Sermon for October 7th, 2012

Our Scripture reading today consists of the first two chapters of the book of Job. It's a long reading, so rather than do it all at once, I'd like to break it into smaller segments interspersed throughout the sermon.

Consider Job

1There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job.

Ok, let's stop there for a moment. The book of Job starts like a story: "Once upon a time" or "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away." We're ready for a good narrative, like we find in the book of Genesis, or Kings, or Chronicles. But the "story" part only lasts for two chapters, and then after that is 39 chapters worth of poetry, dialogue, and long philosophical speeches. Then finally the story picks back up again in the very last chapter. Most people get lost somewhere in the midst of all that and give up on Job, or they skip to the happy ending in chapter 42, and in the process miss the best part of the book. To compound this, the Hebrew in which the book of Job is written is some of the most difficult and obscure language in the entire Old Testament--Job is hard for even the most skilled Bible scholars to understand.

Job is difficult to understand...but not impossible. I think key to understanding it is to understand what kind of writing it is. It isn't narrative, story, or history, like Genesis, Kings or Chronicles. It isn't law, like we find in Deuteronomy and Leviticus. It isn't prophecy like Daniel or Isaiah, and although the majority of Job is poetry, it is not intended for use in worship like Psalms. The book of Job has traditionally been classified as "Wisdom Literature" along with two other books of the Bible: Ecclesiates and Proverbs.

Although we don't really have a clue who the author of Job is, the traditional belief about Ecclesiastes and Proverbs is that they were both written by King Solomon--one at the beginning of his reign, and one towards the end. Whether or not this tradition is true, Ecclesiastes certainly sounds like the advice of the wise, world-weary and age-worn person who has experienced everything under the sun (Vanity, vanity all is vanity). And Proverbs is certainly advice directed at the young person just emerging into adulthood: Be good, listen to your elders, fear God, stay out of trouble, and God will bless you throughout your life.

My own theory is that if Proverbs is Wisdom for those at the beginning of life's journey, and Ecclesiastes is Wisdom for those at the end of life's journey, then Job is Wisdom for those in the prime of life (I'll let you define what age exactly that is). Why? Because it is precisely in the prime of our lives that our families, our connections, our careers, our possessions, our achievements, and our health are at their greatest point. And it is also the point at which we stand the most to lose. Job is wisdom for those in the prime of life.

Let's continue reading:

That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another’s houses in turn; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5And when the feast days had run their course, 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; for Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’ This is what Job always did.

Up to this point, Job seems like the textbook proof of the Proverbs formula: Fear God + Turn from Evil = God's Richest Blessing. And I would go so far as to say that this is the point in the story where we can most identify with Job. We are blessed to live in a country and a culture where even in the midst of an economic recession, most of us still live in houses with multiple bedrooms, with one or more cars in the garage, and we eat three meals each day...sometimes pretty big ones, too. As El Pasoans, we are also privileged to live in a city that has been consistently ranked as one of the safest large cities in the nation...and we live in a nation that's pretty safe, too. By worldwide standards then, we are privileged, comfortable, and wealthy. Like Job, we probably worry (and pray) a little about what our children might say or do at a wild party, but also like Job, we're pretty blessed. We must have done something right.

Let's continue reading:

6 One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ 8The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.’ 9Then Satan answered the Lord, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? 10Have you not put a fence 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. 11But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.’ 12The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Satan--as is often the case--makes a very good observation here: Why do we worship God? Why do we do anything for that matter?

13 One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the eldest brother’s house, 14a messenger came to Job and said, ‘The oxen were ploughing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, 15and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.’ 16While he was still speaking, another came and said, ‘The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you.’ 17While he was still speaking, another came and said, ‘The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid on the camels and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.’ 18While he was still speaking, another came and said, ‘Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, 19and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you.’

20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshipped. 21He 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.’

22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.

Behind the Scenes: Second Heavenly Council

2One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ 3The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.’ 4Then Satan answered the Lord, ‘Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. 5But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.’ 6The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.’

Attack on Job's Health

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.

9 Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.’ 10But he said to her, ‘You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him. 12When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads. 13They sat with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.