Last time, we completed the examination of all the Old Testament prophets leading up to the Babylonian captivity of the Hebrews, as well as to their return home 70 years later, in the 10-part series Bringing Hope to the Darkness.
Now, we are going to examine an uncharacteristic model of patience and faith, in the person of Job. Job was a Gentile, and his story appears to exist outside of the Old Testament narrative of the journey of the Jewish children of God. Indeed, he is not mentioned anywhere until we get to the book of Ezekiel (around the time of the destruction of the first Temple).
Note however, many biblical scholars contend that it is the oldest book in the Bible, because of its patriarchal-type setting.
Job is introduced to us as both a man of great wealth and of righteous character. Then, the stage is shifted heavenward to Jehovah’s throne. The devil approaches God, and He asked him where he had been. Satan answers, saying that he was on the earth.
God then asks him if he had seen His righteous servant, Job. Satan retorts that Job is only righteous because He had blessed him so greatly and that if those blessings were to be taken away, Job would curse Him.
He is sure of Job’s righteousness; so, he allows the devil to strip away all that he possesses – even his children. (On the surface, this seems cruel and unjust. However, you will see that God uses Job’s trials and tribulations to create glory for Himself – through how He honors those who are faithful, as well as seeing how He can provide hope and assurance for anyone who is afflicted in life.
Satan does his thing, and Job finds himself a pauper and a childless father. He grieves, yet, he does not curse His God:
“I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!” In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. Jb. 1:21, 22. NLT
The devil returns to Jehovah and finds Him very pleased with Job’s actions. Satan protests, purporting that the only reason that Job reacted that way was because he suffered no personal injury. He said that if God would rob him of his health, he would indeed curse Him.
God gives the devil a little more rope; but He tells him that he cannot take Job’s life. Subsequently, Satan strikes Job with painful boils. Job sits in the dirt, in resignation. Even his wife screams at him to curse Jehovah. Job responds:
“Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Jb. 2:10 NKJV
Life happens, but God never throws things towards you at random. Everything that He puts in your path has to do with spurring you on to your highest purpose, even if we can’t understand how it could at the time. (For example, I have been waiting for over 12 years to try to get my daughter LEGALLY immigrated to this country, hoping that this is the year, and not understanding the delay, but keeping the faith).
All of His trials consist of love lessons that are sent to you repeatedly, until you grasp their meaning and take right action. It’s always about bringing you closer to Him by making you more like His Son:
So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Cor. 3:18 NLT
Hearing of Job’s crises, three of his friends come and sit with him for seven days, hoping to bring him some comfort. On the last day, he caves in to self-pity, bemoaning the day of his birth and his present situation. Still, even in his despair, we can find some jewels of Divine wisdom:
“Why is life given to those with no future, those God has surrounded with difficulties?” Jb. 3:23 NLT
Some people have a rougher time in life than others, many with seemingly no tangible reason. Yet, it is how we respond to our circumstances that determine whether we will expand as a human being. We must learn from the events that happen to ourselves and to others.
I also believe that God uses adversity as a tool to bring those to Him that would otherwise not have sought Him out – to save them.
Job wails again:
“What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true.” Jb. 3:25 NLT
Another pearl of wisdom. Job was a worrywart – even when everything was going his way. Worry keeps fear at the forefront of your mind, but Jesus has a cure for that:
“For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Mt. 11:30 NLT
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life…” Mt. 6:25 NLT
After Job’s little pity party, one of the three friends tell him to be happy about his situation:
“But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.” Jb. 5:17 NLT
True. But his friend is assuming that Job’s lot is because he had sinned.
One of the other friends states that he should be happy his situation isn’t worse:
“Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve!” Jb. 11:6 NLT
Job becomes fed up with his ‘friends,’ and tells them that when the Messiah comes, He will make him right with God:
“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon this earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!” Jb. 19:25, 26. NLT
Amen. As you know, this is one of the earliest mentions of Christ in the Bible.
Job’s friends start in on him again, turning it into an attack / defend discourse. Job’s rebuttals, as justified as they might be, begin to take on the stench of self-righteousness.
A fourth friend of Job has arrived and has been listening in on the conversation. He gets angry at Job for trying to justify himself and he criticizes the other three friends for condemning job without cause. Then, he tells Job that he is wasting his time trying to figure out the nature of God’s big picture and how his situation fits into it:
“Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this, for God is greater than man. Why do you complain against Him that He does not give you an account of all His doings?” Jb. 33:12 NASB
Accurate. Jehovah’s big picture will always elude us to some degree because we cannot grasp plans made on a universal-sized scale. Yet, He tells us what we need to know to continue to stay in those plans:
“He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls upon people as they lie in their beds. He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death.” Jb. 33:15 – 18. NLT
The fourth friend then presses upon Job the need to be patient:
“You say you can’t see him, but he will bring justice if you will only wait.” Jb. 35:14 NLT
God’s timing does not synch with our desired timing, but it is always perfect in its time.
His friend wraps up his discourse with an acknowledgement of Jehovah’s majesty, and he asks Job to consider how blessed he is to be a part of His design:
“God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.” Jb. 37:5 NKJV
“Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God!” Jb. 37:14 NLT
At this point, God Himself shows up in a whirlwind! He first addresses Job, telling him that none of his assumptions are true.
Then He asks him rhetorically if he was present when God created the earth, the stars, angels, the weather or the galaxies. He continues, by asking him if he could tame and take care of all the animals in the world; and then He pauses.
You got know that Job’s knees are quaking by this point. Finally, Jehovah asks the question that His big build-up was leading up to:
“Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” Jb. 40:2 NLT
Job immediately humbles himself and repents before His Maker:
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted…Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” Jb. 42:2, 3. ESV
“I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” Jb. 42:6 NLT
Jehovah is a loving and merciful God. It doesn’t matter what we have done, even if it was directed against Him. He knows you can’t grasp the big picture. So, here God is demonstrating His unchanging character, and His desire for you to stay on His path.
When you fall off, (and we all do), confess and repent, and love and mercy will always follow.
God then addressed Job’s first three friends, dressing them down for their judgment of Job, and for their misrepresentation of Him and His ways. He demands their repentance and says that if Job will pray for them, they will not be chastised harshly.
Job willingly prayed for them. How did God respond?
When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before!…So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. Jb. 42:10 & 12. NLT
Notice that Job grew prosperous when he prayed for others. Also note that even though he indulged in self-pity and self-righteousness, he never cursed his God. He never lost faith.
God loves you. There is a reason for everything that is happening around you. Ask God why, so that you can learn from it. Ask Him to strengthen you so that you can move through it and grow thereby.
There are no bad times with God; only loving lessons that we need…
Goodnight and God bless.