“JOB, AS A FATHER”

 “Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? 
or there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, 
one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil.” 

(Job 1:8).

There are three things mentioned about Job as a father which deserves consideration:

1] HIS PRIORITY – Jehovah called Job “my servant” (1:8). What a statement! As great as Job’s wealth was (1:3), it did not measure up to his faith. Children can recognize their father’s priority in life.

2] HIS HONESTY – “Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings…for it may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.” (1:5). No father should accept that his child “does no wrong”. Job acknowledged the reality that his children were human and therefore subject to the lusts of the flesh (Eph. 2:3). Paul declared, “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23). A father who is a servant of Jehovah must acknowledge that his own children are not immune from fleshly lusts (2 Pt. 2:18) and follow Job’s example. 

3] HIS EXAMPLE – He sent for and sanctified them with burnt offerings…CONTINUALLY. The reason? “IT MAY BE…that they have sinned and renounced God in their heart.” Not every sin is with a ‘high hand’. Some are committed ‘unwittingly’, in ‘presumption’, and in ‘secret’ (cf. Num. 15:24-30). Knowing this, Job exercised his faith and appealed to Jehovah for mercy on their behalf. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (Psa. 118:1).