If I Had Done These Things

Job 31:24-40

24 "If I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, 'You are my confidence';
25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;

26 If I have observed the sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,
27 So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;

28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.

29 "If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him
30 (Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his soul);

31 If the men of my tent have not said,
'Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?'
32 (But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the traveler);

33 If I have covered my transgressions as Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great multitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door—

35 Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, that the Almighty would answer me,
That my Prosecutor had written a book!

36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;
37 I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.

38 "If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If I have eaten its fruit without money,
Or caused its owners to lose their lives;
40 Then let thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley."

The words of Job are ended.

Job reasoned that if had sought wealth, or worshipped other gods of the sun and moon, or rejoiced in his enemies getting what they deserved, or hidden his sin as Adam covered his in Eden, or even had misused farmers and caused them to lose everything, then he could appeal to God because he knew he did not do these things.  That would be sin deserving judgment and requisite punishment, of course, especially worshipping idols, because it would be denying God as God in the heights above all things in His creation.  Job mentioned all these hypothetical things as if to say, “if I had done these things, then I deserved punishment.”  But he did not do these things, choosing to do what was right, even after losing everything and seemingly suffering punishment anyway.  He suffered for doing good, apparently (1 Peter 2:20), and held desperately to his uprightness of character and actions all his life.  He could not grasp why he suffered such adversity if it was not deserved as a result of having done these things.  We may find ourselves suffering for our own sin, reaping consequences as is right, but we may also find suffering for doing right.  Then we should rejoice, for the adversary is roaring about to attack those with the gospel testimony of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:17).  Not all suffering is because we have done those things as Job named, but also for the sake of God in Christ, filling up what sufferings (Philippians 3:10, 1 Peter 4:13, 5:9) Christ endured for our sakes by our co-crucifixion with Him (Galatians 2:20) as Paul exemplified by his own life in Colossians 1:24.  If I had done these things, I deserve punishment and suffering, but God’s grace in Christ is sufficient if I have, or even if I have not (2 Corinthians 12:9, James 4:6).  Remember Job (James 5:11) and God’s sanctifying work in us to conform us to Christ, and rejoice in hope.