Year 5, Day 96: Job 2

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Character

• Character: Having the interior life that is necessary to support the work that God sets before a person.  It is hearing from God and obeying.  It is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

I think the whole book of Job revolves around this issue of character.  What do we do when life is tough?  What do we do when our chips are down?  What do we do when the easiest thing to do would be to curse God and assume He’s not on our side anymore?

Job’s wife gives Job some pretty bad advice here.  “Curse God and die.”  In other words, if your life stinks, you might as well end it.  What horrible advice!  If this advice isn’t the root of self-centeredness, I don’t know what is!  Job’s wife seems to believe that the sole point of life in having a good time.  Don’t get me wrong, life is better when it is enjoyed.  But when life is determined to be useful only when it is enjoyable we miss the real point of life.  It says something about our character when we are ready to give up on life when things don’t go our way.

Then we get to Job’s friends.  In this chapter, the friends appear wise.  They don’t say anything.  They sit in patience with Job, content to minister in presence to what Job is experiencing.  It shows a lot about their character that they are willing to mourn and grieve rather than simply assume that they have something important to say.  However, we’ll note that the vast majority of the rest of the book of Job is dedicated to what happens when Job’s friends do open their mouths.

Finally, we have a good look at Job’s character.  I am always stunned by Job’s expression when he is cursed.  “Should we expect the good blessings of God and not accept it when bad comes, too?”  This is an incredibly mature statement.  Are human beings really so self-centered that we honestly expect everything to go our way?  Job demonstrates incredible character in these verses.  He is content to be in relationship with God regardless of whether good or evil comes.

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