Job 29:14 Commentary and Bible Study

The longer this line of reasoning goes on, the more nervous the believing reader becomes, hearing Job speak of himself in this way. A man without sin may be able to speak entirely clinically about his own reputation and righteousness, but a man with a fallen heart cannot safely do so for long. We are warned in Scripture that we should not reflect too much on our good works because we will be in danger of taking the credit, of thinking too highly of ourselves and overlooking our many sins and weaknesses, defects which are present in even the best. We will fail to see that all good that we have comes from God and is a gift of his grace. No man who truly knows himself can think of himself in this way. How does this language compare with the way Christ urges us to think and speak of ourselves – ‘We are unprofitable servants’? Job’s words are far too self-congratulatory. His justice and his reputation for justice accompanied him like a prominent piece of clothing, like headgear that all could see as soon as they looked at him. It may be true that we appear righteous in the eyes of men, and the believer certainly ought to appear righteous in comparison to the ungodly, but we know other things about ourselves that our fellow human beings cannot see, and the Lord knows still more about us than we do. We ought to remember such things so that we do not become puffed up, for it is too easy for our good traits to grow out of all proportion in our minds. Job seems to be speaking of his acts in an official capacity, perhaps as a city judge.