew 5:25-26

The practicality of the gospel is illustrated in Christ’s teaching that it is better to have the good will than the ill will of an adversary.

THEY GRUMBLED ABOUT CHRIST

And there was much grumbling among the multitudes concerning Him; some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He leads the multitude astray.” -- John 7:12

Don’t we similarly judge anyone today who tries to invigorate an ancient belief with the transfusion of new truth?