The Answer is in the Ashes

Introduction

Story: When a fire is burning in a fireplace, everything is active—flames moving, logs cracking, heat filling the room. But once the fire dies down, what remains is ash. To the untrained eye, ashes look like the end—waste, ruin, and nothing useful.

Yet anyone who knows how fireplaces work understands something important: you don’t know how well the fire burned until you see the ashes. The ashes reveal what was real, what lasted, and what was consumed. They tell the story of the fire.

“The Answer is in the Ashes”. Is there anyone here this morning that has had a situation in your life to happen and you just couldn’t understand why and how this could have happened. It just didn’t make sense to you.

Tension

And just like we have been taught in church, go down on your knees and pray and tell God about it. But what happens when God does not answer.

Can you trust God when you don’t understand?

We ask questions for fundamental reasons. We ask questions to close a gap between an explanation and our interpretation. We also ask questions because we are curious and trying to learn, to solve a problem.

There are going to be times in your life that circumstances are going to arise and you will feel overwhelmed and under appreciated by others. You are going to feel like you are doing your best in life, you maybe living your best life, you treat people with respect, you devote time for God but adversity knocks at your door.

And you may ask God, why? And God seems to be silent to your plea. Listen to me this morning because God told me to let you know that His Answer is in the Ashes.

The Book of Job is an interesting book where the primary narrative is about suffering. In todays text we will see the beginning of Job’s suffering. His suffering will be a test of his integrity and faith. I want you to look through the lens of suffering and seeking for understanding. The bible says that Job was a perfect and upright man who feared God and shun evil. One night Job, his wife, children, servants, and livestock went to bed happy, wealthy and merry. Then they woke up that next morning, had breakfast and started their day and went their separate ways. Satan comes to town looking for someone to lead astray and God suggests his servant Job. By night, Job had lost everything but his wife and 4 servants.

One of the most misunderstood bible verses is 1 Thess 5:18

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV

18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The scripture does not say “for everything” but “in everything”. We must remember that when adversity and suffering knocks at our door with the matches of misery to burn down our house that the answer is in the ashes.

Ashes are a place of humility (v.7-8)

Literally with the snap of a finger Job has lost his children and wealth, and now Satan is attacking Job’s health

Notice that Satan attacks Job outside the presence of God.

Satan talks to God early in the story asking to test Job

God grants him permission, but the attacks come outside the presence of God

Some people say that Satan had power over Job, but to have power over something or someone you have to have control of it.

Notice that when he struck him with boils - a tumor; an inflamed swelling of tissue, Job has access to a tool to help with the relief of the boils.

Job uses broken pottery (potsherd) to help relieve the irritation.

Literally broken pottery absorbs what it comes in contact with.

Potsherd is used 6 times all in the OT.

The porous nature of earthenware vessels generates another symbolic layer. Because pottery absorbed fat and uncleanness through contact, it had to be broken when contacted by either holiness or uncleanness

Point:

God will use broken pieces in your life to absorb those things that are irritating you.

When it seems like Satan is having his way, our God will supply the tools to help you deal with it.

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”

Satan - as many times that I have read and studied this story, God showed me something about Satan here when he smote or struck Job with these boils.

According to scripture and biblical history, God is the only power that has used boils to divinely judge His people.

God struck Egypt with a plague of boils

God threatened Israel with sever boils in Deut 28 because of disobedience

God inflicted King Jehoram with boils because he had committed grave sins.

Point: Satan in verse 7 is actually mocking God

Q. What is the purpose of sitting down in the ashes?

Job is sitting in the ashes not because he failed or because God failed him, but because everything that he had was consumed. These were ashes of repentance and restoration. How can Job put the pieces of the puzzle back together?

Point: Job’s sitting in the ashes actually is showing reverence to his God because sitting in the ashes was the evidence of the fire Job had been through and survived.

Psalm 113:7–8 KJV 1900

7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; 8 That he may set him with princes, Even with the princes of his people.

Ashes Reveal who is with you (v.9)

Job’s wife is by his side during the lost of their children and their wealth.

Job and Ms. Job have a broken, grieving heart, and they have no way to make this wealth back up

Not only losing their kids, but possessions, Job’s health is declining, but now he loses the encouragement of his wife.

All while supporting God daily by the way he lives but bad things are happening to him.

Point: It is rough and a challenge to have everything you ever wanted in life. You wake up one morning and everything is good, and then you get a phone call or a doctor’s report and by the evening it is all gone.

The bible says that when a man leaves his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Q. Why does Satan not ask God if he can test Ms. Job?

Maybe Satan already had Ms. Job and his friends in his pocket. No where in the Book of Job do we read or see where Satan talked to Job.

All of the discouragement towards Job comes from his wife and his friends.

Ms. Job says “curse” God and “die”

curse comes from the Hebrew Word bāraḵ: A verb meaning to bless, kneel, salute, or greet. The verb derives from the noun knee and perhaps suggests the bending of the knee in blessing. Its derived meaning is to bless someone or something.

Satan is the master of division and deception.

Look at what happens now. Job’s wife sees what her husband is going through and she says, “Curse God and die.” It is hurting my heart to see you go through it right now. I know we have lost all of our kids and wealth, and I know I don’t have a life insurance policy but it is hurting me to see you like this.

Point: But Thank God that Satan does not determine if I can live or die. Satan has no power in my life because God sent his Son Jesus who die for me and “Because He Lives I can face tomorrow.”

There are times in life when bad things happen to Good people who follow God. But Jesus says in scripture John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””

Application: 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Ashes Reveal True Character (v. 10)

Job finally speaks. He tells his wife that she speaks as one of the foolish women.

Now we have Job overcoming temptations, and now his faith is being tested.

God says that Job is a righteous man and that no one on earth is like him.

Job listens to his wife but he isn’t hearing what she is saying. (Explain the difference between listen and hearing). He tells her that she speaks as a foolish woman. “Even with the love of his life speaking foolish, his love and faith is still in the LORD.

With God, we accept the good with the bad.

And even though I am going through a rough patch right now, I will not allow any sin to not as much come out of my mouth, but not touch my lips. This shows the heart of Job because scripture says that what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart.

I have a question for Job. Q. How can you be so patient during your trials?

When I first lost my children and wealth, I went in worship with God and said The Lord gave and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD. Job 1:20–22 “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 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.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.”

Point: There were sometimes that I did complain to God and demanded an answer but I didn’t allow my complaints to out weigh my prayers and praise. Because the test that God took me to, he then took me through.

In Job 23:10 “But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”

Questions that Job asked:

Why did I not die at birth (3:11-12)

Why is light given to those in misery (3:20-23)

Why does God allow those with bitter souls to live when they want to die?

Why does God hide His face and regard me as an enemy?

God ask Job in Chapter 38

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

When I hung the moon, stars, sun, where were you Job?

When I painted the grass green

When I gave the hyena it’s laugh, the cow it’s moo, and the horse it’s na.

What was the answer in the ashes?

An Upright and Perfect Man

A Man of Integrity

Deliverance

Reverence for God

Faith in God

Patience

When I think about Job and Jesus?

Both Men were innocent

Both Men were perfect

Both Men suffered

Both Men were upright

Both Men feared God

Both had friends and family to turn their back on them.

But a couple of things Jesus did that Job couldn’t do.

Job was afflicted by Satan but Jesus defeated Him one Sunday morning

Job 42:17 says Job died of old age

Jesus died one Friday and He stayed in the grave all night Friday, all day Saturday, and All night Saturday, but early Sunday morning Jesus got up from that grave will all power in His hand.