No 18  Job―An Ordinary Guy

What I have never believed about Job

That Job was

        a superhero

        a person specially constructed by God for the trial

        an angel (in disguise)

        Jesus Christ Himself (incognito)

What I used to believe about Job

That Job was

        the strongest-of-the-strong

        God’s best pick from among all His people of faith in that period of time

What I now believe about Job

That Job was

        just a rather ordinary guy

        different―but ordinary 

The Descriptors of Job

In Job 1:1, four qualities are given describing Job: 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.

        (1) perfect

        (2) upright

        (3) feared God

        (4) eschewed (shunned) evil

In Job 1:8, two additional qualities are added: And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

        (5) servant

        (6) none like him in the earth

None Like Him in the Earth

Job was an ordinary guy who had made extraordinary decisions. He actually made the very decisions God asks each of His followers to make. Every day kind of decisions. The “rubber-meets-the-road” kind of decisions. Job took God at His word and lived the kind of life God expected him to live. For example, he had made the decision to shun evil. He no longer wanted to do evil. His relationship with God and with people precluded him acting in any evil capacity toward them. 

But his decisioning goes further. The decision to shun evil was

        irrevocable

        irremovable

        undeniable

His decisions were made in a way that could not be changed, reversed, or removed. This is what God wished for him (and every believer). This is what Job wanted to do―and he made the decisions necessary to accomplish that goal.

The kind of decisioning made by Job has been made by untold millions through God’s history. Thus did Enoch. And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Gen 5:24). Likewise, Job walked with God. Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself (Dan 1:8). Likewise, Job purposed in his heart. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image (Dan 3:12). Likewise, Job did not regard Satan or follow him in any way (which is why Satan was so vehemently angry with Job).

Believers may actually do what God has asked them to do. Taking God at His word and in His strength, we know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not (1 John 5:18).

        Enoch kept himself. That wicked one toucheth him not.

        Daniel kept himself. That wicked one toucheth him not.

        Shadrach.

        Meshach.

        Abednego

        They kept themselves. That wicked one toucheth them not.

        The persecuted Christians in early Rome kept themselves. 

        That wicked one toucheth them not.

        The Waldenses.

        The Wycliffites.

        The Lollards.

        The Huguenots.

        Untold numbers kept themselves through the Dark Ages of persecution. 

        The wicked one cannot touch any believer in God’s hand.

        No power can snatch that believer from God’s hand.

The Decisioning Required

In such a manner, God’s people living in the very last days of the time of the end, will have gone through such decisioning themselves. What has been expected of everyone through all time will be realized in these people. They will be

        perfect

        upright

        fearing God

        shunning (eschewing) evil.

Anyone not making such decisions will be in the other class:

        the un-perfect (opposite of perfect)

        the down-wrong (opposite of upright)

        the ones who do not fear God

        the one who do not shun (eschew) evil.

Revelation is clear in the description of the two classes of people living on earth when the time at hand (Rev 22:10) arrives. Upon the arrival of the time at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still (Rev 22:10,11).

And just like Enoch, Job, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and millions since, the decisioning of these people in the last generation is

        irrevocable

        irremovable

        undeniable

Their decisions were made in such a way that could not be changed, reversed, or removed. This is what God wished for them and they took God at Hid word and did it! They made the decisions necessary to accomplish the goal. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God (Rev 14:4,5). [These descriptors, by the way, describe Job very well― not defiled, follow the Lamb, redeemed from among men, in their mouth was found no guile, and without fault before the throne of God. The descriptors from Rev 7 may be added as well―Job was a servant of God sealed in his forehead (Rev 7:3). Job had washed his robe, and made it white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev 7:14). Isn’t it interesting that the Lord Himself described Job twice as My servant (Job 1:8 and 2:3)?

Job was without fault before the throne of God―which was why he was before the throne of God. Satan tried to bring him down and could not. The Lord said to Satan directly, still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause (Job 2:3).

Job―An Ordinary Guy Making Extraordinary Decisions

How did Job attain such a character? But such a character is not the result of accident; it is not due to special favors or endowments of Providence. A noble character is the result of self-discipline, of the subjection of the lower to the higher nature—the surrender of self for the service of love to God and man (Ellen G. White, Education, page 57). Any person may choose such as Job chose. The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazing that Satan, with all his triumphant boasting, with all his confederacy of evil united against God and the laws of His government, stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries and delusions. They are to him an incomprehensible mystery (Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers, page 18).

What made Job different? How could he be different―but ordinary? Job was settled. This a term rich with meaning and depth.

        Settled means unmovable

        Settled means cannot be changed

        Settled means cannot be drawn away

        Settled means cannot be enticed.

When the Lord described His servant Job as being perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil (Job 1:1), it means Job was

        settled perfect

        irrevocably upright

        undeniably God-fearing

        and unchangeably a shunner of evil.

If Job had been any less that this, he would not have been a candidate for such a trial as he should face. But Job was settled. This is why the Lord could set him forth before Satan as an example of a person who could not be made to become unsettled.

The Last Generation

Settled describes the people who live through the trying times of the very last of time. They are ordinary people of faith who are settled. (I will allow that) such settled people are anything but ordinary―but being ordinary was the beginning of their faith. Their faith made them exceptional. All of us have that prospect before us. Such faith (as all faith) is a gift from God. All start on level ground. Becoming settled is a gift from God. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Phil 2:13).

A Quality Beyond

It will be ordinary people with extraordinary faith going through the Time of Jacob’s Trouble. I plan to be going through that time if I am alive. And I am ordinary. At no time do I expect God to miraculously turn me into something extraordinary or super-ordinary. I just want God to illustrate in my life His principles of faith and sanctification. Like Job, I want my life to be a life that cannot be moved. Those who would follow Christ must be grounded upon the principles of truth. They need to understand what the Bible teaches in regard to faith, and sanctification through the truth. They must be so established in this knowledge that they cannot be moved to take false positions on the doctrine of holiness, but will be able to illustrate in their lives the practical workings of this heaven-given principle (Ellen G. White, Evangelism, page 596).

I Want My Life to be a Full and Final Display

By His grace I want to participate in His full and final display. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to the principalities and powers in heavenly places (Eph 3:10), the final and full display of the love of God (Ellen G. White, Reflecting Christ, page 196). The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall (Ellen G. White, Education, page 57). 

While the people of the last days of time will not be able to buy or sell (Rev 13:17). I want to be a man who will not be bought or sold. I want to live a life resulting from that kind of decisioning with Jesus. Don’t you?

Please send questions or comments to Will Hardin at P O Box 24 Owenton KY 40359.