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Job Continues
I Long for the Past
1Job said:
2I long for the past,
when God took care of me,
3and the light from his lamp
showed me the way
through the dark.
4I was in the prime of life,
God All-Powerful
was my closest friend,
5and all of my children
were nearby.
6My herds gave enough milk
to bathe my feet,
and from my olive harvest
flowed rivers of oil.
* 7When I sat down at the meeting
of the city council,
8the young leaders stepped aside,
* 9while the older ones stood
10and remained silent.
Everyone Was Pleased
11Everyone was pleased
with what I said and did.
12When poor people or orphans
cried out for help,
I came to their rescue.
13And I was highly praised
for my generosity to widows
and others in poverty.
14Kindness and justice
were my coat and hat;
15I was helpful to the blind
and to the lame.
16I was a father to the needy,
and I defended them in court,
even if they were strangers.
17When criminals attacked,
I broke their teeth
and set their victims free.
18I felt certain that I would live
a long and happy life,
then die in my own bed.
19In those days I was strong
like a tree with deep roots
and with plenty of water,
20or like an archer's new bow.
21Everyone listened in silence
to my welcome advice,
22and when I finished speaking,
nothing needed to be said.
23My words were eagerly accepted
like the showers of spring,
24and the smile on my face
renewed everyone's hopes.
25My advice was followed
as though I were a king
leading my troops,
or someone comforting
those in sorrow.
Reflect
This whole chapter is one of nostalgia for the good times of the past. It is the first part of a train of thought that carries through to the end of chapter 31. The past is contrasted with the pain of the present (chapter 30) and a plea of innocence (chapter 31).
Job had been an eminent leader in his community. He was respected as an arbitrator (v 7), looked up to as a person of wise judgment (vv 7-10), known for his compassion (vv 11-18). He enjoyed the admiration of everyone. People listened when he spoke. He lived as a king (vv 21-25). He was distinguished. He was influential.
His error is found in v 18. “I felt certain that I would live a long and happy life, then die in my own bed.” At the height of his prosperity he was confident that it would go on like that for the rest of his life.
How easy it is to think like this. When everything is going well we are often so busy with the present that we probably don’t even think that it may be different in the future. I’m reminded of someone I had lunch with a while ago. Her career was on the up and up. She had won prestigious awards. The whole of our lunch hour she told me about her dreams and how she planned to attain them. She had it all worked out. The next time I heard about her she had been diagnosed with MS.
This is not to be dramatic or alarmist. But it is the mark of a wise person to recognize that anything might happen. It might be illness, either your own or of someone close to you, or an accident. Some people’s plans have been ruined by changes in the economy. Disasters come out of the blue.
Respond
Dear God, please help me to get my priorities straight. I want to be like Paul, whose ambition was to know Christ, who “has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is [by comparison] worthless. Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3:7-8).
Annabel Robinson
Annabel was born in Kew, near London, England. She committed her life to Jesus Christ at a Scripture Union camp when she was 16, and immediately found joy and peace. At Oxford she was active in the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, where she met her husband, Reid. They emigrated to Canada in 1965, where she taught Classics at the University of Regina until 2007. She has two children, Heather in Oslo and Alasdair in Calgary.