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Job 1: 1-12
Part 2
Last week we started looking at a new book of the Bible called Job. It is about a man called Job, who was the most prosperous man of his time in the East. We saw how Job lived a very upright life avoiding evil and regularly offering sacrifices in case sins had been committed by his children.
We shared some thoughts about Job's awareness of sin and considered how aware we are of our sins each day.
We noticed how Job had to keep making sacrifices, but today we confess our sins to God placing our trust in the ultimate perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ his Son for forgiveness.
I also wondered about this description of Job in verse 1, which was affirmed by God himself in verse 8. It says that Job was 'a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil'.
How can this be seeing as he was a sinner like you and me?
My Study Bible suggests an alternative meaning to perfect is 'blameless'. So could it mean that as Job continually made sacrifices for sin so he was cleansed in God's sight and thus blameless - demonstrating the efficacy of his sacrifices?
But we know that sacrificing animals was inadequate and insufficient for permanent forgiveness from sin - it had to keep being repeated.
Hebrews 10:4 tells us, 'it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins'.
In contrast Jesus' sacrificial life and death achieved eternal forgiveness for his people. Hebrews 10: 14 tells us, 'for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified'.
Well, in Job 19: 25 & 26, Job says 'I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God'.
Yes, during his life Job was continually offering sacrifices and being redeemed from sin, but it seems he was given the faith to look to the future ultimate sacrifice of the Lord Jesus as his redeemer, even before he had come to earth, through whom his sins would be taken away for ever, procuring for him eternal life - and as such he was blameless in God's sight.
But, I think this description of Job's character sounds like it is referring more to his daily actions, and as a sinner, how could he be so upright?
Perhaps it stemmed from a gift of faith from God which enabled him to deeply believe in God.
It says in verse 1 and 8 that he 'feareth God'. My Strong's concordance tells us that although this may indeed mean being afraid of something or someone, when being used in reference to a person in an exalted position or God, it is not simple fear but a 'standing in awe', a reverence, recognising God's power and position and giving proper respect and submission.
Job himself tells us in Job 31: 4, 'Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?', and in verse 23, 'For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness (magnificence) I could not endure'.
Job was deeply conscious of God seeing all his actions and of God's holiness. God had given him a desire to live in a way pleasing to him and a tender conscience in regard to procuring forgiveness for any wrongs.
Our text calendar has recently had a couple of verses on it which enlarge on this: 'By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil' (Proverbs 16:6), and, 'So did not I, because of the fear of God' (Nehemiah 5:15). It appears that it is a deep consciousness and belief in God, and what he is that keeps us from sinning.
Some people naturally have more self-control and are able to life outwardly good lives. The Apostle Paul wrote that he could be viewed as 'blameless' in how well he kept the law. But this was as a Pharisee who could not see the sin of his heart (Philippians 3:6). When taught by God to know his own heart he described himself as a 'wretched man', who 'the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do' (Romans 7: 19).
In his letter to the Philippians Paul told them that it is God that works in believers to make them desire and act according to God's pleasure and encourages them not to complain and argue, 'that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world' (Philippians 2: 13-15).
One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit working within believers is temperance, which can also be described as self-control. I noticed recently how Paul reasoned with Felix about 'righteousness, temperance and judgement to come' (Acts 24: 25).
Do you feel how different you are from Job? Do you feel easily tempted and drawn into sin? Perhaps you feel like Paul - wretched - unable to do the good that you know you should do?
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Or, perhaps you feel lulled into a false sense of security that as you cannot visibly see God, he can't see you? Perhaps, you think your sins aren't really that bad.
Or maybe you long for more love and reverence to God, that you might be kept from sin and that you might live more to his honour and glory? I think of Mary, of whom Jesus said she 'loved much' because of her many sins, which 'are forgiven' (Luke 7: 47).
May we too be given a tender conscience and a reverence and love for God, a consciousness that God is 'counting all our steps', that we too might shun sin and glorify him with our lives.
May we be enabled to confess our sins before God, and turn from them, looking to Jesus for our forgiveness, that we too might be 'blameless' in God's sight.
And may others see the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, giving us temperance to resist sin that we too might shine as lights in a dark world.
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