Job 29: Previous Job Experience

Job 29:4 "Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house..."

I picture Job wondering aloud here. I don't see Job as a bragger. He had no need to boast about his good works. Nor does this sound like him trying to explain away Eliphaz's baseless charges from chapter 22. He legitimately appears to try to go over who he was, and the things he did in his life previous to this. He doesn't seem to want to show God up by claiming his innocence. 

He describes what his life was like before tragedy fell upon him. He describes God's friendship as intimate. Can you imagine what it's like to have an intimate friendship with God? Not just to have a relationship with God. An intimate friendship. The one you turn to first with good news or bad. The one you confide in first. The one you trust the most, among all your friends. 

Job was wealthy. He was respected. He was never in need. He had all the cream and olive oil a man could ever want.

But it wasn't just about what Job had. He lists his forays into social justice, being helpful to the infirmed, the orphans, the aliens, the needy. He was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. Is there any reason he can't be this again? Probably not, but the society would not give him the same respect, because they, like Job's friends, probably assume Job lost his wealth and family because of unconfessed sin. 

And it would have been easy to put on this public display of confession before God, but it wouldn't have been genuine. It would have satisfied the hearts of men, to some extent, but it also would have fueled the gossip fires. Damned if he do, damned if he don't.