Introduction: There are three ancient questions that are as current as the latest news bulletin. Many people refuse to think about them. Others consider them the “Three Questions No One Asks Out Loud.”
1. Is God unfair?
2. Is God silent?
3. Is God hidden?
The book of Job struggles with these questions. There is a very good possibility that this man’s story is one of the oldest in the Bible. If it is then we can safely say these questions are thousands of years old. But we’ve all heard echoes of them in the wake of September 11th. On the other hand, maybe you’ve heard them in the word of loved ones facing difficulties. These questions are as old as the story of Job and as up to date as today’s bad news.
Before we begin, let me be honest with you. I don’t believe we will find answers to these questions that will satisfy everyone. If God’s people have struggled with these “Three Questions No One Asks Out Loud” for thousands of years, there’s no reason to think we will overcome all the obstacles in the next three messages. I do believe we can find some very good reasons to trust in God’s character. And I believe we will bring these questions out into the open so we can begin to face them candidly.
LISTEN TO JOB’S STORY.
1. He had a flawless relationship with God. The Bible says, “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” (Job 1:1).
2. He had a great family. “He had seven sons and three daughters…” (Job 1:2).
3. He was a very rich man. “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” (Job 1:3).
4. He cared about his children and their spiritual lives. The Bible tells us that “his sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them 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” (Job 1:4-5).
5. He lost it all in one day, but at least he still had his health. “One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." 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." "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 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." 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." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 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 1:6-19).
6. Job worshipped God. At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "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 1:20-22).
7. Then he lost his health and his wife told him to curse God and die. On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. And the LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." 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. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason." "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." The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
8. Job still trusted God. He replied [to his wife], "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said (Job 2:1-10).
9. Then, three “friends” came to comfort Job and accused him of committing a terrible sin. Listen to what one friend said about Job’s children. “When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin” (Job 8:4). In other words, God gave your kids what they deserved. Another friend told him: “Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin” (Job 11:6). They all agreed. God always punishes sin with terrible difficulties and since Job was going through horrible times God was punishing him.
10. But Job kept on insisting he was innocent. He said, “Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor? Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness. The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me.”
He almost shouts, “It’s not fair! I never did anything to deserve what has happened to me.” We understand how he feels don’t we? The events of life seem to be so unfair.
WHY DO WE THINK GOD SHOULD MAKE LIFE FAIR FOR US? We seem to have an instinctive notion that life ought to be fair. Good things should only happen to good people. And bad things should only happen to bad people. Dr. Larry Crabb explains it this way. “We are designed for a better world than this. And until a better world comes along we will groan for what we do not have. An aching soul is evidence … of realism” (Inside Out). Another writer says that in spite of all we see around us, “We still expect a God of love and power to follow certain rules on earth. Why doesn’t He?” (Phillip Yancey, Disappointment with God)
IS GOD UNFAIR? WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE ANSWERS?
1. “There is no God.” That was the response of Job’s wife. “Forget God! If bad things happen to good people, He can’t exist.” But in our heart of hearts we find this answer empty. The very fact that we think God ought to be fair indicates He exists.
2. “God is loving and weak.” In the book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, the author takes this view. He writes that God hates injustice and suffering but He simply cannot change our circumstances. Again down deep in the center of our souls we know this option is lacking something. The size and diversity of the Universe points to a God with real power. In response to this idea, an atheist asked, “Why doesn’t [your weak God] resign and let someone more competent take his place?” (Elie Wiesel)
3. “It all balances out in the end.” The Hindu doctrine of karma calculates that it may take up to 6.8 million incarnations to realize perfect justice. But in the end each person will receive just the right amounts of pain and pleasure. I don’t know about you but that’s not very comforting. There has to be a better answer than waiting for the next incarnation.
4. “There is no problem here.” Many well meaning Christians take this approach. They say there is reason for all the suffering in the your life. You can hear it in words of supposed comfort like: “God is trying to teach you something.” Or. “All things work together for good, you’ll see.” These Christians have good intentions but like Job’s friends they try to use faith as “the means not to learning contentment regardless of the circumstances, but rather to rearrange one’s circumstances to provide more comfort” (Larry Crabb, Inside Out).
5. There is one more possibility. “Life is not fair but God is good.” “ ‘Life’ is made up of everything that ‘happens’ to us, or ‘hits’ us. And life is the business of living in a sinful world where evil, injustice and wickedness is very much alive! Place the blame where it belongs: on the facts of life. Not on the acts of God” (R. H. Schuller, Life Is Not Fair, But God Is Good).
Thesis: God answered our questions about His being fair by becoming one of us and going to the Cross. “The Cross demolishes for all time the basic assumption that life will be fair” (P. Yancey, Disappointment with God). Because on the Cross the sinless, perfect Son of God took on all the punishment for our sin.
Key Question: Is God unfair?
Conclusion: Your answer will depend on how closely you identify God with your situation. This world is unfair. Good people suffer through terrible things. But God is good and he experienced the worst injustice of all time. He can empathize with you and me.
The Cross of Good Friday proves for all time that this world is not fair but God loves us! But the Empty Tomb of Sunday morning shows that God will ultimately overcome all the evil and injustice in the world. Someday God will take those who trust in Jesus to the perfect world we were created for.
Application: Until that day, we need to remember that we live out our lives on the Saturday between the Cross and the Empty Tomb. So what does life on Saturday look like? How should we live? We must trust God enough to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. After that we can make up our minds to love God with all that we are and our neighbors as ourselves.
Responding to God:
Please stand if you are able.
Bow your heads and close your eyes so you can focus your attention on God’s Holy Spirit.
Do you believe Jesus died on the Cross for your sin? Have you received his forgiveness? Have you asked him to guide you and to help you love like he did? If not, there is no better time to take the first step with him.
Please feel free to come to the altar rail to pray.
