Job: A Father with Staying Power
Job 1:1-5
Pastor Jeff Williams
Good morning! I would like to wish you a Happy Father’s Day. While we have celebrated our mother’s sacrifice and investment in our lives for nearly one hundred years, fathers did not get their due until President Johnson declared the third Sunday in June as an official holiday in 1966. Some of us will call our dads or see them later today. Some of us will honor their memory and the day will be difficult. Father’s Day is a strange day and many are still not sure what to make of it. A little boy was asked the difference between Father’s Day and Mother’s Day and replied, “They are about the same…except you don’t have to spend near as much money on Father’s Day.”
I would like to start this morning’s message with five things you will never hear a father say…
5. You’re right honey. I should have turned left about forty miles ago. We are hopelessly lost. Here’s a gas station. I’m going to pull over and ask for directions and there is nothing you can do to stop me.
4. Ok sweetheart. You are almost thirteen now. I think it’s about time to start car dating, don’t you? How about that nice young man, what’s his name, Slug? Yeah, the one with the neat nose ring.
3. What do you mean you want to play football? Being a figure skater isn’t good enough for you son?!
2. No son of mine is going to live under my roof without their tongue pierced. Now stop your whining and let’s watch Trading Spaces together.
1. Why would you want a job? I make plenty of money for you to spend.
Last month, Pastor Brian and I were discussing this sermon series. We were searching for a good example of a father from the Scriptures. It proved to be a difficult task. We came up with many examples of fathers who failed or bailed but had little success finding a dependable dad.
David’s sons were rapists, liars, murderers, and treasonous brats who constantly attempted to take over his kingdom. Eli’s sons were so wicked that God put them to death. Jacob played favorites and saw his family torn apart by jealousy. The Bible does not cover over the failings of its characters. It paints human nature in startling reality – warts and all. Fatherhood is one of the most difficult tasks a man can undertake. The stakes are high – the next generation is counting on us.
After some research, we came up with a most unlikely candidate – Job. The book of Job is a study in the reality of suffering and the sovereignty of God over evil. It is not a text that you hear mentioned on Father’s Day. But according to Job 1:1-5, he was an exceptional father.
He provided for them… a Godly example
As we begin, a little background would be helpful. Job was an enormously wealthy man but there was much more to his legacy than his bank account. Let’s begin with chapter one verse one:
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. He had seven sons and three daughters, 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.
In the first verses of the book of Job we are introduced to a man who lived in Southeast Palestine nearly three thousand years ago during the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His name “Job” in Hebrew means “one greatly tried.” That Job was greatly tried is an understatement and his name has become synonymous with patience through tough trials.
Job was an immensely wealthy man as shown by the amount of livestock he had acquired. He was the Bill Gates of his day. God had blessed him with enormous prosperity. Not only had his business ventures prospered, his family had grown into a large tribe. Solomon wrote,
“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” (Psalm 127:3-5)
Job provided for his children financially in ways that most fathers could only dream about. Paul wrote to Timothy that, regardless of your financial situation, this is a must for fathers:
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially his immediate family he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (I Timothy 5:8)
Money may buy many things but it can not satisfy a child’s longing to be loved well. Christina Onassis, heir to the billion dollar Onassis oil fortune, said before she committed suicide, “Happiness is not based on money. And the best proof of that is our family.” Job provided something much more important than dollars and cents, he provided a Godly example.
Verse one tells us about the character of this man. Four descriptive terms are used of Job that should be the goal of every man who seeks to show his children the heart of God.
A. First he is called “blameless.” In some translations this word is rendered “perfect.” This is not absolute perfection or sinlessness because even Job recognized his propensity to sin. The idea is walking with integrity, sincerity, and consistency. Job was an all-around husband, father, and business man. It has been said that if you want a stable family you must start with a stable dad.
B. Job was also called “upright.” Job was known for his straightforwardness, his honesty, and his sense of justice in his dealings with all people. I love how the Living Bible translates Proverbs 20:7: “It is a wonderful heritage to have an honest father.” My father is honest and he taught us boys that a Williams man does not lie. In fact, several years ago my dad lost a job because he refused to give up his integrity in this area.
C. He then is said to “fear God.” In the theme verse of Proverbs, Solomon states that “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7). This is not a sense of being afraid of God but recognizing God’s holiness and having a sense of awe in His presence. My children believe I am a combination of Superman, Batman, and Johnnie Bravo. If they view me as nearly invincible and I pray to God for help, how much more awesome must God be in their eyes.
D. He also “shunned evil.” This was an active spiritual battle to keep evil away from him and his family. He was characterized by moral integrity. Proverbs 14:16 states “A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hot-headed and reckless.” It has been said to keep everything out of your home that could keep Christ out of your children’s lives.
Fathers, your children will imitate you. They are learning from you all the time. Once when Austin had hurt himself and was crying I decided to try to make him laugh. I stood up and ran toward the door and kicked it with my foot. I reeled back and held my nose as if I had slammed my face into the door. Austin laughed and laughed. We are still saving money for the therapy bills. Some time later, Austin was hurt again. Joshua stood up, with no warning, and told Austin to watch him. My son ran head first into the wall, full speed. As he staggered backwards, Austin stopped crying and started laughing hysterically…and Josh started crying hysterically! Be very careful of the example you are setting.
My mother was sick for a long time, almost seven years. My dad took his marriage vows very seriously – “for better and for worse, in sickness and in health.” . He told me once that it would be easy to get in his truck and drive away but “a man keeps his promises.” He learned that from his father and mother who were married over fifty years. My parents had been married thirty-six years when my mother died. My father’s patience and love for my mother during her illness is burned into my consciousness forever and serves as a reminder of who we are and what we stand for as a family.
As fathers, we must seek to be known for our integrity, sincerity, and honesty. Our children must know that we consider God our number one priority and they should see us actively fighting against evil in defense of our family. As Phillips, Craig, and Dean sang several years ago: “I want to be just like You/cause he wants to be just like me/I want to be a holy example for his innocent eyes to see/I want to be a living Bible Lord that my little boy can read/I want to be just like You/cause he wants to be like me.”
You may be saying, “That’s all well and good but I have really blown it. I have not been a good example to my children and now it is too late.” Paul Harvey tells the story of “Easy Eddie” who was a lawyer for mob boss Al Capone. He had cars, houses, and plenty of money but his soft spot was his son, Butch. Something happened to Eddie that is hard to explain. He decided he wanted to leave his son with a better legacy that crime and deceit. In a move that cost him his life, he became an informant for the government and testified against Capone. Although he was gunned down less than a year later, he succeeded in changing the perception of his family name. His son went on to be World War II hero who took on a squadron of enemy planes and saved his carrier from destruction. For this he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was shot down the next year and lost life in service to our country. You can see this medal and a statute of “Butch” in between terminal one and terminal two of the airport that bears his name, Chicago’s O’Hare’s Field. And now you know the rest of the story.
In Proverbs 22:1 we are told “a good name is more desirable than great riches and to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Job gave them a name they could be proud of. It is not too late for you dad.
He was present in their lives
His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send for them…
The children were now grown with families of their own but they remain close. These feasts that verse three speaks could have possibly been their birthdays as they occurred throughout the year. It would have been highly unusual to invite their sisters if these feasts were rowdy parties. It is more likely that these were family get-togethers with a week of good clean fun. Job was not there for the actual celebration but he was very aware of his children’s activities. He was not a disengaged father. He was a presence in their lives, even though they were adults.
Dr. Wade Horn states, “Forty percent of children go to sleep without their fathers and forty percent of them have not seen their fathers in a year…the trend toward father absence has reached a crisis. It’s a national crisis – not one of many crises, but the national crisis of our time. Tim Hansel tells us why, “Fathering is unpredictable, untidy, and frequently confusing. That’s why there are some many fathers who have children, but so few children who have fathers.”
How can we be there for our kids? How can we go against the flow of culture and be present in our children’s lives?
1. Children spell love TIME. Forget the myth of quality time. Kids want your time, and lots of it. Children learn by walking, talking, listening, playing, wrestling, and watching you. It has been said if you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and half as much money. Give them your most valuable possession – your time!
2. Be emotionally available to them. It is a stretch for some guys to be emotional. The story is told of a young father-to-be that paced the hall all night. He sweated and became sick several times. The nurse finally found him lying on the floor in a fetal position. She told him the good news, his wife had just given birth to a baby girl.” He got on his knees and began to pray, “Oh God, I thank you that we had a little girl. I thank you that she will never have to go through the pain and agony that I, as a man, have had to endure tonight!” Sometimes, as men, we are out to lunch emotionally.
Tell you children you love them. Be their biggest cheerleader. Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, “ You know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (I Thessalonians 2:11-12). Say things like, “Great job! You’re so smart! You are my princess! I’m so glad God gave you to us! I love you!” Bo Jackson, the duel sport’s star of the1980s, once said that he would sit in the locker room and cry as other player’s fathers would come in after the game. Even as a rich and famous professional athlete, he needed the affirmation of his father presence.
How important are fathers? The following story taught me the overwhelming need for children for their father. A young man was in my office with his mother demanding to move to his father’s house. His parents were divorced and he was tired of his mother’s rules. She fumed quietly until she exploded in rage, “Your father does not want you. Do you want me to tell Jeff what he did? Your father was drunk and tried to run over you on the tractor, twice! And you want to go live with him!?” Then she sobbed uncontrollably. His face reddened and his knuckles turned white from gripping the chair. He screamed at the top of his lungs, “He is my dad and I love him. Don’t ever talk that way about him again!” She looked up at my with a hopeless look. I stared back at her. What do you say to that? As he began to cry, Colossians 3:21 came to mind, “Fathers do not exasperate your children, so they will not lose heart.”
3. Discipline your children. While it is not a politically correct thing to say, it is Biblical. One of the saddest comments ever made about fatherhood is recorded in I Kings 1:6, when David’s son Adonijah was planning a rebellion against his dad, “His father [David] had never interfered with him by asking, ‘Why do you behave the way you do?’”
We must discipline our children. But remember discipline is just a part of the disciple making process. Solomon, David’s son, who became the wisest of all men, said this, “Discipline you son, for in that there is hope; do not be willing party to his death” (Proverbs 19:18). In fact, the book of Proverbs is a love letter to Solomon’s own children describing the lessons that their dad had learned from the mistakes of his father, King David. The result of this discipline process should result in children who, eventually, bring joy to their families: “Discipline your son, and he will bring you peace; he will bring delight to your soul” (Proverbs 28:17).
Ken Griffy Jr. was recently named “athlete of the decade.” He beat out Barry Bonds and Greg Mattox. In the world’s eyes nothing could have been more important. But Junior wasn’t at the awards ceremony. He respectful declined because he had something much more important to attend - his son’s baseball game.
You may be saying, “Jeff, I am a single guy or my wife and I do not have kids. Can we get our money back? This sermon is just not for us.” Or you may be a divorced dad who doesn’t get to see your children very much. Well, this sermon is for you. Several years ago, Hillary Clinton wrote a best-selling book, “It Takes a Village.” I believe it takes a church. It takes a life-giving faith community to raise a child and research backs this up. Young people need mentors and coaches and big brothers in their lives to survive. There are many students in our student ministry who do not have fathers in their lives. They would love to play ball with you or even just take a walk. Take a risk. God may want to use you in a young person’s life.
He served as priest of his household
Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them
Guys, can we play a game? It’s OK to do this in church. I will say something and if you agree with it guys you will say, “Just like me!”
1. I like basketball. (Just like me)
2. I can dunk a basketball…on an eight foot goal! (Just like me)
3. I like to grill. (Just like me)
4. I avoid Tupperware parties like the plague! (Just like me)
5. I am a full-time minister. (Just like me)
Yes, fathers, you are full-time ministers of your household. You have tremendous responsibility before God for your wife and children. What can we learn from Job?
Job would send for them after the time of feasting and the Scripture says he “purified or sanctified” them. During this time, the burnt offering was offered by Job as he officiated as a priest on behalf of his family.
Imagine the scene. It’s early in the morning and the dew is still fresh on the ground. Job walks silently to the family alter leading a lamb and a son or daughter. Let’s eavesdrop: “You know I love you. And you know that God loves you. But He is also holy and demands of us perfection. I have taught you from the time you were a little girl that the sacrifice takes your place. We deserve death because of our sin but God allows the sacrifice to die for your sins. While you have been having fun I have been afraid. My fear is that you would take God lightly. That you would forget that He is the reason we are so blessed. It is easy to lose sight of God in the midst of pleasure. Here sweetheart, put your hand on the lamb’s head.” She would cringe as Job slit the lamb’s neck and placed it on the altar. As the sacrifice was consumed by fire, the daughter would be called back to the reality of God’s love for her and the awesomeness of His holiness
Job was as concerned for God’s glory as he was for his children. He was calling his children to be conscious of their sins. As minister of our families, our main responsibility is to teach our children about the things of God. But do not expect them to sit down for an hour lecture on Leviticus. Moses knew this well. Listen the way he puts it in Deuteronomy:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and you get up” (Deuteronomy 6: 4-7).
Listen carefully. Pontiac Christian School does a masterful job of teaching children to walk in the fear of the Lord. But God does not hold your children’s school responsible for teaching your children the things of Christ. You, as a father, are accountable before God to teach your children to love the Lord with all their heart and souls and strength. It is your job is to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).
This is not a call to read an occasional Bible verse or say grace over a meal when there is company. This is a lifestyle of instruction. In every facet of life we are to be teaching and modeling the love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness of Christ. Every moment, whether on a walk in the woods or repairing the old lawnmower, presents opportunities to impress upon your children the importance of putting God first in their lives.
Psalm 78:4 gives us our mandate: “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done.”
You may be saying, “I don’t even know how to be a spiritual leader. I don’t even know where to start.” Surrender yourself to God completely and ask Him to teach you. Through the Bible, books, tapes, sermons, and other men you will start to grow as a leader of your family. Attend the St. Louis Promise Keepers Conference in August. Most of all, seek to know God more and more. You can only take your children as far as you have gone yourself.
He prayed for his children’s relationship with God
He was thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.”
Job was up early in the morning talking to God about his children. He recognized the temptation to lose God along the way of life. His children were now grown but he still was interceding for them
Being a father is incredibly intimidating. Elisabeth Elliot writes, “If you take being a father seriously you’ll know you are not big enough for the job…being a father will put you on your knees if nothing else will.”
Job heart was burdened for his children’s spiritual walk. The word “cursed” in this verse is better translated, “to take God lightly.” Job was not so worried about his children outright blaspheming God but that, in the midst of all their pleasure, they would have taken God for granted. Job was worried about their hearts, as every good father should be.
Every night as the kids go to bed, I pray with them. I pray for protection over their lives and for opportunities to learn more about God’s love. We thank God for His gift of Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross. We thank him for supper, piano lessons and hot wheels cars. I pray that they may a heart for God, His Word, and other people. It is my fervent prayer that my children not turn out religious. Instead I pray they would have a vital, life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ. I pray that they would be used mightily of God to advance His kingdom. Pray for your children, with your children, and around your children. They are learning to talk to God through your example.
Dr. James Dobson’s father said, “The greatest delusion is to suppose that our children will be devout Christians simply because their parent have been, or that any of them will enter into the Christian faith in any other way than through their parent’s deep travail of prayer and faith.”
You may be saying, “I have trouble praying out loud. I don’t know what to say to God about my children.” Let me suggest to you two excellent resources: “The Power of a Praying Parent” by Stormie Omaritan and “Raising Lambs among Wolves” my Mark Bubeck. These two books actually walk you through the process of learning to pray effectively for our children.
Job persevered
“This was his daily custom.”
Five words end this passage. “This was his daily custom.” The world does not need more actors or rock stars. The world needs dads who are willing to go the distance. Guys that are willing to sacrifice for the sake of the future. It is eternally important. Children are emails we send to a time and place we will never see. I have a framed picture on my wall that sums this up well:
“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove…but the world maybe different because I was important in the life of a child.”
Stu Weber, in His book “Tender Warrior” encourages us fathers: “The bottom line? Stay with it men. Stick by your commitments. Stand by your promises. Never, never let go, no matter what. When marriage isn’t fun…stay in it. When parenting is over your head…stay at it. When work is crushing your spirit…don’t let it beat you... When your children let you down…pick them up… And when it is fourth and fourteen and with no time on the clock…throw another pass!”
You may be saying, “It’s too late. My children are already grown and I lost them somewhere along the way.” My father overheard a man say this at a Promise Keepers Conference and jumped over two sets of seats to say to him, “You see those boys. They’re my sons. At one time, I didn’t have a good relationship with them but I reached out and loved them. It’s not too late! Call your children, today!” Listen to the very last words of the Old Testament:
“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of their children to their fathers...” (Malachi 4:6). Perhaps some of you fathers need to call your children and ask their forgiveness for not being the dad you could have been. Beware, it could change both of your lives.
VII. Conclusion-
Last month, Joshua and I went hiking at Humiston Woods. It was right after all the heavy rain and we trudged through the mud to our destination, the stepping stones. It occurred to me that the water was so high that the stones may be underwater. When we arrived, this was the case. Three of the stones were completely submerged. The currently was strong and the water was deep but we decided to try to cross any way. We were going to be brave. I told him not to tell his mother about this. The first two steps were manageable but the middle three would be hard. Josh became frightened and started to turn back. He looked at me and said, “I’ll go if you hold my hand.” Together we went one stone at a time until we had reached the other side.
This is a perfect picture of fathering. Walking with your children one stone at a time. The water gets rough and the current gets strong but we must finish well. We must go all the way across with them. It is a matter of what kind of legacy you want to leave. One step at a time, dad.
What steps do you need to take today?
1. Do you need to finally totally surrender yourself to God and ask Jesus to be the forgiver and leader of your life? It is possible that you have a hard time with a relationship with God because your dad was a dud. God is not like your dad. He is called “Everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6). He defends and is father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5). He will never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). David said this of God, “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me” (Psalm 27:10).
2. Do you need to forgive a father that did an imperfect job at loving you? Release him today. “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).
3. Maybe you need to commit to this body of believers by becoming a member of Pontiac Bible Church? I am going to ask John Dewald to come forward and introduce our new members this morning then we will close in prayer.
