A few weeks ago, my wife made some blueberry Jello. When she took a bite of that blue Jello, she said that it brought back a strange but good feeling from the past. She couldn’t recall the event, only the feeling. A song that is associated with an event in your past, when heard in the present, can also bring back certain feelings and memories.
The first time I studied the book of Job was when I taught Life Sciences and Biology at Mission High School in San Francisco, in 1992. When I opened up the book of Job again this past week, to prepare for this morning’s message, some of the memories as well as the feelings came back.
I was 23 years old, and the students were 16 to 18 years old. Some of them were twice my size in height and width. And I could still hear the threats in my mind, "Mr. Chau, I’m going to give you hell this semester." Or, "Mr. Chau, I’m going to slash your car tires." I can still feel the anxiety and dread of driving to school each Monday morning to face these kids who didn’t want to be in the class.
God used the book of Job to get me through that year of teaching. I thought, "If Job endured what he went through, then I can endure what I’m going through." So opening the book of Job brought back a sense of comfort and encouragement.
Let me give you an idea of what we’ll be doing this morning in our study of Job. I will take about half of the time to introduce the book and the first chapter. Then we will look at the difference trusting in God makes in the life of Job and can make in our lives.
Job is an epic poem, a heroic story in poetry form. The main human character is Job, and we don’t know a great deal about him, other than what is written in the book of Job. From the book of Job, we can surmise that Job lived before the time of the Jewish temple, since there is no record of temple worship. And geographically, some identify Uz as Edom, southeast of the Dead Sea.
I’m going to point out three observations from this first chapter of Job before I move into the main teaching of this chapter. The first observation is related to the legacy of Job. The second observation is related to the happening in heaven. And the third observation is related to the interaction between God and Satan.
In verses 1-5, we see the legacy of Job. Job, as we will see, although not perfect, was a man of integrity. He feared God, worshipped God and shunned evil. We also see that Job loved his children and wanted his children to have a right and healthy relationship with God also.
The greatest legacy we can leave with our children is a right and healthy relationship with God. We can leave memories with our children, but memories will fade. We can leave material possessions, but possessions can be lost, stolen or sold for less than cost. Our relationship with God is the most valuable and lasting legacy we can leave with our children.
In verses 6-12, we see the happening of heaven. Something is happening here that we wouldn’t know, except that God revealed it to someone, and it was later recorded down. What we see are angels, good and bad ones, entering the presence of God, and God showing Himself worthy of trust and devotion by mankind, as represented by Job.
In other words, God stakes His reputation on the way mankind responds to Him, and the angels of heaven are the witnesses. We read something similar in New Testament. Ephesians 3:10 tells us, "[God’s] intent was that now, through the church [those who trust and worship God], the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms."
My reputation is at stake each time Esther responds to fear, hurt or happiness. When Esther is afraid and runs to me, that says she sees me as her strong protection. When Esther is hurt and runs to Mom, that says that she sees Mom, and not me, as her compassionate nurturer. When Esther is happy and runs to me or Susan, that says that she sees me and her Mom as friends she wants to share her joy with. God lets the angels see how great a God He is by showing them how mankind, and in particular, the church, responds when we are afraid, hurt or happy.
In verses 13-19, we see the interaction between God and Satan. The Bible reveals that there is one great power in the universe, and that God and Satan are not equals. Satan can only do what God permits him to do, and nothing more. There is not a good God and an evil God doing battle. Satan, although powerful and evil, is nonetheless a created being, subject to God.
This means that if you belong to God, no demonic attack on your life can take place, except and not beyond what God permits for His purposes. This means that every time we hurt and suffer, not due to our own sin and mistake, we are serving the purpose of God, and we can expect to prevail.
1 Peter 2:19-21 tells us, "For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."
I had a tough week this week. Many of you have been praying for me this week, and that helps. But what helped me get through this week even more was to know that the difficulties I faced were permitted by God for His purposes. And God believed in me enough to say to Satan, "Have you considered my servant, Dana? He will show you how worthy I am."
The next time you suffer not for your own sin or mistake, remember these words from God to Satan: "Have you considered my servant, Connie? She will show you how worthy I am." Or, "Have you considered my servant, Ralph? He will show you how worthy I am." And realize you and I will prevail, because Satan is subject to God.
With the remaining time, we’ll focus in on how Job’s trust in God allowed him to respond to the tremendously painful losses in his life.
Our nation has been debating whether "under God" should be included in the Pledge of Allegiance." And some are wondering if our national motto, "In God We Trust," will be challenged also. I personally believe that these are the negative reactions of certain atheists to the increased awareness of our dependence upon God since September 11, 2001.
Although I believe the motto is helpful, we as Christians need to be careful not to fight the word war only. We need to understand and truly live the motto, "In God We Trust." Just as wearing a cross, carrying a Bible or using religious language doesn’t make us Christians, winning the war on words, "In God We Trust," does not make our nation a God-fearing nation.
We don’t know if Job lived in a land where the people trusted God, but we do know that Job possessed a heart that trusted God. And this real trust in God is evidenced in at least two ways.
First, real trust in God sustains meaning even when you lose everything else. We see this in verses 20-21.
Job loss his livestock, his properties and his children. Job went from being one of the most prosperous men in the land to being a pauper. Tearing his robe and shaving his head were ways he expressed his great grief.
Job grieved because he loss all that most people live for, family and material possessions. Yet Job recognized that the meaning of life was to praise God, and no one could take that away from him.
All of creation, mankind included, are like paintings or sculptures, created to give praise to the Creator. That is our meaning and purpose in life, to give praise to God in the way we live and relate. Only those who trust in God can have meaning when we lose everything else.
Madalyn Murray O’Hair’s book, What on Earth Is an Atheist, asserts, "We atheists ... try to find some basis for rational thinking on which we can base our actions and our beliefs, and we have it ... We accept the technical philosophy of materialism ... Essentially, materialism’s philosophy holds that nothing exists but natural phenomena ... There is no supernatural forces, no supernatural entities such as gods, or heavens, or hells, or life after death ... We atheists believe that nature simply exists. Matter is. Material is (from Ravi Zacharias’ book, Can Man Live Without God)."
But Madalyn, what happens when you lose all your material? You will have no more meaning in life. Are you getting your meaning from your job, from your family, from your material possessions?
Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
I would add, "For where your treasure is, there your meaning for life will be also." Without trust in God, meaning cannot be sustained when you lose everything else.
Second, real trust in God sustains goodness even when bad things happen. We see this in verses 22.
It’s a lie that bad things don’t happen to good people or that good things don’t happen to bad people. Only people with an incomplete worldview, one without God and Satan, will have trouble with the reality that bad things happen to good people and that good things happen to bad people. Job, a good man, by human standards, had a great deal of bad things happen to him. In fact, things will go from bad to worse in the next chapters.
But, "In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing." Job did not curse God. Job did not take matters into his own hands without regard for God and His ways, because Job trusted in God.
When we say we trust in God, we are making an assumption, that God is good. We do not trust someone just because he or she exists. We trust a person because he or she is good. Therefore, real trust in God is trusting in God’s sufficient goodness even when bad things happen.
Atheistic philosophy says, "If it’s going to be, it’s up to me." What would happen if we applied this philosophy to my friend whose mother was stabbed to death in a robbery? Without real trust in God’s goodness, can a person remain good when bad things happen to him or her?
Charles Darwin predicted that if atheistic evolution were turned into a philosophy of life, there would be an increase in violence. "Survival of the fittest" promotes selfishness, not goodness. Only trust in a good God can sustain goodness even when bad things happen.
On February 9, 1960, Adolph Coors III, millionaire head of Coors Company, was kidnapped and held for ransom. Seven months later his body was found on a remote hillside. He had been shot to death. Adolph Coors IV was then fifteen years old. He lost not only his father, but also his best friend. For years Adolph Coors IV hated Joseph Corbett, the man who was sentenced to life for the slaying of Adolph Coors III.
In 1975, almost 15 years later, Adolph Coors IV became a Christian. Yet, his hatred for Corbett, the murderer of his Dad, still consumed him.
Adolph Coors knew he needed to forgive Corbett as Jesus Christ forgave him. So he visited the maximum-security unit of Colorado’s Canon City penitentiary to talk with Joseph Corbett. Corbett refused to see him.
So Coors left Corbett a Bible with the following inscription: "I’m here to see you today, and I’m sorry that we could not meet. As a Christian I am summoned by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to forgive. I do forgive you, and I ask you to forgive me for the hatred I’ve held in my heart for you."
Later Coors confessed, "I have a love for that man that only Jesus Christ could have put in my heart." (Adapted from James S. Hewett’s Illustrations Unlimited)
Real trust in God sustains meaning and goodness even when you lose what you love and even when bad things happen to good people.
