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The book of Job begins with a simple introduction to the man.
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. (Job 1:1)
How many people do you know, who you would call "blameless"? If you were writing someone's biography, would your opening summary of their life read like Job's? This is an exceptional characterization!
Next we have brief comments about Job's family and wealth.
He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. (Job 1:2-3)
But there's more to say about Job's family life.
His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. (Job 1:4)
The inclusion of his daughters reflects Job's progressive attitude regarding the role of women in a society that would normally exclude them.
When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom. (Job 1:5)
Though his children were clearly grown, Job still took his responsibility as a father seriously. Job offered sacrifices on behalf of his children; and it is natural to believe he involved them in the practice. To think that a tribal chief performed these sacrifices alone makes no sense—he must certainly have mentored his children through this repeated ritual of purification.
Job's troubles begin after a "staff meeting" between God and angels, a meeting which Satan apparently crashed. You've probably heard the account, which we'll cover soon—Satan demanded, and God granted, permission to hurt Job.
This seems unfair, doesn't it? Why should we be victims of a heavenly feud, pawns in another race's jockeyings for position? Because this is so troublesome, let's talk about this first, before moving on to Job's hardships.
We don't know much about heavenly meetings among angels, but we do have one clue. In the early part of Ephesians 3, Paul discusses God's decision to extend salvation to the Gentiles, joining Gentile believers to the community of Jewish believers (v 6). He points out that this extension of salvation to Gentiles was unknown in the past, but was revealed by God in Paul's day (v 5), and that God gave Paul the job of reaching the Gentiles (v 8).
Why did God do all this? Paul explains at least one of God's reasons:
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 3:10)
In other words, God did this to teach his wisdom to angels. To paraphrase verse 10: God did this so that today, using the church, the leading angels would learn the multi-layered wisdom of God.
Did you know that angels attend professional development seminars? It's true! Managing affairs in the vast kingdom of heaven requires great wisdom, and angels need to learn. God himself teaches the classes. And He prepares the teaching materials, which, this verse says, include the church. That's you and me—the teaching materials.
Now we won't carry this idea to extremes: you do not exist to be an object lesson in some angelic classroom. And yet, among the many things that God is managing, one is that He arranges circumstances in this world in order to teach angels.
I believe it was just such a teaching setting that is described next in Job's story:
One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. (Job 1:6)
After some introductory small talk, God, in full view of possibly millions of angels, directs the discussion this way:
Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." (Job 1:8)
Did you know God brags about you? Yes, that's what's happening here! In the course of teaching angels, God says, "Have you noticed my servant Harry?" "Have you seen my servant Eva?" Fill in your own name. God has invested a lot of effort in you. He is proud of what He has accomplished in you, and He isn't shy talking about it.
But Satan, "the accuser" (as Revelation 12:10 calls him), is sure Job has an ulterior motive for his faithfulness to God.
"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." (Job 1:9-11)
"Job doesn't really love You," Satan tells God. "He's just in it for the benefits. If you take away the big payoff you're giving Job, he'll quickly drop his religion."
Why should God care what Satan says about Job? God knew it wasn't true. Couldn't He just ignore it? Why did He have to involve Job in the painful way He did?
The problem here was that Satan's comments were not harmless—they affected someone. In this angelic "professional development seminar", God was teaching His wisdom to angels. In front of everyone, Satan stood up and said, "God's wisdom doesn't really work—it's just an illusion, propped up by tricks and payoffs." If God failed to answer this charge, many angels would be affected; their faith would be affected. (Oh yes, we can speak of the faith of angels—James 2:19 speaks of the faith of demons!)
God has invested a lot in your faith. Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44). If you came to Jesus, God took steps to make that happen. And just as God works to build your faith, God works to build the faith of angels. Just as God stands guard against things that affect your faith, God guards against attacks on angels' faith. Just as God "is able to keep you from falling" (Jude 24), He works for angels.
But not only does God work to build your faith. God was also hurt in the struggle to rescue you. God the Son was rejected and alone; He was wrongly criticized; in the end He was tortured and killed—all this to make your faith possible.
God goes to great lengths to protect His people. And yet, just as God was hurt for us, He asks us to be willing to be hurt for others. Many scriptures say this. "To this [suffering] you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." (1 Peter 2:21) "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him" (Phillipians 1:29). "… we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings" (Romans 8:17).
And so, in order to build the faith of possibly millions of angels—not to mention us who read his book—God "shared" His suffering with Job.
The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:12)
Satan's attacks, and Job's losses, were sudden, and severe beyond words.
One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" (Job 1:13-19)
Imagine! Job has lost nearly everything that matters to a man. If we cast this into modern terms, Job lost his children, his job, his car(s), his house; he and his wife—he hasn't lost her, yet—have moved to a run-down apartment in a poor neighborhood, with nothing.
Yet Job's handling of this horrible loss proves, in the sight of all those watching angels, that God was right and Satan was wrong.
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. (Job 1:20-22)
Job's relationship with God was not benefits-driven. He loved God when he was rich, and he loved God when he was poor. As the Apostle Paul said, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Phillipians 4:12)
All those angels could see that God's wisdom was true wisdom.
The time came for the next training seminar.
On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. (Job 2:1)
This was the time to review the evidence that followed from Job's time of hardship. Here's what should have happened: God presents the evidence, and all agree on the finding; God was right; God's wisdom is true wisdom; Job's faithfulness to God is real, and not a way to manipulate wealth from God; God's effort to convert sinful mankind is successful, right to the core of man's being.
Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason." (Job 2:3)
But Satan refused to buy it.
"Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face." (Job 2:4-5)
To everyone's astonishment, Satan replies, "You haven't proven your case yet, God. Job's faith is still a good bargain. Even though the benefits are reduced, he still worships you for those benefits. If You want to find out if Job really loves You, You have to be harder on him."
What is it worth to God to build an angel's faith? How much is He willing to invest in it? How far should He go to teach them His wisdom?
Well — how far did He go to build your faith? What trouble has He taken to teach you His wisdom?
Although it's obvious God knew Job's faith was real, the faith of many others—angels—hung in the balance. And though Job didn't deserve the pain he was going through, those angels had a need. And once again, God called on Job to suffer, as God Himself has suffered, to meet their need.
The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life." (Job 2:6)
The next thing Job lost was his health.
So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. (Job 2:7-8)
Then his marriage became unhappy; the stress was too much for his wife.
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. (Job 2:9-10)
"Your religion isn't paying off any more," she told Job. "Give it up. Why worship a God who doesn't deliver benefits?" But Job's faith didn't depend on benefits. It was real.
Next was the loss of the friendship of his three infamous friends, who came ostensibly to comfort him, but in fact caused him much emotional pain. We'll see more about this later.
There were more losses, that weren't spelled out in these early verses, but were felt sharply by Job. One that must have galled him was the loss of public respect. Job describes his standing in the community:
When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square, the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet… Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me … Men listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel. After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears. (Job 29:7-8, 11, 21-22)
But when Job's troubles began, his fickle public turned on him:
But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs … And now their sons mock me in song; I have become a byword among them. They detest me and keep their distance; they do not hesitate to spit in my face … my dignity is driven away as by the wind (Job 30:1, 9-10, 15b)
Before we move into the dialog between Job and his three friends, which occupies the bulk of the book of Job, let's glance ahead to the end of the story. Job regained his wealth and his public standing, and had a second family:
After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters … After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years. (Job 42:10-13, 16-17)
But there was a lot of heartache before the better times came.
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