Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
[James 5:10-11 NIV]
Job probably lived at the time of Abraham and Isaac - although there is no mention of him in the book of Genesis. However, he has a whole book dedicated to his life story and it is a fascinating book. Job had everything going for him. He had a wife and a family and he was wealthy by the standards of his day. His wealth was measured in livestock mainly. He had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen (these are oxen in pairs so there is a total of 1,000 oxen), and 500 donkeys. In days when it was considered beneficial to have a large family, he had seven sons and 3 daughters. We are not told how many servants he had, only that he had a large number of them and probably needed them to look after all so many livestock. Here is how the Bible describes this man -
He was the greatest man among the people of the East. [Job 1:3c NIV]
Job was a God-fearing man who was described as 'blameless and upright.' However, he had come to the attention of Satan who is recorded in a meeting with God. To a casual reader, it might seem that God brings Job to the attention of the devil:
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?” [Job 1:8 NIV]
Satan's reply, however, indicates that Satan had indeed been considering Job well in advance of this question from God. He retorted that Job only feared God because he had enjoyed God's protection and blessing. If those were removed, Job's attitude to God would change dramatically and instead of worshipping God, he would start to curse him. And so, we have on record that God allowed Satan to attack Job to test him. In a short space of time, he suffered a catastrophic loss of servants and livestock. Then Job receives even more devastating news that his sons and daughters had been killed when the roof collapsed in the house in which they were having a party. This sudden change of circumstances did not change Job's attitude to God. Here is how he reacted to the bereavement and loss of wealth and status:
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 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.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. [Job 1:20-22 NIV]
Job suffered dreadfully from painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head and he seemed to experience a severe itch which drove him to scrape his skin with a broken piece of pottery. Job's wife turned against him and told him to "curse God and die," which does not seem like the words of a sympathetic, supportive wife. Job did regret ever being born and he did lament to God about his circumstances. However, his faith in God never wavered. He had the misfortune to have three 'friends' who seemed to think that it was their right and duty to humiliate him and to suggest in a longwinded fashion that God was punishing him for his sin and that he must have been hiding sins for which God was now punishing him. There was a total lack of empathy and sympathy from these friends. With friends like these, who needs enemies? This is a long book with a great amount of dialogue but here is a statement made by this man Job which shows his faith and his trust in God despite his suffering:
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Job 19:25-27 NIV
I know that my Redeemer lives. Job asks many questions and mentally explores many difficult theological and philosophical matters. But he has no doubt in this statement - I know. He speaks about God's deliverance in personal terms - my Redeemer. Like the psalmist David he talks about his relationship with God in personal terms - the Lord is my Shepherd is what David says in Psalm 23. Job is not aware that God's own Son would be the Redeemer. Job's understanding of this was limited but he speaks of a day of vindication in the future. In fact, before he died God intervened in Job's life and restored his health and material possessions. But Job has faith to trust God to vindicate Him after death. We would do well to take a lesson from this Old Testament character. It is so good to have certainty and conviction despite the doubts and scepticism of the 21st century society.
Job did not have a Bible as we know it with all the amazing truths which we find there. However, he speaks about his faith in God and his certainty about the future.
In the end he will stand on the earth. God will demonstrate His power and authority over His creation. The New Testament assigns a role to the Son of God in a future day when every eye will see Him and every knee will bow before Him. Everyone will make a public confession that He is Lord. Jesus will not only be seen by those who have loved Him and served Him. Those who have rejected Him will realise for the first time who Jesus is - the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus will no longer be seen as Jesus of Nazareth the humble peasant from Galilee. He will be displayed in glory.
“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” [Isaiah 40:5 NIV]
And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. Job had an understanding of a bodily resurrection. Even though his body would waste away, that does not matter. Job has some insight into the New Testament teaching from Paul.
“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 NIV
I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. Job speaks of a future when he will see God.
In New Testament language, we look forward to seeing Jesus the One who died for us.
Face to face with Christ my Saviour
Face to face what will it be
When with rapture I behold Him
Jesus Christ who died for me.
How my heart yearns within me!
Job in the midst of his intense suffering longed for the day of redemption. Job knew that there would be a future day of redemption. He had this certainty, this faith and this assurance.
Interestingly enough, God rewarded Job for his patient perseverance in suffering. The Bible records that the Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. His livestock doubled - he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 donkeys. He also had seven sons and two daughters, and we even know the names of his three daughters who were described as outstandingly beautiful. It is worth noting that Job broke with social custom and gave his daughters an inheritance along with their brothers. Job lived on for another one hundred and forty years and he saw his sons and daughters have families of their own and he even saw grandchildren and great grandchildren.
It may be, however, that we may end our lives without God rewarding us visibly for faithfulness to Him. But a day of reward is promised. God is just and righteous and he will always act righteously. This week I have been studying the Book of Revelation preparing for future Day Shares (God Willing) and this is a lesson which is written in large letters over the last book in the Bible. World history is firmly in control of Jesus who is the victorious Lamb of God. Through the centuries, Satan has attacked the church using various strategies and tactics such as persecution, false teaching and materialism and pleasure. However, the Book of Revelation makes it clear that Jesus will triumph and will defeat and destroy His enemies. We are on the victory side. Revelation ends with a new heaven and a new earth and the church universal being presented as a bride in luminous purity to her husband, the Lamb (the title given to Jesus 28 times in the last book of the Bible).
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