Job Sees The Light - Thirty-second in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

Job 31:1 NIV Job was a perfect and upright man. Chapter 31 details how his behavior showed his understanding of God’s law and his obedience to it. Commentators have noted that it is his Sermon on the Mount.

Job 31:2-4 NIV Job is determined to prove his innocence, answering each charge against his character, real or imagined. Except for Chapter 38 when the Lord begins his discourse, it is the longest chapter of the book.

Job 31:5-8 NIV Job went further than simply averting his gaze to avoid lustful desires. He made a firm decision that he would not do so, so the temptation never occurred. He knew that God would severely judge men who entertained such thoughts. What hurts is that he still met with calamity and disaster!

Job 31:9-12 NIV Sexual sin with a married woman, or committing it in the heart (Mat 5:28), or of watching his neighbors’ routines for opportunity, would never enter Job’s thoughts. He understood that adultery was the ruin of man.

Job 31:13-15 NIV Job did not consider himself superior to his servants. He understood that the servant’s right to justice was the same as the master’s. He believed God would confront him for such sin.

Job 31:16-23 NIV Job was diligent to help the poor and the widows, knowing that God required it. He never took advantage of the fatherless for he feared God, in fact, he was as a father to them.

Job 31:24-28 NIV Neither the lying god of wealth nor the idolatry of the heavenly bodies enticed Job from the worship of the true God.

Job 31:29-34 NIV Job was never a man to gloat over the misfortunes of his detractors or call down a curse on any man who wronged him. He provided hospitality to strangers; he was unafraid of judgment by the community— no one held him in contempt, proving his statements.

Job 31:35-37 NIV Oh! What am I being judged for? If my adversary, whoever it is, would only state their case, I would gladly wear the indictment as a crown! I want to know my wrongs! What is my sin? Why has my life been ruined? Here is my signature! May God answer me!

Job 31:38-40 NIV And one more thing— I did not acquire my lands by stealth so that it accuses me in the place of its rightful owners. Now that is all I have to say.

Job has not explicitly accused God of wrongdoing, but there is an implicit ring to that effect in his words. Perhaps we may think that he is only begging for clarity or for restoration but when the Lord answers, he asks Job: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? (Job 38:2) … Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?” (Job 40:2) God saw what was in Job’s heart.

Job believed he could be acceptable to God by his deeds, yet that has never been possible for man, whether in Old or New Testament days. But was this truth discernible before the giving of the law and ordinances that pictured Christ to the Jews? We shall see.

Job thought he could engineer God’s judgment as shown by his practice of sacrificing burnt offerings on his children’s behalf following their celebrations of each ones birthday (Job 1:4-5). Yet they were of age, living in their own homes. Can a man stand in the place of his grown sons and daughters, or will God not require adults to answer for their own actions?

Can a man bargain with the Lord?