The book has a purpose! It's not in the Old Testament (OT) as entertainment, mere history nor to tell the struggles of an early ancestor of mankind. It's there to point toward Jesus, following my contention that all the OT is about Jesus and was from that first day in the Garden of Eden! Furthermore, my instruction to the reader of the OT is to always ask oneself the question "What does this have to do with Jesus?" Since, I propose that Christianity pre-dated Judaism it then follows that the OT is all about Christ.
As John the Baptist came to introduce Christ to the apostolic world prior to his incarnation, the OT came to introduce Jesus to the pre-apostolic and apostolic world as well! He was yet to be known as Jesus, but was "The Angel of God", "The Word", "The Voice", "The Burning Bush", "The Man who Wrestled with Jacob", Melchizedech and so on! What's more he was the "Fourth Person" in the fiery furnace who saved Shadrack, Meshack and Ebednego! I contend that although The Book of Job has several messages to the future, it is mainly a message to the patriarchs corresponding to their interaction with The Word, Jesus!
Job :1 "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.Let's look at the scenario: Job was credited by God as being "perfect and upright". He turned his back on evil! God "spoke" to Satan and "The Word" is the pre-incarnate Jesus. I contend that Job had a first hand friendship with Jesus and knew what Jesus would do someday! His faith was profound because Jesus' death and the shedding of God's own blood was to be profound.
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought (nothing)?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. (my note: tempt and he will sin)
12a And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.
42:10b ... the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 12a So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning..."
Unlike post-apostolic Christians who saw God in the flesh and still read about Jesus, Job was closer than we are. He conversed directly with Jesus and heard him speak! I'm certain that "The Word" identified himself to Job and told him of his death and resurrection. That should be intuitively obvious because Job's faith was so great that he suffered greatly for God and was willing to die. Men aren't that faithful because of an archaic belief, but because God was with him and spoke to him. He is a living God!
There is a meeting taking place. It's principalities versus God and Job!
Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."The "ruler of darkness" at this meeting was whom? If you said "Satan", then good for you! Who else was there? It's not as obvious, but "the sons of God" are fallen angels called "demons". Josephus and many Jewish scholars believe that fallen angels, attracted by earthly women, intermarried and produced a race of giants called "Nephilim". It were these half-human half-demon creatures which were destroyed, for the most part, in the flood, but their genes lived on!
Job was there. He was a mere man who feared God, but he was perfect in God's eyes.
John 17:22 "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I (Jesus) in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."All men have sinned (Romans 5:12), so no one is without sin! But Job was perfect and without sin. How can this be? Jesus made Job perfect, not in behavior and thought, but by mercy and grace! Since Job surely loved and feared the Lord (Jesus) with whom he spoke, Jesus made him "perfect" for his faith (trust) in him! It wasn't Job's work, but God's gift which made him perfect because of his faith!
Satan told God, basically: "Job's faith is merely because you have blessed him and his house." Satan accused Job of being faithful because God bribed him to be so! Job, according to Satan, is perfect because God "has put a hedge about him". Satan diminished the faith Job had in God because he alleged that Job's faith was because God had put up a spiritual protective shield around Job. Job didn't sin because God didn't allow temptation inside the shield. Satan believed that if the shield was removed and temptation be allowed to enter, then Job would surely abandon God!
Abandoning God is called apostasy or "falling away". Calvinists believe that shield is always there, is never removed, and God will never allow them to fall. That's called "preservation of the saints" or "eternal security". In the example of Job, he didn't fall away, but he could have! That's what the test was all about. Did Job have the faith to remain true to God. He did! That's what's called perseverance:
1 Corinthians 15:1 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures..."First off, Paul was speaking of "according to the scriptures". Since the New Testament (NT) had yet to be written, it was the Old Testament (OT) and the prophets to which Paul was speaking. The OT taught about that "Christ died for our sins"! Job knew that! When he was tempted of Satan, and he and his demons are the ones who tempt, Job thought about Jesus and what "The Word" had revealed to him. I suppose that The Word told Job how to remain steadfast.
"Believing in vain" is the same context as when Satan accused Job of "Doth Job fear God for nought?" You see the internal consistency between the story of Job and the NT?
God had removed a hedge, if there was one, which he is merely accused of having erected! With his faith Job had he put on invisible armor:
Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."Let's be clear! God didn't keep Job from temptation, but he provided the armor to protect Job from sinning. That same armor is available to every Christian. It needs only to be put on the Christian. Job depended on his faith in Jesus to sustain him in battle! Like Job, Christians must depend on God. That armor is called out:
Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."Let's review for a moment: Paul saw and spoke with Jesus who told him many things! The full armor of God was one of the things Jesus spoke to Paul about. Furthermore, Jesus told Paul "the mystery of the gospel". Basically, that mystery is this "salvation was always by the grace of Jesus and it is for all mankind"! Just as Jesus spoke to Paul and told him how to fight the good fight, he surely shared the same defense with Job. Job depended on "the Spirit" of God as his sword, just as Paul told of doing!
The full armor is named:
- Truth girded about his loins
- Breastplate of righteousness
- wearing shoes of the gospel of Jesus
- holding up the shield of faith
- wearing the helmet of his salvation
- wielding the sword of the Spirit (heeding the words of God)
- praying continually
- looking at the prophets and their faith
- being bold in speaking the word of Jesus
Job knew to do these things just as we do! Job was "safe" in that he had the "hope of salvation"! Job knew that, if he remained faithful, there was a reward coming, more so than doubling what he had, but an eternal reward: Paul spoke again of that armor of God:
1 Thessalonians 5:8 "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."No, Job wasn't "saved", but he had faith and love for Jesus with whom he was in communion! He was "safe" because he wore the full armor of God. He had "the hope of salvation". We can't be saved from being killed until we are about to be killed. We may stay away from harm in which case we are "safe", but salvation is the instant that we're delivered from harm! Likewise, salvation is the instant that we're delivered from the second death and until that time, we're "safe"; protected by the whole armor of God!
In the end Job was "saved": "the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning". In the beginning what did Job have? Wealth, family, comfort, health and a contented life! What did Job have after he persevered against Satan and his demons? He was blessed! He had more than he ever had. Job now resides in heaven! His "hope of salvation" has now born fruit. Job's reward is that he moved from "save" to "saved". He had surely more than he had in the beginning!
What does the OT have to do with Jesus? Everything! It reveals the "mystery of Christ" and that mystery is that Jesus is always there and always has been! Job knew Jesus and had faith! Job was saved by faith in Jesus, which the NT tells us is the only Way to be saved!
Some speak of "The Full Gospel" meaning that they focus on the gifts of the Spirit as written in Acts. However, "The Full Gospel" is sharing the "mystery of Christ". It's seeing Christ in the faith of the patriarchs. It's seeing Jesus walking in the Garden of Eden. It's seeing Jesus in the fiery furnace.
John 1:1 " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14a And the Word was made flesh..."Only the Book of John has this scripture. It's the key to the "mystery of Christ"! Salvation was always by Jesus and it is for anyone who believes! Job believed and trusted! Job had "the hope of salvation". God said to him "well done good and faithful servant"! (Matthew 25:21). Let Job and his faith be a lesson for us. We must put on the full armor of God to win the war! What war? The battle for our souls!
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