Job's Suffering
In the Beginning - Job's Suffering • Sermon • Submitted
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Gods sovereignty and Job’s suffering.
Gods sovereignty and Job’s suffering.
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.
God saw four important characters in Job;
He was blameless
He was upright
He was one who Feared God
He turned away from evil
Lets take a look at Job’s Prosperity
His character (Job 1:1). Job was “perfect and upright”
He was not sinless, for nobody can claim that distinction;
Job was complete and mature in character and “straight” in conduct. The word translated “perfect” is related to “integrity,” another important word in Job (2:3, 9; 27:5; 31:6).
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
People with integrity (people who keep their promises) are whole persons, without hypocrisy or duplicity. In the face of his friends’ accusations and God’s silence, Job maintained his integrity; and the Lord ultimately vindicated him.
The foundation for Job’s character was the fact that he “feared God and shunned evil.”
“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).
10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
To fear the Lord means to respect who He is, what He says, and what He does.
It is not the cringing fear of a slave before a master but the loving reverence of a child before a father, a respect that leads to obedience.
“The remarkable thing about fearing God,” said Oswald Chambers, “is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else.”
His Family (Job 1:2). Job was prosperous in his family. The events in Job took place during the time when a large family was seen as a blessing from God (Gen. 12:2; 13:16; 30:1).
The children must have enjoyed each other’s company since they met frequently to celebrate their birthdays.
This speaks well of the way Job and his wife raised them.
Job was a Godly man and wanted to be sure his family was right with God. he offered prayers and sacrifices for the covering of any sin his family have commited against God
This is a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ who was the sacrifice for all sin.
Notice vv.5 says; “This was Job’s regular practice”.
His Material Possessions (Job 1:3).
In those days, wealth was measured primarily in terms of land, animals, and servants; and Job had all three in abundance.
He acknowledged that the Lord gave this wealth to him (Job 1:21), and he used his wealth generously for the good of others (4:1–4; 29:12–17; 31:16–32).
Job would have had no problem obeying what Paul wrote in :
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. 17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Being rich did not turn him away from God.
Now lets take a look at,
Job’s adversity
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 And 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.”
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
12 And 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.
The sons of God refers to Angels. All angels answer and report to God.
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
Several important truths emerge from this scene, not the least of which is that:
1. God is sovereign in all things.
no matter what happens in this world and in our lives, God is on the throne and has everything under control.
He is on the throne of heaven, the angels do His will and report to Him, and even Satan can do nothing to God’s people without God’s permission.
“The Almighty” is one of the key names for God in Job; it is used thirty-one times.
From the outset, the writer reminds us that, no matter what happens in this world and in our lives, God is on the throne and has everything under control.
2. Satan has access to God’s throne in heaven.
3. God found no fault with Job, but Satan did.
4. Satan can touch God’s people only with God’s permission, and God uses it for their good and His glory.
A second truth—and it may surprise you—is that
2. Satan has access to God’s throne in heaven. Many people have the mistaken idea that Satan is ruling this world from hell. But Satan will not be cast into the lake of fire until before the final judgment (Rev. 20:10ff).
Today, he is free to go about on the earth (Job 1:7; 1 Peter 5:8) and can even go into God’s presence in heaven.
This third truth is most important:
3. God found no fault with Job, but Satan did.
God’s statement in Job 1:8 echoes the description of Job’s Character in verse 1, but Satan questioned it.
The word “Satan” means “adversary, one who opposes the law.”
This is a courtroom scene, where God and Satan each deliver different verdicts about Job.
God said “Not guilty!” (1:8; 2:3; 42:7)
There was nothing in Job’s life that compelled God to cause him to suffer.
But Satan said “Guilty!” because he is the accuser of God’s people and finds nothing good in them (Zech. 3; Rev. 12:10).
Satan’s accusation against Job was really an attack on God.
We might paraphrase it like this: “The only reason Job fears You is because You pay him to do it. You two have made a contract: You protect him and prosper him as long as he obeys You and worships You. You are not a God worthy of worship! You have to pay people to honor You.”
God allows Satan to test Job’s faith
13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
16 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, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided 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!”
18 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, 19 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, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
A fourth truth emerges:
4. Satan can touch God’s people only with God’s permission, and God uses it for their good and His glory. Phillips Brooks said, “The purpose of life is the building of character through truth.” God is at work in our lives to make us more like Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29), and He can use even the attacks of the devil to perfect us.
rom 8.28-29 “28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”
lets read how Job reacted;
Job’s statement of Faith
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
Job looked up and uttered a magnificent statement of faith: “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).
Instead of cursing God, as Satan said Job would do, Job blessed the Lord!
Anybody can say, “The Lord gave” or “The Lord hath taken away”; but it takes real faith to say in the midst of sorrow and suffering, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Satan is on the Attack again.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Lets read starting in Ch.2
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”
Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”
4 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
6 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.
Some of the so-called tragedies in the lives of God’s people have really been weapons of God to “reprove the enemy and the avenger” (Ps. 8:2). The angels watch the church and learn from God’s dealings with His people (1 Cor. 4:9; Eph. 3:10).
We may not know until we get to heaven why God allowed certain things to happen. Meanwhile, we walk by faith and say with Job, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job’s three friends said Job was suffering because he had sinned, and that was not true.
Elihu said that God was chastening Job to make him a better man, and that was partly true.
But the fundamental reason for Job’s suffering was to silence the blasphemous accusations of Satan and prove that a man would honor God even though he had lost everything.
It was a battle “in the heavenlies” (Eph. 6:12), but Job did not know it. Job’s life was a battlefield where the forces of God and Satan were engaged in a spiritual struggle to decide the question, “Is Jehovah God worthy of man’s worship?”
Job’s answer was yes.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
job 23.10
10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
(play gold refinery video)
You and I too may have to go through the furnace to bring glory to our God and maker. If so, don’t be afraid! By faith, just say with Job, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
“Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence.” St. Augustine
There are many who come into the church longing for an easy Christianity, an easy to understand and easy to follow religion; a religion with no mystery, no problems, no snags; a religion that would allow us to escape from our miserable human condition; a religion in which contact with God spares us from all strife, all uncertainty, all suffering and all doubt; in short, a religion without the Cross.
Jesus said,
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
9 “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker— An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.