Cursed God In Their Hearts

Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. When these celebrations ended —sometimes after several days —Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice. Job 1:4-5

JOB WAS A GREAT AND GODLY MAN. He had plenty of wealth and what would appear to be the perfect family. But there was deep anxiety in Job’s heart —that something sinister might be happening in the hearts of his children. When every birthday party came to an end for each of his ten children, he would call them together to offer a sacrifice. There seemed to be a sense of urgency as, “early in the morning,” they would gather around the family altar, where Job would offer a burnt offering for each of them. A whole sacrificial animal was consumed by the fire, which pictured the hot anger of God burning up the animal instead of burning up Job’s child. Perhaps Job burned one animal at a time, saying to each son or daughter, “This one is for you, just in case you have cursed God in your heart.”

Evidently Job’s children lived in such a way that he couldn’t point to a particular sin. Evidently they hadn’t cursed God with their mouths. But Job understood that what matters is not simply a veneer of religiosity or good behavior but rather inner lives inclined toward affection for God. Job also believed in the atoning power of sacrifice. So he cast his fears over his children’s sins onto the altar, the place where such sins are dealt with.

Like Job, we can’t see into the hearts of our children. But we can see the sacrifice available that deals with the sin of our children much clearer than Job ever could. Job put his hope in a Redeemer who would come in the future, in a sacrifice he couldn’t fully grasp. We put our hope for the forgiveness of our children’s sins in the Redeemer who came in the past, and in his sacrifice on the cross.

Lord, we long for so much more than outward conformity and good behavior for ________. We long for ________ to be sensitive to the sins of the heart. We long for ________ to have a deep and growing love for you rather than resentment toward you. Each year of her life, may ________ look upon the once-for-all perfect sacrifice of your Son and recognize that Christ died in her place so that she can live in you.