Job’s Self-Vindication

“For men to search out their own glory is not glory.”” — Prov. xxv. 27.

elect! Lip ly uen Mio) eidf MING: .« 9... and Lae — Chap. xxxi.

AT this point it is thought that Job rose to his feet, and, lifting his hands towards heaven, took in oriental fashion - a solemn oath — the “oath of clearing”’.

Such an oath would not be surprising in Job’s present condition.

At an earlier stage of his trial, when describing his pitiable condition to Bildad, he had completely broken down and pleaded for pity from his friends; but his spirit was suddenly freed and given a triumphant faith in his living Redeemer, so that he was afterwards held anchored in God, far above all the further attacks of his would-be helpers. He had remained with his heart stedfastly fixed upon God until he began to dwell upon his happy past. Then the contrast of his present abject misery so filled his mental vision that he loses sight of the faithfulness of God, sinks back into himself, and drops into miserable self-pity and self-absorption.

See the unhappy Job lying upon the ash-mound, absorbed in the meditation of his sorrows. His mind is revolving around himself, and he is sinking deeper and deeper into despondency and despair. He has no language to describe his misery. Weeping, he suddenly rises — he will vindicate himself, and, by a solemn declaration before Jehovah, finally clear himself from all the charges brought against him by his

friends.

Fob’s attitude to sin

“I made a covenant with mine eyes.’’ — Chap. xxxi. I.

Job first asserts that he had made a fixed determination to so guard his eyes, as not even to look at aught that might lead him into sin; and in this he shows his knowledge of one of the very first conditions for walking in fellowship with God.

The Lord Jesus plainly puts the same conditions in the laws of the Kingdom given in His sermon on the mount. He tells His disciples that a look and a desire is counted before God as the actual committal of the sin.

““What portion should I have of God,’ said Job, “* What heritage of the El-Shaddai’’ (v. 2, m.), but calamity and disaster (v. 3) if I had been unrighteous, or a worker of iniquity? “Doth not He see my ways, and number all my steps?” (v. 4).

Job’s attitude to the world

“If J have walked with vanity... if my step hath turned out of

the way ... Then....”” — Chap. xxxi. 5-8.

Job has kept far away from the vanity, emptiness and deceit of the world. He was sure that his heart’s desire had not followed his eyes, for in spite of anything he may have been compelled to see around him he had been separated unto God, and had not touched the unclean thing (v. 7). He was willing to be tried in the balances of God Himself, so that his singleness of purpose in all these matters might be proved

(v. 6).

Job’s attitude to his neighbour

If J did despise the cause of my [servant]... if J have withheld aught that the poor desired... if J have seen any perish for want. if J have lifted up my hand against the fatherless ...

Then. ...’ — Chap. xxxi. 13-23, m.

Job’s servants had found him a good master. When they complained to him he had always listened to their cause, remembering that he would have to give account to God of his dealings with them (v. 14); neither had he shown any pride of position, for he knew that master and servant were equal before God (v. 15).

When the poor applied to Job for help, he had always responded to their need. The widow’s eyes had never failed on account of him (v. 16); he had not been selfish and ‘‘ eaten [his] morsel alone’, thinking only of his own necessities (v. 17); he had not said to the needy “Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled’, and withheld from them the things needful for their bodies (v. 19, 20); he had never oppressed the fatherless, nor taken advantage of his position of authority to crush or injure those who had no helpers (v. 21). If he had transgressed against his neighbour in any of these things, he would wish that his arm should be broken from the bone (v.22)! He had always feared the judgments of God, and lived in awe of His Holiness, for His “‘ excellency’’ had made him feel he could do nothing to grieve Him (v. 23).

Job’s attitude to wealth

“If J have made gold my hope... if J rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much.’’ — Chap. xxxi. 24, 25.

Job acknowledges that God had prospered him in the things of time, and had increased his substance in the land, but with sincerity of heart he could say that he had never made gold his hope, or his confidence. It had not been his first object in the world, and he had never rejoiced because his wealth was great, nor gloried in his possessions.

Job’s attitude to idolatry

““If J beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon... and my

heart hath been secretly enticed.’’ — Chap. xxxi. 26-28.

Job could say that he had been true to Jehovah even in the midst of the idolatry of the nations around him. He had beheld the sun, and gazed upon the beauty of the moon in the star-lit heavens, but his heart had never been secretly tempted to worship them. His hand had not kissed his mouth in the usual obeisance offered to the sun and moon. This would have been iniquity to him, and a denial of the God that is above (v. 28, m.).

Job’s attitude to his enemy “If J rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me....

—Chap. xxxi. 29-31.

Job could testify that he had not been “lifted up”, or rejoiced in heart, at the downfall of an enemy (v. 29). He had been so free from the spirit of revenge that he had not suffered his mouth to sin, by uttering a word that would arouse others to fight on his behalf, even though those around him had said, ‘‘ Oh that we had of his flesh’’, and protested that they could not be satisfied until they had made him suffer for his enmity to their friend (v. 31, m.).

”

In brief, Job asserts that in every department of his life he had walked uprightly, in integrity and singleness of heart. He had been generous in hospitality, opening his doors to the traveller (v. 32); frank and honest in confession of transgression, never covering over iniquity after the manner of men (v. 33, m.); he had been fearless of the multitude, never swerving from the path of right through terror of contempt and ignominy (v. 34); he had not hidden himself in his own tent, and feared to open his mouth — he had lived his life straight before God and men.

About eighty times do the personal pronouns J, my, me, mine, occur in Job’s long self-vindication, and he concludes it with the words ‘“‘ Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me”? (v. 35).:

Job was prepared to sign his name to every word that he had said; even more, if he had the indictment before him that his adversary had written against him (v. 35), he would lift it upon his shoulder, accept it as a crown (v. 36), and in princely dignity “‘ present it to him” (v. 37, m.), declaring, even to his face, that his steps had been in the way of the Lord.

Yet one word more Job wishes to say — If there are any crying out against me — if I have grasped for myself, or caused others to suffer on account of me (v. 38, 39) — then

“Let thorns grow instead of wheat, and noisome weeds instead of barley.” v. 40, m.

The words of Fob are ended.
The silenced friends!

“So [the] three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.” — Chap. xxxii. 1.

The Spirit of God did not bear witness to Job’s self-vindication. The friends were silenced, but not convinced! The attempt to clear his own character appeared to them self-righteousness, so that he brought dishonour upon himself, and failed to glorify God.

Job had undoubtedly walked with a conscience void of offence toward God and man, but the persistent accusations of his friends, added to his keen physical, mental, as well as spiritual sufferings, had stung him into a self-defence that was contrary to the spirit of true effacement.

No child of God can safely vindicate his own integrity.

God alone can bear witness, as the soul humbly leaves his character in His hands. But the very language of Job’s self-vindication shows that he needed the refining fire. It unveils an aspect of the subtle life of self that can only be revealed after an experience of power and fruitful service, for each stage of spiritual growth has its own temptations and perils.

In the furnace of trial the soul is put to the most extreme test the All-seeing Lord knows it can endure, so that the hidden depths of the character may be revealed. Job had borne a prolonged and most searching trial. He had shown in the furnace a submission to the will of God, and a tenacious faith in Him which were alike beautiful; a clearness of conscience, and an endurance of suffering which were wonderful, but he also shewed that he was unknowingly allowing the gifts of God to become more to him than the will of God, and was in danger of grasping to himself the very power that God had given him, thus making it appear to others that he was righteous in his own eyes.

The apostle Paul walked with God as closely as Job had done, and yet how different his language about himself, for he dived in the furnace of trial from the first hour of his knowledge of God.

“IT know nothing against myself,” he writes to the Corinthians, Yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord ’’.*

* 1 Cor. iv. 4.

Job, Chapters xxxii. 2-22; xxxili. 1-22.