Job in this chapter recalls the past good fortune he had enjoyed:
Because of all these good works, he was confident that his prosperity would endure. He describes the continuity of his prosperity first in his own person, and so he says, “And I said, ‘I will die in my little nest,’” because I hoped from my past merits that I would quietly die in my house, not exiled from my house, nor even in a troubled house. Nor yet did he believe that he should worry about a timely death, and so he says, “like a palm tree,” which lives a very long time, “I will multiply my days,” in the great length of my life. Second he describes the continuity of his prosperity as to riches, and he describes their increase saying, “My root is open out near the water.” For trees which have roots near the waters often produce an abundance of fruit. So by this expression he refers to the increase of temporal fruits. The fruits of a man happen sometimes to increase, but because of some impediments preventing him, he is unable to harvest them, and to exclude this he says, “and dew will remain in my harvest.” For in hot countries the harvesters cannot work in a field to harvest, because of the stifling character of the summer, but a cloud of dew gives them coolness so that they are not impeded from the harvest as Isaiah said, “Like a cloud of dew on the days of the harvest.” (18:4) Third, he describes the enduring character of his reputation saying, “my glory always will be renewed,” by good works which he proposed to multiply. Fourth, he describes the endurance of his power saying, “and my bow will be restored in my hand.” “Bow” here means power, for Eastern people use such weapons in wars.
As in what precedes he has described both the severity (vv.8-10) and the mercy (vv. 11-16) which he showed in judgment, he shows now in the third how he also used wisdom. First, he used wisdom in judgments, and expressing this he says, “Those who heard me,” because they were subject to my judgment, “awaited the judgment,” namely mine, believing that they would hear something very wise. As to counsel he says, “and kept silence, attentive to my counsels,” waiting for him and listening eagerly. After I had given them my counsel, they were happy with it, and so he says, “They dared to add nothing to my words,” because of the great wisdom which they valued. Not only did they firmly keep my counsel, but they were also consoled in it, perceiving it to be efficacious to attain their proposed end, and so he says, “and my eloquence fell on them drop by drop,” i.e., it cooled them like drops of water.
After he had described what sort of person he was in judgments and counsels, he shows, as a consequence, what sort of person he was in ordinary associations with men. First he shows that he was gracious, because when he was absent they missed his presence, and so he says, “They waited for me like the rain,” which refreshes men. When he was present they were consoled by the sight of him and his words, and so he says, “and their mouths,” their hearts, “were opened,” toward me to receive encouragement, and he expresses this saying, “as to the evening shower,” which give refreshment after the heat of the day. Second, he shows that he was moderate in his conversation, and not dissipated by joy, and so he says, “If I ever laughed at them,” showing some signs of joy, “they did not believe,” that I have surrendered myself to laughter. Likewise, he was not depressed by sorrow, and so he says, “and the light of my countenance was not cast down to the ground.” For men depressed by mourning usually cast their eyes down to the ground. Third, he shows that he was not immoderate in honors, because he did not even desire them, and so he says, “If I wished to go to them,” which I did not do easily, “I used to sit in the first place,” for I was honored among them. Nevertheless, he did not become arrogant in honors, and so he says, “and when I used to sit like a king surrounded by his army,” with all admiring me from here and there, “I was still a consoler for those who mourned,” and did not hold them in contempt.
Go here to read the rest. Of course if being good resulted in good fortune all of our lives, what moral merit would there be in being good? If honesty were always the best policy, for example, lies would not only be evil but foolish. Christ brought us quite another message with His admonition for us to take up our cross and follow Him.
