Job 1:21 Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

    naked I’ll return to the womb of the earth.

God gives, God takes.

    God’s name be ever blessed.

22 Not once through all this did Job sin; not once did he blame God.

 

 

We are living in a world where people change their attitudes, depending upon the amassing wealth, be it holding or losing, their color changes. Human beings should learn the impermanence of wealth. Nothing is permanent, except God, his mercy, his love, his compassion, his pardon. That’s why we should never be arrogant for having more, or give up hope or blame God, well, we have to part with that for some reason. Imagine the life of a man, whose background you’ll be surprised: Job 1:1

1-3 Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, 

This should be the attitude of human beings. Some are honest only outside. They look honest, but inside, God only knows. I wonder whether some people know their true nature at all. God created every one of us, honest. Notice the children. As they grow, they accept their mistakes, slowly their honesty and simplicity goes away. But some people have courage to maintain his honesty. 

 

a man of his word,

Bible says, a man should keep his word; if he makes a promise, if he pledges a vow, then he has to stand by that. Leaning to the climate or the weather or the wind, is not fare. Psalmist says, the man who has given word, even if it hurts him, he has to maintain. Only then, he is a brave man.

 

 

 who was totally devoted to God 

Yeah ,we need to be devoted to God, our Maker. God had no compulsion to create us, but He created us. That’s way the most basic duty that anyone should have is being devoted to God.

 

and hated evil with a passion. 

It is not that easy; evil is so attractive, sedusive, tempting; but it’s a commitment that we have to make. It’s a determination we should develop—to hate evil with passion.

 

He had seven sons and three daughters. 

God has generously blessed him with the wealth that human being cannot purchase. Go and meet people who are childless and barren. Bible has any number of stories about that. Their life will be so miserable. That’s why we should be proud having son or daughter. Some are proud having sons, some are proud of their daughters. Whatever it is, it’s God who decides, sends people to our lives.

 

 

He was also very wealthy

There’s nothing wrong in being wealthy. Wealth after all is a gift from God. God is not against wealthy, God is not against the rich; He is only against the attitude that the rich sometimes develop, to that extend they become arrogant, selfish, no considerate towards the poor and the needy. That kind of the wealth and wealthy, God hates.

 

—seven thousand head of sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and a huge staff of servants—the most influential man in all the East!

Imagine his profile description. But with all that this man maintained integrity, honesty, devotion. That is something amazing about this man.

 

4-5 His sons used to take turns hosting parties in their homes, 

Yeah, brothers were united. Psalmist says in Ps 133:1 “How blessed it is to have brothers united. It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes”

 

always inviting their three sisters to join them in their merrymaking. 

They did not have a party, mens’s party. It was family get together, so they included sisters also to join them in their merry making.

 

When the parties were over, Job would get up early in the morning

See the duty of the father. He must have also be in with them in the party. They may have woken up or not, but Job would get up early in the morning. I talked about this earlier also. Getting up early in the morning is one of the basic duties.

 

 and sacrifice a burnt offering for each of his children, 

He prayed for them, he offered to God sacrifices, in case they have offended God.

 

 

thinking, “Maybe one of them sinned by defying God inwardly.” 

He has not even heard them speak or do anything against God in public, but he’s worried that maybe in their thinking if they have offended God, they wanted God to be merciful to his children. What a fortunate children to have such a father! Job made habit of this sacrificial atonement—just in case they have sinned. 

 

And now comes the dramatic event:

6-7 One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan, who was the Designated Accuser, came along with them. 

Accusation is the duty of the devil, who is called the accuser. If we have this habit, then it is an attitude we should get rid off. Accusing: the moment devil came into the life of Adam and Eve, they began to accuse. They began to accuse even God, they began to accuse each other, they began to accuse the satan, the serpent. So beware of this attitude of accusing others. Take responsibility of your sin, or weakness. They may have a part, but you also have a part. Without your consent, no one will make you a sinner or a saint. 

 

God singled out Satan and said, “What have you been up to?”

Satan answered God, “Going here and there, 

This fellow’s duty is going here and there only—purposeless, aimless, careless.

 

 checking things out on earth.”

 

8 God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? 

See, God calling a person a friend. What a fortune it is! And He is proud. How I wish that each of us have a thought about this, or how it would be if God were to call us friends. Jesus said I call you friends, I lay my life for friends. There is nothing more than this concerning love, so we need to realize the God who really considers us friends. So we have to be trust worthy. It is mutual. Friendship is mutual.

 

There’s no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.”

God gives certificate. Satan will toddle. Satan cannot bear goodness being told about a person. 

 

9-10 Satan retorted, “So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose!

See, Satan cannot bear God blessing. Yeah, so, may God bless each and every one of us. Me, especially, because I am in need, to take up a lot of things, to work for God, and to work for other human beings also.

 

11 “But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away everything that is his?

You see, this is satan’s way of provoking, his aim is taking away the blessing from you. Yeah, if you are loosing, then, satan is behind. Satan wants to snatch away your blessing, be it peace, happiness, joy, love, wealth, health, family, friendship, he is after that. That’s why you have to be happy, you have to be peaceful. Then satan is irritated, he cannot bear; he’ll run.

 

 He’d curse you right to your face, that’s what.”

12 God replied, “We’ll see.

See the trust God has in Job. This should be the trust God should keep in us.

 

Go ahead—do what you want with all that is his. Just don’t hurt him.” 

So God is extremely concerned. Wealth is only an attachment; essential is human life. So God said, touch him not. Wealth? Remove, but he is not the man who is attached to wealth. He has wealth, I have given him, he is grateful. He offer sacrifices to me, but he is not a man whose heart is after wealth.

 

Then Satan left the presence of God.

13-15 Sometime later, while Job’s children were having one of their parties at the home of the oldest son, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing in the field next to us when Sabeans attacked. They stole the animals and killed the field hands. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.”

You see, devil shows his ugliest face of stealing blessing from people.

 

16 While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Bolts of lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and fried them—burned them to a crisp. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.”

17 While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Chaldeans coming from three directions raided the camels and massacred the camel drivers. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.”

18-19 While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Your children were having a party at the home of the oldest brother when a tornado swept in off the desert and struck the house. It collapsed on the young people and they died. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.”

You see, what all things happened to a man. He is loosing his cuttle, his men, his children, his house, and everything.

 

20 Job got to his feet, ripped his robe, shaved his head, then fell to the ground and worshiped:

What an amazing attitude. An attitude par excellence. Nothing troubled him. He went to worship his God. He knows God is in control. God who gave him, is in control. God who gave him life, children, wealth, and everything; he believes God knows. That’s why the most beautiful words came out of his mouth as a prayer:

21 

Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

    naked I’ll return to the womb of the earth.

God gives, God takes.

    God’s name be ever blessed.

It should be the attitude of every faithful. I know the story of any number of millionaires, who were proud once, when got rid of, their attitude changed. They went mad, and they, they were in prison. But a true man of God, should depend on God. God will bring him back, all that he has lost. That’s what happened in Job’s life also. When you maintain such attitude, whatever you have lost, wherever you have lost, however you have lost, God will bless you beyond your imagination.

 

22 Not once through all this did Job sin; not once did he blame God.

Human weakness is such, sometimes we even cry aloud and ask God, why God. Asking God or pouring out is ok, but never blame God. God can’t bear your blaming. He gave you life, He protects you, He provides you. He knows. He feeds the birds of the field, the grass on earth, then, He will care for you.

 

 

Abba, Thank You for the example of Job, to imitate and follow, and hold fast. Let Your Spirit instill in us this faith, that chains the devil, and pleases God, In Jesus’ Most Powerful Name, Amen.