“…my dignity is driven away…” Job 30:15b
/Once Job had asserted his condemnation of the men who amounted to nothing, he expressed his self-pity for the actions done by their sons. For the next twenty-two verses, Job’s pity-party delineated his poor treatment by these disrespectful hoodlums who:
mocked him in song (v.9a);
kept their distance from him, yet were close enough to spit in his face (v.10);
devastated the integrity of the road leading to his estate (v.13); and
trespassed on his property (vv. 12 – 14).
People have long used song writing as a social editorial for promoting their agenda. Folk songs have been around for a very long time, and Job’s enemies sought to destroy his reputation through the songs they wrote mocking the devastation he endured. They had lost to him in business, so they were determined to take revenge using every medium at their disposal.
Perhaps these hooligans were able to get close enough to spit in his face during the seven days he sat silently outside his home. In any case, they despised him so much as to hurl spittle from their mouths as an insult to the former village leader.
Why would they ruin a perfectly good traveling road? It was quite likely the driveway to Job’s estate, and by damaging the ruts in the road, it made it more difficult for extended family and any friends to make a successful visit. What’s worse, it also made it harder for Job to leave for supplies, help, etc. The three visitors may have arrived by camel instead of cart.
Job complained of terrors overwhelming him. These terrors were very likely the result of the trespassers who ridiculed him without restraint (v.11). The word pictures of siege ramps, attacks, and snares are poetic metaphors meant to show how vulnerable and helpless Job really was… so much so that he stated, “…my
safety vanishes like a cloud” (v.15c). The smear campaign had been so successful, there was no-one whom Job could count-on among the townspeople to come to his rescue. He felt completely ‘defrocked’ of any noble purpose or use, stating, “…my dignity is driven away as by the wind…” (v.15b).
Those who have lived through natural disasters can often sympathize with Job’s feelings. They know all too well feeling insecure and vulnerable. If they had nice properties, as in the recent California fires, their safety-net vanished in an instant. They quite often describe the feeling as a total loss of a dignified life.
While Job’s initial response to his losses was remarkable, his pity-parties reflected just how severe the damage had been done to his psyche… and his spirit. Though he was a man of great faith, he was still human.
We should let Job’s words haunt us to take-up the cause for those who experience such loss, offering not only comfort, but also offering material assistance for reestablishing a new normal in their living routine. Let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting world.
Have a blessed day…