LIFE’S NOT FAIR
THE BOOK OF JOB
WEEK 2 2008
INTRODUCTION
1. Good Morning. Week #2. By a raise of hands I’m curious who has been following along in the reading plan. I’m sure many of you got through the first 11 chapters of Genesis with not much problem, but now you are wading through the physical and emotional turmoil of this man Job along with his friends. I can relate to this man job. When in college I had taken a expositional class on the book of job. My professor, a man of great intellect and scholarliness tormented plan of making this book truly come to life for those that dared to take his class. This class met twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. At the beginning of every class a 10 page paper was required from each student. You don’t know how much anguish and suffering I faced. My heart was one with job, “why oh God have abandoned me and afflicted me with such great suffering.”
2. In Job’s suffering he asks a question, that I know people for generations asks
a. Job 21:7 (NIV)
7 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?
b. Why do the wicked seem to prosper and increase in power and recipricallly why do bad things happen to good people.
3. SCRIPTURE
a. Job 1:1 (NIV)
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.
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b. Job 1:9-22 (NIV)
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. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 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. 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!” 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.
c. Job 2:7-10 (NIV)
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. 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.
4. OBSERVATIONS
a. Job’s Character (mentioned in verse 1 and then in 8 by God)
i. “Job was blameless” = without moral blemish
ii. “Job was upright” = did not deviate from God’s standards
iii. “Feared God” = He was aware of, revered, and submitted to God’s majesty.
iv. “Shunned evil” = rejected the opposite of God’s character.
v. Job like all mankind is frail and vulnerable to suffering
b. Nature of Suffering
i. Suffering is a part of life, but not part of God’s divine destiny for mankind
1. It is not God’s will for us to just endure the suffering of this world
ii. The suffering that job went through was not just the to-be-expected suffering that we might think is a part of normal living
1. The fall not only brought a separation between God and man but it opened the door to suffering. That suffering, is often a direct result of satanic attack and bondage
c. Objective of the book of Job
i. It is not about the willingness for God to allow us to be put through suffering. Although God does allow us to go through trials. He does not enjoy it, but he does want us to come to Him. Suffering is often the vehicle for that to happen.
ii. This story provides divine revelation about
1. the mood and manner of satan’s hatefulness and readiness to attack human kind
2. People tend to misinterpret those attacks. Some think that Job describes God as intending suffering instead of seeing Satan as the one desiring to extend that suffering we had been exposed to through the original fall of man.
d. Contents of the book
i. The content of the book is filled with the Recording of man and the Revelation of God. We have to discern one from the other
1. For example – some of the things job says are not consistent with the nature of God’s character weaved through the rest of the Bible, they are the agonizing words of a man in deep suffering. If we look carefully with discerning eyes we can see the true character of God, that remains consistent through the Bible
e. Job’s suffering is so intense that he wishes he was never born
i. Job 3:1 “May the day of my birth perish…”
ii. I know that many people come to such a place of despair. There are people that have tried to deny their sufferings and try to convince themselves that everything is okay.
iii. They try to anesthetize their suffering with drugs, or alcohol or some other form of addiction. Anything to relieve some of the pain, but any relief they might get is from those things is temporary.
iv. Job questions God about what is going on. Why is he suffering? I think we have all been there at some point. God why am I going through this trouble?
1. God I have done everything right. I have served you and made decisions based on your counsel, yet now I have in horrible affliction and I don’t know why.
2. Why do bad things happen to Good people? And why do those that are wicked and corrupt often times seem to prosper?
f. There are brief moments where Job seems to overcome his suffering anchoring himself to the truth
i. Job 19:25-27 (CEV)
25 I know that my Savior (redeemer NIV) lives, and at the end he will stand on this earth. 26 My flesh may be destroyed, yet from this body I will see God. 27 Yes, I will see him for myself, and I long for that moment.
g. Job feels betrayed by his friends
i. Job 13:4 (NIV)
4 You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!
ii. I know how much it hurts when people make judgements about situations they do not have full understanding of. I have felt betrayed before.
iii. I also know that I have been on the end of making assumptions without a full understanding of events taking place. I know that because of my lack of sensitivity, due to being self-absorbed, self-righteous, or just plain selfish I have hurt others which was never God’s intent for any of us.
5. APPLICATION
a. LIVE A LIFE ABOVE REPROACH
i. We know that everyone has sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Even though that is true there was great value in living blameless and upright before God. God is pleased with those how fear him and revere is name. He delights in one that shuns evil and pursues righteousness.
1. Jobs devotion had a flaw however. He walked blames out of the fear of God’s judgment and the assumption of His blessing. Instead we need to walk in a path of righteousness and blamelessness because of God’s great love for us.
2. When children first start to learn how to obey their parents it is done with a hope of avoiding correction, or receiving reward, but as they get older they should move from an avoidance of correction and expectation of reward to a love of virtue. A love of virtue means we do what is right because of our love for the truth and for others, and for pleasing God.
ii. I know that as a human I make a lot of mistakes, but I also know that as a Christian I reveal God to the world. I need to try to do my very best to live a life that would honor Him and bring delight to his name. That is not how I “get” salvation, but it is because of such a great salvation
b. GOD IS NOT OUR ENEMY AND PEOPLE ARE NOT OUR ENEMY
i. Job 6:4 (NIV)
4 The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God’s terrors are marshaled against me.
ii. In Job’s suffering He began to entertain the thought of being the enemy of God. God is not our enemy. Satan is our enemy
iii. People are not our enemy either. Even though Job’s four friends come and their words do not bring any releif, they were not there to intentionally gang up on Him to intensify the affliction already being poured out on Him.
iv. This suffering is like satanic bondage. Job tries to get out on his own, but any strength he musters is quickly expended.
c. PEOPLE DON’T CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE
i. I don’t need to know how to fix everyone, but everyone does need to know how much I care. For them.
ii. I have been told that men and women are wired differently – men are problem solvers. My wife will come in and share a problem with me and often times the first thing that comes out of my mouth is, you should to this and that and that is how to fix it.” She will stop me and say, I don’t need you to fix it, I just need you to listen.
iii. Job at one point tells his friends that they are like worthless physicians that are doing him no good.
iv. Job 2:11-13 (NIV)
11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 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.”
1. They came to where he was
2. There desire was to comfort not correct
3. Their hearts connected with job and they cried with him
4. They kept him company – suffering often leaves us feeling lonely and vulnerable – just being there for someone can be a great comfort.
6. PRAYER
a. Pray for anyone going through a time of affliction
b. Pray that God would make us good friends
c. Pray that God would give us hearts of compassion
d. Pray that God would help us to be blameless and upright in his sight to bring Him joy and reveal God to the world.
