WHO ARE THE BAD GUYS?

Blogging Exodus chapter 1

Exodus is the story of the liberation of ancient descendants of Israel from bondage in Egypt.  Exodus 12:40-41 says that the children of Israel spent 430 years in Egypt.  Exodus chapter 1 says that they spent the latter majority of that time under conditions that may sound familiar to some of you.

At some point, the majority Egyptians began to look hostilely at the minorities living in their own communities.    “Why are we paying 20% taxes while THOSE PEOPLE get to eat free in Goshen? Why are we spending all of this money and taking care of THOSE PEOPLE in Goshen.” Joseph’s descendants, the tribes Mannasseh and Ephraim, were descended from Egyptian nobility.  But in the eyes of the nation they were all welfare babies. 

A new Pharaoh, a new federal administration in Egypt, took control of the government, and the new administration set about MANUFACTURING A CRISIS BY TARGETING A MINORITY COMMUNITY.  The new Pharaoh argued that the Israelites were getting too uppity, too successful; they were having so many babies that if the “real” Egyptians didn’t do something, “those people” would take over the country.

Exodus 1:  ⁹ And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we;

So, the national government of Egypt deliberately created unfair and discriminatory laws targeting their Hebrew residents.

¹⁰ come, let us deal shrewdly with them,

Without any evidence, the Egyptians accused the Jews of disloyalty, of being a threat to national security.

10b . . . lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.”

They created a new Jim Crow, or perhaps the Bible’s original Jim Crow laws to exploit their labor without paying them a fair wage.

¹¹ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.

But, despite the whips, despite the indignities, despite every effort by the most powerful nation on the planet to destroy a targeted minority, that minority increased in number and they increased in prosperity. 

 ¹² But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.

And that really scared the Egyptians. 

  12 b . . . And they were in dread of the children of Israel.

They decided that it was time to “Take Our Country Back,” by putting those uppity minorities “in their place.”

 ¹³ So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.

¹⁴ And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

The national leaders of Egypt went so far as to pass laws and policies for government agents whose official job was to protect Hebrew babies and serve Hebrew mothers.  But the new laws directed those agents to  target minority males with deadly force. 

¹⁵ Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; ¹⁶ and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 

The nation’s set out to break up the Hebrew family by devaluing the lives of their males while simultaneously promoting Hebrew women as the heads of their families and devaluing those same women through every cultural forum.   It’s almost like somebody at the top said:

if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 

They confronted  the MIDWIVES who failed to kill off the  Hebrew boys as fast as Pharaoh wanted.

But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. ¹⁸ So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?” Exodus 1:17-18)

Pharaoh passed a new set of laws to facilitate the murder of Hebrew males.

 So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”   

They authorized and encouraged all ethnically  Egyptian citizens to “stand their ground” and take the lives of young, Hebrew males.

For 3 months, Moses’  family hid him because they knew that the police, or the neighborhood watch, or some random Egyptian citizen could kill the boy, be acquitted, and raise thousands on  

Under the pressure created by their nation Moses’ parents broke and abandoned their baby boy. 

 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank (Exodus 2:3).

They left him to die of exposure, or be attacked by an animal, or float off down the river and drown.  Moses’ parents loved him, but the only right they had to exercise was the right to choose death for their child.   

Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her . . . . she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children” (Exodus 2:5-6).

It’s interesting that an Egyptian whose people would have thought nothing of Moses’ body floating in the river (or lying in the street) if he’d been killed by an Egyptian felt compassion for the poor boy being a victim of Hebrew-on-Hebrew crime.  It’s interesting that she whose wealth and power were secured by the blood of young Hebrew males was moved to action (one might say “activism”) when a Hebrew woman chose to end her own child’s life.

I’m not saying one is any better than the other.  I’m just saying that it is interesting. 

Our leaders have revised and repackaged history to fit their present agendas.  The king has forgotten Joseph.

Our cultural leaders are so afraid of “those people,”  so envious of the idea that “those people” will take over “our” country that they imagine, exaggerate, and invent national security threats

while ignoring the actual blood on their own hands.

We have formed so imperfect a union that we only care about the murder of children ----- depending on who killed them.

We like to think of America as the Promised Land, but spiritually and culturally speaking, America’s not Israel.  

We’re Egypt. 

--Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama. He writes a blog called A Word to the Wise at www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

Follow me on twitter @AndersonTGraves 

Click here to support this ministry with a donation.  Or go to andersontgraves.blogspot.com and click on the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.

Support by check or money order may be mailed to 

Miles Chapel CME Church

P O Box 132

Fairfield, Al 35064

THE PRICE OF FAVORITISM

Blogging Genesis 27 - 28: 9

 Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”

And he answered him, “Here I am.”

² Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. ³ Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. ⁴ And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”

Isaac wasn’t exactly on his deathbed, but he was making his last will and testament known while he was still able to do so.  He probably learned the need for good advance planning from  his father Abraham’s experience making funeral arrangements for his wife (Genesis 23).

Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. . . (Genesis 27:5).

It’s possible that Rebekah was coincidentally passing by when she heard the exchange between Isaac and Esau.  It’s also possible she was eavesdropping like her mother-in-law had done (Genesis 18:10).  But, considering that Isaac was blind and Rebekah would’ve been his chief caregiver, it’s most likely that mother Rebekah was present as a witness to Isaac’s plans to declare Esau’s inheritance.

Isaac trusted Rebekah, expecting her to fulfill the role of the dutiful wife not to assert her own plan for the inheritance but he underestimated his wife.  (Underestimating women is a recurring theme throughout the Bible.)   Rebekah had her own plans (Genesis 27:6 - 17).

If you read verses 6-17, you have to  appreciate the tactical complexity of Rebekah’s arrangements: Goats.  Not sheep or cattle because the fur had to be of a specific texture.  Kid goats.  Not adults because the meat would be more tender and the hairs would be finer and closer to the texture on Esau’s body.   Two kid goats, not one because one wouldn’t supply enough fur to cover all Jacob’s upper body.

The goats had to be killed, cleaned, skinned, and cooked.  That would take hours.  Cleaning, preparing, and sewing the hides into form- fitting gloves and a sleeved turtleneck:  that would take many more hours, maybe days.   The process would have involved a large pile of supplies, multiple work stations, and a small army of servants skilled in cooking, tanning and sewing who were all absolutely loyal to Rebekah.  And, all of this had to get done in less time than it would take Esau to complete a hunt at that particular time of year in that particular terrain.  

The logistics indicate that Rebekah had planned and prepared for this specific contingency, and since she didn’t foreknow this specific situation we can infer that Rebekah had multiple plans for multiple scenarios to make sure her favorite son received the greater inheritance.

Isaac, Esau, and Jacob never stood a chance.

As you examine the scene of Jacob in full Esau costume lying to his old, blind father, keep in mind that the whole sad, complicated performance in Genesis 27 was unnecessary.

A) Jacob shouldn’t have and shouldn’t have had to lie about being the firstborn son because he was legally entitled to the firstborn’s birthright.  In Genesis 25:33, Esau sold that right to Jacob.  

And B) Before the twins were born, the Lord had declared that Jacob would dominate Esau.  With or without Isaac’s cooperation, God would have fulfilled His word.  Rebekah had heard the the stories of Sarah, Hagar, and Isaac’s older brother.  She should’ve learned that our deceptive scheming complicates rather than advances God’s plan for us.  

We do so many sad, complicated, unnecessary things.

Still,  gotta respect Rebekah’s timing.   Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. (Genesis 27:30).

But before you throw away your “I love Rebekah” t-shirts, remember verse 36.  And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”

When Esau acknowledged that Jacob deserved the birthright of the firstborn, Isaac didn’t flinch --- because he already knew.  Everybody knew.   Rebekah hadn’t concocted a scheme to trick Isaac because her husband didn’t know Jacob was prophetically and legally entitled to the birthright.  Rebekah concocted a scheme to trick her husband because was going to give the birthright to Esau anyway.

Knowing that Jacob had legally and actually received the blessing of the firstborn, Esau begged his father to give him (Esau) the blessing  anyway. Isaac replied, “I have blessed [Jacob]—and indeed he shall be blessed.” (Genesis 27:33

Jacob’s blessing was irrevocable but understand why.  Isaac the sinful man who’d just tried to circumvent God’s revealed will did not have the power to issue an irrevocable blessing.  Theblessing was sealed to Jacob’s line because GOD wanted the blessing to rest upon Jacob’s line.  Remember what we learned about The “Curse” of Ham.  No man has the power to remove God’s blessing.  Esau had to settle for the lesser endorsement (Genesis 27:39, 40) only he didn’t want to settle for second place. 

So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob” (Genesis 27:41). 

Esau was a spoiled, dumb, rich jock who didn’t appreciate the privilege into which he was born until his nerdy little brother became the family favorite.

But before you order your “I hate Esau” t-shirts, remember that a son’s first love is his mother and Esau’s mother didn’t like him.  Yeah, Esau was homicidally angry at Jacob but whose idea was it really?  Mom’s.  Esau’s mother had conspired against him.  Esau’s mother had always liked Jacob better.  And even after Jacob ran away (the little coward), Esau still couldn’t make his mother happy. 

Esau even got married, like a good boy, but instead of his mother being happy at the prospect of grandkids, Rebekah’s asked, “Are you trying to kill me?”

And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?” (Genesis 27:46)

Esau wanted to please his parents, both of his parents, so badly that when he saw them happy about Jacob finding a wife from his mother’s brother Esau went looking for a wife from his father’s brother. 

Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac. So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had (Genesis 28:8, 9).

But even the criticism of Esau’s marital decisions was a ruse to get Isaac to protect Jacob (Genesis 27:42 – 28:2).  Every thing reminded Esau that his mother didn’t like his brother but not him.  Imagine how much that must have sucked!

It’s enough to give a guy “anger issues.”

Rebekah lied, compelled her youngest son to lie, and deceived her blind husband.  Isaac tried to

circumvent God’s clearly revealed will and violate his eldest son’s solemn oaths.  Jacob lied, initially at his mother’s request, but he kept up the lie through 3 opportunities to confess the truth.  And Esau tried to steal back what he’d legally sold and then conspired to murder his twin. 

All because the mama and daddy were willing to do ANYTHING for their favorite child.

Ladies and gentlemen, the “holy” family of the patriarchs.

So, man of God/ woman of God, who's your favorite?  Maybe it isn't a child. Maybe it's a spouse, a significant other, or a parent.   We quickly condemn the act of conspiring against someone, but whom are you quick to conspire FOR?  We're not even talking about scenarios of life or death, just the normal, everyday situations that give your favorite an advantage over the next kid or the next candidate.  

Would you lie to get your child into a better school?  Would you cheat to help your spouse get the job he/she wants?  Would you trip their 80 year old mom so your 70 year old dad could get to the front of the prescription drug line?   

Since it's just us talking, what WOULDN'T you  do to set your favorites up for a better life?

Genocides have been committed because a group of otherwise decent people were willing to do anything to give their favorites a better life on land somebody already owned.  Neighborhoods in America right now are war zones because a generation of young men are "just trying to feed my family."  

We blame the young generation of Esaus and Isaacs but children don't invent sins; they update and expand our sins, the sins we Isaacs and Rebekahs committed in their name.

The sins we commit for our favorites first taint, then dominate, then define the culture in which we and our favorites live.  

Add up all the lying and cheating you (or I) do for our favorites and multiply by 7.5 billion.  THAT is what's wrong with the world.  

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

Follow me on twitter @AndersonTGraves 

Click here to support this ministry with a donation.  Or go to andersontgraves.blogspot.com and click on the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.

Support by check or money order may be mailed to 

Miles Chapel CME Church

P O Box 132

Fairfield, Al 35064

OUR PROBLEMS, HIS POWER, THE PLAN or LESSONS FROM ISRAEL’S HOOD

The man God named Israel had 12 sons, at least 1 daughter, 3 wives, and 2 baby’s mamas-- give or take.  The Biblical account of the family that became the Jewish nation is not a pretty story; but it is a profoundly and relevantly human story.  In this in-depth message for a Men-to-Men ministry workshop, Pastor Graves provides a contemporary profile of the community that became a nation.

You’ll never forget the children of Israel, and you’ll never think about “the hood” the same .

The title of the message is: OUR PROBLEMS, HIS POWER, THE PLAN or LESSONS FROM ISRAEL’S HOOD.

Listen well.

If you can’t get the audio on your device, visit the main podcast page at http://revandersongraves.podomatic.com/

The podcast is on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/anderson-graves-podcast/id918990482

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

Follow me on twitter @AndersonTGraves  #Awordtothewise 

You can help support this ministry with a donation to Miles Chapel CME Church.

You can help support Rev. Graves’ work by visiting his personal blog and clicking the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.

Support by check or money order may be mailed to 

Miles Chapel CME Church

P O Box 132

Fairfield, Al 35064

MEN & WOMEN MOVING ON FAITH IN CHANGING TIMES

My, how times have changed.  In the days of the Judges in ancient Israel God’s people found themselves oppressed by enemies they should have defeated long before.  Men and women debated their roles as leaders in the time of crisis.  The people of God were under pressure to compromise with the culture.  The worship of God based on His written Word was in peril.

Well maybe times haven’t changed that much.

Find out how men and women of faith overcame insurmountable odds in the time of Judges and how their victory shows the path for ours.  The message is about MEN & WOMEN MOVING ON FAITH IN CHANGING TIMES.

Listen well.

If you can’t get the audio on your device, visit the main podcast page at http://revandersongraves.podomatic.com/

The podcast is on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/anderson-graves-podcast/id918990482

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

Follow me on twitter @AndersonTGraves  #Awordtothewise 

You can help support this ministry with a donation to Miles Chapel CME Church.

You can help support Rev. Graves’ work by visiting his personal blog and clicking the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.

Support by check or money order may be mailed to 

Miles Chapel CME Church

P O Box 132

Fairfield, Al 35064

JOB! WHY?

I’ve read the book of Job repeatedly, in  multiple translations.  I’ve studied commentaries on it.  I made my iPad and my phone read it to me.  I’ve preached on parts of it, but…I could never see a satisfactory reason for God doing Job like He did him. 

Yeah, I know all the super-pious clichés about “mysterious ways” and what’s “not for us to know,” but why, I’d always wondered, would God deliver a 42 chapter story with more dialogue than the gospels (which contain Jesus’ dialogue) if the moral of the story was, “None of your business”?   That’s a loooot of space for “None of your business.”

But this week in Sunday School at Miles Chapel CME Church, the Holy Spirit showed us.  It’s the difference between CONFESSION and REPENTANCE.

In the final chapter, after God had just verbally spanked Job, the Lord turned to the head of the little delegation of friends who’d been arguing with Job since chapter 4.

The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends  (Job 42: 7)

Class, how many friends came to visit Job?

The answer is 4.

Four.

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar came over while Job was depressed and self-cutting in a pile of burned trash.  But somehere around chapter 32, a guy named Elihu showed up.  He was late, but he was young. (Now, kids, being young is no excuse for lack of punctuality.) 

Elihu thought of Job and the other 3 guys as mentors (Job 32: 6, 7), but he was seriously disappointed that none of his role models had given a satisfactory answer to Job or gotten one out of him (Job 32: 3).  In Elihu’s eyes, the 3 other dudes had condemned Job without a conviction.  And so Elihu went off on Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, but mainly Job----- for 5 chapters straight.

Job never replied to Elihu.  He didn’t get the chance, because the next voice we hear after Elihu’s argument is God ripping Job a new one in chapter 37.

Oh, here’s the thing.  Remember, God rebuked the THREE friends because their theology was wrong.   The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right (Job 42: 7)  Chapters 37-41 was God rebuking Job for coming at Him wrong.  But God just let Elihu-------- go.

Because Elihu WAS RIGHT.

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar assumed that Job must have done some wrong thing for God to send the tsunami of tragedy that had washed over his life. So, they argued and argued trying to verbally beat a confession out of Job.  A CONFESSION. 

They wanted Job to name the sin he had committed.  

But Job had not done any thing wrong.  He had no sins to confess.  God Himself called Job a blameless man like none on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil (Job 1: 8)

Whatever you and I may speculate Job used to be, by the time his book started, Job was living right.    

Period.  Nope.  That’s what the Book says.

Job didn’t need to confess.  The 3 musketeers were wrong.

Elihu was the only one of the 4 friends to say the right thing about God. Elihu said: For God is greater than man. (Job 33: 12)

Moreover Elihu answered and said: “Do you think this is right? Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?  (Job 35: 1,2,)

Elihu didn’t accuse Job of incurring God’s wrath for doing some wrong thing.  Elihu simply said that compared to God, Job wasn’t righteous.   Elihu argued that regardless of whether Job had or had not committed an explicit sin according to the pre-Mosaic law, Job had developed a seriously over-inflated sense of his own goodness.

If you sin, what do you accomplish against God? Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand?  (Job 35: 6-7)

I’ll concede that Elihu was kinda iffy about whether Job really was as sin-free as he insisted. 

Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, For you have chosen this rather than affliction. (Job 36: 21)

But that was after Job had basically said that it didn’t matter whether he was good or bad since God was gonna hurt him anyway (Job 10: 15).

Job’s problem wasn’t the absence of CONFESSION.  Job’s problem was a lack of REPENTANCE.

The Sunday school lesson for October 26, 2014 quoted C.S. Lewis’ explanation of REPENTANCE.

“Lewis said that we are not simply imperfect creatures who need improvement; we are rebels who must lay down our arms:, ‘Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realizing that you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the gound floor.’

This process of surrender is what we call repentance… ‘Repentance… is not something God demands of you before He will take you back  and which He could let you off if He chose:  it is simply a description of what going back to Him is like.’ “

See?

Confession is about our actions.  Repentance is about our selves: our status as human being born in sin, shaped in iniquity, and prone to screw up at any moment; standing in the light of God who is holy and perfect in every way.  We confess because we’ve DONE wrong.  We repent because we ARE wrong.

When an army loses a war, all the soldiers surrender, even the ones who were just drafted and never got to fire a shot in combat. They all recognize their lost state and lay down their arms.

Job wanted to fight with God instead of lay down his arms and surrender.

Job believed that if God would play fair, then he could argue the Lord into submission.  

For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both. (Job 9: 32-33)

But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. (Job 13: 3)

That’s not surrender.  That’s not submission.  That is UN-REPENTANCE.

In chapter 29, Job described the one in whose presence,

the young men saw ..and hid,

And the aged arose and stood;

…The voice of nobles was hushed,

And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

When the ear heard, then it blessed …

And when the eye saw, then it approved …

Because [that one ] delivered the poor who cried out,

The fatherless and the one who had no helper.

The blessing of a perishing man came upon [him]

And caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

[He] put on righteousness …

justice was like a robe and a turban.

[He] was eyes to the blind,

And was feet to the lame.

..a father to the poor,

…broke the fangs of the wicked,

And plucked the victim from his teeth.  (verses 7-17, edited)

Reads like a Psalm to God, doesn’t it?   Only, Job wasn’t talking about God.  Job was talking about Job.

Yeah.

Isaiah hadn’t been written at the time of Job’s story, but the principle was already true.  Compared to God, we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. (Isaiah 64: 6)

Job wouldn’t have thought that verse applied to HIM.  Job thought more of himself than he ought.

And God knew it.

Why did God let the devil reach into Job’s life---- this time?  Satan had tried to get at Job before, but God’s “hedge” kept him back.  So why did God let satan through--- this time?

God didn't just let the devil sneak through, God provoked satan to take another shot at Job.

And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”  (Job 1: 7-8)

Apparently, the devil had given up on Job and was looking for easier targets, but God basically dared the devil to mess with the man who was blameless like no other.

It’s like God saw something at that particular moment in Job’s life that required (pardon the pun) a Hell of a response.

Never forget that God understands us, our situation, and our needs better than we do.  And, never forget that God understands us, our situation, and our needs better than the devil does.

While satan was trying to get Job to abandon God, God was using the suffering satan delivered to draw Job even closer.

The devil meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.

Oh, but what about all the other people who suffered?  Job’s employees and children who were killed.  Job’s wife who experienced the death of all her babies, the loss of all her money (her husband’s money was her money, too--- at least according to my wife), and the sudden decline of her husband’s health.    

That part, the Bible doesn’t answer directly.  But the Bible does provide an answer in principle that’s a little better than “none of your business.”

The answer is: Faith.

Not just saving faith but living faith.  Faith (as the examples in Hebrews 11 demonstrate) is trusting that God knows what the crap He’s doing in our lives and in everyone else’s life, too.   

We aren’t told the details of Job’s children’s lives.  We don’t know their righteousness or sinfulness.  We know they were all adult enough to be at a house party thrown by the oldest brother (Job 1: 18, 19), and we know that Job was concerned enough about their lifestyles to worry that they might curse God in their hearts.  Worried enough to do make that sacrifice EVERY DAY (Job 1: 5). 

We do know, by the testimony of God’s Word, which we believe by FAITH, that God God knows and understands, and that He uses even tragedy to make all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8: 28).

Left alone behind an unbroken hedge of favor and prosperity, Job would have continued exalting himself in his heart until he began to justify himself to himself.  And that’s the point at which “good, successful” believers begin to sin and think it’s all right.

Once you think that you wear righteousness and justice like a robe and a turban; you’re not very far away from using your wealth, power, and religious cover to do something terrible.

Just look around.  “Preachers of L.A.”   Catholic sex abuses.  Pastoral scandals. 

As good as good Job was, how bad would a rich, evil Job with 10 grown, rich, and evil children have been?

In the end, from the very beginning of the story, God saved not only Job, but countless others.  BECAUSE GOD LOVED THEM.

God loved Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu, Job’s wife, Job’s relatives, and Job’s community so much that He was willing to pick a fight with the devil to save Job from the darkness of self-righteousness and bring him back to repentance.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When Job came to repentance, God restored and doubled his wealth, his influence, and his position in the community.  God restored Job’s relationships with his wife (cause they had 10 more children) and his children (now with the hindsight to raise them better).  Most importantly, God returned Job to a place of spiritual favor, so that Job was God’s preferred intercessor on behalf of the 3 theologically wrong-minded friends.

My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. (Job 42:8)

Job finally spoke the thing of God that was right.  The last words of Job in his book are: I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And REPENT in dust and ashes. (Job 42: 5-6)

Job got it and now I finally get it.

REPENTANCE.

Trust God, and never forget that God is God, and you and I are not.

p.s. I bet that when the devil realized how God had played him, he was pissed.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

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