The account of Job’s suffering and his patience has, quite superficially, been interpreted by many in a way that glorifies him as a man. Because of our own desire for vain glory, we take a very humanistic approach to these Biblical accounts about Job and other men and women of faith, attempting to glorify them instead of God. However, what we really see about Job is how the best of men, even godly men, react when their worlds are disrupted, or as in Job’s case, turned upside down. Job’s reaction to those events that touched his life, the feelings he experienced, the battle he had with his own self-righteousness, and the questions he had concerning God, were typical of what all believers would come to experience.

Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

1 Cor 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

1 Pet 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

Job’s life, as with all of us, was a tangled web of human reasoning. His views of who were righteous and who were wicked, as well as to whom God gave blessings or whom God punished, are the common philosophies of all men. His own self-righteous views of himself, and the lofty position he enjoyed, clouded his perception of how he measured up to God’s standard, and even led to his challenging God’s justice. Job’s view of God and salvation was cloudy at best. He did not understand that for someone to come to God and receive His salvation, he must come as an empty-handed sinner. All of this had to be unraveled before he could say, “I abhor myself,” and, “now mine eye seeth thee.”

Psa 143:2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Job, as all of the sons of Adam are, was blind to the truths of God. Adam and Eve were the first humans to conceive the false idea that they could cover their nakedness by their own works. The images Job had of himself and of his relationship with God, blinded him and prevented him from seeing the truth. He had stubbornly refused all the efforts that God had made through his wife, his friends, and Elihu to cause him to see the truth.  The trials he endured eventually destroyed all the false hopes of his vain religion with all of its outward acts and rituals. He lost all of his pre-conceived ideas, material possessions, social relationships, even his children, so that the only thing left for him to see was God.

Psa 78:8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

The things which we falsely believe are great hindrances to our salvation and spiritual life because they cloud the truth.  God, in order to save us, has to destroy these false conceptions, just as He destroyed the false gods of Egypt to bring the children of Israel out of bondage and into the Promised Land. Pharaoh typifies the old man of sin, whose beliefs and practices have a death grip on us. We cannot free ourselves from his taskmasters who cause us to constantly labor and give us no rest, no matter how much we work to please them. God caused Job’s suffering to free him from the lies upon which his life was built and the false salvation upon which he depended. Even so, God must do whatever it takes, no matter how painful, to bring us to see the truth.

Exo 5:6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Psa 119:75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” Even Job was marred by this fault. His integrity, his position in the community, and his good works, were all important to his self-image, and he, in a sense, worshipped them. He also felt that these things were a part of his relationship with God and his hope of eternal salvation. Job enjoyed his position in the community, he took pride in the things he had done, and he held on to his integrity, even if it made God appear unjust, unfair, and unloving. Job gave a very human response in accusing God, and in presenting his integrity to the universal court of opinion against the justice of God. Job’s own status was more important to him than God’s glory, and he held on to it earnestly.

Ecc 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Psa 39:5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

Job 31:6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

It is interesting when we compare the terms: “he holdest fast his integrity”—as was uttered by the Lord; “Dost thou still retain thine integrity?”—as was said by Job’s wife; and then, “I will not remove mine integrity from me”—as Job later said. In the battle between Satan and the Lord, Job’s integrity was the issue—whether Job, after all his earthly goods were taken from him, would still remain upright. To Satan and the world, Christian integrity is a key issue, and one which we must maintain—but not as a means of justification before God. When personal integrity stands between a person and the Lord, it can be a hindrance to salvation and our fellowship with God. It took a great trial of affliction before Job would let go of his integrity and confess, “I am vile.” So the grip that the flesh has on those things it considers of value before God must be pried loose; and it is not without causing us a great deal of pain that God does so.

Job 2:3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

Job 27:5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

Phil 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

At the opposite end of the spectrum of those things which we consider to be good in our lives, are the sins, weaknesses, and failures which we also hold on to. They are those faults which we cannot or will not let go of. Things that we think prevent or hinder our coming to God—either for salvation or for fellowship with Him. These hindrances must also be destroyed. Most believers cannot let go of their self-condemnation and accept what God has done for them in Christ—granted them full and complete pardon, and granted them the fullness of His blessings in Christ. We have come to God as a sinner, and laid hold of His forgiveness and cleansing through the blood of Jesus Christ; but Satan the Accuser causes us to condemn ourselves and makes us believe that we are still unworthy or unable to approach God. We know that we have been saved—whether we believe we are still saved or not—yet we believe that because we have failed or because we are not perfect in all our ways, that God shuns our fellowship. We do not pray because we believe “our sins have hid His face from us and He will not hear.” We have put ourselves back under the law instead of enjoying the privileges of the blood-bought children of God, where “all the promises of God in Him are ye and amen”—yes and so be it. There is only one sin that can hide a Christian from the face of God—the sin of not trusting in His provision which is Christ. Secretly, we hold on to our sins and failures because, at their root, they are still a part of the ingrained works salvation of the flesh. We cannot let go of thinking that what we do, either good or bad, has something to do with our relationship with God. The trials which we go through are meant to break the death grip of these false premises upon which we base our relationship with God, until Christ becomes our “all, and in all.”

Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 Cor 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Col 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

As Job, we also are struggling either to obtain or maintain that which has already been freely given to us by God. It is God’s blessings that make us what we are and gives to us those things which we have; but we turn those things into the vanities of the flesh. We begin to believe that there is something in us, some good that God sees, that causes Him to treat us as a favored saint. However, the Greek word translated freely, means without a cause or undeservedly. Trials are meant to destroy all of these false idols of our lives.

Job 27:2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Job 29:1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
3 When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.

1 Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

1 Cor 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

1 Cor 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

In looking at Job, even in spite of his faults, he was still “a perfect and an upright man”; he was man at his best state in his time—“there was none like him in the earth.” He was the best object that the Lord could use to reveal man’s vanity, self-righteousness, and man’s need of Him. Job’s example was not so much his patience, but how he was led to see God and to forsake himself. Job had been blessed by God before his trial and before truly knowing God, that he might be tried using the loss of those things. God had raised up Pharaoh giving him great power, all for the purpose of showing His omnipotence by destroying Pharaoh. All of us have things in our lives which the Lord has given to us, but they can become a source of self-confidence and take the place of God. However, no man will ever get to a place where God cannot touch them, no matter how rich or famous they might be. There are no promises we can claim, no knowledge we may possess, and no human abilities that would thwart God’s work in our lives. We live only by His mercy, and His hand is able to reach out and bring us to the dust of death, if He deems it necessary.

Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Rom 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Prov 18:11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.
12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.

Isa 13:3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.
4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.
5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

Without the proper view of God and His purposes in disciplining us, we tend to have the attitude of Job—that God is watching over everything we do, ready to strike at us for the least infraction. Because of this mindset we live in a state of fear, anticipating God’s hand upon us. Although God’s wrath is certainly being treasured up against the wicked, such is not the case of His children. Could we say that it is a healthy relationship between an earthly father and his children if they are always in mortal fear of doing something that would anger their father? Overly zealous discipline leads to discouragement and anger, because children come to believe that they can never please such a father—and indeed we cannot please such a God. A father’s main tool in raising his children is love; and loving discipline is only a part of that. If imperfect earthly fathers are to treat their children with love and tenderness, how much more will God, who is our perfect Heavenly Father, do toward us?

Job 7:17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?
18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?
19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?
21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

Job 10:1 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
5 Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,
6 That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.
8 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?
10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.
14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;
16 For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.
17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.
18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!
19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;
22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

Job 16:11 God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.

Rom 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Eph 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Col 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Matt 7:9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?