- Job was "blameless and upright". Time and again, I hear evangelicals say, "we know Job can't be perfect, but nevertheless he was a faithful person". Seems a bit like lowering-the-bar theology to me. Why can't we say that he really was blameless and upright because Christ's blamelessness and uprightness was credited to him?
- Job is so conscientious that he is concerned that his sons have "cursed God in their hearts". Satan's objective is to get Job to curse God to his face (1:11; 2:5). Job's wife encourages him to do just that (2:9). Recalls the Fall, although Job doesn't sin. Also speaking truly about God seems to be a major theme, as God picks that up in 42:7-8.
- Job does not suffer despite being righteous, but because he is righteous.
- Job's faith in the early chapters of the book is often held up as a model. Should it be? He does fear God, and doesn't grasp onto false rights to good things from God, but there is no indication that he has hope or trust in God as his Father. Rather than lauding the initial reactions of Job, I think we should see Job's faith as only partial in the famous "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away". He concludes his final speech by saying, "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Before he knew something of God, but through his suffering and God's revelation he is brought to a much deeper and richer knowledge of God as the one who is in control but also has good purposes. The vision of God Job has at the end is the vision we should focus on.
- In the early chapters Satan is portrayed as the one bringing the suffering upon Job, with God only as the one permitting it. However both Job and the narrator attribute the suffering to God and never to Satan. Although that must bring certain problems for the believer, it is tremendously important. If suffering is purely by chance, fate or a wholly malevolent being then we can't ask for it to stop. If it is our Father who disciplines us because he loves us we can ask him to stop when the discipline is too much and have a certain hope he will answer.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
A few random thoughts on Job
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Good thoughts! Except, I'd disagree om several points:
ReplyDelete"Why can't we say that he really was blameless and upright because Christ's blamelessness and uprightness was credited to him?"
I used to believe this was the case myself! I'm a little confused, though- I thought you'd be one to agree that it's talking about Job's faithfulness/integrity (which you may and you're just drawing out reasoning!). I think it fits the larger theme of Job and works well when we consider how Job is a type of Christ, the ultimate righteous Man. Others in the OT, like David, aren't afraid to talk about their own uprightness or righteousness (not in a self-righteous way, but to some today it would probably appear to be so).
"Job's faith in the early chapters of the book is often held up as a model. Should it be? He does fear God, and doesn't grasp onto false rights to good things from God, but there is no indication that he has hope or trust in God as his Father."
God explains to Satan that "there is none like [Job] on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” Again, God further says, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause." Why should we not learn from Job's early faith?
Two sermons for your thoughts!
The Godliness of Job
Portrait Of A Blessed Man
Hi Marie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts and the sermons. I may well look them up. I do love the book of Job.
On the first point, I'd agree that did lots of good things (sacrifices, blessing God, etc). Not only that, but I'd agree that he did lots of good things that nobody else did. But that doesn't make you blameless in any sense. I can't see how there is any way to be blameless except by the blood of Christ. Now he really was blameless, just as we really are blameless too, so the point that he wasn't punished for his sin (a central message of the book) holds.
You're right about David, although I think I'd want to consider the individual texts in turn.
I think I over-stated my case and you're right to pull me up on that.
On your second point I agree. I think I overstated my case. I'm not saying there's nothing to learn from the early Job. I am saying that his faith grows and develops over the course of the book and that the early Job is not all we would want to say. He may not have sinned in what he said, but I think he could have said something better. I think the the book as a whole what was missing in his early statements.
Does that make sense?
Yes, it does make sense! Thanks for the clarifications!
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed it made sense because that comment of mine was seriously garbled. I shouldn't comment late at night when I'm so tired!
ReplyDelete