Job is Tested

Context

Life of faith: awakens, questions, draws life from Christ, actions, now: New series: Faith Suffers.

Our guide for this series is the Old Testament figure, Job.

The book of Job is located in your Bible just before the book of Psalms, near the middle of the Bible.

The book of Job is a wisdom book…like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, which ponder the meaning (or seeming lack of meaning) in life and how to live it well. In the 42-chapter book of Job, characters poetically argue over who is to blame suffering — Is God unjust? Do people deserve what happens to them? The question is set within a story, the story of the central character, Job.

Job was righteous man who feared God. By all accounts blessed by God — healthy, large family of wife, sons and daughters, extensive property and wealth. The greatest man in all the East. But then one day, Satan challenges Job’s integrity. Satan says to God, of course Job fears and worships you — you give him everything anyone could want. Take away all the blessings you have given him and he’ll curse you. So, God allowed Satan to take all Job’s assets from him — crops, herds, servants, possessions, even his children -- 7 sons and 3 daughters -- all destroyed in a single day. Job reduced to nothing. Yet Job did not curse God. Instead, he grieved and worshiped, saying, “Naked I came into the world, naked I shall depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this calamity, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.

This is where we pick up the story.

Text

Job 1:1 NRSV

There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.

Job 2:1–10 NRSV

One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.” Then Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes. Then his wife said to him, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Introduction

Exegesis

Job has surmounted an incredible challenge. He maintained his faith in God in the face of the loss of all his worldly goods.

Admirable because there is no reason that Job can discern for why he has experienced such calamity the hand of God. (all in one day, clearly divine action)

Job did not know there was a wager going on in heaven. We the readers are told that Satan challenged Job’s integrity.

Job only reverences you because you bless him. It is a mercenary relationship.

Yet Job, by not sinning with his lips, but instead worshipping, proved that that accusation was not true.

He honored God for God’s own sake and laid no claim to the blessings God gave or took away.

he had proven God right in God’s claims about Job.

All Job knew was the loss and the grief.

But up in heaven, the heavenly court is again assembled. Satan comes again.

God points out that Job had proven Satan wrong. God right.

But Satan persists. Skin for skin. Anyone can overcome the loss of stuff. If you really want to know what Job is made of, afflict his flesh and bones. I say: he will curse you to your face.

In other words: the test was not strong enough. Do you really believe in Job? Then let’s take the kid’s gloves off.

So, God authorizes Satan to attack Job’s person.

Satan afflicts Job with disease described by one 9th c. commentator as a kind of leprosy in which the body rots, the flesh melts away, the features of the face decompose, the nostrils disappear, and a filthy, sour and corrosive pus constantly oozes from the body.

‘Greatest man of the east’ reduced to sitting like a living skeleton in ashes scraping his sores with a potsherd, trying to find relief.

Job 2:12 “And when his friends saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven.”

They sat with him for 7 days in silence. For they saw his suffering was very great. Sitting sheva. As if he had died.

Then his wife comes to him.

Do you STILL hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.

Not an abstract question. This is Job’s wife. Job has lost everything. She has lost everything. Plus she sees her husband dying a slow death. She is in grief and pain. And, she is pointing out a question that Job must reckon with.

Do you still maintain your integrity when God has abandoned his?

You do you part: worship. He does his part: protect and bless. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IS HOW RELIGION WORKS! He is clearly cursing you: So return the curse and die. Fair is fair!

The wife is right that God is involved. But not in the way that she or Job’s friends, or even Job suppose.

God is allowing the suffering…but he is not Job’s enemy. Rather, God is betting on Job. God is betting against Satan that Job will not do what his wife is proposing: curse God and die.

As Job and his wife have this conversation, every ear in heaven is listening in.

Can a man, all alone, and with no reason provided and every counter-indicator assaulting him, really maintain his integrity and pay homage to God?

They are listening for Job to say the simple words: God, you have done me wrong, you don’t exist or if you do you are wicked, I was wrong to ever believe in you! I take back all my praises and all my sacrifices!

But that is not what the ears of heaven heard. That is not what Job said. There in the ashes. slurred speech, rank breath, aching with every word, potsherd in his hand, dust in his sores and dogs licking at him…he asks a question:

Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad? (NRSV)

GOD is within his rights. He did not utter one sinful word.

A ripple through heaven. Job was passing the test.

Perhaps every angel, good and bad alike, Satan himself, struck dumb. There was nothing else to be done to this man…yet his faith was sure.

And there was God. Silent, perhaps, not because God was dumbfounded, but because God was proven right, Job was who God said he was.

Job’s faith, we will see later in the book of Job, was commended by God.

Interpretation

As we read on into the story of Job, we will see that the implications of passing this test are still unfolding. Job will cry out to God for some explanation. God will answer Job. God will restore Job.

But just in this moment of passing the test of integrity in the midst of suffering, Job accomplishes something of great value.

He proves who he really is.

He was a man of great faith and piety. Proven true by passing the test. The only way.

example: math test, marathon, all the way across the pool.

Would not wish a test like this on anyone, but how else can it be known?

How do we know that Jesus was the Son of God?

he died and rose again.

How did he get to that point? By overcoming tests

He was tested.

First story as an adult. Testing.

Tested by Satan. If you are the Son of God, then, sufferings.

Yet Jesus passed. I accept the good, and I accept the bad.

But what would have happened, if Jesus had said, Satan you are right, affirming God is not worth all this hardship? The plan of salvation would have stopped there.

Tested in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus was in the Garden and they were coming to get him to torture, shame, and execute him. Jesus prayed not my will be done, but thine. Let this cup pass from me. You must drink the cup. Shall I accept good from God and not also evil?

Tested when they took his possessions, his clothing, his health. Beat and crucified him.

When on the cross — why have you forsaken me? An assurance of vindication,

In all his doing, Jesus did not sin with his lips. He died with God on his lips, into your hands I commend my spirit.

With every indication against faith, he had faith.

He could have sinned with his lips in the wilderness. In the garden. On the cross. at any time he could have made the suffering stop.

He endured his suffering.

He was made perfect by his sufferings. Proven to be who he claimed to be. The Son of God FOR us

Hebrews 5:8–9 “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,”

it was only by having faith, passing the test, that he was able to become who he was — the sacrifice of God for all of us.

Here ist he hidden blessing in what Job suffered: he became a type or a sign of Christ before the Christ came.

By passing his test, he proved that it was possible for the son of God to become human and overcome Satan.

Jesus by passing his own test, can save all who place their faith in him.

James 5:11 “Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”

When we get to heaven, we will get to meet Job. He will be standing right next to Jesus.

How do we want to measure up to them? How do we handle suffering in our own lives?

Application

Looking at our lives.

Not all suffering is a direct test by Satan.

But all suffering does test our faith.

a choice is presented to us.

Do we curse God or do we bless God

When we get a notification that we have lost our job…do we curse God or do we say, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

when the police department calls and says there has been an accident…Do we curse God or do we say, Naked I came into this world, naked I depart

when the doctor pulls out the file and says, I’ve got bad news…Do we curse God or do we say, Blessed be the name of the Lord.

All suffering is an opportunity for us to discover whether we accept from God only the good, and never the bad.

“Discover” because

I can claim that I am a certain kind of person— trick ourselves — , but my character is shown in my actions.

I can claim to be a patient person. Proof, by being patient in a frustrating situation.

I can claim to love others. Proof, by being loving toward them.

I can claim to believe that God is good and sovereign at all times. Proof, when the going gets tough, I reverence him.

A brother in the Lord

a faithful bible teacher, every Sunday morning. Went through the whole Bible in 10 years.

Tithed and gave to the church.

Appeared at every function.

Signs of his faith. Faith also demonstrated in suffering

house fire in which he lost everything.

Estrangement from a daughter that lasted years.

Various health and financial concerns

His favorite book of the Bible: Job. Sometimes life doesn’t make sense, you just have to trust God no matter what.

Every time I said God is good, he would say, All the Time.

Working our way up.

at a light signal. Thank you for this opportunity to bless you

at this rude person.

at this sickness.

at this time of death.

The more intense the suffering the more valuable the turn toward God.

I can handle this, this, this, and this.

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

Conclusion

We want to get on this practice:

For we all must suffer, but we need not blaspheme.

We all must die, but we don’t need to die without the faith we proclaimed during life.

Instead: Blessed be the name of the Lord, I know that my redeemer lives!

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

We pray for those who are suffering, through sickness, through loss, without support, in loneliness. Vindicate them, O Lord.

We pray for those who seek justice, who frown upon evil but are still shunned and persecuted. Vindicate them, O Lord.

We pray for those who feel like the smallest of the small, the weakest of the weak, those who feel ignored and unloved. Vindicate them, O Lord.

We pray for those who have been abandoned or abused, who have been neglected and left powerless, who have been limited or rejected. Vindicate them, O Lord.

Take them into your arms as Jesus did with the children, and bless them every day so that they are supported, liberated, loved, and accepted.

In the name of the one who welcomed the children. Amen.