Wonderful Father Sons and Daughters in the Lord
During my review to this chapter, I started to write an explanation to the book of Job, and I felt deeply obliged to dedicate here a section about this wonderful father and his sons and daughters in the Lord.
This was a glorious picture of a very wealthy man. Neither he nor his children were absorbed by riches and wealth, but they all met in the spirit of love, unity, and good deeds. The sons took turns to hold banquets in their houses and invited their sisters too. Lovingly and in the spirit of unity, each son hosted a banquet for his brothers and sisters. As the Psalmist says: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133: 1).
The following could be noticed at those banquets:
Were held in homes, not in public places, so that the family’s revered nature may be maintained even in the banquet and celebrations.
Inviting the sisters is an indication that these were family banquets, and likely to have been exclusive to Job’s family only.
Job did not go to these banquets, not out of rigidity, but he wished his children joy, as long as it was in the Lord. He thought that his presence as an older person might hamper the young people to lighten up, even if it was in the Lord.
Great wealth is a common cause for disputes among brothers. This father cannot be praised enough! His wealth was known, as was the harmony among his children. Wealth was distributed between them but love remained whole and filled all their hearts!
Pope Gregory (the Great)
Despite not physically joining the banquets, Job was involved through his kind and loving fatherly spirit. He was zealous about the salvation of their souls, and was worried lest they became corrupted even in thought, and then be considered as blasphemers on God the Holy. The Scripture says: “So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify 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 sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.
Thus Job did regularly” (Job 1:5).
Job was the family priest. He knew that he was unable to sanctify his
children, for this is God’s work, so he offered numerous burnt offerings according to the numbers of his children. He did this not only at the start or end of the banquets’ series, but every day of the feast, and every day of the year. “Job did so every day (regularly).” Perhaps, he offered a burnt offering for the whole family every day, but in the days of feasting, he made offerings on behalf of each one of them, because sins – especially of the thought – can easily infiltrate the minds in the banquets’ atmosphere.
He made offerings for their hidden sins, and the mistakes that they did not confess. If Job was so cautious about hidden sins which were committed unknowingly, what do you think he did about the obvious ones?
Notice how the words of the Apostle were put to action: “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6: 4), that is to say; everyone should care about his children. It is a practice of parental protection. Notice the level of perfection he wanted to lead them to…
As for obvious mistakes, he could correct them, but what could he do about hidden sins? It was said to Moses about this: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever” (Deuteronomy 29: 29). In any case, Job did not ignore even the hidden mistakes in his relationship with God, but committed himself to personally correct them with remedial methods. These methods enabled him to attack and pull out mistakes, and also teach his children…
You can see that he did not only correct the shortcomings in their deeds, but also what involved in their thoughts. This practically fulfills Christ’s words: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts… these are the things which defile a man” (Matthew 15: 19-20)… Here you see cleansing that is not according to Moses or to the Law, but in an apostolic manner, as he commands daily cleansing of thoughts, not only advising and counseling them, but also praying to God for them and protecting them. This is the work of both the father and the priest, even though we know that there was not a priest yet…
Some argue that there were priests in those days like Melchizedek, who were not chosen by people.
Thus, Job purified his children. Because if one gives offerings on behalf of secret sins, how much more would he care about obvious ones?
The Gospel of St. Matthew homily 42:3.
Job applied remedies even for his sons’ thoughts.
St. John Chrysostom
Job gained the greatest piety through this act. Many people are used to rise early in the morning to do earthly work; they spend the whole night dedicating their thoughts to riches, glory or social power, so they get up early to put their ideas into practice. The prophet lamented about them: “Woe to those who devise iniquity, and work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it” (Micah 2:1). As for Job, he was not consumed by this, but at dawn he offered service to God, the Maker of daylight… The real offering is in observing the commandments and doing virtues (Sirach 35:1-3). Paul’s letter to the Hebrews helps in giving us an example: “Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God… but do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:15-16).
Job thought about the chances that his children might have sinned and blasphemed against God secretly in their hearts (Job 1:5). It is clear that Job was an honest and law-abiding person! His goodness was complete to righteousness. He was a wise father, an experienced master, a tower (among the stars) of wisdom, and a righteous guide who held external reins to restrain internal desires…. David sang: “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults” (Psalm 19:12).
Job reiterated what David said, and then put the commandment of the Scriptures in action. Jesus said: “the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).
Job did not take the commandments and the laws lightly. John the theologian wrote: “And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For, if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God” (1 John 3:19-21). The Lord Himself says: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, these are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man” (Matthew 15:19-20). So let us purify ourselves from these acts. Let us demand fruits from our souls every day, like Job was “upright and blameless”, and focus on the words “Thus, Job did every day (regularly)”.
Father Hesychius of Jerusalem
“He would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all” (Job 1:5). This saint knew that it was unlikely to feast without misdeeds. He knew that wrong pleasures from banquets must be purified by sacrifices. Whatever the children did to blemish themselves during these banquets, the father washed it through sacrifices… Parties are often associated with desires. Whilst the body is slack in enjoying the pleasures, the heart submits to false happiness. It was written: “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (Exodus 32:6).
Pope Gregory (the Great)
Job was content about the actions of his sons and daughters in their
love for each other, their united and harmonious spirit, and was positive
about their behavior and their speech, but he did not know what went on in
their thoughts and hearts. He took neither a judgmental approach to
determine what was in their minds nor did he take a complacent approach,
and considered that he had no responsibility towards what was in their hearts.
Nevertheless, in love filled with wisdom, he sought refuge in God and
offered spiritual sacrifices and burnt offerings for each and every one of
them. God alone knows all hidden secrets and is capable of sanctifying the depth of the souls.
Father Tadros Y. Malaty, Family Love (SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ: Queen Mary & Prince Tadros Coptic Orthodox Church).