June 2nd

JOB 1 – 2:13

The book of Job examines one of life’s most perplexing questions.  It introduces a pious man of God named Job, who lived perhaps 4,000 years ago.  In a sudden series of catastrophes, Job loses his family, fame, fortune and fitness.  For 35 chapters he searches his soul and debates his best friends to find a reason for his misfortune.  After exhausting the conventional wisdom of his counselors, Job is confronted by God Himself, and his demanding “Why” melts into humble worship.

Job was a wealthy God-fearing man and rancher living in the land of Uz – North Arabia.  The time of this happening was during the Patriarchal Period (about 2000 B.C.) during the days of the patriarchs, and he becomes the focus of a heavenly conversation between God and Satan.  Held up as a model of Godly devotion and worship, Job’s faithfulness is attacked by Satan as the product of Job’s financial prosperity.  “But just introduce a good dose of adversity,” Satan accuses “and job’s commitment will dissolve into cursing.”  Overnight Job loses his health, wealth, family and fame, but through it all he steadfastly acknowledges God’s sovereign night to give blessings…and to take them away…as he sees fit. 

The first and second chapters of the book of Job deal with a DIALOG IN HEAVEN, and THE ONSET OF SUFFERING for Job, a DIALOGUE ON EARTH and the FAILURE OF HUMAN WISDOM. 

“WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING LEFT BUT God, only then can you realize that God is enough.” 

How deep is your commitment to God?  Do you worship him because it is the socially acceptable thing to do?  Because He has prospered you materially?  Because the rest of your family follows him?  Because by doing so you hope to gain long life and good health? 

What would happen if suddenly God put you through a Job-like experience?  A shattered romance…broken health…death of a loved one…financial reversal…loss of a job…disastrous fire.  Job’s faith was severely tested in a furnace of adversity, not to ruin him but to refine him.  Though, Job was short on explanation in trying to come to grips with the WHY of his ordeal, he was long on trust in the Who – the One who had every right to give and withhold blessing.  “The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were His to take away.  Blessed be the name of the LORD.  v. 21

Has God recently removed a blessing from your life?  Think back to the time He first gave it to you.  How did you respond then?  Make that the pattern for the way you respond now!  In God’s strength, Job did precisely that, so can you.

Job – a Book, a Man and a whole lot more.  Two meanings are possible for the name of Job.  One comes from an Arabic root and means “one who turns back (repents).”  Another derives from a Hebrew root and means, “the hated (persecuted) one.”  Both of these meaning prefigure the experiences of Job in the book that bears his name.

There are grounds for believing that the Book of Job is written very early…in fact, this may be the oldest book in the world.  Yet, it may very well be the most up to date treatise on the pathos of human experience.  It is the blending of antiquity with enduring reality and a transcendent literary excellence...it is considered a literary masterpiece.

The book of Job might be called “the mystery of suffering…especially for the Godly.”  The book has a message for us.  We are meant to see that there WAS an explanation, even though Job and his friends did not know it, so that when baffling affliction comes to ourselves we may believe that the same holds good I our own case—that this is indeed a purpose for it in the counsels of heaven and a foreknown outcome of blessing.    

The fact is, Job was NOT MEANT to know the explanation of his trial; and on this simple fact everything hangs.  If Job had known. There would have been no place for faith; and the man could never have come forth as gold purified in the fire.  We are meant to understand that there are some things which God cannot reveal to us at present, inasmuch as the very revealing of them would thwart His purposes for our good.  The Scriptures are as wise in their reservations as they are in their revelations.  Enough is revealed to make faith intelligent.  Enough is reserved to give faith scope for development. 

The message of the book – that there WAS an explanation, but Job did not know it and WAS NOT MEANT to know it.  Because of failure to appreciate this adequately the book has been said to present a problem without a solution.  The question is Why do the Godly suffer?  The Godly heart may find rest until the full and final solution is given in a day yet to be.  The purpose of the book is to show that the final solution is as yet withheld, and that suffering fulfils a Divine purpose and exercises a gracious ministry in the Godly.  BEHIND all the suffering of the Godly is a high purpose of God, and BEYOND it all is an ‘afterwards’ of glorious enrichment.   Presently suffering is not judicial, but remedial; not punitive, but corrective; not retributive, but disciplinary; not a penalty, but a ministry.  The final solution will be given in that promised day when instead of seeing through a glass darkly, we shall see “face to face” and shall “know even as we are known.” 

The central message is ‘BLESSING THROUGH SUFFERING.’  Through bitter calamity comes blessed discovery.  ‘SELF” IS SLAIN AND God is known through trial.  The book of Job is a grand illustration of Paul’s words in Romans 8:28  and Hebrews 12:11. 

The historical authenticity of the Book of Job is settled by the testimony of other Scriptures  Ezekiel 14:14 and in James 5:11.  Yes, Job was a real person and the book of Job is really historical. 

The interview between God and Satan are fact and are Divinely revealed to us.  We readily see that it gives us the primary explanation of Job’s trials.  But there is more to gain: 

1.Satan is accountable to God.  Satan must give account to the LORD.  He has the privilege of access, but he is compelled to come…he is subject to the Divine authority, however unwillingly.  It is a compelling ruling of the Most High which the arch-rebel dare not and cannot evade. 

2. Even the dark mind of Satan is an open book to God.  When the LORD asked Satan “have you considered…”…He knew what was already there in that evil designing mind, just as He knew all Satan’s goings to and fro before ever He asked.  The ?s were asked not because God did not know, but to compel confession on the part of Satan.  Satan’s answer shows that he HAD considered Job and he believe his lack of success was because God had hedged Job in too protectedly.  God knows all that is in Satan’s mind at all times, against any of the saints. 

3. Satan is behind the evils that curse the earth.  … “going to and fro”  It seems clear that Satan has a special activity towards this earth.  He is the god of this age…blinds the minds of the unbelievers.  Behind the world’s evils is the energizing and organizing mind of an evil devil.

4. We see that Satan is NOT omnipresent nor omniscient.  Many people think that the Satan is everywhere, but he is nothing of the kind.  He can move with almost lightning-like rapidity, but none the less he is a created and therefore local being.  He is only in one place at the time.  Many Christians seem to think that Satan himself is hovering about them in shadowy sort of way.  No, he is restricted, localized being although there may be many invisible spirit agencies operation in alliance with him.  He is NOT omniscient – God can see into all our minds, but Satan cannot.  He could not see into Job’s mind.   He thot he knew what was there but he did not.  Never forget…Satan is neither everywhere nor all-knowing.  We dare not underrate him, but it is also bad strategy to overrate him.

5.  Satan can do nothing without the Divine permission.  He is free and restless but he at the same time is bound.  The LORD can always overrule his doings to the ultimate good of those whom he would ruin.

 6.  In every such permission there is a definite limitation.  The LORD gave permission but had limitation.  Satan has absolutely no power against a saint beyond what God allows.  I Cor. 10:13. 

7. God’s eyes are ever on his own people, and especially so in times of trial.  God named Job specifically, spoke of Job’s character, commended his piety and gave special regard for him by calling him MY servant. 

JOB’S FRIENDS:  Came from afar to console.  They speak to the debate, one after another…maybe in the order of seniority although all are old.  (32:6)…As the dialog develops their condoling turns to condemning, and Job’s suffering is thereby aggravated to the point of almost unendurable.  BUT AT FIRST THEY SAT IN SILENCE! WITH JOB.  

Not many understand what the trials of Job are all about and what God was trying to accomplish.  Job suffered as he did so that God’s people today might learn from his experiences how to be patient in suffering and endure to the end.  James 5:11.  We can learn how to be patient in our own trials and how to help others in their trials.  Our world is full of people who need encouragement and the LORD may be preparing you for just such.