Job 29:6

This was curdled milk. Genesis 18:8; Deuteronomy 32:14. Jael brought Sisera "butter" to drink, Judges 5:25; and Job in Job 29:6 speaks of his steps being washed with butter when the Almighty was with him in prosperity. The promised land was to flow with milk and honey: compare Job 20:17. Curdled milk is a common drink in the East, and when mixed with honey is very pleasant.

His circumstances were so pleasant that he considered this as evidence of God's presence with him. But now his children were gone. His home life was all but destroyed, and even his wife had been no help to him in his trouble (ch. 19) — though he does not even mention her. But in contrast to his present circumstances, his steps were bathed with cream and he was figuratively blessed with "rivers of oil."

It is nearly always a sign of present weakness if we are forced to look backward to the past for marks of God's favour. It tends to be joined with pride in that past, as well as with discouragement in the present. In the things of God, we enjoy His personal favour. His lamp shines about us now. His blessing rests on our trouble, and the future opens out before us — "we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." … The manna of yesterday will not do for today. The bright light of yesterday's candle is the burnt wick of today. … Job at the outset is looking in the wrong direction.

This is truly a most remarkable utterance. We look in vain for any breathings of a broken and contrite spirit here. There are no evidences of self-loathing, or even of self-distrust. We cannot find so much as a single expression of conscious weakness and nothingness. In the course of this single chapter, Job refers to himself more than forty times, while the references to God are only five. It reminds us of Romans 7, where "I" also dominates. But there is a huge difference. In Romans 7, "I" is a poor, weak, good-for-nothing, wretched creature standing before God's holy law. In Job 29, "I" is a most important, influential person, admired and almost worshipped by those around him.

He took pleasure in his good character. … Job did have great grace, and he did sustain a very admirable character; but why should he talk about it? why should he think upon it? why should he not think of the source of all the blessing? Why should he not be boasting in the Lord — instead of an implied boasting in himself? That was the very thing God had a controversy with.

"When I washed my steps with butter" — of course it is not literal — "and the rock poured me out rivers of oil." … All that was exceedingly pleasant to Job. And we are apt to think so too. Nothing succeeds like success, men say. There is no more wicked saying, and none more completely opposed to God. Nothing denies more fully that our place now is one of suffering, of being despised and rejected for Christ's sake.