This is a message about how we're taught unbelief, how we’re taught to question God’s goodness in all situations. One of the reasons the Lord is starting to show me some things about how we teach unbelief is because in those areas where there is wrong belief, there is no faith. In those areas where your doctrine is off, there is no faith.
One of Satan’s primary goals is for us not to live up to who we are as sons and daughters of God. So wherever he can get folks like me to teach you things that are not in agreement with God and His Word, or take scripture to make it look like what God intended, then he is slowly but surely eroding our faith.
Tonight we’re going to take a look at Job. One of the thing we need to understand here at the beginning. There is a difference between knowing something and being able to tell someone else why you know that something.
Tonight, if what I share with you is not new, perhaps it will help you to be able to share this with someone else.
Turn to 2 Timothy 2. Paul writes in verse 2 “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
My goal tonight is to share with you what God has been sharing with me. Hopefully I’ll do it in such a way that you’ll be able to teach others also. Now to 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.
(6) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
I’m going to hit this quickly and keep going. There a lot of folks who believe that the “sons of God” here in Job are the same type of “sons of God” in Genesis 6. There are not. When you read the Bible you have to keep verses and passages in their setting, in their context.
The “sons of God” in Genesis were not angels. They were descendants of Seth. The “sons of God” here are angels. So, one way to reduce the confusion is to say these “sons of God” were created beings. God was their source.
(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.
Where have we heard this before in the New Testament? It’s found in 1 Peter 5:8 – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” This is how Satan operates. So, what do you think Satan is doing here in Job 1:7? He tells us that he is seeking someone to devour
(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?
(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.
Notice how Satan is describing God? The describing was true in the Old Testament. It’s true in the New Testament. God blesses. Satan devourers. Let that sink in ladies and gentlemen.
(11) But put forth thine hand (power) now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
(12) And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power (hand); only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Now turn to chapter 2.
(1) Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
(2) And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Ladies and gentlemen, in this verse we see why the angels had gathered in the presence of the Lord. How do I know this? Each time Satan appears God asks him “What have you been doing?” So the angels were reporting back to God and giving an account of their activities. This must be something that occurred regularly because Satan, having been God’s top angel, knows when it takes place.
(3) 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? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
(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.
Jump down to verse 9.
(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.
Now we have been taught that God allows Satan to do certain things based on this record. Tonight I want to give you a visual image of what we have been taught. It’s one thing to say God allows Satan to do things and that Satan can’t do anything without God’s permission. It’s one thing to say that but let’s see what that looks like and then I want you to think about how that makes you feel about your Heavenly Father.
(What follows is the script I used to demonstrate my point. I asked a highly respected and gracious sister in the congregation to fill the role of God and I filled the role of Satan. We are in their weekly Monday morning meeting.)
It is commonly believed, because of what we read in Job, that God allows Satan to harm us. I’m going to present a scenario that depicts this doctrine. We’re going to eavesdrop on a Monday morning meeting God has with Satan. I want you to think about what this says about your Heavenly Father and then I want you to think about the emotions you experienced as you read it.
God: Good morning Satan. How was your weekend?
Satan: Good morning. It was good. Nothing out of the ordinary.
God: Looking at the papers in Satan’s hands) It appears you had a very busy weekend.
Satan: Yeah, I did. And I have some big plans this week.
God: Okay, let’s get started.
Satan: This guy, name’s Ralph, has money problems. I want him to lose his job, his home and then be forced to file for bankruptcy.
God: I will allow it.
Satan: Great! We’re off to a good start this morning.
Satan: This woman, Claire, been sleeping around and I think she deserves AIDS because of her sin.
God: I will allow it.
Satan: Two for two! You must have had a good weekend too to be so agreeable. (God smiles.)
Satan: Tommy is six years old and likes to play with his ball in the yard. Today he’s going to lose control of the ball and it’s going to bounce into the street. He’s going to be hit by a car and die.
God: Uh, uh. Nope. I will not allow that.
Satan: So much for a good weekend. Why not?
God: It’s not his time to die. When his time comes we’ll talk. Now move along.
Satan: Oh man. Okay. All right.
God: Who’s next?
Satan: Henry is always telling people how much you love them and how good you are. Now, since you won’t put more on a person than he can bear, I want him to have a series of problems – heart attack, wife leaves him, loses his job – you know, the typical stuff.
God: What kind of time frame are we talking about?
Satan: Maybe six to 12 months.
God: No heart attack but I will allow his wife to leave him and for him to lose his job.
Satan: I can live with that. Thanks..
God: See you next week.
Satan: Hey, do you have time for a cappuccino?
God: Sure, why not?
I wanted to give you a visual to show you what we’ve always said and what we’ve always believed. We have said over and over that God allows things to happen and that Satan can only do what God allows him to do. Is that not what we’ve been taught to believe?
When you were sitting there watching what we did, I don’t know about you, but it didn’t make me feel good about my Heavenly Father. To know that he’s sitting there with Satan and, in a couple places, He’s negotiating with him. And the negotiation is about something that was going to harm us.
This is exactly how we have been taught to interpret the passages in Job that we just read.
Now let’s look at the teaching from Job 1:6-12 and Job 2:1-7.
The teaching says
• God allows, approves, or gives permission for Satan to attack us.
• Satan is God’s instrument of suffering in our lives. Since God allows it, that means He and Satan are working hand in hand.
• God and Satan agree upon the pain, suffering and tragedy that Satan inflicts. Is that not what we saw in this example?
• Both good and evil come from God. Is that not what Job himself says? But is that true? Not necessarily. One of the things you’ll come to understand as you read the Old Testament is not necessarily true about God.
How has Job been used to teach unbelief?
• God takes a hands-off approach to what happens here on earth.
• Satan operates within the boundaries set by God. God tells Satan the first time that he can’t touch Job and He tells him the second time you can’t kill. Remember we’re talking about how we have been taught unbelief.
• Whatever happens to us – good or bad – is God’s will.
• Sometimes God allows bad things to happen to us to get our attention. But we don’t see this in Job do we?
Now let’s look at some key observations about Job.
• Job has a sin nature. Christians do not have sin natures. We have the same nature and life as God.
• Job was oblivious to what was happening in the realm of the spirit. He had no clue that Satan was attacking him because he said the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. And he says to his wife we expect good from God why shouldn’t’ we expect evil? Is that not what Job said? But based on what we’ve seen so far, is what Job says about God true? No, it is not.
• Job could not defend himself against Satan’s attacks. Why? He had a sin nature just like Satan, the being he didn’t even know existed. He didn’t have a nature like God’s. Again, we do.
• Job was perfect and upright before God and this gave God what He needed to protect him. Do you understand what I’m saying here? Well, let me be clear. Job lived a holy lifestyle. Now let me ask you: do you believe God can protect you if you’re not living a holy lifestyle? Let me answer that question for you: No He cannot.
• God did not stop Satan’s attacks. Why not? God is a god of justice. He can no more take away Satan’s freedom of will than He can take away our freedom of will.
• God gave Satan specific instructions about what he could and could not do. Why did He do that? Because Job had a sin nature. Job could not protect himself against Satan. You need to see this and understand this. That’s why God put the boundaries on what he wanted to do. Satan’s nature is to steal, kill and destroy and for a person with a sin nature, he can almost do this with impunity. Let me clue you guys. Satan was going to attack Job anyway. God says “No, I am only going to let you go so far because Job is holy. You’re not going to kill him.”
Now, let’s go back and read this with a different pair of eyes, with a different view point. We’re going to read Job 1:6-12 again and Job 2:1-7 again.
Job 1:6-12
(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.
(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?
(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 (power) now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
(12) And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power (hand); only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
What do we see here? Satan tells God in verse 11 to put forth His hand and Job will curse Him to His face. But what does God say? God says “He is in your hands.” Do you see this? Now before we go any further, why was Job in Satan’s hands? Job had a sin nature. Satan had a sin nature. He had the power to make things happen in Job’s life that without Job knowing the source.
Cindy, come here please. I’m going to be God. Anybody got with that? (Laughter) Satan says God has put a hedge around Job. Think of my hand as being the hand of blessing. (My hand is above Cindy’s head.) As long as Cindy is under my hand, she has protection. So what Satan wants me to do is take away my hand and by doing so I take away the hedge for Cindy. Do you see this?
This is what Satan is asking God to do. “God, remove your hand and give me access to Job. I don’t access right now. Give me access.” So God has to move his hand away from Job in order for Satan to have access.
Now you may be sitting there thinking “God had his hand of blessing upon Job. He removed his hand of blessing so Satan could attack him.”
Now let’s think about this for a minute. Let’s think about it long and hard. The whole focus of the record is Satan telling God that if He removes His hand of blessing Job will curse Him to His face.
Now, let me put on my God role again. Since I am God I have an advantage. I can see everything that’s going to happen and I know everything that’s going to happen. I know exactly what Job is going to do when I remove My hand. Satan doesn’t know that. God knows what Job is going to do and He knows how Job is going to respond to the attacks.
God knew that Job was going to worship Him in the face of everything that was going on. He knew that Job wouldn’t say anything against God in all that was going on.
Remember the attacks are going to come. The image here is God showing us what can happen when His hand of blessing is on your life and when His hand of blessing is not on your life. Now we’re going to read Job 2:1-6 again.
(1) Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
(2) And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
(3) 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? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him (“You want me to remove my hand of blessing and protection from him.), to destroy him without cause.
(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.
Where is Job? He’s in Satan’s hands. He’s not in God’s hands.
(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.
Now let’s look at some questions.
• Is the book of Job part of the Old Testament or the New Testament? It’s in the Old Testament.
• So, does Job 1:6-12 and Job 2:1-7 apply to those of us who are born again? No, it does not and you have to know this. If you’re sitting here thinking that maybe some of it does and some of it doesn’t, then you don’t know the difference between having a sin nature and having God’s life and nature.
I am going to show you who you are in Genesis 1:26-28.
(26) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
(27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
(28) And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Who had dominion? Adam. There was only one greater in dominion. God.
Now look at Genesis 2:15 – “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” The word “keep” means “to guard, to protect, to keep things out that shouldn’t be in the garden”.
What does this say to you? Adam could take care of himself. Do you see this? God says “Adam, you have my life and nature. You have exactly the same thing I have. You take care of the garden.” But what do we see in Job? God had to protect him. God had to put a hedge about him. Why? Job had a sin nature. He didn’t have a nature like God’s or Adam’s.
Genesis 2 is before Genesis 3 when everything went downhill! Before Genesis 3 who was in charge? Adam. Could Satan do anything that Adam didn’t allow? No. Satan shows up in Genesis 3 because Adam, now listen to me ladies and gentlemen, allows him to show up. If Adam had kicked Satan to the curb in Genesis 2 there would not have been a Genesis 3!
Turn to I Corinthians 15:45-48. This important.
(45) And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Why was the first man, Adam, made a “living soul”? Genesis 2:7 tells us that God breathe into him the breath of life and he became a living soul. The last Adam, Jesus Christ, made a quickening spirit. He came from the “factory” with God’s life and nature. God didn’t have to breathe it into him.
(46) Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
(47) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
(48) As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
If Jesus is the last Adam and we saw what He did in the Gospels, don’t you think the first Adam could have done the same things if it had been necessary? If Jesus is the last Adam, wouldn’t it stand to reason that He functions the way the first Adam did, that He had the same dominion and authority that the first Adam had?
So we have Genesis 3 all the way to the end of the Gospels when Jesus is raised from the dead before it is possible for a man or woman to once again become just like Adam and the second Adam, Jesus Christ. Do you see this?
This important. Job was not like us! He had no clue of what was going on in the realm of the spirit. We do.
We’re going to talk about Satan for a minute but not long. John 10:10 tells us that Satan, the thief, comes to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus, in contrast, says I’ve come to give you a life that’s more than abundant. Many folks in the pulpit say that Jesus this abundant life is a reference to money, cars, large houses, etc, etc, etc. Do you want to know the abundant life Jesus is talking about? He’s talking about you no longer having a dead sin nature. The abundant life is God’s life and nature living in you!
Now we’ve already talked about I Peter 5 where it talks about Satan desire to devour us.
How does God operate? We find out in I John 1:5 – “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
There is no darkness in God. In our demonstration of God and Satan’s Monday morning meeting when God was negotiating with Satan, can you say there was no darkness in that? No. There was absolutely some darkness! So how can we say that the things that happen to us in life God allows them to happen?
If we are now like the last Adam, Jesus Christ – we have His life and His nature – and Jesus was like the first Adam, who had God’s life and nature. The first Adam was told you take care of the garden. It was his responsibility. He had all of the power and dominion. Then why do we accuse God of letting things happen to us when it’s in our realm of authority and dominion to stop it?
Do you think it was an accident that God tells Paul that His grace is sufficient for him to deal with the thorn in the flesh? Paul asked God three times to remove it. Did He? No. He told Paul I have given you all the grace you need to deal with it. God says “You have to deal with it Paul. It’s your responsibility. You have the power and authority.”
Did Job have the power and authority to deal with the situations he faced? Job didn’t have a clue. He didn’t even know that it was Satan doing things to him. He thought it was God. And notice that the Bible says Job did not speak against God. Wait a minute. Did we not read where Job said the Lord giveth and Lord taketh away? Did it not that he told his wife that if we are to expect good from God why not evil? Did I miss something? Do you know why it says Job did not sin against God in his speech? He had a sin nature and didn’t know the real source of his problems. He didn’t know any better.
Look at First John 4.
(16) And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
When God was agreeing with Satan in our example, that wasn’t showing me much love.
(17) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. As he is, as who is? As God is, so are we in this world..
In Matthew 10:1 we read “And when he (Jesus) had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power (authority) against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” Why did Jesus have to give the disciples His authority? They had a sin nature.
Now does Jesus need to come and give me authority like He did the disciples? No. Why? I am born again with same life and nature He has. But just because the power and authority may not be evident in my life does not mean I don’t already possess the ability to access it. Just because it’s not being seen our lives at this point doesn’t mean we don’t have it. All that means is we haven’t done enough to get the flesh out of the way so the power of God can move.
Turn to Luke 10:1 – “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.” Now do down to verse 17.
(17) And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
Was the devil subject to Job? No. But he’s subject to us. We need to walk in the authority we received when we were born again. Stop blaming God do what is necessary to stop things from happening.
(18) And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
(19) Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
(20) Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
So, here are the points I want you to take away from this message.
• Job didn’t have God’s life and nature. We do have God’s life and nature.
• Job had no clue about the spiritual realm. We know the spiritual world exists and how God operates and how Satan operates.
• Job could not defend himself against Satan. We have the power and authority to defend ourselves against Satan’s attacks.
• Job could not stop Satan’s attacks. We cannot stop Satan’s attacks.
• Job didn’t know Satan’s attacks were coming. We can know Satan’s attacks are coming and exercise authority over them.
• God didn’t give Satan permission to attack Job. Because of Job’s lifestyle of holiness, God was able to intercede and protect him.
• There is no darkness in God. There is no light in Satan.
I pray that you now see the record of Job in its light – that God is protecting Job because Job couldn’t protect himself. Ladies and gentlemen, you are not like Job. You are like Jesus! And we know the kingdom of darkness could not stand against him. It can’t stand against you either. Amen!
