Introduction:
The Bibles that we
are familiar with (whatever translation they are) are divided into two, the Old
Testament and the New. There are five groupings in the Old Testament and, I
would suggest, five in the New. The five in the Old are:
The
five books of Moses (the Law);
The
twelve books of History (from Joshua to Esther);
The
five books of Experience (Job to the Song of Solomon);
The
five Major Prophets (Isaiah to Daniel) and lastly
The
twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea to Malachi).
In this fashion we
have the 39 books divided into three groups of five and two groups of twelve.
The five groups in
the New Testament are as follows:
The
four Gospels
The Book of Acts
The fourteen Pauline Epistles
(Hebrews is included!)
The seven General Epistles
The Book of Revelation
For the next few posts we shall (D.V.) seek to find some lessons in the
books of Job, Psalms, and Proverbs.
These books are at the heart of the Old Testament and
often known as the Psalms or Writings. They are also known as the books of
wisdom (containing as they do the writings of Solomon who had been endowed with
an exceptional wisdom) or the books of experience (because of the several
important testimonies recorded there). Not only so, but the life experiences of
David, Solomon, Job, Moses and others that are included, are offered in
Scripture as being true to life, and therefore, able also to illuminate the
experience of those who read them.
Trust Me!
THE
BOOK OF JOB – THE CONFLICT OF FAITH or
LIVING
FOR GOD WHEN LIFE IS AN ENIGMA
---------------------------------------------------
The book of Job is 42 chapters long and can be divided
into three unequal parts.
Chapters 1 and 2 serve as the introduction. Chapters
3 to 37 contain the main arguments. Chapters 38 to 42 carry the conclusion.
INTRODUCTION
: Chapters 1 – 2
1. The main characters of the narrative
(a) The Lord God, revealed here by His personal name,
YHWH. He is sovereign and in total
control.
(b) Satan.
Introduced among the sons of God. He had been created perfect and previously
known as Lucifer, son of the morning (Isaiah 14.12). He was the guardian cherub
on the holy mountain amongst the fiery stones. What mystery is here! Even after
his fall he still has access to the throne of God. It seems he is fulfilling a
service—that of prosecuting council—the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10).
(c) Job. A man blameless and upright, who feared
God. He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, 7000
sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys and many servants. He was the
greatest man among all the people of the East.
2. The
first movement. Satan stands – Satan
slanders.
Often referred to as the Slanderer, Satan is well named. Three times in Scripture Satan speaks.
In Genesis : Satan slanders God to man (Testing of Eve)
In Job : Satan slanders man to God (Testing of Job)
In Gospels : Satan slanders the God/man (Testing of Jesus)
Satan, is seeking to produce misunderstanding and separate God and man: “a slanderer separates intimate friends” (Prov. 16:28). He succeeds in Genesis; he fails in Job. Satan says, ‘“But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face” (1:11).
(c) God permits. “Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” (1:12) Why does God allow it? This is debated for the rest of the book.
(d) Satan delights. See the speed by which he completes the first stage – removing the possessions of Job and killing his sons and daughters.
(e) Job worships. He doesn't know about the scene in heaven but he worships. "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord." Through all this Job did not sin or blame God" (1:21,22)
3. The second movement. Satan stands – Satan slanders
(a) God initiates. Chapter 2 begins with almost a mirror image of the encounter given in chapter 1. “The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”” (2:3)
(b) Satan responds. “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.” (2:4)
(c) God permits: "Behold he is in your power, only spare his life" (2:6)
(d) Satan delights. So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown’.
4 The Wisdom of God
These books are called the books of wisdom. Here is the wisdom of God. Can we understand it? The first lesson here is – to find the cause of things seen, we must look to the unseen. The solution to the riddle of life is spiritual not physical. Job and Daniel would teach us that if we wish to affect things here we must address ourselves there. If we would touch things on earth we must address ourselves to heaven. Events happen here because they are allowed there.
Job was under the protection of God.
(a) First, everything was protected. God had placed a fence around everything.
(b) Then the fence was contracted and only Job was protected.
(c) Finally, only Job’s life was within the fence.
The permissive will of God in the book of Job may be too high for us. How can we understand it? There is a further example of it in Scripture, when the fence was taken completely away; “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all” (Rom. 8:32). And remember, the sacrifice of the Saviour not only dealt with sin but also dealt with Satan: “..having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Col.2.15).
More next time.
