GOOD MORNING, SIBLINGS!
Today’s readings are Job 1-4

Click here to read today’s passages on BibleGateway.

Rabbit Trails

About this book:

•We do not know who wrote Job. There are plenty of speculations.

•Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible, believed to have been written before the Torah was given. The Torah is also referred to as the Pentateuch for all y’all Greekies out there?.

•Categorically wise, Job is considered to be part of the Bible’s wisdom literature.

•The books of the Bible are categorized as Law, Histories, Prophecy, Poetry, Wisdom, Gospels, and Letters. Of course, there are other ways to categorize them but I think we can all agree on these.

•Parallels to Messiah: Job is innocent, just as our Messiah. His response of praising the Father in adversity bears shadows of the Messiah as well.

•It is believed that Job was written after the flood but before the time of Moses. Job 22:16 has a reference to the flood and in Job 1:5 Job makes sacrifices as the head of his family on behalf of his children and YHWH ended that practice during the time of Moses with the instatement of the Levitical priesthood.

•Job could have been a distant ancestor to the Israelites, we don’t know, but as Jacob was not yet born and thereby the tribes of “Israel” did not yet exist, it is impossible for Job to have been an Israelite.

•It is important to note that Job was a wealthy, well respected man of great integrity and humility before YHWH. Job 1:1-5.

Asking a better question:

People usually come to this book with the question of “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?”

But I think that is the wrong question to ask – and this book answers another question entirely.

We can and should look to Job and ask, “How should I respond, react, and live when I experience difficult times?”

We begin with Satan stating a belief that Job only worships the Father because of the blessings that come from it. This is a valid thought, and one we must examine in ourselves. We will be blessed by obedience and worship of the Father, but we should do so out of love, not expectation of blessing.
I often hear said (and it is true!), “We don’t HAVE to obey, but we GET to!”. His ways are embedded with blessings that cannot be avoided for those earnestly seeking after Him.

During all that we will read happening to Job, he never once cursed God. In fact, when he received the news of the death of his children, he tore his clothes, shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshipped the father.

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshipped. And he said, “Naked I come from my mother’s womb and naked shall I return. YHWH gave and YHWH has taken away. Blessed be the name of YHWH.”
~Job 1:20-21

Further, in chapter 3 we see him curse the day he was born, but still he does not curse the Father.

When Job’s friends arrive, we don’t know how much time has passed since Job’s trials first began. There is some speculation that it was about a year between the time Job lost his children and the physical illness came upon him.

Eliphaz begins strong. He reminds Job of how he (Job) has encouraged others by giving them wise instruction. Job 4:3-6 and then he goes on to remind Job that the source of his hope is YHWH. However, from there it takes a negative turn. You see, Eliphaz had known Job to be a man of YHWH who steadfastly followed Him and was greatly blessed. To see all of this befalling him now causes Eliphaz to assume Job is being punished for some sin. He rightfully calls on him to turn to YHWH but he expects Job to do so as a form of repentance. Now keep in mind that we, as the reader, are privy to information that Eliphaz is not privy to. Namely, Job is innocent. There is a great deal of wisdom in his counsel, but it is misdirected at Job. I can only imagine how Job must have been questioning himself at this point as well.

Job is a book that requires a lot of soul searching to read. We naturally tend to picture ourselves in Job’s place and wonder how we would feel and handle the same situation. I want to encourage you to reflect on this with the Father today, asking Him to help you glean the wisdom He intends to offer you through this book as we move forward.

See you tomorrow!

Test everything, hold tight to what is good.~ 1 Thess 5:21

We are saved by Grace alone: Obedience is not the root of our salvation, it is the fruit!

May YHWH bless the reading of His Word!

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Christy Jordan
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