The Truth Behind The Scene Series

The most noteworthy thing about Job, evidently, was his godliness. He feared God, and everyone knew him because of that. He was blameless, and many who have read that thought it meant that Job was sinless. But it is not the same thing. You can be sinful and still be blameless if you have learned how to handle your sin the way God tells you to. Evidently Job had learned how to handle sin, so, in that sense, he was blameless. I do not think, however, that this is the best translation of the Hebrew word that appears here. It is really a word that means "a complete man." Job was well balanced and the reason he was well balanced was that he feared God. He was not a materialist; he did not just look on life as a means of getting ahead in the world. Job also was aware of God, and he saw God's hand in everything he did and that made him a complete man.

Job was not a theologian either. He was a practical, down-to-earth man. I think these terms are best explained by the last part of Verse 1: "He feared God, and turned away from evil."That is, he was complete because he feared God; he was upright because he turned away from evil.

2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East

The second thing we are told about Job is that he was very prosperous. He had a large household, which implies, not just children, but also many servants (like Abraham) to help in caring for such large herds. All this describes a man of great prosperity, richly blessed both in goods and family. Wealth was apparently measured or indicated by great flocks of animals. And a large family with many children indicated rich blessings from God. Job was richly blessed.

In fact he was the greatest man among the people of the East. This could imply great and important position as well as prosperity. Job was not just a good man, he was important, wealthy, and influential. No one in that area was greater.

This helps us understand how completely his eventual suffering would contrast to what he was accustomed to. When people live in poverty and deprivation all their lives, they may become resigned to suffering. But one who is so richly blessed would experience a great shock when his

great blessings are replaced by equally great suffering. The very contrast of his suffering as compared to his former prosperity would make additional temptation for Job.

The last thing we are told about Job personally is his love, his fatherly concern for his children:

4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.