Posted by
ValiantForTruth on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 7:59:47 PM
Those students of Scripture know that Proverbs 31 is referred to as the description of a virtuous woman…
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. Then follows her praise worthy attributes; not the least of which is the one that rings true to me, “The heart of her husband does safely trust in her” [Proverbs 31:11].
If we would counsel a young man on what to look for in a wife, then Proverbs 31 is prominent among the passages of Scripture that we would use. But what of young women? Is there a comparable passage for their counsel on what makes a virtuous man? Job 31 is such a passage. [Credits to David Dykstra, unpublished work]
Job 31 gives men a noble pattern of virtue that is worthy of imitation. If our conscience can bear witness, then we can rejoice in our conformity to Job’s integrity, as did he in the day of evil. If not, then we can repent and pray for mercy and believe the gospel anew.
Job not only acquits himself from those gross sins which lie open to the eye of the world, but also from the secret sins of the heart which only God can see. The reason for his resisting evil and pursuing a holy life was his fear of God; a sincere faith was what gave life to his pursuit of holiness.
This view from Job of the patriarchal age of so long ago concerning good and evil confirms our doctrine that men today are no different, but are plagued with the same temptations to sin. The same strength of integrity that Job found is available to men today.
The sins from which Job acquits himself are the following. We shall look at them with the help of Matthew Henry.
1. Wantonness and uncleanness of heart (v. 1-4).
2. Fraud and injustice in commerce (v. 4-8).
3. Adultery (v. 9–12).
4. Haughtiness and severity towards his servants (v. 13–15).
5. Unmercifulness to the poor, the widows, and the fatherless (v. 16–23).
6. Confidence in his worldly wealth (v. 24, 25).
7. Idolatry (v. 26–28).
8. Revenge (v. 29–31).
9. Neglect of poor strangers (v. 32).
10. Hypocrisy in concealing his own sins and cowardice in conniving at the sins of others (v. 33, 34).