Fantastic Father Job 1:1-5 Emmanuel Christian Church 6.16.24 INTRODUCTION: It’s tough being a dad these days! -The very idea of a nuclear family with aa father and mother has been sidelined by marketing and social media.
- Since the 1960’s the government has replaced the need for his role as family provider with all sorts of progressive socialist financial assistance programs.
- And besides, there is no place where a young man can go to learn the job skills involved in being a dad. I’m not going to stand up here this morning and beat dads up- the world is doing a fine job with that already- thank you very much! I do want however to consider the example of one fantastic father who can encourage all of us dads in the role God has called us to. You might not normally associate this man with being a fantastic father, but you will when we get done with him this morning! Who am I talking about? Job. Let’s pick up his story in the first five verses of the book that bears his name… Job 1:1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. Job 1:4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom. PROPOSITION: I am going to use three words this morning to describe Job. Commit them to memory. Commit them to practice. If you do- like Job, you will be a fantastic father! PIOUS Job 1:1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.
- “Pious”, now that’s a word you don’t hear too often these days! If you do hear the word, it’s usually used to describe someone who is “Holier than thou”- a religious hypocrite. But the word ACTUALLY means someone who is religiously sincere! So, why don’t you hear the word “pious” very often? Simply because genuinely religiously sincere people are rare! Job WAS one of those RARE, religiously sincere individuals.
- Here’s the point: before we consider what Job did that made him a fantastic father, we need to consider who he was-because what he did flowed from who he was! APPLICATION: Character always drives action. Who you are determines what you do. In recent years our society has asked the question- “Does character matter?”. TRUTHFULLY, “Character is the only thing that matters!” , because who we are determines what we do! Four descriptions are applied to Job’s character:
- Blameless- flawless, perfect.
- Of Job’s character, it could be said- “It’s all good!” One against whom no charge may be brought.
- It’s interesting to note that just because Job was blameless, that didn’t stop his friends- and Satan- from bringing charges against him.
- Upright - “straight”, not crooked. Honest
- God fearing - In awe of God. Reverential fear leading to worship.
- Evil fleeing - He didn’t toy with evil, he didn’t see how close he could get to the line- he went the opposite direction from evil! APPLICATION: “Blameless and upright” are a picture of Job’s relationship with his fellow man, “God fearing and evil fleeing” are a picture of his relationship with God. This fantastic father was a man of character whose relationships with both God and man were in good order. PROVIDER Job1:2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
- Job provided his wife with 10 CHILDREN! Could this be a clue as to her sour attitude?
- Granted, his 10 children were tragically killed- but God restored his family by giving him 10 more children- through the same wife!
- One man- fathering 20 children through one woman! Now that’s a got to be a “Father’s Day” record- or close to it!
- Job provided his family with material WEALTH…
- 7k sheep, 3k camels, 1k oxen, 500 donkeys.
- “Large number of servants” APPLICATION: Job’s provision for his family was the product of two things in his life- the godly conviction of his personal responsibility to provide for them, and his own willingness to work hard. 1 Timothy 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
- Job provided his family with great standing among the “people of the East”.
- Money can’t buy a good name!
- Job gave his family wealth and a good name! Proverbs 22:1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. PRIEST Job 1:4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom. Here’s where we see a real difference between Job and his adult children when it came to life’s priorities. They were into parties, Job was into piety. They were into having a “good time”, Job’s desire was being “good” in the sight of God. Job was on the same page with the Apostle Paul who wrote:Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit…” What’s a father to do when he sees his adult children heading down a path that could lead to temptation and sin? He takes on the role of “priest”!
- The role of the “priest” is to intercede on behalf of sinful men before the righteous God.
- In Job’s case that meant:
- He knew what his children were up to! He was an engaged father who was continually concerned with the state of his .
- He encouraged them to be “purified” before God.
- He led by example, living a life of spiritual sincerity, “this was Job’s regular custom”.
- He was concerned over the attitudes of his children.
- Concerned they may have “cursed God in their hearts.”
- Job caught the importance of leading his children in a way that would result in not only their obedience to God, but also their love of God.
- Job shared the same desire as that of the Apostle John who said: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 4 CONCLUSION: The world tries to convince us that dads are outmoded and unnecessary. But how could that be? For a man to be called “father”, is nothing short of him sharing a role that God has taken to Himself! Dads- may God give you the strength and wisdom to bear that title like Job did! Three words: pious, provider, priest- Father.
