I have a friend who will not read or study the book of Job. She has a hard time wrapping her mind around how God could choose a man for Satan to test to the point of being destitute. She’s not alone in cherry picking what she wants to read and study in the Bible. I’ve avoided prophecy for the longest time. But whether or not we stick our heads in the sand regarding prophecy or the book of Job, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen or won’t happen.
Have you ever wondered what the Bible would be like without the book of Job? There are things revealed only in the book of Job. There is a perspective in Job we see nowhere else in Scripture. So, whether we like it or not, Job is critical for understanding who God is, who Satan is, how Satan operates, who is actually in control, and how we as Christians should view adversity.
There is one thing I want to make perfectly clear. Your poor choices have consequences. Whether you are eating out and spending money when you should be saving it, whether you are making unhealthy choices that cause physical bodily problems, or whether your actions and words are ungodly and come back to you – these are on you. A lack of discipline will cause consequences. Job is NOT about a lack of discipline or poor choices, quite the contrary.
Let’s look at Job’s character to see what kind of many he was before the bottom fell out, and he lost everything.
JOB’S CHARACTER:
· Job had perfect integrity. He was righteous. He was not self-righteous because that involves pride. When God tells Satan in Job 1:8 that Job was a man of perfect integrity then you know it has to do with Job’s righteousness. He did what was pleasing in God’s sight. He brought joy to God.
· Job feared the Lord. Job was in awe and worshiped Yahweh. He was respectful and revered God.
· Job turned away from evil. When faced with temptation, Job turned. 1 Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Job chose to exit temptation through the way out. He didn’t stick around to see what would happen next.
· Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east. His reputation and character were well known throughout the country.
· Job was a spiritual leader. He offered burnt offerings for all of his children just in case they sinned even if by accident.
· Job consistently practiced his faith and didn’t delay in spending time with God. In Job 1:5 we read he would rise early in the morning to do his burnt offerings. That takes discipline.
· Job was God’s servant. God calls him that in Job 1:8
· There was no one else like Job. The way God speaks of Job you can tell He loved Job and took pride in him.
· Job worked for what he had, and God blessed it (Job 1:10). Job was disciplined. He applied himself. He didn’t expect a handout or inheritance. He worked.
When God looks at you, how would He describe your character? God described Job as a man of perfect integrity, but in Matthew 23:28, Jesus describes a more common type of individual, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Which description fits you best?
· Do you make your appearance at church wearing your Sunday face, but you talk about people behind their backs, judge others, dwell on how you’ve been wronged, have no patience with those who are suffering, and serve no one but yourself? Then you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Ouch!
· Are you disciplined in your quiet time, your prayer time, and your worship with God? Do you look to God for guidance in every situation and speak only the words He gives you to speak?
It’s not easy to be disciplined and have perfect integrity. It’s not fun or popular. You will be mocked or teased for it, and sometimes by the people in your own family and in your own church. But wouldn’t it be better to work towards perfect integrity and please God than to please a fickle man?
The reason Job could endure these tests was because his foundation was on Yahweh. He had worked and built what he had on the Rock. What and on whom are you relying when the bottom falls out? Are you relying on the One who spoke the world into existence, the One who holds the stars in place and knows them by name, the One who has your every footstep ordained? Or are you relying on yourself to get the job done? If your foundation is anything but Jesus Christ, you will meet with destruction. Talk to God and turn it all over. It’s not too late.