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Caution to students of God's Word - Please remember two things when using our American Wisdom Series studies:
#1. Our commentary is not God's Word. It is only our interpretation or understanding of "His Word" and even though we try our best to be accurate we may or may not be correct. #2. The King James translation, or any other translation, of the original Hebrew text has some words which were given different translations at different places probably because of the interpreters preconceived ideas of what they think God meant to say. For example: According to the notes in the "Drake's Annotated Reference Bible" the Hebrew word hayah in the KJV is Trans. (became) 67 times, (becamest or came to pass) 505 times, (become) 66 times, and (come to pass) 131 times, but for some reason in Genesis 1:2 it is translated (was)! That sure changes the way a person perceives the original creation of the earth, doesn't it? Gen. 1:2 And the earth was (became) without form, ... Having said that, let us continue with our "studies". These studies contain knowledge, we believe, you must have to fully and accurately unlock and understand the Word of God.
May the Holy Spirit be your only guiding light. Sincerely, John Rhine

Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:13-14
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

This Bible Study was originally written by Roger Christopherson,
published at http://www.theseason.org/

You can view it at the season`s web site (address above) as originally published
or here, as now edited by people at

Without the leading by the Holy Spirit, there is no understanding of the truths, for all the truth of the Scriptures are revealed to us by God's Spirit.

Job 31:1 "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?"

Job is continuing with his talk to his three friends, and this is the last talk that he will have with them. The maid is an unmarried virgin, and Job as telling them that he would not allow himself to be placed in a position of being tempted with a maid.

Job 31:2 "For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high."

The reward that the God gives His faithful servants is their rewards, it's payday for the work and devotion given by His servants while here on earth in these flesh bodies. When we are one of God's elect and part of His kingdom we should expect God's promises to be kept, and the inheritance God has promised to each of His own.

Job 31:3 "Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?"

Punishment will be given to the wicked for all the iniquity that is done by them.

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

...then let God know that I am innocent. Job isn't worried about being innocent, for He knows that he has not sinned. There are very few in the world today that could live as perfect of life as Job lived. We have Christ today for those times when we fall short of God's ways. However, Christ had not yet been born at this time of Job.

Job 31:7 "If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hand;"

If I have done any thing within my heart, or eye sight, or if I have gotten my hands dirty;..

Job 31:8 "Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out."

...If I have done anything to harm another, let my crop be rooted or plowed up, and yield no crop for myself. Job is saying if he had any intentions of harming another person, let me not be blessed. Keep the parable of the tares in mind from Matthew 13.

Job 31:9 "If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;"

Job 31:10 "Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her."

What this is saying is that if I have taken advantage of another man's wife, than let my wife become a slave of another man. This shows just how positive that Job felt that he was right in all matters.

Job 31:11 "For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.;"

This is a very poor translation from the Massorah text. Job is saying is that this is a wicked act before the law, and he has not committed it.

Job 31:12 "For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase."

Here we have that old Hebrew word, "Abaddon", "destruction". This is one of Satan's names. He is starting to point the finger of his problems as being from Satan.

Job 31:13 "If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;"

Job is saying that if I rejected a plea of one of my servants when they brought a complaint to me;

Job 31:14 "What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when He visiteth, what shall I answer Him?

If somebody came to me, I listened and dealt fairly with them. However what can I do if God comes with a complaint?

Job 31:15 "Did not He That made me in the womb make him? and did not One fashion us in the womb?"

Job 31:16 "If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;"

You can see the help I have given the poor by the shine in their eyes. Even the widows eyes were not caused to grow dim. The eyes that are happy shines and glows bright.

Job 31:17 "Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;"

Job 31:18 "(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;"

Since I was a young man, if I saw an orphan pass by, I treated him as if I was his father. All my life I have tried to take care of the widows and orphans.

Job 31:19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;"

Job 31:20 "If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;"

Job's own body blessed him for having prepared clothing for it, from his own sheep.

Job 31:21 "If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate;"

When I was a judge I could have taken advantage of the fatherless and widows, but I did not. If I would have done such a thing the judges at the gate would have even looked the other way. Job could have gotten away with it, but he just didn't do it.

Job 31:22 "Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone."

If I am not telling the truth, let them pull my arm out of the socket at my shoulder blade.

Job 31:23 "For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of His highness I could not endure."

Job is saying that he could not do any of these things for fear of the living God. Job knew that God would hold him accountable for everything that he did, when he knew to do right and revere God.

Job 31:24 "If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, `Thou are my confidence;"

Job never put his faith in anything beside God, not in his wealth nor his gold. Remember that this verse is in response to Job's answer to these three friends that accused him of his misplaced confidence. Job was a good man and he is declaring it.

Job 31:25 "If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much."

Job 31:26 "If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;"

Job never worshipped any of the heavenly bodies in idolatry. Job never worshipped any moon god, angels, or the stars as most of the nations were doing at this time.

Job 31:27 "And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:"

This is an idiom in a sense, and it means that I never allowed myself to be led astray. Friend you have to be very careful in these latter days for there will be many new ideas and things that come along to draw you away from God's Word. These things in many cases have to do with the sun, moon, stars and the angels. Even though there is a written prophecy in the stars and heavenly bodies of the constellations, but they must be proven by the Word of God. If there is not a witness in God's Word to the fact, than it is not truth.

Job 31:28 "This also were an iniquity to the punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God That is above."

Job is saying, if I had done these things, I would have been saying, "God doesn't exist."

Job 31:29 "If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:"

This is beautiful and it shows us exactly what kind of man Job was. Job is saying that I don't even rejoice over my enemies destruction. It doesn't make me feel good to put the other man down.

Job 31:30 "(Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by washing a curse to his soul.)"

Even my enemy has a soul, an eternal being within his flesh body. Though Job was not at all happy with his enemies, he would not curse the eternal soul within the man. Job knew that it was the flesh that was making the man do what he was doing.

Job 31:31 "If the men of my tabernacle said not, `Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied!"

There is a great deal of confusion in this verse, and lets see what the Massorah text has to say about it. The men that worked for me did not talk against me. However the way that the translators made this, you are drawn to a conclusion that they did.

We are to partake of "His flesh", for it is talking of Jesus Christ's f;esh. His flesh is the bread, and his blood is the wine that we partake of in the Communion service. We take the Communion in remembrance of all that Christ did for us at the cross.

Job 31:32 "The stranger did not lodge in the street; but I opened my doors to the traveller."

Job was a good man that took care of the stranger that ended up at his house gate.

Job 31:33 "If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:"

In the Hebrew this is a question. Job is asking, did I ever covered my sins as did "Adam", which is "man", common man?

Job 31:34 "Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?"

This is a good lesson for us. It is saying that if the whole town was buzzing with gossip about me, do you think I stayed inside and hid myself behind my family? Job went out side the door and met the gossip straight on.

Job 31:35 "Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book."

Job's adversary had caused many books to be written, and this was Job's trouble. The problem here is that Job doesn't know who his adversary is, for Job thinks it is God that is doing all this to him. In fact it is Satan that has caused all of Job's problems, and to us today Job is part of this book that is written to warn us of the adversary. That book is our Bible.Job wants the book to be written so that others can know what they are guilty of. Job still thinks God is doing the punishing, and that he has done something wrong.

Friend, don't ever forget Satan and the trouble that he will try to bring upon you, if you allow him to. You have the power and the authority in Jesus Christ to put Satan and his Kenite children in their place. Jesus Christ gave you that power and authority. Use it!

Job 31:36 "Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me."

Job is saying that if I could have that little book that is accusing me, I would bind it up and make a turbin out of it for my head. I would wear it with pride for I am surely not guilty, and the book would say so.

Job 31:37 "I would declare unto Him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto Him."

I would plead the record of my life before Him. Were it not for repentance, there are very few persons, if any today that could make this statement.

Job 31:38 "If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;"

Job 31:39 "If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:"

Job 31:40 "Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley."The words of Job are ended."

Job is saying that if he has caused harm to anyone let his land cease to bear its fruit and crops. Over the past twenty eight chapters we have read many words, yet there are no answers, for these men have completely missed the point. Though there has not been an answer yet, there will be all the answers in just a very few chapters. The Living God will step in and give him the answers to all his problems. Yet Job is hid from the whole problem, for what was it that Job requested would grow up in his wheat? Thistles, and cockles instead of the barley.

Remember the parable by Jesus Christ, from Matthew 13, or the tares that were planted amongst the wheat? We have something growing around us beside the wheat of God's people, and that is our enemy. The Kenite is the tares [the zoan in the Greek] that have been planted amongst us. We don't have pure wheat today, nor did Job have pure wheat in his day. If you are one of God's elect, you will never forget Satan's children, the Kenites. See that you stand them in their place when they come against you. We are to protect ourselves from the and use the authority that God has given us against them. That power come from the only living and true God.