How To Do Respond If Your Hedge Comes Down
PPT 1 Series Title
PPT 2 Message Title
If you are comfortable with the book of Job you are in the minority.
Cosmic chess game between the devil and satan, is that what it is all about?
There is no 1 line headline in the book that explains it all.
I think it has to do with judgment, and saying there is a such thing as unexplained suffering. There
Is no real answer given in the book.
The book opens with the curtain of heaven peeled back so we can see what is going on inside. We have a pin hole view of what is going on. It appears to be a day of Q&A with God, and only 1 conversation that took place is there for our perusal, here it is:
PPT 3- 15 Text Job 1:1 - 2:10
Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.
Job 1:2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
Job 1:3 His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
Job 1:4 And his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
Job 1:5 And it came about, when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, that Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.
Job 1:7 And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it."
Job 1:8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil."
Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?
Job 1:10 "Hast Thou not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
Job 1:11 "But put forth Thy hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse Thee to Thy face."
Job 1:12 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:13 Now it happened on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’ house,
Job 1:14 that a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
Job 1:15 and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."
Job 1:16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you."
Job 1:17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you."
Job 1:18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’ house,
Job 1:19 and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died; and I alone have escaped to tell you."
Job 1:20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
Job 1:21 And he said, "Naked I came from my mother’ womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD."
Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.
Job 2:2 And the LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth, and walking around on it."
Job 2:3 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to ruin him without cause."
Job 2:4 And Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.
Job 2:5 "However, put forth Thy hand, now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse Thee to Thy face."
Job 2:6 So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life."
Job 2:7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
Job 2:8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.
Job 2:9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!"
Job 2:10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
A spiritual hedge is:
1. A barrier of protection (Job)
2. A means of promoting peace and prosperity. (Isaiah 5)
Imagine if your house was missing the front door. Imagine an ancient city without gates. A hedge provides the protection to allow for prosperity. Otherwise you are constantly dealing with the enemy.
3. A means to bring alignment with God’s Path. (Hosea)
Last week we talked about what happens when a hedge fails, how that impacts us, and how to rebuild them.
This week we are going to look at how to respond when your hedge comes down, using Job as an example..
This week I also want to discuss why hedges come down.
1. Sin. David all kinds of family trouble because of his murder and adultery.
2. So God can move His chess pieces around. Famine moves the Jews to Egypt. The church is persecuted and finally begins to go into all the world.They were staying in Jerusalem even though Jesus had told them to go, but persecution sped their obedience up.
3. To provide a pathway for increase. He that sows in tears will reap in joy. 2 Corinthians 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
4. Unknown, because of plans in the heavenly realm. There are things in life where no explanation is given.
First I have a few things to bring out about hedges, about the devil, and then we will quickly look at how Job responded when his hedge came down.
I want you to notice the threefold nature of Job’s hedge of protection.
It protected him, his house, and all that he had.
PPT 16 Text
Job 1:10 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.
And because of that protection, it allowed him to prosper famously. God put up walls and then He poured in blessings. No walls no containment. Walls/hedges allow for increase.
Now I want to answer the question I gave you last week. Why wasn’t Job’s wife killed when all his chldren were?
Anyone?
Almost all bible commentaries say the same thing, and the answer is so painfully obvious I don’t understand how they could have missed it. Anyway here is an answer from one of my resources:
So Satan killed all of Job’s ten children. He could then have killed Job’s wife too. But he didn’t, because she was more useful to Satan alive than dead! He could use her to nag Job, and irritate him. Wherever you see a nagging wife, you can now understand why Satan had kept her alive! Some people are more useful alive than dead to the devil. (Men can nag just as good as women can. This answer is just plain dumb.His kids and their partying was pretty irritating, but they didn’t live, did they?)
When everything happened, she said to Job curse God and die. Once sentence and she is the devils right hand man. Really? Cut her a little slack.
I don’t think she believed that would work. I think she may have already done it herself. I hate you God. It also flew in the face everything her husband had been teaching her about the mercy of God. He offered sacrifice continually in case his children had cursed God. Job understood that cursing God was forgiveable. God doesn’t kill everyone who says something bad about Him. He is slow to anger.
So when we stop seeing Job’s wife as the spawn of the devil, and begin to see her as a grieving mother it changes the way we see and act towards her. We move from judgmentalism to compassion.
She is nothing more than a grieving mother who made a rash statment with her mouth. And I believe the reason the devil didn’t kill her is because he couldn’t. The reason he couldn’t is very clear if you know your bible. God had said:
PPT 17 Text
Job 1:12 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.
“Do not put your hand on him.” That is the key, and the devil believes something about marriage that very few people understand. When people get married the two become one, Paul calls this fact a great mystery in the NT. So the reason he couldn’t touch Jobs wife, was because he would have been touching Job, if he had done so. In some mysterious way they were one and that prevented the devil from touching her.
Before we move on I want to point out are 2 facts about the devil..
First, the devil doesn’t know the future. If he could have seen the future, he would have known that Job would finally be far more blessed, and would have left Job alone. If he knew what would result from Christ dying on the cross of Calvary, that he himself would be defeated by His death, do you think he would have urged people to crucify Christ? Certainly not.
The seoncd thing is that Satan needs God’s permission to attack God’s children.
It is a great comfort for me to know that this enemy that I am battling does not know anything about the future and is totally under God’s restraining control
Now let’s get to how to respond when your hedge fails.
1. Watch your mouth
Job were you there when I laid the foundations of the earth? You don’t know what you are talking about.
Events have no powerin and of themselves it is the spin we put on them that effects us most.. Job worshipped, he did not spin the painful events of his life into saying God was no good. Job 1:22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. Be careful what you say.
I want to talk about forgiving God. I understand the thinking behind why some people do it, and I have heard preachers mention the need for doing it. But it is theological error and borders on blasphemy.
Let me tell you why. You forgive those who have sinned. To forgive God is to imply that He has sinned. If you want to tell God you are upset with the way things are going that is one thing, but to say you forgive Him is to accuse Him of wrongdoing, which is not possible.
Job didn’t do that, and the bible equates charging God foolishly with sin, be careful with your mouth.
2. Wait in faith
That is what Job did.
PPT 18 text
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
Marinating in patience and faith is good for you. Those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.
You will catch your spiritual breath and be able to fight the good fight of faith. Impatience has led to many spiritual failures, but patience and trust leads to victory.
1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
If your hedge has come down, do what Job did watch your mouth, and wait on God, it will be good in the end.
Hebrews 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
3. Forgive those who were unkind to you in your time of suffering.
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.
Most people are aware that Job got double, but most miss when he got the double, and when things turned around for him. The bible is clear that restoration began at the moment he forgave people who let him down and scorned him in his time of trouble. Most people want God to get them back for what they did, Job wanted them blessed, and that led to his blessing.
So watch your words, wait in faith, and bless others. This was Job’s response when his hedge came down, and it ultimately led to greater blessing and a rebuilding of his hedge.
Close: Has a tear developed in your spiritual hedge? Have you sinned with your mouth or thoughts?
