Some of you know God called me to preach before my eighteenth birthday. Shortly afterwards, a small church about twelve miles from my home invited me to preach. They were without a pastor and needed someone to supply for them. Because of the size and location of the congregation, they were having a hard time finding someone to preach. You can read about the church and see a picture here.

I, of course, wanted to preach and accepted every opportunity they gave me. After I had been there for a couple of weeks, I attended a funeral service for someone in the congregation. I did not officiate the service but attended with most of the church members.

After the service I stood with two of the deacons of the church (they only had three or four deacons) with a man I did not know. When the two deacons introduced me as their “preacher” the man immediately asked me a theological question. Having seem many others like him, I have always assumed he wanted to test the young preacher and trip me up.

He asked an extremely obscure question, especially for an eighteen year old. He wanted to know who the “sons of God” were who came before the Lord in the Book of Job (Job 1:6). He put it this way: “I’ve always wanted to know this. Could you tell me who they were?”

Here’s the strange part. At that point in my brief ministry, I had preached only a few sermons. One came from the call of Abraham in Genesis 12. That is a common sermon text and an important turning point in the plan of God. No one would be surprised that I might know something about Abraham.

But the “sons of God” in Job?

For some unknown reason, one of the hand full of sermons I had came from Job 1. My pastor had recommended a commentary set for me to my father. He immediately bought me the whole set. One of the few passages of Scripture I had studied only shortly before was Job 1.

When the stranger asked who the “sons of God” were in front of two deacons of the church, I answered with all I knew. “I think they were angels.” It was what the commentary said..

The man was speechless.

The next week the church called me to be their pastor.

True story.

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