SERIES: The Book of Job
Man of Perseverance, Man of Piety
SPEAKER: Michael P. Andrus
Introduction: Have you heard of the perseverance of Job? The Apostle James assumes you have, for in the last chapter of his NT epistle he is recounting the blessings that come through endurance and says, “You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” Whenever we think of Job, certain word associations immediately enter our minds—not just words like “perseverance,” “patience” and “endurance,” but also “suffering,” “trials,” “tribulations,” and “sorrow.”
But I’ve been impressed in my recent study that there is something unique about this man Job which many of us have overlooked—at least I know I have. Before the Scriptures tell us anything about Job’s trials, or his sufferings, or his perseverance, the fact is pressed home very clearly that Job was a godly and a righteous man. The sequence is no accident. No one can become a paragon of virtue without first practicing virtue in his everyday life. So, before we even begin to examine the theme of the book of Job, we are going to study the character of its hero.
What kind of a man was this patriarch? Why did God choose him to be the focal point of what was perhaps the most unusual debate in all of history? These questions are answerable as we are exposed by God’s Word to Job’s pedigree, his progeny, his prosperity, and his piety.
Job’s pedigree (1)
Our passage opens with the following information about Job’s background:
His natural pedigree. “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job.” That’s the land of Uz, not the land of Oz. Though nowhere specifically identified geographically in either sacred or secular history, several things about the land of Uz are known. It was a country of “the east,” (verse 3), a technical term for countries bordering on the Arabian Sea.
It was a land of plentiful pastures (1:3). Portions of it were suitable for crops (1:14). It was near the wilderness (1:19), and the large number of camels in Job’s herds indicates it was near the desert. It was within raiding distance of the Sabaens and Chaldeans, who inhabited the Fertile Crescent (1:15,17). And it was extensive enough to have in it a number of kings or sheiks, of whom Job was the predominant one (Jer. 25:20).
The life of Job probably antedates that of Abraham, making the account of his life one of the oldest in the Bible. So much for Job’s natural pedigree.
His spiritual pedigree is given to us in four brief phrases at the end of verse 1: “This man was blameless; he was upright; he feared God, and he shunned evil.” When the Scriptures refer to Job as “blameless” it is not suggesting that Job was without sin. “Blameless” simply means his compatriots could find no blame to lay upon him. What sins and shortcomings he had must have been relatively minor and not obvious to others. Certainly, he had not brought any disrepute upon the name of God owing to immoral behavior or evil speech. Very simply the word “blameless”indicates that Job was a man of high integrity. He didn’t have a double heart. His word could be trusted. His actions and attitudes were righteous. He was clean on the inside.
Not only was Job blameless, but he was also upright in his dealings with other people. He lived his life without harming others, without injuring anyone, and without seeking personal profit at the expense of another. There’s both a negative and a positive aspect to uprightness of character. The negative involves avoiding evil behavior toward others, while the positive involves going out of one’s way to do good toward others. Job was known for both.
Not only was Job blameless in his personal life and upright in his relationships, but he was also above reproach in his relationship with God. It says he “feared God.” In biblical perspective right relations with God are viewed as the well‑spring of right relations with people. So, we shouldn’t be surprised that this upright man feared God.
Finally, we are told that he turned away from evil. He just said “no” to sin. It’s so easy to subtly justify our sin by thinking, “If only God would take away my appetite for that sin….” Or some say to themselves, “I’m an addict, so God doesn’t hold me responsible.” God’s way is rather for us to exercise self‑control and self‑discipline and to appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit to be obedient to Him.
Now the fact that Job’s spiritual pedigree was so remarkable is crucial to the whole book of Job, for beginning in verse 6 we will be introduced to a great debate between God and Satan on this very issue. The Slanderer denies Job’s essential integrity; God, on the other hand, not only affirms it but sets out to prove it. In fact, God Himself is speaking in verse 8 when He says of Job, “There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” And if that weren’t enough, He repeats the same truth in the third verse of the next chapter. So not only does the unknown author of the book ascribe integrity to Job; God does so as well, twice. We should keep this clearly in mind later in the book as Job protests his innocence to his accusers.
By the way, Job’s spiritual pedigree is supported by two other books in the Bible. We have already mentioned the reference to Job in the book of James. But he is also mentioned in Ezekiel 14:12‑20. Let’s turn there and read what to me is a very curious passage: “The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its men and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.”
The following paragraphs go on to say, “Or if I send wild beasts through that country…. Or if I bring a sword against that country…. Or if I send a plague into that land… as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.”
Our friend Job is in pretty good company, isn’t he? Noah, Daniel and Job—all men who stood head and shoulders above their peers and acquaintances in respect to godliness and integrity. Incidentally, this passage I think is a good answer to those who suggest that Job was a fictitious character developed by an ancient writer to communicate a lesson about suffering. Are we prepared to say the same of Noah and Daniel? The prophet Ezekiel puts them all in the same boat and honors them as uniquely godly.
Job’s pedigree is next followed by mention of his progeny.
Job’s progeny (2‑4)
Verse two reads, “He had seven sons and three daughters.” There’s a connection between verse 1 and 2 which doesn’t come through in our English text. The Hebrew really reads, “And so he had seven sons….” In other words, the blessing of his large family is directly related to his moral and spiritual character mentioned in verse 1. Now not everyone would consider 7 sons and 3 daughters a blessing, but that is largely due to changing times and societal pressures. We should not overlook what God said through Solomon: “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” (Psalm 127:4-5) And Solomon should know! What we find here in our text is that Job’s children were important to him and important to one another.
His children were important to him. Verse 5 of our text indicates clearly how important Job’s children were to him in a family sense (we will see a little later how he prayed for them regularly), but they were also important in an economic sense. In fact, Job had an ideal mix of sons and daughters according to the ancient measure of such matters. Sons were more valued than daughters, especially for one who owned vast estates; yet daughters were valuable, too. Seven and 3 are both sacred numbers in the Scripture and 10 is the number of completeness. That may all be coincidence, but probably not. Job was experiencing a special measure of God’s blessing.
But interestingly, Job’s children were not only important to him but also to one another.
His children were important to one another. Look at verse 4: “His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.” Do you know who is happier than a man or woman with a full quiver? It’s the man or woman whose children all love one another and seek out one another’s company. There are many families where that is not true, where grown brothers and sisters hate each other and have not spoken to one another in years. Some past offense has destroyed what should be the fourth most important relationship in life after our relationship with God, our children, and our parents. I’m sure Job’s kids were fairly normal—they undoubtedly had their share of sibling rivalries, but they never lost that deep appreciation for one another that is evidence of a godly home life.
The children of Job had developed a nice tradition. On the birthday of each of his sons, who presumably were all married and had established their own homes, all the brothers and sisters would be invited over to the home of the one celebrating for a rousing banquet. Not a single sibling was left out. No one was treated like a black sheep in this family. Parents, we need to do what we can to help our children establish lifelong traditions with one another. Our own old age will be immeasurably enhanced by it, to say nothing of theirs.
Job’s prosperity (3)
Very simply put, Job was filthy rich, if that term can be used without any ethical connotations. Look at verse 3: “And he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.”
His wealth was extensive. The type and extent of wealth mentioned makes it clear that Job was a patriarch or sheik over a large territory. The number of oxen hints that he was not a nomad but an agriculturalist, with extensive farmlands, and this is confirmed in verse 14. Job’s wealth was also diverse. His sheep provided clothing and food. Camels and donkeys provided transportation and opportunity for extensive commerce. Oxen provided food and milk, besides tractor power. And his servants were too numerous to mention.
If there were any doubt about his wealth, it is removed at the end of verse 3: “He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.” In the context of this verse, that simply means he was the richest man alive.
His wealth was legitimate. There are many wealthy people in this world, but not all of them achieved their wealth honestly. Some became rich illegally or immorally, or through simple greed, or by violating God’s priorities of putting Him first, family second, and work third. But Job’s wealth was not tainted by any of these factors. You see, it’s not impossible for a man to be wealthy and godly at the same time. Jesus made it clear that it is extremely difficult, but it’s not impossible.
How do I know that Job’s wealth was legitimately obtained and even legitimately maintained? Well, in the first place, verse one would be a lie if the truth were otherwise. But beyond that, we have an extensive personal testimony from Job which touches upon this matter. Turn to chapter 29 with me, and let’s begin reading in verse 4 (by the way, this is after Job lost everything!): “Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house, when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.”
In other words, Job claims everything he touched turned to gold. He had the Midas touch. But he did not hoard his wealth. Pick up in verse 11:
“Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him. The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing. I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth.”
His wealth was impermanent. And that, of course, is true of all material wealth. Next week we will examine in detail how Job lost all his wealth virtually overnight. He went from wealth to poverty as one calamity after another hit him. We are all, of course, susceptible to that. All it would take to wipe out most of us would be either losing our job, or being laid up for weeks with a stubborn illness, or a real estate market crash, or a war. We Americans feel very secure, and we are specialists at diversifying our investments to cover all possible contingencies. But let’s not kid ourselves. Everyone felt secure in the U.S. in 1929 and in Germany in 1938 and in Iran in 1978 and in Sarajevo in 1991. Wealth is impermanent and we dare not put our trust in it.
Job enjoyed his wealth, I’m sure, and he employed it wisely. But he never allowed it to possess him. The result was that when he lost it all, he did not lose his mind or his God.
Job’s piety as a parent (4-5)
Look at verse 5: “When a period of feasting had run its course (this is the feasting that Job’s children were doing together), Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ This was Job’s regular custom.”
Now I suppose that, to some, Job may appear to be an overly solicitous parent. After all, he doesn’t know that his children have been getting drunk, or acting immorally, or laughing at dirty jokes. He just knows that they might—he says “perhaps.” And his concern is not just with their actions or words but even the thoughts of their hearts. Is such a possibility sufficiently worrisome to justify getting up before dawn and sacrificing seven of your best animals? It’s probably much more common for parents to ignore the sins of their children when they know about them than to worry about potential sins they don’t even know about.
His concern was appropriate. Notice, if you will, that Job’s concern was directed to the Lord. He wasn’t hassling his grown children, trying to run their lives, forbidding them legitimate pleasures because of parental suspiciousness. Instead, he was praying and supplicating God in their behalf. Of course, when our children are young, we as parents are largely responsible for their behavior. But as they grow older, our control over their activities diminishes rapidly. One thing, however, should remain constant—and that is prayer on their behalf.
I am one of five children, all but one of whom is involved in Christian ministry. But I have a younger sister who is not walking with the Lord and hasn’t since she was a young teenager. My parents are retired in northwest Arkansas, and I don’t see them very often, but every time I do, I hear them pray for my sister. There probably has not been a single day in those 30 years that my parents have not verbally prayed to God for her. And not just for her! They mention all five of us and each of their grandchildren and great grandchildren. They pray for our ministries, our families, our weaknesses, etc. I personally wouldn’t trade that for anything. My parents deserve a great deal of the credit for anything God has done or will do through me. (Note added in 2023: my younger sister came back to the Lord after 40 years, just prior to my father’s death at age 91. Today, more than 15 years later, she is still walking with the Lord).
His concern was sincere, too. It’s one thing to say prayers, and it’s another to sacrifice a small herd every time one of your children has a birthday. Sometimes we feel we have done our duty if we mouth a few words like, “Bless our children, Amen.” But real piety as a parent costs something. It costs time and effort to give our children spiritual education. It costs self‑discipline as we set an example for our children of Christ‑like behavior. It may cost financially as one refuses to sell his soul to the company because his kids are a higher priority, or because he chooses to send his child to a Christian school or a Christian college over cheaper alternatives that might not be as good for them. Job was willing to pay any price because his concern was sincere.
His concern was habitual. “This was Job’s regular custom,” the text says. He never missed a birthday party. His children never held a banquet that Job did not follow up by offering sacrifices. He believed, as Elijah did, that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much. And fervency means constancy.
Points to Ponder:
1. Prosperity and piety, though not commonly connected, are by no means incompatible. As proof of that, we have such notable biblical examples as Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph of Arimethea. A man can be wealthy and godly at the same time, but he must work harder at it. Wealth brings with it so much power and influence in the world that it’s often difficult for the wealthy not to think of other people as pawns and to expect deferential treatment from them. In fact, Job spoke of that deference back in chapter 29. Listen:
“When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square, the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet; the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands; the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.”
Friends, it’s not easy to cast yourself upon God’s mercy when you have that kind of clout. In fact, I believe the test of prosperity is a much more difficult test for the average believer than the test of poverty and adversity. Many who have remained faithful to God during lean years have become proud and self‑sufficient in the years of plenty. Paul expresses the danger, along with some valuable exhortation, in 1 Tim. 6:6‑10,17‑19:
“Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs…. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
But what a blessing it is when you find in one person the combination of prosperity and piety! I have known a few, and what an asset those individuals are to the work of the Lord and to their families!
2. For a Christian man to give more concern to the material welfare of his estate than to the spiritual welfare of his family is inexcusable. Now I’m not suggesting that there can be an exact time equivalence here. Most of the fathers in this church probably give at least 50 hours a week to making a living. None of us has 50 hours a week left to devote to the spiritual development of our children. The real question is in respect to our priorities. Which comes first in a pinch? If a choice must be made between pleasing the boss and doing our duty as a father, who wins out? In a great many homes, it is the company that wins out and the justification is given that “I’m just doing it for my kids.”
Job was a very busy man. He could probably buy and sell everyone in this room several times over. The pressures of keeping such a vast estate together must have been enormous. But the spiritual welfare of his family took precedence over everything else.
Conclusion: We will see beginning next Sunday that when God decided to brag about someone, He chose Job above everyone else on earth. That was no accident. God didn’t pick Job’s name out of a lottery—He chose him because He saw in him a depth of character that was unmatched. The primary thing I would like for us to take home today is ENCOURAGEMENT. We can take heart in the fact that though Job lived in a very pagan society and had all the headaches and frustrations of a large family, and though he had the riches of the world to divert his attention, still he was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. May we do the same.
DATE: June 6, 1993
Tags:
Perseverance
Children
Prosperity
Wealth
Encouragement