JOB: A MAN TRIED AND TRUE
Copyright © July 2010 by Rev. Donnie L. Martin. All Rights Reserved.
Text: Job 19:25-27
I. JOB’S CHARACTERISTICS
A. He Was A Godly Man.
B. He Was A Great Man.
II. SATAN’S CONTROVERSY
A. God Questions Satan.
B. Satan Questions Job’s Sincerity.
III. JOB’S COMPLAINT
A. He Curses The Day Of His Birth.
B. He Craves For Death, Because Of His Misery
C. He Complains Of His Ceaseless Anguish.
IV. JOB’S CONVICTION
A. It Was Job’s Conviction That He Would Ultimately See God.
B. It Was Job’s Conviction That His Refinement Was God’s Ultimate Goal.
V. JOB’S COMFORT
A. Job’s Friends Were Reprimanded.
B. Job’s Possessions And Health Were Restored.
Intro: What would it take to make you stop serving God? That may seem like an unusual question; but one I believe we need to consider. “Why?” you ask. The reason is that we Christians too often entertain the spurious notion that we would never even consider throwing in the towel—we would never permit the trials and difficulties of life to so discourage us that we’d actually quit on God. The fact is however, life has the potential of dishing out far worse than we would ever care to imagine. So my point is that we need to consider this question carefully, rather than flippantly passing it off as an impossibility.
You see; it’s one thing to vow undying loyalty to Christ when everything is going great, but it’s quit another to remain faithful and committed to Christ when the ashes of your life are falling at your feet. Trials and tragedies have a way of vaporizing those shallow, superficial images of ourselves as some sort of super-saint, who can bravely endure anything life might throw at us.
Though life often deals us a good dose of reality, we saints are not to be possessed of morbid fatalism, but of a meaningful faith toward God. Life’s often-troublesome realities are meant to solidify our dependency upon God, rather than the arm of flesh. God’s purpose in our hardships is that we might learn to lean heavily upon Him. These principles are vividly illustrated in the life of Job.
Job, the servant of God, endured more tragedy in a brief period, than most people experience in a lifetime. Though at times he was overwhelmed by discouragement and depression, he never gave up on God. Job’s reliance and faith in the goodness and righteousness of God remained in tact. With the exception of life itself, he lost everything he held dear. Yet, he remained committed to He Who is ever faithful. Such should be the aspiration and goal of every child of God.
Theme: The account of Job reveals to us:
I. JOB’S CHARACTERISTICS
A. He Was A Godly Man.
Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
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4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered 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 did Job continually.”
NOTE: [1] It is interesting to note that Job was not a Hebrew. He apparently lived during the time of the patriarchs, which was long before the institution of the nation of Israel and the Law of Moses. This man was a Gentile believer in God.
[2] So upright and God-honoring was Job, that he “eschewed evil” (Job 1:1b). That simply means that he shunned, avoided, and turned his back on evil in any form.
[3] Though he was perhaps the godliest of the godly, notice that that fact didn’t prevent Job from experiencing tribulation in his life. Trouble comes to us all, regardless of our station, status, or saintliness in life. Speaking of men in general, Job himself said, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).
B. He Was A Great Man.
Job 1:2 “And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.”
NOTE: [1] It has been suggested by some scholars that in the thought of Job’s day, to possess “seven sons and three daughters” (v. 2) was to possess the perfect family. It was viewed as an extreme blessing from God, and evidence of His favor. If this is true, this characteristic of Job’s family would have elicited a certain respect and status in the society in which he lived.
[2] The symbol of wealth in Job’s day was livestock. Job was considered to be the “greatest of all the men of the east” (v. 3b). However, his great wealth could not buy his way out of the trials and troubles that were to soon come his way.
II. SATAN’S CONTROVERSY
A. God Questions Satan.
1. “From where have you come?”
Job 1:6 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
NOTE: [1] Satan’s reply sounds a lot like First Peter 5:8, which says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
[2] Lest we make too much of Satan’s power, we need to be aware of some pertinent facts about him.
Satan’s Power is Permitted
Lest we be “terrified by our adversaries,” it is well to remember that Satan’s power is not inherent but permitted (Rom. 13:1). It is not unlimited, but controlled (Job 1:12; 2:6). It is not invincible, but broken (Luke 11:21-11). It is not assured of success, but is surely doomed (Rev. 20:2-3). Satan knows well that there is no ultimate victory for him. The pronounced sentence has only been postponed. But he works to hinder and postpone Christ’s final triumph. We can rejoice in the certainty of John’s assurance: “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).1
2. “Have you had my servant Job under consideration?”
Job 1:8 “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”
NOTE: [1] The child of God who is living a godly, Christ-honoring life will never escape the attention of Satan and his minions; nor will that saint be ignored by them. However, we can rest in the truth that, just as Satan had to obtain God’s permission to touch Job, he must do the same for any of God’s blood-washed children.
[2] Many Christians in our present generation live such nominal Christian lives, that they don’t even cause a blip on Satan’s radar screen. Their lives simply aren’t a threat to the devil’s domain. Though I naturally have no actual statistics to back this up; it is my opinion that Satan isn’t the least bit worried about the influence of 95 % of today’s so-called Christianity.
[3] Leonard Ravenhill, that great old revivalist, had a few things to say about what real Christianity ought to be like.
[3a] Spirit-filled Christianity not only gets God’s work done on earth, but it also angers the devil.
Brethren, if we will do God’s work in God’s way at God’s time with God’s power, we shall have God’s blessing and the devil’s curses. When God opens the windows of heaven to bless us, the devil will open the door of hell to blast us. God’s smile means the devil’s frown! Mere preachers may help anybody and hurt nobody; but prophets will stir everybody and madden somebody.2
[3b] Do the forces of hell know your name?
Who can take comfort in social popularity if he is unknown in hell?3
[3c] Here’s the sad reality often found in our churches today.
We don’t “sit at ease” in Zion any more. We have gone past that; we just sleep. In the church, pillars have given place to pillows.4
B. Satan Questions Job’s Sincerity.
1. Satan was allowed to touch Job’s possessions.
Job 1:9 “Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.”
a. Job suffers the loss of his oxen, asses, and servants, due to a Sabean attack (Job 1:14-15).
b. Job lost his vast herd of sheep and his servants, due to lightning (Job 1:16).
c. Job’s camels were stolen, and the servants slain by the Chaldees (Job 1:17).
d. Job lost all ten of his children when a tremendous desert windstorm caused the house, in which they were feasting, to collapse (Job 1:18-19).
e. Job responds to his losses with worship and praise.
Job 1:20 “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
NOTE: There’s nothing wrong with having things, as long as things don’t have you. Our possessions should be viewed as blessings from God, and tools to be used for His glory. They should never become the goal of our lives. Our real concern should not be what we possess here, but what we possess in heaven.
It’s All Mine
George W. Truett, a well-known pastor, was invited to dinner in the home of a very wealthy man in Texas. After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area.
Pointing to the oil wells punctuating the landscape, he boasted, “Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it’s all mine.” Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain, he said, “That’s all mine.” Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he bragged, “They’re all mine.” Then pointing to the west and a beautiful forest, he exclaimed, “That too is all mine.”
He paused, expecting Dr. Truett to compliment him on his great success. Truett, however, placing one hand on the man’s shoulder and pointing heavenward with the other, simply said, “How much do you have in that direction?”
The man hung his head and confessed, “I never thought of that.”5
2. Satan was allowed to touch Job physically.
a. Satan viciously attacks Job’s body.
Job 2:4 “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.”
b. Job vindicates God for permitting this terrible affliction.
Job 2:9 “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”
NOTE: [1] To help us understand how amazing Job’s vindication of God was, let me point out the symptoms he suffered.
The horrible symptoms included inflamed eruptions accompanied by intense itching (2:7, 8), maggots in ulcers (7:5), erosion of the bones (30:17), blackening and falling off of skin (30:30), and terrifying nightmares (7:14), though some of these may possibly be attributed to the prolonged exposure that followed the onset of the disease. Though Satan had been obliged to spare his victim’s life, the sufferer probably thought his death was imminent.6
[2] Folks, I don’t know if you’ve thought about this or not; but it’s the bitter that makes us appreciate the sweet, the hard that makes us appreciate the soft, and the bad that makes us appreciate the good. If we never received anything but good from the hand of God, we’d soon become unappreciative of His goodness.
[3] The following poem sort of puts our physical trials in perspective:
God Has Promised Strength for the Day
God has not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our life through;
God has not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God has promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way;
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.7
3. Satan was allowed to touch Job psychologically.
a. Job’s wife offered him no comfort.
Job 2:9 “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God and die.”
b. Job’s friends offered only condemnation.
Job 19:19 “All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
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21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
22 Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?”
c. Job’s God even broke off communication.
Job 23:3 “Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!
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8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:
9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:”
NOTE: [1] The silence of God can seem very loud, and it is always disturbing. God’s sudden silence could be for a number of reasons, but usually our first thought is whether or not we have sinned against God, or offended Him in some way. If known sin is the problem, confession and repentance is the only answer.
[2] Though sin can certainly silence God’s voice in our hearts, that’s not the only reason God sometimes grows silent.
[2a] In my own experience, I have found that God sometimes grows silent in order to create a longing for Him in our hearts. The principle here is somewhat like the old adage: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Not only does God love to love us; He also loves to be loved by us.
[2b] God may also temporarily be silent in order to heighten our spiritual hearing. Sometimes God stops speaking in order to gain our full, undivided attention, just as some of our earthly teachers used to do when they became aware that the class wasn’t really listening.
[2c] Thirdly, I believe God sometimes grows silent in order to teach us to trust and rely on Him, even when we have no inner indicators of His presence and love. I find this principle in Exodus 20:21b, where we are told, “…and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.” God wants us to learn that He loves us, and is with us simply because He says so; no matter what our senses might tell us. Just as Moses drew near to the thick darkness, knowing that God was there, we sometimes have to embrace the darkness (the absence of input from our spiritual senses) in order to hear from God. Our patience and faith is vital during these heavenly silences.
III. JOB’S COMPLAINT
A. He Curses The Day Of His Birth.
Job 3:1 “After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 And Job spake, and said,
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.”
B. He Craves For Death, Because Of His Misery.
Job 3:20 “Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;
21 Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22 Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?”
C. He Complains Of His Ceaseless Anguish.
Job 3:24 “For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.”
NOTE: Job’s utterances in chapter three, almost sound as if he is at the point of quitting on God. However, that’s not the case. One commentator explains as follows:
…The real affliction of Job consists in this, that the inward feeling of being forsaken of God, which was hitherto strange to him, is come upon him…God has really withdrawn from Job the external proof, and at the same time the feeling, of His abiding love, in order to try the fidelity of his servant’s love, and prove its absoluteness…His trust in God is not destroyed, but overcast by thick clouds of melancholy and doubt.8
IV. JOB’S CONVICTION
A. It Was Job’s Conviction That He Would Ultimately See God.
Job 19:25 “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”
NOTE: In spite of all that Job had already endured, he knew that God was still alive and well. One day he would see Him face to face. This story makes a poignant point along this line.
Hush Child, God Ain’t Dead
I am not a connoisseur of great art, but from time to time a painting or picture will really speak a clear, strong message to me.
Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney...the charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession.
In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying.
Beneath the picture were the words, which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were, “Hush child, God ain’t dead!”
That vivid picture of that burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those words “God ain’t dead,” keep returning to my mind. Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder of hope! I need reminders that there is hope in this world. In the midst of all of life’s troubles and failures, I need mental pictures to remind me that all is not lost as long as God is alive and in control of His world.9
B. It Was Job’s Conviction That His Refinement Was God’s Ultimate Goal.
Job 23:10 “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
NOTE: [1] From God’s point of view, all that He permits to come into our lives, either good or ill, is for the purpose of producing Christ-likeness in us. The Apostle Paul had learned this as well. He said, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son…” (Rom.8: 28-29b—KJV).
[2] The fact is, if we’ll accept our difficulties as from the hand of our loving heavenly Father, Who desires to help us, not hurt us, we’ll be a lot better off.
He Brought Me Here
First, He brought me here; it is by His will I am in this strait place: in that fact I will rest.
Next, He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace to behave as His child. Then, He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow.
Last, in His good time He can bring me out again—how and when He knows.
Let me say I am here, (1) By God’s appointment, (2) In His keeping, (3) Under His training, (4) For His time.10
V. JOB’S COMFORT
A. Job’s Friends Were Reprimanded.
Job 42:7 “And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.”
B. Job’s Possessions And Health Were Restored.
Job 42:10 “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.”
Theme: The account of Job reveals to us:
I. JOB’S CHARACTERISTICS
II. SATAN’S CONTROVERSY
III. JOB’S COMPLAINT
IV. JOB’S CONVICTION
V. JOB’S COMFORT
End Notes:
1. J. Oswald Sanders, Cultivation of Christian Character, (Moody Press, Chicago; 1965), p. 86.
2. Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries, pgs. 38-39.
3. Ibid, pg. 88.
4. Ibid, pg. 76.
5. Our Daily Bread, October 24, 1992.
6. Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, Editors, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; pg. 463.
7. Source unknown.
8. Quoted from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament.
9. James DeLoach, associate pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Houston, quoted in When God Was Taken Captive, W. Aldrich, Multnomah, 1989, p. 24.
10. Andrew Murray, quoted in Though the Mountains Shake, by Amy Carmichael, p. 12.
