Job 29-31 Job’s Defense
Job sums up his life and his actions in his own defense. He has lived a life like no other. And he asks WHY this is happening. He doesn’t understand.
Job is living in a time when man sees everything that happens to him as a result of his actions. If he is evil, he gets evil things. If he is good, he gets good things. I feel for the people who did no evil, yet receive hard times. Even Elizabeth and Zechariah would have been considered to have committed some sin, since Elizabeth was barren. But God was actually reserving her for a special purpose; to be the mother of John the Baptist.
I wonder if people secretly wondered what sin Sarah and Abraham committed, before Isaac was born. It was evident that God’s blessing was on Abraham, so did they suspect Sarah of the sin? And, if you were to ask me, she committed a couple of her own. Her treatment of Hagar being prime among them. It was a mutual thing between the two women though. Another story for another day.
Let’s rejoin Job as he tries to reconcile his life before, and after. Holy Spirit, please guide this journey again today. Show me what I should take from Your words today to treasure in my heart. Help me put Job’s words into the words of today to better understand and relate to them.
♥ ♦ ♥
Job has had enough of the recriminations! He is tired of being told he is an evil man. He rises up in what strength he has left and defends himself against his friends’ accusations.
“It pains me to hear you saying these things against me. You know me! You have seen me in the city gates, in the seat of honor, and interacting with those in need. You seem to have forgotten these days, so let me remind you of the truth of my life.”
Job looks back at his past with longing. He does not exaggerate his place, but neither will he deny it.
“Oh how I long for the days when God favored me. The days when His eyes watched over me and He called me ‘friend’. The days when my children were all around me and all who knew me called me blessed. When the words I spoke were honored and others were quiet just to hear them. For my words brought justice to the poor, strength to the weary, and rescue to the widow and orphans.”
Job holds up his hands before his face, as though seeing them in their former strength.
“With my life, I acted in righteousness. I was eyes to the blind, father to the fatherless, strength to the weary, feet to the lame, and rescuer of the oppressed. I put a stop to oppression and freed those in bondage. Never did a stranger come and not feel welcomed. I actively sought out those in need so that I could bless them. Not with a hand out, but with lasting solutions. Solutions that changed lives for the better and made men stronger.”
“Men listened to what I had to say. They didn’t argue against me, as they saw the wisdom of my words. They waited on my counsel and sought my advice. My smile on them alone was enough to warm their hearts. I lived like a king among them; one who ALWAYS cared for his people. And I thought that this would be my life forever. That I would go to my grave as an honored and respected man. For I walked in the ways of the righteous at ALL times.”
Tears begin to silently fall from Job’s eyes. His heart aches at what he has become.
“Now they all laugh at me. They spit in my direction as they pass by. Even men, whose fathers are worthless fellows who never did a decent thing in their lives, call me wicked. Those who through want and hunger scratch out a living in the wasteland. Who scrounge for food among the roots and briars in the fields. Who have been driven out from among the people and live in caves and under the brush. Who are senseless and crazed fellows. THESE men sing songs about me and call me worthless. They see me as even lower than themselves. They call ME cursed! All because God has humbled me.”
Anger clothes Job’s face as he sees his own treatment.
“These men take every opportunity to push me down even farther. When I get on my feet, they push me back down. They do everything in their power to prevent me from gaining a foothold, or even walking in their same paths. I am an outcast, even among outcasts. And I live in terror at what is to come next.”
Job looks at his hands again, seeing the destruction that is in his flesh.
“Now, even my body fails me. My spirit is poured out like water and there is no strength in me. I am in constant pain. My bones ache and my flesh burns like fire! There is no rest from the pain. It even robs me of sleep. For God has cast me to the ground to writhe in the dirt and ashes.”
A torrent of tears flow from Job’s eyes as he raises his face towards heaven to address God Himself.
“I cry to You but You don’t answer. I stand here, naked and broken, and You just look on. You have turned cruel to me. You persecute me. You toss me about like a leaf in the storm. And I know that the end result of this is my death. I see no hope for my life, because Your hand is held at Your side, instead of reaching out to my rescue.”
Job shakes his head in despair.
“When one is caught in disaster, he cries out for help. Didn’t I reach out when I saw others in need? And now, when I hope for good, evil comes. When I wait for relief, more disaster comes. I am in utter turmoil. Even the flesh of my body falls away with disease! The songs in my heart have all turned to mourning, and my voice is spent in weeping.”
Job raises his head and proclaims his innocence of sin.
“God above has seen my ways and numbered my steps. If I did evil, would He not see and repay me? But I have not looked on a woman with lust. I have not walked in the ways of deceit, nor gained by trickery. (If I did, I would deserve punishment.) I have not taken anything that belonged to another or eaten the bread of another man’s work. (This too God would rightly punish.) I have not dismissed a complaint brought to me, but listened and acted for justice. (My life is no more valuable than any other.) I have not ignored the cry of the poor, but have sought his rescue. (God would require this of me as well.) If I have refused help to the poor, not clothed the naked, or failed to help those who sought relief, then let my arms be pulled from the sockets and hang useless at my sides! I would have been too terrified to act this way for fear of angering my Lord.”
Job snorts and shakes his head again.
“I have not put my trust in gold or made it my god. I have not rejoiced in my wealth but used it instead to help others. I have not looked to the stars for my help nor called them my gods. I have not rejoiced over the downfall of others who hated me. I have not even pronounced a curse upon those who would see me fall. I have made certain that ALL those around me have been fed, even the stranger finds rest within my walls. I haven’t even hidden my faults from those around me, pretending to be blameless when I wasn’t. I feared the people and what they would have said, had I done any of these things.”
“If only one would stand up and speak the truth on my behalf. If God would allow me to present my case to Him, I would carry it boldly before Him. ‘Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!’ (Job 31:35b). IF I am guilty of sin, I will gladly accept punishment! Only let me be judged on my actions and my heart.”
(to be continued)
My heart goes out to Job. Even God said he was blameless. To be put through all that he has endured, in a time when bad things meant you must have been evil, sounds unfair. But, as I have told my children on MANY occasions, “Whoever told you life was fair, lied to you.” God HAS a purpose in mind for Job. One that could not be reached without this season. It is still to be revealed to him.
I can hear the ‘pride’ leaking through in Job’s ‘defense’ statement to the Lord and to his friends. Is this the lesson he is supposed to learn? Is it the one I’m supposed to learn? Relying on our ‘good works’ to be our measure of worth doesn’t cut it. It is our relationship with God that counts more than ANYTHING else in life. As His child, we will do good works, but we can NEVER earn a place in His family because of our good works.
Father God, NEVER let me put performance above relationship! Thank You for allowing me to take my time in this story. You haven’t pushed me to ‘produce’ but have allowed me to take my time with the struggle. I know I haven’t reached the really good part, but I’m on my way there. I’m looking forward to when YOU enter the dialogue. I’m looking forward to that time. Until then, keep me coming back to Your word. Speak into my life what You would have me learn and take with me each time. And don’t let ME limit the learning to our times together here. Teach me ALL DAY LONG of Yourself.
