Job 1
Introduction
In our upside-down civilization in the United States, the major theological question asked by the culture has shifted away from “does God exist?” For years so-called atheists have sought to convince the culture that God does not exist. There has always been a logical fallacy to the atheistic argument. They cannot prove that God does not exist any more than any other supernatural phenomenon can be proven. By definition, the supernatural exists or does not exist beyond human comprehension.
An increasing number of people in our culture have moved from the question about the existence of God to the question of “is God good.” This question is central to theodicy, a defense of God, particularly regarding the problem of evil in the world. How does evil exist if God is sovereign, wholly good, and all-powerful? We live in a broken and fallen world where evil abounds. One needs to only read or listen to the news to prove my point. The question of whether God is good is at the heart of the biblical book of Job. The book’s central theme concerns faith in a sovereign God and asks the question, can God be trusted?
Job is a profound biblical text. It sets out to show why human suffering exists. Often these reasons are hidden from those who are suffering. While God is intensely concerned about humanity, he does not always answer our most agonizing questions.
Job’s friends came to comfort him, but Job calls them miserable comforters. Their best pastoral care for Job occurs in chapter 2 when they wept and sat with him in silence for seven days. In caring for those suffering, often the best thing that we can do is cry with them and sit in silence. When Job’s friends opened their mouths, they moved from caring to judgment, demonstrating a distorted view of theology, and sinful arrogance. They believed that all suffering is punishment for wrongdoing. They called on Job to identify his sin and repent of it. Then he would be restored. Their assumptions about some grievous sin that Job had committed were wrong.
The author is anonymous. He was a wise man with a fondness for wisdom literature and proverbs, quoting them in stating his arguments. The author of Job was a Hebrew, thoroughly immersed in the Hebrew Scriptures. He was well-traveled, as confirmed through his knowledge of various animals and plant life revealed in the text. Like many of the wise, he used nature analogies to explain and defend moral truths. The book is written for those who struggle with the justice of a sovereign God in a world filled with suffering. Even in his suffering, Job could declare, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (19:25). Job is committed to loving and trusting the one who seems to be attacking him, even when he does not comprehend the reasons for his suffering.
The dating of Job is difficult. It could have been written before Moses, which would make it the oldest book in the Bible. Other scholars date Job to different periods of history, some as late as the post-exilic period.
Today we will examine Job 1 and the encouragement and lessons it teaches about God, wealth, suffering, and worship.
Who Is Job?
Job was blameless. He was a man of integrity, but not without sin. Integrity has been defined by Chuck Swindoll and others as what people are like when no one else sees them. Job was not perfect (sinless perfection). If he had been, there would have been no need for him to repent. However, according to the witness of Job 42:6, he repented before the holy Lord. Job was upright. The truth of his exemplary character is described by the phrases “he feared God” and “he turned away from evil.” Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and is recognition of the power, holiness, and sovereignty of God. It also means an encompassing reverence and awe of God.[1] These characteristics are rare in our culture. In fact, many believers are functional atheists in that they live like God does not exist. We need a healthy fear of God in our lives.
I have been reading a book entitled Scripture-Guided Worship by Joseph Crider. He notes that we so often focus on how close God is to us, that he is our friend, our helper, our comforter, etc., that we forget about the transcendent nature of God. It is true that he is immanent and desires a relationship with us through Jesus Christ, but he is also transcendent, greater than one we can fully grasp. He is the sovereign Creator of the universe. When we worship, our attention must first focus on the Lord God Almighty, whose ways are higher than our ways and whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). He is the only one worthy of worship and he is the object of our adoration. If worship fails to focus on God as the object, then we have failed to worship at all. God the Father desires a relationship with us through Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. He chooses to be near us and involved in our lives. He is our friend, redeemer, and comforter.[2] God reveals himself to be both transcendent and immanent in the Scriptures, but if our focus is only on God’s nearness, “We become inclined to think of God as our Therapist. We want comfort, healing, and inspiration most deeply, so that is what we seek from him.”[3] However, before we can experience healing, there must be a healer.
Job was a blameless and upright man who understood both the transcendent and immanent characteristics of God. He was wealthy in land, sheep, cattle, oxen, donkeys, and servants. He was known as the greatest of all the people of the east. Though we do not know the exact location of Uz, the Scripture tells us it was east of where the Hebrews lived.
The Lord blessed Job and his wife with seven sons and three daughters. His family was the joy of Job’s life. They were close to each other and enjoyed each other’s company, as is evidenced by their regular gatherings to celebrate feasts on each of his children’s days. The Scripture does not reveal what their days were, perhaps birthdays, but we do not know for sure. When the brothers gathered to celebrate, they always invited their sisters. When the days of the feast were over, Job consecrated his children and offered burnt offerings for them all in case they had sinned against God or perhaps cursed God in their hearts. Job did this continually, functioning as the spiritual leader of his household.
The Accuser
The next section of the chapter is an abrupt change in scene and content. In verse 6, the curious phrase “the sons of God” is specified. Robert Alden in his commentary on Job points out that they were both plural in number and subordinate to God. The same phrase is used in Genesis 6. The sons of God were most likely a reference to angels who were messengers that did God’s bidding. Apparently, God has a council or a cabinet of angelic beings.
It is also curious that “Satan” is with this heavenly council. The term means the accuser. It has roots in the realm of a court of law where Satan serves as the prosecuting attorney. He is always searching for reasons to accuse people before God. Satan is identified by other names in the Scriptures. There are so many that I will not list them all in the context of this text. However, Revelation 12:9 states, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” He is the archenemy of God. In our current passage, Satan accused a good man of doing evil before God, a strategy he continues to this day.
Yahweh asked Satan where he had been. Satan’s response is both allusive and inclusive. He said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” It is allusive because of the lack of specificity, and it is inclusive because the whole earth is the object of his accusations. The Lord asked Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil?” Satan answered with a question, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” God refused to stretch out his hand on Job and his family, but he allowed Satan to stretch out his hand toward Job, but he limited what Satan could do. He told the evil one that he could not attack Job personally.
The Devasting Attacks of Satan
Satan departed from the Lord’s presence and attacked Job at an opportune time. He hit Job from every side. On a day when Job’s sons and daughters were celebrating a feast at their oldest brother’s home, a messenger came to Job and told him that his oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding next to them when the Sabeans, a nomadic group, took all the animals and slayed Job’s servants. The messenger was the only survivor. While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived who reported to Job that the fire of God fell and burned up his sheep and the servants, consuming them, and he alone was the only survivor. While he was yet speaking, another messenger came and told Job that the Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid taking all the camels and slaying the servants with the sword, and only the messenger who escaped reported the information to Job. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and told him that as his sons and daughters were eating at their older brother’s house, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house. It fell on Job’s children and killed them all, and he alone escaped to tell Job.
Blessed Be the Name of the Lord
As the news that all of Job’s children had been killed and his wealth destroyed, Job arose, tore his clothes, and shaved his head. These were signs of humility and deep grief. The natural question most people would ask is, why has this happened to me. Job saw no answer that would suffice, as is usually the case. When we find ourselves in positions of deep emotional sorrow and grief, the best question for us to ask is, what are you trying to teach me, Lord, in the midst of these sorrows. When we ask why did this happen to us, we often fall into the pit of the unknown, focusing on ourselves rather than God. It is easy to have a pity party and invite all who will question God to join you. Sin and misery loves company. By asking what God is trying to teach us, we affirm the sovereignty and goodness of the Lord. We look to the great physician to provide comfort and to walk with us through our pain. He is with us and will never forsake us.
Instead of drowning in self-pity, Job chose to fall on his knees and worship the Lord. His words spoke truth into his life as they continue to speak to us today. In fact, we sang most of these words earlier in our service. Job said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.” In Ecclesiastes, Solomon explored the purpose of life and found it all to be vain and empty outside of the Lord. We bring nothing with us into this world, and when we die, all that we have worked for will be left behind. We can take nothing with us other than the gift of salvation, graciously given to us by the Lord. We could never earn it, but it is the free gift of God that leads to eternal life. There is nothing we can do to deserve it. Salvation is God’s gracious gift to us. The Lord Jesus took our sins on his body on the cross. Only he can wash away our sins. Salvation is God’s plan enacted through the faithful obedience of Jesus Christ. We are empowered to be obedient witnesses to all that God has done for us through the Holy Spirit. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit work together for our good. God in three persons, but only one essence. The Lord gives and has the freedom and right to remove his blessings at any time. He is the sovereign Lord.
It is easy to follow the Lord when his blessings surround us. It is much more difficult when we face hard times. I am reminded of Chris Tomlin’s song “Blessed Be Your Name”
“Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful
Where streams of abundance flow, blessed be your name.
Blessed be your name when I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be your name.
Every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say,
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be your glorious name.
Blessed be your name when the sun is shining down on me,
When the world’s all as it should be blessed be your name.
Blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering,
Though there’s pain in the offering, blessed be your name.
Every blessing your pour out I’ll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say,
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be your glorious name.
You give and take away; you give and take away.
My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be your glorious name.
In Job’s worship he proclaimed, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” He chose volitionally to praise the Lord in good times and bad. Satan, as is often the case, was wrong about Job. He did not curse God to his face but praised his holy name. In all of this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.
Conclusion
So, what does this first chapter of Job teach us about God’s sovereignty and goodness?
- We live in a broken and fallen world where bad things happen, even to good people.
- God rules and he reigns. He holds all authority. He is faithful and is always worthy of our trust through the good and bad.
- Even our archenemy, Satan, is subject to the authority of God, who limits his activity. When Christ returns, Satan will account for all that he has done and will spend eternity in the lake of fire, separated from the presence of God’s goodness and grace. All that he will know of God in hell is his wrath and justice.
- God is always good and can be fully trusted. He will never leave or forsake us. He is always at work, even when we cannot see it, for our good. He conforms us to the image of his son, the heart of spiritual formation.
- Trust the Lord and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your path upright. Trust his character even when you do not understand. When you cannot see his plan, trust his heart.
[1]Robert L. Alden, Job, The New American Commentary, vol. 11 (Nashville, TN: B&H, 1993), 48.
[2]Joseph R. Crider, Scripture-Guided Worship (Fort Worth, TX: Seminary Hill, 2021), 69-76.
[3]David F. Wells, God in the Whirlwind: How the Holy-Love of God Reorients Our World (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014), 24.