Blessed be the Name of the Lord

Tragedy seems to be a common word these days. Especially over this past week as we saw 19 children and 2 adults killed while at school. We don’t need more policy, we need more piety. We don’t need more regulation, we need more repentance. Not only in our schools, but in our churches. SBC report revealing 20 years of sexual abuse that was swept under the rug.

God does His best work in the backdrop of a tragedy. The greatest example being Calvary.

Job 1:13–22 NKJV

Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 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.

I. Receiver of the Tragedy

Tragedy is something that seems to go hand in hand with human life. We receive terrible news from the doctors office. We are fired all of a sudden from our job. Someone in the family suddenly passes away and we don’t know how to cope. There seems to be a new one at every turn. Probably the worst aspect of a tragedy is the suddenness of them. 9/11 took place on a normal Tuesday. Sandy Hook took place on a Friday. Each of these are unassuming days that quickly turned into turmoil. As is the case with the tragedy presented here , but even with the knowledge of the suddenness of a tragedy in our minds there still stands several unlikely factors in the one we face in the Scripture with Job.

a. Unlikely Day

“Now there was a day”

Although we do understand that a tragedy is so terrible because of it’s unpredictability, we tend to have certain days in our mind that nothing can go wrong. These are usually special days such as weddings, birthdays, or certain occasions that don’t happen often. One for me was Youth Sundays when I would get to preach during a youth led service. It just seemed that absolutely nothing could go wrong on that day because it was so special. For Job, this was that day.

I say that because of the following words, “when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house.” This day was special because of the information given to us in verse 4.

Job 1:4 NKJV

And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

Whatever these “appointed days” were is not necessarily important. All that matters truly is that we capture the aspect of celebration that would be going on. Job’s family was clearly a close knit family and what a blessing that is and one that we all desire to have. So, whether or not Job was planning on attending with his wife or just staying home, we can only imagine the joy that he would have felt knowing that all ten of his kids were gathered together under the same roof to celebrate this occasion. To further the joy that Job would be feeling on this day we must remember that it would have been him that taught the kids to celebrate on these appointed days.

What we have is a great father being pictured. One that worked diligently to place godly morals within their life. One that strived to show them the value of sitting together for a family meal. One that worked earnestly to provide for his family so that they wouldn’t have to struggle. One that can sit down comfortably in his home without a worry in the world because he is full of joy knowing that his children are together.

That is, until he hears a knock at the door.

b. Unlikely Deliverer

“and a messenger came”

For Job having visitors probably was not a rarity. He has ten kids, who are really close, and typically if your kids are that close they are close to the parent as well. To further that Job was a business man to put it into simple terms. Verse 3 reveals the vastness of his wealth.

Job 1:3 NKJV

Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

This man was not surprised by door knocking. Whether it was a report on progress with the livestock or perhaps a visit from one of his children Job would have been ready to receive it. Prepared to open the door and be welcomed with a clean cut, well dressed member of his family or business personnel.

So, he goes to the door and opens it to find not one of his children. Not someone with today’s report. He sees someone who is sweaty, out of breath, their clothes are torn, it looks like they have just barely escaped a war zone. This would be a similar encounter to us going in for a routine doctors visit. You walk in. You smile and sit down in the waiting room. You’re called back to the exam room. You wait a little longer and hear a knock at the door and the doctor comes in holding scans from your previous visit.

As you look at them though something is different. You can tell from the way your doctor is looking at you something just isn’t right. You can tell by the way the doctor says, “We need to talk” that something is very wrong. This is what Job is going through right now. He is clearly an intelligent person so he is not absent to the fact that something just isn’t right. Something is actually very wrong and he is just waiting for the news. Waiting for the cancer diagnosis to be given. Waiting to have his heart broken. But before we step into this tragedy we must understand one more unlikely factor involved.

c. Unlikely Person

“to Job”

Job is not someone we would expect to receive a great pain such as the one that is about to be placed upon him. This is not because of his wealth. This is not because of his family. It is because of his godliness. Chapter 1 takes great detail to show us Job’s wealth, and the size of his family, but takes much more time describing for us the godliness that Job had.

Job 1:1 NKJV

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.

To be blameless and upright does not mean he was sinless, rather it describes the moral excellency that Job had because of his love of God. This is furthered by the fact that Job shunned evil. Meaning he turned away at any mention of evil to keep himself clean. This godliness is further described by his priestly service to his family.

Job 1:5 NKJV

So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

Before the Levitical priest came into order the father of the family was to serve as priest of the family. Job did this with open arms and a great willingness to be the intercessor for his family.

Job truly was a great man. One who loved God and his family. One who placed God above all. One who did nothing wrong, but in actuality did everything right. This is the last person we would expect to receive such tragedy in his life. Yet, he is one who receives one of the worst tragedies ever recorded in history.

II. Relentlessness of the Tragedy

I remember last June on the Southern Belle we had taken the boat out and it was storming really bad. We weren’t really worried about rain, but lighting worried us. So the captain was hugging the bank and asked me if I knew why. I said because lighting strikes the highest point and he said, “Exactly”. So we keep cruising down the river and I say, “You know, I’ve heard that the safest place to be during a lighting storm is on a steel hulled boat.” (Southern Belle is steel hulled) To which he simply replied, “I’ve heard that too, but I don’t want to test the theory.”

Often I feel that is how we treat trusting God in times of trial. We will say that the best place to be during difficult times in your life is the hand of God. We will sing with choir,

“Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more

Till the clouds roll forever from the sky

Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand

Keep me safe till the storm passes by”

And then right after singing we will whisper in our hearts, “I don’t want to test that theory”. The reason that we do that is simple. Suffering isn’t fun. Tragedy isn’t fun. If it were up to us, we wouldn’t suffer tragedy at all! Yet, that just isn’t reality. Job is about to figure that out. He is about to become an eyewitness to sufferings. He is the lightning rod that is standing tall in the land of Uz who is about to be struck. Struck with sorrow, with pain, with grief.

a. The Sum of his loss

As Job stands there in his doorway with the messenger there who is clearly in distress. At this moment time begins to slow down for Job. As he is accessing the situation. Knowing that whatever is about to be said isn’t good. But then the bad news begins to roll in.

Job 1:14–19 NKJV

and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Job began his day as a normal day and now he is left with only tragedy. He had many oxen to use for plowing but a tribal group has came in and stole them. And also killed Job’s men. He had many thousands of sheep to make great clothing but now they are burnt up. He had many camels for transportation, but another nomadic group has come and stolen them and also has killed his men. To further his torment Job has lost not one child, but all ten at the same time. You can only imagine the sorrow that is within him, but there is one aspect that cannot be overlooked. He not only lost a great quantity, he lost them at a great quickness.

b. The Speed of his loss

This great and terrible loss would be enough to sideline any person, but Job isn’t even allowed a grace period in this moment. He is experiencing this all at the same time. This day for Job began as a day where he sits down, grabs a cup of coffee, and reads the newspaper in his favorite chair. Until a knock at the door.

Show how fast this news would have gotten to Job. One knock after the other.

It is in these types of moments that we begin to wonder ,”why?” Why would Job suffer so much? Why would SBC be allowed to hide their sins fro 20 years. Why were innocent kids killed at school? Why?! While I don’t have an answer to the “why” There is insight to be found in verses 6-12

c. The Source of his loss Job 1:6-12

For the sake of time we won’t delve into every nook of this portion of chapter 1, but I do want to highlight a few things and place before your minds this statement.

“Everything is either caused by God or allowed by God”

All that I mean from this statement is that everything runs by God’s desk. Every single thing is filtered through His sovereign hand before coming into fruition. The reason I say that and stand by that is because of this text. Please do not misunderstand me. All of Job’s sufferings were caused by Satan, there is no doubt in my mind about that, but Satan was only able to do it because God had first allowed it.

This difficult truth is presented by God first presenting Job, and Satan challenging God.

God then limits Satan and what he is able to do to Job.

Things can always be worse. Things do get worse for Job, but even still they can still be worse.

Perhaps one reason God allows these tragedies is to remind us that we don’t belong here. Maybe it is to show us what our sin could have become had be not been bound by grace. Whatever the reason though God never does anything without a purpose. Everything God does is moving towards His glory and this should excite the Christian.

The best example is at Calvary as Jesus suffered worse than Job.

God doesn’t always give us an answer to the why, but He gives us an answer to the Who.

We know that God is good. That God has a good plan. Therefore anything that happens will turn out just fine.

Romans 8:28 NKJV

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

III. Response to the Tragedy

So then with that in mind we should share with Job in this testimony.

“I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me against the Rock of Ages”

-Attributed to Spurgeon

a. The Pain He Felt

Job arose. Signifying he was on the ground.

Tearing clothes, shaving, and falling to the ground are all signs of great sorrow.

b. The Praise He Gave

“and worshipped!”

Horatio Spafford “It is well”

Blessed be the name of the Lord! This was probably not a shout of triumph but one of tear filled anguish.

c. The Pitfall He Avoided

Yet he did not sin. This is what we must avoid the most in times like this.