Job as Faithful Witness (Job 29:7, 11-17)

Job was a faithful witness to Yahweh. Even so, Yahweh allowed Satan to strip Job of every good thing and leave him scraping his running sores while sitting in ashes. Job’s friends wrongly explained to him that Yahweh was punishing him for his wickedness. Job rightly maintained his integrity.

What I want to emphasize here are the ways in which Job faithfully witnessed to Yahweh:

            “When I went to the gate of the city

                        and took my seat in the public square…

            Whoever heard me spoke well of me,

                        and those who saw me commended me,

            because I rescued the poor who cried for help,

                        and the fatherless who had none to assist him.

            The man who was dying blessed me;

                        I made the widow’s heart sing.

            I put on righteousness as my clothing;

                        justice was my robe and my turban.

            I was eyes to the blind

                        and feet to the lame.

            I was a father to the needy;

                        I took up the case of the stranger.

            I broke the fangs of the wicked

                        and snatched the victims from their teeth” (Job 29:7, 11-17, NIV).

In the times of the prophet Ezekiel, the people of Jerusalem exasperated Yahweh because of their Olympian practice of taking what they wanted from people less powerful, more marginal, than they were. In pleasant contrast, Job committed himself to the well-being of every human being. He especially cared for those who were painfully marginal and needed some help.

Copyright © 2012 by Steven Farsaci.
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