Job-Like Season

Job-like Season

“If my misery could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales,

3 they would outweigh all the sands of the sea.” Job 6:2-3

Intro: In a village called Uz on the east side of Canaan…, there was a child born named Job.

Directly east of Canaan was the land of Edom…, which is the area of modern-day north Arabia

The Edomites were relatives to the Israelites.

The Edomites were descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau

Even though the Edomites were regarded as brothers…, of the Israelites.

The Edomites, hold the distinction of being the earliest enemy of the Israelites.

From the earliest time of Hebrew history in the Bronze Age

until the Kingdom of Judah was destroyed by the Babylonian Empire in the sixth century BC.

The hatred and bitterness between the Edomites and the Israelites were deep and mutual.

However, the Edomites and the Israelites had more in common than not

and the true reason for their fighting against each other

had to do more with land than with politics or religion.

You might have thought that Job was an Israelite

But Job was really an Edomites

This is very important because Job would not have been following the Sacrificial Law

Job would NOT have been taking his lambs to offer…., to the high priests as the Jews did

But Job would have instead been offering sacrifices himself

In a direct faith

Just like Noah…, Abraham…, and Moses

Job had a direct faith

Learn this lesson:

1. It is very important to choose the right God to worship.

Baal and Asherah and several other gods were worshipped by the Edomites.

But Job chose the right God…, the one true God

When most everyone else around him were worshipping false idols.

Job chapter 1 tells us that Job worship YHWH

If you don’t know what YHWH stands for…,

it is the four letters that were used to write the Hebrew name that was given to Moses on the mountain

as the divine name of the LORD God

The name of the LORD was so divine

The name of the LORD was so holy that writers wrote the name of the LORD as YHWH

Which were at the time not pronounced

but later began to be pronounced as Yahweh, Adonai, Jehovah

So, while the Edomites worshipped the Baal and Asherah

Job worshiped YHWH the LORD Gods

The bible says in Job chapter 1:1-5 that Job kept his life blameless.

He repented of his own sins and even offered sacrifices for his children. (Job 1:1-5)

There is a book written by Tim Keller, titled Counterfeit Gods

And he lists idols that are in our modern time:

An idol is anything more important to you than God,

anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God,

and anything that you seek to give you what only God can give.

So, what is a false god?

What is idolatry?

An idol is something that we have placed above God.

Anything that is more important to us than God is an idol.

Idolatry is alive and well today.

2. Identity is a modern day idol

Our identity might be one the biggest idols worshiped today.

We have largely abandoned who we are in Christ and placed our identity in other things.

The world is possessed with social media following,

position in politics

Social theology

One’s own abilities/skills, or the achievements

many have their identity wrapped up in the wrong thing.

It’s clear to see that people today have placed their identity in the world

as more important than their identity with God

When your identity is in the things of this world

Then you will constantly be trying to measure up to others

When you try to measure up and keep up with others that becomes a harsh master.

But when our identity is secured in God,

Even while we will still fall short, God’s love will never fail us.

For many people this subtle form of idolatry has placed more value on who they are, and what they want

rather than who God is.

The days of Job were no different

There were many gods to choose from to worship

But there was only one YHWH

It is very important to choose the right God to worship.

3. Worship God even in your hard times.

Job didn’t stop crying out to the Lord…, EVER.

His life became wretched…, miserable…, to the point of being unbearable and he still trusted God.

Job said, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away but he is to be worshipped.” Wow!

In fact, his first response after weeping over his children’s deaths

was to fall down before the LORD and worship God even in his sorrow. (Job 1:20)

May God stir our hearts so that even in the face of great loss