Following up on my last message, which is part I of a three part message about Jesus and Job, I’m happy to send you part II.
There is real power in the written word. It can touch hearts again and again in ways that fleeting thoughts cannot. Because of its persistence, it reaches out over and over again to get its message across. Even the busiest people can ultimately be reached. Messages worth remembering should be written down. Thanks to some exceptional personalities that lived a long time ago and those that wrote about them, we know about the lives of people active in biblical times. Knowing about them allows their lives to touch us. In my last e-mail, I mentioned the incredible suffering of Jesus and Job. If you didn’t get a chance to read my first email, take a minute now to read it at this link: https://blog.theeternalportal.com/job-and-jesus-part-1-of-3/ .
There are a few points that I think drive home some similarities between Jesus Christ and Job, a “good and upright man” featured in the Old Testament, as well as a few things we can learn from Job’s pure form of worship.
Like Jesus, Job had “everything”: Job had such a good reputation that when he went out to the gate through the city, the young men saw him and “hid themselves”, and “the senior citizens stood up”. “The nobles were speechless in his presence.” He “caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.” “He was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.” “Men listened silently to Job’s counsel.” (Job 29)
Like Jesus, Job was innocent: Other than being born with original sin, Job “was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). God considered Job the most perfect man on Earth.
And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? (Job 2:3) …and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
Like Jesus, Job suffered the consequences of death: We know that Job had “seven sons and three daughters.” (Job 1:2). Job clearly loved his children. He showed this by praying for them: “And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified [his children], and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually” (Job 1:5). Yet God allowed the injustice of Satan killing Job’s children in the collapse of the eldest brother’s home.
Like Jesus, Job never cursed God: After all his children were killed, “Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped” (Job 1.20). “And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21). “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:22). Instead, he maintained his integrity and did not curse God (Job 2:10).
Like Jesus, Job’s suffering was for us all : The dialog between Satan and God makes clear that the suffering that Job was to endure was to show Satan and all of us (through the recording of the story in the Bible) that Job would not rebel against God despite the cruel injustices inflicted upon him. The purpose is clearly to benefit those who hear of his story in coming generations. It was not for Job’s sake alone, because “Job was a perfect and upright man”.
Like Jesus, God restored Job at the moment of desperation: God restored Job at the moment when he, despite his own suffering, prayed for friends whose theology and criticism had displeased God. What did his friends say? They promoted prosperity theology. For example, one of Job’s friends said that for those who “obey and serve Him (God), they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures, implying that Job cannot be righteous, given his afflictions. (Job 36:11). God was not pleased with this theology and that of Job’s other friends and condemned them (Job 42:7). God asked Job’s friends to make a blood sacrifice (foretelling Jesus’s future sacrifice) for their failings and asked Job to pray for them (Job 42:8). Job’s proper understanding of God and praying for his friends received God’s blessing (also Job 42:8). After he did, having already shown through his suffering and his expression of a proper understanding of God, God blessed Job with twice as much wealth as he had before, and he also had, once again, “seven sons and three daughters” (Job 42:13). “After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations” (Job 42:16).
Because I’ve studied Job’s story, I can draw a few conclusions: It is good to admire Job for his pure worship of God, and for showing us that our prosperity isn`t dependent on whether we are obedient to God. You know the old saying: “But for the grace of God, go I”. It is God’s grace (which I believe knows no bounds) and perhaps at least in small part the successful example of Job that allows us to avoid the injustices Job suffered at Satan’s free hand. I say this knowing that it’s all a bit of a mystery. Neither Job’s nor Christ’s suffering immunize us against having to suffer ourselves. Of course we will have to suffer. Perhaps you’re suffering even now due to the loss of a loved one. Know that you’re not alone! Understand that suffering reverently can be the purest form of worship!
What is the primary reason Job’s incredible story is effective today? Because someone chose to write it down. You may have lost a friend or loved one that lived an exemplary life. If you haven’t already, consider writing that story, that testimony, down for future generations! If you don’t, their memories on Earth will, as in the 2017 Disney animation “Coco”, eventually fade away and no longer have an impact here on Earth.
What’s more, writing down your thoughts and memories about a person you have lost is an effective way to work through grief. Sharing insights of someone`s life and the way they strived to do God`s will can ensure that others continue to be touched by their life and be inspired long into the future.
Next week I’ll send my 3rd and last email on this topic, where I’ll contrast Job`s and Christ`s suffering and provide more insights that can help you deal with suffering.
Thanks for listening and until next week! In the meantime, I wish you a healthy 4th of July weekend!
God bless,
John Moetteli
