Profile of Job: How to Handle Success

The first half of Job chapter 1- You guys you guys you guys!!!!! We’re not in Genesis anymore. I want to go chronologically from now on, so Job is next. Job is ancient, so much so that translators had trouble with it. Some of these words have just been completely lost. Context saves the day with a lot of them.

Job probably existed around the time Abraham did. Some people think it was around the time of Jacob and Esau. Either way, it was a long time ago. Job is a book of Hebrew poetry. No one knows who wrote it, but I like to think it WASN’T Job. If a rich dude wrote a whole book about what a good guy he was, that would cause some serious eye rolls. It doesn't sound like him.

What made Job so awesome that God used him as an example to Satan of the best humanity had to offer? What did Job do and have that set him apart and awarded him the dubious honor of being this example of faith through hardship? 

Tim Kelller said in a sermon you might remember that the two biggest tests in this life are success and suffering. In chapter one, we see that Job has passed that first one. He’s handled power, wealth, and blessings well. To whom much is given, much is expected. Job was not a Jew, but he knew God. Kind of like the first priest, Melchizedeck. This is one of the first recorded relationships with God. 

Job was one of those people who did the best with the information he was given about God, even though he didn’t know the whole story. People can have a good relationship with God apart from religion if their eyes are open and they want to see it. That’s yet another reason why you can’t judge who truly knows God. You don't know what they've heard and what they've accepted or rejected. You don't know how much they have sought or how much they can take in. 

Job didn’t pray the sinner’s prayer or believe every part of some church’s doctrine. But he was committed to trusting in a higher power and acting in alignment with what is good and true. The Bible calls him blameless and upright, saying that he feared God and shunned evil. “Blameless” doesn’t mean “perfect.” It means that Job lived a life that gave him a good reputation. He's trusted. 

Although he doesn’t have access to the laws of Leviticus, Job knows, like many ancient people, that sinning puts a human so that he is not right with God and a sacrifice must be made. This is one of those universal truths that multiple ancient societies picked up on. Job would make sacrifices for his children after they threw birthday parties, so that they would be purified just in case they forgot themselves during the celebrations. 

There's no evidence that Job's children partied too much or engaged in debauchery. This is just how careful Job was to not offend God. He made these sacrifices as a precaution, thinking, “Maybe my kids sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Job served as a head of his household, a priest, and a mediator between God and his family. Job’s children invited each other to their birthday parties, showing that they had close sibling relationships and enjoyed each other’s company. 

When we meet Job, he has ten children (which was more valued in that culture than in this one and would give Job great status) and a large estate. The Bible says that Job was the wealthiest man in the East. This is so impressive to me, because usually a rich man’s heart is consumed by his money. Usually powerful people are oblivious to others’ needs and the fact that they are not God. This also proves that you CAN have money and success and still keep God #1 in your life. But man, that’s got to be so rare. Camel, needle. 

We find out later that Job was a generous man. We find out that he took in orphans, argued against injustice and greed in local courts, and personally cared for the sick, handicapped, and dying. Part of being able to stay upright when you are rich is being generous. And don’t think you aren’t rich: you are in the top 1% of wealth in the history of the world. You’re sitting at a computer, reading this. Even if you have financial worries or aren’t wealthy compared to others in your life, you’re rich. 

God is about to give Job the other test, the test no one wants. The test of success is the one everyone thinks they can handle. The thought goes: "God should give me this position/resource. I would use it for him, unlike the worldly people I see with power. If I was just given this opportunity, I could serve God." People pray for God to use them. But I ask...and this is something I ask myself too...would we really do that well? 

I was reading the new Dresden Files book by Jim Butcher (that I mostly hated, but the other books in that series are good), and the main character said, "See, that's the tragedy of the human condition. No one wants to be corrupted by power when they set out to get it. They have good, even noble reasons for doing whatever it is they do. They don't want to misuse it, they don't want to abuse it, and they don't want to become vicious monsters. Good people, decent people, set out to take the high road, to pick up power without letting it change them or push them away from their ideals. But it keeps happening anyway. History is full of it. As a rule, people aren't good at handling power. And the second you start to think you're better at controlling your power than anyone else, you've already taken the first step."

That line hit me because, deep down, I do think I can handle power better than most other people. But when I look at what I've done with the power I already have, that I often don't realize I have, I'm not impressed. I have the opportunity to brighten the days of others, to keep in better touch with my loved ones, to serve, to put time into my relationships, and to share. These are opportunities I pass up on a daily basis. I worry about losing what I have or not getting what I want. 

I think I can handle power? I can't even be a good steward over my Toyota by keeping it clean. I don't take care of the body I grew up in because I stuff it full of Baconators and don't exercise. I cringe when I have to pay for my brother's meal at Burger King. I procrastinate and waste a powerful resource, time. And I'm rich. I have a car, clean water, an education (too much education, probably), freedom, choices, and health. Am I passing this test? I can't be certain. Sure, I've done good things too, but I can always do better before I start asking God for more to handle. It's fine to want God to use you and do great things with your life, but maybe he's already trying to more than you think.

As always, "trying harder" isn't the solution. Fearing God is. Remember what God did for you is. Trying to see others and material things as God does works better than beating yourself up. Letting God mold your heart and spending time getting to know him is what changes people, not guilt or pressure. Because the great tests aren't testing how good or disciplined you are; they are testing what position/place God has in your life and how much faith you place in him to take care of you.

The rest of Genesis, where the tapestry really comes together

This blog needs a kick in the bottom to get rid of the writer’s block. I think finishing Genesis quickly and moving onto Job will do just the trick.

In Genesis 43, Jacob and his sons ate all the grain they brought from Egypt. They had to go back, and they had to bring Benjamin with them. Judah takes personal responsibility for his little brother’s safety. This is big, because it’s the first sign we see that Judah has gone through a heart change. Whereas it was his idea to sell his father’s LAST favorite son, he is doing the opposite here: protecting him. They left with gifts and double the amount of silver. They arrived and Joseph invited them to lunch, bringing their formerly imprisoned brother, Simeon to join them. Joseph was deeply moved when he saw Benjamin and went into a private room to weep for a while. He had not seen his littlest brother since Benjamin was a child.

They started eating. Benjamin got five times everyone else's portion. This was yet another test from Joseph. He wanted to see if they reacted angrily at Jacob’s favorite son being preferred again. He wanted to see if they had changed. 

It’s important to note that the Egyptian officials wouldn’t eat with the Hebrews. Egypt was a racist society. That’s one of the reasons God brought them there, most likely. No, really. God can use even racism to bring about his plans. God couldn’t have his people mixing with the people of Canaan and assimilating with those pagan nations. He moved his royal family to a place where no one would ever have sex with them. Egyptians believed that they were descended from great gods and others were descended from lesser gods. Whether the Hebrews were allowed to marry Egyptian women (Joseph certainly was), it would be rare, and they would still be set apart. They would never be equal. They would never belong in that world.  

Genesis 44- Joseph prepared to send the brothers away with their food. The brothers were understandably relieved. But Joseph is not done testing his family. There is NO WAY he is going to reunite with a hurtful, abusive, and potentially murderous group. He has a good thing going, and there is nothing good in allowing people to hurt you over and over, even family. Joseph puts a silver cup in Benjamin’s bag. Also, fun fact, this chapter says that this is Joseph’s divination cup. Joseph practiced DIVINATION. You don’t hear that talked about often, do ya? What do you think of that?

Joseph’s servant catches up to them and accuses them of stealing. The brothers are certain that no one in their group would take it. The mission is too important. It also shows that there is more trust between them than before. The cup is found in Benjamin’s sack. They are brought back to Joseph, and Judah completes his redemption by offering his life in exchange for Benjamin’s. He is now ready to be the ancestor of the Messiah. God shaped him through the Tamar incident and his guilt over what they did to Joseph. He won’t be making his mistakes again. This is finally enough proof for Joseph that his brothers are different now, love their father, and love each other.

Genesis 45- Joseph reveals his identity. At first, his brothers are afraid, but then they realize that Joseph has forgiven them. Joseph assured them that God sent him ahead in order to “preserve life.” Joseph sent them home to get Jacob. When Jacob hears the news, the Bible deliberately calls him “Israel” again, because now he is a satisfied man who fully understands that God’s hand has been on his life all along.

Genesis 46- The family comes to Egypt and settles in the land of Goshen.

Genesis 47- Jacob meets Pharaoh and blesses him, which is interesting to me. Even more interesting are Jacob’s words about his life. He calls his life a pilgrimage. And even though his is more than 100 years old, he calls his days “few and evil.” This shows wisdom we rarely see from this guy. He knows that he is not at home during this life. He knows that his days are short compared to God’s and compared to the time of the universe, even though he’s had such a long life. And he knows he’s lived a life full of sin, regret, bitterness, anger, yearning, folly, grief, and lack of faith. But he’s Israel. Even in these short and evil days, God used Jacob greatly.

Genesis 48- Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons and adopts them as his own. He gives the younger son the position of the firstborn, which is understandable given his life struggle with his own father and Esau. Also, it shows that God sometimes picks out a firstborn of his own and doesn’t much care for cultural traditions in this world.

Genesis 49- Jacob’s 12 sons are…blessed. Some of these blessings are weird. They are more like prophecies. Rueben “shall not excel,” because of how he slept with one of his father’s concubine. This came true. There was no messiah from that line, nor any kings or prophets . The second and third-born sons, Simeon and Levi were to be scattered because of the violence they wrought in anger after their sister was raped. Judah, of course, fared better.

Jacob said Judah’s brothers will praise him and bow down to him, his hand will be on the neck of his enemies, and the scepter shall not depart from him until Shiloh comes (Shiloh being a name for the messiah meaning “He whose right it is.” Judah is likened to a lion. In Revelation 5:5, Jesus is called “the lion of the tribe of Judah.” We won’t go through all of them, but another interesting prophecy is Dan’s because it says that he will judge his people. Samson, one of the judges of Israel, came from Dan’s line. The prophecy also said Dan’s descendants would cause trouble, and they did. After giving these blessings, Jacob dies.

Genesis 50- Jacob is buried in Canaan. Joseph comforts his brothers, assuring them that he isn’t going to turn nasty on them now that Jacob is dead. Also in this chapter, Joseph dies.

Some of that I shouldn’t have glossed over. But if boredom with the end of Genesis is going to keep me from this blog, it’s best to just get through it.