Job’s Integrity​—Why So Remarkable?

“Until I expire I shall not take away my integrity from myself!”​—JOB 27:5.

 1. Who was Job, and how do we know that he was a real person?

JOB was an outstanding man in history. Not only did he possess great material wealth but he was respected as a compassionate judge and leader. The Bible says that he “came to be the greatest of all the Orientals.” (Job 1:3; 29:12-25) He is noted, along with Noah and Daniel, as a very righteous man. (Ezekiel 14:14, 20) The Bible also features Job as an example for Christians to follow, thus showing that he was an actual person in history.​—James 5:11.

 2. How can we determine when Job underwent the testing by Satan?

² Job lived in the land of Uz, in what is now Arabia. Although not an Israelite, Job was a worshiper of Jehovah, something that Jehovah drew to Satan’s attention. God’s statement that “there is no one like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright,” reveals that there was no other outstanding servant of God living at that time. (Job 1:8) Thus, Job’s testing by Satan must have occurred while his distant cousins, the Israelites, were in slavery in Egypt​—sometime during the years following the death of the outstanding integrity keeper Joseph in 1657 B.C.E. and before Moses entered upon his course of integrity.

 3. Who wrote the book of Job, and why was he able to get the information?

³ Moses evidently wrote the book of Job. But how could he have learned about Job’s testing? Well, after Moses was forced to leave Egypt in 1553 B.C.E. he settled in Midian, not far from the land of Uz. (Exodus 2:15-25; Acts 7:23-30) At that time, Job was living out the final 140 years of life with which Jehovah blessed him. (Job 42:16) Later, when the Israelites were near Uz toward the end of their wilderness journey, Moses could have heard about the last years of Job’s life and his death.

Job’s Limited Knowledge

 4. (a) What was evidently the source of Job’s knowledge about Jehovah, and why would he no doubt be in communication with the descendants of Abraham and Isaac? (b) How did Job become a man of outstanding integrity?

⁴ When Job was tested, his knowledge of God and his purposes was limited, since no part of the Bible had yet been recorded. However, Job would have known something about Jehovah’s dealings with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. This is because Job was evidently a descendant of Abraham’s brother Nahor, through Nahor’s firstborn son Uz. Furthermore, the brother of Uz was Bethuel, the father of Isaac’s wife Rebekah and the great-grandfather of Joseph. (Genesis 22:20-23) Job no doubt came to treasure whatever knowledge he had of Jehovah’s communications with Abraham and his descendants, and he was anxious to please Jehovah. Thus Job became a man of outstanding integrity, a man blameless and completely devoted to Jehovah.

 5. What, in particular, makes Job’s integrity so outstanding?

⁵ Not long after Joseph’s death in Egypt, Job’s integrity became a subject of controversy between Jehovah God and Satan in the invisible heavens. Yet Job had no knowledge of this controversy that centered around his integrity. And it is, in particular, his ignorance regarding why he was suffering that makes his unbreakable integrity so remarkable. For the benefit of all God’s servants afterward, however, Jehovah had Moses record the details of the controversy regarding Job’s integrity.

The Issue of Job’s Integrity

 6. (a) How did an assembly in heaven reveal the existence of an issue between God and Satan? (b) When did this issue originate, and what did it include?

⁶ The book of Job draws back the veil of invisibility, and we are provided a view of a meeting of angels that took place before Jehovah God in heaven. There Jehovah reminds Satan, who is also present, that there is “no one like [Job] in the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad.” (Job 1:8) Clearly, an issue exists that involves Job’s integrity. But it is not a new one. The issue was implied when Satan turned Adam and Eve away from God and, in effect, said: ‘Just give me the chance, and I can turn anybody away from serving you.’​—Genesis 3:1-6.

 7. What suggestions was Satan obliged to offer to account for Job’s integrity, and how did the Devil challenge God?

⁷ Now, during this official meeting in heaven, Satan is obliged to offer his suggestions as to the basis for Job’s integrity. “Is it for nothing that Job has feared God?” he asks. “Have not you yourself put up a hedge about him and about his house and about everything that he has all around? . . . But, for a change, thrust out your hand,” Satan challenges, “and touch everything he has and see whether he will not curse you to your very face.”​—Job 1:9-11.

 8. (a) How did Jehovah respond to Satan’s challenge? (b) What terrible blows did Satan deliver to Job?

⁸ Jehovah accepts Satan’s challenge. He trusts Job’s integrity completely, answering Satan: “Look! Everything that he has is in your hand. Only against him himself do not thrust out your hand!” (Job 1:12) Satan strikes quickly against Job. Raiding Sabeans take off with Job’s 1,000 oxen and 500 she-asses, killing all their attendants except one. Next, Satan sends a fire from heaven to consume Job’s 7,000 sheep along with their attendants, sparing only one of the men. Then Satan causes three bands of Chaldeans to take off with Job’s 3,000 camels, killing all but one of the attendants. Finally, Satan sends a great wind that strikes the house where Job’s ten children are feasting, and they all die. Afterward, in quick succession, the survivors of these disasters report the terrible news to Job.​—Job 1:13-19.

 9. What made Job’s calamities particularly hard to endure, yet what was Job’s response to them?

⁹ What calamities! Even if Job understood who had caused them, they would be difficult to bear. But he did not. He did not know that he was the center of a controversy in heaven and that Jehovah was using him to demonstrate that there are people who will hold to their integrity despite all the unjust suffering that Satan may bring upon them. Yet, stricken with grief and even thinking that somehow God was responsible for his losses, Job said: “Jehovah himself has given, and Jehovah himself has taken away. Let the name of Jehovah continue to be blessed.” Yes, “in all this Job did not sin or ascribe anything improper to God.”​—Job 1:20-22.

10. (a) What further concession regarding Job did Satan request, and why was Jehovah willing to grant this? (b) What were the consequences to Job of the miserable state to which he was reduced?

¹⁰ How humiliating for Satan, at another meeting of angels, to be reminded by Jehovah regarding Job: “Even yet he is holding fast his integrity”! But Satan does not give up. He now challenges that if he is given the opportunity to strike Job physically, Job will curse God to his face. Trusting in Job’s integrity even to this extent, Jehovah gives permission, only warning Satan not to take Job’s life. So Satan ‘strikes Job with a malignant boil from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.’ (Job 2:1-8) Job is reduced to such a disgustingly miserable state that his relatives and friends shy away, and former acquaintances mock him.​—Job 12:4; 17:6; 19:13-19; 30:1, 10-12.

11. What further blow did Job have to endure, and what made his integrity keeping in the face of all his troubles so remarkable?

¹¹ Then yet another blow! The faith of Job’s wife weakens. She says to him: “Are you yet holding fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he tells her: “As one of the senseless women speaks, you speak also. Shall we accept merely what is good from the true God and not accept also what is bad?” As the account says, “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” (Job 2:9, 10) And when you remember that the reason for his suffering has been concealed from Job, how truly remarkable his integrity is!

Another Form of Attack

12. (a) Who were the men that came to comfort Job? (b) How did Satan use these men to test Job further?

¹² But Satan is not through. He raises up three men of supposed wisdom who either knew Job personally or had heard of his reputation as “the greatest of all the Orientals.” Evidently they are considerably older than Job. (Job 1:3; 15:10; 32:6) Two of them are distant relatives. Eliphaz the Temanite is a descendant of Abraham through Teman, a grandson of Esau, and Bildad the Shuhite is a descendant of Abraham’s son Shuah. (Job 2:11; Genesis 36:15; 25:2) Zophar’s ancestry is uncertain. Ostensibly these three come to comfort Job, but actually Satan uses them in an effort to undermine Job’s integrity. Just as political interrogators posing as friends have undermined the loyalties of prisoners and turned them against their own governments, Satan hoped that his “comforters” would turn Job against his God.​—Job 16:2, 3.

13. (a) What did Job’s visitors do on their arrival? (b) When the speaking began, what course did it take?

¹³ When they arrive, the three visitors spend seven days and seven nights silently observing Job’s excruciating pain and extreme humiliation. (Job 2:12, 13) Eliphaz, evidently the oldest, finally takes the lead in speaking, setting the mood and general subject theme for what turns into a three-round debate. Eliphaz’ speech, as well as the speeches of his companions that follow, is made up largely of accusations. After each of his accusers speaks, Job, in turn, answers, refuting their arguments. Zophar does not take part in the debate’s third round, evidently feeling that he can add nothing more. Thus Zophar makes only two speeches, while Eliphaz and Bildad each deliver three.

14. What kind of arguments did the three use against Job, and how did Satan use a similar tactic against Jesus?

¹⁴ Eliphaz’ speeches are longer, and his language is somewhat milder. Bildad’s language is more biting, and Zophar’s even more so. Their arguments are cunningly designed to achieve Satan’s purpose of breaking Job’s integrity. They often state actual facts, but the setting and application are wrong. Satan used the same tactic against Jesus. Quoting a scripture that says that God’s angel would protect his servant from harm, Satan invited Jesus to prove he was God’s son by hurling himself down from the temple. (Matthew 4:5-7; Psalm 91:11, 12) Job for an extended period faced similar satanic reasoning.

15. What did Eliphaz argue was the source of Job’s troubles?

¹⁵ In his opening speech, Eliphaz argues that Job’s troubles are God’s retribution for his sins. “Who that is innocent has ever perished?” he asks. “According to what I have seen, those devising what is hurtful and those sowing trouble will themselves reap it.” (Job 4:7, 8) Going on, Eliphaz claims that God does not trust his servants. “In his servants he has no faith,” Eliphaz says, “and his [angels] he charges with faultiness. How much more so with those dwelling in houses of clay.”​—Job 4:18, 19.

16. How did Bildad follow up Eliphaz’ assault, and what unfair illustration did he use?

¹⁶ Bildad follows up the verbal assault. “If you are pure and upright,” he says, “by now [God] would awake for you and he would certainly restore your righteous abiding place.” Bildad notes that papyrus and reeds dry up and die without water and truthfully concludes that “all those forgetting God” will also. But how erroneous for him to apply this illustration to Job and to add, “The very hope of an apostate will perish”!​—Job 8:6, 11-13.

17. What potent remarks did Zophar make?

¹⁷ Zophar’s remarks are even more potent. ‘O that God would speak and tell you what he thinks!’ he, in effect, says. ‘God knows what you have done. He is punishing you far less than you deserve. Get rid of your sins and leave all your badness, and then you will have security and many friends.’​—Job 11:4-6, 14-20.

18. In the second round of the debate, how did the three continue their assault on Job?

¹⁸ In the second round of the debate, Eliphaz continues the assault on Job’s integrity. ‘Why, God does not even trust the angels, how much less someone like you! A wicked man is always in trouble.’ (Job 15:14-16, 20) Bildad, angered by Job’s steadfast resistance to their arguments, in effect says: ‘Your light will be extinguished. All memory of your existence will die out. That is what happens to those forgetting God.’ (Job 18:5, 12, 13, 17-21) Zophar, alluding to Job’s previous prosperity, asks: ‘Do you not know that the joyful cry of the wicked is short, and the rejoicing of an apostate is for a moment? Heaven uncovers the errors of the wicked.’​—Job 20:4, 5, 26-29.

19. (a) According to Eliphaz, what value does God place on man’s integrity? (b) How did Bildad finish the verbal assault on Job?

¹⁹ Opening the debate’s third round, Eliphaz asks: ‘Can any man be of value to God? Even if you were blameless, would God benefit by it? Return to God,’ he says, ‘and straighten out your affairs. Then you will be restored.’ (Job 22:2, 3, 21-23) Bildad finishes the verbal assault. ‘Who on earth can boast that he is clean?’ he asks. ‘God is so glorious that even the moon and the stars are less than nothing to him. How much less is man, who is but a worm in his sight!’​—Job 25:2-6.

Job’s Defense and Correction

20. (a) How did Job answer the argument that suffering is a punishment from God for sins? (b) What was Job’s determination, and how do we know that his integrity really mattered to God?

²⁰ Despite his terrible suffering, Job never for a moment gives in to his tormentors’ deceptive arguments. If suffering is a punishment from God for sins, he asks, “why is it that the wicked themselves keep living, have grown old, also have become superior in wealth?” (Job 21:7-13) And contrary to what Job’s accusers say, Jehovah does value integrity keepers who thereby provide an answer to Satan’s taunt that he can turn anybody away from serving God. (Proverbs 27:11; Psalm 41:12) Job is confident of his own integrity, exclaiming: “Until I expire I shall not take away my integrity from myself!” (Job 27:5) No, he has not done anything to deserve what has befallen him.

21. What did Elihu say to Job’s false comforters, and what needed correction did he give Job?

²¹ The young man Elihu is attentively taking in every word of this extended debate. He now speaks, telling Job’s false comforters that nothing they have said has proved Job to be a sinner. (Job 32:11, 12) Then, turning to Job, Elihu says: “Your words I kept hearing, ‘I am pure without transgression; clean I am, and I have no error. Look! Occasions for opposition to me he finds, he takes me for an enemy of his.’ . . . In this you have not been in the right.” (Job 33:8-13; 6:29; 13:24, 27; 19:6-8) Yes, Job displayed too much concern with vindicating himself. Yet, at the same time, he never condemned God or lost confidence that God would do what is right.

22. (a) After listening to Jehovah, what was Job’s response? (b) What did God require of Job’s false comforters, and what was the final outcome to Job?

²² A storm starts brewing as Elihu completes his speech, and Jehovah himself speaks out of the windstorm: “Who is this that is obscuring counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins . . . Let me question you, and you inform me.” After listening to Jehovah, Job acknowledges that he spoke rashly, without full knowledge, and repents “in dust and ashes.” Then Jehovah denounces Eliphaz and his two companions, instructing Job to intercede for them. Thereafter Job is restored, and he is blessed with seven sons and three beautiful daughters and twice as much livestock as he had before. Living 140 years longer, Job dies “old and satisfied with days.”​—Job 38:1-4; 42:1-17.

23. How should Job’s integrity affect us?

²³ Truly, Job was a remarkable man of integrity! He had no way of knowing that he was being made the target of Satan’s wicked challenge. This emphasizes his integrity all the more because even though he believed that all his suffering was from God, still he would not deny God or curse him. What a lesson for us, since we do know the source of the tests of our integrity! Surely, we should be moved to imitate Job’s example and go forward in Jehovah’s work regardless of anything God’s Adversary can bring against us.

Job’s Integrity​—Who Can Imitate It?

“He will weigh me in accurate scales and God will get to know my integrity.”​—JOB 31:6.

 1. Why is it good to consider Job’s example, and what questions are raised?

JOB was confident of his integrity, so he welcomed examination by God. His example can be of great encouragement to us today, especially when Satan the Devil is trying desperately to break the integrity of all who are serving God. (1 Peter 5:8) Recognizing this, the disciple James said to “take as a pattern of the suffering of evil and the exercising of patience the prophets,” in particular Job. (James 5:10, 11) But who can imitate Job’s integrity? Can we? In what ways did Job set an example of integrity keeping for us?

 2. (a) What does the name Job mean? (b) What was accomplished by Job’s integrity-keeping course?

² The name Job means “Object of Hostility,” which he certainly became. But when Jehovah granted Satan’s request and removed the hedge of protection from around Job, nothing Satan could do could break Job’s integrity to God. (Job 1:1–2:10) Job thereby provided an answer to Satan’s taunt that he could turn anybody away from serving God. (Proverbs 27:11) By his integrity-keeping course Job was, in effect, declaring to the entire universe, ‘Satan, you are a despicable liar, because Jehovah is my God, and I shall keep integrity to him come what may!’​—Job 27:5.

Those Like Job

 3. Who was protected in heaven, and what questions were raised concerning him?

³ Significantly, the issue between Jehovah and Satan was a universal one, involving the spirit realm. There in heaven, hedged about by Jehovah’s protective care, was the promised “seed” by means of whom God intended to accomplish His grand purposes. (Genesis 3:15) Yet, when stripped of ‘the hedge of protection,’ would this one really imitate Job’s integrity? Would he demonstrate that a perfect man, as Adam had been, could keep perfect integrity to God? (1 Corinthians 15:45) Satan made preparations for putting this “seed” to the severest test whenever He would make His appearance on earth.

 4. (a) Who became the principal object of Satan’s hostility, and how do we know that God removed his protective care from him? (b) What did Jesus provide for Jehovah?

⁴ Jesus Christ proved to be the sent-forth “seed” from heaven. He thus became the focus of Satan’s attention, yes, the principal object of Satan’s hostility. In evidence that Jehovah had removed his hedge of protective care, Christ cried out while on the torture stake: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1) Although keenly sensing that God had withdrawn his protection, Jesus, like Job, “did not sin or ascribe anything improper to God.” (Job 1:22) He imitated Job, keeping perfect integrity to God, and thereby proved that ‘there was no one like him in the earth.’ (Job 1:8) In Jesus, therefore, Jehovah God has a complete and everlasting answer to Satan’s false accusation that God cannot put on earth a man who will stay faithful to him under the greatest trial.

 5. (a) What does Satan keep doing? (b) What did Satan do when removed from heaven?

⁵ Yet wanting still more of an answer, Satan keeps accusing Jesus’ spiritual brothers, who, along with Jesus, make up the “seed” of God’s womanlike organization. When describing the Kingdom’s establishment in heaven, the Bible says regarding Satan: “The accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God!” However, Satan does more than accuse, he mounts a hostile attack! The Bible explains that after his ouster from heaven, “the dragon [Satan] grew wrathful at the woman, and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her seed, who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness to Jesus.”​—Revelation 12:7-12, 17.

 6. (a) Who today spearhead the preaching work, and who have joined them? (b) What is Satan trying to do to all of these?

⁶ “The remaining ones of [the woman’s] seed” are Jehovah’s anointed witnesses left on earth today. They spearhead “the work of bearing witness to Jesus,” publicly declaring worldwide that he is now enthroned as King and will soon bring this unrighteous system of things to its end. (Matthew 24:14; Daniel 2:44) But they are far from being alone! Now a vast crowd of over three million people have joined them to form a united, worldwide, integrity-keeping organization. All these integrity keepers, too, have become objects of Satan’s relentless persecution, and their heavenly Father Jehovah takes delight in their integrity.​—2 Timothy 3:12; Proverbs 27:11.

 7. Why can we be confident in the face of Satan’s attacks?

⁷ Surely, it is sobering to realize that, as Satan’s vicious attention was focused on Job, so it is upon us who are trying to keep integrity to God. However, we need not be distraught. Why? Because “Jehovah is very tender in affection and merciful” and “will neither desert you nor leave you entirely.” (James 5:11; Deuteronomy 31:6) Yes, Jehovah will uphold us. “For those walking in integrity he is a shield,” the Bible says. (Proverbs 2:7) This does not mean, though, that Jehovah will not allow us to be tested. He will, even as he did with Job. “But God is faithful,” the apostle Paul noted, “and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out in order for you to be able to endure it.”​—1 Corinthians 10:13.

When Under Trial

 8. How can Job’s example benefit us today?

⁸ Job’s example of integrity can particularly be of benefit to us when we face severe trials. Job suffered so much that he wished to die and be concealed in Sheol, the common grave of mankind. (Job 14:13) Some today have felt similarly, saying that they could identify with Job when he was suffering so much. Perhaps on occasion you have felt that way too. Indeed, reading about his sufferings can be like receiving encouragement from a friend who has undergone a trial even more severe than our own. Knowing that someone else has endured, and understands, surely helps us also to endure.

 9. How are we benefited by the integrity keeping of others?

⁹ Recognizing our needs, Jehovah has had the book of Job recorded to help us keep integrity as Job did. (Romans 15:4; James 5:10, 11) God knows that as one part of the body is dependent upon another so his faithful servants also need one another. (1 Corinthians 12:20, 26) Recall the recent “Integrity Keepers” Conventions attended by millions of readers of this magazine. Those who were there will remember how good it felt to be in the company of so many whose principal aim in life is to maintain integrity to God. What encouragement to keep integrity it was for those in attendance to know that the many thousands around them​—while at their places of employment or at school in their own communities—​were also keeping integrity under trialsome tests!​—1 Peter 5:9.

10. (a) How might a person fail to keep the right perspective? (b) What did Job begin to question?

¹⁰ Yet we may not always maintain the right perspective, even as Job failed to do so. A person suffering greatly, and who is in a depressed state of mind, may say, ‘Oh, why does God do this to me? Why does he permit this to occur?’ The person may even get to the point of asking, ‘What’s the use in serving God?’ Not realizing the source of his suffering, Job questioned the present benefit of being righteous, since the good appeared to suffer as much, if not more, than the bad. (Job 9:22) According to Elihu, Job said: “What does it profit me? What do I gain more than if I had sinned?” (Job 35:3, An American Translation) But we cannot let ourselves become so absorbed in our own troubles that we lose proper perspective and question the value of serving God.

11. What fine correction did Elihu provide Job?

¹¹ Elihu provided Job needed correction, setting matters in proper focus by pointing out that Jehovah was exalted high above Job. (Job 35:4, 5) Elihu showed that, no matter what happens, we should never conclude that God is uncaring and somehow reason that we can spite Him for what are considered injustices on His part. “If you actually sin,” Elihu asked Job, “what do you accomplish against him? And if your revolts actually increase, what do you do to him?” (Job 35:6) Yes, if you try to spite God by abandoning his ways or his service, you are only hurting yourself, not God.

12. How does our integrity keeping affect God?

¹² On the other hand, Elihu showed that Jehovah is not benefited personally if we do what is right. Of course, God is delighted if we keep integrity, yet, at the same time, he is in no way dependent upon our worship, as was indicated by what Elihu asked Job: “If you are really in the right, what do you give him, or what does he receive from your own hand?” (Job 35:7) God gave us life, and because of him we breathe and move and exist. He owns everything! (Acts 17:25; 1 Chronicles 29:14) Thus our wickedness or our righteousness cannot affect God personally.​—Job 35:8.

When Corrected

13. (a) How did Job react to the correction given? (b) What problem do all of us have?

¹³ How did Job react to the correction given, first by Elihu and then by Jehovah himself? He accepted it, repenting “in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:6) Yes, Job humbled himself, acknowledging his error. And do we not admire such humility? But what about us? Even though we may be stalwart integrity keepers like Job, all of us are inclined to make mistakes and become unbalanced in one way or another. (James 3:2; Galatians 2:11-14) What shall we do when our mistake or imperfection is called to our attention, even by a younger one like Elihu?​—Job 32:4.

14. (a) What is a common inclination when a person is corrected? (b) What can contribute to errors or improper judgments, and what example did Job set when he was corrected?

¹⁴ It is not always easy to accept correction. (Hebrews 12:11; Proverbs 3:11, 12) The inclination is to try to justify ourselves. Like Job, we may not have intentionally said or done anything wrong. Our motive may have been good. But we may have spoken without full knowledge, with a lack of understanding or sensitivity. Perhaps our comments reflected an air of racial or national superiority, or a Scripturally unsupported rigidity on a matter. It may be brought to our attention that what we have said reflects more our own personal viewpoint and that it has hurt others to the extent of jeopardizing their spirituality. When corrected, will we, like Job, acknowledge that we ‘spoke without understanding’ and “make a retraction”?​—Job 42:3, 6.

Trusting God, Not Riches

15. How do we know that Job’s trust was not in his riches?

¹⁵ Bildad called into question the object of Job’s trust, intimating that he had forgotten God and that his trust had been placed elsewhere. (Job 8:13, 14) Yet even though Job had been blessed with many material things, his trust was not in these. His integrity was not shaken one bit when he lost all his possessions. (Job 1:21) In his concluding defense, Job said: “If I have put gold as my confidence, or to gold I have said, ‘You are my trust!’ If I used to rejoice because my property was much, and because my hand had found a lot of things . . . that too would be an error for attention by the justices, for I should have denied the true God above.”​—Job 31:24-28.

16. (a) What examination should we make of ourselves? (b) What promise does God make to those who trust in him?

¹⁶ What about us? Where are we placing our trust​—in Jehovah or in material possessions? If we were weighed in accurate scales, as Job desired to be, would God get to know our integrity in this matter? Is our chief concern in life really that of providing Jehovah an integrity-keeping course with which to answer Satan’s taunts? Or are we particularly concerned with satisfying our desires for pleasures and possessions? How fine if we can be like Job and make Jehovah’s heart glad by trusting in Him, and not place any undue importance on ourselves or on the material things that are available! If we trust in Jehovah, putting his interests first, he promises never to leave us or forsake us.​—Matthew 6:31-33; Hebrews 13:5, 6.

Sexual Morality

17. What insinuations did Job’s “comforters” make, but what did Job say about his moral conduct?

¹⁷ Job’s false comforters did not directly accuse him of sexual misconduct, but time and again they implied that he was guilty of some secret fault for which God was punishing him. As a man of means, indeed being “the greatest of all the Orientals,” Job surely had opportunities for extramarital sex. (Job 1:3; 24:15) Other servants of God, prior to and after Job’s time, fell to sexual temptations. (Genesis 38:15-23; 2 Samuel 11:1-5) Job, however, defended himself against any insinuations of such wrongdoing, declaring: “A covenant I have concluded with my eyes. So how could I show myself attentive to a virgin? If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I kept lying in wait at the very entranceway of my companion . . . that would be loose conduct, and that would be an error for attention by the justices.”​—Job 31:1, 9-11.

18. Why is sexual morality so hard to maintain, yet why will we be happy if we do maintain it?

¹⁸ Perhaps by no other means has Satan been so successful in undermining the integrity of God’s servants as by inducing them to commit fornication. (Numbers, chapter 25) Can you imitate Job’s integrity by resisting all enticements to sexual misconduct? It is indeed a challenge, especially in this sex-mad world where immorality is so prevalent. But think how fine, when called to account, to be able to say confidently as did Job: “God will get to know my integrity”!​—Job 31:6.

What Can Help Us

19. What is essential to help us keep integrity?

¹⁹ It is not easy to imitate Job’s integrity, since Satan today is trying just as hard to break our integrity as he tried to break Job’s. It is essential, therefore, that we put on the complete suit of armor from God. (Ephesians 6:10-18) This involves being aligned Godward, as was Job, ever conscious of pleasing Him in whatever we or our families do. (Job 1:5) Thus, Bible study, regular association with fellow believers, and public declaration of our faith are vital.​—2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 10:25; Romans 10:10.

20. (a) What hope can sustain us during trials? (b) What reward for integrity keeping mentioned by the psalmist may we receive?

²⁰ But what can especially sustain us during trial is what sustained Job​—his confidence that this life is not all there is. “If an able-bodied man dies can he live again?” Job asked. And in reply he answered: “You will call, and I myself shall answer you.” (Job 14:13-15) Having that same absolute confidence that Jehovah will resurrect his faithful servants can also help us to face any test that Satan may impose. (Hebrews 6:10) Long ago, the Bible psalmist wrote: “As for me, because of my integrity you have upheld me, and you will set me before your face to time indefinite.” (Psalm 41:12) May that be the happy future of each one of us​—having Jehovah uphold us and preserve us forever because of being his integrity-keeping servants!