Job 29:18 Commentary and Bible Study

Job had felt happy and secure, and believed that nothing would significantly change in life until the time came for him to pass into the next world. He had chosen to serve God and to be ruled by the standards of the Lord and his conscience commended him in this. He understood his obligations to his fellow man and he fulfilled them dutifully and cheerfully. He knew that he had to grow old and could not stay in the world forever, but he expected no major change in his circumstances until that moment came, and then, like a bird, he would die on his nest. Using language similar to that of the promise made by God to Abraham, he described how he expected his days to be as many as the sand grains – innumerable. Since he was honoured and loved by his own children, he would be cared for by the family that he had brought into the world, nurtured, and provided for. He was optimistic about life in spite of the fact that he lived in a fallen world, because he believed God was with him, and he took his blessings to be a sign of God’s approval. Like a tree that was once young and has now grown large and spread out its roots to gather moisture from far around, so he had become great. He drew comfort from his family, from his friends, from his role as a leader in society, and from the blessing of God on all he did. Like a tree growing beside a river, he was nightly supplied with moisture as the dew settled on his branches. There was no possibility of shortage or hardship.In every way his outlook was optimistic. His glory was fresh within him, meaning that his life had worth and he was vigorous and young, in spite of increasing age, for though his body would have to grow feeble, his inward man was renewed day by day. Using the language of warfare in those days, he was like a man who had strength to keep his bow ever drawn and therefore was ready to face all enemies with confidence. The trouble with this was that Job had become too attached to his earthly blessings. This made him incapable of undergoing any great shift in his circumstances without questioning the love of God towards him. These comforts and provisions had come to be equated in his mind with God’s favour so that the removal of them could only mean the Lord’s disapproval.