Chapter One of Job starts out telling us that (1) Job was blameless and upright.
Job feared God and shunned evil. That's pretty amazing! I think He was
truly pleasing in the sight of God! He had 7 sons and 3 daughters (side
note-that's almost as many and the same amount that is in our
family-WOW!) He was rich with 7 thousand sheep, 3 thousand camels,
500 yoke of oxen, 500 female camels and a very large household! It also
says that he was the greatest man of all the people of the East! He was rich,
not only in earthly possessions, but in heavenly possessions as we will see
later on...
Job's sons would feast and have parties at their houses on certain days. They
would invite their sisters to join them!! They were obviously able to have
frequent parties. When the feasts and parties had come to an end, Job
would have to cleanse and sanctify his children. He would rise early in the
morning and offer burnt offerings for each one of them. Job knew that what
they were doing was dishonoring to God so Job would make sacrifices in their
place to cover their sins. I think that is what parents should do for their children
when they are in sin-to intercede for them and pray for them, encourage them
to live Godly lives-set apart for God, etc...obeying God in all things!
(6) This starts out as Satan approaching God. Satan at the time was going
through the earth doing what He does-kill, steal and destroy, when God asks
Satan (the Devil) if he had considered Job's conduct and everything about Him.
God makes if a point to tell Satan that (8) "there is none like him on the earth, a
blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil..." The Devil begins
to tell God that Job is only doing it because of what God has given and done
for Job. Satan persists in telling God that if he does anything to touch Job's
"way of life" (for lack of better words) that Job would curse God to His face!
Then God told Satan to "try it out," to test Job in his character and his
commitment to God, etc..but he is NOT to touch Job at all!
So Satan leaves God (12) and one day when Sebeans (a group of people)
came and raided ALL of Job's oxen and donkey's and they killed all of
Job's servant's with swords! While that messenger was telling Job this terrible
news, another messanger came and told Job that fire had come down from
heaven and burned up Job's sheep and servant's and consumed them, only
the messanger's escaped to tell Job. Still, while that messenger was speaking,
another messenger came and told Job that the Chaldeans (another group
of people) had killed the servant's and took all of his camels and only
the messenger had escaped to tell Job. (18) Still while that messenger was
speaking to Job (now there are 5 messengers in front of Job to tell all of this
horrific news!) another messenger came to tell Job that while his children were
having another "party," wind came and all of his children died because of
it.
(20) Job's response to all of this totally surprises and inspires me! Watch this:
"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head. Job fell to the ground
and WORSHIPED! And he said:
'Naked I came from my
mother's womb,
And naked shall I return
there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord
has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the
Lord.'
In all this Job did NOT sin nor charge God with wrong."
The end of Chapter 1...
I think this is just amazing!!!! Think about it, when something bad happens do
we get mad at God or blame him for all of the terrible things that happen in
our lives, or do we worship Him in spirit and in truth? Do we push God away
or do we draw nearer to Him? Do we run the race even with obstacles in our
way, or do we just give up? Do we grow or do we faint in the weakness or
hard times in our lives? I want to be like Job and love and worship God in all
of the seasons of my life, not JUST in the good, but in the good and bad times!
When we are persecuted for our faith it is GOOD! When we are persecuted
or despised or rejected by men because of God, when the Devil throws
things at us, we don't have to put up with it! We can live in peace with our Savior!
One day we will get to see Him face-to-face! This is now our chance to be
everything that God wants for us in our lives! Don't back down from faith!
It's not always going to be easy, but God is there with us-helping us and
guiding us the WHOLE way! We just have to trust and believe and while we
are waiting and standing, we worship Him because He deserves it and we owe
it to Him! He's wonderful!
I hope this encourages you! I'll keep posting for each chapter! :)
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