From Job 1: Accounting

“There was a man in the country of Uz named Job. He was a man of complete integrity, who feared God and turned away from evil.” (v. 1)

It’s one of the oldest and most famous records we have.

The ancient biography of Job, a man tried, whose life of faithfulness faced the challenge of Satan head on.

It remains a compelling narrative—and a helpful comparative.

And it starts with a remarkable accounting: Job has a full complement of children, huge flocks, and vast wealth. He, we are told, was the greatest man of his generation. (It makes everything that happens next so striking.)

But look at what is said first:

Before we are given an account of Job’s wealth, we are given an account of his integrity. The blessings follow his faith. Job’s life of worship and moral purity are the actual headline. Those things bear fruit, by grace, but the fruit isn’t the point.

We can learn more than one thing from Job, it seems.

— Tyler