God's Confidence in Job

Job 1

There are so many ideas introduced in the chapter that it’s easy to go in several directions as your ponder the contents.  It amazes me to think that this book could quite possibly be the oldest book of the Bible and as such, this first chapter would then be the first thing ever penned from the collection of writings that would ultimately form our Bible.  I’m also fascinated by the meeting of these “sons of God” and the apparent familiarity Satan has with God and his holy angels.  I’m intrigued by Satan’s response,

“From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it” – Job 1:7

 After God inquires of him as to what he has been up to (so to speak).  There is so much insight to gleam from the fact that Satan’s preoccupation at this time is roaming the earth. 

However, this time around, I can’t help but to revisit the overwhelming thought I had once before as I read this chapter in the past which is this – what incredible confidence God has in his servant Job!  It’s interesting to note that it was God who brought up the subject of Job to Satan.  God is clearly pleased with Job and confident that he can withstand the direct attack of Satan.   God proudly declares

“there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil” – Job 1:12

and is willing to put Job to the test to demonstrate to Satan exactly how upright his servant is.

It’s also interesting to me how this whole concept of “cursing God” is explored in this book.  Notice Job prays for his children just in case they may

“have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts” – Job 1:5

. . . which is apparently what people they day would do when they lost faith in God.  Notice Satan claims of Job that

“he will curse thee to thy face” – Job 1:11

I’m moved by the great confidence of God in Job as He removes all restrictions from Satan concerning Job (except for causing physical harm to Job) and allows anything to be done unto him.  What Satan does to Job is devastating, cruel, and swift.  Still Job’s immediate response is as God had predicted – perfect and upright.   He doesn’t charge God, he worships God instead.  This man’s faith is incredible and God’s confidence in him is astounding!

75 Years of Darkness

It's always a joy to read 2 Chronicles 34 and revisit the story of how the ancient scripture was discovered in the temple after years of idolatry and evil had become common practise.  I like to image how the law (I imagine was in the form of a scroll) was first found in some dark corner under heaps of debris and dusted off and handed to Hilkiah the high priest.  Perhaps a worker who had no idea what was handed it to him.  Of course Hilkiah knew exactly what it was. What must that moment have felt like for him.  I suspect it had been quite some time since he even entered into the House of the Lord (remember the temple has basically become a place of heathen worship).  It must have been like returning to an old abandoned house where someone once grew up.  Next he carefully hands the scroll over to Shaphan the scribe who I suspect knew even more than anyone just what they had found.  What must that moment been like for him and the people around him who watched his emotions swell up as he held the book.  Finally the book is shown to king Josiah and he responses with such reverance and leadership as he calls have the words read out loud (it would appear right on the spot).

It's worth recalling just how long it had been since these sacred had been heard.  Remember Hezekiah was the last king that observed the law of Moses and active practiced temple worship.  His son Manasseh was notoriously evil and he reigned for 55 years in Jerusalem and clearly wanted nothing to do with his father's religion.  2 Chronicles 34:2-9 details the extent of his evil administration.  He practised just about everything that God hated (looks like "you name it . . . he did it").

"So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel."  -- 2 Chron 34:9

After Menasseh, his son Amon rules for 2 years -- equally wicked.  So now you have 55 + 2 years = 57 years of darkness.  Next comes the righteous Josiah who takes the throne at the tender age of 8 and 18 years later he begins the massive project to cleanse and restore the temple.  So 57 years + 18 more years = 75 years of darkness.  Let this sink in -- this was a long time!  75 years of no reading of the law, no temple worship, no observance of the holy days.  It's a wonder that this culture could produce a Josiah!

It reminds us of the power of the word of God to transform darkness into light and keep evil at bay.  As David said,

 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" --- Psalm 119:11

No Regard for Passing the Torch!

I can't understand it no matter how many times I read it or hear it read.  It seems so glaringly obvious that these kings of Judah who were entrusted with the sober responsibilty to rule over God's people with great care to serve their God and obey his law failed so miserable over and over at one very crucial thing -- passing the torch to the next in line to rule as king.

How could it be that for all his righteousness and strict adherence to the commandments of God that Hezekiah could produce a son who would rule after him and yet we read . . .

"Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen" -- 2 Chronicles 33:9

I must be honest . . . it baffles me!  Yes, I'm still grappling myself with the awesome responsibility of fatherhood as a father of just one 5 year old (it's challenging I'm learning everyday) and I know you can't always control the choices made by your children because in the end they are individual people and have to chart their own course in life.  But for goodness sake could not the kings of God's chosen people put a little bit more effort in the grooming of their hiers to the throne!

It would seem that the preparation to because the leader of Israel would have been held with the highest regard and have been met with the most diligent care.  Yet, as we approach the end of the long line of kings in Judah we find one bad seed after another recklessly aquiring the most sacred trust of leading God's people with very little regard (or none at all) for the gravity of the position thrust upon them.  Even after really good men ruled the land and served God with all their hearts it's shocking that surprisingly little regard was made for the critical preparation of the next man who would one day fill their shoes.  It's such a sad refrain that we read over and over again of the next new king in the history of Israel . . .

". . . But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD"

It's easy to gloss over the significance of this constant straying away from God (sometimes in dractic measure), but as you stop to think about what this says about the culture and the royal families it jumps out as incredibly odd.  Of course we know this was all part of God's plan for Israel (and Judah in particular), but in retrospect, it's still really stunning when you think of it -- what lack of foresight!  What reckless disregard for what seems from this vantage to be so crucial.