Studies In Job (pt.1): Have You Considered God’s Servant, Job?

Text: Job 1–2

Introduction: There is no story in the Bible that seems more relevant to our struggles in the current financial crisis than the story of Job. This is an account of unbelievable losses and intense suffering. And we are assured in the opening chapter that the pain was not inflicted on Job because he was living an ungodly life. Just the opposite was true. God affirmed Job’s sterling character in Job 1:8. Today, we know “the rest of the story.” Satan had made the accusation to God that Job was good because of God’s goodness to him. If the props were kicked out, Job would curse God. It takes 42 chapters to explore the response of Job to heavy-duty suffering. He never caves in!

1. Job’s honorable character (Job 1:1-5)

In the movie Steel Magnolias, Julia Roberts plays the part of the diabetic daughter of Sally Field. Because of the severity of her diabetes, her mother constantly warns her about marriage and giving birth to a child. But Julia Roberts marries and has a baby. At the end of the movie, she dies. At the cemetery, the friends in the “steel magnolia circle” are all there. As they leave the open grave, Sally Field screams to God in heaven, “Why?” This is the question we consider as we read Job’s story. Why does a man of such an honorable character suffer so intensely:

• He was a godly man (1:1). He was blameless, upright, God-fearing, and avoided evil.
• He was a family man (1:2). He had seven sons and three daughters.
• He was a wealthy man (1:3). He was “the greatest of all the people in the East”—Bill Gates and Warren Buffet wrapped into one man!
• He was a praying man (1:4-5). He was up early for his morning devotions, praying daily for his children in the event that they may have sinned or cursed God in their heart. If they awarded a prize for “Father of the Year,” Job would have won.

2. God and a heavenly conversation (Job 1:6-12).

            The Spirit of God lifted the curtain on a conversation that took place in heaven.

            When we read the dialog, we learn a lot about God and about the devil. In the Bible, Satan is called the “accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:10), and Job provides  a clear example of the attacks that continue today. But God stated that the devil  could gain no foothold with his servant Job. Would God have confidence in our  integrity if we were in Job’s shoes?

a.  God’s confidence (1:8). What the author of Job wrote about Job in the opening passage is echoed in verse 8.

b.  Satan’s accusation (1:9-11). Rabbi Harold Kushner wrestled with the book of Job when his son was diagnosed with a rare disease. He had progeria, an illness that accelerates the aging process so that a boy of 12 can have the appearance of an old man. Kushner was caught between God’s goodness and His power. In his book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, he concludes that he could not “wrap his arms around” both attributes of God. So his bottom line was that God is good but not all-powerful. A careful reading of all of Job teaches us that God is both good and powerful.

3. Job’s losses (Job 1:13–2:13)

The impact of 9/11 still lingers. Who can forget the scene of airplanes crashing into the Twin Towers, of people fleeing in terror on the streets of New York, of policemen and firemen fighting bravely to save lives—and the news of hundreds dead. Job had a “twin tower” kind of experience. His losses of Job 1:13-22 were severe. But in chapter 2, Satan turned up the heat and challenged God to allow a more intense level of suffering for this good man. The devil was sure Job would curse God as a result.

Level one (Job 1:13-22)

• Loss of fortune (1:13-17). If wealth were measured in the size of one’s flocks and herds, Job would be considered very wealthy. It must have required enormous pastureland to adequately care for his animals. But on that fateful day, Job was wiped out financially. Today, we hear constant “doom and gloom” reports about our economy. Words like foreclosure, downsizing, and shrinking economy are our daily diet. We are living in Job chapter 1.

• Loss of family (1:18-20). It’s hard to envision a funeral for 10 children. Several years ago, I received a phone call from one of the leaders of the church I was pastoring. There had been a terrible accident involving his sister and her family. It had been a rainy night, and she was driving her three daughters to church. As she was pulling into the church parking lot, another car struck theirs. All three daughters were killed, but the mother survived. My friend was asked to give the eulogy for his nieces. My wife and I attended the funeral. Those grieving parents, like Job, had lost all of their children. Hundreds of people were weeping. That afternoon, I began to understand the depth of Job’s loss.

Level two (Job 2:1-13)

• Loss of his health (2:7-8). Sickness was added to all the other trials of Job. He had painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. With God’s permission, Job was afflicted with this loathsome condition. He went out to where the lepers go: the ash heap outside the city. There he scraped his sores with a broken piece of pottery, probably asking: “Why me? Why this? Why now?”
• Loss of fellowship with his wife (2:9-10). G. Campbell Morgan commented on these verses by saying, “Only those who have stood by the bedside of a suffering loved can understand these words” (see his book, Answers of Jesus to Job). And yet how clever of the devil to put the words of the accusation in the mouth of the one closest to Job. Job’s courageous response in Job 2:10 shows the remarkable measure of his trust in God.
• Loss of his friendships (2:11-13). We commend Job’s three friends for coming. It cost them time and money and a change of plans. But they came. They sat in silence and let Job speak first (ch. 3). But when they started talking, it was obvious the friendship was gone. Soon Job labeled them as “miserable comforters” (16:2).

Conclusion: When we total the losses of this man, the sum is staggering: money, children, health, and friends. That’s why his faith statement in Job 13:15 is so remarkable: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

One Response to “Studies In Job (pt.1): Have You Considered God’s Servant, Job?”

1. pegramsdell says:

   May 19, 2009 at 10:38 am

   Not sure what I would do if I was in Jobs’ place. Especially not knowing why. I guess that’s where trust comes in. Do I trust You Lord or not? Is whats happening okay with You? Are you orchestrating this? Must be. So…I have peace with it because He is in it. Hmmmm.