Text Job 1
The story of Job is perhaps one of the most disturbing in the Bible. It is disturbing because:
- It tells us that sometimes things happen that are completely unfair
- It is a radical departure from the way that we think – that God should treat us.
- And it is disturbing because it seems to break the basic rules set up by God himself.
The book of Job was chosen for this series of articles to help us understand some of the questions and issues raised in it and of course as they appear in our own lives.
Some of these we find answers to….and some questions remain unresolved. They all call on us to trust God and to keep our place as his creatures. And as we do, may we remember that God’s only peers are members of the godhead. Any kind of ‘peer review’ on our part, is off the table..
Well, you know the story…which begins this way: There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
We will come back to Job’s character in just a minute, but the account goes on to say, that God had blessed him with a large family….3 daughters and 7 sons. God made him the wealthiest man in the East…with a diversified stock portfolio. It included – 7000 sheep – 3000 camels, 1000 oxen and 500 female donkeys. He had quite a ranch which must have spread out far and wide, managed by a large workforce. Income from ranching and farming had to have been substantial. Job even had his own ‘trucking line’. Hundreds of donkeys took his goods to market, and camel caravans diversified his trade internationally. Job ran a vertically integrated operation with breeding stock for expansion. He was a major employer and as God blessed him, he was a blessing to others. His reputation spread far and wide.
This description takes place in the context of Job’s spiritual condition. The text describes him as blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
Blameless means, that when Job sinned, he repented and asked for forgiveness. He offered sacrifices to God and maintained a right relationship with Him.
Job was upright: he was the same on the inside as he was on the outside. He was a straight-shooter – a man of integrity. His mind was filled with good thoughts as he set his heart to be pure.
He feared God. He respected the sovereignty of God. He worshipped God and only God, which was a rare thing in his day.
He understood that the decision to choose good over evil was a decision to choose God over all others. He was guided by the goodness of God and restrained by the power of God. And when God disciplined him, he turned that into godly self-discipline…God didn’t have to say it twice.
Job turned away from evil. He knew that he had a choice and chose to be good. He turned away from evil in all of it’s forms by turning down every offer to sin, including those that came from Satan. He accepted God’s offer of obedience
Job did all of that, without being all about himself. As head of his family he acted as God’s priest, offering sacrifices on behalf of his children. He did so, not just when he knew that they had sinned. He offered sacrifices for sins that they may have been committed in ignorance – or at least those that were hidden from himself. He did it, because he understood just how righteous God is. He understood that God cannot overlook any sin and that sin in any amount or in any degree of departure from God’s righteousness, is fatal. He was diligent, day and night, making intercession. He was constant in his spiritual care for others and set a godly example.
Now the story proceeds from this description in chapter 1 to how it was that Job lost it all. He lost his family, his wealth and and then in chapter 2, his health. The only thing that Job did not lose was his relationship with God. He retained his blamelessness, integrity and his faith.
But before we look at how all that happened, there is more for us to know about the man. Job serves it up in chapter 29 as he thinks back to better times. (Paul Birston’s article in the March issue expands upon this) Chapter 29 tells about the man before chapter 1 and leads up to it.
Chapter 29:
There is not a good way to summarize all of this…so we will back to that very Biblical practice of reading the scriptures. As we do,make note of the things that you did not know about Job and notice how your appreciation grows…for the man whose name lives on.
And Job again took up his discourse and said:
2 “Oh that I were as in months gone by, as in the days when God watched over me; 3 When His lamp shone over my head, and by His light I walked through darkness; 4 As I was in the prime of my days, when the friendship of God was over my tent; 5 When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me; 6 When my steps were bathed in butter, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil! 7 “When I went out to the gate of the city, when I took my seat in the square, 8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the old men arose and stood. 9 “The princes stopped talking – and put their hands on their mouths; 10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to their palate.
11 “For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it gave witness of me, 12 Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the orphan who had no helper. 13 “The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy. 14 “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. 15 “I was eyes to the blind – and feet to the lame. 16 “I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the case which I did not know. 17 “I broke the jaws of the wicked, and snatched the prey from his teeth. 18 “Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. 19 ‘My root is spread out to the waters, and dew lies all night on my branch. 20 ‘My glory is ever new with me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’ 21 “To me they listened and waited, and kept silent for my counsel. 22 “After my words they did not speak again, and my speech dropped on them. 23 “They waited for me as for the rain, and opened their mouth as for the spring rain. 24 “I smiled on them when they did not believe, and the light of my face they did not cast down. 25 “I chose a way for them and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king among the troops, As one who comforted the mourners.
It was in the midst of his trials, that Job reflected on how life used to be, just a short time ago:
- Back when God was my friend and watched over me.
- When God’s light showed the way and I walked in that light
- My children were all around and life was sweet…like walking in butter and swimming in oil.
Those were the best of times. I had respect from the young and the old. Kings and rulers stopped talking…and when I finished, they all agreed. And by God’s grace…my words were a blessing. I delivered widows and orphans and stood up for the poor. I shut down the wicked and set their victims free. And I did it the right way, clothed in righteousness so that justice was served.
Life was good, the way it is supposed to be. The good guys were winning and the bad guys, down for the count. I was sure, so very sure, that it would always be that way. Because that is what God wants…right? To see justice done on earth and to honour those who honour him.
Little did I know what was coming…
This then is the reason that God said to Satan: “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” (Job 1:8)
It is also the story behind the man who Satan struck and why. It is the reason why we began by saying, that this is one of the most deeply disturbing accounts in the Bible. It seems to break all the rules and trash what we believe, about fairness and justice. It cuts the ground out from under what seems to be a very Biblical worldview.
The overarching Biblical story is – that God created us – with good intentions.
- He made us good, to have a good relationship with him.
- He wanted to bless us – to bless our lives and to do it forever.
- And historically, those who honoured God and served Him…have been blessed.
When God made a covenant with Israel…he promised to bless obedience and to curse rebellion. Leviticus 27-29 spells it out. This formula applied to the history of Israel and Judah making it easy to see. So when we read about how things went badly wrong in Job’s life, we are stunned. We have the same problem that Job had and his friends as well.
This is why Job 1:6-12 is so crucial to our understanding. It is the other – background story. And while it raises new questions, it answers others. Here it is in a nut-shell.
“One day the sons of God came into God’s presence to ‘present themselves’. Satan also showed up…but is not called a ‘son of God’.
Before we go on, just a word about this gathering. (Sorry that we keep starting and stopping) but this is important. In the usual language of the Old Testament, the term ‘sons of God’ refers to godly men/people.
Unless the context demands otherwise, the sons of God were men (people living on earth)
- That is what we find in Gen 6:2 where the ‘sons of God’ (god-fearing descendants of Seth) married the daughters of men (they intermarried with Cain’s descendants).
- At the end of Luke’s genealogy in Luke 3:38, Seth is called the son of Adam (who in turn is… the son of God.
- In Romans 8:14, the apostle Paul says that: “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God”
- And Hebrews 12:7-8 says that all Christians on earth are “sons” of God
In those few cases when this is not true, the context tells us.
- So in Job 38:7, the reference is to angels – who were present at the creation of the world. But this is the exception and not the rule.
Revelation 12:7-9 informs us that when Satan sinned, he and his angels were cast out of heaven and that he was cast down to the earth. 2nd Peter 2:7 states that Satan and his angels have been chained in pits of darkness until the day of judgment. And while that is true, they have limited power on earth to tempt and afflict. Peter warns that Satan goes about as a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1st Pet 5:8…but his sphere of operation is earth…not up in heaven.
So this gathering before God in Job 1:6 is not in heaven. There is no mention of heaven in the passage.
Now the sons of God…gather in God’s presence most often – to worship. This is what we do every Sunday.. It is no surprise that God is there…but shocking to find Satan there also. Then again, perhaps it is not. Since he targets those who do not belong to him, his appearance in places where God is worshipped should be expected.
The accuser shows up, to distract and confuse and especially to spread false doctrine. He is all about turning believers against each other…leaving us to fuss and fight. And wouldn’t you know, that is just what Satan used Job’s friends for. When they accused Job of doing things he has never done they were doing the Devil’s work for him. It is of course, Satan’s ultimate purpose is to destroy faith in God, even if it just starts out as simple acts of disobedience. He is happy to win, one sin at a time.
In the conversation that ensues, God points to Job, and seems to say: in all of your fault-finding – have you considered my servant Job? He is one of kind – head and shoulders above the rest, blameless and upright. You haven’t gotten to Job yet, and you are not going to.
The reason why God points to Job is because Satan is the accuser. He is there to find fault…while God is there to find righteousness.
Satan pushed back at God with an accusation. He said..What do you expect? Job is bought and paid for. He does not serve you because he loves you or respects you. It is a trade…I do this…you give me that. What seems like goodness is just self-interest. The bottom line is, that Job is out for Job, and you are the way that he gets what he wants.
That folks, is the world, according to Satan. You know what? In most cases, he is right. People are out for themselves and willing to do, whatever, to get it. And if it takes ‘cutting a deal’ with God, why not?
So Satan challenged God saying: “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face. Let’s see who is right. To which God answered: “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” In other words: I am not going to do it, but you are free to test Job, just don’t lay a hand on the man.
That is a stunning concession. God allowed Satan to do what he normally could not. But this is a divine exception…with special permission…to make the case for genuine righteousness.
God said – I will allow it, because I am not wrong about Job. His faith real, his heart is pure. Job does the right thing for the right reason. For that reason, he is the right man, in fact the only blameless man – qualified for this test.
One of the reasons why the book of Job is so important…is that it introduces the concept of – worthy to suffer.
If a mafia guy gets shot, we think…he got what he deserved. When a corrupt politician goes prison – it is good riddance. But when a righteous person suffers – we sit up and take notice. We think: either they were not all that righteous and we were duped. Or being righteous does not grant immunity from harm or ensure blessings from God. The story of Job introduces us to the third possibility, that there is such a thing as ‘suffering for doing good’. We bring at least some suffering upon ourselves when we choose God over Satan.
Satan hates God and those who love God. He hates faith in God and obedience to God’s will, and he is not willing to just ‘let it go’. Jesus suffered the consequences of obedience – by suffering for obedience. And he warned his apostles that once he was gone, they would be next.
Satan used the same Jewish high court that condemned Jesus, to condemn them. It is important to see that they took it as a compliment. After the apostles had been beaten by the Sanhedrin, they praised God. The thanked Him for counting them worthy to suffer shame for Jesus (Acts 5:41). Suffering for doing good and for speaking the truth ,is an honour. It means that you are a big enough threat to Satan that he is trying to do something to stop it.
But it also means something else. It means that God considers you faithful enough to endure. Paul assures us that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, but will with the temptation – provide a way of escape. God will make it so that we can bear it and bear up under it and provide a way that we can overcome it.
When I look at my life, I have never been tested – like Job was. God knows what I can bear and perhaps how little it would take for me to cave. While I should thank God for protecting me from suffering, it may also be, that I have been spared because my faith can’t take it. Freedom from suffering for the name of Jesus is not in itself, a sign from above that all is well.
But coming back to the principle – there is such a thing as – worthy to suffer. In order to take this principle to heart, we have to understand what Satan is up to and unfortunately for Job…he did not know what that was.
So when catastrophe hit, he blamed God. His world came crashing down in a single day. It was a day when his children were celebrating, and coming all at once, these events were way too much to be a coincidence
In one day –
- the Sabeans hit – taking all 1000 oxen, and 500 donkeys
- The Chaldeans swept in – and ran off with all of the camels
- Fire fell from the sky – burning up the sheep and the shepherds
- In each case – only one person was left to tell Job about it.
- And then when it seemed that things could not get worse…they did. A wind blew down the house his children were in and killed them all.
What you would do? Has anyone of us lost everything in one day? Everything you ever worked for? Your children? Your reputation and good name?
When Satan showed no mercy, he let us see who he really is.
In one day, the tangible things that we depend on for meaning and purpose, were gone. But there was something that Job still had, and we will come back to that in a minute.
But first – a couple of questions. How much trust do we put in our possessions? When people ask ‘what’s that guy worth?” is the usual answer, the way that we look at ourselves?
I know that as Christians, we say that our stuff is not our security. But if we lost it all, would our security disappear? Would we still believe that things were alright with God?
What about the people whom we love? What if one was taken – before their time or died violently? What would we think about God – allowing that to happen?
Nothing else hits home – like what happens in my home. Job lost all that he owned, in a day. All ten children for whom he prayed daily, were gone. We are talking about a crushed nest, not an empty one. No one made it out alive.
As we read on, it dawns on us that the rest of Job’s family abandoned him. We know this, because it is only after Job was restored by God – Job 42:11 that we read: “Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.
Why do you think that that happened? Why did they all cut and run? When Job was down and out, they still had homes, and food and money. Why did they disappear?
Was Job contagious? I mean, if God was punishing him, and they helped, would God get them too? Were they ‘fair-weather’ friends? Or were they only willing to give to those who did not need help? After all, you don’t want to create dependency. But then, how do we react when a brother or sister suffers misfortune? Are we absent by design? Or do we step in and step up to help?
On that day, Satan may have thought that he had won. In Satan’s world, Job had named his price. God had paid it and Satan had ripped it away, leaving scorched earth and bodies everywhere. Satan was wrong. Job still had God, and he still loved God. He was down but not out – without standing in the world, but in high standing with God.
Job went into mourning. He shaved his head and falling to the ground he worshipped God saying:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
What an incredible faith, in a story, just begun.
It is about a man like no other, who still thanked God for his life, when his life was all that he had. A man who trusted God, when his life made no sense. And a man who blessed the name of the Lord for only He is worthy. Job’s life was not about Job, nor should ours be.