Conversion of Job

Dear Brethren,

I thought about giving this subject the title, “Righteous Job,” because so many people hold a misconception about Job.  People think that the Book of Job is all about Job being self-righteous, and God having to hammer him into submission.  Let's be careful to understand what the Book of Job is about.  This book is an inspirationally written, one of a kind, Biblical book of epic proportions.

The term, “self-righteous,” has the very negative connotation of being holier-than-thou, and even Pharisaical.  The Pharisees were excessively and hypocritically pious and condemnatory.  Too many religious people come across as possessing an attitude of smug moral superiority derived from a sense that their beliefs and actions are of a higher ethical caliber than those of the average person.  They have become piously self-assured and smugly moralistic, thinking of themselves as more virtuous than others.

We find that kind of self-righteousness in the hypocritical Pharisees:  “[Jesus] spoke this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the [Pharisee]: for every one that exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.”  (Luke 18:9-14)

This self-righteousness does not describe Job because he did not despise others, but he did “trust in himself that he was righteous”.  In fact, the Bible reveals that Job was blameless and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil (Job 1:1).  God said, “There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and eschews [turns away from] evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although thou [Satan] moved me against him, to destroy him without cause.” (Job 2:3)  What then is the Book of Job all about?  What are the lessons we are to learn?  Much of the Church of God needs to learn the same lesson Job learned as a result of his sore trial.

Through his own force of will, Job had determined that he would be a man of blameless integrity and virtue, obtaining the highest of moral values.  And he did an excellent work through his self-will of achieving that high goal.  He rose to be a high ruler and judge among the people.  He was a brilliant scientist, engineer, geologist, agriculturalist, mathematician, and architect.  He was highly respected and wealthy.  And though he examined himself closely, he did not have an “I need you God, attitude,” making his conversion one of the most difficult that we find in the Scriptures.

All of a sudden and without warning, Job lost his children, his herds of farm animals, his wealth, and his health.  He could not fathom why God would remove his blessings in a single stroke against him.  Job’s friends thought that he must have done something seriously sinful and wrong to deserve it.  And yet, Job continuously maintained that he was doing everything that God required of him.  What was the answer to Job’s dilemma?

Why did God allow Job to suffer a trial so horribly painful that he regretted the day he was born?  Why did the righteous Job have to suffer?  It was not because of a deliberate and habitual sin in Job’s life, but he was chastised because God knew that he lacked a quality of spiritual understanding and substance.  “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and severely disciplines every son whom He receives.  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons.”  (Hebrews 12:6-7)

Job felt that he had brought about his own righteousness and goodness.  He did not realize that only God is good, and that the limited goodness that man possesses is a result of the work God does in us.  “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understands, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10-12)

Job was a very good man – as men go – putting every law and precept of God into practice in his daily life.  But Job did not slow down and realize that there is so much more to God than meets the eye.  God had to pull the rug out from under Job to get his attention.  Job had to learn more about God, and he needed to learn from God.  His three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, added to his chagrin by misapplying Godly principles when they accused and condemned Job, thinking incorrectly that he was being punished for some secret sin that they did not know about (Job 32:3).

Job had no secret sin to repent of because he had indeed been living a good life.  But during the test that God allowed Job to go through to bring him to perfection, he did not fare so well.  He felt forsaken by God, and he accused God of being unfair.  Elihu told Job, "Behold, in this you are not right."  (Job 33:12)  Job even went so far as to say that his righteousness exceeded God’s righteousness (35:2)!  Job condemned God so that he might maintain his claim of being more righteous than God (40:8).  Job had to learn the benevolence of God, and that God always had his best interest in mind (Romans 8:28).

Job’s problem was that he justified himself rather than justifying God.  Man must be judged and God justified.   Justified means to be right and just before God.  When Job declared his willful obedience, the young man, Elihu, told Job it was not enough.  Elihu gave Job the Godly advice he needed to hear.  “Behold, in this [Job], you are not justified, just, or right: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.” (Job 33:12)  Elihu was a flesh and blood ministerial spokesman for God.  Elihu proceeded, “Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead: I also am formed out of the clay…  [Job], allow me a moment, and I will show you that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.”  (Job 33:6, 36:2)  Elihu’s name means, “My God is YHWH”

Repeatedly, Job sought a meeting with God wherein everything would be explained to him.  But when God answered Job out of the whirlwind – it was much worse than Job ever imagined it would be.  Job was unable to answer God on any of these questions (Job 38-41):

"Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner stone thereof;
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth?
Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? Have you seen the doors of the shadow of  death?
Can you bind the sweet influences [gravitational forces of the constellations] of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?


Does the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
Shall [Job] that contends with the Almighty instruct him? He [Job]


that reproves God, let him answer it.
Then Job answered the Lord, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth."


In the end, Job began to recognize the supreme sovereignty of Almighty God.  Finally, Job said, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee."  (Job 42:5)

Job was humbled before God.  God asked Job, “Can you convert the proud and humble him?”  (Job 40:12)  “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you.”  (1Peter 5:6-7)

Indeed, Paul may have had Job in mind when he penned these words.  "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."  (Romans 10:3)

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Sermon: "Conversion of Job"

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