Job 29

“As long as we want to be different from what God wants us to be at the time, we are only tormenting ourselves to no purpose.” —G T

Job and his friends had shared three rounds of speeches, and now Job felt it was time for him to sum up his defense. The phrase “Moreover, Job continued his parable [discourse]” (Job 29:1) suggests that Job may have paused and waited for Zophar to take his turn to speak, but Zophar was silent. Perhaps Zophar felt it was a waste of time to argue with Job anymore.

In these three chapters, Job recalled the blessings of the past (Job 29), lamented the sufferings of the present (Job 30), and challenged God to vindicate him in the future (Job 31). He climaxed his speech with sixteen “if I have …” statements and put himself under oath, challenging God either to condemn him or vindicate him. It was as though Job were saying, “We’ve talked long enough! I really don’t care what you three men think, because God is my Judge; and I rest my case with Him. Now, let Him settle the matter one way or another, once and for all.”

Job Looks Back at Life’s Joys (Job 29) Job had opened his defense by saying that he wished he had never been born (Job 3). Now he closed his defense by remembering the blessings he and his family had enjoyed prior to his crisis. This is a good reminder that we should try to see life in a balanced way. Yes, God permits us to experience difficulties and sorrows, but God also sends victories and joys. “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (2:10). C. H. Spurgeon said that too many people write their blessings in the sand but engrave their sorrows in marble.

“Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me” (29:2)! When we are experiencing trials, it’s natural for us to long for “the good old days”; but our longing will not change our situation. Someone has defined “the good old days” as “a combination of a bad memory and a good imagination.” In Job’s case, however, his memory was accurate, and “the good old days” really were good.

There is a ministry in memory if we use it properly. Moses admonished Israel to remember the way God had led them and cared for them (Deut. 8:2). In fact, the word remember is found fourteen times in Deuteronomy and the word forget nine times. In days of disappointment, it’s good to “remember the years of the right hand of the Most High” (Ps. 77:10–11; see 42:6). But the past must be a rudder to guide us and not an anchor to hold us back. If we try to duplicate today what we experienced yesterday, we may find ourselves in a rut that robs us of maturity.

It is significant that Job mentioned as his numberone joy the presence of God in his home (Job 29:2–6). God watched over him and shared His “intimate friendship” with him (v. 4 niv). The light of God was upon Job, and God’s presence was with him and his children. God was the source of all of Job’s wealth and success, when his “path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out … streams of olive oil” (v. 6 niv). (Zophar promised Job “honey and cream” if he would repent. See 20:17, and note Deut. 32:13–14; 33:24.)

There is one especially poignant note in this opening statement: Job wished he were back in the prime of life (Job 29:4). While this is a natural desire, it is also a dangerous one. If we focus so much on the glories of the past that we ignore the opportunities of the present, we may end up unprepared to meet the future. That future will come whether we like it or not. Few people eagerly anticipate old age and the special problems that it brings, but we can’t avoid it. It’s a proven fact that those who have the most birthdays live the longest, and those who live the longest become the oldest; and old people eventually die.

Remember the “never die” jokes? Old skiers never die: they just go downhill. Old bakers never die: they just fail to rise. Old football players never die: they just fumble away. Old golfers never die: they just lose their drive. We may think we will never die, but we will, unless the Lord returns to take us to heaven; and this means that we must prepare for old age and death. It is futile to look back with regret; it is faith to look ahead with rejoicing.

“To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom,” wrote Henri Amiel, “and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living.”

Job next listed the joy of respect from others (vv. 7–11). When he walked through the city, the young men stepped aside to let him pass. He had his seat at the city gate with the leading men of the city, and even they ceased their speaking when he arrived. Wherever he went, he was treated with respect. “Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me” (v. 11 niv).

His third source of joy was ministry to others (vv. 12–17). What God gave to him, Job shared with others. Eliphaz had accused Job of exploiting the poor and needy (22:5–9), but Job denied it. These verses describe the ministry of a compassionate man who brought help and happiness to many. Job strengthened righteousness and justice in the city (29:14; Isa. 59:17) as he helped the handicapped, provided for the needy, and even defended the strangers. But Job did not stop with assisting the needy; he also confronted the wicked and broke their power (Job 29:17). Job compared the wicked to fierce animals that were ready to devour the weak, but he came and snatched the victims from their very jaws.

Confidence in the future (vv. 18–20) was another source of joy to Job before his calamities came upon him. God was blessing Job, and Job was sharing those blessings with others; so he had every reason to believe that life would continue that way for many years. He was confident that he would stay fresh and vigorous, live to an old age, and die in peace and glory. He saw himself as a deeply rooted tree that would go on bearing fruit (v. 19; Ps. 92:12–14). Since children are sometimes pictured as arrows (127:3–5), Job 29: suggests that Job expected to maintain his physical vigor and beget many children.

His final source of joy was the privilege of speaking words of encouragement and help (vv. 21–25). He was indeed a Barnabas, “a son of encouragement” (Acts 4: nkjv), whose words were respected and appreciated. When he spoke, it was as gentle and refreshing as the rain. When he smiled, it lit up the whole situation and gave people hope. Job’s approval was like the dawning of a new day! He was a leader who helped the perplexed make wise decisions and gave the mourners fresh comfort and hope.

Yes, Job had enjoyed a rich and rewarding life; but now all of that was gone.

Job Looks Around at God’s Judgment (Job 30) From the delightful past, Job is suddenly thrust back into the dismal and disappointing present. You can almost hear him groan his first words, “But now” (Job 30:1; see vv. 9, 16). Job was wise enough to know that he had to face the reality of the present and not escape into the memory of the past. People who refuse to come to grips with life are in danger of losing touch with reality, and soon they lose touch with themselves.

“In their unsuccessful effort to fulfill their needs, no matter what behavior they choose,” writes psychiatrist William Glasser, “all patients have a common characteristic: They all deny the reality of the world around them” (Reality Therapy, 6). By refusing to live in the past and by honestly facing reality, Job took a giant step in maturity and integrity. In his lament, Job contrasted his present situation with the past and showed how everything had been changed by the judgment of God. His five “complaints” parallel the joys that he named in chapter 29: “I have no respect” (30:1–15, see 29:7–11) “I have no blessing” (30:16–23, see 29:2–6) “I have no help” (30:24–25, see 29:12–17) “I have no future” (30:26–28, see 29:18–20) “I have no ministry” (30:29–31, see 29:21–25)

“I have no respect” (Job 30:1–15). Young men who once stepped aside for Job (Job 29:8) now mocked him and even spit in his face (30:1, 9–10). But the worst part of this experience was that these young men were the sons of men so despicable that Job compared their fathers to donkeys wandering in the desert. He called them “children of fools, yea, children of base men” (v. 8). They were outcasts from society who had to forage in the wilderness to find food and fuel for their fires. At one time, Job had been the greatest man in the East; and now he was the song of the rabble (v. 9).

These men were unworthy to carry Job’s sandals, and now they were openly ridiculing him. What made the difference? Job was now an outcast like them. When Job’s bow was “renewed in [his] hand”—a symbol of vigor and success (29:20)—these men respected him. But God had “loosed” his cord and afflicted him, so these rebels set aside their restraint and despised him (30:11). When formerly they had honored Job, it was not because they respected his character and integrity. It was because they respected his position and wealth and hoped to benefit from his favor. Their friendship was fickle, and their respect was hypocritical.

Because this rabble had “thrown off restraint” (v. 11 niv), they made life miserable for Job. Job pictured them as a ruthless army, building siege ramps, laying traps for his feet, breaking down his defenses, and attacking him (vv. 12–14). They were also like a storm that frightened Job, blew away all his dignity, and destroyed his safety like the wind blows a passing cloud (v. 15).

Job experienced sufferings similar to those of our Lord Jesus Christ. The basest of people falsely accused Him (Matt. 26:59–64), spat upon Him (v. 67), and ridiculed Him while He was suffering (Luke 23:35–39); and He became “the song of the drunkards” (Ps. 69:12). Job didn’t know it, but he was being honored by God to share in “the fellowship of his [Christ’s] sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). Though sitting in an ash heap, Job had been promoted in the highest possible way!

“I have no blessing” (Job 30:16–23). “And now … the days of affliction have taken hold upon me,” groaned Job (v. 16). What a contrast to the days of cream and oil (29:6)! Instead of enriching him with blessing, God was robbing him of even the basic enjoyments of life. In the daytime, Job endured unbearable suffering; and at night, God wrestled with him, made his clothing like a straitjacket, and threw him in the mud (30:16–19 niv). Every night, God wrestled with Job; and Job lost.

Job prayed to God. He even stood up and cried out for deliverance; but his prayers were unanswered (v. 20). Instead of God’s hand bringing help, it only attacked Job ruthlessly and tossed him about like a feather in a storm (vv. 21–22). Job begged for his life, but death seemed inevitable (1:23).

“I have no help” (Job 30:24–25). Job had faithfully helped others in their need (29:12–17), but now nobody would help him. They wouldn’t weep with him or even touch him. He was treated like a leper who might contaminate them, or like a condemned man whom God might destroy at any time. It just wasn’t wise to get too close.

Where were the people whom Job had helped? Surely some of them would have wanted to show their appreciation by encouraging their benefactor in his time of need. But nobody came to his aid. Mark Twain wrote, “If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.”

Our motive for serving others is certainly not to obligate them to serve us (Luke 14:12–14). We help others because we love Christ and want to glorify Him (Matt. 5:16) and because we sympathize with their needs and want to help them (Rom. 12:15; Luke 10:25–37). Missionary doctor Wilfred Grenfell said, “The service we render for others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth.”

“I have no future” (Job 30:26–28). During the days of his prosperity, Job had expected to enjoy a long and comfortable life and a peaceful death (29:18–20); but now that was all changed. He looked for good, but God sent evil; he looked for light, but God sent darkness. Instead of comfort and peace, he experienced constant turmoil within. “The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me” (30: niv).

The British essayist William Hazlitt wrote, “Hope is the best possession. None are completely wretched but those who are without hope, and few are reduced so low as that.” Job was, and even the Lord seemed not to care. Job’s body was weak and feverish, and his skin was black from disease.

“I have no ministry” (Job 30:29–31). In the past, Job’s words had brought encouragement and hope to many (29:21–25); but now his words were like the howling of the jackals and the moaning of the owls and ostriches (Mic. 1:8). Because his hope was dead, Job’s song was a funeral dirge. His harp and flute were tuned to a minor key. How could he speak encouraging words to others when he himself was in the pit of discouragement? “And where is now my hope?” he had asked earlier in the debate. “As for my hope, who shall see it?” (Job 17:15).

Job Looks Ahead for God’s Justice (Job 31) This chapter records Job’s final defense. It is like a legal document in which Job puts himself under oath before God and asks for judgment to fall if God can prove him wrong (Job 31:35–37). Job’s only hope was that God would hear his cry and vindicate his name. He could die in peace if he knew that his enemies had been silenced and his reputation restored. In sixteen “if I have …” statements, Job reviews his life and relationships and asks God to pass judgment. “I sign now my defense” (v. 35 niv), said Job as he made the oath official and signed the document. “I rest my case!”

In verses 33–37, Job asked God (“my adversary” = judge) to give him three things: a hearing, an answer to his charges, and a document to prove his innocence. If God couldn’t do these things, then Job was willing that God send the curses included in Job’s oath. Job was prepared to give God an accounting of his every step if that’s what it would take to bring the case to an end. Job had nothing to hide; he was not a hypocrite, cringing for fear of the people (vv. 33–34).

Job the man (Job 31:1–12). Job mentions three specific sins that could trip up any man: lust (vv. 1–4), deceit (vv. 5–8), and adultery (vv. 9–12).

(1) Lust is the first step toward sin, and sin is the first step toward death (James 1:13–16). It is one thing to see and admire an attractive person, but it is quite something else to look for the purpose of lusting in the heart. Jesus said, “Everyone who is looking at a woman in order to indulge his sexual passion for her, already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5: wuest). While sin in the heart is not as destructive as sin actually committed, it is the first step toward the act; and you never know where a polluted imagination will lead you. Furthermore, God above looks down and sees both our actions and “the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12–13); and He will judge both. “Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong?” (Job 31: niv)

(2) Deceit is the second sin that Job denies (vv. 5–8). He never used deception in his business dealings in order to make more money. In fact, he wouldn’t even walk with those who did such things. His scales were honest (Lev. 19:35–37; Prov. 11:1), and he was not afraid for God to weigh him (Dan. 5:27)! His heart had not been covetous, nor were his hands defiled because he had not taken what was not his. If he were guilty of covetousness and deception, then Job was willing for his next season’s crops to be taken by others.

(3) Adultery (Job 31:9–12) begins with lust in the heart (v. 1) that leads to furtive attempts to satisfy sinful desires. Job had never lurked about to see when his neighbor’s wife would be alone. If he was guilty, then he was willing for his own wife to become another man’s slave and mistress! Adultery is a heinous crime that brings shameful and painful consequences in this life and judgment in the next (Prov. 6:27–29; Eph. 5:3–7; Heb. 13:4).

Job the employer (Job 31:13–15). So careful was Job in his self-examination that he even included his treatment of his servants. Most masters in that day would have ignored this aspect of life. Job treated his servants generously and settled their grievances fairly because he knew that one day he would have to give an account to God (v. 14; Eph. 6:9). He also knew that he was created by the same God who created them and that he was born in the same way.

Job the neighbor (Job 31:16–23, 29–32). In reply to the false accusations of Eliphaz (22:6–9), Job had already told how he had cared for the poor and needy (29:12–17); but now he repeated it as a part of his oath. He was not boasting; he was defending himself before men and seeking vindication from God. If he had lifted his hand in court against any man, Job hoped that God would rip that arm from its socket.

Job was concerned for the needs of widows, orphans, and the poor. He provided them with food and clothing and came to their defense in court. He even treated them like members of his own family and cared for them until they could care for themselves. God had given Job his wealth, and God could take it away from him if he didn’t share it with others (31:23). But Job was also a good neighbor to his enemies (vv. 29–31) and to strangers passing through town (v. 32). Because Job was a wealthy and powerful sheik, no doubt there were many people who envied him and hated him; yet Job was kind to them. He didn’t gloat over their misfortunes (Ex. 23:4–5; Prov. 24:17–18; Matt. 5:43–47) or ask God to curse them (Rom. 12:17–21).

Job was also generous to strangers, giving them food to eat and a place to spend the night. None of Job’s servants could ever accuse their master of being selfish (Job 31: niv). His home was open to all, and he was generous with his gifts.

Job the worshipper (Job 31:24–28). Job worshipped God with a sincere heart. He didn’t worship his wealth or trust it for his security, nor did he take credit for earning it (Deut. 8:17–18). Eliphaz had accused Job of making gold his god (Job 22:24–25), but Job denied it. He did not worship gold, nor did he worship the heavenly bodies and secretly “throw them a kiss of homage” (1 Kings 19: niv). If Job committed such a sin, men might not see it; but God would see it and would judge Job for being unfaithful to Him.

Job the steward (Job 31:38–40). In verses 35–37, Job had completed his “official demand” for a hearing and signed the document. Then he remembered one more area that needed to be covered: his stewardship of the land God had given him. Job treated the land as though it were a person. If he had abused the land, it would have cried out against him and wept in pain (v. 38). If Job’s field hands had been overworked and underpaid, then God would have had every reason to give Job a harvest of weeds instead of wheat and barley.

Review Job’s oath and you will discover that he has asked God to send some terrible judgments if he is guilty of any of these sins: others will eat his harvest and uproot his crops (v. 8); his wife will become another man’s servant and mistress (v. 10); his arm will fall from his shoulder (v. 22); his harvest will be weeds and thistles (v. 40). He made it clear that he was willing to face the righteous judgment of God (vv. 14, 23, 28) along with these other judgments.

When the words of Job were ended, everybody sat in silence, wondering what would happen next. Would God send immediate judgment and prove Job guilty? Or would He accept Job’s challenge, appear to him, and give Job opportunity to defend himself? Perhaps God would speak from heaven and answer Job’s questions.

Job had challenged God because he was sure God would vindicate him. Job’s three friends were sure that God would condemn him.

What will God do? The answer may surprise you!