JOB LESSON 30


     We will begin this lesson in Job 31:1 "I made a covenant with
mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?"

     Job had made a covenant with himself never to look upon a woman
with lust in his eyes. It appears, from all accounts, that Job was a
faithful husband to his wife. He was not an adulterer. This was
something he had promised himself.

     Job 31:2 "For what portion of God [is there] from above? and
[what] inheritance of the Almighty from on high?"

     Job was saying, that there would have been no inheritance from
God, if he had been such a man. One of the worst sins, in God's sight,
is adultery. Job was proclaiming his innocence. Had he committed such
a sin, he would not have expected God to bless him.

     Job 31:3  "[Is] not destruction to the wicked? and a strange
[punishment] to the workers of iniquity?"

     The inheritance of the wicked was destruction of body, soul, and
spirit. Those who sinned could expect the punishment from God that
they deserved. This was the reason that Job did not understand the
punishment that had come to him. He had not sinned as a wicked man.

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

     Job knew that nothing good or bad escaped the eyes of the LORD.
God knew that Job was a man after His own heart. The statement above
was in the form of a question. It is as if Job was saying, "Since he
knows my every step, why am I being punished"?

     Job 31:5 "If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted
to deceit;" Job 31:6 "Let me be weighed in an even balance that God
may know mine integrity."

     Job was asking to be weighed in the balance by God. If he had
committed some sin that he was unaware of, the balance would still tip
in his favor for all of the good he had done.

     Job 31:7 "If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart
walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;"
Job 31:8  "[Then] let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my
offspring be rooted out."

     Job was willing for God to test him and see, if he had done any
of these evil things. If he had done those things, he was willing to
pay the penalty for the sin he committed. He wanted God to examine him
and see what it was that he had failed in. Job said if I have lusted
with mine eyes, then let me grow a crop and others eat it to punish
me. He would even been willing for his children to be disinherited and
run off the land, if had committed the sin of lust.
     Job 31:9 "If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or [if] I
have laid wait at my neighbour's door;"  Job 31:10  "[Then] let my
wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her."

     Job said if he had been deceived by a woman, or had coveted
anything that belonged to his neighbor, he would let another have his
wife. Job knew that he had never gone in to a strange woman. He knew
he had never coveted anything that belonged to another.

     Job 31:11 "For this [is] an heinous crime; yea, it [is] an
iniquity [to be punished by] the judges." Job 31:12 "For it [is] a
fire [that] consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine
increase."

     To lust for any woman except his own wife, Job said would be a
terrible crime. He knew that kind of sin burned within a person, until
it totally destroyed him. Job was being accused of this sort of thing,
but he knew he was innocent, and he knew God knew he was innocent,
also.

     Job 31:13 "If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my
maidservant, when they contended with me;" Job 31:14 "What then shall
I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer
him?"

     Job had compassion on the poor and on his servants, as well. He
had never mistreated any of them. Job was saying if he had mistreated
his servants, he could expect no better from God, whose servant he
was.

     Job 31:15 "Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did
not one fashion us in the womb?"

     Job was saying that all men were created by the same God. He was
saying in the sight of God, one man does not differ from another. God
is no respecter of persons.

     Job 31:16 "If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, or
have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;"

     Eliphaz had accused Job of this very thing, and Job had denied
it.  In fact, Job did the opposite. He helped the poor and the widow.

     Job 31:17 "Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the
fatherless hath not eaten thereof;"

     Job had shared his food with those less fortunate than himself.
That was one of the good memories he had of his days, before the
calamity came upon him.

     Job 31:18 "(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as
[with] a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)"

      It appears, that Job had helped the widow, orphan, and the poor
from his earliest years. He had been trained this way as a child. He
did not separate himself from these people, but saw their needs and
provided for them.

     Job 31:19 "If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any
poor without covering;" Job 31:20 "If his loins have not blessed me,
and [if] he were [not] warmed with the fleece of my sheep;"

     We see, from this, that Job would even give fleece from his sheep
to clothe those who had nothing to wear.

     Job 31:21 "If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,
when I saw my help in the gate:" Job 31:22  "[Then] let mine arm fall
from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone."

     This was a very drastic statement for Job to make, but he knew he
was innocent. He knew he had reached out and helped all who truly
needed help. He was not a selfish man. Job had been the champion of
those in need. He was in no danger of losing his arm. God knew his
record on this.

     Job 31:23 "For destruction [from] God [was] a terror to me, and
by reason of his highness I could not endure."

     Job's only fear was of God. He tried to live as near perfect as
he could, because he wanted to please God.

     Job 31:24 "If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine
gold, [Thou art] my confidence;"

     Job had not made gold his god. He knew that gold was nice to
have, but would not save a person.

     Job 31:25 "If I rejoiced because my wealth [was] great, and
because mine hand had gotten much;"

     Job had not even bragged about his wealth, nor had he bragged on
his great ability to make money. He was not overly proud. He knew all
of his blessings came from God.

     Job 31:26 "If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon
walking [in] brightness;"  Job 31:27 "And my heart hath been secretly
enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:"

     He had not worshipped the sun, or the moon, or even his own
person.

     Job 31:28 "This also [were] an iniquity [to be punished by] the
judge: for I should have denied the God [that is] above."

     If he had any other gods, he would have understood this
punishment. He had no other gods. Job had been faithful to the LORD.
He had never denied God. In fact, he had spoken of God as his Redeemer
in chapter 19 of this book.
     Job 31:29 "If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me,
or lifted up myself when evil found him:"

     Job was saying, that he had not taken vengeance on his enemies.
He had left vengeance to the LORD.

     Job 31:30 "Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a
curse to his soul."

     Job had never wished destruction to any man. He had never asked
God to destroy his enemies. Job did not want them cursed. We saw in an
earlier lesson, where he had taught others of the Words of the LORD.

     Job 31:31 "If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had
of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied."  Job 31:32 "The stranger did
not lodge in the street: [but] I opened my doors to the traveller."

     I believe both of these Scriptures belong together. It appears
in the first verse, that the men might have said they had no place for
a stranger, but Job told them to take him in. Job housed and fed the
strangers.

     Job 31:33 "If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine
iniquity in my bosom:"

     Adam had hidden in the garden to keep God from knowing he had
eaten of the forbidden fruit. Job was saying, that he had not hidden
any sins away. God knew everything about him.

     Job 31:34 "Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of
families terrify me, that I kept silence, [and] went not out of the
door?"

     This is a reason some men would hide their sins, but Job said he
never hid his sins from anyone. Job was not looking for the approval
of the people around him. He wanted God's approval.

     Job 31:35 "Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire [is,
that] the Almighty would answer me, and [that] mine adversary had
written a book."

     How many times have we prayed and thought that God did not hear
our prayer?  Job wanted God to hear his prayer and answer him. Job was
saying, that his adversary should write down his complaints against
Job. Not any of them were true.

     Job 31:36 "Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, [and] bind it
[as] a crown to me."

     Job was willing to take all of these complaints unto himself, and
answer them one by one. Job was not trying to run from the problem. He
wanted to present the problem to God and let Him settle it.

     Job 31:37 "I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a
prince would I go near unto him."

     Job was willing to give an accounting of himself. Job was willing
to face his accuser face to face, and answer him.

     Job 31:38 "If my land cry against me, or that the furrows
likewise thereof complain;"

     Job was really searching. He was even saying, he had not offended
the land that he cultivated. Even the land had no complaint to make of
Job.

     Job 31:39 "If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or
have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:"

     Job had purchased the land with money that he had received fruit
of. Job had not taken any man's property without payment.

     Job 31:40 "Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead
of barley. The words of Job are ended."

     Job was saying, If I did that, which I did not, then let the land
not produce. Job was willing to pay for any sin that he had committed.
He knew that if God would judge him, He would find him innocent of
wrong doing. The last few chapters were spoken by Job. He now said,
they were ended. He had given an account of himself to God and would
accept God's answer.



























                           Job 30 Questions


1.  I made a covenant with mine ________.
2.  Job was not an __________.
3.  Job was saying, there would have been no inheritance from God if
    he had committed these _______.
4.  The inheritance of the wicked was destruction of _______,
    ________, and _______.
5.  What does God see on the earth?
6.  Job was asking to be weighed in the ________ by God.
7.  Why did Job want God to do this?
8.  Job told God he was willing to be _________, if God found that he
    had sinned.
9.  If Job had been guilty of being deceived by a strange woman, or if
    he had laid wait at another's door, he would accept what
    punishment?
10. What kind of a crime did Job call that?
11. What had he been accused of, that he denied in verse 13?
12. Job said that all men were created by _____.
13. God is no respecter of __________.
14. What had Eliphaz accused Job of that he denies in verse 16?
15. How had Job helped those who were without clothing?
16. What drastic promise did Job make in verse 22, if he had lifted a
    hand against the fatherless?
17. Job's only fear was of ______.
18. What was Job's opinion of gold?
19. Job knew that all his blessings came from ____.
20. He had not worshipped the _____, or the ________, or even his own
    ________.
21. Job had been ___________ to the LORD.
22. Job had left vengeance to the _______.
23. Job housed and fed the ___________.
24. Why did Job want his adversary to write down his complaints?
25. Job was willing to give an ___________ of himself.
26. Job had purchased the land with _________.
27. Who had Job given an accounting to of himself?