WHAT WOULD GOD SAY?

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

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. 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.

His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be 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.

One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

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 1:1-8

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the Book of Job opens, we quickly learn a lot about the book’s namesake.

We learn about where he lives (the land of Uz) and that he had a rather large family (seven sons and three daughters). His family got along well as “his sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.”

Job was obviously pretty well off as 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 also was a man who feared God and shunned evil…described as “blameless and upright”. He obviously loved his children and was concerned about their spiritual standing with God. Scripture tells us that he would “make arrangements” for his children to be purified “when a period of feasting had run its course”, and he also had a regular custom of sacrificing a burnt offering for each of his children “early in the morning”, concerned that his children may have “sinned and cursed God in their hearts.”

Yes…Job was a man of high spiritual and material standing…so much so that we read he was “the greatest man among all the people of the East.”

This is what the word of God has to say about Job.

As I pondered this, I couldn’t help but wonder what the word of God would say about me…or you…if a book was written about our lives. I’ve lived for more than 50 years and I don’t think I could ever describe myself as being “blameless and upright”. You could call me God fearing I guess but I haven’t exactly shunned evil all my life. Guess if I had really been God-fearing I would have shunned evil.

Are you with me?

It would be hard to write a book about me and begin with such amazing words of compliment that Job enjoys in his introduction. I think that is what makes the man and his story so incredibly amazing to me. We maybe have a tendency to doubt Job’s greatness as a human being and man of God until we have a chance to read his testimony. And I can’t wait to walk through that over the next several weeks.

But the accolades for Job didn’t just come from the written word of God. They also came from His mouth.

For we read where “angels came to present themselves before the Lord” one day, joined by Satan who the Lord questions asking, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” We know Satan roams…roams like a lion looking to devour (1 Peter 5:8) anyone he can have his way with. Knowing this fully, God asks Satan if he had considered Job who God referred to as His servant. And then the Lord added this:

“There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

Wow! Did you hear that? God said of Job, “There is no one on earth like him.” If you were a believer and wondering how God felt about you, would there be any better validation that you were living in favor with Him than those words being spoken?

Job was special. There is no doubt in our minds about that as we are introduced to the man. And maybe we would be well served to use him as a role model in the way we live…and as we will soon see…as we deal with life’s challenges and adversities.

What would God say about you or me if He were to tell Satan about us?

Would He be able to challenge Satan to consider us, knowing we would stay steadfast in our faith toward Him if hardship were to come?

Friends, we can only strive every day to ensure our lives are pleasing to the One who gave them to us. And we can start by fully making His way our way…and His will our will. God expects us to do just that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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