I was exploring in Job last week and came across an oft-forgotten (at least by me, anyway) moment in Job’s life that provides a pre-calamity window into his persona and faith. Curiously, it also provides a teachable moment as we think about Valentine’s Day.
Job 1:4-5 (NIV)
4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
I was struck by this moment in Job’s life, a moment that provides a picture into a normal “day in the life” of Job before he experienced the tragedies that made his name synonymous with tragedy. His family was obviously very party forward. And Job, acting as a loving father, acting even as the priest of the family, rose early in the morning to offer sacrifices on behalf of his kids just in case any of them committed a sin or cursed God during all the revelry the night before.
Think about that. A dad getting up early to go through the arduous task of offering burnt offerings for each of his ten children. Ten! That’s a lot of work for “just in case” sin. And he did it consistently. The timeframe of Job’s life, while not explicitly given, is likely in the Abraham era, going by how the book measures wealth (in flocks and herds). Job was not an Israelite but obviously had an awareness and healthy fear of God—thus the burnt offerings as a cleansing rite for his children.
The obvious first line of application, and immediate conviction (which is what I felt), goes to the dads in the house. To what extent will I sacrifice on behalf of my family? What am I doing to ensure a family culture conducive to living a vibrant relationship with God? Would I work that hard (up early, gather materials, expend physical and emotional energy, delay the tasks of my busy day) to spiritually protect my family?
And the application doesn’t stop there. Think about your ministry charge. Your circles of friends. Your co-workers. Think clerks/attendants/baristas you interact with every day.
How can we sacrifice on behalf of those in our spheres? When I picture individuals in my different spheres and ask the question “How can I provide spiritual protection for you?” I get an answer, a different type for each type of relationship. For my family: let the gospel be seen through every aspect of and reaction to life. For my friends: be the hands and feet of Jesus in hard circumstances. For my ministry charge: provide every spiritual advantage possible to experience God’s call. For co-workers and baristas: live in a way that shows the gospel as attractive.
Two giant biblical principles are at play.
1. Remove the Stumbling Blocks
Romans 14 answers a question posed by Cain at the onset of humankind: Am I my brother’s keeper? Short answer: yes, you are. Obviously we do not serve as a priest on behalf of our spheres (as Job did) but we do point them to Someone who did—Jesus. In addition, Romans 14 gives practical guidance on how we can sacrifice on behalf of our spheres: accept those of “weaker faith”; don’t be contemptuous to those who hold to a different picture of righteous living than I do; don’t judge those who hold a different picture of righteous living than I do; and finally the most famous of sacrifices, don’t put a “stumbling block” in the path of a fellow believer.
2. Love Has Everything To Do With It
The guidance in Romans 14 makes one thing clear: it all boils down to love. And this is where Valentine’s Day comes in. (I know, we aren’t talking the romantic aspect of love, which is what Valentine’s Day points to, but this is an opportunity to celebrate sacrificial love, which is the best love).
Romans 14:15 (NIV)
15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.
Go back to Job. He’s a busy man. He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 donkeys. Naturally, this operation required staffing, thus, Job employed a “large number of servants.” To top it off, Job was known as “the greatest man among all the people of the East.” (Job 1:1-3). That’s a lot of buying, selling, people-managing, and running payroll. And still, here he was, the “greatest man among the people of the East,” rising early in the morning, before the duties of his day, and offering a burnt sacrifice on behalf of each of his 10 children. That’s love.
This is a different angle on love: acting in love in a way that provides spiritual cover and protection for my charges (family, friends, ministry), doing everything possible to give my charges a leg up in their relationship with the One who died for them.
Admittedly, this doesn’t translate ideally into a Valentine’s Day card or gift, but it may be the best Valentine’s Day gift you’ve ever given.
Please see the link below to a free study exercise on Job 1:1-5. It can be used for personal study or for a small-group devotional.
Prayers!
Barry Shafer
Founder/Director, InWord Resources
For personal use or to share with a small-group study