Job 1: 3: There was man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and this man was blameless and upright and one who feared God and shunned evil. And 7 sons and 3 daughters were born to him. Also his possession were 7 thousand sheep, 3 thousand camel, 5 hundred yokes of oxen, 5 hundred female donkeys and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.
Job a man of wisdom and integrity did what was right in the sight of God, he feared God, was blameless and upright in all his endeavor which caused him to shunned evil. “And this is what he says to all humanity: The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding” (Job 28:28). This man from Uz, a country of Edom, south of the land of Canaan, was greatly blessed by the measure of wealth during his time. He had 7 thousand sheep, 3 thousand camel, 5 hundred female donkeys and a very large household which current market value may be in millions. The labor of the righteous leads to life and the wages of the wicked to sin. Job did what was right in the sight of the Lord and the Lord blessed him according to His predetermine plan for humanity: So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them, the God blessed them, and God said to said to them “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. What did God do after he created man? God’s plan for man was and is to bless man, give him or her a future and a hope “ You are sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our Fathers, saying to Abraham, “ And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” To you first, God having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities. Acts 3:24-26)
Job 1-4-5: And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day and would send and invite their 3 sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was when the days of feasting have run their course that Job would send and sanctify them and he would rise up early in the morning and offer burnt offering according to the number of them. For Job said “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts”. Thus Job did regularly.
Job, a compassionate father, understood salvation is not inherited, and so he prayed for his children regularly. He prayed for grace that bring salvation to men would be given to them so they would be believe in God, be sanctify by truth, for the word of God is truth and that his children would have a relationship with God.
He rose up early in the morning and offer burnt offering 10 times to the Lord, according to the number of children, because Job knew the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth and salvation begins in the heart. He committed the hearts of his children to the Lord an asked the Lord to forgive them of any sin they may have committed in their heart against the Lord who knows secrets of the heart.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Through prayer and intercession couple with the power of the Holy Spirit, hearts are convicted to believe Jesus is the Christ, who came to save us from sin, redeem us and reconcile us to God. Through prayer and burnt offering Job asked for the forgiveness of his children sin, because he assumed they must have committed sin in their hearts. But now, under the dispensation of grace, our Lord and Savior Jesus offered a once and for all anointing sacrifice not only for us but also for the whole world, a sweet pleasing aroma in the presence of the Father. We do not have to offer sacrifices for the lives of our children or offer our children as sacrifice or be a sacrifice but rather offer our bodies as living sacrifice holy, acceptance to God, which is a reasonable act of worship – By doing His will- (Romans 12: 1-2, John 9:31, Hebrews 13: 15-16).
As parents, we should not only pray the hearts of our children should be convicted by the Holy Spirit to believe Jesus is Lord but also they should have a personal relationship with Him. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hear us, and whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
It is the desire of our Father that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of truth. May we offer prayers like incense and lift up our hands like evening sacrifice offering prayers before Him for the lives of our children and ask Him to circumcise their hearts by the Holy Spirit to love the Lord our God with all their heart and soul and to empower them to walk in a way worthy of God to bring Him glory, honor and praise in all the earth through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
John 14:6 :Jesus said: I am the way, the truth and life, no one comes to the father, except through me.”
1 John 2: 2 :And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the whole world
Acts 16:39 :Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved -you and your household.
1 Samuel 16:7 :But the Lord said to Samuel “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of, because I have refuse him. For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
Pause & Think
- What is the purpose of burnt offering and how is it fulfilled in the New Testament?
- How should we pray for our children?
- How does God judge us?
- What did Jesus sacrifice do and how can we offer acceptable sacrifices to God?
Job 1:6-7 :Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came them. And the Lord said to Satan “From where did you come? So Satan answered the Lord and said “From going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it.
The dialogue
The Lord: “From where did you come?
Satan: “From going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it.
The accuser of the brethren, wants to make him-self like the Most High, as a result, he stains the truth of the word with his lies. When the Lord ask Satan where He came from, Satan responded in a familiar language – going to and fro on the earth – a similar language used by the Lord to show himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart are loyal toward Him. God knew Satan intention for Job was to devour him. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” So the Lord presented Job to Satan and allowed Satan to test him.
Matthew 4:1 :Then, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Job: 1:8-9-10 :Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shun evil? So Satan answered the Lord and said. “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and all around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
The Lord: Have you considered my servant Job, there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shun evil? The Lord knew He would stand strong in Job’s behalf and work through Job to foreshadow His prophetic word that states: “The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent” to redeem men and reconcile them to God through Jesus Christ; so that men would live right before Him. For our sake he made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Satan: In cynicism, Satan asked God, does Job fear you for nothing? Satan implied that Job commitment to God was not sincere rather the blessing he received from God motivated his devotion to Him. Satan testify that God protected Job, his family, possession and everything that belong to him from harm in accordance with scripture that states the blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow to it. God knew Satan’s intent therefore He asked him if he had considered Job.
Jesus said: Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.But I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. (Luke 22:31-34)
Genesis 3:15 :And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her she will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
1 Peter 2:24 :He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Mark 11:22 :So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God”
Jesus said: “These things I have spoken to you, that in me you will have peace, In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheers, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Job 1:11 -12: But now, stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face. And the Lord said to Satan, ”Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
The Proposal: But now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face! Satan in his ploy, asked the Lord to stretch out His hands to curse Job, the same outstretched hands the Lord uses to bring deliverance.
The Lord: “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay hold on his person “ So Satan went out of the presence of God.’ The Lord gave Satan permission to test Job, knowing that He would delivered him, because His intent for Job was not evil but good with a future and an expected end.
The Attack:
Job 1:13-15: Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother house; and a messenger came to Job and said
“ The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them when the Sabena raided them and took them away- indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escape to tell you. “
Jesus said: The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy.
I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Through scripture, the Lord reveals Satan mode of operation in his executed plan of attack on Job’s family. In this case, Satan worked through the Sabena to still and killed Job’s livestock. Who were the Sabena? The Sabena were historically men of stature, who engaged in slave trade. They raided Job, stole his oxen and donkey and killed his servant, except, for one servant who informed Job about what had happened. (Isaiah 45:14, Joel 3:8, 1 kings10),
Job 1:16: While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Scripture associates fire with wrath, destruction, judgment, and purification protection, sealed of a covenant or baptism. God sealed his covenant with Abram by passing an animal through fire; He also surrounded the children of Israel with pillar of fire to protect them while exiting Egypt and God work through Elijah to defend His worship over the worship of Baal by permitting fire to come down from heaven to consume the altar of Baal. (Genesis 15:17, 1 king 18:38, 2 king 1:10, Malachi 3:2, Proverbs 17:3, Matthew 3:11)
God permitted Satan to use fire to fall from heaven to destroy Job ‘s sheep and servants. The act of Satan that appears like the act of God with the permission of God would have caused Job to think he was being penalized for something he did wrong, if Job did not have a relationship with the Father.
“The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him and He will show them His covenant.” (Psalm 25:14)
Job 1:17: While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed 3 bands raided the camel and took them away, yes and killed the servant with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Chaldeans, referred to as the lady of kingdom, tender and delicate, magician, astrologers, sorcerers, were wise men of Babylon with a reputation for learning and knowledge of star; they counseled king Nebuchadnezzar; they were raiding band that fought against Judah, and raiders who stole and killed Job’s camel and servant with the edge of the sword, except, for one servant who informed Job about what had happened. Satan works through the sons of disobedience and cause them to eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence, making them greedy for gain.
Job 1:18-19: While he was still speaking, another also came and said “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the 4 corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they are dead and I alone escape to tell you.
When it rains it pours. It certainly poured storm on the evil day in Job’s life. The 4th servant of Job came and told him about the passing of his children at their oldest brother’s banquet. The way of the Lord is in the whirlwind and in the storm. The Lord permitted Satan to use the wind to destroy Job’s house and family. These events occurred in Job’s life without him being aware of the conversation between God and Satan. “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand” Satan intended evil but God worked every thing out for His glory and Job’s good Job’s testimony stills speaks today.(Ephesian 6:13)
Pause & Think
- How many times did Satan attack Job?
- How many servants escape Satan attack?
- What can we learn from these Satanic attack on Job’s life?
- Why was one servant spare in all Satan “steal” from Job?
Job 1:20-22: Then Job arose, tore his robe and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.And He said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return.
The Lord gave and the Lord taken away.”
Blessed be the name of the Lord
In this, entire Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
God permitted Satan to afflict Job except take away his life. Many are the affliction of the righteousness but the Lord delivered him out of them all, He guide all his bones; not one of them is broken. Job did what was right in the sight of the Lord, he tore his robe, shaved his head as customary to his culture way of expressing grieve. And he did what was customary of a worshiper; he worshiped God despite what he experienced and the expression of his worship revealed his heart and belief in God. “From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks- For with heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Job a man of faith responded in prayer and worship when faced with overwhelming tragedies, knowing we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but principalities and powers, rulers of darkness and wickedness in heavenly places. He sought the Lord in his anguish and acknowledged all he had was a gift from God and the gifting and calling of God are irrevocable. Job trusted in God’s compassion, power and wisdom. He knew God was righteous and just in all His ways and He knew the maker of heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them is sovereign over all and was in absolute control of his time and season.
James 5:13 :Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise
James 1:17 :Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Hebrews 6:18:That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us
Numbers 23:19:God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good.
Matthew 5:6: Jesus said: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they shall be filled.
Acts of Faith
- Trust God, believe in His word ,proclaim it, and take steps of faith.
- when overwhelm with heaviness of life, create time to worship, draw near to God and He will draw near to you
- When attack by the accuser of the brethren, resist the devil and he will flee from you