Suffering and Grace - Series Part -3

This post is continuations of the sermon series Suffering and Grace that pastor Sam gave in Grace Gospel Church. The sermon focuses on the introductory verses of the Book of Job (Job 1:1-5), presenting the protagonist, Job, before the dramatic events of the story unfold. The story of Job is estimated to have occurred around 2000-1800 B.C.. The Book of Job itself is described as a gripping drama, a theological treatise on suffering and divine sovereignty, and a picture of enduring faith. The initial verses set the scene, portraying a man who seems to embody the ideal of a well-run world where righteousness leads to prosperity.

The author tells us five things about Job in the opening verses:

• His Place: The land of Uz. This is a general term referring to various peoples who lived east of the promised land.

• His Name: Job.

• His Godliness: His character is presented as the first really significant detail.

• His Greatness: Described in terms of his family and possessions.

• His Anxiety: Revealed by his actions concerning his children.

Job's Character

Job's character is the primary focus of the introduction. We are told four things about him that describe his "constant nature," not just occasional actions:

1. Blameless: This word fundamentally speaks of genuineness and authenticity. Job is not presented as perfect (only one perfect man has walked the earth), but as a genuine believer. Like Christ who challenged his enemies to convict him of sin, Job challenges his friends to find sin in his life, and in both cases, the challenge goes unanswered. Job achieves this by discipline.

2. Upright: In his human relationships, Job is described as straightforward. His relationships were marked by right dealing.

3. Feared God: This speaks to his religion, which was shaped by humble piety. While Job did not have the full knowledge of the law as later Israel did (where the fear of the Lord is described as an "affectionate reverence" by which a child of God humbly bends to their Father's law), his fear of God consisted of a devout, pious reverence for God and a desire to please Him in all he knew. He honored God as God and gave thanks to Him. Job was a genuinely religious man in the best sense of the word. As the book develops, it becomes clear that Job initially believed God was both sovereign and just.

4. Turned Away From Evil: This demonstrates Job's godly morality, which issues from his religion. As he navigated life, he resolutely stayed on the "straight and upright path" and avoided the "crooked byways of sin". To turn away from sin is to repent. Thus, Job's character was marked by daily repentance, a habitual turning away from evil in his thoughts, words, and deeds.

Job's life was marked by repentance and faith, which are presented as the enduring marks of a believer. He is bracketed with Noah and Daniel in Ezekiel as a man of conspicuous righteousness. Noah was righteous by faith, and the sermon asserts that Job was too, stating that no sinner has ever been righteous before God in any other way.

Job is presented as God's best representative of His purpose for man on earth. His life is described as "perfect" in meeting all of God's demands according to the knowledge he had. He is presented as an epitome of the Wisdom School of righteousness.

The natural consequence of Job's godliness is presented as his greatness. The sermon posits this as reflecting a perspective where the world is as it ought to be, with godly people prospering.

• Family: Job had seven sons and three daughters. Seven symbolizes completeness, and sons were special blessings in pastoral cultures. The ten children total a good number, speaking of an ideal family. Children are described as a "heritage from the LORD," and having a full "quiver" is a blessing. This large family signifies Job's greatness and blessing.

• Possessions: Job was a very wealthy man, described as a farmer with both crops and extensive herds and flocks. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, along with very many servants. This is a picture of great wealth and power. He was a local dignitary, prominent in the city gate. His wealth made him "the greatest of all the people of the east". His wealth in family and possessions exemplifies the idea that God rewards righteousness with prosperity.

Job fits the role of a self-made man who achieved greatness with impeccable ethics. His righteousness and God's rewards made him a "living legend". However, the sermon notes that righteousness rewarded by riches doesn't guarantee a worthy person, and wealth can sometimes lead to arrogance or an insatiable appetite. Job's relationship with his family shows he could handle wealth without arrogance or greed.

Job's Anxiety and Role as Father-Priest

Despite the apparent harmony and happiness of his family life, the introduction reveals a deep anxiety and care in Job's heart. His sons held regular feasts, and his daughters joined them, depicting family harmony and innocent festivity. However, after these feasts, Job would habitually rise early and offer burnt offerings for all his children.

• The Sacrifice: Job offered a burnt offering for each child individually. A burnt offering was a very expensive sacrifice, where the entire animal was consumed, picturing God's hot anger burning up the animal in the worshipper's place. This practice suggests Job's zeal and a sense of urgency about their spiritual state.

• The Reason for Anxiety: Job's motivation was his concern that his children might have "sinned, and cursed God in their hearts". He worried that despite outward appearances, they might not honor God deep down or might secretly wish God didn't exist. Job understands that true godliness resides in the heart, not just outward behavior. Cursing God in the heart is considered a terribly serious offense with an eternal death penalty if not atoned for.

• Job's Belief in Sacrifice: Job believed in the atoning power of sacrifice. By offering these sacrifices continually, year after year, the godly Job covered any potential secret sin in his children's hearts. This shows he did not communicate a joyless religion but set a tone of spiritual responsibility for his family.

• Father as Priest: In the ancient land of the East, the father of the family held the responsibility of priest, as there was no established priesthood like later in Israel. Job took the initiative for this role and faithfully followed it, serving as intercessor and mediator for the spiritual life of his children. Pastor Sam laments that modern fathers often delegate this priestly function to the church.

Setting the Scene

The introduction to Job is presented as setting an ideal, happy scene: a good man is a great man, and a pious man is a prosperous man. It reflects a world where the prosperity gospel seems true. However, there is a shadow: the possibility that people, even those blessed by God, might be impious in their hearts and wish God were dead. Job's actions highlight this dark possibility in human hearts; he knows that by nature, people do not honor God as God or give thanks to Him (referencing Romans 1:21). Only sacrifice, Job believes, can cover such sin in the heart.

In summary, the opening verses of Job present a man described as "perfect" in righteousness, blessed with "perfect" riches and a "perfect" family, making him the "greatest of all the people of the East". He is genuine, upright, God-fearing, and turns away from evil, marked by faith and repentance. This righteousness appears to be rewarded by prosperity, fitting a seemingly ideal picture. However, the narrative immediately introduces Job's deep concern about the potential sin in his children's hearts, leading him to act faithfully and diligently as a father-priest, offering sacrifices continually for them. This sets the stage for the challenges to come. Job's life, despite its initial blessings, was built on God, allowing him to endure the tests he faced.