“In Adam all die”- Job 1:13–22

We enter the beginning of Job’s intense and unimaginable suffering this morning. As we do, we realize that many human beings experience similar sufferings, although perhaps not to the same degree that our Job did.

Scott Christensen helps us set our discussion this morning,

“There is a darkness in this world that inevitably presses hard on us all, leaving an indelible mark of pain and suffering.” Scott Christensen, What About Evil? A Defense of God’s Sovereign Glory, 1

This provides us with a proper frame of mind to open the disasters in this portion of Job. In our sermon this morning, we will discuss evils (there is more than one) and suffering, Job’s severe losses, and his sweet response. All this will show us that in Adam all die, but thankfully, there is a Second Adam.

I. EVILS AND SUFFERINGS- Rom. 5:12; 8:19–22; 2 Peter 3:11–13

There are two types of evil mentioned in Scripture (particularly translated as such in the KJV). One involves moral evil, that is sin (any lack of conformity to, or transgression of, the Law of God).

A. Moral Evil- Isaiah 14:12–15; Ezekiel 28:11–19; Gen. 3:1–7

At some point in history, Satan fell. We have glimpses of this fall in passages like Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. It is from Satan’s fall that sin enters into the universe, and through Satan the temptation of Eve comes, and her acquiescence to the temptation, and more specifically Adam, that sin comes into the world, as we read in Romans 5:12 “12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” .

Murder

Theft

Adultery

Unrighteous Anger

Lying

Idol worship

Taking God’s name in vain

These are a handful of examples of evil, that is, moral evil. But Scripture also speaks of natural evil, or perhaps we would say bad things, unfortunate things.

B. Natural Evil- 1 Kings 9:1–9; Job 2:10, 11

Evil, disaster

Floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, famine, etc.

Our worldview, the way we understand how things work, must include an understanding that sometimes that are natural evils, bad things, that happen to humans and the rest of creation.

Furthermore, we cannot make the mistake of Job’s three friends that natural evil is the result of personal sin.

We read about a New Testament example of this in the days of Christ. In John 9:2 “2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?””

Notice their worldview did not include a category that allowed natural evil to fall on someone without their guilt.

We also need to understand that the reason there is natural evil is because there is moral evil. Christ teaches his disciples this as well, in Luke chapter 13. There are times when morally evil people suffer for their sins, and there are times when, from a human’s perspective, an innocent person suffers despite their innocence.

But we are all sinners, guilty before a holy God and in desperate need for salvation. Our experience with natural evil should raise awareness of our moral evil and send us immediately to the feet of the Creator and Redeemer.

C. Suffering- 2 Corinthians 1:3–7

Our understanding of the world, then, must include a category to understand both moral and natural evils. Beyond this, however, we must come to grasps with suffering.

We know from several passages of Scripture that suffering is not blind nor purposeless, but is guided by the hands of a good and sovereign God for purpose.

One of the many reasons, aside from forming us into the image of Jesus Christ, that God brings suffering into our lives is for us to help others.

Though the phrase, the hands and feet of Jesus is certainly overused, there is some truth to it when it comes to ministering to one another.

II. JOB’S SEVERE LOSSES- 1:13–19

In four moments, servants of Job bring him bad news after bad news. These are tragedies, each in their own right a life changing event.

1:14–15, Sabeans took oxen and donkeys, killed Job’s servants

1:16, Fire of God fell from heaven, burned up the sheep and servants

1:17, Chaldeans, three groups raided and took the camels and killed Job’s servants

Job had lost all of his wealth within a few moments

1:18–19, while dining at the oldest son’s house, a “great wind” came and knocked the four corners of the house down, killing all of Job’s children

“An alternation of two human terrorist attacks and two ‘natural’ disasters have deprived Job of everything. If we dwell for a few moments on this scene, it is hard not to weep with Job. Throughout the rest of this long book we must never forget the trauma of this scene.” Christopher Ash, Job: The Wisdom of the Cross, 48

III. JOB’S SURPRISING RESPONSE- 1:20–22

What would be our responses to such devastating news?

Would we be speechless? Overcome with heart-stopping grief? Angry?

Job’s response is both surprising and remarkable. It demonstrates that for Job, his relationship with God was the most important thing in his life. Everything else was subservient to that.

A. Job’s Character Demonstrated

The mind of Satan is so warped that he cannot accept that Job serves God “for nought,” or “for no reason.” God takes away everything from Job, with the exception of his wife and his own health.

Job proves God right and Satan wrong. And in so doing, exalts God’s glory.

B. God’s Glory Exalted

God brought Job to Satan’s attention. God told Satan that none of his other servants were like Job.

As John Piper reminds us, “And my point is that God intends for Satan to be defeated in this age not merely by showing him to be weaker than Christ, but also by showing him to be less savory than Christ—less desirable, less satisfying.” John Piper, Providence, 282

“Job knows that eventually he will die and take nothing away. It is almost as if he has died today. He understands that all his possessions and all his children were gifts from the Lord. By the nature of the Godness of God he gives, and it is therefore entirely his prerogative to take away as he sees fit, as and when he chooses. This in part of God being God.” Christopher Ash, Job: The Wisdom of the Cross, 49

IV. JOB’S SWEET SECRET- 1:20–22

Satan asks, “Does Job fear God for no reason” in 1:9. Satan could not conceive Job’s dedication to God unless it was attached to some practical benefit to Job. There had to be an ulterior motive, Satan reasoned.

But Satan, being a creature of such evil, is incapable of any good, and thus failed to see Job’s sweet secret. Job indeed feared God for a reason, but it was for a reason that escaped Satan, and sadly, far too many believers.

Job’s secret was that Job’s reason for fearing God was for God himself. Or, to put it another way, the only reason Job could say, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” was because Job’s greatest treasure was God Himself.

Job would heartily agree with David in the 16th psalm, “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup.” Job would agree with Asaph in the 73rd Psalm, “Whom have I in heaven but you? and there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”

“God is to be praised no less when he takes away than when he gives—no less. Clearly, Job’s love and loyalty to God are in no way tied to ancillary blessings: every secondary blessing from God remains secondary for Job, pure gift and subordinate to God himself….Job is blessing God more deeply as a result of suffering.” Eric Ortlund, Piercing Leviathan: God’s Defeat of Evil in the Book of Job, 18

In Adam all die, but all who believe in Christ will never die. When Christ saves you, He changes everything, He takes away the punishment of our moral evil, slowly changing us into Him image. He sanctifies the natural evil and suffering we experience. And He promises never to take away the one person that satisfies our souls—God Himself.

You see, then, how Job could say, and all the redeemed of the Lord with him,

The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed by the name of the LORD.