JOB lived in the land of Uz, which may have derived its name from Uz grandson of Shem, the son of Noah. It says that Job in his day was the greatest of all the men of the East, which would be east of the land of Canaan.
The first verse is very remarkable in its description of Job, for it tells us he was “perfect and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed [abstained from] evil.” This divine comment is again repeated in verse 8 where it is also added, “there is none like him in the earth.” We need always to look at the way expressions are used in Scripture in order to discern what is meant. It is evident that the use of the word “perfect” is not used here in its complete sense, as it is used elsewhere in the Scriptures. For instance we get a different sense of the word in Colossians 1:27, 2827To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: (Colossians 1:27‑28) which reads: “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” It is very evident that Job was not one to whom this scripture would apply for the great trial he was to pass through was to teach him what was in his heart, and this lesson he finally learned in the last chapter.
We must also bear in mind, when reading this book and in fact all the Old Testament books, that they were written long before “the truth [as it] is in Jesus,” (Eph. 4:2121If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: (Ephesians 4:21)), could be revealed. That could not be before “the fullness of the time was come” (Gal. 4:44But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4)), for Him to come into this world, when He could bring that “so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him.” Heb 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3). So God spoke only according to what knowledge was commonly known at that time. The things spoken of in the book of Job were evidently all before any part of the Word of God was written. What knowledge they had was what had been hand down to them during the interval since the flood. And man is prone to add to or take away from what God has given, even when he has the written Word to go by.
It would seem that what God says of Job in verses 1 and 8 that He was comparing him to others in the world at that time. And this is all the more remarkable when we consider that he was a very wealthy and influential man, for we are told in Proverbs 18:11Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. (Proverbs 18:1)1 That “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as a high wall in his own conceit.”
Job had seven sons and three daughters. They feasted every day, and Job was afraid they might have sinned and cursed God in their hearts, so he offered burnt offerings for each of them. But it does not seem to allude to his own need of such offerings; which lesson he has yet to learn—the lesson of his own vileness before God. (Chapter 40:4.)
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