Smoodock's Blog

Job concludes his debate with the friends by saying, “if I had concealed my sin like Adam…” (Job 31:33). In other words, Job was a magistrate, and Adam was the leader of the human race. Both were men of authority, Job, of course, being the lesser of the two. However, Adam concealed his sin by blaming his wife for what he did. He even blamed God, implying he wouldn’t have sinned, had he not given him this woman (Genesis 3:10, 12). Job’s point was: he had made a covenant with the Lord (verse-1), and his heart was not corrupt (Job 31:7-8). He had been faithful in all his ways (verse-9), and he didn’t regard wealth as his confidence. Rather, Job looked to the Lord for his help (Job 31:24-28), and proof of this was that he shared what he had with those who had not (Job 31:16-20).

Job feared the Lord in that his righteousness extended to treating others fairly (Job 31:13-15, 21-23), even to the point of being merciful and kind to his enemies (Job 31:29-31) and treating the stranger with respect and friendship (Job 31:32). In such a context, then, Job calls down curses upon himself, if he hadn’t been forthcoming in his discourse to the friends about his innocence. In other words, if Job wasn’t telling the truth, may he be harassed by everyone who knew him, and be covered with shame in their presence, so that it would be troublesome for him to even go out his door (Job 31:34).

Next, Job said:

“Oh, that one would hear me! Behold, my desire is that the Almighty would answer me, and that my adversary had written a book. Surely, I would take it upon my shoulder and bind it as my crown. I would declare to him the number of my steps; as a prince I would go near him!” (Job 31:35-37).

Amidst all the arguments against his integrity, Job had appealed to the Lord on several occasions (cp. Job 13:3), crying out for vindication, for he knew Job’s heart. Yet, only silence followed, and the Almighty seemed to be unmoved by Job’s prayers! Here, in his final plea for justification, Job appeals to God in the context of a court of law. How could he look to men for vindication, for those who claim to be his closest friends are among his accusers. Job’s integrity had been called into question, and there was none to stand with him. No one took up his cause. All who knew him blamed him for the calamities that had swallowed him up! Their cry was: “Know therefore that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves” (cp. Job 11:6).

On the other hand, Job trusted the integrity of God. He is certain that, if the Lord would condescend to hear his case, surely, he would be vindicated. If the Lord had written an indictment against Job (cp. Psalm 139:23), Job would receive it proudly and wear it as a crown upon his head. There would be nothing that could be said against his behavior, for he would approach him as a prince and declare unto him all he had ever done! (Job 31:35-37).

Then Job declared, if his claims weren’t true about his integrity, vis-à-vis “if the land cries out against me… (Job 31:38; cp. Genesis 4:10-12; Habakkuk 2:9-11), saying I had gained my wealth by fraud, or if I didn’t pay for all I have (cp. Genesis 23:16; 2Samuel 24:24), or if I defrauded my servants of their just wages (Job 31:39), then let the curse of the Lord be my reward” (Job 31:40; cp. Genesis 3:17-19). The words of Job are ended!