Verses 1-34
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Job's words here come from a basic understanding that God judges wickedness. And if he had done any wickedness, he would accept God's judgment. He felt that his suffering was unjust, and it terrified him (verse 23), and he wished to proclaim his innocence likely so that his friends would not continue to think that he had some particular sin that caused his suffering.
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Job even challenges God to examine his actions, saying, “Let me be weighed on honest scales, that God may know my integrity” (verse 6).
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He explains all of the good works that he has done, and says that he will accept punishment if he has not truly done them.
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It certainly took some audacity for Job to challenge God this way, and to ask for his ways to be examined. Job may have been developing some pride in this moment.
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We know that whenever a man believes he is righteous, and challenges God to examine him, he always walks away humbled. This is exactly what happened to Job, and we'll read about it at the end of the book.
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If you're confident that you're living righteously, make sure not to let that integrity turn into pride. There is always weakness because of which we depend on the grace of God. Even when we are not practicing any sin we're aware of, there is often still sin either that we're not aware of yet, or sin that does not emerge until a new circumstance tests us.
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Job's integrity was indeed remarkable. He had to have been extraordinarily upright to be as bold as he was about his integrity. As such, we can learn some things about how to maintain our own integrity by looking at Job's example. Also know that the failure to obey any of the following is indeed iniquity deserving of judgment.
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Verses 1 & 9. If you want to avoid lust or adulterous errors, do not even look at the figures of women whose appearances will tempt you (Matthew 5:28-29).
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Verse 7. Understand that your eyes, as part of a fallen body, are drawn to sinful things. If you want to avoid being led astray at all, do not allow your desires to follow what your eyes see in this fallen world. Instead, keep your desires fixed on godly things by focusing on what the Word says.
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Verse 13. Listen to what people have to say if they have a complaint or correction about your conduct. This is important to maintain humility!
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Verses 17-22, 31-32. Be attentive to using your skills and resources to help provide for the needy in your sphere of influence (1 Timothy 5:3-16).
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Verses 24-25. Do not take joy in having a lot of money, nor boast in yourself for your financial achievements. Instead, take joy in whatever you have (1 Timothy 6:6-8,17). Don't think you can't take joy until you have great wealth.
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Verses 26-28. Don't let enjoying parts of creation cause you to ignore or deny the Creator—God. Give God thanks for everything in creation.
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Verses 29-30. Don't take pleasure in seeing the failures or downfall of people who have hurt you. Have compassion for all, and rejoice in people being saved, not in their destruction (Ezekiel 33:11).
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Verses 33-34. If you are in sin, don't try to hide it, nor fear the disapproval of others. Otherwise, you are being like Adam in the garden (Genesis 3:10-12). Adam tried to hide and deflect the guilt of his sin to Eve.
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Verses 35-37
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Here Job makes a final cry for God to answer him. He was so confident in his innocence that he wanted to “declare to God the number of his steps”, as if God didn't already know his steps.
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This confidence, which seems to be a form of pride, is part of what Job had to repent of later.
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Verses 38-40
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Job then closes his discourse with a final challenge. He says, essentially, “If I have really done wrong, let my land be cursed.” Job could not have been more bold.
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Be careful what you ask for! And don't speak or think too confidently about your own integrity.
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Job, even with all of his former confidence, admitted a certain fault in the end (Job 42:3-6), and God showed him great grace and mercy by not judging him harshly (James 5:11b).
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