Here is a post I recently wrote for Calvary Church's Jr. High blog:
Job 1
A Re-Introduction of the Book and Exposition of Chapter 1
A Re-Introduction of the Book and Exposition of Chapter 1
Job. Such a well-known piece of work but at the same time so ambiguous. A couple months ago I was in Guatemala serving at an orphanage outside of Guatemala City. One day I was working in one of the houses and noticed one of the more unruly boys reading his Bible. Later that day at dinner I asked him about his reading. This boy didn’t know much English and I don’t know all that much Spanish. I asked him what he was reading and he responded by saying that he was reading from his favorite book of the Bible “Hope.” Well, I had no idea what he was talking about because to my knowledge there is definitely not a book in the Bible called “Hope.” After a few minutes I realized that he was saying “Job” but with the Spanish “J” sound (H) and a thick accent on the rest of the word.
When I think back on this encounter I immediately chuckle over the confusion that the language barrier caused. However, this story carries with it a greater implication. The boy said that the Book of Job was his favorite book in the Bible. This came from an orphan boy in a third-world nation. If anyone has the right to ask the question “why do bad things happen to good people” it’s him. This speaks volumes to the fact that Job appeals and speaks to all people in all situations.
Now, it’s been a long time since this series was started by Evan Loveless so if you haven’t read his introduction you should go check it out because when approaching Scripture it is so vitally important to come with a background of knowledge of the work. This allows us to read the writing for what it says and to read it on its terms and not our own.
The book of Job teaches us truth about God, Satan, and suffering. As God controls the natural world, so he controls the moral world. As the infinite and powerful creator, he is able to govern the moral world righteously, even though his way is hidden from men. This work leads readers to two very important questions. First, “Is there such thing as disinterested righteousness?” This means would it be possible to want to choose the Christian life if there was no individual benefit for doing so? Secondly, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
There is so much that happens in the first chapter of Job. Right off the bat Job’s credibility is established. If the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?” is going to be asked, it has to be proven that Job is a good person. If Job is to lost his possessions and wealth, it has to be shown that Job is a wealthy person. Verse 2 says that Job had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, etc. In those days a man’s wealth was shown by how much livestock, land, and servants he possessed. Not only did he have a lot of possessions, but Job had a large family: 7 sons and 3 daughters.
Job was such a righteous person that he would offer sacrifices to God in the form of burnt offerings. For a full description of the types of sacrifices you can read Leviticus. But basically, Job was making sacrifices for sins of his children unknown to them. He was offering sacrifices for sins that were unintentional. How often do we only ask forgiveness from God for actions for which we feel guilty? Job recognized the continual importance of repentance.
Scene two
Enter all of God’s servants. This most likely means all the angels came before God. Along with them came Satan. Often when we read this we slip up on the words. Wait! Why on earth is Satan with the other angels in the presence of God?
Satan has access to God and is hostile to God's will and his people. The term "Satan" means "adversary." Although he may plague God's people, he is under the sovereign control of God. Satan himself is not a deity but a creature whose work is limited according to God' will. Outside Job 1-2, Satan is mentioned only in 1 Chronicles 21:1 and Zechariah 3:1. Hence, Satan and his work is primarily a New Testament revelation. Whenever something bad happens to persons in the Old Testament, they hold God accountable (see Job 1:21).
God and Satan have a conversation. It’s almost as if God and Satan have a little bet going on. God asks Satan from where he came. Satan replies that he had been roaming the earth. God asks Satan if he has noticed how upright Job is. Satan responds telling God that of course Job fears the Lord and lives righteously. God has protected him and blessed him. Satan believes that if all Job’s wealth and blessings were removed that he would no longer have faith. At this, God tells Satan that he has permission to test this theory of his on Job but he can’t hurt Job’s health.
This is a common questions asked by unbelievers. I remember one day reading a tweet by someone on Kurt Warner’s twitter page. It essentially read “It’s easy to be a Christian when you have the life that you do. You make millions of dollars by playing football…what a tough life.” Kurt Warner responded by saying “I was a Christian before I made my millions when I worked fulltime at a grocery store.”
Scene 3:
Taking the bet, Satan attacks Job’s possessions and family. Overnight Job loses everything. All of his family (except for his wife), all of his animals, all his wealth. Everything. There is an expression that says “when it rains, it pours.” This is an understatement in Job’s case. Have you ever lost a family member? Job lost all of his at once.
Yet, Job’s response was unexpected. Think how you would react if this happened to you. Your mom dies unexpectedly. An hour later you hear that father has been killed. Right when you are hearing this news you get another message telling you that all your siblings were in a car accident. Would your initial response be the same as Job’s?
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
It is so important to remember that we deserve nothing. Everything we have is a blessing from God and to be used for His glory. I feel that so often we feel that we are entitled to the American dream life. I think this is the major sin that American Christianity needs to forsake. The American Dream and the Christian life are mutually exclusive. They cannot co-exist. As Jesus says “You cannot serve both God and money.” What happens when you lose the life you have so carefully tried to establish? What happens when the Job story becomes your story?
