Have you Considered my servant Job?

Has anyone spent any time reading the book of Job recently? It is a fascinating narrative to say the least. We are going to walk through a good chunk of the story today, but for anyone here who might not be familiar with the story, I will give you the cliff notes at the beginning.

Job is a faithful God-fearing man, who has great wealth, and a large family.

At a meeting of Heavenly council, to which Satan has come before, God asks Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, who is blameless and upright?

Satan contends, Job would not be blameless or upright if God had not blessed him so, allow me me to interfere, and he will curse you.

Satan first takes everything from Job, his wealth, his estate, and even his sons and daughters.

Job still praises God.

Satan is allowed by God to afflict Job’s body with painful boils, head to toe, but is not allowed to take his life.

Job’s wife contends Job is to proud, suggesting, Curse God and Die. Job does not sin with his lips.

Thus begins 10’s of chapters of Job with his three friends talking. Their topics, range from, why this ordeal is happening, what is the solution, and Job maintaining his innocence to deserve such an ordeal.

As we dig into the story, I hope to answer some important questions?

Is Job blameless until the end?

Why does God allow Satan to torture Job?

Is Job Blameless until the end?

What is the biggest lesson that Job learns?

Before we go, further lets take a moment to pray.

A question many who see suffering taking place or who are experiencing personal suffering have often, is why does God allow suffering? Why does he allow pain. If he loves this world so much, why all the suffering?

While I was in seminary, my friend Michael called me one morning asking me if I could meet him at a local breakfast place. Michael was in a bad place. The night before, he had just had to put down his best friend, his boxer dog Laila. I got there and then sat across from my openly weeping friend. Laila wasn’t just a dog to Michael, she had been with him during his greatest hills and valley’s. When he had given his heart to the Lord and had had friends, and jobs leave him. Laila had been with him. Laila had a degenerative disease, where she wasn’t able to stand well, and hardly be able to walk, she could no longer make it outside to the poddy. Her disease had come quickly and worsened terribly in a matter of just a couple weeks. Now sitting across from me in this restaraunt, Michael asked questions, if I am this sad at losing my dog, how does God look on and see all the sadness and pain in the world, and not do anything?

I remember thinking… He does! He does step in. But rather than answer impulsively, the way I am prone to do, I chose to not answer. Answering that question while someone in the midst of suffering, just begs another question, why does God step in here, and allow suffering and calamity there? The truth was I didn’t have a good answer, so I chose not answer.

As I have visited with my friend Pastor Mark Heisy over the course of the last several weeks, I have done exactly with Eulita and Mark have asked me not to do, which is ask God why? Mark’s battle against lymphoma cancer has been both courageous and difficult to say the least. So many of us who are close to him have asked God, why does a man of such great faith, love, and generous spirit go through things like cancer?

But isn’t that the human rationale we make? Good people don’t deserve suffering, maybe its okay if bad people do? I want to come back to that towards the end, but for now, know that will come up again as we get into the story of Job.

If you have your bibles with you will you turn with me to possibly the earliest written book in scripture, Job chapter 1 verse 6.

Job 1:6–12 ESV

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And 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, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Job 1:6–12 ESV

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And 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, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

This celestial meeting taking place is a divine council meeting of sorts. God is meeting with angelic leaders. Understanding from prophets of both OT and NT that Satan was once part of this council as the highest of angelic beings, it is a wonder as to why he as presented himself at all. The name Satan literally means accuser, and that is what his purpose. He was entering on the grounds of prosecution. Maybe there attempting to gloat that the sinfulness of humanity.

God acknowledges Satan’s presence, and knows his motive. He asks, “Have you considered my servant Job? describing him as one whom there is no one like him on Earth, blameless, and upright. His best attribute is that he fears God, and turns away from evil.

Naming Job to Satan stirs his anger. Of course he is aware of Job, the seemingly untouchable. It is here Satan begins his accusation of God being unjust. You place a hedge around him! If he would suffer, he would curse you to your face, like all the others. God allows Satan take everything from him. His riches and wealth, and even his family.

Satan’s accusation is an interesting one, that God has placed a hedge around Job. He accuses God of not allowing Job to experience great trial or temptation, and that he is richly blessed, therefore of course he is faithful. I think most of us have read that and probably assume Satan’s premise at least is correct, and that God has been blessing and protecting Job up until this moment. God admits nothing to Satan. Context suggests Job is a blessed man, but has he been untouchable as Satan accuses, I don’t know that that is certain. God does bring to Satan’s knowledge that Job’s possessions are now in his hands, only him, his physical body is not to be touched.

This is troubling to many: As I was reading several commentaries of Job, I came across one online, where it had a comments section. I read an interesting comment from someone anonymous.

“Plain and simple Job is tied to the torture rack of suffering as a pawn in a cosmic debate between God and Satan. The white elephant in the book of Job therefore is the injustice involved in allowing a righteous man to experience excruciating torture and suffering totally undeserved. The book of Job is a very disturbing book in that it presents a deity who is quite willing to allow undeserved suffering to serve some supposed higher cosmic purpose.” -anonymous quote

Anyone here ever had a similar thought? Is that how it works? I know I have wondered.

Plain and simple Job is tied to the torture rack of suffering as a pawn in a cosmic debate between God and Satan. The white elephant in the book of Job therefore is the injustice involved in allowing a righteous man to experience excruciating torture and suffering totally undeserved. The book of Job is a very disturbing book in that it present a deity who is quite willing to allow undeserved suffering to serve some supposed higher cosmic purpose.

And it happened. Found in Job has successive messengers of his servants talking about raiders coming and taking his livestock and killing his other servants, and another servant talking of fire coming down and consuming his sheep and other servants, and then another servant comes with news his camels have been raided and more servants killed. And next the worst news. Another servant came saying, his sons and daughters had been at a party of sorts, and suddenly a great wind came up out of the wilderness, and challenged the integrity of the home they were all in, and it fell on them killing them all.

It does not appear, the Satan held back by any stretch of the imagination. Life’s work destroyed, wealth and possessions gone, and children gone. A crushing blow to even the strongest and most faithful, but notice Job’s response in verse 20.

Job 1:20–22 ESV

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Satan again comes accusing at another divine council, where the Lord again asks, knowing the reason for Satan’s arrival. “Have you considered my servant Job?” blameless, upright, and turns from evil. This time he draws Satan’s attention to the remaining integrity of Job. He says, you incited me to destroy him without reason. My version says without reason, others using a stronger word, “in vain.” God’s measure to Satan is not just about Job, its about humanity. He is telling his former high angel, you do what you do in vain.

Mrs. White comments on the character of Satan, in this example.

Satan delights in war; for it excites the worst passions of the soul, and then sweeps into eternity its victims steeped in vice and blood. It is his object to incite the nations to war against one another; for he can thus divert the minds of the people from the work of preparation to stand in the day of God.

White, E. G. (1958). The Faith I Live By (p. 328). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

The devil only delights in disruption and distraction. He will stop at nothing destroy what is precious to God.

This response that his efforts are in vain, infuriates Satan! He accuses God.

Job 2:4–9 ESV

Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.”

Job 2:4–10 ESV

Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

You know, Job’s wife often gets a bad wrap in Bible commentaries. Personally, I think she has lost every bit of what her husband has lost and now her beloved husband has been unjustly afflicted with painful sores. She feels they have all been cursed....sincerely can we say, we would have responded differently without enduring what she has endured? Notice though her wording.

“do you still hold fast to your integrity?” (integrity, the word God has commended Job for having) It appears Satan is using Job’s wife as his device. His greatest desire is for Job to curse God in his misery.

Thus begins a poetic and narrative of a miserable Job, accompanied by 3 friends, seeking to understand the cause of affliction. His three friends believe it to be a punishment for sin Job has committed, but Job maintains his innocence. Innocence in the sense of what his 3 friends suggest the root problem is.

I say Job is in misery, because if you read chapter 3,

Job curses the day of his birth, essentially saying, “I wish I had never been born.” He expresses this wish in many different ways: wishing the day he was born never existed (vv. 3–10), wishing the night of his conception had never happened (v. 3), and lamenting that he did not die at birth (vv. 11–19). Finally, he longs for death (vv. 20–22).

Job’s “FRIEND” Eliphaz has an understanding of the world that many evangelicals, and other denominations have adopted, that is simply not Biblical. The innocent prosper and the wicked suffer. He sees Job in suffering, and determines, Job has wickedness within his heart. This was a cultural norm, birthed both from Paganism and even over time blended itself into a belief that God’s people held as well.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 4

Eliphaz begins with a gentle and conciliatory tone (vv. 3–5), but quickly moves to one of his main themes: The righteous prosper while the wicked suffer (vv. 7–9). He describes a vision (vv. 12–16) in which God judges humankind (vv. 17–21). After extolling God’s greatness (5:8–16), he closes by encouraging Job to accept God’s discipline (5:17–27).

Eliphaz is not shy to speak for God, and although he speaks seemingly as a servant of God, God’s anger towards he and the other friends suggests he is not the prophet of God he would appear to be but again a device the devil is using.

Having heard Eliphaz. Job rebuttals basically in chapter 6, even if thats how God’s justice worked, which he does not accept, that whatever he may have done, this affliction was far to much. He has come to believe God is responsible for his affliction, but cannot understand why. He wants God to leave him alone, and let him die. This is the state of mind such torture has put Job in such a state of mind. Naturally, you and I the reader, wonder why God allowed Satan to torture him so unfairly? To which we are still not yet ready to answer. This was one of our original questions.

This also the begs the question, why does God allow good people to suffer at all? That is bad question because it assumes us as good. The good that is in us, comes from our savior. We must not be like Satan himself and approach God considering ourselves worthy, justified by our own works. Satan approached the divine council still believing himself worthy to not just have a seat at the table, but had himself on the same pedestal of God himself. It was he who tempted Adam and Eve into sin and he who brought the plague of sin into this world. We are corrupted by nature of sin.

In chapter 8 as well as 18 and 25. Bildad echoes to Job his need to repent, because he surmises that God is just. But his theology is off still believing God’s action toward Job is punishment for a supposed sin.

Job affirms to a degree what Bildad has said.

Job 9:2 ESV

“Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God?

A better translation from the Hebrew reads: “how can a mortal be just before God?” At this point the agreed suppositions among those conversating is guilty are punished, innocent are blessed, thus Job’s suffering is a result of being unjust. We the readers have read from God’s perspective. Job is considered by God, by his actions blameless, upright, God-fearing and one that turns from evil. He to this point has demonstrated himself a man of integrity. Job, though unwilling to call God unjust, does not understand his circumstance, nor does he understand his afflicter.

Job, understandably, wants answers. He wants an explanation as to why these things are happening to him and his words to God become ever more emboldened. If all that is left for him is this torturous life, he would rather God let him just die in peace.

Zophar—Job’s third friend—makes only two speeches (here and ch. 20). He offers little comfort to Job, but begins by criticizing Job’s words (vv. 2–3) and asserting that Job is in fact guilty and deserving of God’s punishment (vv. 4–6). He reminds Job of God’s supremacy and wisdom (vv. 7–12). Finally—like Eliphaz (5:17–27) and Bildad (8:5–7, 20–22)—he encourages Job to repent (vv. 13–14) and be restored (vv. 15–20)

By all accounts don’t Job’s three friends feel similar to good well meaning Christian friends who are quick to give advice, but can just totally and utterly wrong. A lot of their encouragements are similar to my own. I never want someone to doubt the supremacy of God, or his justice. I remember once a friend of mine was struggling in his marriage and opened up about his doubts and their personal struggles. Rather than listen, like I did with Michael, asking the question why God allows suffering in the world. I tried to give the good answers. “You have to work through this, pray about it, God will be with you through these struggles. You just need to work through so and so.” My words were fine, but they were words he could and had come up with himself already. He was wrestling through this and his experience was unique to him as the person going through it. Like wives don’t always need their husbands to solve every issue, my friend needed me to be a friend and listen, not preach.

Job’s friends are also not listening Job’s experience. They hear him but believe him to either be naive to his own sin or that he is hiding something. Thus repent is the strongest advice that they have. Job has reasoned he cannot repent if he doesn’t know what he’s done wrong. This is a testament of his genuineness and as well as his integrity. He doesn’t just want to give the words in appeasement to God or his friends. If he is to repent, he wants it to be sincere, and in searching he just can’t accept that there is some personal sin he is unaware of that has caused such calamities.

Bildad's final speech insists on the same position taught to Eliphaz by the night visitor:" 'If even the moon has no brightness and the stars are not pure in His sight, How much less man, that mag got, and the son of man, that worm!'" (25:5,6, NAS). Thus Job's friends significantly ground their opposition to him in a claim that is untrue. They cannot trust him because God does not trust any of His creatures. He puts no confidence in them.

But God does. He has let the council of heaven and the forces of evil publicly know that His confidence is in Job. It is this declaration that gives rise to the drama of the book. The story evolves from a confrontation between God and Satan. Satan seeks to prove God wrong by launching vicious attacks against an innocent man. Now, through the agency of friends, Satan continues his assault on Job, attempting to destroy him and his integrity, thus proving his original argument against God. This adversary will stop at nothing.

In chapter 31

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 31

31:1–40 Job finishes his speech with a lengthy oath swearing his innocence. In it, he lists many specific sins: lust (vv. 1–4), falsehood (vv. 5–8), adultery (vv. 9–12), mistreatment of servants (vv. 13–15), failure to care for the poor (vv. 16–23), trusting in wealth (vv. 24–25), idolatry (vv. 26–28), rejoicing at an enemy’s misfortune (vv. 29–30), lack of generosity (vv. 31–32), hypocrisy (vv. 33–34), and abusing the land (vv. 38–40). He denies that he has committed any of them, and asks for a hearing so he can be vindicated (vv. 35–37).

Job has already sworn an oath asserting his innocence with the oath formula “As God lives …” (see note on 27:2). Here, he uses a formula similar to “May God/Yahweh do to me …” (Ruth 1:17; 1 Sam 14:44). Job is so sure of his innocence that he pronounces curses on himself if he is found guilty (Job 31:8, 10, 22, 40). All of these curses involve aspects of Job’s life that were not affected by the catastrophes he has already experienced (1:13–19; 2:7–8).

If law, and deeds, and works, are truly what reep reward as opposed to suffering. Job is declaring his innocence and continue to to be cursed if he is lying.

My friends, I have said it before, God can handle tough talk. He can handle your anger and indignation. But don’t believe that He doesn’t have the right to respond, and even respond even more strongly.

Before God answers, the apparent youthful, or maybe young adult Elihu an apparent bystander steps in and makes some points.

Elihu claims to have been present during the earlier dialogues, but he says that out of deference to Job’s older friends, he did not speak (vv. 4–14). He is angry at Job for justifying himself against God, and he is angry with Job’s three friends for accusing Job without being able to answer him (vv. 2–3).

For Job to declare himself righteous by listing his actions was offensive to Elihu, to his elders Job’s 3 friends, he admonishes them for trying to speak for God without having God’s blessing to do so. This admonishment further testifies, they have been used as pawns of Satan. Their own pride in believing they could speak for God. They had not answered Job’s questions because they were not truly listening. This 4 part message comes in chapters 32-37.

It is in 38 God finally does respond.

Throughout his speeches Job asked—even demanded—that God answer him (7:20–21; 10:2–3; 23:2–7; 31:35). He wanted God to explain why He was afflicting him. Here, God responds to Job—but He does not explain His purpose in afflicting Job. God neither references Job’s suffering nor his claims of innocence—but He does refer to Job’s challenge (40:8).

God remarks to Job it is not for him to understand everything perfectly, as it is he who designed the world, the universe, and everything in it. God is pointing out his seeing of the big picture.

Why does God allow Satan to torture Job?

While we don’t and will not fully understand God’s dealing with man, his actions are justified by even Job himself:

Job 42:1–6 ESV

Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Is Job blameless until the end?

Job is blameless on the outside. But even he is not righteous enough on his own. Sin is within him as well.

In his earlier response to God (40:4–5), Job was humble as he recognized God’s greatness and his own insufficiency. Here, he acknowledges God’s power and that His purposes cannot be thwarted (v. 2). He admits that he spoke ignorantly about his own righteousness, which he released was self-righteousness to some degree (v. 3). Finally, he repents because of the more complete understanding he has gained from seeing God (vv. 4–6)

What is the lesson Job learns? (that we his people also effectively learn.)

We all are in need of a savior. God is righteous. The devil brings about suffering.

Conclusion:

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

No human experience so nearly parallels the passage of the son of God into the chasm of eternal separation from God as does the story of Job. Ellen White's explanation of the purpose of the book of Job offers an astonishing insight. "It was generally believed by the Jews that sin is punished in this life.... Satan, the author of sin and all its results, had led men to look upon disease and death as proceeding from God, as punishment arbitrarily inflicted on ac count of sin. . . . Thus the way was prepared for the Jews to reject Jesus. He who 'hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows' was looked upon by the Jews as 'stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted;' and they hid their faces from Him. , . God had given a lesson designed to prevent this. The history of Job had shown that suffering is inflicted by Satan, and is overruled by God for purposes of mercy. But Israel did not understand the lesson. The same error for which God had reproved the friends of Job was repeated by the Jews in their rejection of Christ."6

What Israel did not understand is that there are people of integrity who suffer innocently. In Job's case, as later with Jesus, they become, for the sake of their goodness, the special object of Satan's hatred and abuse. But, in the end, the mercy of God delivers them from the obliteration to which Satan wills them, so that they may shine as His stars for ever.

We see another comparison be tween Job and Jesus in that cry of anguish from the cross: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (, NAS). Job's anguished pleas and Christ's desperate cry affirm trembling but unshakeable faith. Job's search for his God and the cry from the cross both say the same thing. Job and Jesus know, by faith alone, that at the bottomless depths of their pit of dark despair, there is God and He is still their God.

My friends there is a lesson we can learn about the suffering of Job. In the final crisis before Jesus comes back to say. There will be false prophets and false preachers who will (like Job’s 3 friends) claiming the voice of God in condemnation of the faithful and declaring holy those who are not. God is looking for those who will have integrity like Job. It won’t be about their record of living righteously, it will be those willfully searching their hearts and submitting to God’s sovereignty.

The book steps to Christ pg. 62 says:

Steps to Christ Chapter 7—The Test of Discipleship

Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law. We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.

The scripture are clear in conclusion of Job and throughout the scriptures Justification by faith is, and will remain the most precious truth that answers the age old question of questions that Job asks himself in “How can a mortal be just with God?”

My friends go and live with integrity like Job, through Jesus.

Have you Considered my servant Job?

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