Through the example of Job we will see what God requires of men to be godly leaders of and priests in their homes. The great thing about Job's example is that we see not only what he did with his hands, but also how he did it from the heart.
The book of and the man, Job, occupy an unusual place in the unfolding theology of the family. That does not mean that he is not practical. In fact, in some ways, that unusual, even you might think, odd place he occupies in the biblical story, makes him more useful to us practically. So please turn in your Bibles to Job chapter one, and I want to read there verses one through five. Job one, verse one.
There was a man in the land of us whose name was Job and that man was blameless upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Seven sons and three daughters were born to him as possessions also were 7, 000 sheep, 3, 000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants. And that man was the greatest of all the men of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, Rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all, for Job said, perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.
Thus Job did continually." The opening verses of Job just read in your hearing are intended to set the stage for the whole book. They begin by emphasizing the superlative godliness of Job because the theme of the book involves the suffering of the truly righteous. It's important at the outset of such a book then that with such a theme we know that Job was, in fact, a genuinely righteous man. Now these opening verses conclude by emphasizing, you'll notice, the family godliness of Job. The theme, in fact, of Job 1, 1 to 5 is the godliness of Job as the head of his home." Now before I go any further, let me stop and ask you to consider this.
Isn't it interesting that when the Bible wants to emphasize the godliness of this man, it speaks of the godliness of Job as the head of his home. Isn't that significant? Does that not speak very loudly and clearly about the importance or centrality of a man's godliness in the home to what he is spiritually as a whole. For the Bible, what you are, man, in the home is what you are spiritually. Do not be talkative of Pilgrim's Progress, who appears best at a distance and best when he is far from home.
Well, I was impressed by my dear friend Paul Washer last night telling you who he was going to speak to specifically last night. The young people were on his heart. This message is of course to every man who is called to be a priest in his home. It is to young men who will be called to be a priest in their homes. It is a message that I hope you take deeply to heart whether you want to be or you already are a priest in your home.
So the passage speaks of the godliness of Job as the priest of his home. And it does so under what I discern to be seven headings consecutively. So before we come to application, Let me walk you through the passage under these seven headings briefly. First of all, notice, and a little more at length, the place of Job. Job 1-1 speaks of the place of Job.
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. But this raises the question, who was Job, where was Job, when was Job? And I want to answer these questions by discussing the place of Job historically under this first point. When I speak of the place of Job, I mean his place historically. And Job's identity historically is something of a mystery.
Like I said, he stands a little bit apart from the main development of the biblical story. But I'm sure that like me, some of you like mysteries or mystery novels, so I wanted to give you five clues which help us to find the place of Job in history. The first clue is in the name Oz, used in verse one. This name is used seven times in Scripture. It speaks of at least one of three people in the other places it's used.
One of them was Uz, who was one of the sons of Aram, the father of the Syrians. And this, in light of the other clues we're going to look at, seems to likely reference here. He was one who lived in the land of Oz, the man who was the father, one of the sons of the father of the Syrians. So If we take this in this way, then he was located in the vicinity of Syria, northeast of the land of Palestine. The second clue given us in verse three is that Job is described as the greatest of all the men, literally, or sons of the East.
This refers to the Gentile nations who lived east of Palestine. It tends to confirm that Job was a Syrian who lived in Syria. Job did not live in the promised land. Job was not a Jew. He was not a son of Jacob.
The third clue to the historical identity of Job is given us in Job 42, 16, which reads, after this, after Job's initial life, after the calamities that befell him, after the period of time in which he was under the power of those calamities, after that, Job lived 140 years." Now, here we have to use that deductive logic for which Sherlock Holmes is so famous. So follow me in thinking this through. According to this verse, Job lived 140 years after the Lord restored his fortune. Since he had 10 mostly adult children and a considerable reputation prior to the devastating providences which wiped out his fortune and his children, Joe must have lived to an age approaching 200 years. You say, why do you say that?
We have to add together the years before the calamity, 50 or so, the years during the calamity, five or so at a minimum, and 140 years after that. And that gets us to about 195 years. Why is that significant? Well, it makes his lifespan greater than that of Abraham, who lived to be, according to Genesis 25, 7, 175 years old. As the text there states, at that time in history, this was thought to be a ripe old age.
Now, you know, some of you, that the lifespans of human beings were quickly going down after the flood. And so, Job's lifespan places him at or before the period of Abraham. Does that make sense to you? I hope it does. The fourth clue to the historical identity of Job is that in the entire book of Job, There is no mention of Abraham, Israel, Moses, or any of the distinctive history and institutions associated with the Abrahamic or Mosaic covenants.
The world of Job was a world that knew nothing apparently of God's special covenant with the seed of Abraham. This also places Job in all probability at or before the time of Abraham. The fifth clue we have to the historical identity of Job is this exercise of a family priesthood, which included offering animal sacrifices as described in Job 1.5. The exercise by Job of this kind of family priesthood places Job at a period prior to the Mosaic period. Why do you say that, you ask?
Well, with the Mosaic covenant, the exercise of this kind of priestly sacrifice was by ceremonial law restricted to the tribe of Eli and the sons of Aaron. But prior to that, we have records of such priesthood exercised by many others. Melchizedek, Jethro, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, all appeared to have exercised a priesthood similar to that of Job in their families by offering literal burnt offerings of animals. So this is the place of Job historically. He lived considerably east of the land of Palestine, at or before the time of Abraham, and we'll return to these facts when we come to consider the relevance to us of the priesthood of Job.
But now consider in the second place the piety of Job. Job 1-1 speaks of Job's piety, his godliness. That man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. What exactly is piety? It's a bad word in our day, I know, but piety refers to a man's devotion to God.
His devoutness, religiousness, holiness, godliness. Piety is God-oriented, and it was this that made Job who he was. The key phrase in verse one, and high point in the description of Job, is fearing God. It was this God-fearing character which made him blameless and upright. It was this fear of God that made him turn away from evil." Now, of course, these descriptions are not intended to tell us that Job was perfect.
We know this because in Job 42.6, Job says, I retract and I repent in dust and ashes. He wasn't perfect. We also know that because the wise man rightly asked, who can say I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin. But these descriptions do tell us that he was real, that he possessed integrity. These descriptions tell us that his godliness was without the kind of defect which is the telltale of hypocrisy.
Job's godliness as the head of his home is an example to follow. But then notice the progeny, or children, of Job. We learn from verse 2 that he had a large family, seven sons and three daughters. Some of you may have ten children, I don't know. Job's Godliness as a father and the head of his home was not limited to having to lead an only child.
It required the multiple obligations and varied responsibilities of caring for a large family including seven sons and three daughters. Further, this mention of his family makes clear that the priesthood he exercised here and for which he is commended is not the priesthood of a nation or tribe, but simply the care he felt and the efforts he made for his own family. But then notice, fourthly, the possessions of Job. Verse three speaks in the language of that day's economy of how wealthy Job was. His possessions also were 7, 000 sheep, 3, 000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants.
The lengthy description of his possessions given us in verse 3 is intended to tell us that Job was a wealthy man. But this description also provides a way for us to understand the devastating financial losses which Job was about to suffer. Yet, incidentally, it informs us that Job with such wealth to administer must have been a very busy man. He had a large family business to run and for which he was responsible. His busyness is also conveyed by the fifth circumstance of his life revealed in these verses.
We are told of the prominence of Job, the prominence of Job. Job 1, 3 says, and that man was the greatest of all the sons of the east. On account partly of his wealth, no doubt, but also probably on account of his moral stature, Job was regarded as the greatest of the sons of the east. In the Old Testament, Moses, David, Mordecai, among others, are all described as great. So also in terms of his social stature and influence was Job.
And thus not only did Job have the responsibilities of a large family and a considerable business, he also had Constant calls as the great man of Syria to give counsel and even to make judgments as an elder in the affairs of his country. Later statements and comments in Job bear witness to how widely known and respected he was throughout that society. But then we come to the practice of Job. In illustration of his piety and godliness, verses four and five recount the spiritual practice of Job in caring for his family. Those verses read, his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." These verses relate several things, what Job did, when he did it, and why he did it. First of all, notice what Job did. The context of the priestly activity of Job was the round of feast described in verse four. Now, the commentators have many ideas with regard to the nature or occasion of the feast described here I believe, I believe that they were birthday celebrations.
The words, on his day, found here naturally designate the birthday of each of Job's sons. This interpretation is commended by the use of this identical phrase to designate Job's own birthday in Job 3.1. Job 3.1 reads, afterward, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. Literally, the Hebrew says, cursed his day. And the phrase is exactly the same as the one found in Job 1.4.
The context then makes clear in Job 3.1 that he means the day of his birth. Hence the thought would be here in Job 1, verses four and five, that each son would invite his brothers and sisters to a party to celebrate his birthday. Now verse five tells us that Job's offering consistently took place when the days of feasting had completed their cycle. The most natural meaning of verse five is that after each birthday celebration of one of his sons, after it was over, Job would on the next day, early in the morning, offer his burnt offerings. We are to assume, I think, that each of these birthday celebrations would perhaps last more than one day.
They were big parties. And then on the morning after the conclusion of the festivities, Job would offer burnt offerings. Now if this is correct, then of course the offering of view here would be offered what? Seven times a year. Such a periodic sacrifice was surely not all Job did as a priest and spiritual head of his own, is certainly not presented here as all that he did.
It is however presented as a remarkable evidence of his consistent family godliness. That's what he did. But then the text tells us about when he did it. We are told of the priority of his priesthood for Job in the little phrase found in verse five, rising up early in the morning. What gets you up in the morning?
That's the question. Generally speaking, what will make us rise up early in the morning is our real priority. Most of the time, what we do first thing in the morning is of high priority to us. I've heard of men that wake up early, really early in the morning. My son-in-law's like this.
At 4.30, he's out in his shed lifting. I think if I tried to lift at 4.30 in the morning, my arms would fall off. I've heard of others who go for a long run in the morning. Wow, I think my long run would last two minutes. My point is, however, that for such men, what they do first is their high priority.
They get up early in order to make sure that they get that priority done that day. And just such a priority were these sacrifices for Job. They were such a priority that even if he had to get up early in the midst of a horrendously busy life, in order to work them into his busy schedule, Job would do it, rising up early in the morning. But then we learn why he did it, why he did it. This is perhaps the most significant thing we read here.
Our passage informs us of the motive, the spiritual concern which prompted, moved Job in the periodic offerings of which we've spoken. Which we've spoken, we read, for Job said, perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. This statement tells us that Job's sacrifices were far more than empty outward ritual. It tells us that they were heartfelt use of the appointed forms of Old Testament worship with a view to delivering his children from the anger of an offended God. Job was determined that insofar as any human being or means of grace could, he would lead his children to the mercy seat of God, that they might experience his grace and help.
The depth of Job's concern is underscored by the earlier notation. They would engage in this worship rising up early in the morning. How very much then We learn about Job's spiritual perspectives from this heart concern expressed in the thought, perhaps my sons have sinned. Let me mention briefly seven of the major lessons here. First we learn his believing commitment to the divinely established public means of grace.
This divinely established public means of grace in the Old Testament was the worship surrounding the offering of animal sacrifices to God. This was what God had appointed. Moses, Job embraced it. He was committed to the use of the divinely appointed means of grace. Second, we learn his determined resolution to lead his family in the worship of the living God.
Third, we learn his sense of spiritual responsibility and his loving care for the spiritual welfare of his children. Four, we learn his holy suspicion of his children's sinfulness. He doesn't say, oh my children would never sin. No, he says, perhaps my sons have sinned. Fifth, we learn his confidence in the appointed means of grace to meet the spiritual needs of his children.
He didn't go looking for something else to do than God had appointed. He used the means of grace that God had appointed. Sixth, we learned his assumption of his own spiritual authority to impose on his children the use of those means of grace. And seventh, we learned the early, pardon me, the earnest early morning zeal of Job's spiritual leadership. But all that brings us to the seventh P, if you've noticed, the perseverance of Job.
The passage ends on the note of Job's perseverance in family godliness. The end of Verse 5 says very succinctly, thus Job did continually, literally all the days. Though this statement is succinct, it gives a grand insight into Job's character. It speaks to us of the perseverance of Job. Job was marked by great consistency in these sacrifices and the other associated manifestations of his family godliness.
He offered these sacrifices like clockwork all the days after every one of his children's birthday celebrations. He allowed no other responsibilities, no interruptions to deflect him from the appointed sacrifice. He was not erratic, irregular, inconsistent, but utterly consistent, showing that these matters were of the highest spiritual priority to him. That's Job. Those are the circumstances of his family priesthood.
Now I wanna use the time that remains to talk about some practical lessons about the godliness of Job as the head of his home. I wanna apply the example of Job as a godly head of his home to you men. Before I do so, I think there is a question or objection to which I need to respond. Let me see if I can state it simply. I think it boils down to what is sometimes called the modern objection.
And it goes like this. That was then, this is now. In other words, someone might say, Perhaps it was Job's responsibility back then to do what he did, but surely so much has changed since the world of Job that we cannot be sure that his example applies to us at all. Surely you're not calling us to offer animal sacrifices for our children, Pastor Sam. Well here's my response to that question.
True, some things have changed, but not everything has changed. Let me break that down. Some things have changed. Two things have changed from Job's day clearly. First, animal sacrifices changed.
In the Mosaic covenant, the offering of animal sacrifices was respected to the liturgical priest. And then in the new covenant, it was fulfilled and abolished by that to which all the sacrifices pointed, the once for all sacrifice of Christ. But second, the nature of the church has changed. The church of God has developed as a distinct institution from the family since the days of Job. The church was first a family in Abraham's day, then growing out of Abraham's extended family it was the physical nation of Israel under the Old Covenant, and now it is a spiritual institution composed of those spiritually born of God in the New Covenant.
So the nature of the church has changed. So animal sacrifice, the nature of the church has changed since Job's day, but not everything has changed. Let me tell you why the mentality that would simply ignore or wipe away Job's example is so wrong. Once more we must guard against extreme and one-sided conclusions. Job's example embodies a creation ordinance.
By creation, the man is the head and protector of his family. And this cannot be abolished as long as creation stands. What is creational is perpetual, and that's what Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 11 and 1 Timothy 2 and other places. And the explicit teaching of the New Covenant Scriptures is that the man continues to be the spiritual head of his home. The key passage is Ephesians 5, isn't it?
Ephesians 5, 22 and following. And one of the great proofs for the historic Reformed doctrine that the man is a priest in his home is found right there in Ephesians 5. The husband is said to follow the example, called to follow the example of Christ. And how is Christ presented in Ephesians 5? I can't go into it in detail, but the way Christ is presented there is as a priest.
It is as a priest that the Christ forms the great example for a man's headship in his home. Furthermore, the apostle goes on to say that he is to be a spiritual teacher of his children according to Ephesians 6, one and following. And so, we must fearlessly and carefully ask what we may learn from the example of Job. Let me suggest several crucial lessons to be learned from him. We learn that you men must lead your homes in a sacrificed centered way.
And I refer to the sacrifice of Christ. Now, I don't know, maybe you've kind of gleaned what's coming, you men, in the application. Perhaps already you're cringing under the sense of guilt, the sense of weakness that the example of Job is going to set before you in terms of your own life. Experience and preaching on the example of Job tells me that some of you may be sinking under the power of Job's example and the teaching of the Bible about the multitude of your responsibilities as the head of your home. But you must learn to take advantage personally of the grace to be found in the great sacrifice of Christ Jesus.
What you're telling yourself is true. You are guilty. You cannot do this on your own. You're too weak. But with the forgiveness found in Christ and the spirit of life found in Christ Jesus, you can do it.
Repent toward God, there is repentance with you that you may be feared. Repent to your family if you need to. Seek rich grace from Christ on the basis of his sacrifice, and be the spiritual head of your home. One of the great lessons I had to learn, and you'll need to learn it too if you haven't already, is there's only one way to lead, and that's with a lot of repentance. Did you know that?
Well, we learned that you must, men must lead your home, as Job did, to the sacrifice. And again, I refer to the sacrifice of Christ. You must not only lead on the basis of the sacrifice of Christ, you must lead to the sacrifice of Christ. It was around the sacrifice that Job gathered his children. You must gather your children around the sacrifice.
You must teach and explain to them the gospel based on the sacrifice of Christ. And this of course addresses us men with searching questions. When do you do this? How do you do this? Do you do this?
The example of Job in the wider teaching of Scriptures tells us that such instruction is a non-negotiable part of being a husband and father. But we learn also that you must use the appointed means of grace in leading your home. What do I mean? I showed you that Job used the means of grace appointed in the Old Testament, and you must use the means of grace appointed for you. You must lead your family to the public means of grace.
You must lead your children to the church established by Christ and its worship and ministry. Faithful church attendance in your home must be non-negotiable. You must also lead your family to the private means of grace. You cannot say to yourself, can you? I bring them to church for the pastor to teach them.
No, you must bring them to the Bible at home and teach them. Do you really think your children take seriously your taking them to church and what the pastor says there, if you never crack a Bible at home, if you never talk to them about the Bible, if you never pray with them at home, if you never ask them how you can pray for them, if you never explain to them the Bible in your living room, why do you think they'll pay attention in church? We learn also that there are no adequate excuses for not being a spiritual leader in your home. Job is here presented as a consistent spiritual leader in his home. Of him it is written, thus Job did continually.
But dear brethren, he did all these things in the context which would have provided the normal man with a thousand different excuses not to get it done and not to do it continually. And yet, thus, Job did continually. He had a big family, ten children. He had a vast family business to oversee. He had enormous social responsibilities in his nation.
How easily do men today plead such considerations as excuses for their miserable domestic performance? Let me tell you about something, my brothers. I doubt that any of us here are a busier or more important man than Job was. And yet, the text says Job got the job done. What do our excuses and inconsistencies look like in comparison to that?
Job got the job done. If he had to rise up early in the morning, Job got the job done. And we learn here the spiritual dynamic which will make you the spiritual leader in your home that you should be. You can't be the spiritual leader in your home, you should be without this dynamic. You must have Job's heart.
There must be something in your heart that echoes the worry, the concern, the fear that the concern, the fear that was in Job's heart when he said, perhaps my sons have sinned. Is that in your heart? Do you have anything like that in your heart for your children? As such spiritual concern, you're driving dynamic as a father. Very often, I hate to say it, I fear to say it, but it's the truth, it is the awful and significant lack of such a burden which explains why men are priests in their home.
Being a priest in their home is the fruit of some very basic Christian affections in the heart. The natural affection of simple love for our children, sanctified by converting grace, informed by a Christian worldview, ought to make a man begin to be a priest in his home. If you are characterized by drastic, ongoing, heart-deep failures in this area of your life, it argues a terrible deficiency in the spiritual dynamic. It may even mean the absence of the very rudiments of saving grace in your life. So basic is the concern that drives a man to be a priest in his home, that if he is not such a priest, he raises the most serious concerns about whether you are even a Christian.
Finally, Job's example is a call to spiritual consistency in our leadership in our homes. I've hammered it already. Thus, Job did continually. Man, somebody has to be the rock. Somebody has to keep the ship sailing in the right direction.
Somebody has to be the pilot. And You know who that is, man? It's you! If you're to do this, you must know what you believe. Stick to what you believe.
Do what you believe. Expect God to bless what you believe the Word of God teaches. This means a healthy study of the Word of God for yourself in your own life. Oh, and once more, as I lay these burdens on you, I remind you that in the sacrifice of Christ, there is the forgiveness you need and the spirit you need to do these things. Here's the bottom line.
The great question is, the great question which churches across their nation are asking and answering in bad ways. The great question is, what is God's plan for the spiritual blessing of your children? What is God's plan for the spiritual blessing of your family? Brother, you are the plan. Not you divorced from Christ, but you in Christ and with his grace.
Not you divorced from the church, not you divorced from the Word, but you in the church, and in the Word, and in the Lord. This is God's plan for blessing your family. May God help us. Let's pray. Father, we come to you very conscious of the weight of burden that the teaching of your Word places on us as men.
How very consequential our lives, our walks are, how very incapable we are of doing the least of the things that you command us. But oh Lord, we come to you, we beseech for you, for these men, a new sense of the grace available to them in Jesus Christ, that the fruit of the spirit of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control, that the Spirit that rested upon the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and of strength, of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, that these things are theirs in their Savior. We ask that you would grant that the very burden of these responsibilities might drive every man here closer to their Lord and Savior. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.