Rough Guide to The Book of Job:
FOUR THINGS TO NOTE:
• The book of Job is unique.
• The book of Job is poetic
• The book of Job is hazardous
• The book of Job is history
TWO KEY THEMES:
• Patience.
• Suffering.
THREE Acts:
• Act #1: The character of Job (vs 1-5)
• Act #2: The conversation about Job (vs 6-12)
• Act #3: The calamity of Job (vs 14-22)
SERMON BODY
• The book of Job is believed by many to be the oldest in the Bible,
• It explores the most ancient and puzzling themes of life,
• Questions that sooner or later we all ask!
• e.g. Why do the good people suffer?
• e.g. Why does God allow pain?
• e.g. How can a person be right before God?
• e.g. How can a person come to learn and experience more of God?
• e.g. What relationship exists between God and the devil?
• e.g. Is the devil bound by the laws of God?
• e.g. Does man have hope beyond the grave?
Now if you are looking for simple answers to all those questions,
• Then, you may well end up disappointed!
• Some of those questions are clearly answered,
• But some of them are left open and you may have to ponder, reflect and engage brain!
• For me…
• I am glad we don’t have simple, clever or cliché answers to the problems of life.
• That would detract from my faith and not enhances it!
• The book of Job will scratch where you itch,
• You will get some answers to some of life’s big questions,
• But you may well be surprised how those answer reveal themselves!
• In this nine-week study series,
• We are not looking at every verse in the book of Job,
• Rather we are pulling out various themes,
• So, by all means over the next nine weeks, read, read and read again the entire book.
• Or you can listen to the audio book of Job (which takes 1 hour and 50 minutes)
• And then enjoy the studies on Sunday mornings,
• And the follow-up discussion in the Thursday night house-groups.
(A). Four Things to Note:
FIRST: The book of Job is unique.
• The book is unique because 42 chapters are given over to one man!
• There is no other book like it in the whole of the Bible.
Ill:
• We have more information about Job,
• Then we have on Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph put together!
• So, that alone makes this book and this man unique.
SECOND: The book of Job is poetry:
• 95% of the book of Job is poetic,
• And poetry is always hard to get to understand and interpret and grips with.
Ill:
• The book is a bit like a sandwich, the two prose sections are the bread;
• And the poetry is the filling.
• The book begins with a prose section (chapters 1 & 2);
• And it ends with the last ten verses of chapter 42 as a prose section (verses 7-17),
• But the bulk of the book is poetry.
Now remember that poetry is designed to help us see things in a new way,
• Poetry speaks to the emotions.
• It speaks to the heart above the brain.
Ill:
• Newspapers deal in prose; they are sharing information and supposedly facts.
• But when we send someone a card for their birthday or for Valentine’s day etc,
• They contain a poetical verse,
• Because they are sharing feelings and appealing to the emotions.
The book of Job:
• Does not provide tightly reasoned answers to life’s problems,
• But his book will touch the emotions, it will encourage and help and comfort.
Quote: Alison Osborne:
“Poetry is so important because it helps us understand and appreciate the world around us. Poetry’s strength lies in its ability to shed a “sideways” light on the world, so the truth sneaks up on you. No question about it. Poetry teaches us how to live. Poetry is like the screen-wash (Windex) on a grubby car window—it bares open the vulnerabilities of human beings so we can all relate to each other a little better.”
The book of Job is also part of what we call ‘wisdom’ literature.
• The ‘wisdom’ literature of the Bible is made up of five books,
• Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.
• This type of literature is mainly in the form of Hebrew poetry or song,
• And from reading and studying it will give us wisdom to live life!
THIRD: The book of Job is hazardous:
• Be careful what you quote from this book.
• Because some of it is bad advice.
• Let me explain, we will over the next few weeks meet three people;
• Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite,
• These are Job’s friends, often called, ‘Job’s comforters!’
• And they share their human opinion, their wisdom,
• There are about 29 chapters of misapplied theology in the middle of the book.
• It can be hard to navigate your way through those chapters,
• And determine what is true and what is not,
• Because Job’s three friends mix up truth and falsehood all over the place.
The thing to remember is:
• God was not happy with these three friends;
• Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.
• Often what they say may well be bad or wrong advice,
• So be careful if you quote them,
• Because they do not always reflect God’s mind and heart on an issue.
FOURTH: The book of Job is historical.
• I will be honest with you,
• Some Bible scholars are divided over the type of book Job is.
• Some scholars say that it is fiction:
• That it is allegorical, similar to a well-crafted parable i.e. Rich Man & Lazarus.
• That Job is simply a character in a parable,
• There to present provocative food for thought with a moral at the end of the book.
I believe that the book is historical:
• Yes, it contains supernatural or mystical parts,
• But so, do most books of the Bible.
• Historical because…
• The man’s country is given.
• “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job”
• Ever heard of Uz, join the que!?
• For most of us it will not ring any bells.
Ill:
• The Bible book called Lamentations (chapter 4 verse 21);
• Links Uz with the land of Edom saying;
• “Rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who live in the land of Uz.”
• And Edom we know was south-east of Israel in the present-day nation of Jordan,
• So, it would appear Uz was in modern day Jordan.
Historical because…
• We are told the exact number of his children.
• We are told the extent of his wealth.
• We are given the words of his wife.
• We are told the names o his three daughters after his ordeal is over.
• We are told the names of his three friends and also another called. ‘Elihu’
• And in each case the line of descent is given.
• The biggest argument for me;
• That is Job was a real person and not a figure in a parable or story is that;
• Both the Old Testament (Ezekiel chapter 14 verses 14 & 20)
• And the New Testament (James chapter 5 verse 11),
• Refer to Job as a person of history alongside other people from history!
The more I get to know the book,
• The more I believe that Job was a real person.
• And that is the way I will present the story to you.
THEMES:
• The book of Job contains many themes,
• The two most people associate with it are;
(a). Patience.
• It is not unusual to hear the expression, “The patience of Job”
• When someone is forced to wait a long time for someone or something.
Ill:
• A little boy was standing at the end of an escalator.
• His eyes focussed of the handrail.
• The shop assistant asked, “Son are you lost?”
• He replied; “No, I am just waiting for my chewing gum to come back.”
• TRANSITION:
• When someone is forced to wait a long time for something or someone.
• We might use the expression, “The patience of Job”
(2). Suffering.
• The book of Job,
• Is considered to be the greatest commentary on human suffering ever written
Ill:
• In 2002 it made The Guardian Newspapers, “The top 100 books of all time”.
• Which shows someone in that newspaper group is insightful.
Once again, a well-known phrase from this book (chapter 1 verse 21). Is often used at funeral services;
"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."
Ill:
“We don’t look alike; we don’t act alike.
We don’t dress alike.
We have different tastes in the food we eat.
The books we read, the films we watch, the cars we drive and the music we enjoy.
We support different football teams or have different leisure interests;
We ascribe to different philosophies and differ over politics.
Our weights vary, our heights vary,
So does the colour of our hair and skin.
But we all have one thing in common;
We all know what it means to hurt!”
• • TRANSITION: Suffering is a universal language.
• • We all know what it means to hurt.
• • And at some-time in our lives we will all ask the questions “Why me, why us?”
• Now while suffering is the chief theme of the book,
• As I mentioned earlier the reason for suffering is not given.
• Now there are plenty of books, sermons DVD’s that you can easily get hold of,
• That try to answer that question,
• But God does not try to give a clever or simplistic answer in the book of Job.
• But those who read this book will find help and comfort and encouragement,
• And I hope and trust that like Job in life we will GROW in our faith,
• And be able to say in both good times and bad;
“The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."
LET’S LOOK AT THE BOOK:
• Now don’t panic if you are a clock watcher;
• (I am sure we don’t have any of those here today!)
• You know they used to put clocks on the outside of Churches,
• Telling people when to come and worship,
• Sadly, some bright spark placed them on the inside of the buildings,
• Telling folks when to go home!
• What I intend to do is just set the scene ready for our next study.
• In these first eleven verses the story falls into three acts.
Act #1: The character of Job (vs 1-5)
“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. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ This was Job’s regular custom.”
• The Book of Job begins by introducing its central character,
• The text makes it crystal clear to us from the start that Job is a good guy!
• A man of character.
• He was a just man, a good man, a holy man.
• No hidden flaws, no Achilles heals, no skeleton in his cupboard.
• This man is the real deal, the genuine article.
• A man of character.
Ill:
• Before text and email and social media we used to write letters,
• And we would commonly end them with the phrase “Yours sincerely”.
• Question: Have you ever wondered why people do this?
• Answer:
• The practice has its origins in ancient Rome.
• Roman sculptors often concealed cracks in apparently flawless marble statues with melted beeswax.
• When the wax dried and crumbled, the angry purchaser sought compensation.
• Reputable sculptors guaranteed their work as sine sera,
• Which means ‘without wax’.
• Hence our expression ‘Yours sincerely’ (‘sine sera‘) – genuine and true.
• TRANSITION: Job was not perfect or sinless,
• In chapter 42 verse 6 he admits his faults and failings.
• But Job was genuine in his faith;
• And consistent in how he lived out his faith before others.
• Every follower of Jesus Christ is called to be ‘sine sera‘
• That is the genuine article, people of integrity, whose words are true.
• God wants us to be consistent in how we live out our faith before others.
Notice four words or phrases are used to describe his character:
• “Blameless”
• That suggests what he was in himself.
• “Upright”
• That suggests what he was towards others.
• “He feared God”
• That was his attitude towards God.
• “He shunned evil.”
• That was his desire to live right for God.
• And twice God himself repeats that four-fold description of Job:
• In chapter 1 verse 8 and chapter 2 verse 3.
Application:
• If Job can live for God in the Old Testament without the Holy Spirit in his life,
• How much more should you and I as Christians live for God this way.
• “Blameless” - That suggests what he was in himself.
• “Upright;” - That suggests what he was towards others.
• “He feared God” - That was his attitude towards God.
• “He shunned evil.” - That was his desire to live right for God.
Act #2: The Conversation about Job (vs 6-12)
“One day the angels[a] came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan[b] also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’
Satan answered the LORD, ‘From roaming throughout the earth, going to and fro on it.’
8 Then 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.’
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 now 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 power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.’
Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.”
• This incident, this glimpse into a heavenly conversation,
• Sets the scene for what will take place later in the book:
Ill:
• The name Satan means, ‘The accuser’
• And this spiritual being would appear to have limited access to heaven.
• Satan, ‘The accuser’ stand before God and lives up to his name,
• By accusing Job, who we know is a righteous man,
• The accuser says, Job is only faithful to God,
• Because God had blessed him abundantly
In the rest of the book remember that:
• Job and his three friends will know nothing concerning this conversation or incident.
• So, when they try to explain away Job’s hardships,
• They are doing so without the key facts.
• Job’s friends, will attempt to explain the reason for his suffering,
• From the perspective of their ignorance.
• Job will not be deflected from his faith in God by their reasoning or arguments.
• Job will not be diverted from his faith;
• Even though every circumstance in life is against him!
• He continues to trust, to believe, to find hope,
• And rests in nothing but faith in God’s goodness and the hope of His redemption.
Act #3: The Calamity of Job (vs 13-21)
“One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the eldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, ‘The oxen were ploughing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. 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 heavens 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 made off with them. 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 eldest 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!’”
Job enjoyed the good life:
• He had a large family (7 sons and 3 daughters)
• He enjoyed good health (otherwise he could not have lost it!)
• He had lots of wealth (wealth in Bible times was determined by size of your livestock).
Job is about to lose it all:
• He lost his wealth his property (servants, oxen, donkeys, sheep and camels),
• When wicked men attack and killed them,
• (chapter 1 verses 13-16)
• He had a large family (7 sons and 3 daughters)
• But a wind (natural forces) caused the hose to collapse and killed them.
• (chapter 1 verses 18-19)
• He enjoyed good health but in chapter 2;
• He is about two lose that as well;
Ill:
• On the 24 November 1992, Queen Elizabeth II made all the news headlines.
• In a speech to London’s Guildhall, marking the 40th anniversary of her accession,
• She described her year as an, ‘annus horribilis’.
• She had experienced disappointments and tragedies,
• And it was a year she wanted to forget!
• TRANSITION: Job had three days together like that!
• And his events make the Queens year seem trivial.
Ill:
• There is a children’s book called;
• ‘Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day’
• When everything goes wrong!
• Steve Saint mentions that book in this emotional DVD clip I want us to watch.
• Steve was the Son of Martyred Missionary Nate Saint
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/Baxry1jnG0w
• TRANSITION:
• Steve like Job are prepared to let the great author of life write the story,
• And they will trust him in it!
And finally, …
• When it comes to suffering and when it comes to doubting God,
• Remember that God is not distant from our pain and suffering,
• He has experienced himself in the person of his son Jesus Christ.
Ill:
• A medieval monk once announced to his congregation;
• That next week he would be preaching on "The Love of God."
• As the week approached, he could not focus his thoughts on any verse or passage,
• The more he prayed the less confident he felt.
• Well Sunday evening arrived,
• The shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows,
• The congregation gathered.
• In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the crucifix.
• First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns,
• Next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound.
• He stood back from the cross and in the hush that fell,
• He realised there was nothing else to say.
• TRANSITION:
• When it comes to suffering and when it comes to doubting God,
• Just think of the cross and remember;
• “God so loved the world…”
• His love is proved by actions and not just words!
Quote: Hymn: how great thou art
“And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin. “
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=alBF3fX5TbRY0zNAdcHWXQQUaegJrjFB
