Quality is Job 1

Hello All,

How much consideration have you given the first chapter of Job? Whew! I’d thought so long and hard about that question that I’m finally glad to just have it phrased in a way that I’m comfortable with. As I thought of the question, I mulled over the multitude of words I could use and I still couldn’t get away from the necessity of the word “consider”, which when you think about it, is really very telling since the first chapter is really about consideration.

In the first chapter of Job, we’re introduced to the man as a perfect and upright God-fearing man who hated evil. Consider what that looks like. When we think of “perfect and upright”, I think our mind equates that to – you’re average all-around good guy. But what about a person who disapproves of evil – what does THAT look like? Many people these days are carefully silent as to not offend people when it comes to speaking out about evil. The next thing I notice is all the blessings Job has – He’s been fruitful and multiplied; 7 boys and 3 girls and it goes on to say that Job is VERY wealthy: Wealthier than anyone else in his area…Like Bill Gates wealthy. He’s got QUANTITY. But that’s not what God considers. When God and Satan discuss Job in verse 8, God repeats the statement in verse one; the QUALITY of Job – Perfect and upright, fearing God and eschewing evil. Satan is no dummy. He knows us (and takes advantage of us) to a greater degree than most would be willing to admit. But here he wrongly considers that Job’s quality is the result of his quantity.

…but God…

Oh! How I love that small string of words. You realize instantly that you can put absolutely ANYTHING on the first part of that phrase and it will have absolutely no bearing on the second part because GOD is in the middle. God allows Satan to touch Job’s quantity (according to Satan’s request). If you allow your compassion to go out to Job, you’ll have to fight back the tears on what befalls him. And if you allow your understanding to entertain “what would you do?” you’ll have to be honest that there aren’t many who would respond to the situation the way Job did: Job assumed the mourning position, fell to the ground and worshipped basically saying – “It was never about the quantity anyway!” As verse 21 ends the chapter, I imagine Our Heavenly Father glancing over at Satan as it says: In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Here’s the Word;

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

I pray that this Chapter find you self-reflective as you “Consider” what important attachments you make. Some people get caught up in the idea that a life in God is enjoyable because of the blessings, or that you must be on God's 'favorite persons' list if you've acquired a lot of stuff, but if you really look deeper, you’ll see that Quality is Job 1.


In Him,
Cros