Job 1
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that was perfect and upright, and on that feared God, and eschewed evil [abstained from evil, shunned evil]” (Job. 1:1).
Pretty righteous man wasn’t he? Yes, it is important to notice this because of what follows.
Now God had blessed this man with seven sons and three daughters.
He was greatest of all the men of the east, he had cattle and sheep, and camels, he had everything, you might say, a prosperous man.
Now we have Satan coming in to the picture. “Now there was a day when the sons of God [angels] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them” (Job 1:66Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. (Job 1:6)).
“And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all the he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth for the presence of the Lord” (Job 1:7-127And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:7‑12)).
Now, what happened? We know that Satan does not like a righteous man, he doesn’t like God’s people; he does everything that he can to upset them.
And so he takes and causes Job’s cattle to be taken away, his camels are stolen, his sheep are burned up, (we cannot read all of this) I suppose by lighting, he says “from heaven.”
And the sons and daughters were feasting in the elder son’s house, and a whirlwind, or tornado struck his home and they all were killed.
Seven sons and three daughters; isn’t that quite a blow for a righteous man? So, what does Job do? Job worshipped, could you do that? Job worshipped and this is what he said, “And he said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:2121And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (Job 1:21)). Can you say this in all the circumstances of life? You can if you walk with God, if you walk with God.
Job 2
Now we have another attack by Satan. He didn’t win the first one you know; he didn’t win out.
Job’s heart was set on the Lord, and so he attacks him again, he says “you just touch his flesh, that will be different.” But you will notice in the third verse, the Lord recites what He said before. He repeats twice what he said in the first chapter.
“And the Lord said unto Satan, hast thou considered Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil” (Job 2:33And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. (Job 2:3)). Notice and still he holds fast his integrity. This was not mentioned in the other instances.
Dear friends, this is the key to the book of Job — integrity. What does integrity mean? Well, we understand it as an honest man, faithful man, but it means also one who holds himself righteous, self-righteousness.
That was his trouble, he was self-righteous. This was something that man could not see very well, but God could see it. As far as men were concerned, Job was upright in all his ways, none could point their finger at Job. And now God is going to allow this to come out.
God is going to deal with Job, and so Satan asks that Job might be put into his hand again, and he was.
Job breaks out in boils, (notice) from the foot to the top of his head. How would you like to go around with boils covering your body from your foot to your head?
Job did, I do not know how long; Job 29:22Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; (Job 29:2) speaks of months, several months, but he was covered with boils, he was self-righteous.
Now notice Job 2:99Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. (Job 2:9): “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God and die.” She knew, yes, she knew. Integrity, self-righteousness; oh yes, he was a righteous man before men. He didn’t walk in sin, but he carried that character that he himself was righteous before God, and that will never do, never do.
And what else does she say? “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God and die.” So Job says, “Thou speakest as one of the foolish women do.” Like the foolish women do.
As far as men were concerned his pathway was good. As far as God was concerned God looks into the secret of our lives, and reminds us of ourselves.
And as Job was debating with his three friends in the next chapters, we find that Job finally admits that there were sins in his life, but he didn’t consider them too bad.
He was righteous: do you see what that does to a man? It doesn’t make a man humble, it makes him proud. Job was proud of his righteousness. That won’t do.
Well, we won’t go into his conversations with his friends, you have probably read it many times.
Job 19
“For 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.”
Job had a redeemer; do you have a Saviour? Something else, do you believe in resurrection? Job did.
He said, “After the worms destroy this body,” he expected to die anytime, boils from head to foot, “in my flesh I shall see God.” Isn’t that wonderful?
O what a wonderful thing resurrection is dear friend, “and see God” in our flesh. Bodies of glory; Job didn’t know about the body of glory, you do.
Job 36
Now we turn to the thirty-sixth chapter. We have another person coming in on the scene besides the three friends, Elihu. Elihu gave many wonderful things in his ministry, in his answers, but I would like to call attention to two of them.
First, “Behold, God exalteth by his power”; and second, “Who teacheth like him?” (Job 36:2222Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him? (Job 36:22)).
Job 38
Now that is just before the thirty-eighth chapter, where the Lord Jesus Himself takes over, and He deals with His servant Job, personally, and before he accuses him of sin, we read —
What are the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Now what are these influences? Heavenly! Heavenly! Job, can you bind them?
What are the sweet influences of Pleiades? There were several stars in a cluster, they are up there now, six are visible. They have some effect on the earth, sweet influences! That is the literal side of things, but you have in the next chapter or two God is speaking to Job, He is going to restore his soul, and Elihu introduces it by speaking of God’s power, and now we have this introduced in the midst of it.
Here we have this beautiful illustration, “the sweet influences of Pleiades, the sweet influences of heaven. What were they? Boils from head to foot, that’s what they were. Oh, you say that is terrible, no those are the sweet influences of heavenly things. The Lord Himself is introducing things that are going to restore this man’s soul. Would he want it otherwise, no, not when it is over he wants it that way, but he didn’t know it then. O how good God is, there was no other way.
You see that Job was self-righteous, he didn’t know that he was a sinner from the bottom of his sole to the top of his head.
Do you know what Peter said when the Lord filled his boat with fishes? “Depart from me because I have sinned.” No, “Depart from me because I am a sinful man O God.” That is what I am, from the bottom of my foot to the top of my head. That is what I am, not what I have done. God commended him for what he had done, now Job is to discover what he is. Oh, if we could discover this, we would be through making something of ourselves.
Job 40-42
In all of these later chapters the Lord is speaking about His power, so we turn now to Job 40.
After the Lord had spoken about the sweet influences of Pleiades, Job didn’t understand it then, but he did later. Now He brings home the heart of Job, what he has done. “Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?” (Job 40:88Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? (Job 40:8))
In Job’s debating with his friends he told about how God was unrighteous in what He was doing to him. Is God unrighteous in what He is doing to His people? No, He is doing the best that He can “according to our state of soul.” The best that He can? “Wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be righteous?” Oh, what a blow! Oh, what a blow! to Job.
“Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, I will speak, and I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:1-61Then Job answered the Lord, and said, 2I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 3Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:1‑6)).
Integrity, oh! That was his trouble, and now he repents of the whole thing. Repents of the whole thing. Job was full of sores from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head in the sight of God. He discovered it, have you discovered that?
What a wonderful discovery, because you know that God can flow out in all of this grace to us. Have we discovered that all of the time we were thinking of ourselves and our self-righteousness: we don’t have any. If we are righteous it is because God in His matchless grace sent His Son down here to die, that we might have a divine righteous. That is all that have, not human righteousness, that is all gone.
Now, what is the result? I learn that it’s so blessed; this last chapter of Job. We know that when we read stories, we love to have them end up well. This one ends well, Beautiful!
God says to Job’s companions, You go and take sacrifices down to Job, and he will offer them up for you, and he will pray for you, because that they had offended God as well as Job, and you know that as soon as Job had prayed for his friends, God turned the captivity of Job, and the Lord gave Job, twice as much as he had before.
Was it worthwhile to go through this? Was it worthwhile? That is not all though. I know God loves to give and loves to bless. Are we hindering that blessing because of self-righteousness? Integrity? Anything that comes in between us and God.
“Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house” (Job 42:1111Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. (Job 42:11)). They would not go with him in his trouble; they would not go near him as relatives; friends were all gone, but now, they are all back again. God orders things, we don’t.
Seven sons and three daughters, are given to him. Now you may ask the question, how was it that Job had twice as much when he only had seven sons, when he should have fourteen sons; three daughters, when he should have had six. He does have them. Didn’t he pray for his children? Where are they, up there friends, is that where your children are going? Because you prayed for prayed for them?
Does not God say, “thou and thy house.”
So he had twice as much as had before. But in closing I would like to speak of his three daughters. Jemima — (a dove, purity), isn’t that nice — pure? Kezia — (cassia or sweetness) and Keren-happuch — (the house of beauty): that is the way the story of Job ends.
Oh, how gracious God is, but he has to put Job through the test, so he will discover what he is in His sight.
Little Flock Hymn 76, appendix.
Address at Delevan-Bloomington Conference, September 1990
C.E. Lunden