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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:
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"Conversion of Job"
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