A second horrible day for Job
Job Sermon Series, Part 3
Introduction (Job Slide)
- The book of Job is going to be a very challenging study for us
- Most people think this is about a man named Job who had a rough life
- However, we can easily fail to focus on the main character … God
- Job was a man who was considered blameless before God
- Bottom line: No one could rightly charge Job with morale failure
-- He also feared God: he lived in awe, respect, took God seriously
- Critical to see: What happens is in the course of ONE day
• Oxen were attacked by the Sabeans and carried them off
• The sheep and the servants were killed by (prob.) a lightning storm
• The camels were stolen by an invading Chaldean army
• His sons and daughters were killed by a mighty wind (tornado)
- Job’s response:
- Rather, in submission to who God is and what God has done for him
-- Not what God has done TO him, but what God has done FOR him
- Read Job 2:1-13
- Pray
Point 1 – Another day in Heaven
- In an instant, we see a second day of heavenly occurrences unfold (v1)
-- From Ch. 1, we saw that this happens, and now we see it is a routine event
-- Daily, angels of the Lord come to report their activities and receive instruction
- Satan, the great accuser, also comes with the angels to give his report (v2)
-- Once again, God asks him the same question, “Where have you come from?”
-- And again, Satan answers under God’s authority what he has been doing
-- APP: His job is the wreak havoc on this earth, under God’s authority
- Our world is where Satan lives and reigns, and his authority is granted by God
- Why is this important? So that we might understand how he works
-- We saw in Ch. 1 how he speaks to God, with cunning and deception
-- APP: Our lesson? If he would speak to God this way, we are not IMP to him
- So, God, knowing what Satan has been up to, asks a pivotal question
-- “Have you considered my servant, Job?” (v3)
- Let’s pause here … because we know that this was asked in Ch1, v8
-- And from that, we know what the devil was granted authority to do to him
-- So, why would God re-ask this question to the father of lies and deception?
- Simple! Satan’s first round of attacks had proven futile against his faith
-- Job did NOT curse God as Satan had predicted, and Satan was proven wrong
-- IMP: God knew this would happen, He knew what the result was, and was right
- The Lord is saying: My servant is still solid, still with total faith
-- Job had not sinned, and therefore what happened to him was b/c of Satan
-- It was not because Job was being punished for sinning against God
- Job … was blameless and upright before God … we should be also!
-- Re: We must NOT shake our fist at God when things happen
-- IMP: We do not know the “why”, for example Job didn’t know either!
- TRANS: Therefore, Satan decides to go at this from another direction …
Point 2 – Satan attacks Job … AGAIN!
- With unfailing faith in himself, Satan decides to go all-in with God
-- His cry in v4 is critical for us to see: “Skin for Skin!”
-- He actually charges Job with sacrificing all he has to save his own skin!
-- APP: Satan contends that Job gave everything up to benefit himself
- Re: He is the great accuser, and willing to do whatever it takes to get his way
-- Satan is implying that it is not because Job loves God that he is faithful …
-- … but now, he has willingly given up everything to make sure he is protected
- So once again, Satan asks God to strike Job personally (flesh/bones) (v5)
-- Satan’s hope is that Job will be broken and will curse God, finally
- So, God grants him authority to attack Job’s body
- However, he gets the same instruction: “you must spare his life” (v6)
-- APP: You can do what you like, but you cannot kill him
- Challenge: What if you were Job, would you survive this onslaught?
- Immediately, Satan went out to attack Job … and inflicted him horribly (v7)
-- He was given painful sores from his feet to his head, producing pain 24/7
-- These were probably something similar to boils, with no relief available
- Job hurt so much, that he even scraped himself with pottery for relief (v8)
-- This would be to burst the sore and help relieve the pain …
-- His life in ruins, he went from total wealth to sitting in the town dump
-- As a leader in the community, this would be totally humiliating for him …
- Then, comes an even greater assault on his faith … his wife (v9)
-- She says, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
-- IMP: This is an interesting phrase she uses, and she does so purposefully
- In her heart, she knows that Job’s cursing of God would be blasphemy
-- That if he did this, it would bring judgment from God and end this
-- However, she doesn’t do this to offer him mercy, but in anger to God
- 1 John 5:16-17, “If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.”
- But Job, let’s her have it in an incredible response of His faith (v10)
-- Job is challenging her statement (and us) with a sharp rebuke on faith
-- “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
- Job’s confidence in God is remarkable, and he confesses who He is in this
-- APP: We ought to get a hold of this also: God is the provider of everything!
- TRANS: It is at this moment, Job receives visits from three friends
Point 3 – Job’s friends come to visit
- Three of Job’s friends coming to visit him and try to comfort him (v11)
-- Spoiler alert: These are not people meant to cheer him up, they are no help
-- They are close friends, but they will also try to sway Job from his faith
- IMP: Satan can use the closest people you know to speak lies to you
-- This is why knowing God’s voice/instruction is CRITICAL for the Christian
- As they approached him, they saw him in the distance but didn’t recognize (v12)
-- Interesting: Jesus was unrecognizable on the cross due to his suffering
-- And here, sits one of the wealthiest men in town, at the dump, afflicted!
- They could obviously see his heart, and rather than doing anything, they sit
-- They share his mourning, they support him, and remain silent for 7 days
-- Most people can’t be quite for 7 minutes … these sat for 7 days
- Their action was a common symbolic practice for mourning and sadness
-- Lamentations 2:10, “The elders of Daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have sprinkled dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.”
- Big question: Why would these friends do this?
-- Speaking to Job, at this time, would be considered insensitive, unkind, useless
-- Consider asking: “So Job, what’s new with you today?”
-- There is nothing that needs to be said, and it’s the wisest thing they do
- TRANS: So … what is our take away from today?
- Big Idea: God allows Job to be tested again, but Job remains faithful.
- For us: When we see God at work, sometimes no words are necessary
-- Sometimes, there is nothing we need to do but focus on God’s grace
-- Often, our best choice is to sit and rely on what God has said to us
- Play video on God’s comfort, and listening to His voice …
- Pray
References: Holman OT Commentary, Job
