#664 Respect Base

And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

2 “Oh, that I were as in the months of old,

as in the days when God watched over me,

3 when his lamp shone upon my head,

and by his light I walked through darkness,

4 as I was in my prime,

when the friendship of God was upon my tent,

5 when the Almighty was yet with me,

when my children were all around me,

6 when my steps were washed with butter,

and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

7 When I went out to the gate of the city,

when I prepared my seat in the square,

8 the young men saw me and withdrew,

and the aged rose and stood;

9 the princes refrained from talking

and laid their hand on their mouth;

10 the voice of the nobles was hushed,

and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

11 When the ear heard, it called me blessed,

and when the eye saw, it approved,

12 because I delivered the poor who cried for help,

and the fatherless who had none to help him.

13 The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me,

and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;

my justice was like a robe and a turban.

15 I was eyes to the blind

and feet to the lame.

16 I was a father to the needy,

and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.

17 I broke the fangs of the unrighteous

and made him drop his prey from his teeth.

18 Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest,

and I shall multiply my days as the sand,

19 my roots spread out to the waters,

with the dew all night on my branches,

20 my glory fresh with me,

and my bow ever new in my hand.’

21 “Men listened to me and waited

and kept silence for my counsel.

22 After I spoke they did not speak again,

and my word dropped upon them.

23 They waited for me as for the rain,

and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.

24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence,

and the light of my face they did not cast down.

25 I chose their way and sat as chief,

and I lived like a king among his troops,

like one who comforts mourners. Job 29 ESV

Job feels as though God is no longer looking out for him. Men knew that I loved God and it shown brightly that He loved me. It was so remarkably different than this, for any hardship then is lost in retrospect to the childless and friendless state he is now in. He remembers that time as a time of God's friendship, and surely these are all God's things and so His goodness as well, but is God not aware of Job?

He misses the times of respect, for he was the kind of man that he would respect as well. The young men made room for him, the old stood to show their respect, his words were welcome as a pillar in the community, but here is his defense: He did not obtain his position through ill means, he was a champion as all men should be, to the poor, the widow and the fatherless. He took the road less traveled regarding righteousness, he was just and the eyes to the bling and feet to the lame. If injustice came to his sight or his ear, he defended those in need. He crushed the predators, made them toothless so their attacks were weak. He thought, for all these things, the life I lead, the people I help, the blessings I have received I have also been, so I shall see many days and the honor of God upon me will be seen by all men. It looks now as though I am the wicked instead, I have inherited the things that identify me with them. If he only knew that God would truly have this complaint, but He would become sin Who knew no sin, that Christ would suffer Job's trouble times infinity, yet in the space of hours, for the wages can only stick permanently to the earner. Jesus was esteemed for feeding the multitudes, schooling the Pharisees, healing the sick, the blind and the lame, but he would take sin with Him, nailed to the cross, and He would be lifted up between two criminals. His own would deny Him, forget His words and look at His disgrace, and those that loved the fish would not want to stay for the message, a fickle crowd would be quick to ignore all protocol, to despise justice and crucify the Son of God. 

Job misses the time of being the comforter, for now their is no one like him in his time of need. There is no clear voice, no compassion and the ears and eyes of his friends are closed to the truth. Oh God, Oh God, why have you left me here?

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. John 1: 9-18