Job's Confession

God Can Do All Things

This is a life changing epiphany. Knowing that God can do all things raises Him above humanity. Humanity on its own is limited in power, wisdom, and ability. God is very efficient in the impossible. Jesus reminds us of that when he instructs his disciples of how anyone can get into heaven.

25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

God has the ability to do things that we can’t! No one deserves to go to heaven, but by God’s grace and mercy through His Son’s sacrificial death and resurrection people can be saved and go to heaven.

In the context of Job’s situation, God did the impossible. He used the worst of all circumstances to bring out the highest good for Job. Job was a righteous man that from all external purposes that most would consider him highly favored of God. He was the wealthiest man in the region. He had a close family that got along great. His health was strong. He had a myriad of friends. He had everything that every one of us would want. He was the epitome of having everything life could offer.

In one moment his life would change . God gave Satan permission to affect Job’s life.

8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you [c]considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, [d]fearing God and turning away from evil.” 9 Then Satan answered the [e]Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge about 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. 11 But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” 12 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your [f]power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

The first thing Satan did was took Job’s material possessions and his children. Satan struck at the very thing that Job cared about. His family and possessions. One might think that there is no way to come back from something like this. But Job’s faith remained strong. He worshipped and proclaimed:

21 He said,

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he [m]blame God.

It wasn’t enough to break his faith, so Satan got permission to take Job’s health.

4 Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” 6 So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your [d]power, only spare his life.”

7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.

Satan took Job’s health and made him miserable, yet his faith remained strong.

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job’s faith remained strong until his friends questioned his integrity. They accused him of doing something to deserve what he had received. This was the last straw because it touched a nerve that needed to be touched in order for Job to draw closer to God. This nerve was the nerve of pride.

One may say if all this happen to them that there is no good from this and there is no way Job can rebound from all of this. Remember the epiphany that Job came to? YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS!

Application

I want to remind you that God desires and intimate relationship with us. He will not withhold anything from allowing this to happen. If it means personal tragedy, God will allow it. If it means performing a miracle, God will perform it. God has a purpose to develop a close relationship with us. He will allow and do anything necessary to facilitate this.

He even went to the point of sending His Son to die on a cross so we can have that relationship.

Maybe you have current circumstances that you are questioning God about. This is understandable if you are questioning the path that God currently has you on. But I encourage you to trust in the destination that God is leading you!

Job’s Mistake

Job’s mistake was to question God as to why he created him.

“Why did I not die [f]at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire? 12 “Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I should suck? 13 “For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest, 14 With kings and with counselors of the earth, Who rebuilt ruins for themselves; 15 Or with princes who had gold, Who were filling their houses with silver. 16 “Or like a miscarriage which is [g]discarded, I would not be, As infants that never saw light. 17 “There the wicked cease from raging, And there the [h]weary are at rest. 18 “The prisoners are at ease together; They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster. 19 “The small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master. 20 “Why is light given to him who suffers, And life to the bitter of soul, 21 Who [i]long for death, but there is none, And dig for it more than for hidden treasures, 22 Who rejoice greatly, And exult when they find the grave? 23 “Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in? 24 “For my groaning comes at the sight of my food, And my cries pour out like water. 25 “For [j]what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me. 26 “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”

20 “Why is light given to him who suffers, And life to the bitter of soul, 21 Who [i]long for death, but there is none, And dig for it more than for hidden treasures, 22 Who rejoice greatly, And exult when they find the grave? 23 “Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in? 24 “For my groaning comes at the sight of my food, And my cries pour out like water. 25 “For [j]what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me. 26 “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”

Job questioned God’s motive for doing what he was doing. Job’ perceived God as being unfair and should not allow this to happen. In his eyes he was a good person and God should not allow this to happen.

What Job didn’t realize is what God was really doing.

Job Learns How To Deal With God

Job no longer presumes that God is punishing him, but instead inquires of Him.

Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” 4 ‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’

Job realizes that he has misjudged God when God reveals to Job that he is limited in his understanding. God does this in chapters 38-41. He shows that Job does not understand what is happening because he does not have the ability to understand. He further demonstrates to Job through His discourse that God knows everything!

Application

We too can have a misunderstanding of God based on our circumstances. James gives us great advice when this happens.

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and [h]without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a [i]double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

God desires for us to have understanding. We must ask Him in faith and He will give it. Perhaps you may need some Godly wisdom in your current circumstances. ASK GOD!

Job Experiences God

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You;

You see Job knew about God, but Job experienced God in the midst of his suffering. It was at the point where job came to the end of himself and went to God that God was able to reveal the purpose of the suffering.

God was using Satan to draw Job closer to himself. God allowed Satan to make Job suffer so that all He had left was his relationship with God. He also used Satan to reveal the sin of pride in Job’s life. How do we know? Look at Job’s response.

Job’s Repentance

Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.”

Why did he have to repent? He had pride in his heart. He was self-righteous in his own eyes in that he believed he deserved the blessings of God. He also thought he knew the motive of God in his suffering. He believed God was unfairly punishing him.

Neither of these were true and so he repented of his sin. This drew him closer to God.

What was God’s response:

10 The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold. 11 Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him.

God restored him and blessed him.

Application

This is exactly what God does for us. Perhaps you are in a situation that has caused you to question or even be mad at God. This is normal because we are human. I would encourage you to god to God and ask, “how can I see you in what I am going through and what do I need to do in response?”

Maybe your listening today and you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior. If you will repent of your sins, put your faith in Him, and follow Him he will do the same thing that He did with Job. He will restore you and bless you.