HE BOOK OF JOB would have been bad news if the hero were a perfect saint, an exceptional character who never ever sinned even in his mind. For who of us could ever dream of living perfectly above sin and temptation? Viewed on the high pedestal of absolute perfection, the story of Job would entertain, but would leave no practical message of hope for the rest of us.

On the other hand, if we can see Job as an everyday person, as we are, who lived a life that is an example we can each follow, then the story would bring to us good news.

Job--a Second Adam
Traditionally, Jesus Christ is the one viewed as the "second Adam." It was Christ who, by His obedience, restored for humanity all that Adam had lost through his disobedience (Rom. 5:12-17). However, because of similarities in the stories of Adam and Job, we may consider Job, in some ways, as a kind of second Adam.

The context of the stories of both Adam and Job is the controversy between God and Satan, in the setting of a contest of cosmic dimensions. Both Adam and Job underwent tests of loyalty to God, with heavenly hosts looking on, eagerly awaiting the outcome.

Both men possessed characters that were proclaimed flawless. At the end of the sixth day God viewed all that He had made, including Adam, and God pronounced them "very good" (Gen. 1:31).* Likewise, in the heavenly council, God proclaimed Job blameless and upright (Job 2:3).

In both situations, Satan was the source of the temptation that provided the test, though in Genesis he appeared in the form of a serpent (Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9; Job 1:6).

In both stories, the wife appears on the scene late. In Genesis, Eve appeared (in the narrative) after the instructions regarding the trees had been given, and after Adam had already named all the animals (Gen. 2:22).† In the story of Job, the wife is referred to only after Job had lost all his possessions and his health (Job 2:9).

Furthermore, Satan used both wives as his agents. It was Eve who gave the fruit to Adam (Gen. 3:6), and it was Job's wife who, after his losses, urged him to "curse God and die" (Job 2:9).

The major similarities end at this point. Adam was in his unfallen condition when he failed the test. His losses came after his fall. Job, on the other hand, lost everything first. Yet in that vulnerable state, Job still passed his test. In fact, Job passed his test several times. First, he faced the loss of all his wealth with a brave face, saying, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised" (Job 1:20). Next, after Satan afflicted his body with grievous sores, Job still maintained his loyalty to God, saying, "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (2:10).

How often we have condemned Adam for the curse he brought upon humanity through his sin. But Job shows us how we can be victorious over sin and temptation.

A Type of Christ
If Job is viewed as a second Adam, there should be something in common with Jesus Christ, who is the second Adam.

The obvious common elements are the tests administered in the context of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, and the success of both Job and Jesus in these tests. To those around them, the sufferings of both Jesus and Job were considered evidence of their guilt. And both, in the end, were ultimately vindicated and restored. Finally, after the culmination of their tests, both Job and Jesus functioned as mediators: Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary, and Job as "priest" offering animals in sacrifice on behalf of his friends (as he had always done for his children), following the instruction of Yahweh Himself (Job 42:8).

Christ's righteousness is sometimes viewed as exceptional, and His life is not usually considered a practical example for us to copy, because His perfect character is often associated with His divine nature. Thus Christ's perfect life does not normally fill the reader with hope as much as does His death for us and His mediation on our behalf

With Job, however, it's different. No one has any question that his nature was identical to ours in every way. So all would readily agree that it has to be possible to act as he did. That fact alone should give us hope.

But there is more.

Job's Righteousness
The first chapter of Job upholds the righteousness of Job as its most important thought. The opening verse presents Job as blameless (tam) and upright (yashar), and the closing verse points out that Job, in contrast to the prediction of Satan, still did not sin. If only the narrator stated that Job was blameless and upright, we might have considered it an exaggeration, as many character recommendations have to be taken with a pinch of salt. However, the narrator's statement is corroborated by God's description of Job's character.

Many assume that Job must have been above sin and temptation (as they think Jesus was)--and such is not considered practically possible for the rest of us. Yet the story of Job informs us that being blameless and upright does not have to mean "never sinning."

Job referred to the sins of his youth, for which he feared God might be punishing him (Job 13:26). He later expressed the hope that the sins he had committed would be sealed in a bag or plastered over (14:16, 17). Apparently then, though Job had sinned, God could still call him blameless and upright.

"Blamelessness" (tam) is also associated with Noah, Abraham, and Jacob (Gen. 6:9; 17:1; 25:27). Yet nobody thinks of these as never having sinned. Noah got drunk, and in that state he got into an embarrassing situation (9:21). Abraham lied more than once (12:13; 20:2). Jacob was a veritable cheat who didn't hesitate to stoop to swindling his brother and father (27:36).

"Uprightness" (yashar) is associated with David (1 Sam. 29:6), but nobody has ever accused David of being sinless. He is especially remembered for his adultery and murder (2 Sam. 11:4, 15).

An important point lies in the clarification that follows. In Job 1:1 the narrator qualifies his description of Job as "blameless and upright," with the statement that Job "feared God and shunned evil." The story of Genesis tells us that Adam became afraid of God after he sinned. But the "fear of the Lord" is not being "afraid of God." Rather, it's actually connected with love. Further, as Moses puts it, this is what God requires of us: "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut. 10:12).

With good reason the fear of the Lord is also associated with obedience to God's commandments (Ex. 20:20; Deut. 5:29; Prov. 8:13). But Deuteronomy 10:12, just quoted, tells us that this obedience stems from love, a love so strong it involves the whole heart and soul (1 Kings 14:8). One who loves God so passionately will naturally not wish to do anything that would hurt Him. Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and David were people who loved God, who went to Him not only when in trouble, but constantly. They walked with Him, and talked often with Him in prayer. God was their constant help and shield.

Yes, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and David sinned; but they also knew about repentance and forgiveness. David pleaded with God to blot out his transgressions and to cleanse his iniquity (Ps. 51), and he rejoiced when they were forgiven (Ps. 32, 103). Job, too, asked God to forgive his sins of youth (Job 14:16, 17). Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and Job all understood the significance of a substitutionary sacrifice, so that forgiven sin might be removed from them.

Just as Job sacrificed and prayed for his children in the beginning of the story, at the end of the trial God sent the three friends to Job so he could pray and sacrifice for them. God accepted his mediation. So when Job asked for a mediator for himself, he knew what he was asking for. Job was himself a type of his Redeemer.

Job's Mediator is ours also. And Job's victorious living can be ours as well. The secret is to have such a loving relationship with God that it results in a sincere desire to do His will. Job loved God like that. Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and David loved God like that. And anyone who loves God like that can be forgiven of any sin--drinking, lying, cheating, adultery, murder, whatever.

Our Mediator has paid a ransom, and God delights to forgive. Thus anyone, like Job, can be declared blameless and upright. There's no better gospel than that!

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*Scripture references in this article are from the New International Version.

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†We allow the author the freedom to make this point, in the interest of the larger message he wishes to convey. However, we recognize the difficulty of establishing strict sequence and chronology in some aspects of the Genesis
creation story.--Editors.

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Gordon E. Christo is the director of education for the Southern Asia Division, with headquarters in Tamil Nadu, India.