Job 30:26 Commentary and Bible Study

Job felt his strength waning and his heart failing. How much longer could his hope to hold out against such an avalanche of calamity and still maintain his belief in the goodness of God and even the love of God towards him? Again, how long can we stand ill treatment from one who we formerly counted as a friend and not conclude that they have permanently altered their feelings towards us? Can there really still be a secret love for us when all that they do sends a message of hostility? How deep can their love for us be buried that it is so far out of sight? Why do they not let us catch a glimpse of something better? Job looked for good not just for its own sake but as evidence that God still looked kindly on him, a matter of far more importance to him than even his own welfare. Relentlessly however, more evil came almost as if it was designed to destroy his trust, which it certainly was, for that was Satan’s intention. He believes that faith is a weak thing that can be broken by a sufficient quantity of adversity, a mere human decision and not something maintained by the inner working of the Spirit. Satan thought that Job would certainly draw a conclusion that was based on what he could see against what he could not see. And yet God’s secret love was still in place and was especially strong towards this favoured child. It was reasonable for faith to hold out in such extreme circumstances, because it was based on the word of him who can never forsake us. Note that in God’s estimation Job was not one iota reduced in value because of the loss of wealth, family, reputation, friends; his being reduced to the ash heap, dirty and wretched, racked with pain and covered in boils did not make him any the less the object of God’s love, for God does not look on the outward appearance but on the heart. Furthermore God saw the spark of faith with he had created in Job’s heart which was not extinguished and which the Lord knew would overcome all this suffering including this period of being cut off from the comfort of God.But Job in his experience saw only evil and was like a man who waited eagerly for the morning. He felt the oppressive nature of the darkness, unable to see the landscape, unable to move freely and safely, and unable to go about his work. Instead of daybreak coming at the expected time, he suffered the intense disappointment of having to put up with further darkness and his trial would not come to an end. His heart – that refuge from all trouble – had itself become a source of trouble so that he could find nowhere to rest. His thoughts gave him no peace because they constantly reminded him that his relationship with God was disturbed and the foundation of his life was shifted out of place.HHH The future looked no better; further days of affliction appeared to stretch out into the distant future.His restlessness took him from one location to another in his attempt to find relief. He experienced darkness but it was not due to any failure of the sun. He was in darkness at midday, for his darkness came from within and could not be dispelled by any light from outside. He went to the assembly of God’s people but found no help there either, for although he cried for help, God’s people were not able to relieve him.