Finding Jesus in the OT Week 8 - Job

Passage

Job 1 ESV

1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. 13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

The Type

Job is famous for his suffering. In the space of a few chapters, raiders capture his donkeys and camels, fire consumes his sheep and shepherds, and a tornado collapses a building on top of his sons and daughters (Job 1:13–19).

Not only that, Job himself is afflicted with a loathsome skin disease (Job 2:7).

Echoing Job and his friends, we immediately wonder, Why? Why did Job experience so much suffering? The book never gives us an answer.

But Job is not meant to give us a specific reason for suffering. Instead, Job points us to the person who suffered perfectly on our behalf.

Both Job and Jesus are righteous

In Job chapter 1 Job is called blameless and upright

He is said to be unlike anyone else on earth

Though Job himself is not perfect, he is guilty of sins, and repents when he sees God face to face

Jesus however is perfectly righteous. He is called God’s beloved Son (Luke 9:35 “35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”” )

Jesus was tempted by sin, yet never sinned (Hebrews 4:15 “15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” )

He is even called Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1 “1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” )

Job was righteous in relative terms; Jesus was righteous in absolute terms, free from all sin and deceit

Both Job and Jesus suffered

Job lost his family, possessions, suffered intense physical pain.

He was in constant pain, and body disfigured

Christ suffered the same, he was whipped, had the crown of thorns shoved on his head, and tortured continuously

They both suffered emotionally

Job’s friends told him to curse God and die, Jesus’ closest friends denied knowing Him

The difference?

God preserved Job’s life and did not allow Satan to kill him. In contrast, God did not spare the life of his beloved Son, but delivered him to his death.

Job only thought that God had abandoned him. But Christ was, in fact, abandoned by God as he took on our sin at the cross (Matthew 27:46 “46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?””)

Both Job and Jesus fought a Spiritual battle

Job though he was suffering, was suffering because of Satan

Jesus likewise was fighting a spiritual battle. He knew that all the suffering He faced was because of our sin and He had to pay the price

The big difference, Jesus submitted to God’s plan fully (Luke 22:41-44)

Both Job and Jesus Were Restored

At the end of the book Job’s fortunes are restored.

God blessed him with double the wealth, a full house of children, and a long life

Jesus was restored as well

God raised Him from the dead(Luke 24) and was exalted above all (Phil. 2:9-10)

Just as Job’s family was restored to him, the suffering of Christ restores a heavenly family

Job Interceded for His Friends, but Jesus Saves His Enemies

As the book of Job concludes, God rebukes Job’s friends for speaking improperly.

God then instructs the friends to make sacrifices and have Job pray for them (Job 42:7–9).

Job the righteous, who suffered, interceded for his friends and pleaded for God’s mercy.

Christ is the even better intercessor

Christ is at God’s right hand praying for us eternally (Hebrews 7:25 “25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” )

Christ saves, not His friends, but his enemies (Romans 5:8–10 “8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” )

Conclusion

Both Job and Christ suffered

But Christ is the greater Job

Questions

What questions do you have from the readings/Job?

hat similarities do you see between Job and Jesus? What differences do you see between Job and Jesus?

Job is called a blameless and upright man, yet suffering still came to him. Jesus was the Son of God, yet he suffered more than anyone. Do you ever feel like you are too "good" to experience suffering/hard times?

During their suffering both Job (Job 1:20-22) and Jesus (Luke 22:39-46) worshipped the Lord. What should that tell us about how we should view our suffering? How have you worshipped God during a time of suffering?

In Job 38-39 God challenges Job, showing off His power and might. Jesus fully understood God's power and might allowing Him to make it through the suffering. Does the realization of God's power help you when you are suffering? Have you ever considered God's power and might?

In Job 42, God restores Job because of his faithfulness during suffering. Jesus after dying on the cross was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father. What should that tell you about your actions during suffering?