Job’s Recollection Of His Days Of Glory

“Free Will” often breaks people of their piety.

When bad things happen to good people, it leads to questioning G-d’s sovereignty.

In the Torah (First 5 books of Moses – Hebrew Bible), it is taught repeatedly about reward for the righteous, and punishment for the wicked.

Take Leviticus chapter 26 and Deuteronomy chapter 30 for 2 full chapters on the aforementioned topic.

Relate it with Job’s experience thereafter.

“Rank And File In Righteousness”

youths would see me and conceal themselves; the aged would rise and stand,
29:8
When an ear would hear [me], it would praise me; [when] an eye would see [me], it would vouch for me.
:11
For I would rescue a pauper from [his] wailing and an orphan who had no one to help him.
:12
I donned righteousness, and it suited me; my justice was like a cloak and a headdress.
:14
I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame;
:15
I was a father to the destitute; …
:16
I smashed the fangs of injustice and caused prey to be cast from its teeth.
:17
People would hear me with anticipation; await my counsel silently.
:21
… my speech would be pleasing to them.
:22
I would choose their way. I would sit at the head, I would rest like a king among his troops, as one who consoles mourners.
:25

1 Then Job again took up his parable and said,
2 “Would that I were as [in] my early months, as [in] the days that God watched over me,
3 when He lit His candle over my head; by His light I would go through the darkness.
4 As I was in my early days, when God’s counsel was upon my tent.
5 When the Almighty was still with me, [and] my young men were around me;
6 When I washed my feet with cream, and the rock that was with me would pour forth rivulets of oil;
7 When I would go out to the gate upon the ceiling; in the square I would prepare my seat.
8 Youths saw me and hid, and old men rose and stood.
9 Princes refrained from talking and laid [their] hand on their mouth.
10 The voice of nobles was hushed, and their tongues stuck to their palates.
11 For the ear [that] heard praised me, and the eye [that] saw bore witness for me.
12 For I would deliver the poor who cried out, and the orphan, and one who had no one to help him.
13 The blessing of the lost one would come upon me, and I would make the widow’s heart sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness and it clothed me; like a coat and a turban was my judgment.
15 I was eyes for the blind, and I was feet for the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy, and a cause that I did not know, I would investigate.
17 I broke the fangs of the unjust, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 And I said, I will perish with my nest, and I will multiply days as the phoenix.
19 My root will be open to water, and dew will lodge in my branches.
20 My honor which is with me will be renewed, and my bow will become stronger in my hand.
21 They listened to me and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After my word, they would not ask again, and my speech would drip upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth after a long time.
24 If I would jest with them, they would not believe it, and they would not cast down the light of my countenance.
25 I would choose their way and sit at the head, and I would dwell as a king in the troop, as one consoles mourners.