Job 31:26–28

Job means looking at the sun or moon in the way of adoration — bowing down to them, which was the earliest form of idolatry. We do not hear here of Baal or Ashtoreth, or of any of the shameful and wicked gods the nations worshipped. What we do hear of is a work of God of the highest kind. Yet Job leaned toward it in no way at all — not even the slightest act of honouring the creature!

Permission to kiss the hand of a superior is a mark of honour. The heathen kissed their gods. When the object of worship was far away, like the sun or the moon, they kissed their own hand instead. That is why the most common New Testament word for worship is proskuneo, which comes from kuneo, meaning to kiss.

This chapter shows that before the law came, a high standard of morality was still found among God-fearing men. That standard covered not only the outward act but also the inward motive behind the act. Look at the examples. In verse 1 he speaks of what he thought, or did not think. In verse 7, of his heart following his eyes. In verse 27, of his heart being secretly enticed. In verse 33, of hiding his guilt and covering his sins, like Adam. This may remind us of the Sermon on the Mount.

Having spoken of his generosity, Job goes on to speak of wealth. He rejects the love of gold that is so common among people — that "covetousness, which is idolatry" (Col. 3:5). When his riches had increased, he had not set his heart upon them; gold had not allured him. And when he lifted up his eyes to the shining heavens, he had not given the glory to the sun, a creature of God, nor to the moon, "queen of heaven," walking in splendour. He had not even secretly blown them a kiss of worship, for that would have denied God; he would have been a hypocrite, well deserving punishment.

In contemplating the sun and the moon, had Job been enticed to worship them, as many others are enticed? Both of these are amazing objects, but Job looked higher than them and had not even secretly given them honour. He recognised that anything taking God's place in the heart is an idol. If he had allowed even a secret thought of that kind, it would have been sin deserving of judgment. It would have meant denying the God who is infinitely high above all.

To all of this we can but say, True and excellent, but why should he speak of it? Why not let his fear of God keep him from these things, rather than boast of them?

When Job lifted up his eyes to the shining heavens, he had not given the glory to the sun, a creature of God, nor to the moon, "queen of heaven," walking in splendour. He had not even secretly sent them a kiss of worship. That would have denied God, and he would have been a hypocrite, well deserving punishment.

This chapter shows that even before God gave the law, God-fearing men still held a high standard of morality. That standard looked not only at the outward act but also at the inward motive behind the act. Take these instances. He spoke of what he thought, or did not think, in verse 1. He spoke of his heart walking after his eyes, in verse 7. He spoke of his heart being secretly enticed, in verse 27. And he spoke of hiding his iniquity and covering his sins, like Adam, in verse 33.

Now he looks at something quite different — "If I looked at the sun when it shone, or the moon moving in brightness," that is, in the way of any adoration. Bowing down to the sun or moon was the earliest form of idolatry. We do not hear of Baals or Ashtoreths or any of the disreputable and wicked heathen objects of worship. Here was a work of God of the highest kind, and yet no leaning toward it in any way — "and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand" — even the slightest form of acknowledging the creature! "This also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judge, for I would have denied the God who is above." There we have very sound doctrine.

The Book of Job was written after the flood; there was no idolatry before the flood. The earliest idolatry was the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, and in the course of this book we shall see that this is the only idolatry Job refers to. It was common at that time, and later people fell into much more degraded forms of it.

When Job looked at the sun and the moon, had they enticed him to worship them, as they entice many others? (vv. 26-27). Both of these are amazing objects, but Job looked higher than them and had not even secretly given them honour. He recognised that anything that takes God's place in the heart is an idol. If he had been guilty of even secretly allowing this in his thoughts, then this would be iniquity deserving of judgment (v. 28). It would amount to denying the God who is infinitely high above all… Though Job was no doubt speaking truth, yet there was no reason for him to advertise what his character had been. Why did he not stop to consider that God knew his actions, his words and his motives perfectly? He could wait on God to bring to light the truth about His servant.