The Book of Job: Faithful Suffering & The Faithful Sufferer

Job 1:1–5 ESV

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. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 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. 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. 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.

Prayer

Someone once said..

The story of Job is one of the best known in the entire Bible yet, strangely enough, one of the least understood.

No book in the Scripture is so shrouded in mystery as this ancient story.

Another older writer said…

Thomas Carlyle, a Victorian essayist wrote about the book of Job...

“The grandest book ever written with pen.”

This is from someone who isn’t even a believer.

The book of Job is generally one that is on the surface well known, but is very confusing and perplexing to most people.

I would argue this is because it leaves everyone with many questions and in itself gives few answers.

This book is troubling to our modern minds because it forces us to ask hard questions without clear cut answers.

Job shows us how to faithfully suffer.

Points us to the One who faithfully suffered.

Before we look at the book of Job, I believe there are several important key aspects we need to keep in mind.

House Keeping Items

Language

“An Eastern Book”

That means that it is oriental in nature which means that many of the thoughts and expressions will be unfamiliar to us.

Just like we have phrases like “It’s raining cats and dogs...”

Many cultures and peoples have similar phrases in their own languages.

Style

“A Poetic Book”

Except for the first few chapters and the end of the book, 95% of this book is poetry.

This means that we will need to take a step back and deeply digest what is being said.

Job—The Wisdom of the Cross Most of Job Is Poetry

Poems “are always a personal ‘take’ on something, communicating not just from head to head but from heart to heart”

Topic

“Deals with Weighty Issues”

Job is categorized as wisdom literature.

There are three books in the Bible that we classify as wisdom literature.

Proverbs is wisdom literature for daily living.

The righteous are blessed and the wicked will suffer.

This is how the world is meant to be...

Proverbs 3:33 ESV

The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

Proverbs 10:3 ESV

The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

Ecclesiastes is wisdom literature for the vanity of life.

The righteous and the wicked will all perish.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 ESV

In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.

Job is wisdom literature for the righteous who suffer.

The righteous suffer

This book is going to address difficult problems.

Mainly the suffering in a world under the reign of God.

Armchair vs. Wheelchair Questions

We have an option as we come to this book, we can try to answer it from the armchair.

Relaxed and kicked back, not really engaging with it.

Or we can realize that it is meant to be asked from the wheelchair.

Why do the righteous suffer?

The ultimate answer to this question never really gets answered in this book.

The righteous suffer because God, according to his infinite wisdom, chooses for them to suffer. At first thought this may appear unfair or unjust.

But in the Book of Job, the reader is allowed to go behind the scenes and see the higher purposes of God behind Job’s suffering.

Unlike any other book in the Bible, we are going to see human situations from a heavenly perspective.

Something that Job or any other characters were NOT privileged to see.

It allows us to see what Job was never privy to.

It allows us to wrestle with the concept that God gave Job, who was a righteous man

How do the righteous suffer?

This book will both lead us and challenge us in unexpected ways.

Job—The Wisdom of the Cross Armchair Questions and Wheelchair Questions

This book is not merely academic. It is both about people and for people who know suffering.

I know for sure that there are many of you who have faced grief and anguish.

This book will not just be an academic study for the head.

It will come beside us and remind us the world we live in.

And help us to understand suffering from God’s vantage point.

This book guards us from two extremes in our own day.

Prosperity Gospel

“Gospel of Wealth”

The prosperity gospel comes along and says,

“If you are poor, you should come to Jesus because He will make you rich!”

“If you are sick, come to Jesus because He will make you well!”

Now, we all know, the prosperity gospel is a bad thing.

We all know this, but I think there are still remnants of this kind of thinking within us.

They are the kind of thoughts like....

“I have been a good husband all week, God should reward me with _________”

“I have been a good Christian, why would God allow me to suffer?”

The second pitfall is even more insidious....

What happens to the prosperity gospel if you are already wealthy?

If you don’t have a “need” in the world, what becomes of the prosperity gospel?

Therapeutic Gospel

“Gospel of Self-Fulfillment”

It morphs from possessions into subjective benefits.

It moves from physical things into feelings.

“If you feel empty, then come to Jesus and he will fill you.”

“If you feel depressed, then come to Jesus and he will lift your spirits.”

“If you feel aimless, then come to Jesus and he will give you purpose.”

“… the gospel is not, ‘Oh Lord, my life is empty, fill me.’

The gospel is ‘Oh Lord, I’m an offence to you, rescue me.’ ”

And this book will slap both of these false gospel’s in the face.

And the hope is we will get a greater picture of the true gospel as we understand more fully the book of Job.

Now look down to verse 1....

Job 1:1 (ESV)

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job...

Where was Job from?

Job was from the land of Uz.

Scholars say that Uz was in modern-day Arabia.

This means that Job lived basically in the middle of the desert.

Lamentations 4:21 (ESV)

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz;

Based on this verse from Lamentations we can see that Uz was a land east of the promised land.

The important aspect that we need to see from this is simply that Job lived outside of Israel.

Outside of Israel

As one author said...

Job—The Wisdom of the Cross His Place

“[t]he importance of the name Uz lies not in where such a place is, but in where it is not”; namely, it is not in Israel.

What is interesting in this book is not so much what is there, but what is absent...

In basically every other biblical book, there is a genealogy or some sort of a reference point to other historical realities.

But not so in this book.

Job’s story is not tied to the nation and the people of Israel.

There are three people in the whole Old Testament that are not listed in some way with a genealogy.

Those three guys are Adam, who was born directly from God and the dust of the ground.

Melchizedek, who was the king in Genesis that Abraham blessed.

And the third is Job.

One of the main reasons for a genealogy is it gives reference to tribe or clan, it allows us to identify them.

But the fact that Job does not have one forces us to recognize that there is not one single kind of person this will not be applicable toward.

Job was NOT a Jew, so this is not a promise for a particular people.

We are invited to see Job as God sees him.

This will be the role that Job plays in the unfolding drama.

Job 1:1 (ESV)

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job...

When did Job live?

The answer to this question like most things with Job is not simple.

There is much debate on when Job lived, but I will be contending that it was written even prior to Genesis.

This means that most of the happenings of this book took place around the time of patriarch’s.

Patriarchal Age

Job—The Wisdom of the Cross His Place

He lived independent of the giving of the promises to Abraham, before the captivity in and exodus from Egypt, before the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, before the conquest of the promised land, and outside that land.

That means around the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Job’s wealth is measured in livestock....

Job’s leadership in the home is one of a priest of the family....

The words used, the people referenced, and many other factors influence this opinion.

If this is true, and I would contend it is, this makes Job the oldest book in the Bible.

This next section is extremely important...

The importance of it is highlighted because throughout the drama, we will be tempted to believe that Job is hiding something.

We will be tempted to see him as his friends portray him.

What is critical to remember throughout this book is what the author tells us and what confirms about him.

Job 1:1 (ESV)

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.

What was Job like?

There are four descriptions of Job in this first verse.

Blameless

“His Character”

Now the word here for blameless is the same word that describes a “sacrificial animal as ‘spotless, without blemish’”

When this same kind of word though is applied to a person, it means they walk with personal integrity.

Psalm 119:1 ESV

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!

The blameless one is one who walks with God as he walks in the law of God.

To be blameless is not perfection, rather it is a kind of character.

It is a character quality of walking with integrity.

The second word which is used in verse one is “upright”

Upright

“His Relationships with Others”

This means the way that Job dealt with other people, including his servants and those who were a part of his household.

Job was not some shrewd CEO who was trying to accumulate wealth for himself.

He was compassionately and honest in his dealings with the people under him.

Proverbs 15:19 ESV

The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.

In proverbs the word upright is applied to the one who is the opposite of the sluggard.

The hardworking man who zealously cares for those underneath of him.

Proverbs 16:17 ESV

The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.

Feared God

“His Reverence”

This expression to fear God is found all throughout the Old Testament, and especially in the wisdom books.

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Job is one who approaches God reverently.

He stands before God with awe and wonder.

Shunned Evil

“Hated What God Hated”

Job was one who kept away from evil.

He turned aside at the very thought of evil.

This section is extremely important because all throughout the book we will be returning to it....

This leads to our next section...

What did Job have?

Job 1:2–3 ESV

There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 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.

Three Children and a White Picket Fence

Now this an instance of a concept which will be foreign to us in our western minds.

But if I described him as having three perfect little children and a white picket fence outside of his house.

If I said that to you in 21st century America, you would know, “This man has an ideal situation”

You would know that man has the perfect setup.

And that is exactly how we are supposed to see Job.

He had it all.

He had everything a person could ask for and hope for.

These verses are important because they show Job’s status within the culture.

By every estimation, Job was an extremely wealthy man.

Familial Blessing

“Rich Inheritance”

Notice even the number of children that Job had.

These numbers represent the ideal numbers of God’s blessing upon him.

It was “seven sons” and “three daughters”

Ownership Blessing

“The Golden Touch”

This included his animals and the people who worked under him.

“7,000 sheep” and goats would have required hundreds of servants to attend to them.

“3,000 camels” would have allowed Job to import any goods he wanted from anywhere.

This is a well dressed, well fed, man of the east who surpassed anyone else in the area.

Job—The Wisdom of the Cross His Greatness

Job was, on a regional or local scale, what Adam was meant to be on a global scale—a great, rich, and powerful ruler.

This guy named Job has everything going for him.

If you stopped reading at this point, you would think that the Proverbs prove true with him.

Proverbs 13:22 ESV

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.

But look at what righteousness does...

What did Job do?

Job 1:4–5 ESV

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. 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.

Job’s sons would “hold a feast” on their day, which is likely something of a birthday celebration.

A celebration which included the whole family.

What we need to see here is the domestic harmony which is ruling the day.

The sons are not estranged from their sisters, they are inviting them to parties and are enjoying themselves.

Spiritual Oversight

“Life Giving”

Job A. Job’s Character (1:1–5)

Job was blessed with a close-knit family, the result of God’s rich blessing. Surely Job’s personal integrity earned him credibility with his children. His faith made an impact on their lives.

We also should NOT see these parties as terrible things.

These were NOT parties which dishonored God.

No, we should see them as celebrations that Job is seeking to be upstanding with.

But even in spite of these celebrations, Job wanted to be above board.

Job 1:5 (ESV)

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.

Now Job lived in a time when he as the family head and representative was able to offer sacrifices for his family.

We don’t act in the same way because we live in a different time of revelation.

He acted as a family priest.

He did it seriously.

With a contrite and sober attitude.

Job acted as an intercessory before God on behalf of his kids.

This is meant to show us Job’s intense reverence before God.

Job was concerned that the children “cursed God in their hearts”

Job was concerned with the possibility of even “secret sin” in the hearts of his children.

Job was so consumed with being above board with himself and his whole family.

He would come and offer sacrifices for his whole family.

You can imagine being one of Job’s children who has to get up the next morning after the party, where you were up too late.

And your father, Job, is anxiously waiting to offer a sacrifice on your behalf.

Looking at each of his children and saying, “This one is for you.”

And the entire animal is consumed with fire.

The sons and daughters all knowing in their minds, “That is what would have happened to me if there had not been a sacrifice.”

The looming reality at the end of these opening verses are:

Job—The Wisdom of the Cross Conclusion

It sets a happy scene with one shadow. The happiness consists in a good man being a great man, a pious man being a prosperous man. It is a picture of the world being as the world ought to be, a world where the righteous lead. It is a world where the prosperity gospel seems to be true.

Does a person worship God out of genuine love?

Or

Mainly for God’s blessing?

There is something woefully dark within the human heart.

Job knows it.

God knows it.

Emphasis

“Consider Job”

In James 5, there is a passage that mentions Job and I want you to see the way it interacts with Job.

James 5:11 ESV

Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

James talks about Job and does so by considering him as an example.

Job as Example

“Consider those...”

So as we study Job we will be looking at him as an example for us to follow.

He will be used as a pattern of what it looks like to faithfully suffer and endure in the face of opposition.

What it looks like to trust God when life falls apart.

Application

At this point it would be good and right to say that we should love our children and our family in the way Job did.

A righteous heart, one that is justified by faith alone in Christ alone, will produce love toward neighbor.

It will produce a caring disposition toward children.

But that’s not all we need to see from Job....

But the second piece I want you to see is from the verse just prior to this in James 5:10-11

James 5:10–11 ESV

As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Job as Prophet

“Take the Prophets...”

As James says here, we need to hear from the prophets and see what they are communicating to us from God.

Prologue: Job’s Character and the Circumstances of His Test (1:1–2:13)

Dialogue: Job, His Suffering, and His Standing before God (3:1–42:6)

Epilogue: The Vindication, Intercession, and Restoration of Job (42:7–17)

This is the outline and the flow of the book of Job.

When you begin in the prologue of Job, you see his beginning which has an exalted position which God has given him.

Then you see him move from his initial place to a place of dust and ashes of suffering, ultimately from the hand of God.

And finally you see a movement upward into exaltation at the end, which is again by the grace of God.

Prosperity Gospel

Roots of the prosperity gospel have come in and tried to say, “Look, Job was faithful and God blessed him for his faithfulness”

To read the book of Job in this fashion, misses the point.

Skews the book itself and completely misunderstands what God is trying to teach us.

This pattern is what has been described as a Messianic Trajectory

Messianic Trajectory

Because we see the same pattern from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Position - "he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped" (Phil 2:6)

Death and Sufferings - "but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Phil 2:7-8)

Glorification and Exultation - "God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.." (Phil 2:9)

Job is a prophet, who’s job is to point forward to the ultimate sufferer.

The ultimate one who would come and suffer and die a death on behalf of sinners.

Isaiah 53:7–9 ESV

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.