Job
1. The Problem stated: Job 1-2
I cannot begin to imagine what it
would be like in an instant to loose not only my home, not only all my
possessions, and but also every member of my immediate family and the people
who are most precious to me in all the world.
I cannot imagine what that
must be like but the melancholy truth is that they are thousands of people who
don’t have to imagine it, because it has actually happened to them. In a moment
the Tsunami has robbed them of all they hold dear. Our hearts go out to the
suffering thousands – as does our prayers and our practical and financial help
The Book of Job presents us with
the story of a man who, like so many of the Tsunami victims, lost everything
but a man who despite his grievous loss and unspeakable suffering retained his
hold on God - just
1. Although God is not the author of evil, he
is sovereign over it
To say
God caused Job’s suffering would be an oversimplification, to say he had
nothing to do with it would be unrealistic. The immediate author and cause of
Job’s troubles is Satan. That evil, deceitful, clever but malicious angelic
being who hates God, his kingdom and his people
But God
is sovereign over all things, including Satan. Even evil is under God’s
control, God permits Satan to do certain things to Job, but there are
limits that the Lord sets:
The LORD
said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but
on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the
presence of the LORD. Job 1.12
Dualism
(explain) is not a biblical way of looking at the problem of evil
Job
himself recognises the sovereign hand of God in what has happened to him when
he says :
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be
praised." Job 1.21
When
Jonathan Edwards died suddenly at the age of 54 his wife Sarah wrote to their
daughter Esther:
My
very dear Child, What shall I say! A holy and good God has covered us with a
dark cloud. ….. The Lord has done it. He has made me adore his goodness, that
we had [your father] so long. But my God lives; and he has my heart. …. We are
given to God; and there I am and love to be.
2. Although his holy lifestyle is not in
doubt, Job’s suffering is immense
Just
listen to God’s verdict on Job – it’s quite a testimonial
Then the
LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one
on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns
evil."
Job 1.8
The
point is being driven home right from the beginning of this book that all
theories linking Job’s suffering with sin are utterly misguided. Here is a man
who is unique in his generation, blameless, upright, a man who fears God and
shuns evil
Whatever
may happen to Job, one thing is clear – he is not being punished by God for
sin. But neither on the other hand does his holy lifestyle and close walk with
God exempt him from suffering
See how
he suffers:
12 When they saw him from a distance, they
could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes
and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13
Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No
one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was. Job 2.12-13
According to some people this
should never happen. According to the so-called prosperity Gospel Job’s
experience is the exact opposite of what it should be. Health, wealth, &
happiness are the lot of a true believer living in the purposes of God, not
financial destitution, disfiguring skin complaints, and deep & pitiful
mourning
According to some people, if only
believers have enough faith, if only they have sufficient expectation
of God’s working, if only they pray hard enough, then healing and deliverance
are virtually guaranteed
According to those people, Job is a
spiritual failure….. but God says:
"Have
you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is
blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Job 1.8
Perhaps, you are suffering right
now – it may be physical illness, it may be mental illness. It may be the
suffering that comes from seeing a loved one suffer, it may be the suffering
that comes from a troubled relationship, or a rebellious child, it may be the
suffering that comes from spiritual disappointment, from a heartfelt prayer
that has been prayed so often and so long but appears never to have been
answered.
If you are in that situation I
can’t explain why God has permitted you to go through that but what I
can say is this: The fact of your suffering does not mean there is
anything wrong with your faith, or that God has abandoned you, or forgotten
you. Job’s experience tells us that God may permit his people to suffer
for reasons known only to himself
Healing and deliverance in this
life are not guaranteed in scripture. Miraculous intervention by God is the
exception rather than the norm and it is not a lack of faith to say that
In fact nowhere in the Bible is
there the suggestion that knowing God is a kind of insurance against suffering
(like a flu jab). There is no promise that God will necessarily deliver us from
the problems of this life
In the real world God’s people may
suffer as part of God’s will being worked out. There is no simple explanation
of why. But Job’s experience is far from unique – in fact, many of us, most of us,
will have had occasion to feel as Job felt at some point in our lives
3. Although his faith is not in doubt, Job’s
mental anguish was profound and prolonged
His
faith in God shines out in these verses
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved
his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I
will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the
LORD be praised." Job 1.20-21
9 His wife said to him, "Are you still
holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10 He replied, "You are talking like a
foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all
this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2.9-10
There is
no doubting his faith, but his anguish of heart and mind is deep and all
consuming:
After
this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
2 He said: 3
"May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, 'A boy
is born!'
Job 3.1-2
24 For sighing comes to me instead of food; my
groans pour out like water. 25 What I
feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. 26 I have no peace, no quietness; I have no
rest, but only turmoil." Job 3.24-26
The Bible doesn’t skate
over Job’s mental anguish – it doesn’t pretend it never happened
Instead it presents us
with a picture of a man who could say both ‘The LORD gave and the LORD has
taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." and
I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil."
A believer who loves his
Lord can say both of these things
Sometimes people going
through these things feel they are losing their faith – because God seems so
distance and they are experiencing such emotional turmoil. But they are not losing
their faith or losing their God– they are just going through the deep mental
anguish that is associated with grievous suffering and loss
You cannot go through
what Job went through without grieving, and questioning, and mental pain
Sometimes people feel
that are losing their hold on God or he is losing his hold on them because they
no longer experience the peaceful calming presence of God that they have
experienced before. But when your life has been turned upside and inside out,
when you are coming to terms with terrible loss and deep mental anguish, your
feelings and emotions are so strong that you often don’t feel the
presence of God.
But that doesn’t mean he
has abandoned you or left you – he has promised he won’t. Feelings may come and
go but the steadfast love of the Lord endures for ever
To Conclude
The Christian life is
like a journey with two fixed points, and 101 uncertainties in between. There’s
a fixed starting point (the cross) and a fixed end point (heaven), but God does
not reveal in advance the journey we will take in between
The road in between may
be dark, it may be long, it may be joyful, it may be mysterious. There may be
many perplexities along the way. And uncertainties.
But the cross assures of
our Father’s love
If God is for us, who can
be against us? 32 He who did not spare
his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him,
graciously give us all things? Romans 8.31-32
And we know that we are
heading for a glorious future
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of
things has passed away." 5 He who
was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"
Revelation 21.4-5
And in the middle of all,
life may be good, life may be bad, but, as St Paul says:
we know that in all
things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose.
Romans 8.28
Why do good people suffer?
3. God’s Answer : Job 38-42
(Reading
Job 38.1-11; 31-36)
Job
has suffered and he has suffered long. He has lost his wealth, his health and
his family. And he wonders why? If only there was an explanation, if only
someone could make sense of his suffering.
His
friends weren’t slow with their own interpretation of his plight. As Mick told
us two weeks ago, they believed it was all to do with what today is called ‘karma’ – Job’s suffering was God’s
punishment for his sins.
It
was an answer of sorts but- and this is very important - God says it is
the wrong answer
And
so having heard the wrong answer we wait expectantly for the right
answer, for God’s answer. Job’s waits for God’s answer. The world in all its
suffering and pain waits for God’s answer
Everyone
has their own expectation of what God should say . Job hopes that God will
proclaim his innocence, that there will be some kind of public vindication of
him as the righteous man that he is. His friends expect that old sinner, Job,
to get some kind of comeuppance, perhaps a stern rebuke accompanied by a bolt
of lightning from heaven. Whilst here in 21st century we expect a divine
apology or at least a very good explanation of why God has
allowed the world to suffer so much
But
we are all in for a disappointment if we expect God to work to our agenda. When
the Lord finally does speak he upsets everyone’s expectations
He
is like that, - God the unpredictable, the unguessable, the unpindownable God,
the God of surprises, the God who is, well, God, who acts according to his own
good perfect but unfathomable ways
When
God speaks, he surprises everyone. For one thing God’s answer is not an answer
but a question – in fact, a stream of questions, 68 in all
‘Come
here’ says the Lord to Job ‘I’ve got some questions for you’ Humanity is
used to questioning God but now the Lord asks humanity, represented by Job,
some questions of his own
Then the LORD answered
Job out of the storm. He said:
"Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?
Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
Job 38.1-3
At
this point we need to think about the way we read God’s speech: what is the
tone of what he says. Is it ‘you stupid boy’ or ‘you’re a funny fellow why did
you do that.’ Is it accusatory, or as many commentators believe, affectionate
but mildly satirical. I believe it is the latter.
THE
LORD SPEAKS
Two
penetrating questions:
Can
anyone understand the works of God
"Where were you when
I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you
know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its
cornerstone--7 while the morning stars
sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Job 38.4-7
Can
anyone control the works of God
31 "Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?
Can you loose the cords of Orion? 32
Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the
Bear with its cubs? 33 Do you know the
laws of the heavens? Can you set up God's dominion over the earth? 34 "Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water? 35
Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you,
'Here we are'? Job
38.31-35
Job, says God, realise
your limitations! How could you ever be in a position to judge the way I rule
the universe? I am God, I am the Lord, I know things, and can do things that
you as a mere mortal could never grasp
Job, and we, are being
encouraged to trust in God’s wisdom (his blueprint for the universe) and his
sovereign power (his minute by minute control of the whole universe), like a
child trusting parents
And then as if to
emphasise his point God provides Job with two surprising visual aids
Two surprising visual
aids
Consider
the hippotamus
"Look at the
behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox.
16 What strength he has in his loins,
what power in the muscles of his belly! Job 40.15-16
21 Under the lotus plants he lies, hidden among
the reeds in the marsh.
…….. 23 When the river rages, he is not alarmed; he
is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth. Job 40.21-23
Consider
the crocodile
41:1 "Can you pull in the leviathan with a
fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope? 2
Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3 Will he keep begging you for mercy?
Will he speak to you with gentle words?4
Will he make an agreement with you for you to take him as your slave for
life?5 Can you make a pet of him like a
bird or put him on a leash for your girls?
Job 41.1-5
Such
is the surprising creative genius of God that he could create both the huge,
gentle, but ridiculous hippo and the fearsome, terrifying near prehistoric, beast, the crocodile. Why
the hippo? Why the crocodile? God alone knows
Why
has this or that happened in my life or yours? God alone knows
The
strange, unexpected, tangential reply of the Lord has a deep impression on Job.
The Lord’s questions have altered Job’s whole perspective on his troubles and
his God
When
he speaks again we see he is a changed man
JOB
REPLIES
Acknowledgement
Then Job replied to the
LORD: "I know that you can
do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. Job 42.2
Confession
You
asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke
of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. Job 42.3
Repentance
Therefore
I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."
Job 42.6
Spiritual
satisfaction
My
ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
Job 42.5
Job
never gets an answer – the cause of his suffering, which the reader has
known since chapter one, is never revealed to him. Job never gets an answer but
he gets God
God
never satisfies Job’s curiosity but his does satisfy his heart
The
man who has lost everything gains everything because he gains an intimate
personal knowledge of God of a kind that he never knew before
My
ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
Job 42.5
Before
Job’s knowledge of God was second-hand ‘my ears have heard of you’ but now his
experience is real, immediate and personal ‘my eyes have seen you.’ Before Job
knew about God but now he knows God
He has a found a new
security and trust in the loving but mysterious purposes of God: "I
know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. Job 42.2
God
has given him a precious gift and then God gives him more. In fulfilment of the
words of Jesus
But
seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well.
Matthew 6.33
Job
finds that a good and gracious God pours blessing in abundance on his servant
After
Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him
twice as much as he had before. Job 42.10
The
LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first.
Job 42.12
16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty
years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so he died, old and full of years. Job 42.16-17
And so Job and we are
left, admittedly without an answer to all our questions, but with a picture of
a wise, mysterious, sovereign Lord, a God who works all things out according to
his will, a good and gracious God who loves his people and is able to bless us
abundantly, a God who is willing to lead us through the path of suffering for
his own reasons but a God who is faithful to his people and is able to uphold us
to the end:
May our trust be in this
God
Let us pray
But now, this is what the
LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are
mine.2 When you pass through the
waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not
sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the
flames will not set you ablaze.3 For I
am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour; Isaiah 43.1-3