Job's Faith

[Theophilus]

I recently sat under some teaching from the book of Job and began to think about Job's faith. Here are a couple of observations.

God previously had "put a hedge around him", but then allowed that hedge to shrink to the man, Job.

Job 1

9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."

This also sounds somewhat similar to 1 Cor 10, in that God is limiting what man experiences, a trial in Job's case, or a temptation:

13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Noah was also a blameless man in his generation. Noah obeyed God's command to build the ark, and right before God sends the flood Gen 7:16b states: "Then the LORD shut him in." The ark was an act of faith on Noah's part, and the LORD also acted on that faith.

The Bible also shows people doing great things with God's anointing, from David, Samson, Elijah and the disciples after Pentecost. In all of these cases, the Spirit of God was necessary to do the work of God.

God also speaks with Job at the end of the book of Job. Maybe God's strength and presence was with Job through the whole trial.

The more I think about Job's faith the more I am reminded of God's faithfulness!

[TK]

I dont think I will ever understand the book of Job.

TK

[Theophilus]

Yeah, sometimes the book of Job makes you go, huh? Here are two new things I heard recently:

1. The word 'curse' is actually bless (barak) in the Hebrew but gets translated as curse because it would lose its force with a direct translation.

Job 1
11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.

2. 'Upon the earth' below could be translated 'upon my grave' or a new one I heard was ash heap, possibly implying that God would vindicate him from his current situation? Job was sitting in an ash heap. This is another difficult passage, but most commentators think Job is referring to vindication after his death, not while he is alive.

Job
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

[SteveF]

1. The word 'curse' is actually bless (barak) in the Hebrew but gets translated as curse because it would lose its force with a direct translation.

Job 1
11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.

Strong's says the word barak can also be a euphemism for "to curse". Perhaps "barak" was used at times in a sarcastic way.

For example, let's say my wife hates cooking and I decide to buy her a frying pan for her birthday. Someone may sarcastically say to me "Oh, I'm sure she'll like that"! Using the word "like" in this sentence would be a euphemism for "hate".

Just speculating

Steve