According to the prevailing belief of the times, Job and the friends understood that God rewards righteous living, and good people were expected to share their wealth with the poor and help defend the innocent, standing with the weak and helpless against wicked men. Understandably, therefore, Job expected to die a peaceful death, not suddenly through violence nor before his time. Rather, he anticipated a long life at home with his family and friends (Job 29:18). He never expected such a turn of events that, not only destroyed his family and wealth, but also took away his health and his seat of authority and respect in the city (cp. Psalm 30:6). The friends assumed Job had secretly behaved wickedly and accused him of bringing the judgment of God down upon himself. Nevertheless, Job denied their charges, yet he also admitted he was just as confused as they were to understand why he had come to such an ignoble state of affairs.
We need to keep in mind, as we read this chapter of Job’s story, that he is bemoaning the loss of his family, wealth and power (Job 29:2), and believed that the Lord was no longer protecting him. Job recalled how full his life had been, before his strength was taken away (Job 29:19-20). He simply didn’t see how the Lord had saved his life (Job 2:6), and was keenly aware of all the things that were done. He mourned the loss of his family, wealth and power, and he believed God had abandoned him by refusing to express any mercy toward him.
When Jesus found himself in a similar state of affairs, loss of power, unable to enjoy the intimacy of Father/Son communication, and finding himself at the point of death, he prayed that, if it were possible, the cup might pass, but not according to his will, but how the Father willed (Matthew 26:38-39). He didn’t pray that his life would be spared, or cast off the sin of mankind that had separated him from his Father (Isaiah 59:2). He didn’t rehearse all the good he had done up to that point, or conclude his Father had forsaken him[1] (cp. Job 29:2, 12-17). Rather, he prayed for strength and accepted his fate (Matthew 26:42; Luke 22:42-43; John 19:11).
Because Job’s worldview was in chaos at this point in his life, he did recall how greatly he was respected by everyone, who saw and heard him, no matter what position they held in society. Everyone waited upon his word as the parched land waited for the blessing of rain. He remembered the days when he had great influence over the opinions of others, that even a smile from him at an unwise proposal was enough for those folks to lose their assurance in their demands. He led others through the uncertainty of the wilderness and was as a king among his troops, when folks looked for his wisdom during times of great distress (Job 29:21-25). In a sense, he was as Jesus was later, when his friends loved to listen to him, as he led them throughout the days of his ministry and gave them great hope. Yet, in the days of his distress, every one of his friends abandoned him (Matthew 26:31-34), one even handing him over to his enemies (Luke 22:48, 54).
Just a thought, but perhaps it was because of Job’s attitude that nothing could trouble his prosperity (Job 29:18) that the Lord condescended to the wager he made with satan in chapters one and two. Job’s words in verse-18 remind me of the fate of the man in Jesus’ parable (Luke 12:16-21). Although the man in the parable and Job seem to have different attitudes toward God, they do share a common unexpected fate. It may be that Job’s admission of his deepest feelings of loneliness in chapter 30, that shows he was at the precipice of denying the presence of God in his life! If such a thing is true, God’s wager with satan is intended to prevent such a thing from taking root and destroying Job’s lifelong service to God.
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[1] See my earlier study in the Gospel of Luke, “Did God Forsake or Desert Jesus?”
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