By Jon R. Roebuck
Six-year-old Johnny came to his dad, who was reading the newspaper, and asked, "Daddy, where did God come from?" Came the reply, "I don't know, Johnny." A second question, "Why is the sky blue?" Dad answered, "I don't know, son." Johnny tried again, "Why is the earth round?" His father said, "Beats me, Johnny." Finally Johnny asked, "Daddy, do you mind me asking you so many questions?" "Not at all, son," said the father, "how else are you going to learn anything."
Sometimes it is in the struggle of our faith, in our asking of difficult questions at difficult times, that our faith is strengthened and brought to life. It was such a time in the life of Job. He had been caught-up in a web of deceit spun by Satan. Job's faith and commitment were stretched to the point of breaking. Soul-searching and difficult questions constantly ran through his mind. His temptation was to curse God, but his faith yielded only abiding praise.
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In the minds of the Jews, the righteous prospered and the wicked suffered. In other words, those who were in proper fellowship with God would have trouble-free lives with wealth and happiness; those who were the poor and the down-cast, and the sick, were sinners. Such thinking indicated that if a person were sick, he was out of fellowship with God and obviously a sinner.
This thought was very prevalent in Jesus' time. The Pharisees posed the question to Jesus when bringing the man born blind into His presence: "Who sinned, this man or his parents?" Do you remember the treatment of the lepers? Because of their illness, the lepers were outcasts; they were not allowed to enter the temple, they were totally excluded from both society and religion. Religion belonged to the rich and the healthy, and virtue was often practiced for the earthly results it would bring.
So twisted became the thought that many soon believed there was direct correlation between serving God and obtaining His blessings. I call it the theology of prosperity and many still practice it today. It's the idea that if I prove my love to God, then in turn He will shower me with blessings. Is it not true that many Godly people give to the church solely in the belief that God will give to them in return? It is a further twisted thought that says "If I've got problems -- health problems, financial problems, problems with my house -- it must mean that I'm not living right and God is trying to get me." We haven't learned much about God in the last 2,000 years.
The story of
Job begins with a five-verse description of his great piety and prosperity. Listen to the words that describe his life: he was blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil, he had thousands of animals and ten children.
Verse 3 even indicates "He was the greatest man among the people of the East." Job went to great lengths to ensure that his children were Godly and living in a pure relationship with God.