So What is Unique About Job? 1. The Heavenly Council

           Perhaps the most unique element of Job is our observation of a "divine council". God is gathered with God’s Spirits (angels?), Satan is even present. In this council, the devotion of Job is acknowledged by God and Satan challenges that devotion. It is in that challenge that a ‘wager’ is struck. God will withdraw protection from Job and Satan can reduce his life to poverty and illness. The idea is that the material blessings of Job are the reward basis of his faith. 

    The book is structured with the human idea then that the removal of Job's blessings are therefore punishment. 

    Satan as 'the accuser' is first seen in Scripture as the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Seeing this development in Job is a unique presentation of the supernatural order of things in the Bible. 

     The challenge that lies behind this council is the connection between material possessions and faith. Job is faithful and has been richly rewarded. The Accuser asks what will happen if those blessings are stripped away? And they are. Will Job remain faithful? His friends seem to be present to push the human presupposition that bad things that happen are punishment. The power of this book is considering God's response. 

     It seems to offer God's response to the age-old question of crisis and disaster, "Why?"

 

In Consideration of the Book of Job and our Lord Jesus Christ

           The book of Job tells us the story of a God-fearing man whose life is systematically destroyed; his livelihood, his family, and his health. To him, without explanation. For us, it seems to be a heavenly wager. God versus Satan, Satan seeking to destroy Job because Satan is convinced Job will then curse God and die. God believes he will be faithful.

          In the story, three friends come to comfort Job. But they come with a human presupposition about God. God sends bad things as punishment, therefore Job is being punished. Therefore, all he has to do is repent. But Job knows and we know that he has not sinned, that he is not being punished.

          So instead of comfort there is conflict. His friends are frustrated at his stubbornness. Job, on top of everything else, is burdened with their truculence. No comfort is to be had. Instead, Job is backed into a corner and finally openly challenges God as to “Why?”

          In the end, God does reply. But it is not to explain, not to throw Satan under the bus. Rather, it might be seen as ultimately unsatisfying to we who want to understand. Essentially, is Job big enough to see the full scope, magnitude, and power of God? If not, then he needs to take a step back out of God's face.

           And he does. 

          Job was a man beloved by God. He remained faithful even through his darkest trials and deepest doubts, even in his ignorance of why things were happening to him. But there is another beloved by God who was also ruined and destroyed by God. And unlike Job, God does not spare his life. And unlike Job, he knew this was punishment. And unlike Job, he knew for what. But like Job, it was for nothing he did, because it was for what we did.

          What can we learn about our Lord Jesus in the light of Job? As another innocent man who seems to have suffered at the hands of God? What then can we learn about our faith in the light of the stories of these two men beloved by God? This is what we are going to explore this month in worship at First Presbyterian Church of Perth Amboy.