Hello and welcome to NewsClick. You are watching Present, Past and the Future. No discussion on politics in Maharashtra can take place without a single reference to Shivaji Maharaj, the Maratha warrior king or the founder of the medieval Maratha kingdom in the 17th century. With elections in the air in this western state, this time too, political parties have traded charges on the proposed Shivaji Maharaj Memorial, a monument which has come up on the Arabian Sea of Mumbai. The opposition has accused the BJP Shiv Sena government of making slow progress, while the ruling parties have charged adversaries of making no effort when in power earlier. Once this complex comes up with one of the highest statues in the world, a rival by any route to India's financial capital cannot be but through the Chhatrapati's gateway. Already, Mumbai's international airport and the principal railway station are named after the icon. Regardless of divergences among people and parties over the approach to the memorial, there is consensus regarding Shivaji's exalted position in the state's pantheon of great. Yet, how much of the reasons induced for his greatness is true and how much of these are exaggerated by contemporary politics? Is Chhatrapati Shivaji's image true to the history of the times or is it substantially guided by necessities of today's politics? It is not that deification of Shivaji is limited or restricted to Maharashtra. All over India, he is now projected as one of the earliest exponents of the idea of a Hindu nation, someone who kept the torch of Hindu resistance alive during the days of Muslim rule, mostly depicted as a tyrannical rule. Shivaji is not the only historical personality whose image is chiseled by a combination of fact and fiction. His public image is a political prerequisite to further a particular contemporary political narrative. Any reading of history is full of characters who have either been exaggerated as heroes or been demonized as villains. The cult of Shivaji is itself more than a century old as early nationalists, especially Bal Gangadhar Tilak and some others revived the political memory of Shivaji. These nationalists in search of martial heroes elevated Shivaji quite falsely to the eminence of a freedom fighter. In the process, they created a false notion of the nation or country and of course the so-called foreign rule from which it had to be rescued. In today's times when the politics of today dictates the portrayal of the past, it is daunting to separate fiction from fact, myth from reality. Aniruddh Deshpande who teaches history at Delhi University joins me today to shed light on how we should correct our reading of Shivaji and what role should we assign him in our current national debates and discourse. A fearless scholar, he had written some years ago the introduction to the English translation of Govind Pansare's Marathi book, Shivaji Kaun Hota or Who Was Shivaji? Like many of Pansare's other works and campaigns, this text too outlives him. Aniruddh, welcome to the program. I think we must begin with Govind Pansare's work. To what extent or rather how was it when we go back to 1987-88 when the book came out first in Marathi, how was it different from the reading of Shivaji at that particular time? What was the major departure? By 1987-88 Shivaji had been firmly established as an icon of nationalist historiography and his position was extremely clear in the politics of Maharashtra for instance. So no Maharashtrian politician or no Maharashtrian political party could do without valorizing Shivaji from a variety of perspectives. Of course, credit must be given to Govind Pansare who actually collated a large number of interpretations of Shivaji which had been extant in Maharashtra since the 19th century. And it's very clear, Pansare himself makes it very clear in the book that when he delivered lectures on Shivaji which ultimately became the book which it became and very famous and it became one of the best sellers of that time and remains amongst one of the largest selling books on Shivaji till date. Even the English translation of the book has done very well in the market. He makes it very clear that when he actually lectured on Shivaji in large parts of Maharashtra he received inputs from his audiences after the lectures and he has actually thanked a large number of people even in Nagpur and in other places in Maharashtra. The ticketed shows actually you write in your introduction. Yes, of course. There were attempts at preventing him from speaking at Nagpur, attempts which did not succeed and he drew enormous crowds in Nagpur when he actually lectured there. And then lots of people actually sent him letters, messages telling them, giving him new information about Shivaji and providing him various perspectives on Shivaji which are usually not contained in usual school and college textbooks coloured by the ideology of nationalism. So I think Pansare absolutely, he nailed it absolutely and he was on the dot when he said when he asked this very fundamental question, Shivaji who was Shivaji? And his answer lies in the fact that Shivaji remains an immensely popular figure in Maharashtra. Now not just in Maharashtra but outside also. Outside Maharashtra he is remembered for reasons which are different from reasons for which he is remembered in Maharashtra and his popularity in Maharashtra rests not only because of the spread of nationalist ideology in the country and Maharashtra steadily since the 19th century but also on a much deeper popular perception of Shivaji as a pro-people, pro-peasant king which I think he very very… Which is not the dominant understanding of people to… No unfortunately in… Projected more as you know the mythology around Shivaji has been of a completely different nature from his pro-people and you know kind of an egalitarian politics which he pursued. Unfortunately that's true, that's all because of the fact that Shivaji as a historical person age came under the influence of his interpretation and his descriptions came under the influence of nationalism. Increasingly… Any particular type of nationalism or you know would say that it was an inclusive all embracing nationalism? Well there were you know you can say right from the times of Mahadev Govindranade who wrote another very important book called The Rise of Maratha Power in which there is a great degree of vilification of Aurangzeb and Mughal rule in the 17th century and a great glorification of Shivaji and Shivaji is then seen as a as a figure as a historical figure who encapsulated the emergence, the emergence, the rise and the arrival of the Maratha nation state against the so called Muslim tyranny of the Mughals and especially of Aurangzeb. So in fact in the historical moments of India in the 19th century the vilification of Aurangzeb and Mughal rule and the glorification of Shivaji are coterminous occurrences which we must know and this became increasingly strengthened in the last two or three decades of the 19th century as the nationalists tried to use specially Bal Gangadhar Tilak tried to use the figure of Shivaji to mobilize the popular masses of Maharashtra behind nationalism. There is also something very striking which I found in my readings of various Hindu nationalistic literature be it Savarkas various works or subsequent works even you know some of the speeches that and articles which have been written by various people right from Golwalga to the subsequent leaders. You know there is a certain amount of mythology of around Shivaji which has been created of him being the protector of the Hindu somebody who consistently campaigned against the Mughals pitting him against you know it was as if he became the symbol of Hindu pride and dignity trying to resist Muslim Marauders or invaders you know that is the kind of imagery which comes across very strongly in all Hindu nationalistic literature. This is all old hat because it actually goes back to the construction of modern Maratha historiography by Grand Duff in 1826 and it is Grand Duff who actually laid down the foundations of modern Maratha historiography in the first half of the 19th century and it is remarkable that a book which he wrote which was almost forgotten till 1857 became increasingly popular posthumously after he died in 1859 and by the 1860s, 70s and 80s it had become firmly established as one of the most important and masterly texts on Maratha history. The rest of the history of the Maratha is written by the nationalists in the 19th century from which the Tilakites took their idea of Shivaji was nothing but the provision of a gloss over Grand Duff's basic texts. So which means that the colonial interpretation of Shivaji had very striking similarities with the narrative which was forwarded by the nationalists and especially the Hindu nationalists subsequently. Yes, that's true because right from the times of James Mill who wrote the history of India. That was around which period? It's almost early part of the 19th century, 1817 in fact. So it's in the first 25-30 years of the establishment of British rule in India from the 19th century onwards. The first 25-30 years of the 19th century which laid down the basic colonial framework for the understanding of history which was taught in the Indian universities and schools increasingly from the 1850s and 60s. It was in 1857 that the first three Indian universities were established in Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. And in fact many of these some of these historians who later on matured into nationalist historians people like Mahadev Govindranade they were all graduates of Bombay University. So it was right from the early part of the 19th century it was in the interest of the British to promote the idea that in fact they were the ones who were delivering India into enlightenment. From a period of medieval darkness which in India's case coincided with Mughal rule or Sultanate rule. So this vilification of Muslims in Indian history and the vilification of Aurangzeb which starts basically from the biography of Aurangzeb written by Elphinstone in the same period in the first 20-30 years of the 19th century. So the vilification of the Mughals and the beginning of the canonization of Shivaji begins around the same time almost about 150 years after the death of Shivaji at the time that it actually started. And then from a colonial narrative it becomes part of an early nationalistic position. That feeds into the nationalist construction of Shivaji as an icon of Hindu nationalism in 17th century against so called Mughal Muslim tyranny represented by the much vilified figure of Aurangzeb. How necessary was it for the Hindu nationalistic narrative to actually depict Shivaji in this way so that they could vilify and then create the imaginary other which persecuted Hindu India? It's very simple. You see with the demise of the Peshwai the Brahmandan Maharashtra became extremely insecure and they were in search of a political figure in the history of the Deccan behind which they could rally their idea of nationalism and their hegemony. So then there is a shift from Peshwai to Shivaji from the early part of the 19th century to the latter half of the 19th century and there is a false continuity drawn between the Swaraj of Shivaji and the Peshwai of the 18th century. It's absolutely clear. And of course this is very different from what Gordon Stewart says about the difference between the Peshwai and Shivaji Swaraj. He says soon after Shivaji died the state which he had created actually dissipated and was basically destroyed and the Peshwai was a totally new kind of system which came in. The difference lay in the fact that Shivaji had very strongly and very very decisively moved against what are called the Saranjamsahi classes of Maharashtra, the Jagirdari classes. Basically the Jagirdari, the local vested interest if one can actually say in terms of Landlord classes. Yes, the Landlord classes you can say broadly the term Landlord classes can be used. Saranjamsahi is the word used by Govind Pansar in his book as well. And the Peshwai actually saw the return of the Saranjamsahi classes because Peshwa rule was dependent on the Saranjamsahi. Yes, it had a different social perspective also. The ruling classes and the castes which were in dominant positions during the Peshwai was completely different to my understanding from Shivaji. Is it correct? True. And there was another reason why the figure of Shivaji was annexed to nationalist historiography and nationalist politics. And that reason lay in the fact that another very powerful interpretation of Shivaji was at the same time in the latter half of the 19th century. Manufactured and developed by Jyotiva Pule. So what was that? What kind of a narrative and what kind of interpretation of Shivaji was presented by people who looked at the primacy of caste conflict in society? Of course. I mean what Pule very clearly looked at Shivaji as a peasant king. He certainly was not from the ruling classes before he became the king. Well that's not true because he was actually the son of the commander in chief of the army of Bijapur. Shahjeeb Mosley was a very... He was a commandant. He was still not... No, commander in chief, not commandant. He was a commander in chief. In fact Shivaji came from an elite family himself. Shivaji was not a... But he encouraged the poor, the Mawal people, the poor people and the peasants and so on. And he actually he tried his best to eliminate the middlemen between the peasants and the state. So it was a kind of you know one would in fact with retrospective effect one would say that what Shivaji was trying to aim at was to develop a kind of a broad reyathwari system in which the peasant would be directly connected to the sovereign through the state. And this would be possible only with the elimination of intermediaries. So all the intermediaries in Maharashtra who suffered as a consequence of Shivaji's rise to prominence were interested in actually denigrating his figure in the 18th century. And they are the sort of people who actually made a major comeback and resurgence under the Peshwai. Now this Dalit Bahujan perspective which began to emerge about Shivaji in the 1870s, 80s and 90s was a very very important challenge to the nationalist narrative of Shivaji. How dominant or how strong did it become? Well in the I mean in the early part of the 20th century, in fact they were right from the early part of the 19th century there were several extant perspectives on Shivaji which nationalist historiography ultimately overcame, suppressed and dominated. So I mean you have... So there was a kind of a conflict between these two narratives and eventually the nationalistic perspective? Indeed. Because they were fighting against a larger and a bigger enemy which is the outside enemy in the British colonial order and through that also the Muslim past it got kind of intertwined if I can actually use that word. That is how they were able to suppress and overcome the Dalit perspective? Yeah I mean it's also true that in the construction of neo-Hinduism in the 19th century the consolidation of the Hindu community quote-unquote became a very important and primary objective of the Hindu nationalists especially against rising Muslim communalism and the Dalit-Pahujan perspective. So you have several perspectives on Indian history within which Shivaji becomes... So how did if I try to understand in terms of various streams of nationalism in the 20th century how leaders like Ambedkar for instance Gandhi, how would their perspectives be different from the Hindu nationalistic perspective? Especially Vizavi Shivaji, did they try to present a counter narrative or did they in any way try to bolster the Dalit-Pahujan perspective? Or by the time canonization of Shivaji had become so complete that it was like treading into a very dangerous territory? No there are two perspectives very clearly even within nationalism there is a Hindu nationalist perspective on Shivaji which claims that Shivaji was a champion of Hindus quote-unquote against Muslim tyranny represented by the Mughal regime and the much demonized and vilified Aurangzeb. Now this perspective goes back to the times of Mahadev Govind Rana Day, Rajwade and later on in the works of Jadunath Sarkar whose works on Aurangzeb are very well known and his works on Shivaji also are very well known. This becomes an established canon in Indian historiography right from the 19th century onwards. Now this can be read in its extreme form it can be read as a Hindu nationalist perspective on Shivaji in an inclusive perspective which I think Gandhi and Nehru would talk about. In that perspective also of Ambedkar also I don't know whether Ambedkar really wrote very much about Shivaji. My reading of Ambedkar actually may not have spent much time on that. I mean maybe my reading of Ambedkar is very limited but Fule of course I mean from there Jyotira Fule's perspective on Shivaji in which Shivaji appears as a popular ruler who champions the interests of the peasants against the Brahmin nickel Saranjam Shahi classes of Maharashtra. But that interpretation is not necessary to the dominant nationalistic theory. No it is not because the dominant nationalist historiography does not take the notion of class or caste as seriously as the historiography championed by Fule and Ambedkar or Periyar or other people did later on. So there is a dissonance between historiographies. Marxists of course would look at Shivaji also in a similar fashion. They would also try to explain the importance and the popularity of Shivaji in terms of his being a propeasant that his policies were propeasant that he was a very kind and a just ruler and there are several examples which can be quoted from his life that he was an equal opportunities employer that he did not discriminate against anybody because there were a large number of Muslims in his army. Many of his admirers and many of his generals were Muslims. This is something which needs to be understood that there is definitely a portrayal of Shivaji as somebody who fought against Muslim tyranny. What was his attitude towards Muslims and to what extent in his empire what kind of political space did Muslims have? You see there are important letters which he wrote to Aurangzeb which have been reproduced in Govind Pansar's book. Many of his correspondence, many of the letters are available in fact. And what does he write? He is very clearly I mean he... He is not looking at it as a religious conflict. No, he is in those letters he is not looking at Aurangzeb as a primarily Muslim ruler. In fact he is calling Aurangzeb a bad ruler and he is comparing Aurangzeb... Not taking care of people bad from that perspective. He makes it very clear that your policies, he writes your policies have not only alienated a large number of non Muslims but they have also alienated a large number of Muslims. He makes it very clear in those letters. And he compares Aurangzeb's reign with the reign of his forefathers. He says you have committed injustices which could not have been to paraphrase what he says which were never committed by people like Shah Jahan or Jahangir or your other forefathers who were extremely tolerant rulers compared with you. So basically what he is doing he is actually castigating Aurangzeb for having strayed from the path of the Mughal Empire of the established traditions of the Mughal Empire with respect to religious diversity and the respect for religious diversity in India the foundations of which were laid down by the Sulhaqul of Akbar. So it is very clear. I mean Shivaji himself did not conceive, I don't think he conceived of Aurangzeb as a primarily Muslim tyrant. And his relationship with Aurangzeb is primarily political. In fact the political contests of medieval India have been given an unnecessary religious color by nationalist historiography. I mean something to which unwittingly the so called secular nationalists have also pandered. From my understanding that after independence because of immediately there was no state in India which was exclusively for the people of Maharashtra. You had the Bombay presidency kind of evolved and you had the Gujjati speaking part which was the entire western India. It is only 1960 that a separate state of Maharashtra gets created. True. And then of course Maharashtra gets a hero, a nationalistic hero. The final canonization happens during 1974. That is the time when the tricentenary of Shivaji's coronation is observed. The reason why I am raising it that is the time when actually the narrative, the image gets settled. There after contestation of that particular viewpoint gets very difficult which is why it would have been very difficult for Pansare and others to be able to present their viewpoint. It is also going to become very important and very difficult in the coming years. We have the 350th anniversary of the coronation coming up in a few years from now. We will also have, we also have a dominant BJP and the Shiv Sena both at the state as well as at the national level which is the mythology of Shivaji has become very integral to the sustenance of the Hindu nationalistic ideology. That is true but the contest will continue because although Hindu nationalist ideology as you have rightly pointed out has done its best to appropriate the figure of Shivaji in its pantheon of so called Hindu heroes against Muslim tyranny. In Maharashtra the issue remains very deeply divided because of the caste conflict between the Marathas and the non-Marathas. So there will always be a Maratha interpretation of Shivaji an interpretation according to which the rise of Shivaji meant the rise of those forces which arose historically to challenge Brahminical hegemony in society. And the Dalit-Bhaujan perspective in Maharashtra will also remain very strong because in Maharashtra the Dalit-Bhaujan movement is a very strong movement and in the same way as Hindu nationalism is entrenched the Dalit-Bhaujan perspective is also deeply entrenched in Maharashtra. And this contest, this conflict between various interpretations of Shivaji I don't see dying out in the near future despite the ascendance of the Hindu rise. No, I just want to ask in the last few years, especially since we are in the middle of an elections in Maharashtra in the last five years, there definitely have been reworking of the caste configuration in Maharashtra. The Marathas themselves are not as politically dominant as they were once considered to be. The leadership I am not saying that is passed on out of the hand of the Marathas but they definitely are now have people with which they have to share political power. Now in a situation like that, how do you see the contestation of this particular narrative of Shivaji playing out in the next coming years? As a historian I can only say that I believe in transition and this situation may not remain stable for a very long time. Things change. You mean the current political reality may not continue to be? It may not. I mean it may change and there is every possibility that other forces might arise in the next 30-40 years which might again bring to four different interpretations of Shivaji. The issue is far from closed as far as I am concerned. So it is still not a final narrative. We cannot say that we have reached a point where we can say that this is the only absolute truth and there is no other viewpoint on Shivaji. It never happens like that in history. And that is what possibly is the hope for an open and continued debate on Shivaji. The debate always goes on. Politically people may think it is closed but academically and socially and culturally the debate never ends. I think you know on this particular note of hope that you have that the debate is going to continue. Thank you very much for coming and joining me on this particular program. Thank you very much. Without doubt the rise of the BJP as the dominant political party in India and previously the emergence of Shiv Sena as representative of Maharashtrian identity. The search for a martial Hindu past received a new boost. In today's India history is the new domain of conflict and Shivaji is one of the prominent figures who has been foisted with the image of being a leading redeemer of Hindus from oppressive Muslim rulers. Expressing any other viewpoint is of course fraught with risks but the articulation of these divergent opinions shall be proved that democracy in India still has a large number of subscribers. Thank you for watching this episode.


Let's begin here in the book of Job by reading the first three verses of chapter one. What I intend to do today is to take you through the first two chapters and so I'm going to give to you as this normal my prolonged kind of introduction and it helps you to get a picture of what's taking place. It gives you information for those of you who are interested in that which I think we all ought to be and gives you background gives you information and gives you the kind of information that helps you to understand the purpose of the book and and things related to it and So let's begin reading here in the book of Job chapter one. We'll begin reading at verse one I'll read to verse three and we'll get into our study Job chapter one beginning at verse one reading to verse three There was a man in the land of us whose name was Job and that man was blameless and upright and one who feared God and shunned evil and Seven sons and three daughters were born to him Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep 3,000 camels 500 yoke of oxen 500 female donkeys and a very large household So that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East and So we're about to begin a study here in the book of Job and as we begin I will be giving you an introduction that helps us as mentioned a moment ago to better understand this book And so as we look at this we begin first by seeing that Joe was introduced to us Notice how Job is introduced. He's introduced as a righteous man, and he's living in the land of us Now just where would this land be? Because people will say this land. It's difficult for us geographically to place It would seem that the location of this this land called us would be east of Israel and commentators say that it was a land that would border modern Jordan in The Old Testament book of Lamentations chapter 4 verse 21 it says rejoice and be glad oh daughter of Edom Who dwells in the land of us? But the cup will come around you as well.  And so because modern Jordan is Associated with the land of us it is it is commonly believed that that's the location there in the Middle East So us would be located on the border of modern Jordan the Edomites would have been in possession of us And so it is southeast of the nation of Israel So Joe is a man who lived in this land and this story is about what he went through in Hebrew his name means Assaulted or persecuted one. That's what Joe means the assaulted or persecuted one And this is what will give the theme of the book the assault on Job The Arabic translation of Job means the repentant one Which reveals his humbling that takes place in this particular story It's a story about a man who loses everything. He loses his children. He loses his wealth. He loses his health He loses his reputation and it's a story that approaches the question Why do the good suffer and the evil prosper? You see people will say if God is all-loving and God is all-powerful Then why do the good hurt and why do the evil seem to get away with sin? Well the question of why why the good suffer is an age-old question You see it even in the the book of Psalms the psalmist asaf wrestled with that question and in Psalm 73 verse 3 He said I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked He went on in verses 12 and 13 of Psalm 73 and said this is what the wicked are like Always carefree they increase in wealth Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure in vain. Have I washed my hands in innocence? So the question why do the good suffer and the evil seem to get away with everything is an ancient question and So the book is going to answer that question and the answer to that question is an appeal to what is called the sovereignty of God You see suffering is not the central issue of the book of Job What is learned by suffering is the central issue? Job experientially learns that God is sovereign over everything that God does even as God wills Like it says in Psalm 115 verse 3 our God is in heaven He does whatever pleases him And Paul put it this way in Romans 9 verses 20 and 21. He said who are you oh man to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it? Why did you make me like this? Does not the Potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and Some for common use who are you to answer against God? Who are you to question him is what Paul was saying it is this way of simply saying God is the God is God and I'm not Now as you look at this the time of the writing of Job is interesting the the events recorded Predate the actual writing of the book. It's believed that the events took place If you were looking at your Bible, they would take place between Genesis chapter 11 and chapter 12 That would be between the building of the Tower of Babel and the call of Abraham. So it was an ancient book It's recognized as the earliest book of the Bible and the events occur in what is called the patriarchal period the time of Abraham Isaac Jacob and Joseph The accurate dating is difficult. There are no references to contemporary historical occurrences And therefore it's difficult for them to know exactly when it was written as well as the author. The author is unknown And he's not identified in the book So there have been various authors that are suggested Job himself as one Solomon Isaiah, Hezekiah, Ezra They've all been suggested to have been the ones who were used by the Lord to write this One commentator said Moses most likely wrote the book because the land of us is in ancient Edom just south of the Dead Sea It was located next to ancient Midian and Moses lived in Midian for 40 years Moses may have obtained a record of this event and under God's direction Included in his writings thus he would have written this book between 1485 and 1445 BC If you looked for key verses The key verses give us insight into Job and his questions and God's solutions in Job 131 Naked I came from my mother's womb naked shall I return there the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away Blessed be the name of the Lord. That's a key verse Job 9 verse 33 if only there were someone to arbitrate between us to lay his hand upon us both Job 1315 another key verse though he slay me yet will I trust him and then Job 25 verse 4 How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure these are all key questions that are answered in the book of Job The most beautiful revelation of Job's heart towards the Lord is found in Job 19 25 through 27 when he said I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth and After my skin has been destroyed yet in my flesh. I will see God. I myself will see him with my own eyes I and not another how my heart yearns within me and So these are key verses and key insights The book begins with a controversy a controversy between God and Satan and The controversy covers the first two chapters From there a debate between Job and his friends occurs as to why he's suffering Job initially defends himself and he basically has three complaints First he says God is punishing me for something. I'm not even aware of doing in chapter 7 verse 20 He says have I sinned what have I done to you a watcher of men? Why have you set me as your target so that I am a burden to myself? Secondly Job contends that God doesn't hear him and has even come against him in 13 Chapter 13 verse 24. He says why do you hide your face and regard me as your enemy? Third God allows the wicked to prosper but seems to ignore the righteous in Job 21 7 Why do the wicked live and become old yet? Yes and become mighty in power And so these are these are these are questions everybody has asked and we have opportunity to see God's response You see through Job's constant self-defense We're gonna see this take place as we read the book Job becomes guilty of self-righteousness Because God ultimately is going to end the debate by pointing this out in chapters 38 through 42 And so we're also going to see the result which is Job being able to weather his incredible trial and Being blessed by God You know the story of Job is legendary. It's well known Job is mentioned elsewhere in scripture Ezekiel 14 verse 14 says even if these three men Noah Daniel and Job Were in it they would deliver only themselves by the righteousness sayeth the Lord God James 5 11 says as you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered You've heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about the Lord is full of compassion and mercy You know, what's interesting is Job is mentioned in the Quran and Has spoken of as ever returning to God in what is called surah 3844. He is seen as pious Not simply repentant. So he's he's famous not only in the Jewish religion But even the Quran makes mention of Job and so there's your basic foundation. Let's begin the book Job chapter 1 Verse 1 there was a man in the land of us whose name was Job I didn't mention this to you, but the word Job also means wizard. So he was the wizard of us. Okay. No, that's not true Just seeing if you're listening Okay, I'm sorry. I was reading it today and I thought I ought to say that and I did So it says there's a man in the land of us whose name was Job That man was blameless upright feared God shunned evil So you see four four things that are I pointed out for character traits one He's blameless. This is a man who's called blameless. The word blameless is a word that actually can also speak of integrity It's it speaks of somebody who does not lack in anything. It's not sinless perfection by the way But that he didn't have sins at the time that God was dealing with and That helps us to see that suffering may occur for reasons Unconnected with any sins Job is not initially being chastised for sins that he's committed He's not being chastised at all a Second thing we see about him as we are introduced is that he's upright that word upright speaks of pleasing or righteous It speaks of being unblameable and it's a word that can speak of being straight He was a man in other words who was conscious of living properly and he did so for God It's like what it says in Psalm 19 verse 13 keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins Let them not have dominion over me Then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great Transgression and so he's a man who is upright. He was pleasing to God. He was righteous unblameable He was straight and then third he feared God He was a man who was devoted to the Lord. He's a man who had a holy life Proverbs 22 4 says by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches honor and life This is a man who feared the Lord. He was devoted to him and then a fourth trait is he shunned evil He hated sin so much. He kept habitually turning away from evil and that's an obvious Fruit of fearing God. It says in Proverbs 16 verse 6 by mercy and truth Iniquity is purged and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil In Ephesians 5 11 Paul said have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness rather Reprove them. This is a man who shunned evil. He hated sin. He turned away from it And so he's initially immediately given to us as a man who is righteous. He's blameless He's upright. He fears God. He shuns evil in verse 2 He had seven sons and three daughters Seven sons and three daughters. He's the loving father of 10 children and children were a blessing of the Lord As it says in Psalm 128 verses 1 through 4 Blessed is everyone that fears the Lord that walks in his ways For you shall eat the labor of your hands Happy shall you be And it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the side of your house The children like olive plants round about your table Behold that thus shall the man be blessed that fears the Lord This is a man who had 10 children an indication of being blessed by God So we had a wife and he had children and verse 3 Also, his possessions were 7 000 sheep 3 000 camels 500 yoke of oxen 500 female donkeys Very large household so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east So he had sheep and camels that means that he's a merchant. He had an oxen who speaks of agriculture He had female donkeys which at that time spoke of dairy He had a large household of servants. This made him or he's declared to be the wealthiest man in the east He knew that his wealth was evidence of God's blessings in his life and he praised God for it He goes into verse 4 and says his sons would go and feasted their houses each on his appointed day And would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them And 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 bird 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 one of the Evidences of his devotion is that he had a family a family that was filled with love for the for one another On their son's birthday because that's what speaking being spoken of here when it speaks of their day On the on their birthday they would have a gathering they would get together And they would invite their brothers and sisters and they would celebrate with with with him And it would be just a great day and and yet as this has taken place notice in verse 5 how it says In case they have forgotten God Job would rise early and he would make an offering on their behalf He was concerned that that they might have have have slighted God even in their heart That's how righteous it he was they may have sinned and cursed God in their hearts He's they they may have forgotten God in the midst of the celebration And this is the kind of father he was It was a kind of dad that he was concerned for their well-being and concerned with the glory of God And this gives us a snapshot of this righteous man. This is a man who was rich This is a man who was well esteemed. This was a man who was a father had great family everything Everything's going well for him and then verse 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came Among them The Lord said to satan from where do you come? So satan answered the Lord and said from going to and fro on the earth and From walking back and forth on it The Lord said to satan have you considered by servant job? That there is none like him on the earth a blameless and upright man one who fears God and shuns evil And satan answered the Lord and said and does Job fear God for nothing Have you not made a hedge around him? Around his household and around all that he has on every side You've blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land But now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has And he'll surely curse you to your face The Lord said to satan behold all that he has is in your power Only do not lay a hand on his person So satan went out from the presence of the Lord That's a day when God orders his angels to present themselves to him When it speaks concerning this in verse 6 it speaks of the sons of God the sons of God is another way of speaking Of angels you see the term sons of God used in chapter 38 verse 7 in reference to angels And the reason they're referred to in this way is because it speaks of the resemblance to God in power dignity And in holiness But notice how it says that God orders his angels to present themselves before him the word present for those who take notes Is an interesting word it speaks of the military presentation It is it is like in the military there were times when we had to present ourselves When I was in the army if our company commander called us to an assembly we had to assemble We may be there to present ourselves to him and it may be that he was going to question us related to some things pertaining to To what we were supposed to be doing. That's a word that is a military word It's it's it's a word that speaks of giving account of what they've seen and what they've been doing And as they're doing that and and giving an account they're also receiving directions as well as commands And as this is taking place notice satan also came among them And so when it speaks concerning satan in verse 6 satan also came among them the word Satan is literally the one who withstands He's the adversary He's called in revelation 12 verse 10 the accuser of the brethren and he's among the angels And so satan comes and assembles himself god allows that to take place and god is questioning him And begins to and so in verse 7 the lord said to satan from where do you come? And so what he's doing there is not having a conversation. He's calling him to accountability He's saying i'm asking you Or i'm commanding you to tell me what you've been up to given account of yourself Now he's doing that and from the angels It's not that god is not aware of what he's doing It's so that the angels who haven't fallen have an opportunity to hear an account given to to god and and Understand more of how how satan is working and all and so he says to him given account of yourself What have you been up to from where have you come that gives to us an insight into god sovereignty satan must give an account to him They're not equal there are those today that i've heard and it's been going on for some time Where they say that there are really basically two gods there's god and they're satan and they're equal and they're fighting The bible nowhere indicates anything like that God is god he's a creator of all things in his sovereign all powerful almighty And satan is a created being who has to give an account of himself to god And that's what god is doing here. Where do you come from? What have you been doing? Well satan's answers and says when he says what what have you been up to from where have you come? satan answers the lord and he says from going to and fro on the earth He is never resting He is never ceasing in his search To destroy and to corrupt. I have been in a constant move. I've been going from place to place looking He never rests. He's always searching for someone to destroy It's like what it says in first peter five verse eight Where peter said be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion Walks about seeking whom he may devour and that's what he's saying. I've been going to and fro. I've been going throughout the earth I've been looking I've been up to no good. What have you been doing? Well, this is what I've been doing. So he says in verse eight. Have you considered my servant job? When he says considered have you set your heart on job? Undoubtedly you've seen him. You know how righteous he is. Have you noticed him? Have you seen his righteousness? Have you seen the way that he lives? He is my true servant He's faithful in all that he does. Have you set your sight on him? He is righteous. He loves me. There's none like him on the earth You're looking for defects. Have you set your heart on finding any in him? And that's what the lord is saying. Have you considered my servant job? That there's none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God in evil? Have you set your sight on him to destroy him? Well, Satan answered verse nine answered the lord and said does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him around his household around all that he has on every side?  Can you hear that evil? And I've noticed him. Yes, I have because you don't let me near him You're protecting him. You're protecting his family You're protecting his possessions The psalmist said in Psalm 34 verse 7 you might want to note this the angel of the lord encamps all around those who fear him And delivers them You've been protecting him. You've said a hedge about him. Oh, you're asking me if I've seen him. Of course I've seen him Yes, I've been examining him. Yes, I've been wanting him. Yes. I desire to destroy him. Yes I do that and listen you think that he's blameless. You think that he's upright.  Well, why wouldn't he do that? You put a hedge about him. You bless him He has a lot. He has family has friends. He has he has honor amongst people. He has money He's got everything a person could want You think that he does that you think that he fears you because he loves you now If there's any fear at all in his heart, it's it's a fear that he's going to lose all the things that he has You see he lives on an island of security In fact is it pays to fear you who wouldn't Who wouldn't fear you? If they're constantly protected and blessed If you don't allow me to get to him who wouldn't fear you He only serves you because it pays off But when you really look at the man, yes, I have considered him. Yes, I have looked at him. Yes, I have scrutinized him Yes, I have Looked for a weakness in him I have studied him many years ago now it's been many years 30 30 some years easily I was talking to a friend of mine all of us know raw wreath And I was as I was speaking to raw about something or other Rawl shared something about when he was in the world and and perhaps you may not know who raw was Or is actually raw law as a younger man was a very violent man He was a man who who got in a lot of fights enjoyed fighting and all of that. That's what he was He's a martial arts master an eighth degree black belt in a form of kung fu called sansu. He's a he's a ferocious ferocious fighter and And so I know him he used to teach my sons kung fu Years ago now And so I was there and I would go to the classes and all and I watched my children as as raw beat them up and it was Very pleasing to me and as I would be there We would talk and And so one day he was just visiting and he said something. I've never forgotten. It gave me some insight and I'll share it with you right now He said yeah that he was he said yeah before you know I was christian I was about to get in a fight with somebody just talking to me about that We're in a martial arts class He goes and I studied him and I was studying him the phrase he used and I was studying him and it hit me That's what fighters do That's what they call when boxers are watching film or they watch their opponent. They're studying them. That's what they're doing They're looking for a weakness They're looking for the way he reacts if you throw a jab or whatever everybody who knows anything about boxing and all It's it's studying your opponent getting to know them looking for their weakness That's what satan is doing with joe Have you considered him is another way of saying have you scrutinized him? Have you looked for a defect in him? Have you found a weakness in him? Have you looked closely? I know you have given account of yourself to me and tell me what you're doing Notice how satan immediately says well, of course But you put a hedge about him You won't allow me near him You have kept me from doing what I can do Why wouldn't he worship you? Why wouldn't he have an outward form of of honoring you and our righteousness? You you've blessed him with so many things because you keep me from from getting to him. But if you were to remove that hedge He will curse you to your faith. You see he only serves you because it pays off to do that But verse 11 stretch out your hand touch all that he has He'll surely curse you to your face And the lord verse 12 said to satan behold All that he has is in your power only do not lay a hand On his person so satan went out from the presence of the lord So evil is held in check by god, but he allows satan to work against joe in verse 13 now There was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house and A messenger came to job and said The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding besides them when the savians Rated rated them and and took them away. Indeed. They've killed the servants with the edge of the sword and I alone have escaped to tell you While he was still speaking another also came and said the fire of god fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants Consumed them and I alone have escaped to tell you While he was still speaking another also came and said the caldeans formed three bands rated the camels and Took them away. Yes and killed the servants with the edge of the sword and I alone have escaped to tell you While he was still speaking another also came and said your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house And suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness And struck the four corners of the house and it fell on the young people They're all dead and I alone have escaped to tell you One thing after another after another After another each disaster building on the previous one You have these people who are the savians. They're they're the people of a place called sheba.  I alone have to come and tell you one disaster after another Job arose verse 20 He tore his robe shaped his head He fell to the ground And he worshiped And he said naked I came from my mother's womb Naked shall I return there The lord gave The lord has taken away Blessed be the name of the lord This is a very personal scripture to me I've mentioned this with you to you before When my father went home to be with the lord and I walked into the room That's the scripture that I that I quoted The lord gives and the lord takes away Blessed be the name of the lord How do I and how do we respond to successive waves of pain how One thing after another destruction death The loss of material wealth All of those things obviously are terrible But the concluding disaster the concluding pain Would be almost more than anybody could bear You know these babies that you love so much these 10 children that you have the ones that you would rise in And make sacrifice for in the event that they may have sin and curse God in their hearts You know those kids the kids that you love from the time they were born the ones that you held in your hand The ones that you your hands the ones that you talk to walk to talk to love god and all of those things You know those kids You know the kids that you train to love one another A family that gathers together the the brothers love each other and sisters so much that When it's their birthday they throw a little parties for for themselves and everything.  And job simply arises he he tears his robe Shaves is that these are all signs of mourning It's signs of terrible grief and he's and he says naked i came from my mother's womb Naked shall i return there the lord gave the lord has taken away blessed be the name of the lord Blessed be the name of the lord i've i've had people over the years of my ministry tell me Oh, i feel like job and i smile And there's only one job We can go through a problem that's for sure who doesn't But no there's only one job and by the way Is there's a righteous man and very often the things that we have suffered are actually the fruit of our own Our own sinfulness we reap in what we sow sometimes, you know and and when we think we're like joe Perhaps we're really not maybe we're not doing the things we ought to and and what we're doing is we're receiving God's correction so But in the case of joe what you have is him tearing his robe and shaving his head These are signs of terrible grief and but at the same time as he's grieving he's worshiping god And that's how he responds Blessed be the name of the lord well verse 22 and all this Job did not sin or charge god with wrong He didn't say that god was unjust. He didn't say that there was some moral impropriety with god and all this He didn't blame god for what had taken place so many are so quick to blame the lord But he didn't He just said god gave and god took away Well in verse one of chapter two there was a day When the sons of god came to present themselves before the lord satan came also among them To present himself before the lord the lord said to satan from where do you come? And satan answered the lord and said from going to and for on the earth and from walking back and forth on it The lord said to satan have you considered my servant?  He will curse you Now what's interesting when you look at this and and i want to point this out briefly The two things that people desire to protect are their wealth and their health Those are the two basic things that people protect when i was a young man as i was growing up and About to go into the work Workforce and all my father was speaking to me and and he told me something i've never forgotten He said son take care of your health because if you take care of your health, you're going to be healthy enough to go to work So take care of your health So you can go to work. What was my dad teaching me at the age of 17? He was teaching me health and wealth He was saying if you take care of your health, you can have wealth It's a very ancient reality and you have it here in the book of jobe You have jobe who had wealth and you have jobe who had health the two things that matter to most human beings Their health and their wealth and what has happened is he has lost both He lost all of his wealth including the loving family he had And you'll notice his beautiful wife in just a moment. We all know her and then his body Has been devastated You see satan still uses these things to entrap people So that they might reject god Because if you look at what's going on right now in the united states What is what is what is being used to keep people in fear? If it is not their health What is keeping people in fear right now the fear? Of the covet 19 It is something we all Instinctually have a desire to be healthy to protect our health And why do we want to protect our health for obvious reasons of course to survive? But also so that we might be able to continue to work to provide for the family satan still brings fear And still brings those kinds of things into our life To cause us to focus only on the immediate in order that we might take our side off of god And if something happens to us that hurts us or disappoints us He very often uses these kinds of things for us to curse god to his face To say i don't trust you anymore. I don't believe in you anymore And that's what satan is doing verse 6 and when god says to him He's in your hands spare his life because satan had just said stretch out your hand touch his bone and flesh He'll curse you to your face So verse 7 satan went out from the presence of the lord and struck jobe with painful boils From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head And he took for himself a potsard With which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes he gave to him these paint this painful disease the commentators believe it's what is called elephantiasis They describe elephantiasis as an intense heat of burning and ulcerous swelling Or leprosy in its most terrific form It takes its name from the appearance of the body which is covered with a naughty Cancerous bark like the height of an elephant The whole frame is in a state of progressive disillusion Ending slowly but surely in death. So his body is ulcerated. It's swollen. It's producing Pustules all over all over and so he's sitting in an ash heap and there's in this ash heap It's like being in the in the in the In the junkyard.   He's relieving the pressure Of the boils as this is taking place and can you imagine here comes sweetie pie his wife And verse nine his wife said to him do you still hold fast to your integrity curse god and die sweetheart Is that not what satan said? Job would do If you touch him he will curse you It is very true that very often The enemy can use those who are closest to us to hurt us the most That's very true The ones who could have been there to be of support The ones who could have been there to be of encouragement Sometimes are the ones who hurt the worst This man has lost everything picture it This is a man and he'll speak of this We'll see this in the book of Job when he had walked into the room the elders would stand to give him respect But he became the song of derision of children They stopped respecting him There he is in utter pain and in utter rejection. He's lost everything And this has been going on for some time by the way and it's why finally says curse god and die She's echoing what satan said job would do if god were to touch his body The question is asked are you holding fast to your faith?  So just just say that to him Just say it just say god. You don't love me. God. You're not fair god. You're not righteous god.  And all this joke did not sin with his lips I don't serve god only in good times I serve god at all times I don't serve god only when it's you know, the sun is shining and the birds are singing and everything's going well for me I serve god whether it seems to be good or whether it seems to be bad because it really doesn't matter because it's the same god that I serve And the things that are going well for me are things that I can rejoice and say thank you for your blessings when it's not going so well I can say thank you for your lessons Thank you for teaching me the things that I learned in the dark place Thank you for being the voice that speaks to me in my personal times of sorrow and struggle Thank you lord because when I feel that I'm alone when I feel that there's nobody who understands Then lord, that's what causes me to realize that in my weakness. Then I am made strong Thank you lord for the blessed afflictions that I endure because as I go through these afflictions My faith is made more pure and I see you more clearly and why would I say things about god who's been so good to me? Why when things are not going the way they think that I wanted them to should I turn from him? Shall I not receive evil from his hand as well as good? God is a fair god and nothing comes into my life that hasn't first gone through his perfect will for me Have you understood that one yet? It's true Some of the deepest lessons you will ever learn some of the deepest lessons I have ever learned Have not come in the times on the mountaintop. They have come in the valley They've come when I have felt alone. They have come when I have felt abandoned. They have come when I have felt rejected They have come when I have felt lost They have come when when when everything was in front of me everything in front of me said this is going to be a failure It ain't going to happen.  No, I said I said I know that I'm the one who taught my son what faith is I know that But that doesn't mean that your heart doesn't get concerned I said you don't understand son You don't understand We have 50 staff members That rely on income to pay their bills We've got a building that we pay for 13 acres of land that we pay for We have maintenance costs. We have electricity costs People are not going to be in church son There'll be no funds To pay for everything I said I knew that one day I would be leaving ministry. I knew that I just didn't know it would be this way And I teared up in front of my son. I just didn't know It would be this way And I sat there and I Just got up and I went to to my room to go to sleep I laid my head on my pillow and I said lord They're in charge You are in charge I remember getting up the next day Driving to the office The Holy Spirit reminded me of something The Holy Spirit reminded me of something that God taught us when this church was less than a year old When we were looking for a place for us to meet and we couldn't meet we couldn't find a place to meet We were being evicted from the place that we were meeting at and we couldn't find a place for the church and And the lord spoke to my heart in a way that was audible An internal voice that said I did not raise you up to let you fall I did not raise you up to let you fall And when he originally had done that 39 years almost 39 years ago now I remember nodding my heart And even my head in agreement saying you know You've always been faithful and you will remain faithful. You will remain faithful And I came to the office And I was given an account Of how our finances were And even though we weren't meeting People began to give online And began to be even more generous than when they're attending And not one day And all of these months not one week Have we not received enough to keep this church Floating not once God does that and these are this this may seem like a material thing to you and and in some ways it is Joe Blast is material wealth. It may seem that it's just a material. It's not because giving is spiritual Giving is spiritual. It's a spiritual act of worship And when people are supporting their ministry, they're actually worshiping their god And it and the lord said no he said because as I was driving He spoke to my heart and said I did not raise you up to let you fall And the lord has been good and you learned these things blessed be the name of the lord God takes care of us. No He is the god of when the sun is shining He is the god when when it's dark and cloudy He is the god that we serve and we know that he takes care of us We don't serve god only in the good times. We serve god at all times Even when we're hurting in Habakkuk chapter 3 17 and 18 Though the fig tree does not bud. There are there are no grapes on the vines Though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food Though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls Yet I will rejoice in the lord. I will be joyful in god my savior my god shall supply He always has he will always provide for us because he loves us And shall I serve him only when it's good or shall I not serve him always and it says In all of this Job did not sin with his lips now When Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had had come upon him each one Came from his own place aliphaz the temanite Bildad the shoeite so far the namethite For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him and to comfort him And when they raised their eyes from afar and did not recognize him They lifted their voices in a weft and and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights and no one spoke a word to him They saw that his grief was very great They traveled from long distances When we get to chapter seven you're going to see at verse three that that job at this time has already been suffering for months And so they came from different area the temanites is in northeast Arabia It's the land of Eden Now the namethite is an unknown place some say that it might have been to the south in Judea But this fellow here this other guy is interesting to me bildad. He is the shortest man in the bible. Did you notice that? He's bildad the shoe height. He's very very small I'll let that settle for a moment We don't know where he's from possibly ancient Mesopotamia, but here's the last thought Notice verse 13. They sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights No one spoke a word to him They saw that his grief was very great That's the best thing that could have happened at this time That they were silent Silence And let me give you something very brief silence sometimes When somebody is hurting To silently mourn with them To weep with those who weep Sometimes it's the most important thing you can do because Sometimes we can be very awkward when we try and bring comfort to somebody Woman loses her Her baby in her womb through a miscarriage and somebody with a good heart really wants to comfort her and and says Don't worry. You'll get pregnant again Well any lady who has gone through a miscarriage That doesn't comfort them Your your father dies and they say well, you know what you'll see him again. He's in heaven Well, that's true But you need to allow that person to grieve To experience their sorrow So they can heal Sometimes we try to help people and our hearts are good our words aren't And sometimes the best thing you can do is just sit there quietly And let that person cry And let that person complain. Oh, no, you shouldn't complain. God is good I already know that all things work together for the good to those who love god to those who are the called according to his Purpose, this is all going to work out really and when is the last time you? Suffered like this When did you lose your son? Well, I haven't but I know what I know. You don't know what you would do No, you don't you don't know what you would do And that's why I wouldn't give you advice That's why I'll cry with you Because that's what you need And that's why I'll listen to you Because that's what you need We know our god is good and we know our god is able we know our god will bring us through But guess what sometimes it hurts and when Jesus was in that grave for three days his friends and family Lost it. They grieved They were losing even though he said I will rise on the third day human beings need to grieve sometimes And sometimes the worst thing that we can do is try and give them a quick fix when in fact they need to just cry It's not wrong to cry is healthy too To cry and say god My heart is broken is real But my god heals the broken hearted And that's why I cast my care on him because he cares for me And that's why I worship the wounded healer for he was hurt and understands pain. That's why He knows what's in man And he knows what hurts in you and so Job's friends are between the best ministry they could possibly do when they sat there quietly But that only lasted a week and then They opened their big mouths And we're going to see that when we get back together and continue our study