Job's Story of His Past
"The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
—Prov.27:21
"The true worth of a man is to be measured
by the objects he pursues."
—Marcus Aurelius
In Chapter 29, Job speaks of the honor, respect, and great wisdom that was granted to him, how he walked in the very light of God. He talked of His deep and intimate friendship with the Lord, the boundless resources he had in the Lord, almost as if all his steps had been "washed with butter," and how the Lord caused all the hard rocks of difficulty in his path to be like "rivers of oil." He thought of his great reputation as a true man of God and how young people feared him and "hid themselves," perhaps thinking that he would not understand or sympathize with them, or that someone who lived so close to God would see right through them.
The aged stood up as a mark of respect and would stop talking when he walked in a room just in case he had something to say. Job's was a joyous life of service for others which was the spontaneous outcome of a life lived in close fellowship with God. He was the resort of anyone in trouble. He had the wisdom of God, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy . . . without partiality or hypocrisy.
When I was a kid one of my favorite shows was The Guns of Will Sonnet. Walter Brennan played the part of Will Sonnet and every time he said something that hinted at bragging, he stated "No brag, just fact." Well, Job's list of accomplishments and the descriptions of his life could seem as bragging, but in truth, he was simply giving an honest appraisal of his life and ministry. Many consider this chapter as proof of his self-righteousness and arrogance, but I disagree. He was simply stating the facts.
Job's Reputation
It is a great honor to be respected because of your intimate walk with God. Unconsciously the reverence is really given to the Lord. A man's quality of character carries weight and "a man's gift (of the Holy Spirit) will make room for him, and bring him before great men." But, if those people who are giving the honor and respect are the type that "glory in men" and attach the power to the man—they aren't doing him any favor because the Lord is a jealous God and will withdraw him from that service to prove that he has nothing except what the Lord gives him.
The interesting thing is that, although chapters 29 and 30 are simply an honest description of his previous life and his present situation, we can discover the reason for Job's trial.
Job's Mistake
In verse 25, Job concluded the description of his past experiences and his power in service with the significant words, "I sat as chief!" He goes on to compare himself to a king in the midst of his army. By the obedience of the people to his words, he practically chose out their ways. They looked up to him and trusted him because they knew they could depend on him whenever they had a need.
You cannot have a more solemn trust than the gift to move someone's heart with your words. That kind of power is dangerous for any man and throughout the scriptures, we can see the dangers as well as the privileges of men that have held that power.
Job's language shows that he was not at all indifferent to the position that he held. He recognized the manifest favor of God toward him and the estimation of the people that followed him.
It seems that Satan's challenge was well timed. Satan had considered Job for some time and saw that he was in the most perilous position possible. This position was one that Paul knew very well when he said a messenger of Satan had come as a "thorn in his flesh" just in case he "became conceited because of the surpassingly great revelations" he had received. No, Paul's thorn was not sickness or "puffy eyes," as some would lead you to believe. Paul's thorn was in the "troubles, hardships and distresses, beatings, imprisonment and riots, in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger" he was forced to endure.
On the other hand, Job's description of himself actually confirms the very testimony that the Lord gave of him. This should prove that his sufferings had nothing to do with any transgressions or disobedience, but simply a time of testing, an opportunity for the development and refining of his faith. That is only possible in the heart of someone who knows the fullness of the Spirit.
Now, I did not say that God was the one causing Job to suffer! That is what everyone else has been telling Job. In order to prove the strength and durability of something, there has to be resistance applied to it. If I wanted to test the strength of glue, I would have to glue two pieces of wood together and then try to pull them apart. I am sure you have heard the old saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Well, you will never discover the strength of that chain until you force it to support some weight.
