Job 29
Job 29 begins with Job recalling his past glory. He longs for the respect and authority he previously enjoyed, as well as the peace he had under God’s protection. This chapter contrasts the prosperity and righteousness of long ago with the suffering Job is experiencing now, and it holds an important place in the overall flow of the book of Job.
1verseJob again took up his parable, and said,
2verse“Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
3versewhen his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
4verseas I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
5versewhen the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
6versewhen my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
7versewhen I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
8verseThe young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
9verseThe princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10verseThe voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11verseFor when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
12versebecause I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
13versethe blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14verseI put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
15verseI was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
16verseI was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
17verseI broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18verseThen I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
19verseMy root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
20verseMy glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
21verse“Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
22verseAfter my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.
23verseThey waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
24verseI smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.
25verseI chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
Structure of the Text
- Verses 1-6: Job remembers the time when he was protected and blessed under God’s favor.
- Verses 7-10: It describes how, every time he went out to the city gate, people respected him and listened to his opinions.
- Verses 11-17: Job lists stories of how he helped social outcasts and acted righteously.
- Verses 18-20: He confesses what hopes he had for his future.
- Verses 21-25: He explains how widely his wisdom and counsel were recognized, and how great his influence was in society.
Overall Meaning and Points for Reflection
Job 29 shows that human prosperity and honor—and even the sense of security before hardship—can ultimately be temporary for anyone. Job believed that his goodness and righteousness, along with the social respect that came from them, would be given to him forever for a long time, but he experiences that this was not actually the case. This chapter reveals human limitations in the face of suffering and, once again, a longing heart for God’s grace.
Points for Reflection
- By contrasting past glory with present suffering, we can reflect on how we should accept it when changes come to our lives.
- Even if we have good deeds and character, it reminds us again that we must rely entirely on the grace of God.
- We can also reflect on where we place our faith and what true values that remain unchanged amid difficulties.
Apply It to My Life
- I can take time to honestly bring before God the feelings of longing for the good days I once enjoyed.
- When someone is going through hardship, I can try not only to focus on that person’s present, but also to look at the path they have walked and their heart through God’s eyes.
- Even if my circumstances or reputation change, I can check the motives behind my faith and good conduct, and renew my true hope.
