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The story of Job in the Bible is a true story that has probable been at least heard of by almost everyone. Much has been written about and speculated about this book down through the ages since the event occurred.

Many ideas, opinions, and speculations have come forth as to why…why Job? Was he not a righteous man. His righteousness is even allotted to by God Himself.

Then why?

Why the terrible suffering, and why was it recorded so that we could read the torrid details?

There are many lessons to be observed and learned from reading the book of Job.

However, there is a lesson in this book that is often overlooked, and yet is plain by the time we finish analyzing the entire episode. Job did not possess a quality that, with all his courage, righteousness, and amazing endurance, he seems not to possess as each of his friends proceed to give their answers to suffering.

Job “knew” God on a certain level. With all of his zeal and righteousness (even God admitted that He was a righteous man - Job 1: God was his Benefactor of course…this he as much as admits a few time during his conversations. These are admissions that most profession Christians would agree with. God was his Benefactor in almost every possible way. God had blessed him to an amazing extent, in almost every possible way as a human.

However, Job had a flaw in his nature; a flaw that is relatively common to mankind. All of us as Christians are also susceptible to this flaw.

His flaw is not clearly revealed in his comments. This spiritual flaw had to be revealed by God. Otherwise it was, and is, next to impossible to be recognized without a revelation from God. His fault was so subtle he apparently never occurred to him that it could be true of him.

So what was his character flaw that was, and is, so detrimental to all of us as Christians? Notice as God Himself reveals it: Job did not, indeed could not, see God as Who He really was. Apparently Job had heard many wonder things - mighty things - about God. He had apparently heard how only God could bless and protect him if he believed in Him. Job fell into a cauldron that many fall into today. Job realized that it paid to obey God…in every way it paid.
By a very long lecture, God humbled Job by magnifying Himself in comparison to Job.

Finally, God allowed him to reply. And then Job spoke:

“You said to me] ‘Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge?’
Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, please, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct [and answer] me.’ I had heard of You [only] by the hearing of the ear, But now my [spiritual] eye sees You.

Therefore I retract [my words and hate myself] And I repent in dust and ashes.”

So what was Job’s problem that God had to reveal in a way that he would understand and never forget?

Job was self righteous. In today's vernacular we could say he was spoiled…and probably the most prosperous and powerful of his time. He was apparently self righteous as revealed by the tone of what God said to him.

Its difficult to sum up the story of Job. Perhaps it is enough to say he was self-righteous in the sense that he truly was “righteous” to the letter! So much so that he was blind to how great God really is.

Job finally saw God. He saw Him in a manner that humbled him into becoming a truly righteous man. Then God blessed him even more than before.

We must all be aware of the human tendency to become self righteousness.

“The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him over all the [distressing] adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him a piece of money, and each a ring of gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first [daughter] Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. In all the land there were found no women so fair as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. So Job died, an old man and full of days. - Job 42:10-17

"Point of Reference" from Fred Price

A Broken Spirit And Contrite Heart