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Job 27:3-4
3 All the while [`owd] my breath [nashamah] is in me, and the spirit [ruwach] of God ['elowahh] is in my nostrils ['aph];
4 My lips [saphah] shall not speak [dabar] wickedness [`evel], nor my tongue [lashown] utter [hagah] deceit [ramiyah]. KJV-Interlinear
3 For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils, 4 My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit. NASB
No matter what becomes of him, Job is not going to shun his faith. That is the gist of these verses.
Before we move on, we should review briefly where Job has come from.
Job had seven sons and three daughters. His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, and Job was the greatest of all the men of the east. Job was a farmer, rancher, merchant, and freight hauler. Job sat on the city counsel and was respected by young and old. His words were listened to by young and old.
By this time, Job was probably around a hundred years old. We speculate on the age because we do not know his age at this time. But he had ten children and they were all grown up, established and living in their own homes. Job will live yet another hundred and forty years, so he is about half way (give or take) through his life by this time.
By any method of measure, Job was a wealthy, successful, and established man.
Then, in the space of a day, the sky fell in on his life. His fields were ransacked, his employees murdered, his herds stolen, and his children were killed.
And, as if that were not enough, a short time later, his health began to deteriorate rapidly.
These are the symptoms of Job's affliction - inflamed, ulcerous sores (Job 2:7), itching (v. 8), degenerative changes in facial skin (vv. 7,12), loss of appetite (3:24), depression (3:24-25), loss of strength (6:11), worms in the boils (7:5), running sores (7:5), difficulty in breathing (9:18), darkness under the eyes (16:16), foul breath (19:17), loss of weight (19:20; 33:21), continual pain (30:17), restlessness (30:27), blackened skin (30:30), peeling skin (30:30), and fever (30:30).
Job was sick for quite some time. We have already guesstimated his illness to have been about a month long when his friends finally arrived to 'comfort' him. Remember that back then, news and travel was slow.
What would you do if all of this had happened to you? Your wealth lost, your family dead. Your health in the toilet, and you felt like you were literally knocking at deaths door, even wishing for it, because you were so bad off.
Most people would be bawling crocodile tears, swearing, complaining, even blaming and condemning God for their situation.
But not Job. He knew that his situation was not for the reasons that his friends had suggested, that he was wicked, but for whatever reason, he was not going to blame God.
For as long as life was in him, he would stick with his faith. He would not participate in the blame game. He would not complain against God. He would not make accusations against others. He would not begin to live a life of deceit just to try and make up for his losses. He would not try to take advantage of others in order to benefit himself.
Most people would justify their ill feelings. Most people would wear their feelings on their shirtsleeves, and act as though they had been made the target of such unfair treatment. Most people would look for someone to blame. Surely, this must be someone else's fault!
And if this were not all, Job still had to deal with three friends who came to comfort him but ended up making accusations of wickedness against him.
Job is not feeling very well. Re-read his symptoms again. And he is still carrying on a discourse in instruction in truth, despite his physical and mental condition. He is still most probably grieving over the loss of his ten children.
When you have advanced in your spiritual life, such that you can lose everything and still hold on to your faith, and then still teach others in truth, without bitterness, then you can honestly say that you have accomplished something. But then it is not you, but God who forms your inner strength through doctrine. Something that you cannot get anywhere else.
Most folks get so tied up in their 'things' in life that they fear losing them, more than they fear God who provided everything in the first place.
God does not do things arbitrarily. God does not play with people frivolously.
The scriptures are now closed, so all you need do now, is learn and grow up. The world will still try to trash your life, but God, remember, is on your side. That is, if you allow it. And you allow it through your positive attitude toward God, Christ, doctrine and your spiritual life.
But remember as you advance through life, solutions do not come instantaneously. Job was patient. So too, you need to learn patience as well as tolerance.
You can approach life on your own, and if so, then good luck. Your best outcome will be utter failure.
Or, you can give over you life to God, and then your 'worst' outcome will be phenomenal success.
Which do you suppose is the better of the two?
