Reverend Paul Anderson has a daily devotional on Facebook titled, “The Daily Wad.” Just as with a wad of gum that can be chewed on for a long time, so his short devotional, his "Daily Wad", is intended to be thought about throughout the day.
These two verses in Job chapter one are just such a couple of verses -- there is a wealth of spiritual truth packed into this discourse between Jehovah and the Satan.
Job 1:8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil." 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing? (NAS)
This really is a phenomenal book – and outlined for us in verses 6-12 is this extraordinary meeting between the Everlasting God and the Accuser. Following a general, “Where have you been?” type of question, God gets down to brass tacks. Wouldn’t you have loved to have been a mouse in the corner listening firsthand to this conversation?
“Have you considered (literally, “placed your heart upon”) My servant Job?” Wow, what a title is given to Mr. Integrity! God doesn’t say, “Have you considered the richest cattleman of the east?” or “Have you set your heart upon the internationally famous Job of Uz?” FIA says this, “He speaks about Job with affection and pride…the word translated servant…is often used in the Old Testament as a title of honor.” And K&D write, “Jehovah triumphantly displays His servant, the incomparable one.”
Our greatest aspiration in the kingdom of God should be toward servanthood. Jesus said in the New Testament, "But it is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant.” (Mark 10:43). And the apostle Paul’s greatest letter to the New Testament church in Rome begins simply, “Paul, a servant…” But servanthood goes against the grain of our culture. We are enamored by titles. At my place of employment a lot of people put their job titles and educational degrees next to their names in their email signatures. There is nothing wrong with that, but perhaps as Christians our first desire should be to put something like:
John Doe
A servant of the Most High God
“Have you considered…?” I wonder how many of the circumstances that we go through in life have had their origins in just such a meeting? In the New Testament, on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus told Peter, “Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.” Perhaps in our current world, God says, “Mr. Satan, have you considered my servant Helen S.?” or “Mr. Satan, have you considered my servant Lois M.?” or “Mr. Satan have you considered my servant Tom M.?” The fact that God would have such faith in us is something to think about when we are going through tough times.
And then Jehovah continues, “There is no one like him on the earth…” Amazing! God looked down from heaven and said that this one guy named Job is different from every other person on the third planet from the sun!
He then reiterates the words found in verse one, “He is blameless, upright, fearing God, and turns away from evil.” It needs to be strongly asserted at the outset of this wonderful book that the integrity and the moral uprightness of Job is vital to the entire story. God never says that Job is sinless (and Job never claims that for himself); he needs a Redeemer like everyone else. But the Lord does say that there is a righteousness about him that is rarely seen. “There is none like him.” The words of verse one are repeated three times in the first two chapters, twice by God Himself!
There are those that would argue that Job suffered because of a certain sin or a lack of faith or because he had done this or had not done that. I disagree. But more on this when we get to chapters two and three.
Hearing the word “evil,” the “Evil One” went on the offensive, and the critic and cynic responded sneeringly, “Does Job fear God for nothing?” JFB state, “No true servant of God escapes the eye of the adversary of God.” The Satan’s implication? He only offers all those bulls and rams and lambs and goes to all that effort because it will keep his kids and family safe and businesses prospering! The Living Bible puts it this way, “Why shouldn’t he when you pay him so well? Satan scoffed.” Pope writes, “Yahweh knows that Satan takes a dim view of mankind and is convinced that every man has his price or breaking point.” JFB write, “(the Satan believes that) selfishness is at the bottom of even the best men’s religion.”
The following by FI Anderson needs to be read and reread and read again: “Cynicism is the essence of the satanic. The Satan believes nothing to be genuinely good – neither Job in his disinterested piety nor God in his disinterested generosity. Faith in God’s goodness is the heart of love and hope and joy and all other radiant things…he (the Satan) knows enough about religious people to be persuaded that they are in it for what they can get out of it…Satan’s argument is clever. Job’s godliness is artificial. It has never been proved by testing."
Is there a disinterested piety with you and I? Do we go to church or serve God simply because of what we can get out of it?
Barnes reminds us, “Of all such persons it may be appropriately asked, Do they fear God for nothing? True religion is not the result of circumstances…it is because God is worthy of our affections and confidence, and not merely because He will bless us-- and this religion will live through all external changes, and survive the destruction of the world. It will flourish in poverty as well as when surrounded by affluence…on a bed of pain as well as in vigorous health…when we are despised for our attachment to it as well as when the incense of flattery is burned around us…in the cottage as well as the palace…on the pallet of straw as well as on the bed of down.”
The Apostle John was banished to the gulag of his day and sentenced to hard labor on the small island of Patmos. While separated from family, friends and the churches he loved, this elderly servant of Jesus reminds us, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." Revelation 5:12
JFB = Commentary by Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
K&D = Commentary by Keil and Delitzsch
FIA = Commentary by FI Anderson
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Intruder Alert!
Chuck Swindoll says this in his commentary on Job, “Ponder the difference between the opening lines of Job 1:1 and 1:6: There was a man…there was a day.” The idyllic scene painted for us in verses 1-5 is about to be shattered.
Job 1:6, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.”
We are transported from the earthly scene of the land of Uz to a celestial General Council. In their commentary, Keil and Delitzsch make this statement, “He transfers us from earth to heaven where everything that is done on earth has its unseen roots –its final cause.” Jewish tradition has it that this council took place on New Year’s Day and the subsequent council of chapter two about seven months later on the Day of Atonement. Or perhaps they simply took place on two successive New Year’s Days. Whatever the exact date and whatever the exact time span between chapters one and two, we do know that Job was totally unaware of what was transpiring in heaven – he only saw the backside of the tapestry.
Adam Clarke writes that “expositions are endless” when theologians comment on the whole scenario of this heavenly council. As earthly ambassadors reside in embassies and are regularly required to travel back to their home country to detail to the head of state what transpired in their assigned countries, so it seems to be the same with the angels. In a nutshell, at this annual General Council the “sons of God” – the angels – came to present themselves before Jehovah and apparently had to give an account of their mission from the preceding year. At this same time they also received orders for their new assignment for the upcoming year.
(I imagine some rookie angel said to the Lord, “Ah, Sir, would it be possible to get an assignment down south? I’ve been stuck on Ellesmere Island by the Arctic Circle for the past five years counting polar bears.”
Jehovah: Well, how about Duluth, MN?
Rookie: Ummmm Sir, I was thinking a little farther south, like say the Caribbean.
Jehovah: What? You don’t like Duluth?
Rookie: Ummmm Sir, haven’t You ever read Mark Twain? He said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in Duluth.”
Gabriel and Michael, the two bigwig archangels, rolling their eyes: Rookies……..)
Back to Job…
On one level of my grandson’s computer game, Jimmy Neutron – Boy Genius, the Yokians loudly report, “Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert!” Maybe there was a similar “Intruder Alert!” sounded in the midst of this celestial business meeting when “The Satan” made his grand entrance. His name is literally “HAA-Sah Tahn” or “the Sah Tahn” (from where we get our word “Satan”). And here it is more of a title than a name – it is not “Satan also came among them.” Its “The Satan also came among them.” I don’t believe he looked anything like the terrifying creatures that Hollywood has dreamed up. I believe he was a stunningly beautiful angelic being – and yet he was malevolently wicked and the epitome of evil. Volumes could be written about the derivation of his name and character of this malignant foe of God.
Some commentators take this approach to the origin of the name: In ancient kingdoms such as Persia, kings would often send out spies or secret police into their realm who would then report back about any dissension in the kingdom. Some of these master spies in Persia became known as “the Eyes and Ears of the king.” SD Luzatto suggests that the title “Satan” is derived from the word “roam” in verse 7 and that the Satan was kind of a spy roaming the earth who then reported back to God on the evil he found therein. Pope says, “As a roving secret agent, the Satan stood ready to accuse and indict his victim and serve as prosecutor.” While not necessarily agreeing with this theory about the origin of Satan’s name, Hartley pens, “The term ‘roaming’ suggests that he moved randomly about the earth, perhaps like an emperor’s spy looking for any secret disloyalty to the crown.”
I lean more toward the views of other commentators who say that the root of the name Satan means rather “to oppose at law, to be an adversary, to resist.” In a generic sense the Old Testament word “saa taan” means “one who opposes” or “one who stands in the way” (Numbers 22:22). Zechariah 3:1 says this, “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to satan (accuse or resist) him.” The Satan is the one who is always looking for failure and sin in humanity and then gleefully brings his findings before the heavenly assembly. Revelation says that Satan “accuses them before our God day and night.” This extraterrestrial Darth Vader is one who delights in the opportunity of charging holy men and women with hypocrisy.
In the Greek Old Testament he is known as “the Diabolos” from where we get our word “diabolical.”
Whether he is called the evil one, the devil, the wicked one, the great foe of God, the malignant one or “HAA-Sah Tahn,” he is the eternal foe of God who comes “only to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10).
Job 1:7 And the LORD said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ Then Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.’”
God wants an accounting of the Intruder’s activities and whereabouts. He answers, but with a rebellious snarl. Hartley says, “He is God’s primary antagonist…he answered God’s questions brusquely, reflecting a contemptuous attitude.”
“Going to and fro” could be translated “rowing about” as a mariner. JFB say the word means a perpetual hurriedness and restlessness which “characterizes himself and his followers.” (Satan would have us in a state of never-ending hurriedness and restlessness; the Good Shepherd on the other hand would have us resting and lying down in green pastures beside the still waters. Perhaps that’s something to remember during this Christmas season).
“…and walking around on it.” He wasn’t just going for a stroll on the beach, he was looking for trouble.
Adam Clarke says in his commentary, “It is now fashionable to deny the existence of this evil spirit…By leading men to disbelieve and deny his existence, he throws them off their guard; and is then their complete master, and they are led captive by him at his will.” And Swindoll says, “He is the most attractive, brilliant, powerful archangel that God ever created…Because he is invisible does not mean he is not real…he is engaged in a relentless commitment to destroying God’s people and opposing God’s plan.”
Never forget the words of Peter, “Be of sober {spirit,} be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8 NASV
But also remember that even though he may be a superhuman being, compared to the Lord of hosts he is a puny superhuman being:
The prince of darkness grim
We tremble not for him
His rage we can endure
For lo his doom is sure
One little word shall fell him!
(Martin Luther, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”)
JFB = Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary
Job 1:6, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.”
We are transported from the earthly scene of the land of Uz to a celestial General Council. In their commentary, Keil and Delitzsch make this statement, “He transfers us from earth to heaven where everything that is done on earth has its unseen roots –its final cause.” Jewish tradition has it that this council took place on New Year’s Day and the subsequent council of chapter two about seven months later on the Day of Atonement. Or perhaps they simply took place on two successive New Year’s Days. Whatever the exact date and whatever the exact time span between chapters one and two, we do know that Job was totally unaware of what was transpiring in heaven – he only saw the backside of the tapestry.
Adam Clarke writes that “expositions are endless” when theologians comment on the whole scenario of this heavenly council. As earthly ambassadors reside in embassies and are regularly required to travel back to their home country to detail to the head of state what transpired in their assigned countries, so it seems to be the same with the angels. In a nutshell, at this annual General Council the “sons of God” – the angels – came to present themselves before Jehovah and apparently had to give an account of their mission from the preceding year. At this same time they also received orders for their new assignment for the upcoming year.
(I imagine some rookie angel said to the Lord, “Ah, Sir, would it be possible to get an assignment down south? I’ve been stuck on Ellesmere Island by the Arctic Circle for the past five years counting polar bears.”
Jehovah: Well, how about Duluth, MN?
Rookie: Ummmm Sir, I was thinking a little farther south, like say the Caribbean.
Jehovah: What? You don’t like Duluth?
Rookie: Ummmm Sir, haven’t You ever read Mark Twain? He said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in Duluth.”
Gabriel and Michael, the two bigwig archangels, rolling their eyes: Rookies……..)
Back to Job…
On one level of my grandson’s computer game, Jimmy Neutron – Boy Genius, the Yokians loudly report, “Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert!” Maybe there was a similar “Intruder Alert!” sounded in the midst of this celestial business meeting when “The Satan” made his grand entrance. His name is literally “HAA-Sah Tahn” or “the Sah Tahn” (from where we get our word “Satan”). And here it is more of a title than a name – it is not “Satan also came among them.” Its “The Satan also came among them.” I don’t believe he looked anything like the terrifying creatures that Hollywood has dreamed up. I believe he was a stunningly beautiful angelic being – and yet he was malevolently wicked and the epitome of evil. Volumes could be written about the derivation of his name and character of this malignant foe of God.
Some commentators take this approach to the origin of the name: In ancient kingdoms such as Persia, kings would often send out spies or secret police into their realm who would then report back about any dissension in the kingdom. Some of these master spies in Persia became known as “the Eyes and Ears of the king.” SD Luzatto suggests that the title “Satan” is derived from the word “roam” in verse 7 and that the Satan was kind of a spy roaming the earth who then reported back to God on the evil he found therein. Pope says, “As a roving secret agent, the Satan stood ready to accuse and indict his victim and serve as prosecutor.” While not necessarily agreeing with this theory about the origin of Satan’s name, Hartley pens, “The term ‘roaming’ suggests that he moved randomly about the earth, perhaps like an emperor’s spy looking for any secret disloyalty to the crown.”
I lean more toward the views of other commentators who say that the root of the name Satan means rather “to oppose at law, to be an adversary, to resist.” In a generic sense the Old Testament word “saa taan” means “one who opposes” or “one who stands in the way” (Numbers 22:22). Zechariah 3:1 says this, “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to satan (accuse or resist) him.” The Satan is the one who is always looking for failure and sin in humanity and then gleefully brings his findings before the heavenly assembly. Revelation says that Satan “accuses them before our God day and night.” This extraterrestrial Darth Vader is one who delights in the opportunity of charging holy men and women with hypocrisy.
In the Greek Old Testament he is known as “the Diabolos” from where we get our word “diabolical.”
Whether he is called the evil one, the devil, the wicked one, the great foe of God, the malignant one or “HAA-Sah Tahn,” he is the eternal foe of God who comes “only to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10).
Job 1:7 And the LORD said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ Then Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.’”
God wants an accounting of the Intruder’s activities and whereabouts. He answers, but with a rebellious snarl. Hartley says, “He is God’s primary antagonist…he answered God’s questions brusquely, reflecting a contemptuous attitude.”
“Going to and fro” could be translated “rowing about” as a mariner. JFB say the word means a perpetual hurriedness and restlessness which “characterizes himself and his followers.” (Satan would have us in a state of never-ending hurriedness and restlessness; the Good Shepherd on the other hand would have us resting and lying down in green pastures beside the still waters. Perhaps that’s something to remember during this Christmas season).
“…and walking around on it.” He wasn’t just going for a stroll on the beach, he was looking for trouble.
Adam Clarke says in his commentary, “It is now fashionable to deny the existence of this evil spirit…By leading men to disbelieve and deny his existence, he throws them off their guard; and is then their complete master, and they are led captive by him at his will.” And Swindoll says, “He is the most attractive, brilliant, powerful archangel that God ever created…Because he is invisible does not mean he is not real…he is engaged in a relentless commitment to destroying God’s people and opposing God’s plan.”
Never forget the words of Peter, “Be of sober {spirit,} be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8 NASV
But also remember that even though he may be a superhuman being, compared to the Lord of hosts he is a puny superhuman being:
The prince of darkness grim
We tremble not for him
His rage we can endure
For lo his doom is sure
One little word shall fell him!
(Martin Luther, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”)
JFB = Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Week-long Keggers with the Job Boys – Not!
(There is a whole lot of stuff packed into Job 1:4-5…hopefully I won’t get stuck in the weeds trying to dig out the spiritual applications.) :>)
Job 1:4a And his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day…
There is a wide divergence of opinions as to the timing and duration of these feasts or banquets or (probably more correctly) birthday parties. In His commentary Barnes says this, “In early times the birthday was observed with great solemnity and rejoicing.”
On one end of the spectrum there are those that say this was just one seven day feast at the end of the year. Marvin Pope says, “The feast was doubtless an annual affair, most likely the Feast of Ingathering at year’s end.”
And on the other end of the spectrum we have Keil & Delitzsch who believe that each of the brothers took one day of the week to host a banquet, but this feasting continued all 52 weeks of the year! The week long banqueting culminated on Sunday morning when Job gathered his family together to intercede for them (a foreshadowing of family life in the New Testament church?).
Others are somewhere in the middle – a one day social gathering at each of the boy’s home on his birthday (for a total of seven days of festivity in the year), or a week long feast at each home (for a total of 49 days of birthday celebration).
I lean toward the “week-long-birthday-party” scenario.
Job 1:4b …and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
The sisters (apparently unmarried) lived with mom and dad but were regularly invited to attend these get-togethers (this custom explains why, in verses 18-19, all of the children could be killed but not the parents).
This whole scene in verse four speaks to the intimacy of the extended family. John Hartley says “this…witnesses to the closeness and the affluence of Job’s family, not to the fact that his children were given to frivolity.” Job’s kids had the best that life could offer and were apparently industrious and hard-working. FI Anderson states, “There is no hint of drunkenness or license or laziness…these delightful family gatherings are part of the atmosphere of well-being that begins this story.”
These were not week-long keggers where the servants had to pick up all the empty beer cans after the party was over. No one had to be the “designated camel driver.” No one had to lock up the keys to the camels, fearful that someone might drive drunk and sideswipe a water buffalo. These celebrations were anything but that. Joyous? Yes! Did they drink a fair amount of wine? I suppose they did. But they were not week-long drinking binges.
Job 1:5a And it came about, when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, that Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings {according to} the number of them all…
At the end of the week Job gathered all ten of his children together. He then spent considerable effort in offering up a sacrifice for each one of them. Here we have the world’s richest guy (with an empire to run) taking time out of his busy schedule for the spiritual well-being of his family. Dads, whether you’re an employee or an employer, make sure you put a priority upon your family. A few minutes spent on your knees for your wife and kids can reap eternal rewards.
And something pretty cool about Job’s attitude in his praying is found in the middle of verse 5. It says that Job “would rise up early.” Sounds pretty mundane until you discover that the Hebrew word for “rise early” (shakam) comes from a root meaning “shoulder” (perhaps originally from the concept of breaking camp where both man and beast used their shoulders for lifting). So it came to mean “to incline the shoulder to a burden.” It implies effort and persistence. The bottom line? Job put his shoulder into his praying – and so should we.
Job 1:5b …for Job said, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually.
The family patriarch was keenly aware of the waywardness of the human heart. Several pages could be spent on this one word “curse” because in this first chapter it is translated in two completely opposite ways – both as “curse” and as “bless” (verse 21). Commentaries have a boat-load of discussion about this phrase. But it could be as simple as this: as “Aloha” means both hello and goodbye, this Hebrew word “baarak” could essentially mean the same thing. When we bless God we are saying “hello” to Him in our hearts – we open our spiritual home to Him. And when we curse God we are saying “goodbye” to Him in our hearts – we are saying, “You are no longer welcome here!” So when Job was concerned that his kids may have cursed God, he was apprehensive that they had said goodbye to God in their hearts – that they had dismissed or disregarded or disowned Him. Job was more concerned about the heart attitude of his children toward God than how many Porsche and BMW camels each of the sons had sitting in their driveway. So our priority should not be upon how much stuff we have in the garage – it should be upon the heart relationship of our loved ones to Jesus.
Job 1:5 ends with this: “Thus Job did continually.” The NLT puts it this way, “It was his regular practice.” The wealthiest cattleman of the east is seen faithfully lifting up his family in prayer. Let us be found faithful in the things that God has called us to do.
I love Terry Redlin’s paintings. The warm glow of an evening sunset, a home in the woods next to a small lake, geese making their autumnal voyage overhead. In the foreground grandpa, father and son stand next to the old pickup with several ducks bagged from the day’s hunt. The sounds of the geese, the smell of the woods – what a wonderful scene is presented in those paintings. That was the Job family on Pleasantville Lane – a picture of serenity, peace, intimacy, wonderful family memories and the sound of laughter from their children (and grand children?)
With these two verses the writer of Job finishes setting the scene for the awful events that are to soon follow…
NLT = New Living Translation
Job 1:4a And his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day…
There is a wide divergence of opinions as to the timing and duration of these feasts or banquets or (probably more correctly) birthday parties. In His commentary Barnes says this, “In early times the birthday was observed with great solemnity and rejoicing.”
On one end of the spectrum there are those that say this was just one seven day feast at the end of the year. Marvin Pope says, “The feast was doubtless an annual affair, most likely the Feast of Ingathering at year’s end.”
And on the other end of the spectrum we have Keil & Delitzsch who believe that each of the brothers took one day of the week to host a banquet, but this feasting continued all 52 weeks of the year! The week long banqueting culminated on Sunday morning when Job gathered his family together to intercede for them (a foreshadowing of family life in the New Testament church?).
Others are somewhere in the middle – a one day social gathering at each of the boy’s home on his birthday (for a total of seven days of festivity in the year), or a week long feast at each home (for a total of 49 days of birthday celebration).
I lean toward the “week-long-birthday-party” scenario.
Job 1:4b …and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
The sisters (apparently unmarried) lived with mom and dad but were regularly invited to attend these get-togethers (this custom explains why, in verses 18-19, all of the children could be killed but not the parents).
This whole scene in verse four speaks to the intimacy of the extended family. John Hartley says “this…witnesses to the closeness and the affluence of Job’s family, not to the fact that his children were given to frivolity.” Job’s kids had the best that life could offer and were apparently industrious and hard-working. FI Anderson states, “There is no hint of drunkenness or license or laziness…these delightful family gatherings are part of the atmosphere of well-being that begins this story.”
These were not week-long keggers where the servants had to pick up all the empty beer cans after the party was over. No one had to be the “designated camel driver.” No one had to lock up the keys to the camels, fearful that someone might drive drunk and sideswipe a water buffalo. These celebrations were anything but that. Joyous? Yes! Did they drink a fair amount of wine? I suppose they did. But they were not week-long drinking binges.
Job 1:5a And it came about, when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, that Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings {according to} the number of them all…
At the end of the week Job gathered all ten of his children together. He then spent considerable effort in offering up a sacrifice for each one of them. Here we have the world’s richest guy (with an empire to run) taking time out of his busy schedule for the spiritual well-being of his family. Dads, whether you’re an employee or an employer, make sure you put a priority upon your family. A few minutes spent on your knees for your wife and kids can reap eternal rewards.
And something pretty cool about Job’s attitude in his praying is found in the middle of verse 5. It says that Job “would rise up early.” Sounds pretty mundane until you discover that the Hebrew word for “rise early” (shakam) comes from a root meaning “shoulder” (perhaps originally from the concept of breaking camp where both man and beast used their shoulders for lifting). So it came to mean “to incline the shoulder to a burden.” It implies effort and persistence. The bottom line? Job put his shoulder into his praying – and so should we.
Job 1:5b …for Job said, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually.
The family patriarch was keenly aware of the waywardness of the human heart. Several pages could be spent on this one word “curse” because in this first chapter it is translated in two completely opposite ways – both as “curse” and as “bless” (verse 21). Commentaries have a boat-load of discussion about this phrase. But it could be as simple as this: as “Aloha” means both hello and goodbye, this Hebrew word “baarak” could essentially mean the same thing. When we bless God we are saying “hello” to Him in our hearts – we open our spiritual home to Him. And when we curse God we are saying “goodbye” to Him in our hearts – we are saying, “You are no longer welcome here!” So when Job was concerned that his kids may have cursed God, he was apprehensive that they had said goodbye to God in their hearts – that they had dismissed or disregarded or disowned Him. Job was more concerned about the heart attitude of his children toward God than how many Porsche and BMW camels each of the sons had sitting in their driveway. So our priority should not be upon how much stuff we have in the garage – it should be upon the heart relationship of our loved ones to Jesus.
Job 1:5 ends with this: “Thus Job did continually.” The NLT puts it this way, “It was his regular practice.” The wealthiest cattleman of the east is seen faithfully lifting up his family in prayer. Let us be found faithful in the things that God has called us to do.
I love Terry Redlin’s paintings. The warm glow of an evening sunset, a home in the woods next to a small lake, geese making their autumnal voyage overhead. In the foreground grandpa, father and son stand next to the old pickup with several ducks bagged from the day’s hunt. The sounds of the geese, the smell of the woods – what a wonderful scene is presented in those paintings. That was the Job family on Pleasantville Lane – a picture of serenity, peace, intimacy, wonderful family memories and the sound of laughter from their children (and grand children?)
With these two verses the writer of Job finishes setting the scene for the awful events that are to soon follow…
NLT = New Living Translation
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Job, Incorporated
Job 1:2-3 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
We usually (and unfortunately) assume that a wealthy and powerful family is necessarily anything but harmonious and happy. This was not the case with this family. Mr. and Mrs. Job had 7 sons and 3 daughters – a Godly heritage of 10 kids that apparently became industrious and outstanding citizens in Uz. In the Bible the numbers 7 and 3 (and the sum of 10) all refer to completeness and a token of divine favor. (Interestingly, at the end of the story [chapter 42] 7 sons and 3 daughters are again given to the parents).
The huge mansion where the parents and the three daughters lived was located in a picturesque country setting at the end of Pleasantville Lane. An idyllic family, the Job’s were the Ozzie and Harriet Nelsons, the Ward and June Cleavers (Leave it to Beaver), and the Cartwrights (Bonanza) of the 2nd Millennium BC. It was a large and princely and prestigious household. Mrs. Job’s name is never given, but tradition tells us that it was “Diynah.” The intimacy and harmony of the family will be addressed further in verses 4-5.
The wealth of our main character was staggering. His business empire (Job Inc.) had 7000 sheep (one thousand for each of the sons?), 3000 camels (one thousand for each of the daughter?), 500 yoke of oxen (for Mr. Job?), and 500 female donkeys (for Mrs. Job?). Camels were known as the ships of the desert – if we were to put this into today’s context we could say that he owned 3000 semi trucks – 1500 Peterbilts and 1500 Kenworths!
Having such a multitude of oxen indicated that Job was devoted to the cultivation of the soil, and the 500 female donkeys were prized for their milk and also for riding. Besides the multitude of animals, there were very many employees in his great household.
He was an internationally famous businessman and an immensely wealthy figure – the Bill Gates or Warren Buffet of his day. In fact in just a few verses (1:10) Satan will complain to God that Job’s wealth was “bursting forth upon the land.” The same word is used in Proverbs 3:10, “So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will burst forth with new wine.” The Living Bible calls him the “richest cattleman in that entire area.” In his commentary Adam Clarke says, “…he was more eminent than any other person in that region in wisdom, wealth and piety.”
The last few words of verse three sum up this man’s status in life: He was the greatest of all the men of the east – that harsh and romantic area directly east of Palestine. He was a man of great wealth, great esteem, great power, great honor, and great character.
Perhaps you are a Christian businessman or businesswoman. Whether your business is booming and “bursting forth upon the land” or whether you are having a hard time meeting payroll and paying vendors, strive to keep verse one as your personal mission statement. “Lord, in all of my business endeavors, help me to become and remain a person of integrity.”
We usually (and unfortunately) assume that a wealthy and powerful family is necessarily anything but harmonious and happy. This was not the case with this family. Mr. and Mrs. Job had 7 sons and 3 daughters – a Godly heritage of 10 kids that apparently became industrious and outstanding citizens in Uz. In the Bible the numbers 7 and 3 (and the sum of 10) all refer to completeness and a token of divine favor. (Interestingly, at the end of the story [chapter 42] 7 sons and 3 daughters are again given to the parents).
The huge mansion where the parents and the three daughters lived was located in a picturesque country setting at the end of Pleasantville Lane. An idyllic family, the Job’s were the Ozzie and Harriet Nelsons, the Ward and June Cleavers (Leave it to Beaver), and the Cartwrights (Bonanza) of the 2nd Millennium BC. It was a large and princely and prestigious household. Mrs. Job’s name is never given, but tradition tells us that it was “Diynah.” The intimacy and harmony of the family will be addressed further in verses 4-5.
The wealth of our main character was staggering. His business empire (Job Inc.) had 7000 sheep (one thousand for each of the sons?), 3000 camels (one thousand for each of the daughter?), 500 yoke of oxen (for Mr. Job?), and 500 female donkeys (for Mrs. Job?). Camels were known as the ships of the desert – if we were to put this into today’s context we could say that he owned 3000 semi trucks – 1500 Peterbilts and 1500 Kenworths!
Having such a multitude of oxen indicated that Job was devoted to the cultivation of the soil, and the 500 female donkeys were prized for their milk and also for riding. Besides the multitude of animals, there were very many employees in his great household.
He was an internationally famous businessman and an immensely wealthy figure – the Bill Gates or Warren Buffet of his day. In fact in just a few verses (1:10) Satan will complain to God that Job’s wealth was “bursting forth upon the land.” The same word is used in Proverbs 3:10, “So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will burst forth with new wine.” The Living Bible calls him the “richest cattleman in that entire area.” In his commentary Adam Clarke says, “…he was more eminent than any other person in that region in wisdom, wealth and piety.”
The last few words of verse three sum up this man’s status in life: He was the greatest of all the men of the east – that harsh and romantic area directly east of Palestine. He was a man of great wealth, great esteem, great power, great honor, and great character.
Perhaps you are a Christian businessman or businesswoman. Whether your business is booming and “bursting forth upon the land” or whether you are having a hard time meeting payroll and paying vendors, strive to keep verse one as your personal mission statement. “Lord, in all of my business endeavors, help me to become and remain a person of integrity.”
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Job 1:1 Mr. Integrity
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.
We are immediately introduced to, not the fictional Dorothy in the Land of Oz, but the non-fictional Job in the Land of Uz. Both the book of Ezekiel (14:14, 20) and the book of James (5:11) treat him as an historical figure. The book could have been written any time from the days of Moses to the lifetime of Ezra. No genealogy is given – just the name of “Job”; and his name signifies one who is sorrowful, or one who weeps, or one who is repentant, or one who is hostilely treated. He lived in the land of “Uz” – an area that cannot be pinpointed with accuracy on the map, but suffice it to say that it could have been located anywhere from northeast of the Sea of Galilee (around Damascus? A monastery built to honor "Job" is located in this area) to the land directly east of Israel, to the area southeast of the Dead Sea known as "Edom".
But even though his genealogy or his mailing address is left open to speculation, his immense wealth and noteworthy character is not.
He was “blameless” – a word signifying wholeness and completeness. His entire heart was "bent toward God." He was a person of great integrity – an “integer” – a whole man that didn’t lack in any of his relationships to God or his family or his neighbors or his employees. There was no part lacking in Job.
He was “upright” – a word that signifies “straightness” and is used to describe a level road or a straight path. He was a man that would look you straight in the eye and level with you. He didn’t need a 12 page contract to enforce a handshake agreement. His word was his bond.
He also “feared God” – Job had a continual reverence for God and was a devout man. His language was the same whether he was shooting the breeze with his fishing buddies or visiting with the pastor.
And verse one concludes by saying that Job “was turning away from evil.” The King James uses the old French term “he eschewed evil” – essentially meaning that he shunned or avoided evil. (The words “eschew” and “shy” come from basically the same root – “to avoid”). There were definitely some issues in Job’s life that were black and white. There wasn’t just a squishy “what’s right in your world may not be right in my world.” He saw some things as absolute and he avoided even the appearance of evil. When he went to lunch with his secretary, if his wife couldn't come along he made sure there was at least one or two others that joined them.
These four terms paint a picture of a man who was honest inside and out. What he was in the boardroom he was in the bedroom. What he was in church he was in the car on the way to church. He was not a dichotomous man. It was said of a recent president that “he was a great president, but not a great man.” What a tragedy it would be if, as pastors, we were known as great preachers but average-at-best family men. That wasn’t true of Job. He was Mr. Integrity and a Promise Keeper’s Promise Keeper. F.I. Anderson says of Job, “He was not Everyman – he was unique.” An internationally known figure, a great Sheik, the Emir of Uz who was immensely wealthy (more on that in verses 2-3), but was even greater in the depth of his character and the riches of his integrity.
Are we people of integrity? Are we one person at work, someone else at home, and still another person at church? Would that God would help us to be “not Everyman.”
We are immediately introduced to, not the fictional Dorothy in the Land of Oz, but the non-fictional Job in the Land of Uz. Both the book of Ezekiel (14:14, 20) and the book of James (5:11) treat him as an historical figure. The book could have been written any time from the days of Moses to the lifetime of Ezra. No genealogy is given – just the name of “Job”; and his name signifies one who is sorrowful, or one who weeps, or one who is repentant, or one who is hostilely treated. He lived in the land of “Uz” – an area that cannot be pinpointed with accuracy on the map, but suffice it to say that it could have been located anywhere from northeast of the Sea of Galilee (around Damascus? A monastery built to honor "Job" is located in this area) to the land directly east of Israel, to the area southeast of the Dead Sea known as "Edom".
But even though his genealogy or his mailing address is left open to speculation, his immense wealth and noteworthy character is not.
He was “blameless” – a word signifying wholeness and completeness. His entire heart was "bent toward God." He was a person of great integrity – an “integer” – a whole man that didn’t lack in any of his relationships to God or his family or his neighbors or his employees. There was no part lacking in Job.
He was “upright” – a word that signifies “straightness” and is used to describe a level road or a straight path. He was a man that would look you straight in the eye and level with you. He didn’t need a 12 page contract to enforce a handshake agreement. His word was his bond.
He also “feared God” – Job had a continual reverence for God and was a devout man. His language was the same whether he was shooting the breeze with his fishing buddies or visiting with the pastor.
And verse one concludes by saying that Job “was turning away from evil.” The King James uses the old French term “he eschewed evil” – essentially meaning that he shunned or avoided evil. (The words “eschew” and “shy” come from basically the same root – “to avoid”). There were definitely some issues in Job’s life that were black and white. There wasn’t just a squishy “what’s right in your world may not be right in my world.” He saw some things as absolute and he avoided even the appearance of evil. When he went to lunch with his secretary, if his wife couldn't come along he made sure there was at least one or two others that joined them.
These four terms paint a picture of a man who was honest inside and out. What he was in the boardroom he was in the bedroom. What he was in church he was in the car on the way to church. He was not a dichotomous man. It was said of a recent president that “he was a great president, but not a great man.” What a tragedy it would be if, as pastors, we were known as great preachers but average-at-best family men. That wasn’t true of Job. He was Mr. Integrity and a Promise Keeper’s Promise Keeper. F.I. Anderson says of Job, “He was not Everyman – he was unique.” An internationally known figure, a great Sheik, the Emir of Uz who was immensely wealthy (more on that in verses 2-3), but was even greater in the depth of his character and the riches of his integrity.
Are we people of integrity? Are we one person at work, someone else at home, and still another person at church? Would that God would help us to be “not Everyman.”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Introduction
It seems that every Christian should have one or two books of the Bible that they can call their own. Over time they get to know their portion of Scripture so well that it seems they can almost live in the shoes of the author. For me there is one such book: the Old Testament book of Job. For many years I have been fascinated with this amazing story of endurance, despair, hope and healing. I have read it through several hundred times in many different versions, and yet each time I read it something new is discovered on its pages.
Francis I. Anderson says in the preface to his little commentary on the book of Job, “It is presumptuous to comment on the book of Job. It is so full of the awesome reality of the living God. Like Job, one can only put one’s hand over one’s mouth (40:4).”
“There was a man in the land of Uz…” We aren’t sure when the book was written, we aren’t exactly sure where Uz was located, and we can’t say with certainty who the author was. But I am convinced that its pages are no less inspired than those of the Psalms or Isaiah or the Gospel of John or the book of Romans.
The purpose of these writings is not to try to tackle the technical aspects of how some obscure passages should be interpreted or why there are only two speeches of Zophar but three from Eliphaz and Bildad or why Elihu seems to be so long winded. With my very limited knowledge of Hebrew I wouldn’t be able to do that anyway. It is rather to simply try to minister to the human heart and to try to bring hope and encouragement to those who are discouraged, to those who are depressed or despairing, and to those who are facing a multitude of “Why's?” in their own lives.
Sometimes I have wished that the Lord had burdened my heart with one of the smaller books of the Bible…maybe something like III John :>). I have picked up the book of Job and begun to study it or to write about it many times, only to lay it aside because of a feeling of being overwhelmed by its length and depth. But then the Lord, through the Holy Spirit, quickens something new to my spirit and encourages me to dig into it again.
Job is ultimately a story of hope and healing – it ends with a “…and they lived happily ever after” fairy tale flair to it. But between chapter 1:5 and chapter 42:10 we are met with the desperate struggles and the raw emotions of a man who has lost everything and who is racked with an awful, awful disease. During the dissection of the verses and the speeches between Job and the three “comforters” it is easy to lose sight of his condition. We constantly need to bring ourselves back to his ugly circumstances and surroundings, lest we find ourselves shooting theological darts at him from our comfortable ivory towers. He is living at the local dump, his businesses have failed, his children are dead, his skin is covered with running sores, his bones ache with fever and it seems that his God has forsaken him. But finally Jehovah comes upon the scene and speaks to Job out of the divine whirlwind. And in chapter 42 our hero withdraws his lawsuit against Jehovah, he repents, and healing and restoration follow close behind.
I pray that through the reading of these devotional thoughts on the book of Job you will be encouraged, your faith will increase, and that you may grow more deeply in love with Jesus.
Dan Vander Ark
November 2009
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