The first chapter of the book of Job is among the most surprising chapters in the whole Bible. It describes the partial removal of God’s providential protection of a godly man and the man’s subsequent suffering at the cruel hand of the devil. It challenges some assumptions we may have about suffering and loss, and it teaches a profound lesson on worship that is not contingent on prosperity.
The narrative begins familiarly enough: it describes a man who “was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil.” Reading through the Bible from beginning in Genesis, we have already become acquainted with a few upright and godly men by the time we get to the book of Job. Noah was a “just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (Genesis 5:9). Abraham, Moses, and Joshua also serve as clear examples. In all these cases, God has delivered these men from the evil generation around them and made them to prosper. It would be natural to expect the same of Job.
God’s word declares that the whole duty of man is to “fear God, and keep his commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). We exist to serve God. He created us for His own pleasure (Revelation 4:11), we belong to Him, and we are to serve Him in our body and spirit (I Corinthians 6:20). There is no doubt that Job was living in a way compliant to this great truth. He is described as upright and perfect, and he went so far as to offer sacrifices on behalf of his sons because “it may be that my sons have sinned.” We are told that he acted this way continually, so that living righteously in God’s sight was his perpetual labor.
The next part is perhaps more surprising to us than it should be: Satan accuses Job. He says that Job only fears God because God has blessed him, but that if God took away those blessings, Job would cease to fear God. Importantly, this will be demonstrated to be a false accusation. The reason this text is so surprising to us is that it removes the deceitful, softening subtleties that the devil employs to look better than he really is. In this text, we see Satan truly as an adversary, the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), and a liar (John 8:44). This is a false accusation, God knows it, and for reasons that only God knows, God saw fit to allow the proving of Job’s integrity. Even in this harshest of trials, the devil was restrained by God only to touch Job’s house and not to touch the man himself.
So, with the partial removal of God’s hedge of protection around Job, Satan put forth his hand and caused Job to lose his wealth and his children. Four messengers brought the devastating news, one after the other. The news was delivered in such a way as to be understood that this was not “time and chance” type coincidence that caused the loss but was rather supernatural. Notice that it was reported that “the fire of God is fallen from heaven.” Job understood these reports to mean that God Himself had taken all of his previous prosperity.
Upon hearing the bad news, Job “arose, rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and worshipped.” Job’s response to this news is the truly surprising part to our natural thinking. To a carnally-minded man, the presence of worship in this scene is foolishness. What cause is there to worship? Maybe worship made sense at the beginning of the chapter when he was the greatest man of the east, but now? Of course, this is exactly the line of reasoning that the devil falsely accused Job of. The devil’s logic makes worship of God conditional on God’s outward blessing. But in truth, is man’s purpose in glorifying God only required when man doesn’t suffer? Certainly not! A condition of suffering creates no exemption from giving God the glory properly due to Him.
Job’s full statement here was, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” This is a statement of true faith. It does not rest in outward blessing. It recognizes that God does not owe blessing or prosperity to man. It is a statement similar to Paul’s in Philippians 4:11-13: “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” God is due praise in every season, and He strengthened Job here to worship even in a time of extreme loss.
As disciples of Christ, our highest motto should be “blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job’s extreme case serves to show that God is worthy of worship at all times, even in the darkest moments. The question earlier was “What cause is there to worship?” Well, God is still the Creator. He is still the Redeemer. He is still the One who inhabits the heaven of heavens. He is still righteous, and holy, and good. Suffering does not separate us from his covenant of grace. He still stands ready to hear and answer prayer. It is still his good pleasure to give the kingdom to His little flock. He is still the God who worketh His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, who casts down the proud and exalts the humble. He is the Lord of glory and it is our place to give that glory still.
Our part is to meditate on these things and try our own minds to remove the carnal dross. In this chapter God reigns sovereign, the devil is a false accuser, and God’s people bless Him still. What it means to serve the Lord continually as Job did is that we bless Him regardless of the circumstances of life. Both the angels in heaven and suffering Job declare: Blessed be the name of the LORD. May we be blessed to join in this chorus.