Fathering like Job

At the beginning of the book of Job, the author provides a mere five verses of background on Job before presenting the other players in the plot, and commencing the storyline of the book. Job is described as "blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil . . ." (1:1). The only illustration that the author provides to show the uprightness of this man is his habit regarding the feasts that his sons held for all his children.

And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. (1:5)

The trait that the Biblical author presents as outstanding concerning the man of whom the LORD says, "there is none like him on the earth" (1:8), is intercession for his children. Job was jealous that any sin that his children had committed - even in their hearts - should be atoned for. He didn't say, "They're grown up now, and responsible for themselves." Instead, he interceded for them, and, "This he did continually."

I want to learn to be a father like Job, with that kind of yearning for my children's sin to be forgiven. Whereas Job offered sacrifices and offerings for atonement, we have the privilege of asking that the atonement that Jesus worked on the cross be applied to our children - and not just for sins committed on the previous day, but for all of their sins.

Praying like this regularly cannot but incite us to pray for our children's conversion, in which there is forgiveness of sins. Yet it just as strongly calls us to pray for our children's perseverance, because we know personally the deceitfulness of sin.

I am coming to realize that this is why the Gospel remains central in parenting. It is not merely the means by which our children receive forgiveness (although it is not less than that); the Gospel is that by which they (and we!) receive forgiveness each time we sin against our holy God. Thus we have even more reason that Job to pray daily for our children, because we have confidence in better promises to be applied to our same needy condition (Hebrews 8:6).

O that God would make me a Job-like father!