And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
The verse describes paying homage to the sun and moon by turning the heart toward them in worship and showing reverence with the hand. It belongs to Job's appeal to his integrity in his dispute with his three friends about his afflictions, in which he denies any stain on his moral character and calls for judgment if any is found. To be secretly enticed in heart by the sun, moon, or other heavenly bodies, or to kiss the hand in homage to them, is idolatry and denial of the God that is above, breaking the first commandment and expressly forbidden by the law of Jehovah. Making gold the hope and confidence and rejoicing because wealth is great and the hand has gathered much is the same iniquity to be punished by the Judge, denying the God above and having another god before the Lord. Job did not let wealth entice his heart into trusting in it, rejoicing in it, or taking pride in it, but treated what he had as a means to bless the poor, the needy, the fatherless, and the widow.
Meaning and Historical Setting
The secretly enticed heart is the heart turned inwardly toward the sun, the moon, and the other heavenly bodies in worship, and the mouth kissing the hand is the outward act showing them reverence and homage. To give that inward turning and that outward sign is idolatry, a denial of the God who is above, and it stands under the Bible's express prohibition of sun worship.
The verse belongs to Job's appeal to his integrity in his dispute with his three friends concerning his afflictions. There he denies any stain upon his moral character, declaring that his heart had not been secretly enticed nor his worship given in this way, and he calls for judgment upon himself if any such fault should be found.
His ability to name and renounce this worship shows that sun worship was already known and practiced among the heathen long before the time of Moses. Worship of the sun and moon is the most ancient form of idolatry, and it is the only form of idolatry mentioned in the book of Job, which proves that Job lived before Moses in the age of the patriarchs.
Idolatry of Worship and Wealth
To be secretly drawn in heart toward the sun, the moon, or the other heavenly bodies, or to kiss the hand in homage to them, is idolatry and denial of the God who is above. It breaks the first commandment and stands expressly forbidden by the law of Jehovah. Such worship is no more idolatry, denial of God, or sin than being secretly enticed by the brightness of silver or gold.
Making gold the hope and confidence, and rejoicing because wealth is great and the hand has gathered much, is the same iniquity, to be punished by the Judge, as worshiping the sun and moon. It denies the God above, sets up another god before the Lord, and proves that idolatry exists even where gross idol worship and worship of the heavenly bodies are not practiced. Trusting in riches and boasting in gain gotten by sharp trade is therefore Mammon-worship.
That Mammon-worship means exacting unjust gain, demanding more where there is no competition than where there is, beating the seller down to get a thing for less than it is worth, underselling in order to crush a neighbor, and building monopolies and trusts to gather all to self. It is the pride of life which is not of the Father but of the world, neither loving God with all the heart nor the neighbor as self. Job did not let wealth so entice his heart into trusting in it, rejoicing in it, or taking pride in it.
What he had he treated as a means to bless the poor, the needy, the fatherless, and the widow. Letting the heart be secretly enticed by wealth and trusting in riches is selfish covetousness, and covetousness is idolatry involving violation of other commandments. It is folly to spend all energy accumulating possessions useful only in this short and uncertain life instead of securing eternal life with all the happiness Heaven can bestow.
Looking to the sun and moon and kissing the hand to them is nature-worship whose chief is sun-worship, with its weekly, monthly, and yearly religious feasts and revels, licentiousness, rich unwholesome food, and intoxicating wine. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah had been educated in this prohibition and had seen its violation bring ruin and captivity upon Judah. Therefore they refused the part of Babylonian education that would connect them with its idolatry.
The verse describes paying homage to the sun and moon by turning the heart toward them in worship and showing reverence with the hand. It belongs to Job's appeal to his integrity in his dispute with his three friends about his afflictions, in which he denies any stain on his moral character and calls for judgment if any is found. To be secretly enticed in heart by the sun, moon, or other heavenly bodies, or to kiss the hand in homage to them, is idolatry and denial of the God that is above, breaking the first commandment and expressly forbidden by the law of Jehovah. Making gold the hope and confidence and rejoicing because wealth is great and the hand has gathered much is the same iniquity to be punished by the Judge, denying the God above and having another god before the Lord. Job did not let wealth entice his heart into trusting in it, rejoicing in it, or taking pride in it, but treated what he had as a means to bless the poor, the needy, the fatherless, and the widow.
Meaning and Historical Setting
The secretly enticed heart is the heart turned inwardly toward the sun, the moon, and the other heavenly bodies in worship, and the mouth kissing the hand is the outward act showing them reverence and homage. To give that inward turning and that outward sign is idolatry, a denial of the God who is above, and it stands under the Bible's express prohibition of sun worship.
The verse belongs to Job's appeal to his integrity in his dispute with his three friends concerning his afflictions. There he denies any stain upon his moral character, declaring that his heart had not been secretly enticed nor his worship given in this way, and he calls for judgment upon himself if any such fault should be found.
His ability to name and renounce this worship shows that sun worship was already known and practiced among the heathen long before the time of Moses. Worship of the sun and moon is the most ancient form of idolatry, and it is the only form of idolatry mentioned in the book of Job, which proves that Job lived before Moses in the age of the patriarchs.
Idolatry of Worship and Wealth
To be secretly drawn in heart toward the sun, the moon, or the other heavenly bodies, or to kiss the hand in homage to them, is idolatry and denial of the God who is above. It breaks the first commandment and stands expressly forbidden by the law of Jehovah. Such worship is no more idolatry, denial of God, or sin than being secretly enticed by the brightness of silver or gold.
Making gold the hope and confidence, and rejoicing because wealth is great and the hand has gathered much, is the same iniquity, to be punished by the Judge, as worshiping the sun and moon. It denies the God above, sets up another god before the Lord, and proves that idolatry exists even where gross idol worship and worship of the heavenly bodies are not practiced. Trusting in riches and boasting in gain gotten by sharp trade is therefore Mammon-worship.
That Mammon-worship means exacting unjust gain, demanding more where there is no competition than where there is, beating the seller down to get a thing for less than it is worth, underselling in order to crush a neighbor, and building monopolies and trusts to gather all to self. It is the pride of life which is not of the Father but of the world, neither loving God with all the heart nor the neighbor as self. Job did not let wealth so entice his heart into trusting in it, rejoicing in it, or taking pride in it.
What he had he treated as a means to bless the poor, the needy, the fatherless, and the widow. Letting the heart be secretly enticed by wealth and trusting in riches is selfish covetousness, and covetousness is idolatry involving violation of other commandments. It is folly to spend all energy accumulating possessions useful only in this short and uncertain life instead of securing eternal life with all the happiness Heaven can bestow.
Looking to the sun and moon and kissing the hand to them is nature-worship whose chief is sun-worship, with its weekly, monthly, and yearly religious feasts and revels, licentiousness, rich unwholesome food, and intoxicating wine. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah had been educated in this prohibition and had seen its violation bring ruin and captivity upon Judah. Therefore they refused the part of Babylonian education that would connect them with its idolatry.