Job’s Lessons
A friend recenly made me aware of a revelation in the book of Job. But before I tell you more about my friend and what was revealed, let’s look at five things we learn from the book of Job. Certainly there are more than five. Maybe you can find more!
1. Job’s Fear
In the book of Job we read about a man with a large family, great wealth, and a great fear. This great fear caused the loss of Job’s wealth and his family. What was Job fearful about? We read in Chapter 1:5 that Job offered continual (often) sacrifices for his family, particularly his sons – fearing they had sinned (verse 5). So the first lesson we will learn is that Job’s fear cost him.
2. God’s View of Job
Let’s read the first verse of Chapter 1 to understand how God saw Job. God saw Job as blameless and upright and one who feared God and shunned evil. Yet he also had a fear that his children were not… upright and righteous. Job’s fear opened the door for Satan to ask God to test Job’s faith. The lesson we learn is that God knows our heart yet allows us to be tested, sometimens by others and sometimes by the enemy. If we will allow Him, God will use these times to increase our understanding of Who He is.
God repeats what we read in Ch. 1:1, in verse 8. God gave Satan permission to touch all that belonged to Job but gave him clear instructions no to lay a hand on his person (v.12). The chapters continue with Job losing all that he possessed including his family in a day. We read the well-known passage in v.21
– “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I shall return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Although God did not take away, Job believed He did, yet he did not sin or charge God with a wrong. Let’s reflect on this a moment. I think of the verse, “Every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). Because Job believed that God was just and perfect, this kept him from cursing God. How do we view things in our life when it is not going the way we planned? If God is Lord of our lives, we must embrace that He is fully aware of our situation and is working on it as we stay steadfast in our faith in Him and His word.
3. Job’s friends
Job was well known in Uz and had many friends. He had 3 come to him and offer solutions to his situation. All unjustified, non the less, his friends held fast to their beliefs for his tragedies. What a tragedy for his friends to bring condemnation instead of comfort. With friends like those who needs enemies! Oh, a fourth friend, a young man, waited until all the older men spoke then contradicted Job in a different way. Because Job continued to deny that he had sinned and that he was righteous before God, a statement made by this young friend opened the door to some truth for Job. Chapter 35:2 – Do you say “My righteousness is more than God’s?”
4. God Answers Job
Remember the beginning, where Satan approached God about Job? In between we read about the discourse between Job and his friends in Chapters 38-41, but God had the last word. This reminds me of John 10:10 when Jesus says, the thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. In Chapter 42 God speaks. Job listens. Job repents. God restores twice what satan stole from Job.
5. Job’s Prophetic Word
Keep in mind that the book of Job is said to be the oldest book in the Bible. Let’s backtrack to Chapter 9 where Job has lost everything but his wife. Even she told Job to curse God. He is in a back and forth ‘court’ with his friends. One of my friends, Isaac Stooksberry, founder of Big Fish Ministries, recently brought this revelation to my attention from the Book of Job. Job cried out in Chapter 9:32-33 and said, “For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him, and that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator between us Who may lay his hand on us both.”
This reminds me of I Timothy 2:5 – “for there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” Also, Hebrews 9:14-15 – The writer reveals who and why a Mediator is necessary….how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant... Job was born way before the covenant God made with Abraham, but God showed Job the need for a mediator to make him righteous before God. Not Job’s own righteousness, but God’s through the Mediator, Jesus Christ.
Friend, we are on the other side of the Cross. Jesus made the final sacrifice. We don’t have to fear like Job did, but we can embrace the truth that Jesus is our Mediator so when we sin, we have forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. Our righteousness is in Him – the sinless lamb of God.
Until next time, spend some time with the Father. He is always for you!
Dr. Michele
December 14, 2024
