Covet Protection
When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. Job 1:5 NASB
In their hearts – Did the children of Job sin? Did they curse God? Even Job didn’t have any outward evidence that this was the case. But who knows what happens in a man’s heart? So Job offered sacrifices just in case. He provided religious protection for sins that could not be seen for he knew that God saw all, including the secrets of a man’s heart.
Both verbs (“sinned” and “cursed”) are in the Hebrew “perfect” tense. This is a rather complicated verb form (see HERE) and the meaning must be determined by the context. Therefore, we could read these two verbs as Job’s concern that his children had sinned, are sinning, or might sin. In other words, Job’s sacrifices cover the entire range of possible, secret disobedience. Nothing is left to chance.
Except the whims of God.
All that religious observance, all those rituals, prayers and sacrifices, meant nothing. They were summarily ignored simply because one of the divine underlings happened to be roaming the earth. Actually, it is God Himself who shines the light on Job. The accuser never even mentions Job until God brings him to his attention. Then the accuser suggests a challenge. “Does Job fear God for nothing?” And the game begins.
What about those sacrifices? What about that devotion? What about the fact that we have no evidence that any of Job’s children had done anything to warrant execution? Where is the God of benevolence, protection, concern—of raḥûm, ḥannûn, ʾerek ʾappayim and rav ḥesed (Exodus 34:6)? This tale reads more like Greek mythology than Hebrew theology. We are left wondering why God seems so anxious to prove His point—at the cost of nearly destroying a man who is entirely devoted to him. Maybe that’s the point of this legendary drama. Maybe the point is that there is a slice of Job’s bewilderment in our encounters with unjustified trauma. Maybe the point of this story isn’t to question the justice of God but to give us a picture of what might have happened to us. Most of our tragedies are not as horrific as Job’s, and yet we voice the same complaint. “I didn’t deserve this, Lord. Why are you doing these things to me?” Even if we suspect that we do deserve some punishment, haven’t we also asked for forgiveness, offered sacrifices, interceded for others? Does it really make any difference? Really? So there we are, standing next to Job, baffled by God’s indifference—until we realize that we have not yet suffered unto blood. Praise God He didn’t point us out to the accuser. It could be far worse. Could we still worship Him if it were?
Topical Index: sin, curse, secret, Exodus 34:6, Job 1:5
