Today, I’m beginning a series of lessons from the book of Job. If you have ever gone through anguish and pain of a sudden and tragic loss you may know something of which this book of Job speaks.
Job1:1 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.One of the most extraordinary people found in the Old Testament is Job. Job gives us a great example to follow when we find ourselves in the midst of great adversity. I think that many who are not overly knowledgeable about the Bible, have heard of the "patience or endurance of Job".
The Lord had a very good opinion of Job. He said that Job was "blameless and upright". That is high praise coming from a Holy God. Yes, Job had a great reputation. And may I say that acquiring a reputation such as Job’s should be our top desire.
2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 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. 4 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. 6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.
As Christians we have several names for him, Lucifer, the Devil, the Evil one , but probably the most common is Satan. But who or what is Satan? Through the years Christians have tended to lean toward extremes on the subject, either we ignore Satan and hope that he isn’t who the Bible says he is or we focus on giving him credit for every misfortune, illness or trouble that enters our lives. Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about Satan.
Probably most of you never give the devil a conscious thought, you may acknowledge his existence but it isn’t really personal, he’s some vague possibility, spoken about in the bible, but he’s not really real, like a person he’s the devil.But hear me now - Satan is as real as I am and he is the author of destruction and evil. Too often if people even acknowledge the existence of Satan he is thought to be some comical figure in long red underwear with a pitchfork and horns. Somewhere along the line Satan came up with a strategy that allowed himself to be minimized so that Christians would not take him serious.
Satan is alive and well and planet earth is his playground. He can be seen in witchcraft, Satanism, the occult and astrology. They are all his works and his tools in an effort to distract people from the truth that can only be found in Jesus Christ.You only have to watch the evening news to realize that we are surrounded by evil and yet we’re either oblivious to it or we become immune to it. Christ himself had a few well chosen words to say about Satan. Jesus called him the “enemy” in Matthew 13:39, the “Evil One” in Matthew 13:38, the “Prince of this world” in John 12:3, a “Liar” in John 8:44 and a “Murderer” in the same verse.
In Luke 10:18 Jesus said he saw Satan fall from Heaven and in Matthew 12:26 we are told that Satan has a kingdom, and in Matthew 13:38 we are told that Satan was the one who sows evil weeds in with the good wheat. Obliviously this is not the type of person who you would want as a next door neighbour or to date your daughter.
Elsewhere in the Bible we are told that Satan is a roaring lion seeking who he may devour, that he can produce false miracles and show himself as an Angel of light and the list goes on and on.
So why is he here? In order to discover the purpose of Satan we need to go back to the beginning, which is usually a good place to start. In the books of Isaiah and Ezekiel in the Old Testament we discover that before God created the world and mankind that there was a different realm, a spiritual realm, one of Angels. And of all the angels God’s favourite was one called Lucifer which meant “Light Bearer” and we are told that he was the most beautiful of all created beings. And it was this Angel, Lucifer who led a rebellion in heaven against God. However he learned that the creator will always be more powerful then the created and he was cast out of heaven along with the 1/3 of the angels who had joined him in his rebellion.At that point he was no longer referred to as Lucifer instead he was called Satan which means “To be adverse or to hate.” Sometimes we call him the Devil which literally means the slanderer or false accuser.
It was Satan who tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, it was Satan who appeared to Christ in the Wilderness and tempted him to deny God and it is Satan who whispers in our ear, it will be alright, nobody will ever know. Sidney J. Harris said “If the devil could be persuaded to write a bible, he would title it, ‘You Only Live Once.’”
Never underestimate the power of Satan. The Bible calls him the “Prince of this World” the “Prince of Demons” and the “Prince of the Power of the Air”.Charles Spurgeon said “The best evidence of God’s presence is the Devil’s growl.” And if we don’t hear the devils growl on occasion it might be because he considers us harmless.
In our own power we don’t stand a chance against Satan, but the great thing is we don’t have to stand in our own power, we stand in the Power of Jesus Christ.
Job 1: 7 The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." 8 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." The Lord questions Satan and asks him where he has been. Down on the earth he says. Then God asks the question, “Have you considered My servant Job? ……“Lord why didn’t you keep quiet? Why did you have to point Job out to Satan?…… Maybe, just maybe Job would not have suffered so much. But of course that would not give us this story and the encouragement we can gain from it.”9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
Praying a hedge is an expression used by many Believers to pray a specific prayer for those who have gone astray in spiritual, family, and other types of relationships. A hedge in Biblical times was often a border of thorny bushes around a garden or vineyard to protect it from outside invaders. The following are some examples from Scripture: "The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain" (Proverbs 15:19). "And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down" (Isaiah 5:5). "And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country" (Mark 12:1)In Scripture the hedge is also used to express a wall of protection from outside destruction or wrong outside influence.
Job1: 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."
One of the huge problems is that while you and I know the conversation that went on in heavenly places, Job is never told. He can’t be told. That’s the whole point of spiritual tests. For Job to overhear this conversation between God and Satan would be like a person being given the answers before the quiz. It’s a test. When facing a spiritual test you have to go on what you knew before the test comes. If you lose a spouse, if you lose your job, if you lose a child, if you lose your economicposition in life, if you lose everything that once mattered to you, among other things, it will be a spiritual test. How you get through that test will depend on what you knew, what you believed, what you were convinced of, before the test. What do you really believe? For example, one may say, “God is good”! Really? Are you sure? Do you believe that with all of your heart soul and strength? One might respond,” God loves me”! Really? How do you know that? Have you thought through the issues?
Another might declare, “I believe the Bible from cover to cover. The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it!” Really? How do you know? Because your Sunday School teacher taught it? Because your parents said it? Because you heard it from some preacher? Or is it a deep conviction?
You say, “Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life”. Really? Is that something you’d die for? If it is a deeply held conviction, you will, and many others have; but, if it’s something you haven’t really thought through, you won’t die for it. You may not even live for it. Someone once said, “If a truth is not worth dying for, it’s not worth living for.”
Job1: 12 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. The Big Question now comes: "Does Satan have to get God’s permission before he can attack us?" Answer: There is no biblical evidence that suggests Satan needs God’s specific permission in order to act against Christians. Many people believe that Job 1 supports the idea of Satan not being able to afflict Job until he asked God. However, consider Satan’s argument before God, "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? (Job 1:10). Satan is obviously familiar with who Job is, and is aware of Job’s special protection and blessing by God. How could he have known this other than that he and/or his demonic minions had already tried to work their will against Job? What Satan is really asking is for God to remove Job’s protection.
A similar passage is Luke 22:31-32: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." The "you" in verse 31 is plural, and refers to all of the disciples. Jesus tells Peter that He has prayed specifically for him so that Peter can strengthen the other disciples--the implication being that the others WILL be sifted in whatever way Satan intends. The Bible does not specifically state that the disciples had special protection from God, but does seem likely. For the disciples to have special protection necessitating Satan’s query makes more sense when compared with the Job passage.Whereas these passages imply that there are boundaries and rules Satan must abide by, there is no real biblical proof of him needing God’s permission. On the contrary, consider that Jesus Himself portrays Satan as a murderer, a deceiver, and a liar (John 8:44). The very character of Satan proves that he disdains authority, and is not one who would truly seek permission, nor abide by any permission given. Job was hedged about by the Lord--Satan COULDN’T get to him without the Lord first removing that protection.God now gives Satan limited power – but it is still a lot of power “everything he owns is in your power. However, you must not lay a hand on Job [himself].” Job 1:12 (HCSB) There was no hesitation is Satan’s response. So Satan went out from the Lord’s presence. Job 1:12 (HCSB)
Job1:13 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!" 18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
I don’t know what you would have done. I know what I would have thought. I would have said:
- “My God! What are you doing?”
- “My God, what is going on?”
- “God, what did I do to deserve this?”
- “God, are you still in your heaven?”
- “Jesus, I thought that you loved me!”
- “God, are you still in control of this world?”
Who is in control? Who is calling the shots? I used to sing, “He’s got the Whole World in His Hands”, but today, I’m not so sure.”
Job1: 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." 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
I once read the story in the Reader’s Digest of "Flight 93: The Untold Story. It’s a gripping account of everything that happened on the 4th hijacked plane on 9/11 right up until it crashed in Pennsylvania. There’s one part where one of the passengers called his wife on the phone. And he tells her, "Our plane has been hijacked. There are three guys on our plane who say that they have a bomb. They’ve already killed one person. Please call the authorities." And all the while he’s talking, she keeps telling herself, "No!!!! This can’t be happening! We have a perfect life! Good jobs. Great kids. Nothing bad ever happens to us!"
That’s the first reaction many of us have when tragedy strikes. "Lord, this must be some kind of mistake. These things aren’t supposed to happen to me!"But the Bible teaches that sometimes they do. John 16:33 says that "in this world, you WILL have trouble." Some of you have experienced the loss of a loved one. Or the end of a special relationship. Or the heartbreaking news that someone you love has cancer.
The questions that I sometimes hear are "Where is God when this stuff happens? What can we do when tragedy strikes? What does it all mean? And where do we go from here?"
Job had to wrestle with all of these questions. In one terrible day, this man lost his family. His house. And his livelihood. And for the rest of the book, Job is saying, "God, what is going on around here? I thought I was what you wanted me to be! I thought I was doing good! Why is this happening to me?" But in the midst of his tragedy, Job does some things that we need to do in our tragedy.
The 1st thing you need to do is to acknowledge that God is in control. This is where you can really see the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. The non-Christian will say, "No one deserves this! If there is a God, than he’s either a powerless weakling. Or he’s an inhuman monster! That kind of God is not worth knowing! I could never love someone so distant and so cold and so cruel!"
But the Christian handles tragedy in a completely different way: "Lord, this is your universe. You have a right to do things as you see fit. I don’t understand everything. But I have faith that all things will work together for the good of those who love you. I have faith that there’s more to life than just this life. I have faith that beautiful things will blossom out of the ashes of this tragedy. I have faith that one day, I will be in heaven where there will be no more crying and no more tears and no more sorrow and no more suffering and no more pain! I have faith that you alone are in control!"And that’s the attitude that Job has. "The Lord gives. And the Lord takes away. He’s got a right to do what he wants to do! And for now, I can accept that. I don’t understand it. But I know in my heart that God is good. Blessed be the name of the Lord!"
In the book of Revelation, there’s a part in chapter 16 where the angels are pouring out the bowls of God’s wrath on the earth. And right in the middle of all the mayhem and the judgment, the angel in charge says to God, "You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." In other words, "you can do what you want. I have nothing to say about it. You alone are God. Not me or anyone else." Job’s trust in God allowed him to respond to the tremendously painful losses in his life.
Job possessed a heart that trusted God. And this real trust in God is evidenced in at least two ways.
First, real trust in God sustains meaning even when you lose everything else. We see this in verses 20-21. Job loses his livestock, his properties and his children. Job went from being one of the most prosperous men in the land to being a pauper. Tearing his robe and shaving his head were ways he expressed his great grief.
Job grieved because he lost all that most people live for, family and material possessions. Yet Job recognized that the meaning of life was to praise God, and no one could take that away from him.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Second, real trust in God sustains goodness even when bad things happen. We see this in verses 22. It’s a lie that bad things don’t happen to good people or that good things don’t happen to bad people. Job, a good man, by human standards, had a great deal of bad things happen to him. In fact, things will go from bad to worse in the next chapters.
When we say we trust in God, we are making an assumption, that God is good. We do not trust someone just because he or she exists. We trust a person because he or she is good. Therefore, real trust in God is trusting in God’s sufficient goodness even when bad things happen. Don’t you ever wonder why we suffer? Is God still in control, and if He is, what is the purpose and the meaning of all this? Can’t God control the winds anymore like he did on the Sea of Galilee, or is this some kind of judgment--if so, what are we to learn? As long as other people suffer, I can glibly tell you that God is testing them, and that there are lessons to learn. But when it falls on me, I wonder, “Oh God! Why me? What did I do? God are you still in control?”
You see, my problem is that I believe in God.
- I believe God is all-powerful.
- I believe that God is all knowing.
- I believe that God is in control.
- I believe that God is good – He is not evil.
- I believe that God does not take some kind of sadistic pleasure in seeing people suffer.
Rabbi Kushner wrote a book, “Why Bad Things Happen to Good People”. It’s a classic. His conclusion was that there are some things God just can’t do. He said, “If a person points a gun at you and pulls the trigger, you just can’t expect God to jump in front of you and deflect the bullet”.
If there are some things that God cannot do, then it’s time to redefine God. You can’t really say he is “Omnipotent – all-powerful”--not if there are some things He cannot do. If there are some things God cannot do, then He really isn’t in charge of everything. If God cannot control everything, then some things are out of control!
That’s not the understanding of the writer of the book of Job. Let me tell you a number of things that this writer of Job understands.
1. There is a drama being played out in heavenly places. It’s a drama of good and evil. God allows Satan to deceive himself into thinking he has some power. It’s an evil power, opposed to everything that is good. The desire of Satan is to kill, steal & destroy. Satan uses pain, sickness, loss, death, sadness, and depression to lead people to give up on God.
2. Job’s devil is personal. He has a personality. He talks to God. He stupidly challenges God, but we are not to see it as tempting God. God cannot be tempted to do evil. God does not give into Satan. God simply allows him to do his dirty work to test the saints. God remains completely in control.
3. The writer wants us to understand that God cannot do evil. Actually, it is the one thing God cannot do. It is not in His nature. God, literally, doesn’t have it in Him. God is all good, entirely good, and completely good, and He cannot do evil.
4. Additionally, Satan cannot do good. Evil is the only thing Satan can do. In fact, Satan is incapable of doing any good thing. Any good he does is for the express purpose of deception, so that you think it’s good, but in fact, his goal is to deceive and to destroy.
5. Also, God uses Satan for His own purposes – not visa versa. God is entirely in control of this situation. God permits Satan to harm Job and His family, and without that permission, Satan can do nothing. Furthermore, God sets the limits. The Evil One can only go so far in his destructive work. Tests come – they will test what you really believe. Job was convinced “The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Everything comes from the Lord. Everything belongs to the Lord. If the Lord takes it away, that is His right. It doesn’t make it easy, but it’s important to know who is in control. You have to know, before tragedy strikes.
6. Tests are ultimately for our good. God did not allow evil to come to Job because He hated him, or because He was angry or upset with him. Amazingly, He allowed evil to come precisely because He loved him. The tragedies Job would face would be for his ultimate good. His character would be strengthened. His faith would be deepened. He would be able to help a lot more people because of what he went through. He would be honored and blessed all the more, so long as he came through this test faithfully.
God is in control of this universe. He controls the events of history. We don’t always understand what He is doing and why, but we are always to trust Him, be faithful to Him, do the right thing anyway, and believe that God will work it all out in the end. Job believed that God had given it all to him out of God’s sheer goodness and grace, and he believed that God had the right to do with him whatever he thought was best. That was a conviction. This was no glib, “Oh I believe in God!” kind of stuff. He passed the test. He found himself worshipping God through his tears. “The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
“He is no fool who gives away what he cannot keep, in order to gain what he cannot lose”. Jim Elliot. Tests come – they will test what you really believe.
How about you?
What do you know?
What do you believe?
Do you have a faith in Jesus that’s worth dying living and dying for?
What will happen to you if God lifts His hedge of protection?
What will you do if tragedy is allowed to come your way?
What if God doesn’t answer your prayer in the midst of the agonies?
American Philosopher George Carlin said “May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.”
