Abide Together: Reflections on Genesis 11:1-9 and Job 1

In Genesis Chapter 11, we get to see the tower of babel and God deciding to go down and disperse the people and confuse their language.  In this time the people needed to be brought to humility and God knew just what would facilitate that.  Our God understood they needed to understand their need for God.  They wanted to make a name for themselves instead of making God’s name famous and worshiping him.

The next portion of the reading today was Job chapter one.  It shows Job’s devotion to the Lord.  It talks about how Godly of a man he was.  Job would make sacrifices for his children daily because he understood they sinned against God every day.  He understood the greatness and perfection of God.  Satan then makes his way in and tells God that is was just to easy for Job.  Of course Job would worship you, you have blessed him with basically every possible blessing.  Let’s not kid ourselves, he will surely turn if you take away all the blessings.  So the Lord gave satan permission to take away those blessings.  God said that satan could take anything, just don’t actually hurt Job himself.

As satan went to work he began taking away his lands, his cattle and sheep, even his children.  We see servant after servant come to him and say I was the only to escape.  Job, who had just been a very wealthy and blessed man, rips his clothes, and then worships the Lord.  He is devastated but his response was resting on the Lord God, who he said gives and takes away.

Lord teach me to lean on you to trust in your perfection, to trust in your sovereignty, to be willing in no matter what situation or hardship to be willing to worship you because you are God.  In the midst of trial and tribulation let me find my hope in you alone.

-Josh