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 the commentary the more it 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? Better yet, don’t you get ‘aneph over some of these Christian clichés? I will explain ‘aneph later.  Some tragedy hits and you can be sure to start bracing 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 he felt over the loss of his children and what about Mrs. Job, did she ever recover from that loss? Are you saying that Job did not have to deal with their grief over the loss of all their children? This is something a parent never recovers no matter how much money you throw at them. How dare we even think that God repaying Job twice as much as he lost would compensate him for the loss of his children.  He was a loving parent who made sacrifices every day for his children. Are you to say that when Job  hired new servants, he never once thought about the trust and loyalty he once had in his former servants, their faithfulness to him?  Did he 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 in 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 or understanding 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 quite jell with me either.  The word for nostrils in Hebrew is ‘aneph which merely means to snort.  Its comes from the snorting of a camel. It sounds like the snorting of a camel.  This word has a wide range of meanings.  This is the word used for anger, it is also the word used for frustration or an expression of some emotion like grief.  But in its Semitic origins it is used for a bird which is incompatible with other species.  I have a friend who has an umbrella cockatoo.  It is a very beautiful bird. It is named Kia and usually greets you with “Hi Kia.”  She also says “Hi girlfriend.”  She loves to be petted and scratched behind her head, likes to put her head in your hand and give you kisses.  An umbrella cockatoo is the least aggressive of the cockatoo family and very affectionate.  But like all parrots or cockatoos she screams.  Suddenly, just out of the blue, when there is dead silence all of a sudden Kia will scream or shriek at a decibel level of 120 (it has been measured).  Ear drums rupture is 150 decibels.  Painful level is 110.  My friend also has a Chihuahua and when he is in the room and Kia begins to shriek Cheech begins to yelp and they form the most obnoxious chorus you would ever want to hear.   Kia is an aneph, a bird which is incompatible with at least this human.  Although very loving Parrots usually find themselves homeless because of their shriek.

So when Job is saying that the Spirit of God is in his nostrils, what he is saying is that the mind of God is in him but it is incompatible with his friends.  His friends are just too stuck on their own doctrine and theology to accept Job’s position and God’s. Job does not understand the reason for his suffering but he knows it is not because of sin and he will just keep trusting God.   Even Job’s wife could not understand why He was not cursing God. His simple trust in God was an aneph an annoyance.  Such attitudes or behavior, although expressing the mind of God, which isn’t compatible with someone’s doctrine or theology is about as annoying as Kia’s shriek.

Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”  When that happens you will be ‘aneph to those who do not seek the mind of Christ.  If you do not fit their theological or doctrinal mold they will be as annoyed with you as I am with the shriek of Kia.  I mean I like Kia, we get along otherwise, but boy when she lets out her scream it is ‘aneph.

As the old hymn goes, Job knew Whom he believed and he was persuaded that God was able to keep that which he committed unto Him against that day.  If you seek the mind of Christ be assured that if you have the mind of Christ in your nostrils, you will be ‘aneph  In other words your mind which is the mind of Christ will not be compatible with those who do not seek the mind of Christ but their own wisdom and knowledge.