Job the Righteous

 

By Bishop Mettaous

 

Job means repentant. He is a descendant of Sam, Noah’s son’s generation. The Holy Bible witnesses for Job that he was, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.” (Job 1:1)

 

He lived a long time before the establishment of the

Christian law, yet St. Paul’s words were fulfilled in his

personality, “for when Gentiles, who do not have the

law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although

not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show

the work of the law written in their hearts, their

conscience also bearing witness, and between

themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing

them.” (Rom. 2:14-15).

He was so rich, “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” (Job 1:3), and he used to offer

sacrifices on behalf of his children, “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. Thus Job did regularly. For Job

said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed

God in their hearts.” (Job. 1:5).

Job prophesied about the coming of Lord Jesus Christ,

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth;” (Job 19:25), also he believed

in eternity and life after death, “And after my skin is

destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God”

(Job 19:26).

Job had many virtues, some of which were:

1. Chastity:

People in his generation never cared about chastity,

although they knew that impurity was the reason for

the flood. Yet, Job the Righteous was a chastise

person, as he says, “I have made a covenant with my

eyes; why then should I look upon a young

woman?” (Job 31:1), also “If my heart has been

enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my

neighbour’s door, then let my wife grind for

another, and let others bow down over her. For that

would be wickedness; yes, it would be iniquity

deserving of judgment. For that would be a fire that

consumes to destruction, and would root out all my

increase.” (Job 31:9-12)

2. Uprightness and Clearness:

He was a straightforward man in dealing with others

“If I have walked with falsehood, or if my foot has

hastened to deceit, Let me be weighed on honest

scales, that God may know my integrity. If my step

has turned from the way, or my heart walked after

my eyes, or if any spot adheres to my hands, Then

let me sow, and another eat; yes, let my harvest be

rooted out.” (Job 31:5-8), also, “Oh, that I had one

to hear me! Here is my mark. Oh, that the Almighty

would answer me, that my Prosecutor had written a

book! Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and

bind it on me like a crown;” (Job 31:35-36)

3. Kindness and Compassion:

“Have I not wept for him who was in trouble? Has

not my soul grieved for the poor?” (Job 30:25), “If I

have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated

me, or lifted myself up when evil found him. Indeed

I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for a

curse on his soul” (Job 31:29-30)

4. Merciful to the Poor and Needy:

“If I have despised the cause of my male or female

servant when they complained against me, what

then shall I do when God rises up? When He

punishes, how shall I answer Him?” (Job 31:13-14),

“For that would be wickedness; Yes, it would be

iniquity deserving of judgment. For that would be a

fire that consumes to destruction, and would root

out all my increase. If I have despised the cause of

my male or female servant when they complained

against me, What then shall I do when God rises

up? When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?

Did not He who made me in the womb make them?

Did not the same One fashion us in the womb? "If I

have kept the poor from their desire, or caused the

eyes of the widow to fail, Or eaten my morsel by

myself, so that the fatherless could not eat of it (But

from my youth I reared him as a father, and from

my mother's womb I guided the widow); If I have

seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or any poorman without covering; If his heart has not blessed

me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my

sheep; If I have raised my hand against the

fatherless, when I saw I had help in the gate; Then

let my arm fall from my shoulder, let my arm be

torn from the socket. For destruction from God is a

terror to me, and because of His magnificence I

cannot endure” (Job 31:11-23), “If the men of my

tent have not said, "Who is there that has not been

satisfied with his meat?' (But no sojourner had to

lodge in the street, for I have opened my doors to the

traveller);” (Job 31:31-32)

5. Worshipping God:

Job insisted on worshipping God although idolaters

were everywhere during his time, “If I have observed

the sun when it shines, or the moon moving in

brightness, So that my heart has been secretly

enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand; This

also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment, for

I would have denied God who is above.” (Job 31:26-

28)

6. Total submission to the Lord, although he was

very rich:

“If I have made gold my hope, or said to fine gold,

"You are my confidence'; If I have rejoiced because

my wealth was great, and because my hand had

gained much;” (Job 31:24-25)

7. Living a continuous life of repentance:

“If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, by

hiding my iniquity in my bosom” (Job 31:33), “I

would declare to Him the number of my steps; like a

prince I would approach Him” (Job 31:37)

8. Courage:

“Because I feared the great multitude, and dreaded

the contempt of families, so that I kept silence and

did not go out of the door?” (Job 31:34)

When Satan saw that he was so righteous, “Then the

Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant

Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a

blameless and upright man, one who fears God and

shuns evil?” (Job 1:8), he asked God’s permission to

tempt Job in his wealth, children and health, and God

allowed Satan to do so for the following reasons:

a. God noticed that there were some thorns of self

righteousness growing in Job’s heart (Job 32:1),

and because of God’s great love He didn’t want

Job to get destroyed by this sin in spite of his

many virtues, so God allowed these temptations

to purify Job.

God’s plan succeeded extremely, Job was so

humble at the end and said, “Then Job answered

the Lord and said: "I know that You can do

everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be

withheld from You. You asked, "Who is this who

hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I

have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, "I

will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ "I

have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but

now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself,

and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1-6)

b. God knew how honest and strong Job was in his

faith, thus, such a temptation will make him

glitter and keep fast hold of the Lord stronger

than before, as well as the great reward awaiting

him.

c. To make of Job an ideal example of patience and

tolerance, as St. James says, “But let patience

have its perfect work, that you may be perfect

and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4). He

mentioned Job as an example to follow in

patience and tolerance “My brethren, take the

prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as

an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we

count them blessed who endure. You have heard

of the perseverance of Job and seen the end

intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very

compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:10:11)

This temptation revealed other hidden virtues in Job:

1. Tolerating poverty after being so rich:

He even rebuked his complaining wife saying,

“But he said to her, "You speak as one of the

foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept

good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his

lips” (Job 2:10). He used to bless the Lord,

“And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's

womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord

gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be

the name of the Lord." In all this Job did not sin

nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:21-22)!!

2. Tolerating the physical pain:

“So Satan went out from the presence of the

Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the

sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he

took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape

himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.”

(Job 2:7-8), yet he said, “Man decays like a

rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten”

(Job 13:28)

His countenance was completely different that

when his friends came to him, “And when they

raised their eyes from afar, and did not

recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept;

and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on

his head toward heaven. So they sat down with

him on the ground seven days and seven nights,

and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw

that his grief was very great.” (Job 2:12-13)

3. Tolerating the death of all his children:

Job’s virtues in this calamity was obvious, he lost

his seven sons and three daughters on the same day, not as a result of normal death incident for

one or two, but because of a Satanic plan.

4. Tolerating others mocking him:

All his relatives and friends abandoned him, he

tolerated this and rebuked them, “Then Job

answered and said; How long will you torment

my soul, and break me in pieces with words?”

(Job 19:1). He expressed his psychological pains

because of others, “My relatives have failed, and

my close friends have forgotten me. Those who

dwell in my house, and my maidservants, count

me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight. I

call my servant, but he gives no answer; I beg

him with my mouth.” (Job 19:14-16)

5. The horrors of nighttime:

If a sick or tired person sleeps at night, he gets

refreshed in the morning, but Job never found rest

at night “Then You scare me with dreams and

terrify me with visions,” (Job 7:14).

At the end of the temptation God blessed and rewarded

Job in wealth and in his children, “He also had seven

sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the

first Jerimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the

name of the third Keren-Happuch.” (Job 42:13-14),

then, “After this Job lived one hundred and forty years,

and saw his children and grandchildren for four

generations. So Job died, old and full of days” (Job

42:16-17).

The church celebrates his commemoration on 2 Bashans.

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