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READ: Job 29:7
CHALLENGE: Live Respectfully
One thing about Job was that he was respected and it was because he did good things. If he had been a bad person, he would not have had the response from the people that he did. He had a lot of weight in the community as his reputation was solid.
- RESPECT IS SHOWN (vv7-10)
- Respect is Shown by Our Actions
He had standing at the city gate and he took his seat in the public square. The public square was where the business of the day was transacted. If you were transferring property or needed people to weigh in on a matter, you’d do it OPENLY. Respectable things happen in the open as opposed to in hiding. I love it when we can say, “I’ve got nothing to hide”.
Young men stepped aside for him. Old men rose to their feet. The chiefs piped down and the nobles hushed up. The respect they had for him was demonstrated via actions.
What are ways we show respect in our day? We stand up for the National Anthem. We move over if police officer has someone pulled over. We hold the door open for people. We men can give up our seat to women or older people.
Voices were hushed so they stopped talking and listened to Job. Part of what interests me is that the people actually listened. Doesn’t listening show respect?
We would not tell someone to clap your hand over your mouth, we might say, “Stick a sock in it”! “bite your tongue”. Students, you don’t need to be lipping off to coaches or teachers. Parents don’t need to hear a bunch of guff. Parents deserve respect because they worked hard! So, stop being so entitled and help out. If mom asks you to take off your shoes when you walk into the door, I’d do it! Why frustrate the person who feeds you?
You can show respect in your marriage by listening. As you think about it, not listening is one of the most disrespectful things you can do. If your spouse is concerned about something
- Respect Is Shown by Our Words (v11)
This is part of Job’s defense of himself against the accusations of his “friends”. If there were darkness in him, why did people commend him? Job obviously had good character.
What does respect look like? It’s demonstrated by how you talk. They commended him. What is your reputation? What does your family think? How would they describe you?
Your reputation isn’t what you think, it’s seen in what other people say. It’s important to have that solid rep. Even Jesus asked, “Who do people say that I am”. The testimony to his identity and character came from outside of his own words. It was far deeper than his own words!
Shadeur Sanders saying he’s a number one pick is irrelevant. He went in the fifth round and he’ll have to prove he’s better than that if indeed he is. It’s not about what you say, it’s about what others say! I might say I’m a great singer, anyone else think so?
A walk away point to consider is that we can respect people by I speak respectfully of other people? I don’t know that I spoke respectfully of all of the Browns draft choices. They did well overall. It’s SO easy to be a critic. But the respect of Job was from a well earned reputation
- RESPECT IS EARNED (vv12-17)
He was not respected because he demanded it. He wasn’t respected because he was rich. He participated in the life of the town and he helped people thus earning their praise. How will you have respect if you’re not making a positive difference?
Remember, you can’t demand respect based on some position or elated self-assessment. If you have to demand it, the battle is already over.
- He helped people
The poor cried for help and he helped them. Job was unselfish and that’s a wonderful characteristic. He rescued these people. It makes you wonder what would have happened to them if he didn’t. Sometimes people need a hand up (not a hand out per se) and you may be a person who has been blessed by the generosity of others.
I remember that when I was a boy, the church family helped my dad at key junctures.
- He helped the fatherless / the sick / the widow
The widow’s heart was singing because he assisted them, thus helping the most vulnerable around him. Isn’t this what Christianity looks like? This was important to Jesus and the early church where they helped to provide food for the widows and his has always been part l.
- He was righteous
Righteousness was my clothing. Again, what is righteousness? It’s assisting the less fortunate. The Bible says it over and over again. So here, even before there was a Bible, he understood righteousness. He was eyes to the blind and feet for the lame. He took in strangers.
Justice was my turban. Apparently money talked in the courts in a way that it shouldn’t have. Job did the right thing. He didn’t allow a stranger in town to take the fall for something.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
He truly cared about social justice. He broke the fangs of the wicked so they wouldn’t hurt anyone else. Upholding righteousness in the courts and defanging the wolves devouring the people was ultra important. Sounds like he was a true shepherd of the flock.
I’ve not seen a lot of nonsense myself, but they make movies about how people are taken advantage of. My grandfather was. People take advantage of people going through hard times by charging them more for interest on their vehicles. Look at the average credit card interest rate is 21%!!! People are going through tough times and we charge that kind of interest?
Isn’t it fascinating how these concepts of fairness are repeated in the New Testament? When John told people to repent, what did he say? He said if you have two coats, share with the one who has no coats. If you’re extorting money, stop it and be content with your pay.
James, the half brother of Jesus said that true religion is to look after the fatherless and the widows. Yes, keep yourself from being polluted by the world. The church took collections
Our church does step up with some community things from time to time to give assistance to worthy causes. We have the Vine, Food4Kidz, Operation Christmas Child. So many great things!
One of the more interesting things that I read in the Bible was when they were told not to harvest to the corners of the field. Leave some for the poor of the land. Don’t harvest ALL your crops. Our crop today is money and we don’t need to harvest to the very corner of our field! There are many things that we want but do we need all these things?
We don’t need to squeeze every penny out of everything either. If we can help people, we should. I can give some things without worrying about a profit. Like, we can donate to Goodwill so that others can have access to things. We can put some things out for free.
There was a rich man and he had a bumper crop and he bragged about how he would build bigger barns because it was all about him. He needed to have it and possess it. He was a hog. Why not share some of that wealth with others?
The rich man who wound up in hell, why was he there? He was there because of the beggar named Lazarus. The rich man wouldn’t even share crumbs with him.
And even if you don’t have money, you may have skills that in helping others would ease their suffering. Be involved in the Home Repairs Team. Help out with an H2O ministry. Get involved
I think of all things – we still have a chance to be a father to the fatherless. There are people out there without dads and Job was able to help them. There are plenty of people in society who need a good example from father types!
Let’s note that Christianity isn’t just a list of don’ts. Christianity is not just about being more right than another denomination. Christianity is about what you do. Are you helping
- RESPECT IS RELATIONAL
You’ll not have much respect if you don’t have a good relationship with other people. They listened to him. Was he in a position of authority? No! He had a relationship with them
He used his wealth for good. Sometimes people think that wealth = bad. Or corporations = evil. Or it’s an automatic evil thing to prosper. This is absurd. Job was actually helping people and they showed him respect because he was respectable. He did good!
- Respect is Listening
- Listen with Expectation v21
Do we listen with the expectation so that we might learn something? There are always things to learn from those who know more. And if they are willing to share their knowledge with us, that’s an enormous blessing. Take advantage.
- Listen in Silence
They waited in silence for his counsel. Waited for him to get done talking. Sometimes we need to just be quiet and listen to other people rather than interrupt them before they are done. Let the person finish what they’re going to say without finishing their thought for them.
I love how they were humble enough to listen to advice. I’ve done some cool things but I can’t think of much that I’ve done apart from asking questions and improving the idea based on the wisdom of those far more experienced than I.
Job was a man worthy of listening too.
- Respect is Speaking Gently (v22)
There are so many verses that address this very issue. A gentle answer turns away wrath. Let your words be seasoned with salt. Answer with gentleness.
My wife has told me countless times, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it”. So, you can say something one way and get a very testy response. You can say something another way and get a calm response. What mood are you setting by how you say it?
His words fell gently on their ears. May our words do the same! This is such a beautiful concept! Do my words fall gently on the ears of other people? It’s a great challenge and especially for the straight spoken and blunt among us.
V23 – They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain.
I have planted 20 trees this spring and that Friday rain was sweet! I needed some water on them and you know that dry ground is drinking it down!
Job said were waiting for me like showers. Like when the ground is dry and just waiting for some water from the sky, people waited for Job.
Sometimes people need comfort. They need to know that everything is going to be OK. When our lives are dry and we’re hurting, we just want to hear a good word. This is Job.
- Respect is Relating (v24)
If Job stopped and talked to people it was a big deal. They could hardly believe that he would. At least Job was where people were. He showed up and he was friendly.
You want your face to be a light. Not like Ebenezer Scrooge who made the cold, colder. The dogs of blind men led the blind men in a different direction. He was so sour in his disposition that no one interacted with him. His presence lightened no one’s day.
What is your presence like when you enter into a situation? Are people glad to see you or unhappy? You want to make sure that you really are making a difference in this life.
This is so relational, right? The community was a better place because he was there.
- Give Guidance (v25)
He led. He chose the way for people. He was like a king among his troops.
It’s interesting to me that people have always needed guidance. We all like sheep have gone astray and we need shepherded and led in the right direction. Sometimes people need you to straight up tell them what to do.
As a parent. As a grandparent. There are times you need to be explaining things.
Job was definitely the head of the class but he didn’t get to be the head of the class because he expected to be or demanded to be. He earned it.