Please open your copies of God’s word to Job 1. In our message last week we notice the question of suffering. The question of suffering regards your motivation for serving God. Suffering asks the question if we serve God for God or if we have ulterior motives. Suffering shows if we serve God for his blessings rather than serving God for the goodness and glory of God. Satan is the adversary, accusing God’s people of only serving God because God does good for them. Satan proclaims that Job will curse God if he made his life difficult. But God has full confidence in his people that they see the infinite value of God and are willing to give up anything to be with him and have a relationship with him. With the question of Job’s motivation on the line, we now watch what will happen to Job. As we read these events, please imagine if these things happened to you and how you would respond to suffering.
Four Consecutive Disasters (Job 1:13-19)
We are told in verse 13 that Job’s sons and daughters have gathered at the oldest brother’s house for a feast. A messenger comes to Job, telling him that Sabeans attacked, killing his servants and stealing his oxen and donkeys. I don’t know if you have ever been robbed. But it is a sickening feeling. When I was young our small house was robbed and it was a stomach turning feeling to know that unauthorized people had been in your home, ransacked the house, and taken the valuables. A significant portion of Job’s wealth has been stolen and his workers have been killed (Job 1:14-15). Please notice the wording of verse 16. “While he was still speaking…” You have barely heard the words regarding to this first loss, when another messenger arrives. This messenger tells Job that the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants. Job has lost even more. The first report was loss by theft. The second report was loss by what we would call a natural disaster. It is interesting that natural disasters are sometimes called “acts of God.” You see that the messenger frames his message in this way. It was the fire of God that consumed your workers and your sheep. In verse 17 we see that as that messenger gets those words out of his mouth, another messenger arrives with more terrible news. The Chaldeans formed three groups and attacked, killing your workers and taking your camels. More death and destruction occurs. Then another messenger arrives as soon as that messenger finished his words. In verse 18 this messenger proclaims that a great wind came across the wilderness, striking the four corners of the house, falling on your sons and daughters and they are all dead. I am friends of a family in Tennessee. Six years ago a terrible outbreak of tornados occurred. The tornado tore through the town and struck the house, killing this Christian family: husband, wife, and young child. It was an agonizing tragedy.
Please imagine going through what Job went through in one day. It is easy to read about sheep, camels, and workers and miss the power of what has been lost. To try to illustrate this in our language today, this would be the same as finding out all of your bank accounts, savings accounts, retirement accounts, cash, and possessions have all been stolen. You have no money and nothing to live on. Then you are told that you have been laid off. Your job is gone. Then a natural disaster comes through and destroys your car and what is left of your physical possessions. Then another natural disaster comes and it kills your family. Your whole world as you know it has been taken from you. You have nothing.
Now we need to appreciate an important point being made before we continue. Satan will use people for his own purposes to try to destroy you. Satan will use natural disasters, attribute it to God, to destroy people and their faith. Satan will use nations to destroy your faith. Satan will kill your loved ones by natural means to destroy you and your faith. Satan will relentlessly attack you. Satan shows no mercy. Satan will use anything you have and anyone you value to destroy you. Satan desires to sift you like wheat and destroy you (cf. Luke 22:31; 1 Peter 5:8).
The Response to Suffering (Job 1:20-22)
How will Job respond to this suffering? How do you think you would respond to losing everything? Look at verse 20 and notice that the first response of Job was grief. Job tears his robe and shaves his head. These are symbols of extreme grief in ancient times. Job does not pretend to be fine. He does not carry a cup that says, “Keep calm and carry on.” He does not keep a stiff upper lip. Job is broken and Job is grieving. We are presently studying grief on Sunday evenings and I encourage you to join us for that study on how to grieve with God. Job expresses his grief visibly to others.
But as Job grieves, notice what he does. In verse 20 we read that Job goes to the ground and worships God. In our pain and in our grief we need more of God, not less. We are greatly tempted when we are in pain to remove ourselves from God. We remove ourselves from worship. We remove ourselves from prayer. We remove ourselves from other Christians. We want to hide in our house and hurt. Friends, Job’s response is right. He knows he needs God right now. “When all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay.” Last week I recounted the pain of receiving the diagnosis regarding our daughter. When we grieve, we need God. When we grieve, we need God’s people. When we grieve, we need to focus on the glory of God so that through our tears we can see and experience the steadfast love of the Lord. Job wisely worshiped.
In Job’s grief and in Job’s worship, Job has something to say. Look carefully at verse 21 and listen to the words of Job. “Naked I are from my mother’s womb, and named shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job does not curse God like Satan said. Job blessed God in spite of his loss. How was Job able to bless the name of the Lord when he lost everything? How could Job praise and not curse the Lord when everything he had is now gone? Job understands that everything he has comes from God. Job says that he came into this world with nothing. He also knows that he will leave this world with nothing. From the moment we are born, it is all God. God gave us the parents who kept us alive. God gave us the ability to grow, to learn, to develop, and to care for ourselves. God is the giver of every good gift (cf. James 1:17). The Lord gives and the Lord has every right and ability to take it away. If I were to live only one day, God will have not done me wrong. I am now 50 years old and that is 50 more years that I deserve. There is no promise that I get to have another day. Every day is a gift from God. Every breath is a gift from God. My family is a gift of God, a gift that is not owed to me nor promised. So I am grateful for the 29 years of marriage. None of that time was owed to us and God has not done us wrong if he allows for that to end.
One of the reasons we fail in our response to suffering is because we think we were owed something that God did not promise. But what does God owe us? What has God guaranteed to us in this life? God did not promise us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. God did not promise us long lives, happy marriages, happy children, large houses with white picket fences, great careers, and lots of possessions. God did not promise us a life of peace and rest. What do we think God owes us? When we see that we are owed nothing then we can be thankful for what we do have. This is where Job is at. Job is grateful. The Lord gave. The Lord has taken away. No matter my condition, blessed be the name of the Lord. Does this mean Job did not hurt? Of course not. Does this mean that Job was not in deep pain and grief? Of course not. But while he was swimming in his pain and overwhelmed with his tears, he will continue to praise the name of the Lord. He will proclaim God’s goodness while he worships.
Hope In God
Notice verse 22. Job did not sin. Job did not charge God with doing wrong. Job did not suggest that God had mistreated him. There are no words of impropriety on God’s part. Job puts his faith in God. Please think about Job’s faith and hope in God. Job’s hope is not to say that the Lord gives and Satan has taken away. It seems like this would be the right answer based on what we read in Job 1:11-12. I want us to turn our attention back to this important moment. Satan challenges God to stretch out his hand and strike all that Job has. But God is not going to stretch out his hand and strike Job. Rather, the Lord tells Satan that all that Job has is in his hands. But listen to what the Lord says next because it is very important. “Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” Satan is not running wild on the earth outside of the knowledge and power of God. Satan is not running amuck and God is not pictured as running around fixing his messes. Do you see the picture that is given to us? God tells Satan, “This far and no further.” Everything he has is in your power. But you cannot put your hand on Job. “This far and no further.” Job was not wrong when he said that the Lord gives and the Lord takes away because at the end of the day the Lord rules over our trials. The Lord says that Satan can only do so much. “This far and no further.” Satan cannot defy that because he is under God’s sovereign power.
We have lots of questions at this moment. Job still has lots of questions as the book will reveal. But this is not the place to answer those questions. The book of Job does not reveal the answers to all the questions we have right now. There is only one question that needs to be placed to the front of our minds and to allow the other questions to drift to the back burner. There is only one question that matters when you are crushed by trials. There is only one question that matters to God and to Satan. How will you respond to your suffering? Will you bless the name of the Lord or not? Will you worship the Lord in your grief or will recoil from the Lord? Friends, there is no prevention against the day of suffering. There is no avoiding trials. You cannot live a righteous enough life to avoid troubles. Remember, Job was blameless, upright, feared God, and turned from evil. Jesus lived a perfect life and yet he suffered. Jesus lived a perfect life and was tested in all points yet without sin. He entrusted himself to the One who judges justly. Everything belongs to God. Be ready to give it back to him. Be ready to give everything back to him and bless the name of the Lord as you do.