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Job 29:12-16
12 Because I delivered [malat] the poor [`aniy] that cried [shava`], and the fatherless [yathowm], and him that had none to help [`azar] him.
13 The blessing [Barakah] of him that was ready to perish ['abad] came [bow'] upon me: and I caused the widow's ['almanah] heart [leb] to sing for joy [ranan].
14 I put [labash] on righteousness [tsedeq], and it clothed [labash] me: my judgment [mishpat] was as a robe [ma`iyl] and a diadem [tsaniyph].
15 I was eyes [`ayin] to the blind [`ivver], and feet [regel] was I to the lame [picceach].
16 I was a father ['ab] to the poor ['ebyown]: and the cause [riyb] which I knew [yada`] not I searched out [chaqar]. KJV-Interlinear
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper. 13 'The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, And I made the widow's heart sing for joy. 14 'I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. 15 'I was eyes to the blind, And feet to the lame. 16 'I was a father to the needy, And I investigated the case which I did not know. NASB
Job was generous with both his time and his money. When he heard or knew of a person that was facing difficulties, he was there to help. Job was there to help, before their request for help came.
Job did not hoard his wealth, but put it to use for the public good. Job did not advertise his generosity. Job did not seek out choice or convenient situations with which to promote his own reputation.
Job wore righteousness and justice, the two key elements of Bible doctrine. And with these he guided his own life in public as well as in private. Job did not have two faces in life, one for the public and the real one for his private life.
Job dealt with people with a sense of urgency. He did not bog them down with bureaucracy or other inconveniences. Job did not consider the need of a person and its impact on his own agenda. Job did not use people to better advance himself in life.
Job depended on God alone, and through that mechanism, Job was used by God, to serve others.
Job was an extremely wealthy man. He could easily have said that he was just too busy to be burdened by the trivial situations of the poor. But he did not consider the burdens of the helpless as trivial. Obviously when a person is poor nearly any difficulty in life is a giant burden.
Job went out of his way to investigate and help those in need. Job was a champion to those who were unable to help themselves.
By the time of his difficulty, Job had been helping and had developed an irrefutable reputation as a righteous man. How was it possible that when difficulties fell on him, his friends, even his wife withdrew their support from him, when during all of those former years Job, without questioning their integrity, helped people that were total strangers?
