Sincerely Yours, Job (Series Part 2)

by Bro. Elijah E. Abanto
Based on Charles R. Swindoll's message, What Job Teaches Us About Ourselves

One of the things that we really don't want to experience is suffering. We would like to die instantly instead of going through a series of loss--of possessions, family, health, and friends. But if there are people who really need to experience that, it is us, the Christians--and that is exactly what happened to Job which we will study today.

Let's read Job 1:6-19:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. ⁷And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. ⁸And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? ⁹Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? ¹⁰Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.¹¹But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.¹²And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

¹³And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:¹⁴And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:¹⁵And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.¹⁶While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.¹⁷While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. ¹⁸While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:¹⁹And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

From the Job's good standing in life would Satan come to God for to accuse him. We all know that Satan is our accuser, and even our good intentions he will give a different color before God just to hurt us. And we will read that, that's it, God allowed what happened to Job. First principle: We never know ahead of time what God plans for our lives. We cannot be sure that because we are serving Him blessing will come to us the way we expect it, or we cannot say that punishment will come to those who disobey the way we expect it to be. From out of nowhere Job's life was stormed with different unpleasant events--in just a moment. So from this there's a lesson: Be ready for everything, whether blessing or trial, because we do not know. We do not know.

From Job's reaction we will know the second principle:

²⁰Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,²¹And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. ²²In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

A vertical perspective prevents horizontal panic. In all the possible reactions of Job to these successive events, he still managed to worship and praise God. God will probably understand if Job got angry with Him, because He knew what kind were the things that happened, but, here was Job, praising and worshiping God! Why? Because he saw God's perspective, that He makes all things happen as He pleases, whether it be blissful or painful--because He is the Creator of all things, and that he is one of those whom He created.

As we go through the next chapter we can again see Satan hopping to God's presence and giving a new accusation to Job. The result: Job would have a terrible disease, but he would not die. And that was it. And for his wife, it was already enough. She could not keep herself anymore as she saw Job's suffering, so:

Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. (v.9)

What a reasonable advise from a loved one, and Job had all the reasons to "curse God"--besides, it was his wife who said that! But look on the next verse:

But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. (v.10)

Now let's not point a finger on his wife. Anyone who sees this kind of suffering, with all our sinful humanity, have a great tendency to react as she did. But anyone who thinks clearly will know that this advice was wrong--but when you are now in that position, how could you? Third principle: Great discernment is needed to detect wrong advice from well-meaning people. It must be hard for Job to say this to his wife, but because he remained in right thinking, he was able to see her mistake.

Fourth: When things go from bad to worse, sound theology makes you sound and stable. If Job didn't know doctrine, he would not have remained stable at this point of trial. We, as Christians, must be knowledgeable of the Bible and doctrine, because we can hold on to it when the time comes, as Job had.