Wisdom #1: Suffering - Triumph Over Tragedy (Book Of Job)

THE WISDOM TRILOGY #1: SUFFERING – TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY (BOOK OF JOB)

INTRO TO SERIES: For the next three weeks, we are going to look at three of the five wisdom books from the Old Testament: Job, Ecclesiastes, and Psalms. (We have done a whole month series in Proverbs and a two month series in the Song of Solomon already).

INTRO TO TOPIC: Life is hard, and all go through difficult storms and trials in our life!

THE PROBLEM OF PAIN: “If God were good, he would wish to make his creatures perfectly happy, and if God were almighty he would be able to do what he wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either the goodness, or power, or both.” (C.S. Lewis).

THE SUFFERINGS OF JOB: “After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. And Job spoke, and said: "May the day perish on which I was born, And the night in which it was said, A male child is conceived.” (Job 3:1-3, NKJV).

• “Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter of soul.” (Job 3:20).

• Today, we are going to consider the topic of pain and suffering…

1. PRINCIPLE #1: JOB WAS A GOOD MAN:

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.” (Job 1:1-3, NKJV).

• Job was a good man who had a big family and many possessions.

2. PRINCIPLE #2: GOD IS GOOD AND LOVINGLY CARES FOR HIS CHILDREN:

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.” (Job 1:6-10).

• What Satan said here was true: God did lovingly care for and protect Job.

• “The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:12, NLT).

• God was bragging on Job, but Satan said Job only loves God because God blesses him.

• God said, “You can do anything to his stuff, but don’t touch him.”

3. PRINCIPLE #3: SATAN IS OUR ENEMY BUT HAS LIMITED POWER:

“But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” (Job 1:11-12).

• The Reality of Spiritual Warfare: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8).

• However, ultimately God had to give him permission before he could do anything.

• Job’s livestock was stolen, his servants were killed, and his children died in a tornado.

HOW DID JOB RESPOND?

• “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” (Job 1:21-22).

• He grieved his losses, and then he blessed the name of the Lord!

• God brags about Job again, Satan said, “If you stole his health, he’d curse you.” (2:1-6).

• God let Satan attack Job’s health and cover his body with painful boils (2:7-8).

• Job’s wife said, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (2:9).

• Job lost everything but he didn’t turn to drugs or alcohol, or turn away from God.