“…I was in my prime…” Job 29:4a
/Do you ever wish you could go back to ‘the good ole’ days’? Job sure did. In the middle of the contentious dialogue between his friends and him, Job took a moment to reminisce on days gone by. He described them as, “…the days when God watched over me, when His lamp shone upon my head and by His light I walked
through darkness!” (vv. 2b – 3).
The prime of life for Job was a time “…when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house, when The Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.” (vv. 4 – 6) In that day, men of influence could take a seat of honor in
the public square, just past the city’s gate (v.7); and Job recalled how young men stepped aside and old men rose in honoring his arrival (v. 8).
Allow me to show my age: Job was the E.F. Hutton of his day (look-up the popular commercials from years ago on YouTube, here’s one of the links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_ygqPepLjM). Yes, the community leaders and nobles would hold their tongues whenever Job began to speak (vv. 9 – 10). He enjoyed a good reputation, receiving commendations from almost everyone whose path he crossed (v. 11). How did Job
earn such an outstanding reputation? He detailed his personal accomplishments:
He rescued the poor and orphans (v.12).
He comforted the dying, earning their blessing, while making the widow’s heart sing (v.13).
His right living was as obvious as the clothes on his back (v.14a).
His just practices elevated his status as high as the turban on his head (v.14b).
He showed aid to the blind and the lame (v.15).
He sought to mobilize help for the needy, and to assimilate newcomers to the community (v.16).
Job was also a social activist, advocating for victim’s rights (v. 17).
Yes, Job enjoyed the blessing of a good life in earlier years; so much so, that he thought he would live-out his days to a great age, dying in his own house (v.18). He had hoped his roots would have been planted deep, knowing the honor of one who had advanced his village, while still retaining the vigor of a youthful hunter (vv. 19 – 20).
Job remembered the days when men waited in silence, expecting his counsel – when his words would fall gently upon their ears, words which they drank-in like a spring rain (vv. 21 – 23). He had such a high social profile that when he smiled at others, they could scarcely believe his encouraging expression would be pointed their way (v. 24). Job’s leadership was so greatly esteemed, that he dwelt as a king among his troops, basically being given the seat of chieftain (v.25a-b). He saw himself as one with great compassion (v.25c).
When you look back at the best years of your life, what things come to your mind? Perhaps you are living the best years of your life now, seeing every day with Jesus being better than the day before! That’s the whole point of this vignette.
You see, Job thought he had somehow lost God’s favor and friendship. He assumed, wrongly so, that if his life was not going well, God’s love and watch-care were absent from his life. One arrives at such an assumption when one’s worldview is centered upon oneself. Don’t get me wrong… Job feared (revered) God and lived a
blameless and upright life (1:8; 2:3), and he showed great faith toward God following the loss of his children and property (1:20-22). However, after being given a week to ponder the devastation, Job may have experienced post-traumatic anxiety and began doubting God’s favor and possibly his own faith.
If you have not faced days of great hardship, don’t be surprised when they come. Allow Job’s life story to teach you the valuable lesson that bad things do happen to good people. God is still on His throne and is working in ways we do not see. He will make all things work out for our good (read Romans 8:28). Can
you trust Him… even in the worst of times? Please do… we will be able to understand it better by and by (Read Habakkuk 2:3; Psalm 27:13-14; John 13:7, 16:33; Romans 12:12; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18; Philippians 4:6).
Have a blessed day…