Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomin:
Job 27:3: “All the while my breath is within me, the Spirit of God is in my nostrils.”
“Age is an issue of mind over matter, if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter” – Mark Twain
Every commentary I read on this verse says something different. The less academic of the commentaries expresses what first comes to my mind and I believe the mind of most people and that is it is basically saying: “Where there is breath there is life.” If fact this particular commentary uses that very cliché.
Since we are speaking clichés I believe Mark Twain’s quote, which has become a cliché, is a better fit. Only instead of the word “age” I would substitute the words: “Irritations and problems are a matter of mind over matter, if you don’t mind it doesn’t matter.”
This verse is really Job’s reaction to his friends who are trying to explain to him that he is suffering as a result of sin. Job’s friends were also caught up in religious clichés, i.e., all suffering is the result of sin, Job you are suffering, therefore you are a sinner. Don’t you get tired of the old Christian clichés? Some tragedy hits and you can be sure to start bracing yourself for the onslaught of the old clichés: “Well, it is for the best.” “Remember all things work together for good.” “You will be a stronger Christian as a result.” The worst cliché is the reference to Job himself when Christians says: “Ah, but look at Job, he lost everything and when he proved faithful, God paid him back and made him twice as rich as he was before.” Oh yeah? Where does it say that God took away the pain and emptiness that Job felt over the loss of his children, what about Mrs. Job, did she ever recover from that loss? You mean Job did not have to deal with her sadness over the loss of all her children? You mean to say that when Job hired new servants, he never thought about the trust he once had in his former servants, their faithfulness to him? He did not mourn their loss? Job did not grit his teeth, clutch his fist and say: “I still have breath within me and life and therefore there is hope.”
I believe he was saying something more profound and much deeper in responding to his friends who accused him of suffering because of sin in his life. There are many options to the renderings we could use on this verse. Let’s go with the word “Spirit” first. Job is saying the “Spirit of the Lord” is in his nostrils. I’m sorry, but the more I look at this rendering, the less it makes sense. Especially since there are other words we could use instead of “Spirit” for the Hebrew word “neshemati.” This word is also rendered as “understanding” or “mind.” How about saying the “Mind of God” rather than the “Spirit of God.” This is correct in the Hebrew, only tradition would work against us.
However, the “Mind of God” being in his nostrils, does not jell with me. However, once again the word used for “nostrils” (Heb. Aneph) also has a wide range of meanings. This is the word used for “anger,” it is also the word used for “frustration” but in its most primitive use it means a strong, controlling emotion.
I believe what Job is saying here is that so long as he is breathing and in his physical body, the mind or understandings of God will control his strongest emotions. This is very powerful for me personally as I ponder a recent experience. I drive a handicap bus for senior citizens. The other day I entered a one way side street which was barely three cars wide. Cars were parked along the street on both sides leaving only enough room for one vehicle to drive down the center of the street. As I pulled onto the street I found a car stopped in the middle of the street and the driver chatting away with the passenger of a parked vehicle. I pulled up behind her and waited. I am not sure how long I waited but when another car pulled up behind me I figured it was time to say: “hello” with a tap of my horn. Immediate the driver’s hand shot up through her sun roof and gave me the one finger salute as she continued her obviously life and death conversation. The vehicle behind me gave a little more than a “hello” tap with his horn and immediately this woman in front of me turned her conversation to us and spoke some rather unflattering words which suggested that either I or the driver behind me or maybe both of us had parents who were not married when we were born. I must admit that I was tempted to explain to her in no uncertain terms that her assumption about my parents was entirely wrong, but I found a sense of peace come over me as I thought, “It’s after 4:00 PM, I am into overtime anyways.” Yep, every cloud has a silver lining, always look on the bright side, stop and smell the roses (insert your favorite cliché here……) and just move forward, well figuratively speaking.
But soft, did I just say a peace came over me? Where in the blazes did that come from? What cliché can I use for that? I guess it is time to introduce a new cliché, from Job 27:3: “The Spirit of God is in my nostrils” or as I care to render it: “The understanding and mind of God is in my controlling emotions.
Job had every reason to be angry, upset, bitter, and defensive. He had every reason to call his friends a bunch of toads and blast them out of the water. Yet, he maintained an even disposition, even in the face of great tragedy because the mind and understanding of God was controlling his emotions.
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