Job 27
In this chapter, Job maintains that he has been righteous. Job will not bend to his friends. He will not confess that he has done something that he has not done. He clearly stated that he will not be counted among the hypocrites, for a hypocrite does not have an audience before God. He stated that the hypocrite is no different than the wicked. They will not live their years out in peace. As such, Job maintains his integrity and refuses to be counted among the hypocrites.
Job 27:1
1Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
Parable is not the best rendering of the Hebrew word masal (H4912). Parable would lead one to think that Job is telling a story. A better rendering would have been ethical wisdom. Because Job is far from telling a story, he is declaring truths that one should take time to meditate upon.
Job 27:2
2As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
Job places responsibility for his situation on God, and rightly so. It was God that gave permission to Satan to afflict Job. Satan, on his own, had no power to affect Job’s life. This is a fact that so many seem to overlook. They attribute Job’s condition to some sin, overlooking the original premises of the book. God allowed this situation to occur and it was not a random occurrence nor was it a test of Job’s faith.
One ought not to bring Job down to their level. In the lives of many, the devil is having free course, because they have allowed it. They have not walked as Job has. Many fall far short of the glory of God. Unfortunately, when bad things do happen to many, they blame the devil; thereby failing to take responsibility when the very person they should be blaming is themselves. One cannot continue to fail to take responsibility for occurrences in their lives and expect things to work in their favor.
When Job stated that God had taken away his judgment, it refers to the rights or privileges a person has before a judge. In Job’s case, there has been no advocate to plead his case. Unfortunately for Job, this is no ordinary situation. God has committed Job to a much greater task than mere judgment.
Job 27:3-6
3All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; 4My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. 5God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. 6My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
Contained within this passage is the most contemptible words that Job has for his friends. Job is stating that as long as he is alive, even in his dying breath, he will not agree to the accusations that his friends have put forth.
When discussed with others or checked on the internet, there is a litany of sins that Job is accused of; who is right? Is Job right or are his accusers? One must remember God’s words in Job 2:3.
3And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
And remember that in Chapter 42, twice God stated that Job spoke right. Now one would ask about Job 38:1-3
1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 2Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? 3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
Many believe that this is God condemning Job. One must be careful in this assessment. If that was true, then God would be contradicting Himself in Job 42. As to whom God is addressing, I will deal with this in a later chapter. It would be unfair to Job to get too far ahead of myself. However, consider this, if the passage in Job 38 is God rebuking Job, then why would God praise Job twice four chapters later. Consistency must be integral in our understanding of scriptures.
Job spoke right when he said that he would not agree with his friends. To agree with them, he would have to act as a hypocrite. He would only be doing it to please his friends. One should never put their friends before truth. Furthermore, that would make Job no different than the wicked who undermine the truth.
Job 27:4-5.
4My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. 5God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
Job is telling his friends that to agree with them is to agree with the wicked. Essentially, they have put forth wickedness. Job, from the beginning, has maintained his innocence and will continue to do so. Remember, there was no sin that Satan the accuser could use against Job. If there was one, he certainly would have taken opportunity to claim he had proven God wrong. That did not occur, one must stay true to the word.
Job 27:7-10
7Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. 8For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? 9Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? 10Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?
Job has now just placed his three friends in the class of the wicked. They rose up against him and wanted him to act in a way contrary to God’s ways. If Job had agreed with his friends, they would have all been wrong. And if Job had repented as they wanted that would have made Job a hypocrite. One should never do or say something to placate others. That, in itself, is a heinous sin. It is even worse if one thinks they can do that and placate God. One who would do that is making God out to be no more than an idol. There is little hope for one who thinks that man can fool God.
Job understood what was at stake. Job was looking beyond this lifetime to the eternal. Job spoke of it several times. That is why he was willing to end this present life. He wanted to leave the temporal and move on to the eternal.
Job knew that what he did in this lifetime had eternal consequences. He knew that someday he would have to answer for being a hypocrite. And what good would it do to repent for something he never did? It would not change his situation one bit. Except Satan would have won and possibly the suffering would have ended. He was not willing to do that. God knew that Job would not do that, that is why God allowed Satan free course with Job.
Further, one must ask why Job’s friends were so intent on Job repenting? Why had they not brought evidence to bear witness against him? Why did they show Job little compassion? It should bring to mind that possibly Job’s friends had ulterior motives.
If Job had repented, it would prove them right. It would have given them power over Job. Others would hear of this and it would exalt Job’s three friends. People would no longer be drawn to Job. They would seek out the wisdom of Job’s friends.
In the following, Job tells his friends about the wicked, Job 27:11-12.
11I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal. 12Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?
Job tells his friends that he will declare the truth of God. Here Job claims to speak the doctrine of God. Based on what God stated in Job 42, one can trust the words of Job to be true. Job will not be holding back for his friends. Additionally, Job tells them that what he is about to say; they even know to be true. Then he asks a question that is quite scathing. Job asks if you know these things to be true, then why do you speak with empty words. One wonders with all the accusations going back and forth, why do these four continue to talk. There must be more at stake than is apparent.
The interesting thing about what Job stated is that it happens even today. People will deliver a doctrine knowing that the evidence is otherwise. This happens because people are committed more to a doctrine than to the truth. This happens for a number of reasons. The worst of which is to gain power over others. The least of reasons is because people are foolish and want to believe in something. They are willing to believe because it gives them hope. Unfortunately, it is a vain and worthless hope. It ought not to be this way. The only doctrine that should be declared is the doctrine that is consistent throughout the Bible, cover to cover.
Job 27:13
13This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
Job’s discussion here applies beyond this lifetime. What follows requires little interpretation. Job is speaking clearly. This is why Job does not want to be counted among the hypocrites, there are eternal consequences.
Job 27:14
14If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
For the wicked there is no guarantee that things will go well for him or his children. Unlike the righteous as God stated in Deuteronomy 4:40.
40Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, for ever.
This blessing is not for the wicked, they do not walk in God’s pathway. Job continues to discuss the wicked, Job 27:15-23.
15Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep. 16Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; 17He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. 18He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh. 19The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not. 20Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night. 21The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. 22For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand. 23Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.
All Job has stated befalls the wicked. Now what is not stated, why would Job be telling his friends something they already knew?. Possibly Job’s reason is that this may befall his friends, if they do not change their hypocritical and false religious ways.
This is a warning to all. One must be right with God. One should not be judgmental about others. They are to lend a compassionate helping hand. Yeshua is very clear on this issue in Matthew 7, however many fail to read the word and state only what they hear. Many take the easy way, merely repeating words rather than living the depth of the word.
I am sure many have heard other Christians state that one is not to judge others. In the context of the Bible, this is a ludicrous statement. Christians, of which I am one, are some of the most judgmental people.
Matthew 7 never states that one is never to judge as many assert. It states something much different, Matthew 7:1.
1Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Some people ride both sides of this verse. Are believers not to judge anything? That would mean that one would just watch TV and whatever is on is okay with them. Or when someone tells a story, one accepts it as truth. No one does that nor does God expect anyone to freely accept the things of the world or what other Christians have stated.
Before one makes a statement that one should not judge, they must read the passage in total. One must be conscientious as Paul told his son Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15.
15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Believers are to study for themselves. They should not accept a doctrine because the majority accept it as truth. Yeshua did not do that, the word was always the final authority for Him. One needs to rightly divide scriptures, this takes time and years of study. If one does not continue in this, they are destined to be handicapped in life.
Now back to this subject of judgment. In Matthew 7, it is not a prohibition against judging, it is a warning to judge righteously, Matthew 7:2-5.
2For with what judgment (krima) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Believers are to judge so that they can help others. Yet they are to judge righteously. There will always be judgments, everyone makes judgments every day of their life. Whenever someone speaks to them, when they read the newspaper or the internet; they must decide if they are going to receive it or not. That is why in 1 Corinthians 6, Paul asks why do you go before the unbelievers in such matter, 1 Corinthians 6:2-5.
2Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 4If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the assembly. 5I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
There are many places in the Bible that clearly direct the reader to judge and one is to do it righteously. This is one of the issues that Job’s friends failed at, their judgment was judgmental. All their judgment was based on the false notion that Job must have committed a sin. They never considered Job’s words or the fact that it was not their place to make such judgments. They lacked compassion on many levels. That is why one has to wonder why they were so intent on accusing Job. What was their ulterior motive?
Believers today should heed this warning. One must ask themselves in dealing with others, are they compassionate or are they quick to judge? One must consider the unseen. In Job’s case, little was known by others why such travesty had occurred. It is ultimately left to God to judge such matters, one best helps the situation by comforting and supporting. Life is difficult, what people need most from others is pure compassion and not ultra-righteousness.
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