Job and The Least of These

“Because I delivered the POOR that cried, and the FATHERLESS, and HIM THAT HAD NONE HELP HIM. The blessing of him that was READY TO PERISH came upon me: and I caused the WIDOW’S heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the BLIND, and feet was I to the LAME. I was a father to the POOR: and the cause which I knew not I searched out” (Job 29:12-16).

Interestingly enough, when we think about the man Job, we tend to think about what the Bible has to say about Job’s PERFECTNESS, his PURITY, his immense PROSPERITY, the many PROBLEMS that he was forced to endure, the unbelievable PATIENCE he demonstrated in the midst of the pain and the problems, and yet, how often do we consider what God says about Job’s PASSION for the POOR, the NEEDY, and the HELPLESS, or what Jesus would refer to as THE LEAST OF THESE?  I like 18th century Bible Commentator, John Gill, had to say about the passage above:

This honor and esteem he had not because of his grandeur and riches, because of his worldly wealth and substance, but because of the goodness of his disposition, and because of the good he did to men, his acts of pity and compassion to the poor, and of the justice he did to all men; the poor and the afflicted, when they cried to him for help, he delivered them out of the hands of their oppressors. … [they] had none to help him; as the poor and fatherless seldom have; there is power on the side of the oppressors of them, but they have few or none to take their parts, and to be their comforters; in these instances Job imitated God, and was a follower of him, as a dear child of his; who, when this and the other poor man cries unto him, he hears, saves, and delivers out of all their troubles; he is the helper, yea, the father of the fatherless, and the judge of the widow; and, when there is no help from men, he is a present help in times of need. … he was the patron of the poor; he was an advocate for them, he took their part, he pleaded their cause, defended their persons, and secured the little property they had; he had the pity and compassion of a father for them, and supplied their wants; he fed them and clothed them; he did not eat his morsel alone, but gave them part of it, and warmed them with the fleece of his flock:

So, this morning, just a small encouragement for all of us, the next time we consider Job, we might want to not simply consider his immense prosperity, the many problems he had to endure, or the unbelievable patience he exhibited, but let’s also consider his passion to help the poor, the needy, and the helpless, or THE LEAST OF THESE!

Just Reflecting on Job’s Compassion for the Least of These!