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Job 1 - 9
"Why Has Such Evil Befallen Me?"
Job is the story of a wealthy, healthy and godly man with a large family who lost
everything and searched for answers as to “Why?”
Was Job a real person?
Making a bet with Satan that led to the suffering of a good man doesn’t sound like something a wise and loving God would do. Because of this, some scholars want to believe that Job was not a real person and that the Book of Job was a parable, a simple tale to teach a universal truth, rather than an historical narrative.
There are several reasons to view Job as a real person and that the story is true. A parable is usually written without giving specifics with regards to people, times, place, etc. For instance, it might start with, “In a faraway country, a long time ago, lived a man with his many sons.” The Book of Job is very specific. The main character was named Job, he lived in Uz, he had seven sons. He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He rode a red Honda 750 motorcycle (I made up this last item). The point is, the story is written as history, not a parable.
Another argument in favor of Job being real is the fact that he is mentioned in Scripture along with known historical figures such as Noah and Daniel. In Ezek. 14:14 & 20, God says that if he sent a famine to the land, verse 14, “even if these three men-Noah, Daniel and Job-were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness.” If you question the historicity of Job, then you also have to question the historicity of Noah and Daniel.
In the New Testament, The Apostle James also speaks of Job as an historical figure. James 5:11, “You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
Every other figure mentioned in the book of James is an actual, historical person, including Abraham, Rahab, and Elijah. As with Ezekiel’s reference to Job, James’ allusion makes the most sense if Job is an actual person whom we are to emulate.
Another clue that Job was a real person is the way in which he was introduced. He is introduced as other historical figures were.
Job 1:1 “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job.” He lived in Uz, (not to be confused with OZ, as in the fantasy movie The Wizard of Oz).
1 Sam. 1:1, “There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah.”
Luke 1:5, “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah.”
So as much as some might want to view the Book of Job as fiction, in part to defend the character of God, evidence points to it being an historical account.
When did Job live?
Many scholars believe that he lived nearer the time of Abraham than Moses. There is no reference to the priesthood, tabernacle or temple, or the Law of Moses, etc. His wealth was measured by livestock and servants rather than real estate, gold, or automobile collection. He also lived to be 142 years of age (Job 42:16). You have to go far back in time to find people living such long lives.
The Book of Job is classified as “wisdom” literature, which would also include Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. There are certain portions of other books, such as Psalms which could be thus classified, also.
Those who wrote wisdom literature didn’t claim to have received new revelation as might a prophet, but they were known for being able to give wise advice in the application of what they already knew.
Wisdom, such as is found in the book of Proverbs, gives us general principles, such as how to succeed in life, manage money, etc. If you work hard you will succeed. If we live a healthy lifestyle, we will live longer and with a shorter period of illness before we die. Live beneath your means and you can gain some degree of wealth. But these are just general rules, it doesn’t mean that everyone who follows them will benefit as expected. Wisdom gives us general principles, but as we see in Job and Ecclesiastes, there are exceptions. In Job’s case, he played by the rules and should have been blessed, but instead he lost nearly everything. Life isn’t always fair.
Sometimes contradictory proverbs are given to show that one rule doesn’t always fit every situation. Prov. 26:4-6 tells us, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.”
What is the theme of the Book of Job?
Job is seeking an answer to the question: “Why does a loving and all-powerful God allow suffering, especially among the righteous?” It’s an honest questions that many of us have asked.
Let’s get into the text.
Job 1:1 introduces us to Job who is described as “blameless”. It doesn’t mean he was sinless before God, but before man, he was blameless. In other words, a law abiding, decent fellow who didn’t cheat his customers in business and was a good neighbor. The passage goes on to say that he was a man of wealth with a large family and huge herds of animals. Verse 3, “He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.” A little hyperbolic, perhaps, but we get the point. He felt blessed by God and when it all came to an abrupt end, he wanted to know why.
Job was quite devout, it seems. When his adult children held their frequent feasts in their homes, Job would “sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them” just in case anyone of them might have sinned during their parties (verse 5).
The setting then shifts to heaven where angels present themselves before the Lord (like a staff meeting in the Commander’s Conference Room) (verse 6) and guess who shows up among them? Yes, it’s Satan himself. How did he get in there? Rev. 12:7-12 says that Satan has been banished from God’s presence. How could he be in His presence in this story? Apparently, his banishment wasn’t complete. He did have limited access to accuse the brethren (Eph. 2:2, Zech. 3:1). In hospitals and other secure buildings, a person might be issued a security badge which is programmed to give him access to certain areas only. For instance, someone who works in logistics won’t be able to access the patient care units. Only those who have a need for access can get into the Information Technology section. To gain access to these restricted areas one must be escorted by someone. Satan might have had his Unlimited Security Badge revoked and been issued a downgraded badge which required him to make an appointment first and be escorted when he visits the VIP or Command Suite in heaven.
When God sees him, he asks (verse 7), “Where have you come from?” I wonder what his tone of voice was. Was he surprised, exclaiming, “How did you get in here? Where’s our security personnel.” Or was it a more friendly, casual, “Well, where have you been, what have you been up to?” Being God and being all-knowing, He really already know where Satan was and what he was up to.
Satan gave a vague answer, much like a teenager who returns from a date when asked, “Where did you go last night and what did you do?” Satan says, verse 7, “... roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”
Verse 8, “Have you considered my servant Job?” Have you bumped into my friend job, he’s a really swell fellow.
Job 1:9 Satan says to God, “Does Job fear God for nothing?”
Satan is up to his old tricks. Here he is trying to alienate Job from God and God from Job. Sadly, we sometimes do the same thing at work or in church, when we live a life that turns people away from God. In this case, Satan is trying to frame Job’s righteousness as something evil. His godly life was lived for selfish, materialistic reasons. Perhaps not much different from the people who follow a prosperity preacher just because they think they will get rich.
I wonder if the prosperity preachers have a large turnover of church members. I suspect that some people might attend and give money to the ministry in the hope that they too will become rich. After a few months or years of giving and not getting rich they might start to drift away from the church angry, bitter, and disillusioned. The sad thing is they might equate what they experienced with true Christianity. If they can’t come to distinguish the false teachings of the prosperity preachers with true Christianity, they might turn their backs on God.
To silence Satan, God allows him to test Job to prove that Job is truly a righteous man. But doesn’t God already know that Job is a righteous person. He doesn’t need proof. This reminds me of the time Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac. God knew the faith of Abraham. God didn’t benefit from his test of faith. Who did? I think it was Abraham.
This test reminds me of the last challenge military recruits must successfully complete during basic military training. In the army you must go through the Obstacle Course. In the Air Force it is called the Confidence Course. “Confidence” is a more positive term than “obstacle”. The Air Force tends to use “softer” language to describe things. For instance, in the Army, the soldiers eat in a mess hall while in the Air Force they eat in a “dining facility.” The army kills the enemy, while the air force neutralizes them. So, the confidence (obstacle) course is to prove to the soldier/airman that they can do more than they thought they could. The drill instructor knows already what they can do. He’s spent weeks preparing the young recruits to succeed. Abraham’s and Job’s task of making it successfully through their confidence course of suffering was to prove to themselves, not to God, their faith.
C.S. Lewis expressed it this way: “God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn't. In this trial He makes us occupy the dock, the witness box, and the bench all at once. He always knew that my temple was a house of cards. His only way of making me realize the fact was to knock it down.” C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed
Satan issues a challenge. Job 1:11-12 Satan says, “But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
This is where I would have hoped that God would tell Satan to take a walk. But instead, he said, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Many would think that a more appropriate response would have been, “Get OUT of here and don’t you ever come back again!” With that, he might press a button on his desk which would signal several huge, bulky security angels to rush into the office from all sides, grab Satan by his collar and throw him out of the building.
Job’s life soon began to fall apart. Soon messengers arrived at Job’s home to tell him that his livestock was stolen and carried off (verses 14-15), then lightning struck and killed his sheep and servants (verse 16), then the camels were stolen, and more servants were killed (verse 17) and then a tornado came and struck the house Job’s adult children were in and they were all killed (verse 19).
Not only were animals killed, but so were his servants. All to win a bet with Satan. Really?
When Job heard what had happened, he responded rather philosophically as he lost nearly everyone and everything dear to him, verse 21, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
How do you explain his bland, unemotional response? Was Job in shock? Had the magnitude of his losses not yet set in? Many people would exhibit more emotions if they were to lose their smartphones.
“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.” Well, that’s not exactly correct. The Lord “gave” but it was Satan who “has taken away.” It was Satan who afflicted him, as we will see in verse seven of chapter two. Satan was the primary cause of his afflictions; God was a secondary cause. He allowed it to happen but didn’t cause it to happen.
To the great disappointment of Satan, Job didn’t sin by charging God with wrongdoing. He didn’t curse God as Satan predicted. In fact, he worshipped him instead.
Imagine the look of disappointment on the face of Satan. Satan then shows up again at the office of the Creator of the Universe.
In Job, chapter two, Satan again shows up at the office of the Creator. When asked by God, “Where have you come from?” Satan replies, (verse 2), “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.” Another vague and incomplete answer. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us what he was doing. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Having failed in his effort to get Job to curse God, he then says, verse 4, “A man will give all he has for his own life... strike his flesh and bones and he will surely curse you to your face.”
Again, God took him up on this bet. Job 2:7-9 finds Satan afflicting Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Verse 8, “Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.”
If you bring together all of the symptoms of his affliction found throughout the book, you will find that he had black, disfiguring boils over all of his body, he was emaciated, had a high fever, his breath smelled, and he was in constant pain. I imagine that doctors have tried to figure out what disease he had. Perhaps it was an infectious disease that we are familiar with (smallpox?) or a one-of-a-kind disease, something unique.
Where was Job? Not in his comfortable tent. Where would he find broken pottery and ashes (verse 8)? It sounds as if he was in isolation, sitting in the local land fill, where broken pottery was discarded and trash was burnt. So along with the physical suffering he was in isolation, sitting in the local dump.
His wife came to visit him. Perhaps she brought him some soup and bread, maybe another blanket and some water. What she may have brought might have been comforting, but her words weren’t. She suggested, (verse 9), “Curse God and die!” It’s a good thing she didn’t bring him a pistol or rope to hang himself. But, depending on her tone of voice, her advice might have been out of compassion, not wanting him to suffer any longer. Job replied, (verse 10), “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” And Satan was disappointed again, and even more frustrated.
But at least he had some friends to come and visit him. Surely, they would bring him comfort. Well, maybe not as we will see.
Have you ever looked forward to someone visiting you and once they arrived you wished they hadn’t come? As the saying goes, “All our visitors bring us joy, some in coming, some in going.” Well, Job’s friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar came to visit (verse 11), “to sympathize with him and comfort him.” Well, isn’t that nice? A guy in Job’s situation certainly could use sympathy and comfort. Perhaps they brought him some treats and a few magazines to read. His friends must have been shocked by Job’s appearance. He probably looked like “death warmed over.” They wept aloud, tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word.”
In the military we have chaplains who seek to meet the spiritual needs of the soldiers, regardless of their religion. One aspect of their ministry is what is known as a “ministry of presence.” Just being there is a comfort for some of the soldiers. They are there if a soldier wants to talk to them, but they don’t force themselves on them. For seven days Job’s friends ministered to him by their presence.
Weeping aloud, tearing their clothes and sprinkling dust on their heads was and still is a customary way of expressing grief. More recently some cultures wear black arm bands to signify mourning. Some might even wear the black armband on their wedding anniversary.
Today, Jews have a custom taken from this story, it is called sitting Shiva (shiva means “seven” in Hebrew). After the burial of the deceased, people visit the home of the grieving where others have prepared food for the visitors. Then, for seven days, during certain hours of the day, there is an “open house” where people can come and go to visit the family.
Here is what the Jewish Virtual Library says about this custom.
Shiva is observed by parents, children, spouses, and siblings of the deceased, preferably all together in the deceased's home. Shiva begins on the day of burial and continues until the morning of the seventh day after burial. Mourners sit on low stools or the floor instead of chairs, do not wear leather shoes, do not shave or cut their hair, do not wear cosmetics, do not work, and do not do things for comfort or pleasure, such as bathe, have sex, put on fresh clothing, or study Torah (except Torah related to mourning and grief). Mourners wear the clothes that they tore at the time of learning of the death or at the funeral. Mirrors in the house are covered. Prayer services are held where the shiva is held, with friends, neighbors and relatives making up the minyan (10 people required for certain prayers).
So, Job’s friends sat silent for seven days. As we will see, they should have kept quiet because when they opened their mouths, they weren’t very comforting.
His friends found Job in a very depressed state of mind. The first thing that Job said was (Job 3:3), “May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is born!”” He goes on to say in verse 8, “May those who curse days curse that day, those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.” This was an expression that this creature would swallow the day and night of his birth.
I can think of two other people in the Bible who wished they were dead or never born. Both Moses and Elijah felt so overwhelmed and exhausted that they too wish they were dead.
The Leviathan is mentioned six times in Scriptures. Now, lets switch from Theology to Zoology and take a look at this creature and his counterpart, the Behemoth, which is also found in the Book of Job.
The Leviathan, (why is it capitalized in verse 8, but not in other passages)? It’s not like it is his first name.
I did a little research and found that Leviathan was (or is) a female dragon of the sea and the Behemoth found in chapter 40 is the male counterpart, a monster of the land.
The Old Testament nowhere identifies the Leviathan with the devil, but there is a seven-headed dragon in the Book of Revelation.
Most passages describe the leviathan as a real creature, familiar to people. Psalm 104:25–26, says, “There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.” This verse tells us that God formed this creature, so we’re not talking about a mythological creature.
In Isa. 27:1 the leviathan is used as a symbol for the wicked kings of the earth. “Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he (God) will slay the monster of the sea.” We’ve had many “monsters” leading nations throughout history. Depending on your political views, you can probably identify Leviathans ruling nations today.
Job 41 gives the most detail about Leviathan as an actual sea creature. The leviathan cannot be tied down or tamed (Job 41:1, 5); it is frightening to even look at (verse 9); it is best left alone (verses 8, 10). The leviathan has a graceful form (verse 12) but is incredibly well protected with scales (verses 13, 15–17). Its chest is as impenetrable as its back (verses 15, 24). It has fearsome teeth (verse 14), and death awaits anyone who approaches its mouth (verses 18–21). Even mighty men are terrified of the leviathan (verse 25). No sword, spear, dart, javelin, arrow, stone, club, or lance can defeat it (verses 26, 28–29). It cannot be caged because it breaks iron like straw (verse 27). On land, the leviathan leaves a trail of ruts; in the water, it produces a deep, churning wake (verses 30–32). God’s description of the leviathan concludes with a statement that it is the true king of the beasts: “Nothing on earth is its equal—a creature without fear” (verse 33).
After reading this, I’m never going to the beach or in the ocean again. This is scarier than the movie JAWS or Godzilla (see photo).
Some commentators believe Leviathan is a crocodile, on steroids with an anger management problem. Maybe there is a Loch Ness creature after all. Or, it might be a now extinct creature.
The other creature mentioned in scripture is the Behemoth. Most of what is known of the Behemoth comes to us from Job 40:15-24, “Look at Behemoth which I (God) made along with you.” So, it too appears to be a created creature, not a mythological one. He goes on to describe it as a creature that feeds on grass, is very strong, with a huge tail, with a strong skeleton and limbs like iron. He is well hidden and is seldom seen. Perhaps he is a nocturnal creature. It lives near the water and ranks first among the works of God who alone can master it. Except for the description of the tail it appears to be something like a gorilla, elephant, rhinoceros or hippopotamus. Or, like the Leviathan, it might be an extinct creature. Is there a counterpart to the Behemoth today? Might the closest creature be Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, a large and hairy human-like mythical creature alleged by some to inhabit forests in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.
That’s it, now I’m not only staying out of the ocean, away from rivers, I’m never going back into the woods either.
That’s the end of our Zoology lesson for today. Let’s get back to the text of Job. Here we find Job expressing his despair and desire to die. Job 3:11. “Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?” Verse 16, “Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day?”
This guy needs to be on suicide watch. It’s very disturbing to see someone so depressed. But at least he has friends here to comfort him. Well, maybe not.
After seven days of silence, “sitting Shiva”, his friends must have been bursting at the seams with words of wisdom and comfort. Eliphaz speaks first, offering praise for this troubled man. Job 4:3, “Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands.” This sounds like a scene in the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life where an angel by the name of Clarence tells a despondent George Bailey that he really has had a wonderful life. In his modest life he helped many people in his community. And like Job, George Bailey endured an emotional crisis, but you will have to watch the movie to find out what it was.
Eliphaz should have stopped talking after praising him through verse 6. Beginning in verse 7, he tells Job that, despite his outward appearance of piety, he must have some serious hidden sins to deserve such hardships. Verse 7, “Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed? “Those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.” In other words, “You reap what you sow.” Job is told that he must have done something very bad to end up like this.
“Who, being innocent, has ever perished?” Well, I can certainly name quite a few of very good people who have suffered greatly and died prematurely. Did the children who died in the holocaust deserve to die as they did? Are the children being treated for leukemia at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital deserving of their illnesses? What about children born with serious birth defects? The idea that we live in a just world, that people get what deserve, is discredited in Scripture.
When Jesus healed a blind man, his disciples, believing that bad things only happen to bad people, asked Jesus, John 9:2-3, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind? Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”
What horrible sin could an unborn baby have committed that God would punish him with blindness? And if his parents sinned, why wouldn’t they have been punished rather than their baby? Ezek. 18:20 tells us that, “The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.”
To give credibility to his view Eliphaz refers to a dream that he had. Verse 13, “Amid disquieting dreams in the night, when deep sleep falls on men . . . (verse 15), A spirit glided past my face. . . (verse 16) and I heard a hushed voice, ‘Can a mortal man be more righteous than God?” Verse 18, “if he charges his angels with error, now much more than those who live in houses of clay.” The point of these comments is that all men are sinners and God has a right to punish them.
I’m always suspicious when someone takes his dreams seriously or claims, “God told me . . .” or “God has revealed to me . . .” Too often such claims are used as a tool to manipulate others and to make one look more pious. A “prophetess” of one church has been accused of weaponizing “visions” against those who disagreed or who failed to be absolutely loyal to her. Afterall, how can you argue with someone who is recognized by many as a prophetess when she says, “God told me.” That ends the discussion fast.
But God can use dreams and visions (waking dreams) to communicate with us. Joseph had several dreams (Gen. 37:1-11). Num. 24:4 says, “When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him, and he uttered his oracle.” Zechariah had a series of eight visions in one night.” Jacob (Gen. 28:10-17) had a dream of a ladder reaching to heaven on which angels ascended and descended. Joseph was told in a dream to not divorce Mary (Matt. 1:20; 2:13). Zacharias (Luke 1:5-23) was told in a vision that he would soon give birth to a son (John the Baptist). Peter and Cornelius had visions in Acts 10.
God doesn’t seem to use these tools so much now since we have his written revelation that is our final authority. We should be very skeptical of anyone today who claims, “God told me. . .” either in a vision, a dream or a “tiny voice.”
Eliphaz goes on to say, Job 4:18, “If God places no trust in his servants, if he charges his angels with error, How much more those who live in houses of clay. . .”
In other words, if God can charge angels with sins, he can do so with man. He goes on to suggest that Job should be grateful to God for being disciplined by him. In Job 5:17 he says, “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” Job is told to put aside his resentment towards God and humbly accept the discipline God is giving him.
In chapter 6 Job continues to express his pain and anguish. He says that if his anguish could be weighed it would outweigh the sand of the sea (verse 3). He again wishes that God would just let him die (verses 8-9). And he expresses disappointment that his “friends” weren’t of any comfort to him (verse 15).
In chapter 7 Job continues to describe his situation. He can’t sleep (verse 4), his body is covered with worms and scabs (verse 5). His days come and go without hope (verse 6). Verse 16, “Let me alone, my days have no meaning. Verse 20, “If I have sinned, what have I done to you” and verse 21, “Why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins.”? So Job is physically, emotionally and spiritually spent. Job refuses Eliphaz’s indictment. Then his second friend, Bildad speaks up. He tells Job that he should plead for mercy. He believes that Job is something of a hypocrite.
Chapter 8:2-4, Bildad even condemned Job’s children, saying “Does God pervert justice? If your sons sinned against Him, He dispatched them for their transgression”.
Chapter 8:5-6, Bildad goes on to say, “But if you will look to God and plead with the Almighty, if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place.”
Imagine, a week earlier his friends came to console him, now they were condemning him.
Job responds by agreeing that God is just, but he goes on to express his desire to talk to God as one would speak to a defendant in a court of law, but he knows he wouldn’t get any answers.
Chapter 9:3, “Though one wished to dispute with him, he could not answer him one time out of a thousand.” How many times have we prayed and received nothing more than silence from God? C.S. Lewis expressed it this way, “But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and the sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence.”
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Why Study the Bible?
Don’t many consider the Bible to be just a book of myths? Why do we read the Bible rather than the sacred literature of other religions?
How do we know that it is from God? How do we know that what we have today is an accurate translation from the original? Is the Bible complete or have there been some books that have been lost?
We should be able to answer these questions, and there are answers! So start here!
Answers to Common Bible Questions
Lent is a six week period of spiritual devotion starting on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter. Those who observe Lent usually give up something for Lent. Some might give up coffee, or soda pop, or alcohol, or chocolate. May I suggest that you give up something that will really impress God and make this season of Lent one of the most memorable and meaningful seasons of your life? May I suggest that if you are giving up something, why not give up some of the acts of our sinful nature mentioned in Gal. 5:19? Why don’t we give up lying about others? Do you think you can give up the hate you feel towards others? How about envy, can we work on putting envy aside this year? How about giving up on the naïve idea that all pastors are mature Christian leaders whose word should always be accepted, rather than wolfs in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). How about giving up the idea that everyone in church is a real Christian (Matt 7:21-23). How about giving up your desire to seek revenge on those who have hurt you (Matt 18:21-22)? If you are insecure and feel threatened when you see the success of others in ministry, how about giving up efforts to hinder others who have been called to minister (Rom 12:4-8)? Of course it is easier to give up something like chocolate, etc. and make yourself feel like you are doing something that is pleasing to God. If you are not willing to give up unchristian behavior, might I suggest something that will really please God this Lent? Give up all evidence of your profession of Christian faith, such as books, pictures and jewelry. Don’t talk about God, Jesus or the Church. I think God would appreciate it if you would stop giving HIM a bad name by the way you live. Let’s give up what hinders our witness and become a better ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) this Lenten season.
In Matthew 2:1-2 is says that the magi saw "His star in the east." What was this star that guided these men to Jesus? Some have suggested that it could have been a comet, an asteroid, or perhaps a meteor or an especially bright star. The problem with these suggestions is that these physical things either quickly move across the sky and then disappear or are too far away to provide directions with any precision. It would be hard to get directions from such objects. The "star" had to move constantly or intermittently at the same pace as the magi. Then it says that it hovered over the house where Mary and Joseph had moved to with Jesus. It hardly sounds like a comet or meteor or a star as we know them. Can you think of another time that people in the Bible were guided by some form of light? How about the time when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt? He didn't have a global positioning system with him. He did have a pillar of fire that led him at night (Ex 13:21-22). We see this light in Solomon's Temple (2 Chron 7:1-3) and when the Jews were about to go into Babylonian captivity, we see it leaving the Temple (Ezek 9-11). In the New Testament we see it at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:9) at His transfiguration (Matt 17:5) and His ascension (Acts 1:9). What exactly was this guiding light? The word "star" can also be translated as "radiance." It appears that it was this "radiance" that guided Moses and the magi. The Jews call this the "Shekinah", a physical manifestation of the glory of God in the form of a supernatural radiance. This, I believe, is what the Star of Bethlehem was.
Imagine that you are the pastor of a church. A young married couple is having some difficulties in their relationship and they seek counsel from you. On Monday the wife comes in to give her assessment of their marriage. What do you think she will say? She might say that she is a hardworking, caring and supportive wife and that it is her husband who is the neglectful, insensitive brute and the source of all problems in the marriage. You feel so sorry for this wife and when you see her husband in the hallway, you think to yourself, "What a jerk." On Friday the husband comes in and gives his assessment of the marriage. He tells you that he is hard working and very generous and that she is the major problem in the relationship. As the pastor, you are wondering if they both are talking about the same marriage. Each person tells you what makes them look best and their spouse the worst. Where is the truth? The truth is probably somewhere in between Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, til another comes forward and questions him." There are conflicts in all relationships, between spouses, parents and children, employees and employers. When you hear one side of a story, don’t assume that what you hear is the complete truth. And don’t pass on to someone else what you have heard. Probably, at least some of what you heard is untrue to gain your support in a conflict.