In this episode, we dive into the profound journey of faith and trials in the book of Job. We begin with the introduction from the English Standard Version Study Bible, exploring who Job was and the significance of his story. Known for his immense wealth and blameless character, Job is tasked to face severe tests of faith as we peel back the layers of this timeless narrative. Discover how Job’s life dialogues with the universal questions of faith amidst suffering.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. Alan J. Huth shares a Bible passage with comments from over 35 years of his personal Bible reading journals and applies the Word of God to our daily lives.
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Today we begin the book of Job. I will use my English Standard Version Study Bible book introduction to help us understand the book of Job. The name Job could be related to the Hebrew word for enemy, with reference to either Job’s attitude toward God or his response to suffering. The name might also be a contracted form of where is my father, but it is difficult to know because its actual meaning was already lost to early rabbinic commentators. Though the book is entitled Job, the author is unknown. Most likely he was a Hebrew well-versed in the Hebrew scriptures. The story takes place outside of Israel, in Uz, maybe somewhere related to Edom. The date of the writing is elusive. Some suggest as early as the time of Abraham. Others a date more like 587 to 538 B.C., The theme of Job is Can God Be Trusted? It responds to our heart’s desire to question God, to wonder about our faith in a sovereign God when things don’t appear to go right. Job questions God, but while demonstrating unshakable faith. We will find out if God answers Job’s questions. We will observe a frank discussion among friends about why God allows bad things to happen to good people. An amazing demonstration of faith and the willingness of God to allow Job to suffer in order to ultimately bless him. We will take the 42 chapters of Job in 30 days. Some one chapter days, others two chapters a day. We will listen to Faith Comes by Hearing’s recording of the book of Job with no guest reader. The recording features separate voices of Job’s friends, Job and God. I’m excited about doing Job this way since half the chapters are Job speaking. I’m excited also about our journey through Job. I hope you have a spirit of anticipation too. So let’s begin with Faith Comes By Hearing’s recording of Job chapter 1. Job.
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Job 1. There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all.
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For Job said, It may be that my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.
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Thus Job did continually. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, From where have you come?
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Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on
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And 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 who fears God and turns away from evil?
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Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand And the Lord said to Satan, So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
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Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house.
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And there came a messenger to Job and said, The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them. And the Sabaeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword. And I alone have escaped to tell you.
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While he was yet speaking, there came another and said,
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The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.
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While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.
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While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.
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Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshipped.
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And he said, Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
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In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
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To help us through the book of Job, I like to use my personal Bible reading journals. So I’ve selected my journals from 1984, the second journal I ever wrote, and then one from 1997 when I read the whole Old Testament, and then one from 2015. So various ages and stages in my life when I read the book of Job. So let’s take a look at my journal entry from 1984. That year, I read Job chapter 1 on one day, and I wrote spiritual warfare. Then I continued to write Job’s characteristics. Blameless, upright, fearing God, turning from evil, blessed. But then Satan takes away the blessings. Job stands firm. Verse 22. In 1997, I read Job chapter 1 on one day, and I wrote, Job was a man of great wealth. God permits Satan to test him. He begins with his livelihood, then his children. He remains sinless. Lord help me be faithful to you. In 2015, I read Job chapter 1 on one day, and I wrote in my journal, Job was very wealthy, blameless, upright. He offered sacrifices to God, looks like daily according to verse 5, to God and for his family. Satan presents himself before God according to verse 6. He can do nothing without God’s permission. God knew Job’s heart. Satan says it’s because God blessed Job only, not because of his heart. Satan has power on the earth. He destroys Job in rapid succession, as the word says, while he was yet speaking. In all of this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. He lost everything and everyone, yet he worshiped. Lord, please don’t test me like that. Job chapter 1 is an amazing chapter, isn’t it? It gives us a glimpse as to what goes on in the heavenly places, in the spiritual realm. The opening verses of this chapter tell us that Job was wealthy. Even the Lord says of Job, There is none like him on the earth. Job was a spiritual man. He would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all, and that means his family. Job did it continually, and I suggest it in my journal, maybe even daily. And then this amazing scene shows up here in Job chapter 1, a scene in the throne room of God. Amazingly, Satan is there. He went up to heaven after going to and fro on the earth and walking up and down on it. So Satan certainly has a presence here on earth, but he had at that time at least entree into heaven itself. And there, the Lord allows Satan to have Job. That’s why I said in my journal, Lord, don’t ever let this happen to me. Satan was questioning Job’s heart. Would he question your heart? Is your heart firmly in the Lord’s hands? Or are you a Christian just because of what God does for you? That was now the test the Lord was going to allow with his servant Job. As I mentioned in my journal, in rapid succession, Job’s world is destroyed. Maybe you’ve heard bad news, but you probably have never heard bad news accumulating like the day Job heard all of this. His livelihood is destroyed and his family is destroyed. All in a matter of hours. What would your response be if your world came crashing down like it did for Job that day? Job’s response is incredible, isn’t it? He fell to the ground and worshiped. He understood his lot in life. Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I shall return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. True confessions? I’m not sure that’s what would have come out of my lips at that moment. But that’s why we read the Word of God. So it changes our perspective. Do we understand that everything we have is from the Lord? Truly we are the same. Naked we came into the world and naked we will return. The Lord truly has given to us, and the Lord has the right to take it away. In prosperity or in want, can we worship the Lord? Verse 22 concludes chapter 1, And all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Would that be your heart if your world came crashing down today? Let’s pray. Father, what an amazing way to begin the book of Job. We might think for a moment of all the blessings we have, the prosperity that we experience at whatever level you have given to us in our lifetime. And Father, it would be very, very hard for any of us to imagine it all being stripped away in a matter of hours. Oh, it may have happened to some of the listeners, but certainly not very many of us. So, Lord, it’s a heart check for each one of us. You allowed Satan to test Job’s heart. Even by reading Job chapter 1, it tests our heart. Do we love you unconditionally? Or do we love you for what you do for us? Holy Spirit, help us with our heart check after reading Job chapter 1. And where necessary, renew a right spirit within us. And Lord, thank you for the hedge of protection you put around us that Satan cannot or will not Destroy everything in our lives without your permission. Thank you for that confidence. Thank you for that protection. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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The ESV Bible, the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, ESV, text edition 2007, all rights reserved. English Standard Version, ESV, and the ESV logo are registered trademarks of Good News Publishers, used by permission.
In this episode, we dive into the profound journey of faith and trials in the book of Job. We begin with the introduction from the English Standard Version Study Bible, exploring who Job was and the significance of his story. Known for his immense wealth and blameless character, Job is tasked to face severe tests of faith as we peel back the layers of this timeless narrative. Discover how Job’s life dialogues with the universal questions of faith amidst suffering.
