The Salvation of Job The Restoration of Job The God of Job

Even though I contend that Job was unsaved at the beginning of the book of Job, that doesn't mean that I think that he was what most people think of when they think of a sinner. Job was a man of great wisdom, who knew of God. He was trying to do the best he knew to please God, but it was still short of God's best for his life.

Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship with the one true God, through His Son, Jesus Christ. We are created to be in relationship with God. It is not enough just to seek out ways of pleasing Him. That's what Job was trying to do. That's also what the religions of the world seek to do with their gods.

The Bible instructs us that one sin is enough to separate us from God. It also tells us that there is a price to pay for that one sin, that is death (Rom 6:23). This means that if we ever committed what we think of as the least of sins, we are required to pay the price of death for our sin. After that, it really doesn't matter. If we already have the death sentence for our first sin, we can't die over and over for each sin.

In the Old Testament sacrificial system, God commanded the nation of Israel to sacrifice animals as atonement for their sins. This didn't remove the sins, it was only a substitutional death, in order to cover their sins.

However, Jesus, as a much better sacrifice, blotted out our sins with His blood. Think of it this way. Somewhere in heaven, there's a book where all the acts of our lives are recorded. In Old Testament times, when one offered a sacrifice, the blood of that sacrifice made a blotch on the paper, covering that sin, so that nobody could read it. That doesn't mean that the sin didn't exist, only that the Judge couldn't tell what sin was marked on the paper.

There's a problem with this system. That is, if someone forgets to offer a sacrifice for a sin, or if they sin, and don't realize it, that sin is permanently recorded in the book.

Jesus' blood doesn't cover the sins like that. His blood is incapable of causing a spot on the paper. Instead it cleans the ink off of the paper, so that nobody can tell that there was anything written there.

It seems appropriate to add a side note here. The Bible tells us that the Blood of The Lamb washes away our sins (1 Jn 1:7; Rev 1:5), but it doesn't say anything about the blood of natural lambs. However, there was a Christian farmer who had spots on his hands from something, and couldn't remove them, no matter what he used. Remembering that the Blood of The Lamb washes away our sins, he decided to wash his hands in lamb blood. Guess what? It cleaned the spots off of his hands. All other types of blood make spots, but God has given us this sign, that the blood of a lamb shows us how Jesus' blood cleanses us.

Fortunately for all of us (Jews and Gentiles alike), it isn't our righteousness that gets us saved. It's the righteousness of God, expressed through Jesus Christ, which saves us. When we receive Jesus as our Savior, we receive His righteousness, and He receives our sins. This makes us righteous in God the Father's eyes.

Job, just like us, needed to know God; not just know of Him. Through the course of the events recorded in the book of Job, he came to that point. But, even before this, he was a man of great wisdom.

Let's take a little closer look at Job's righteousness and his wisdom. We need to learn of the wisdom in his life and apply that wisdom to our own lives. Remember, our self-righteousness doesn't make us saved, but our salvation should bring forth fruit in righteousness.

The first thing that I want to look at is that statement that Job "eschewed (or, shunned) evil." When I look this word up in the thesaurus, it comes up with the words: "avoid, turn from, reject, ignore, shirk, balk at, and shrink from." This list of words gives the general impression of doing everything possible to avoid having any contact with something that is evil; to the point of running the other way from evil.

Remember, there are lots of sinners in the world who avoid evil. That doesn't make them saved. It doesn't make them righteous in God's eyes. It only makes them righteous in the world's eyes.

The thesaurus also comes up with the word "court" as an antonym (opposite word meaning) for shunned. This is actually a more accurate word picture of what many believers do with evil. Instead of running the other way, many try and see how close they can come to the evil, without being burned.

There was a well known evangelist in the United States who you would know if I mentioned his name. A number of years ago, this minister fell into adultery, and was expelled from the ministry. It wasn't that this man woke up one day and decided to fall into sin, there was a building up of sin in his heart, long before he took any action on it.

This man had problems in his own marriage. Because of those problems, he was frustrated and sexually unsatisfied. To deal with this, he turned to pornography. Somehow, or other, he reasoned that he could control himself, and limit himself to just looking.

Unfortunately for that minister, his self control wasn't as great as he though it was. The thoughts that came about from the pornography led him to fall into sin. Ultimately, he started hiring prostitutes to come to his hotel room, not for sex, just to strip in front of him, when he was out of town ministering. This ultimately resulted in adultery, which continued until he was caught in his sin, lost his testimony, and his ministry.

All sin starts in the mind, and then moves to the heart. It has to be firmly planted in the heart and mind, before it can come forth as action on the outside. That's why Jesus said:

But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Mt 5:28

Jesus knows the condition of the human heart. He knows that if the heart and thoughts can be controlled, there will not be any physical manifestation of sin. In this passage (and others from the same chapter), He is dealing with sin at the root, the thoughts that bring one to sin.

Job said:

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

Job 31:1

Many men say, "Just because I'm married, doesn't mean I can't look." But Job knew better. He obviously knew that it was dangerous looking at young, beautiful woman. To avoid the possibility of falling into sin in his thoughts he made a decision to avoid looking at them. Not only a decision, but one so strong that he referred to it as a covenant.

In whatever we do, if we court evil, we are also courting sin. By courting sin, we are putting ourselves in great danger of having sin rule over us. God said to Cain:

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.

Gen 4:7 NIV

Anyone who does not rule over their own flesh and desires allows their flesh and desires to rule over them. The Bible has a term for them, it calls them "carnal." Being a carnal Christian is like walking with one foot in the church, and the other in the world. People like this think they are saved, but they are actually enemies of the one true God. They are headed for death and destruction.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Rom 8:6-7

Job had enough wisdom to avoid all manner of evil. If he, as an unsaved believer could do that, why can't we? Even in all his suffering, he refused to let go of his integrity and speak ill of God. Yet, how many times have we heard believers talk about how God hasn't answered their prayer (speaking ill of Him).

As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; ³ All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; ⁴ My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. ⁵ God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. ⁶ My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Job 27:2-6

Granted, Job's righteous was only self-righteousness. But, even so, he wouldn't let it go. Not because he thought himself so good, but that he wanted to avoid evil, and especially not speak evil of the Lord.

Job also knew that there needed to be a sacrifice for his, and his children's, sins. Even though the sacrifices he offered were inadequate, they were offered in faith, with the knowledge and humility to accept that he was not without sin.

Although Job didn't know the Savior, he knew of his need for a savior. He knew that without a sacrifice, he was liable to pay in some ways for the sins that he had committed, even to the point of paying for sins that were committed accidentally. How much better off would we be if we quit trying to justify our actions, and started trying to see our need for redemption?

In one way, Job contradicts himself. He is prideful throughout his ordeal (the sin that God was dealing with), but he understood how humble man is in the sight of God.

What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

Job 7:17

I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

Job 9:2

But, through it all, Job maintains that God is just, and as a just God, has provided us a redeemer. As an unbeliever, who is living in pride, he was waiting to see God's redemption.

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. ²⁶ And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: ²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Job 19:25-27

How did he know of the redeemer? It couldn't have been through study of the Bible, because the Bible didn't exist in Job's day. There are only two ways in which Job could have known of God, through the oral history passed down through the generations, and through looking at nature.

Many theologians state that Abram (who later was renamed Abraham by God) was an astronomer. He was seeking God by looking at the stars of heaven. Somehow, he knew that there must be a Creator, and set out to know Him.

Job was probably similar to Abram in this; even to the point where he too may have been an astronomer (Job 8:8-9). He learned of the Creator by looking at His creation. When God spoke to Job, He spoke about His creation; showing Job through what he himself had studied how great the glory of God was. He speaks of this himself.

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: ⁸ Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. ⁹ Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

Job 13:7-9

In our modern technological society, we have forgotten much of what nature teaches us about God. We don't have the time to see what God has created, because we spend too much time looking at what man has created. Yet, "the heavens declare the glory of the Lord" (Ps 19:1).

Job was a man of great faith. He obviously knew that "without faith, it is impossible to please God" (Heb 11:6). Although Job's faith was flawed in that it was faith without personal relationship, it was still faith. He knew of God, and was committed to what he knew of God.

Throughout his trials, he made a number of references to God that spoke of the greatness and justice of God. He actually demonstrated much more faith than his "saved" friends in that they didn't say anything about God while Job did. At no time in all his trials did Job say anything against God.

Then I would still have this consolation - my joy in unrelenting pain - that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.

Job 6:10 NIV

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? 5 Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger. 6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. 7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. 8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

Job 9:4-8

If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who will summon him?

Job 9:19 NIV

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Job 13:15

Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

Job 21:22

How is it that at times unbelievers have more faith in our God than we as believers do? Sometimes they say better things about our God than we do; just like Job's and his friends. In all that Job's three friends say, they don't glorify God, only belittle Job for his "sin." Of course, they don't have any idea what this great sin is, so they don't know how to help him. But through it all, they keep telling him that if he'll just repent from this unknown sin, everything will be fine. What worthless counsel to give to someone; counsel based upon assumption, instead of fact.

Job even asked his friends to tell him what his sin was, so that he could repent. None of them responded to this question, even though he asked it more than once. All they said, was that he was in sin, as evidenced by the problems he was having, and therefore needed to repent.

If any of us have to counsel someone, we need first to understand what their problem is. If you can't tell someone what the problem is, how can you tell them the solution?

Let's get back to the point of faith. Job expressed his faith in God by not denying him. He lamented the day of his birth, he lamented the suffering that he was going through, he lamented the counsel of his friends. But, he didn't lament God, nor did he deny God.

Faith isn't truly faith until it's tested. Many have taught that if you have enough faith, you won't have any problems. That isn't true. If you don't have any problems, you don't need faith. It is by faith that we trust God to carry us through the problems in victory.

Job's faith ultimately carried him through to victory. He kept asking to speak to God, until God spoke to him. Granted, through God's speech, Job realized his error, and came to repentance. But, had he not had the faith to keep confessing God, and keep asking for God to answer him, there would have been no reason for God to speak.

Although Job didn't have a personal relationship with the Lord, he knew a lot about God, and God's attributes. He knew of God's strength, power wisdom, understanding, all the things that give God the ability to be God. Because of this, Job understood that no matter what happened, God was in control.

With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding… ¹⁶ With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

Job 12:13, 16

Job understood that "the deceiver" (Satan) belongs to God, and could not do anything to him without God the Father's permission. So, Job never claimed that Satan was the one who was afflicting him, but that God was. Through this, he avoided giving Satan the glory, but instead gave it to God.

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

Job 6:4

How many times have you heard someone get up to give a "testimony" but spend all their time glorifying the devil? You know what I mean, they start out with a whole list of platitudes about how they thank God for one more day of life, almost like they were reading it off of a script. Then, they spend a lot of time telling how the devil had been beating them up all week long. Finally, they finish by saying "but thanks be to God who has helped me to suffer through all this."

Or, another way it happens is with those who came out of really rough backgrounds. They might spend as much as an hour telling about how thoroughly lived for the devil; how good a sinners they were. Then, at the end, they'll give one short paragraph, telling how the Lord saved them.

How is that giving glory to God? If we want to give glory to God, we need to spend more time talking about what God has done, and not what the devil has done. The devil loves hearing testimonies about everything he's done to people. It helps him in his work. It gives people fear. It makes him sound like he's twelve feet tall.

Let me tell you a secret. God created Satan, and he did it for our benefit. Satan is a part of the provision of God's love for us. God knows us well enough to realize that without an enemy, we'll never grow. Just like a muscle can't grow if it doesn't have to work, a believer can't grow if he doesn't have to use his faith. With Satan harassing us, we have to fight, we have to believe, we have to learn the Word of God, and we have to pray. All of this helps us to grow into the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ.

So, even if Satan comes against us in some way, we need to understand that God is using that for our benefit. Just as he did with Job, God is using the devil's nature of robbing, killing, and destroying (Jn 10:10) for our benefit, to bring about positive change and growth in us.

I mentioned that Job probably knew of God through studying nature. He knew, and expressed in his speeches, that God was the creator of the world.

Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

Job 9:8

Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. 9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

Job 10:8-9

He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. 8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them… 10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end… 12 He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. 13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

Job 26:7-13

It is amazing in our modern, technological society, with all of our knowledge of science, how we have turned away from this basic truth. Instead of using science to glorify God and prove who He is, the world has tried to use science to prove that He isn't. What a shame that instead of continuing in wisdom, mankind has chosen to seek only knowledge. We have heads full of information, but don't have the ability to use it for good.

Worse than that, the church has fallen into the same lack of wisdom. Instead of asking God to give us wisdom (James 1:5), we follow the world, looking for more knowledge. We even change our understanding of the Bible to match what the knowledge of the world says.

What? You don't believe me? Let me show you:

There is a doctrine taught in the church that says there was a great period of time between Genesis 1:1, and Genesis 1:2. Supposedly, the world was inhabited during this time period, and the fossil remains of both humans and dinosaurs came from this pre-creation time period.

The only reason this doctrine exists is to explain the difference in time period between what the evolutionists say as the age of the earth, and what the Bible demonstrates as the age of the earth. But, there is not one speck of evidence to prove that the earth is hundreds of millions of years old as the evolutionists claim. In fact, there is quite a lot of evidence that shows the age of the earth to be less than 10,000 years!

The age of the earth that the evolutionist says is based upon one thing, and one thing only. That is the necessity of great spans of time for evolution to take place. All of their "proofs" of this are mere suppositions based upon saying that some other branch of science has the facts (which are also suppositions) to back up what they are saying. It is a great big circular argument!

We should never change the Word of God to match the world's viewpoint. We should change our viewpoint to agree with the Word of God. If we don't understand what the Bible says about something, or we see something in the world that seems in contradiction to what God says, we need to seek where the error is in our understanding, not accept the world's wisdom over God's. At least Job had the wisdom to do that.

Job knew the importance of using what he had to help others. He was a man of great position, influence, and wealth. But, instead of using it purely for his own benefit, he gives testimony of how he used it for others.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. ¹⁴ I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. ¹⁵ I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. ¹⁶ I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. ¹⁷ And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

Job 29:13-17

I think we can safely assume that this testimony that Job gives of himself is true, because of two things. The first is Job's integrity, and the second is his three friend's silence on this point. If he had lied, they would probably have said something about it.

Job felt the social, and maybe even religious responsibility to help those who were less fortunate than himself. In this, even though he was unsaved, he demonstrated a godly life. It is probably because of this godliness that God went through the trouble of having Satan attack Job, and bring him to the point of salvation.

In his parable about the sheep and the goats, Jesus taught about people who took care of the poor, the needy, widows and orphans, and even those in jail. He said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Mt 25:40). James refers to this same thing, and calls it "pure religion."

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Jms 1:27

Why is this pure? Because it demonstrates the love of our Heavenly Father in a way that people can see it, touch it, and experience it. I have said many times, and I'll say it again, the only two things that work in evangelism are a demonstration of God's love, or a demonstration of His power. When we reach out to meet the needs of those who are poor, hurting, hurt, and lost, we show them the love of God, not through our words, but through our actions. This touches their lives and prepares them to receive the Words that our God would speak through us.

A believer who doesn't feel responsibility to reach out to those in need is setting themselves up for disaster. While they think that they are righteous, they are not demonstrating righteousness. Jesus didn't refer to these people as His sheep, he referred to them as goats.

In His parable of the sheep and the goats, Jesus said to the goats "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Mt 25:41). He has clearly warned these "goats" what He is going to say to them. In the parable, what was the response of those who heard this? Surprise! Why? Because they didn't realize that helping others was touching Jesus. They may have known the gospel, but they didn't live the gospel.

We see that Job was a man of wisdom and knowledge. Many have said that a wise man is one who learns from his mistakes, and a truly wise man is one who learns from the mistakes of others. In all that happened, Job was willing to learn. He told his friends:

Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

Job 6:24

How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.

Job 13:23

In the first of these verses Job was speaking to his friends. In the second, he was speaking to God. But, in reality, I think that both times he was speaking to God. When God answered him, he was quick to listen and learn. Although God didn't directly answer the question of Job's error, I think he demonstrated to Job enough that Job could see his it for himself. When God questioned him, Job's response showed his change of heart:

Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. ⁵ Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

Job 40:4-5

Job had asked for his "day in court." He didn't exactly receive it, but he did receive an audience with God. But, that audience was done God's way, not Job's way. Instead of allowing Job to "state his case" (which God already knew, of course) God dealt with Job's pride by showing him his own inadequacy in comparison to God the creator.

This time was a crucial one in Job's life. God had brought him to a place of crisis, so that Job could learn to know God, and not just know of Him. Job had enough wisdom to receive the lesson that God was teaching him, and reaped the fruit of that lesson.

One last thing I'd like to say about Job's wisdom. That is, although Job was unsaved, he knew that God was a forgiving God.

And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

Job 7:21

Job asked God to teach him, and to forgive him. Through God's answer to those two requests, Job received the greatest gift that God could give him, salvation. Job had enough wisdom to be quick to repent, quick to receive, and quick to know the God that before he had only known about.