The Book of Job cannot be understood within a worldly paradigm. We must see it in the context of Jesus’ words, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life,” (John 12:25) and “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25) The Mystery of Job concerns matters beyond our earthly ken; it involves such high affairs as ruling with a rod of iron and of becoming one of the precious stones of New Jerusalem itself. The man Job represents nothing less than one of God’s overcomers, one who will rule and reign with Jesus, literally sitting upon his very throne. The Book of Job is thus a parable of the overcomer, the man or woman whom God trains to become like himself through the fiery trials of tribulation. Job experienced the baptism of fire.
Somehow Satan does not understand this because he continues to be (evidently) willingly used by God to help prepare God’s overcomers. God created evil for the purpose of training his overcomers. Overcomers are those people who consent to being made into God’s image, thus becoming a true son of God. God could not simply make them to be perfect and wholly good without any ability to sin for then they would have been created automatons with no free will. God thus created Satan to bring sin into the world so that overcomers could be taught to discern and choose between good and evil. Job himself is one such man who deliberately chose the good over the evil. This explains why he held on to his integrity to the very end and would not acknowledge that any particular sinful behavior of his own led to the destruction of his family, his wealth, and his health. He was “righteous in his own eyes” because he did in fact lead a righteous life. He eschewed evil as much as the fiery trial God forced him to endure.
But God’s ways are higher than our ways. He does not act like a man. This is where Job erred. Job wanted God to appear to him as a man and explain himself in the language of men. Isaiah explains,
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:8-11 ESV)
Job’s three friends, however, erred even more grievously than did Job for they accused Job of wrongdoing (even though they knew his character and history) and even argued that he deserved the evil which had come upon him. Only their young companion Elihu, who is not even mentioned until chapter 32, avoids rebuke in this book. Elihu, frustrated with Job’s friends’ inability to answer his complaint, finally responds by rebuking Job according to what Isaiah declares in chapter 55 above. In essence he tells Job that he cannot understand God or his ways… they are too high for him. Then when he finishes God Himself speaks to Job and continues the thread of Elihu’s thoughts. He answers Job from the midst of the whirlwind,
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Dress for action[a] like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:2-7)
God continues,
“Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.” (Job 40:2)
Job answers,
“Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further.” (Job 40:4-5)
But God has not finished. He continues,
“Dress for action[a] like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
8 Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
9 Have you an arm like God,
and can you thunder with a voice like his?
10 “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
clothe yourself with glory and splendor.” (Job 40:7-10)
Right! Let us try to adorn ourselves in majesty, dignity, glory, and splendor! We can wonder about God’s ways all we want. We can complain about his treatment of us until we faint or die in utter confusion. Nevertheless, when all has been said and we finally see him face to face we will, like Job, proclaim,
“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
and repent[a] in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:2-6)
Now we might think that God would then turn to Job’s three friends and commend them for putting Job in his proper place. But, no! God then immediately rebukes Eliphaz the Temanite:
“My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. (Job 42:7-9)
This is amazing, is it not? First God rebukes Job for “darkening counsel,” speaking “words without knowledge,” and putting “God in the wrong.” Yet, he then tells his friends that they did not speak of God “what is right, as my servant Job has!” This is the paradox of the overcomer. He understands things about God and his ways that others do not, but he still sees “through a glass darkly.” He explains many mysteries and gets many doctrines and divine ideas right and he wants to walk in complete righteousness and often thinks he does, but he still errs in profound ways. And he still sins, all of which yet bring him into rebuke and judgment.
Do you remember Joseph, the son of Jacob Israel, and how his ten older brothers conspired to first murder him and then agreed to sell him into captivity because of their great jealousy toward him? With respect to evil intent Satan is like these ten brothers in the book of Job. And Job’s word to Satan is the same as Joseph’s (another overcomer) to the ten brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20) God allowed Satan to strike Job. God allowed evil to hurt Job, but the goal of that evil was to further refine him, to forge him, to make him into a son of God! God meant it for good. His ways are higher than our ways and they deal with things beyond the natural, things dealing with ruling and reigning with Christ in the heavenlies, in the spiritual. This is the mystery of Job.
