'IF' Job 31

Job 31:4 "Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?"

These conversations have been a journey. The 'friends' talked a long time to convince Job that his troubles were because of his wickedness. Job searched his life and found that he had been pretty much on track with his life except he did mention the 'sins of his youth'.

Now Job goes down the list in search of his wrong. It is tough for me to know exactly where Job is but I know he has something to learn from this test. For his friends, it came down to Job justifying himself. In a court, it might be a lack of remorse by a criminal over a deed he did. But this is no criminal this is the perfect and upright man of Job chapter 1.

So we had a 'they' chapter a while back, we could call this the 'if' chapter for it has 20 or so ifs in it. Each a search by Job for his wrong deed.

v5 "IF I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; v6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity."

That has been the theme of Job's questions throughout the conversations. As if to say "Just tell me what I did wrong!"

v16 "If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fall; v17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;"

And so on...

You can't blame Job for wondering. His trials are terrible. I cannot picture how he looks with the afflictions in his body. We have read of them and found he has no relief day and night. His mind is tormented. His faith is attacked. Still he holds firm to what he thinks is right.

v29 "If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him; v30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul."

No wonder God picked Job out. He held himself to a very high standard.

v35 "Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book. "

So the chapter ends as does the conversation with the last words of verse 40 "...The words of Job are ended."

Psalm 42:5 "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance."

Job ends his words with passages starting with 'if'.

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