The Book of Job

It's Better than You Thought

But first, this week's short mp3 Nature Narration “Six Points-You Decide” You should write down these 6 points and memorize them because of the enormous implications of these absolutely provable facts.

Does God Gamble on Us to Impress Satan?

If you pay careful attention to the whole Bible's revelation of the character of God, including that Jesus said "He who has seen me, has seen the Father" you will know God was never enticed to prove something to Satan, especially by victimizing a righteous man.

The book of Job is not about the many things I have heard or read about: the innocent suffering, that Job had to pray for his friends to stop the curse, or how a powerful God can allow sin and suffering. I considered all these things, but some things didn’t fit into the character of God and His Word. 

Why Did a Righteous Man Repent?

Job was a truly righteous man. That's what it says. It never says Job was a righteous man with a secret sin. At the end of the book, it says Job “repented in dust and ashes”. What changed? The answer is his understanding. "I have heard of thee with the hearing of my ear, but now mine eye seeth thee and I repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:5)

Clearly Job learned something about God he did not previously know. Job had an assumption, but what he now could see for himself, made him realize his previous ideas were wrong about God. Now Job turned toward his new understanding. 

Obedient without Knowing God’s Love

God had a purpose: move Job from mere righteousness to a righteous relationship with God. God wanted Job to "see Him".  The hedge of protection God put around Job and his family showed God’s favor rewarding Job for his righteous conduct. Satan couldn’t touch him. But Job was in the dark about God’s great love, which is why God eventually removed the hedge temporarily. By the time Job repented, the hedge of protection was put back and Job was doubly blessed in every way. Now aware of the true nature and character of God, Job and God enjoying that personal loving relationship. God loves us like that. What a God!

The Whole Middle of Job Can be Distracting

The book of Job has 42 chapters. Most of it, 22 chapters, are 3 men speaking poetic, beautiful truth about God’s justice, fairness, power, and glory. They figured their righteous God would never punish a righteous man, so to defend God they kept telling Job to confess his sin and repent.

Try a 3-Chapter Focus

I once read the entire book of Job out loud to myself one day dramatizing each part: Job, his 3 friends, Elihu, and God. I was in my twenties at the time. But I encourage you to focus on Job 1 & 2 for his genuine righteousness and the last chapter (42) to see the result, that is, God’s reward and condemnation of Job’s friends (not Elihu), and God’s double rewarding Job for the rest of life. A very happy ending revealing God’s real purpose. As it says below:

For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” Hebrews 12:6

… because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. Proverbs 3:12

Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. Deuteronomy 8:5

Disciple and discipline have a common root in the Latin word "discipulus," which means "learner" or "pupil." Job’s friends meant well but kept condemning poor Job, making God angry with them (Job 42:7).

Resist Teaching the Bible What to Say

We must all resist the temptation of making scripture fit into our ideas, doctrine, what our denomination officially believes, or what someone we deeply respect explained. The Word must always be the teacher and final filter. We must never “teach the Word” what it should say. We are the pupils of a loving God who never quits teaching us.

I hope you have a great week, with its predictable struggles, knowing you are greatly loved.

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Nature, evolution, God’s character, how to study the Bible, how to compose music, being a blessing in a toxic world, knowing His love, and more … these are the kinds of things I intend to share in the weeks and months ahead. I hope you can learn and benefit.

Also, a thank you to Powell Lemons who for the past couple years has been encouraging me to write and share devotionals. Thank you, friend.