Persevering Till The End Series

“Persevering till the End”

(A Study on the life of Job)

October Series: NEVER GIVE UP

October 17, 2010

By: Rev. Rey T. Bechayda

Job 2:9-10

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.

NASU

Introduction:

Today’s message is about a very famous man in the Old Testament “Job”. When we talk about perseverance no one comes close to his experience. His story is one of my favorite stories in the bible because it portrays how God is very protective and proud of righteous people. In fact, the whole story speaks about how a righteous man can persevere even if he goes through terrible experience in life.

You might be going through severe test of life right now… Hold on and see how God will encourage you to persevere till the end.

For you to have a better understanding of the life of Job, We’ve divided our study in three different sections…

The first section is about his…

I. Good Beginning (1:1-5)

The starting point of Job’s story is very peaceful… everything was perfect!

Verses 1-5 tells us that he is a…

A. Righteous Man

Job 1:1 “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil”. NIV

He was a very good man, eminently pious, and better than his neighbors: He was perfect and upright. This is intended to show us, not only what reputation he had among men (that he was generally taken for an honest man), but what was really his character.

B. Relaxed Family Man

Job 1:2, 4-5 “He had seven sons and three daughters, His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job’s regular custom”. NIV

Relaxed in a sense that he is happy with his own family. It is also safe to assume that he has encountered no major problem with his sons and daughters.

He had a numerous family. It was an instance of his prosperity that his house was filled with children, which are a heritage of the Lord, and his reward, Ps 127:3. He had seven sons and three daughters, v. 2. Children must be looked upon as blessings, for so they are, especially to good people that will give them good instructions, and set them good examples, and put up good prayers for them.

C. Rich Man

Job 1:3 “and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East”. NIV

He was a man who prospered greatly in this world, and made a considerable figure in his country. He was prosperous and yet pious. Though it is hard and rare, it is not impossible, for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. With God even this is possible, and by his grace the temptations of worldly wealth are not insuperable. He was pious, and his piety was a friend to his prosperity; for godliness has the promise of the life that now is.

The second section focuses on his…

II. Grievous Test (1:6-2:13)

Suddenly, an unexpected and a terrible test of life came…

Three different test of life:

A. The Property Test

vv.13-17

13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" NIV