Not exactly pleasurable reading, unless you try and see it through the lens of God's Spirit.
What do I mean by that?
Well, we don't really see much fairness in the book of Job. We tend to shy away from being caught in such shenanigans as what took place in the book of Job.
Seems to me that old Job was minding his own business, doing the things that pleased God, when he suddenly became the target of a divine war. Like I said, it seemed that old Job was caught in the cross hairs, so to speak.
There are several things that I like in the first chapter of Job.
Verse 6 - One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.
Dude! The big, bad, nasty one himself, had to come before the Lord and explain what he had been doing with his time. Sometimes people read this and get the impression that Satan somehow snuck in the back door of heaven and was trying to upset the heavenly apple cart by being there. No way! He was there because God said, "Dude..you be here. Got it?"
Verse 7 - The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
Did you catch that? Do you think for one moment that God is unaware of the goings on of Satan? Do you think that the chief sneaky-snuck could put one over on God? No way! To me, what's even more hilarious is the fact that Satan had to answer. Not only that, he had to tell the truth. I think God operates like this so that we'll understand that there is nothing we can do that is hidden from his sight.
Then came the kicker. God seemingly targets Job for a kind of spiritual Tug-o-war. In verse 8, we read: The the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him. He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." It almost sounds like God is bragging. Like He is telling Satan, "Looky here - I've got me a man down there on earth who is one of a kind. What do you think about that? Huh?" But that isn't what is happening. As seen by Satan's response, he already was well acquainted with Job and in fact, had probably tried to destroy him in times past.
Job's name means Hated one.
Hated by whom?
Why was he hated?
Who would name their kid "Hated One?"
Might as well named him Pontius Pilate or Adolph Hitler. Hated One?
Job was not hated by God, but by Satan.
God loved Job.
The troubles and situations Job faced are very disturbing to us, especially in our society where a persons worth is measured by his wealth, material possession and social status. When we have more, we also have more to lose in times of attack and trials.
I guess we all could ask the question....."How could God love Job, if He let all those things happen to him/"It was because of the love that God had for Job that God allowed the attacks to come.
As we walk in our relationship with Jesus, in this present evil age, the question we have to ask ourselves is "Can my love for God be turned by circumstances?"
I pray that it can't, and to be honest with you, the very thought terrifies me.
What about you?
One last thing....
While Job is not a popular book to read, it should be required reading for every follower of Jesus. This book offers to us a new reality when studying good and evil.
Marantha! Lord Jesus
God on you....
mb
No comments:
Post a Comment