Job - A True Father

Happy Father’s Day!

The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father’s Day while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Her father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the June 19th, 1910. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Roses are the Father’s Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.

Job – A Model Father

Most of the time when we consider the book of Job and Job as a character, we begin with the challenge between the devil and God about the righteousness of Job. The book of Job raises questions about faith, adversity, friendship, the sovereignty of God, and many more. However, it is Father’s Day, so let’s be simple this morning and just look at the character of the man.

The first six verses of the book provide a man that ought to be a model for all of us. He is a man of character, wisdom, and compassion.

Job 1:1–5 NIV

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.

So, in these verses we are given a brief overview of the man, Job. He is a man of character – “blameless and upright”. He feared (revered) God and did what was right. In addition to that, he was involved in the lives of his kids and even sacrificed and prayed for his kids.

Job provides a great example for father’s today.

Learning from an Old Testament Hero - Job

Job was a man of character

The church staff and I have been reading a book by Henry Cloud titled, Integrity. He talks a lot about character and how important it is in the workplace. Character is certainly about doing the right things – don’t lie, steal, cheat, etc. But it will affect our ability to succeed. Cloud says, “who a person IS will ultimately determine if their brains, talents, competencies, energy, effort, deal-making abilities, and opportunities will succeed.”

Job was filled with the stuff to become a man of character.

Job 1:1 NIV

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.

It is a pretty bold statement to say that he was blameless – can you say this? In our current thought culture, we are quick to say, “I’m not perfect, just forgiven”. This is true, but what where are we setting the bar for character formation? Job didn’t lean on a crutch…

Job 23:10 NIV

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

What is the value of today’s handshake? It is worth more or less than it was 50 years ago? If you are having burgers and hotdogs later today. Think about this story as you put your ketchup, mustard, and relish on.

Henry Heinz, born in 1844, to German immigrants in Pittsburg, PA, helped support his family as a teenager by growing and selling vegetables in the family garden. After graduating from college and getting married, he started a business selling horse radish. In 1875, a national financial collapse drove the young company into bankruptcy. Despite the legal freedom bankruptcy gave him, Heinz regarded each of the company’s outstanding debts as a moral obligation and personally paid back every penny.

Heinz went on to found the H.J. Heinz Company with its 57 varieties and became a leading American businessman. A devout Christian, he was known for the generous treatment of his employees and his generosity to Christian causes. Throughout his life Heinz conducted his business and personal dealings with the same integrity that led him to pay back hundreds of thousands of thousands of dollars he technically did not owe. He began his will with these words: “I desire to set forth at the very beginning of this will as the most important item in it a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour.”

Proverbs 22:1 NIV

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Not only was Job a man of character (blameless) but he was also a man who was described as “upright”. The Message translation gives us this:

Job 1:1 The Message

Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion.

King Solomon reminds us that the upright “give thought to their ways”.

Proverbs 21:29 NIV

The wicked put up a bold front, but the upright give thought to their ways.

Dads should be fun, yes. They should be silly, absolutely. But they must be thoughtful about their ways. I told the story the other day about my first two years of college before I had kids – not so great, a 2._ something average. My college was interrupted by 4 years in the Army and then I returned. This time I realized the sacrifice that my wife and kids were making while I was completing the schooling. I determined that if I was going to do this, I needed to lean into what I was doing. As a result, I graduated with honors. Men, we need to “give thought to our ways” like Job did. Where are you going? What are you investing in? Are you leading your families? What is the example that you are setting?

Job Understood the Need to Prioritize Life

Job had things in proper order. Notice that the first thing recorded about Job is his relationship with God. Second, relationship to family. Third, relationship to things. I don’t believe the order is happenstance.

I remember a conflict about priorities that happened in my childhood church. It was about the order of priorities. We all agree God comes first. The issue was about family – did it come before church relationships or after church relationships? It really shouldn’t be a question because ‘church’ should fall under the ‘God’ priority. Afterall, in the family of God we should be attending church and enjoying the relationships with the family of God. If our birth family prevents us from obeying God, then we find ourselves in a difficult position, but we must obey God. Until my father accepted Christ, my mother modeled this by going to church and taking the 3 of us with her.

Our priorities show up in a million little ways. Bruce Howell offers: Ten Ways A Parent Can Fail

1. Have fights in front of your children. Then when questions come, turn around and act affectionate toward one another.

2. Stifle your children’s questions by saying, “Don’t bother me now, I’m busy.”

3. Take no interest in your children’s friends, let them run around with whomever they choose.

4. Never discipline your children, try to use psychology instead.

5. Nag them about their schoolwork; never compliment them on their achievements.

6. Demonstrate your love for them with material things. Give them everything their little heart’s desire.

7. Never discuss the facts of life with them. Instead, let them learn from their friends, public school or the media.

8. Set a bad example so the children will not want to grow up to be like you.

9. Absolutely refuse to believe it if you are told that your children have done something wrong.

10. Let your children make their own choices in the matter of religion. Be careful not to influence them in any way.

Job put his priorities in order – God, family, and things. This is not to say that we need to be legalistic about things. For example, you are on a family vacation, and it is Sunday morning. The legalist says, “We have to be in church”. Honoring the Lord may be more appropriate to take a special moment and recognize how wonderful God is. On the other hand, if ‘things’ are always getting in the way of being in church, you may have a ‘priorities’ problem.

Job Was a Compassionate Father

We get a sense that Job’s family was fun to be around. They hung out together and had a good time.

Job 1:4–5 NIV

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.

Not only did they have a good time together, but Job was concerned about his family. He made sacrifices for them, purifying them to God. In the FaithLife Study Bible we read this description:

When they gather for celebration on their birthdays, Job takes care that nothing improper happens among all the partying. As head of the family, Job acts as priest, offering sacrifices in case his children had accidentally said or done anything irreligious.[1]

Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible. During this time the fathers were the priests of the family. Job expressed his love and concern for the family by ensuring that the family honored God, that they never took anything lightly. In fact, that is what the friends of Job were scolded for later in the book.

In the NT we are told to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.

Romans 12:1 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Job’s sacrifices were animals that were completely consumed by the fire. Jesus Christ became our sacrifice, but the Apostle Paul is going further and referring to you and me. He chose ‘bodies’ not ‘hearts’. It is one thing to tell those around you that you love them (I ‘heart’ you). It is a completely different thing to show them that you love them as a sacrifice of the body. Does your mouth reflect your love? Do your actions reflect love? Does your thought life reflect being “upright” like Job?

Father’s, Be a Job for Your Family

Men, we are challenged to imitate God in our character, values, and concern for our families. In our men’s study we are being challenged to “Authentic Manhood”. We’ve seen in the life of Jesus how He was an authentic man:

- Rejected passivity

- Accepted responsibility

- Lead courageously

- Invested eternally

I believe we see this same type of authenticity in Job. It is a challenge, I understand. It is not easy, I know.

Professional baseball has been played in America since 1875, but on September 14, 1990, something happened that has never happened before or since. Late in his career, Ken Griffey, Sr., who had been a key member of the World Series champion Cincinnati Reds years before, was signed by the Seattle Mariners. His son Ken Griffey, Jr. was just starting his major league career. In the first inning of a game against the Angels, Griffey, Sr. hit a home run to left center field. His son followed him to the plate and hit another home run to almost exactly the same spot. It was the only time a father and son had hit back-to-back home runs in baseball history. Ken Griffey, Jr. said later that his father greeted him at the plate by saying, “That’s how you do it, son!”

I believe that Job’s investment through –

1. Building a foundation of character and integrity

2. Carefully discriminating the priorities of life

3. And, demonstrating compassion for his family

Would have all been worth it if in the end he could have looked at what his children would become and say, “That’s how you do it, son!” (daughter).

Be encouraged dads! Your hard work is worth it.

In case you haven’t realized it yet, there is a friend who is willing to help you. His name is Jesus Christ. Let Him come alongside of you!

[1]Clines, D. J. A. (1994). Job. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 462). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.