96 – JOB
The book of Job is the oldest of the Bible. Job was an actual person. The very Jehovah attests of his existence in Ezek.14:14. In the New Testament, James mentions Job (James 5:11). The life of Job, nevertheless, is a parable, that is, and allegory, and Job himself said this in Job 27:1 and 29:1.Allegorically, the sufferings of Job are similar to the sufferings of Jesus Christ. In this way, we can conclude that Job was a picture of Jesus.
1. Job was fashioned by God in the womb of his mother: “Did not He who made me in the womb make him, and the same one fashioned us in the womb?” (Job 31:15). God himself fashioned Jesus in the womb of Mary: “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matt.1:20).
2. Job and Jesus were princes. “I would declare to Him the number of my steps; like a prince I would approach Him” (Job 31:37). About Jesus, we read in Acts 5:31, “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior…”
3. We read about the mouth of Job: “My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, nor will my tongue mutter deceit” (Job 27:4). The apostle Peter says about the mouth of Jesus: “Who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth” (1 Pet.2:22).
4. God said about Job, “Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high” (Job 16:19). Jesus declared, “And the Father who sent Me, He has borne witness of Me” (John 5:37).
5. Zophar rebukes Job, saying, “For you have said, ‘My teaching is pure, and I am innocent in your eyes’” (Job 11:4). Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Jesus, therefore answered them, and said, ‘My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me’” (John 7:16).
6. Job declares that he has not sinned. “How many are my iniquities and sins? Make known to me my rebellion and my sin” (Job 13:23). Jesus challenged the Pharisees, saying, “Which one of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46).
7. Job declares to have never rested: “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, and I am not at rest, but turmoil comes” (Job 3:27). Jesus said, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matt. 8:20).
8. Job’s garments: “I put on righteousness, and it clothed m; my justice was like a robe and a turban” (Job 29:14). The garments of Christ: “And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev.19:8).
9. Job’s food: “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). The food of Jesus Christ: “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34).
10. Job abandoned by his intimate relations: “He has removed my brothers far from me, and my acquaintances are completely estranged from me” Job 19:13-14). Jesus abandoned by his intimate friends at that critical hour: “Then all the disciples left Him and fled” (Matt.26:56).
11. Job is handed over to sinners: “God hands me over to ruffians, and tosses me into the hands of the wicked” (Job 16:11). Jesus is delivered into the hands of men: “And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised again on the third day” (Matt.17:22-23; 26:45)
12. Job offered sacrifices for his children: “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” (Job 1:5). The apostle Paul said, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor.15:3).
13. Job’s feet were put in the stock: “Thou dost put my feet in the stocks, and dost watch all my paths” (Job 13:27; 33:11). David prophesied about Jesus: “For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet” (Ps.22:16).
14. They scoffed at Job: “My friends are my scoffers” (Job 16:20). They scoffed at Jesus. “In the same way the chief priests along with the scribes were also mocking Him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; He cannot save Himself” (Mark 15:31). “And the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him, and beating Him” (Luke 22:63).
15. They spit in the face of Job: “They abhor me and stand aloof from me, and they do not refrain from spitting at my face” (Job 30:10). They spit at Jesus’ face: “Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him” (Matt.26:67).
16. Job prophesied his resurrection after death: “For now I will lie down in the dust; and thou wilt seek me, but I will not be” (Job 7:21). Jesus taught his disciples, and said, “The Son of Man is to be delivered up into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise again three days later” (Mark 9:31).
Since Job is a picture of Jesus, we draw the following conclusions:
1. Jesus was delivered up by the Father as a ransom for the salvation of the lost (1 Pet.1:18-19).Jehovah handed Job into the hands of Satan because he doubted Job’s faithfulness and confessed to have been mistaken about it (Job 1:6-12; 2:3).
2. Jesus’ disciples are his family (Matt.12:47-49). Jehovah delivered Job’s family into the hands of Satan, who killed them. If Jehovah were the Father of Jesus, the Church, which is the family of Jesus, would have been delivered into the hands of Satan for total destruction.
3. Job accused Jehovah of hurting him with poisonous darts: “For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; their poison my spirit drinks” (Job 6:4). Jesus was always in complete fellowship with the Father and never accused the Father, as Job accused Jehovah.
4. Jehovah placed darkness in the way of Job (Job 19:6-8). Jesus is light (John 8:12; 12:46).
5. Every children of God, the Father of Jesus, will die, but will return in the resurrection (1 Thess.4:16-17; 1 Cor.15:51-55). Job’s children died and have not resurrected. Jehovah gave Job other children in stead.
6. The way Jehovah treated Job, as a figure of Jesus, is not like the way the Father treated Jesus. They are, therefore, two opposite personalities.
By Pastor Olavo Silveira Pereira