Living in the land of Uz
Introduction: Spurgeon once said “that church which the world loves best is sure to be that which God abhors.” One must decide 'Do I wish to please God or please man?' Even outside of church we must make daily decisions where we ask ourselves 'Do I wish to please God or please man?'
In our country today we are seeing more and more wickedness and godlessness. Firstly, we see godlessness in our work ethic, we see more of an acceptance to not work rather than to work. Even though 1 Timothy 5:8 says those who don't provide for their family is worse than an unbeliever.
I Thessalonians 3:10 says those who are unwilling to work should not eat. Now I am not talking about those who would work but can't but all those who are able to work should. God designed man to work and not to be idle. When we are idle we tempt the devil to tempt us. Secondly, we also see godlessness in marriage and family. I don't have to tell you how our culture glamorizes anything that contradicts nature. God makes this one male yet he shakes his fist at God and says No! I want to be female! Our culture says “Good for you!” Another one says “I am gay” and our culture says “that's great, be proud of that!” And another woman who has just had her 5th abortion and our land cheers for her right to do so “Way to Go! Isn't it great that she can choose death over life!” Thirdly, we see godlessness in our idols. That is anything that we put before God. Did you know that Bartenders outnumber clergy today by 12 to 1! We had millions of people falling all over themselves to see the pope. We treat celebrities like gods, if we can only see them, touch them, etc. Finally we see godlessness in pornography which our country ranks number 1 producer of! Did you know that 64% of Christian men (ages 31-49) look at pornography at least once a month. Did you know that 77% of Christian men (ages 18-30) look at pornography at least once a month. Ruth Graham once quipped that if God didn't judge America he would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. Its fair to say that we live in a godless land. This morning we will look at a man who also lived in a godless land:
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.”
The land of Uz was a wicked an idolatrous place. But just as Abraham was the patriarch of faith, living in the land of Ur and Lot was considered a righteous man living in Sodom, Job was a blameless and upright man who feared God and shunned evil, even while living in the land of Uz. It is possible to be a godly person in a godless land. Living as a devout Christian in such a wicked and idolatrous place may be distressing, but its to God's glory and to the honor of those who do it.
Transition: You can expect at least four things living a godly life in an ungodly land
I. You can expect God's admiration
There is no one to please but ourselves if this isn't the case. We should want to bring glory to the Lord, through our good works. “let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 living godly is sure to please God. Those who take after their father's good qualities are sure to be his favorite. Those who do their best to please him are certain to do so.
God's admiration of Job is seen in his blessing. He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, He was blessed with 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 ox and 500 donkeys, He had many servants to help him manage all his possessions. He was somewhat famous for all he had and he enjoyed feasts with his family and friends. (1:2-5)
Job 1:6,7 [read]
Now we see how God's admiration is seen in his words. “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
God brags about his servant Job like a father would brag about his quarterback son winning the state championship game. Whenever Satan was called to account for what he was doing, he boasts that he was roaming the earth like a lion. God knew that Satan had been marching so proudly all over his earth ruining this person and wrecking that one. He was swinging his weight around like a prince in his kingdom, never being challenged or hindered by anyone and then God asks Satan “Have you considered my servant Job” He reminds the devil that there is still a good man in the land. Satan may have dominion over Uz but not this one righteous man who lived there. There was at least one man with the backbone to stand against him, one that will not be so easily foiled nor fooled. God must have smiled to see his servant Job standing in perfect loyalty to God, blameless and upright.
A man of integrity in a bad land is like a shining light in a dark place, There is no doubt that he is going to get everyone's attention, including God's. What higher honor can there be than for our God to not only consider our testimony but to be so happy about it that he would taunt the devil with it! Living a godly life in a godless land will definitely change things and while its not always to our pleasure it is always to God's glory. George Orwell said “The further a society drifts from the truth the more it will hate those that speak it.”
Someone said “Some people change their ways when they see the light, others only when they feel the heat.” I believe it. Paul saw the light, and Jonah felt the heat!
Transition: But living a godly life in a godless land you can not only expect to get God's admiration you should also expect to get Satan's accusation.
II. You can expect Satan's accusation
It's not only people and God that notice your light shining but also the devil. He has the most to fear from it. After all it is Gods light in you that is piercing his darkness. But once God told Satan what an upright and blameless man Job was Satan immediately accused him. Nothing will bring a swifter accusation than to hear a good man being praised. Even though it was God himself that praised him.
We're no better than the devil when we can't endure someone other than ourselves to be praised. When Israel returned from battle, the people sang a song “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands.” and Saul couldn't endure the fact that people were crediting David with more than himself. The Pharisees couldn't endure the following that Jesus had and they couldn't endure the people praising Jesus and not them.
Satan accuses Job of Hypocrisy. “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “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 that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” Job 1:9-11
Satan angrily accuses Job of hypocrisy - “of course Job is upright, look at all that you bless him with. Take it all away and he would curse you to your face.”
“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.” Job 1:12 - So God allows Satan in verse 12-19 to destroy everything Job owns and to take the lives of his 7 sons and 3 daughters to have enemies steal and kill his animals but he allowed four messengers of doom to return to Job with the tragic news. But instead of cursing God Job 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. In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” Job 1:21, 22
Once we endure one accusation we shouldn't be surprised if there is still another. Satan couldn't admit Job's victory in the slightest, so Satan most definitely is now more than ever determined to take this good man down. So once God reminds Satan of Jobs integrity, the devil moves past his accusation of hypocrisy and accuses Job of selfishness (2:4)
“Skin for skin!” Satan, replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 2:4
There is some truth in that. In fact anymore those who don't do this are called heroes. Remember the captain of the cruise ship Concordia when it was sinking off the coast of Tuscany, the captain didn't care about the passengers he only cared about saving himself so he got on a lifeboat and headed to shore and left everyone else on board. Many men will indeed give literally everything they have to save their own lives. Satan is saying “Job only praised God because he was glad that He himself didn't get hurt! He doesn't care about his own children, servants, and property! He was just thinking about himself!”
It's no surprise when Satan attributes bad qualities to good men. I think Satan looks at the saints with as much wonder as he does with hatred. It must amaze him that there are men who have not seen the glory of God or the beauty of Heaven or the miracles of Christ (something he saw first hand) and yet they not only believe but love him their whole heart. Satan says “I was thrown out of heaven because I would rather be a king in Hell than to be a servant in Heaven. I would rather be the God of this world than to bow to the God of the universe.” He assumes that all men would do as he would if in the same situation. “I will not only kill your bride but use sin to make her love me.”
Satan is so full of bitter rage and hatred; to see such integrity is more than the poor creature can stomach! Evil people make the mistake of assuming that since they are evil at their base all other men are as well, though they deny it. Their thinking is that all men are secretly as wicked as they are, they just are better at hiding it or covering it up. How Satan must delight at the secret sins of God's people! He smiles at any evidence that He can use to contradict their profession. Whether its Noah's drunkenness, David's adultery, or Peter's shame. If He finds anything that seems to be deceitful or something that is like himself – He rejoices!
Transition: He wants everyone to know that He is the god of this world, so its not surprising that living godly lives in a godless land will will garner Satan's accusation but you can also expect your family and friends alienation.
III. You can expect family and friend's alienation
“His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job 2:9
Let's not forget that Satan predicted twice that Job would curse God; once when Job was robbed of his blessing and then when he was afflicted in his body. Here is his wife encouraging him to do exactly that.
One thing we can expect living amongst a godless society is to be alienated from our friends and family. Colossians says that we were once alienated from God, our evil deeds made God an enemy in our mind. But once we deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow Christ we have a new enemy: It's strange to think that our former allies and closest friends can become our new enemies.
Matthew 10:34-36 - “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to turn “a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.”
When the light shines, don't think the darkness doesn't notice that it has to flee. Coming out as a Christian is obviously going to be noticed by those closest to you, which is usually those in your own family. They will be incensed against you for embracing Christianity, and especially for adhering to it and when push comes to shove they will join your persecutors.
Satan takes away Job's prosperity, his children, his servants, his health, but He spares him one person, He spares him his wife; not for a help but for a hindrance. The devil destroyed his whole family but spared his wife with the cruel intention of using her as an instrument for his temptation. Like Lot's wife, Job's wife's name is never mentioned. God wanted her folly to be remembered, not her name. Satan will try to use those closest to us, to either tempt us or torment us; sometimes without their realizing it, Jesus said to his chief disciple, the rock: Peter “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, you don't have in mind the things of God, only the things of men.” In a fit of emotional presumption, Satan used his closest disciple to tempt Jesus.
The one closest to Job now says “Are you still holding on to your integrity?” Are you blind? Can you not see what is going on? Are you so meek and mild that you can't see that your God is making you miserable while you didn't do anything but serve him well!? When Job needed her comfort, she gave him grief. When he looked for her encouragement, all he got was misery. She joined Job in his blessing and now she tempts him to join in her bitterness.
She then adds “curse God and die” either meaning that He should curse God and have him put out of his misery. (It is just like the devil to portray an evil as a kindness) Or “Curse God and die” as if Job should blaspheme God and then kill himself and put himself out of his misery. Either way it was just what Satan was hoping for. But Job rebukes her and says “You are talking like a foolish woman, shall we accept good from God, and not trouble.” v.10 'Should our love for God be so shallow that it is only conditional upon good times?' When Christ's love is certain should our love end when times are uncertain? Why ahould our love be conditional when his is unconditional. He loves us when we are angry at him, he loves us when we curse at him, he loves us even when we use his grace as a license to sin. Even when the LORDs for rmenters tortured him, spat on him, crucified him and mocked and made fun of him while they did it – He begged the Father not to hold it against them. Yet how often do we give up on God when all things don't go our way? Not the case with Job. He would rather rebuke his wife than to blaspheme God “In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” He may have cursed the day he was born but he could not bring himself to curse the God who gave him life.
As if it weren't enough to have all you've enjoyed and cared about taken away from you, and then to be so afflicted with painful sores that you are scraping yourself with a piece of pottery, and the one that should be your greatest fan cheering you to do good is now your greatest enemy tempting you to do evil, It was not over, Job now has 3 friends come to him from abroad to self-righteously admonish him to admit wrong. He couldn't find comfort in his wife and now He can't find assurance from any of his friends.
“All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.” Job 19:19
With Job's friends there is too much to cover this morning but the majority of this book is Jobs friends accusing Job of wrong and Job defending himself.
Finally after all of his torment, after all of his misery, after his wife tempting him and all of his friends doubting him, “The LORD said to Job: “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” Then Job answered the LORD: “I am unworthy- how can I reply to you?. . “ Job 40:1-4 Job realizes he was wrong to question God about his trials and promises to repent (Job 42:6)
Transition: One of the advantages of living godly is that God himself is on your side. No one can stand against him therefore they can not stand against you. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” At the end of it all,
IV. You can expect the LORD's emancipation
“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
There is a light at the end of he tunnel, There is a peace that comes after the storm. When you are just about to give up the ghost He comes to your rescue. He's never late, God is always on time. When we live a godly life in a godless land he won't put upon us more than we can stand. God tells the devil that he can go to this point but no further. God knows our limitations better than we do. He will not put upon us more than we can bear! This life is a vapor, enjoy the things of God while you can, and do for him as much as you can and even though our trials may not be as terrible as Job's - We should let his story encourage us that our God is a God of deliverance! Our God is a God of liberation! Our God is a God of emancipation! He came to set the captives free! He heals the lame! He makes the blind man see! He delivers us from our pain, He encourages us when we are sad, He cheers for us when we do well and helps us up when we Fall!
In Exodus 2:22 - “And she (Zipporah) bare him a son, and called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.” KJV
We are all 'Gershoms' we are all strangers in a strange land. We never desired to be accused for having God's favor, we never thought that our integrity would be a good occasion for our temptation, we never desired to be alienated by those closest to us for fully embracing Christ. The world is naturally sinful because sin is the nature of man. Therefore once born again we become the strangers in this world. When we decide to follow Christ we must decide to follow him at all cost. Job could have given in to despair and cursed God once he lost everything. But instead he said “The Lord has given and the LORD has taken away, may the name of the LORD be praised.” He could've given into the temptation to end it all through suicide and let Satan prove God wrong. In spite of his doubts Job stood strong believing in the almighty God who pulled him through his trials.
Conclusion: Paul fought a good fight, kept the faith, and finished the race. As a result he said there was a crown of righteousness prepared for him. Just like Job had twice as much as he had before. We will have much more in heaven than on earth once our journey is finally over with.
Job's story is not only to be remembered in the land of Uz but throughout all the lands that now have the Holy Bible. His legacy is secure for eternity. What will your legacy be? Will you be known as a godly person who lived in an ungodly land? Will you be known as someone that made a difference? Will you be known as someone who influenced others?
I am reminded of when Paul said that in comparison to Christ all things were like garbage. It is interesting how true that is, that the closer you get to God the less important material things are. To treasure earthly things seems so silly when your greatest treasure is about to rescue you from a wicked land and take you home. We can expect many things when living for Christ but the greatest thing of all is expecting to see him once our trying days are done.
