Today we are starting a new book of the Bible. We're going to look at the book of Job.
It is not, as we said last week, it's not Job. This isn't the book of the Bible that tells us about our faith and work.
This is the book of Job.
And it is a shockingly bewildering account of a good and honest man and how he suffers unbelievably.
And he suffers for a reason that he doesn't know or understand.
And even those of us that have the Bible and get to see behind the scenes, even we struggle with it to understand it.
And we're going to look at it for the next seven weeks.
Now, the book of Job is part of a genre or the section of our Bibles known as the wisdom literature.
So it's not part of the history. It's not primarily narrative.
It doesn't involve the nation of Israel and how God's salvation history through them or the covenant people of God.
Really, it's the wisdom literature like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
And one of the things that wisdom literature is concerned about is who God is rather than what God has done
and how we get to live wisely in light of who he is.
And so, while most of the Bible has to do with the people of God as a community,
the wisdom books really push us individually.
They say, what about you?
If you were in Job's shoes, how would you respond?
And they call us, they question us.
But one of the things that's interesting about the wisdom literature
is you'd think that a section of the Bible called the wisdom literature
would have all the answers to life's big questions.
And actually, they very seldom do.
One of the things that the wisdom literature does is it actually asks us the questions
that we should be asking but very seldom ask.
And they kind of provoke us and they prod us by asking these really big and challenging questions.
For instance, last year we looked at Ecclesiastes.
What is the meaning of life?
Where can we find hope and purpose?
And Job is going to do similarly.
Secondly, the wisdom literature helps us find wisdom by asking us these questions
that are going to bring us face to face with who God is.
They're going to challenge us with who is our understanding of God.
Now, at first, the book of Job seems to be about suffering.
And in some ways it is.
And we're going to see an incredible amount of suffering by this really good man.
But actually, the book of Job is much more than just about suffering.
What it's really about, it's actually about the limits of our understanding.
It asks us the question, what will we do when our understanding of God and who He is
and how He ought to run the world makes no sense to us?
When our understanding of who God is and whether God is really sovereign is turned on its head,
how will we respond?
Will we throw our hands in the air and say, that's it, I'm done?
Or will we come and trust Him?
Will we trust Him?
And so what the book of Job wants us to do is to step back and to see that our knowledge
and our understanding of the world and how it works
and how we think God ought to run the world is tremendously limited.
And when our questions aren't answered and when the world seems completely disorientated
and storm-tossed and when God's ways of dealing with the world seem nonsensical, unfair, even unjust,
will we walk away or will we trust Him?
That's what the book of Job is going to ask us.
And so let's listen as we, Angelina comes and reads to us,
Job chapter 1 and most of Job chapter 2.
So let's listen to the reading of God's word this morning.
Reading from Job chapter 1 and 2.
Starting in verse 1 we read,
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job.
And that man was blameless and upright,
one who feared God and turned away from evil.
There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels,
500 yoke of oxen and 500 female donkeys and very many servants,
so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.
His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day.
And they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
And when the days of feast had run their course,
Job would send and consecrate them.
And he would rise early in the morning
and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all.
For Job said,
It may be that my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.
Thus Job did continually.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came
to present themselves before the Lord,
and Satan also came among them.
The Lord said to Satan,
From where have you come?
Satan answered the Lord and said,
From going to and fro on the earth
and from walking up and down on it.
And the Lord said to Satan,
Have you considered my servant Job,
that there is none like him on the earth,
a blameless and upright man
who fears God and turns away from evil?
Then Satan answered the Lord and said,
Does Job fear God for no reason?
Have you not put a hedge around him
and his house and all that he has on every side?
You have blessed the work of his hands
and his possessions have increased in the land.
But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has
and he will curse you to your face.
And the Lord said to Satan,
Behold, all that he has is in your hand.
Only against him do not stretch out your hand.
So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
Now there was a day
when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking
wine in their oldest brother's house
and there came a messenger to Job and said,
The oxen were plowing,
the donkeys feeding beside them
and the Sabians fell upon them
and took them
and struck down the servants
with the edge of the sword
and I alone have escaped to tell you.
While he was still yet speaking,
there came another and said,
The fire of God fell from heaven
and burned up the sheep and the servants
and consumed them
and I alone have escaped to tell you.
While he was yet speaking,
there came another and said,
The Chaldeans formed three groups
and made a raid on the camels
and took them
and struck down the servants
with the edge of the sword
and I alone have escaped to tell you.
While he was yet speaking,
there came another and said,
Your sons and daughters
were eating and drinking wine
in their oldest brother's house
and behold,
a great wind came across the wilderness
and struck the four corners of the house
and it fell upon the young people
and they are dead
and I alone have escaped to tell you.
Then Job arose and tore his robe
and shaved his head
and fell on the ground
and worshipped.
And he said,
Naked I came from my mother's womb
and naked shall I return.
The Lord gave
and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
In all this,
Job did not sin
or charge God with wrong.
Again,
there was a day
when the sons of God
came to present themselves
before the Lord
and Satan also came among them
to present himself
before the Lord.
And the Lord said to Satan,
From where have you come?
Satan answered the Lord
and said,
From going to and fro on the earth
and from walking up and down on it.
And the Lord said to Satan,
Have you considered my servant Job
that there is none like him on the earth,
a blameless and upright man
who fears God
and turns away from evil?
He still hoses fast his integrity
although you incited me against him
to destroy him without reason.
Then Satan answered the Lord
and said,
Skin for skin,
all that a man has
he will give for his life.
But,
stretch out your hand
and touch his bone
and his flesh
and he will curse you
to your face.
And the Lord said to Satan,
Behold,
he is in your hand.
Only
spare
his life.
So Satan went
from the presence
of the Lord
and struck Job
with loathsome
sores
from the sole
of his feet
to the crown
of his head.
And he took
a piece
of broken pottery
with which
to scrape himself
while he sat
in the ashes.
Then his wife
said to him,
Do you still
hope fast
your integrity?
Curse God
and die.
But he said
to her,
You speak
as one of the foolish
women would speak.
Shall we receive
good from God
and shall we not
receive evil?
in all this
Job
did not
sin
with his lips.
This
is the word
of God.
Angelina,
thank you for reading us
this long passage.
Let's pray together
as we come
with us.
Heavenly Father,
Lord Jesus Christ,
Holy Spirit,
your word
is so challenging,
God.
It confronts us,
it challenges us,
it sometimes offends us.
But God,
we know it's true,
we know it's good
because it comes
from you
and you are true
and you are good.
And so God,
I pray,
won't you help us
to understand
your word?
Won't you open
the eyes of our hearts
to see you
in your word?
God,
bring us
to your throne room
this morning,
God.
Help us to see
you afresh.
God,
won't you both
challenge us
and comfort us
from your word
and help us
to trust you,
I pray.
God,
this morning
we also want to
just pray for
our friends
Gary and Kathy
as Gary's in hospital
and just going
through his
tremendous trial.
Won't you again
draw near to them?
Won't you by
your Holy Spirit
really draw near
to them today,
God?
Won't you bring
healing to Gary's
body in the hospital bed
as they're in Beijing
this morning
and as they come back
to Hong Kong tonight?
Father,
we pray for your
protection
just on the
transition
back to Hong Kong
and we pray
for the doctors
to have profound wisdom.
God,
we pray above all
for your healing hand
to be involved
in Gary
this weekend
and the next few weeks
as he recovers
from his fainting episode
this week.
Lord,
we bring our friends
before your throne
of grace this morning
and ask in your mercy
won't you heal them?
In your great name
we pray.
Amen.
Okay,
well,
if you've got your Bible
or your bulletin,
keep it open.
We're going to be looking
at this passage,
Job chapter 1 and 2.
Now,
Job 1 starts off
telling us really
how amazing Job is.
I mean,
that's the point
of the first few verses,
right?
It says,
there's this man
in the land of Uz
and his name was Job
and he was blameless
and he was upright
and he feared God
and he turned away
from evil
and he was super rich
and had all sorts
of amazing,
life was really
wonderful for him
and it says,
verse 3,
he was the greatest man
of all the people
of the east.
And the narrator
is not just trying
to give us
background information,
he's not just
painting the scene,
he's making a point here
and he's saying,
Job was a really,
really good man,
a really righteous man.
In fact,
a more righteous,
more good man
you could,
you would struggle
to find.
He says he's blameless,
which doesn't mean
sinless perfection.
Later on,
Job repents
of his sin
and he says,
listen,
I've sinned in my youth
but what it means is
he's genuinely authentic.
His inside life
and his outside life,
his public life
and his private life
are completely aligned.
He's not one thing
in public
and another thing
in private.
It says he's upright
in his dealings
with people,
fair and honest,
just,
transparent.
He's one who fears God.
He relates to God
out of reverence
and humility.
In verse 5,
we read that he offers
sacrifices on behalf
of his children
in case his children
might possibly
have sinned
in their hearts.
He's someone
who loves
what God loves
and hates
what God hates.
We're told he's
someone who
turned away
from evil.
Whatever is even
smells of anything
unlike God,
he wants nothing
to do with it.
And in verse 8,
we see that God
says the same thing
about Job.
He is blameless
and upright,
fears God
and turns away
from evil.
In chapter 2,
God says the same thing
about him a second time.
And so three times
we read,
here is this amazing,
amazing man.
And the narrator's point
is in Job,
we have someone
who is truly righteous,
truly God-fearing,
truly honorable
and honest.
He's walked with God
and he's reaped
the blessings.
He's abundantly
prosperous.
He's blessed.
He is prosperous
and successful.
He's described
as the greatest
of all the people
of the East.
And the narrator
wants us to have
no doubt
that a more
upright,
godly,
religious,
devout,
wonderful man
you will never find.
Christopher Ash writes,
here is a good man
who's become
a great man,
a pious man
who's become
a prosperous man.
It's a picture
of the world
as the world
ought to be,
a world
where the righteous
lead and are prosperous,
where prosperity,
gospel of health,
wealth,
and happiness
seems to be true.
Job is faithful
and everything
is good
and wonderful
and very short-lived
because the picture
doesn't last
very long.
Five verses
of Disneyland
and 41 and a half
chapters
of hell
because verse 6
everything seems
to go wrong
and it goes wrong
for anybody
who takes Job
seriously.
From verse 6
onwards
and the rest
of the scripture
that Angela
read to us,
there are two
narratives
that are going
to happen
in parallel,
one in heaven
and one on earth
and these two
narratives
are deeply troubling
and challenging
and Job
is somehow
caught in the
middle of them
and so let's look
at what happens
here.
Verse 6,
one day God
is having a meeting
with his angels
here called
the sons of God,
kind of like
God's heavenly
counsel
in the spiritual realm
and there's this
character called
the Satan
that somehow
appears and arrives
and I picture
that he's off
in the distance
somehow,
I don't think
he is part
of God's heavenly
counsel
but he's in the
spiritual realm
and God is meeting
with his heavenly
counsel
and he calls off
to Satan
and says,
Satan by the way
just come and
talk to us
for a minute,
what have you
been up to?
And the Satan
says,
oh you know,
I've been going
to and fro
of the earth,
walking up and down
and doing my business
and what is his business?
Well his business
is to tempt
and to taunt
those who want
to follow God
and remain faithful
and trust him,
to tempt them
away from trusting God
and following him
to living lives
of self-dependence,
self-sufficiency,
ultimately lives
of destruction.
And we know
from the rest
of scripture
that Satan does
this in various ways,
sometimes division
and conflict
in the church,
sometimes through lies
and accusations
that he'll put
in our mind,
sometimes through
suffering and sickness,
sometimes through
bitterness and resentment
and hardness of heart,
sometimes actually
he'll do it through
prosperity and blessing
and pride,
but Satan uses
various mechanisms
to tempt
and taunt
those that want
to trust God
and follow him
away from trusting
the Lord
towards trusting
themselves.
And so,
God starts
this conversation
and he says,
well,
Satan,
this is your job
to draw people
away from trusting me.
Have you considered
my servant Job?
And it looks like
you're not doing
a very good job
because here's my
servant Job
and he's pretty blameless,
pretty upright,
pretty faithful.
He loves what I love
and he hates
what I hate.
Have you seen Job?
It doesn't look like
you're doing a very good job.
And Satan replies,
look what he says,
does Job fear you
for nothing?
In other words,
does he trust you
for no reward?
You've put a hedge
around him.
You've blessed him.
You've protected him.
You've made sure
that nothing wrong
can happen to him.
Take that hedge
of protection away.
Withdraw your hand.
Let him suffer
for a bit.
Let him go
through hardship
and you will see
he will curse you
to your face.
Satan says,
Job doesn't love you.
He doesn't serve you
because he really
honors you
or treasures you.
He serves you
because you serve him.
And as long as
you serve him,
he will keep on
serving you.
Satan says,
as long as you're
good to him,
he will be good to you.
But Job doesn't
actually love you.
He just loves,
he's just using you.
This is why
he's devoted.
He doesn't love you.
He loves the things
that you give him.
He doesn't truly
treasure you.
No, he loves
the treasures
that come his way
because he serves you.
Job doesn't really
honor you
or think you are
worthy of worship.
No, he is faithful
because faithfulness
gets him
certain results.
And so Satan says,
remove your blessings
from his life.
Let him suffer
and come to difficulty.
Pain and heartache
will come his way
and he will curse
you to your face.
Now friends,
it's a profound
question that
the Satan asks,
right?
It's a question
that we need
to ask ourselves.
Friends,
do we truly
love God
or do we simply
love the benefits
that come our way
from serving him?
Do we truly
treasure him
or do we treasure him
simply because
we think
that doing so
will allow him
to bless us,
cause him to bless us?
Friends,
do we adore God
or do we simply
use him?
Satan says that
Job is someone
who simply uses God
for the good things
that God will give him
and bless him.
And so God
amazingly
gives Satan
permission
to test,
to tent,
and to taunt Satan
and to allow
hardship to come
his way.
Now,
before we continue,
a couple of things
to think about here.
This raises all sorts
of questions,
right?
Especially about this
character,
the Satan.
I mean,
who is this guy
and what's going on
with this?
Well,
there's a lot here
that's not particularly
clear.
Whether he's the same
character as the rest
of the Bible calls
the Satan or not,
we're not sure.
I think he is.
But here are a couple
of things to think about.
One thing,
it's clear that
Satan is certainly
not as smart
as we generally
think he is.
We tend to think
of the Satan
as this omniscient,
all-knowing,
powerful being.
But look,
there's actually
a whole lot
that he doesn't know.
He doesn't know
what's going on
inside Job's heart.
He says,
this is what's going
on inside Job's heart.
And he's completely wrong.
He doesn't know
the future.
He says,
listen,
if you do this,
this is what's going
to happen.
Just like you said
in Genesis chapter 3.
And yet he's
completely wrong.
So Satan
is certainly
not as smart
as we sometimes
think he is.
He doesn't know
what's going on
with Job
and he doesn't
know the future.
But also,
he's not as powerful
as we tend
to think he is.
Satan is
on a chain.
God gives him
certain latitude.
God allows him
to inflict injury
on Job.
But notice,
he can affect
Job's circumstances
if God allows,
but he cannot
touch Job's heart.
He is not
the master
of Job's destiny.
He is not
the captain
of his fate.
Friends,
Satan can test us,
he can tempt us,
he can taunt us,
he can lie to us,
but he cannot
make you do anything.
He has no power
over your heart,
over your decisions.
He does not
control your life.
And the reason
is because thirdly,
Satan is not
equal to God.
Friends,
the spiritual realm
of the Bible
is not yin and yang,
of two cosmic beings
battling it out
for the good
of the world.
There is a God
and he is sovereign
and he rules
the world.
And there is
a created being,
a fallen angel
called the Satan.
And yes,
he is a rival
to God in sense
that he wants
to bring down
his kingdom
and draw people
away from,
but God
has no equals.
He has no rivals.
Satan is a
fallen created being
who will one day
be consigned
to an eternity
in the lake of fire
which is always burning
but never consuming.
And so friends,
do not fear the Satan.
Do not be anxious
or worried about him.
He is not in control
of your life.
Submit to God.
Surrender to God.
He is the only one
who is all powerful.
Satan does not own you.
He does not control you.
He is not all-knowing.
He is not all-powerful.
He is not God's equal.
And so what happens
is God says to Satan,
okay,
Job is in your hands
to a limited extent.
You can cause difficulty,
pain,
and suffering
to come his way
but do not touch him.
And what happens next
is maybe apart
from Good Friday,
one of the most dreadful days
in the history
of the world.
First,
the Sabians,
this dreadful nation
from the north,
come and attack
Job's,
his oxen,
his donkeys,
his wealth,
his portfolio
of animals
is wiped out.
While he's hearing
the report of this,
a fire falls from heaven,
possibly lightning,
and wipes out
a second part
of his portfolio.
His sheepfold
and all his servants
are killed.
While he's hearing
the report of this,
his manager
is busy giving him
the bad news,
another messenger
comes in
and says,
this other part
of your portfolio,
your thousands
of camels
are all killed
and so are your servants
at the hands
of the Chaldeans.
And just when Job
thinks things
couldn't get
any possibly worse,
the final servant
comes in
and says,
natural disaster
is struck
and all your children
have been killed
and all your servants
and I alone
am left.
And friends,
suddenly everything
that is precious
to Job
and everything
that makes Job
a great man
and everything
makes his life
worthwhile
and worth living
in one miserable
and disastrous day
is taken from him.
It all comes
crashing down.
It's like the music
in the playground
in Disney Park
suddenly comes
to a screeching halt.
The rides come
to a grinding halt
or the laughter
and the joy
fade out
in the background
and Job
goes from looking
at this happy scene
to staring
into the abyss
of darkness
and hell itself.
And the point
that the writer
of Job
wants to make
is that
the end
of Job chapter 1
couldn't possibly
be more different
from its beginning.
In the beginning
we have this blessed
and prosperous
and happy
and wonderful man
and at the end
we have a man
who is marked
with shame
and disgrace
and despised.
And the point
is why is this?
Is it because
Job is secretly
in his heart
a wicked man?
Is it that he is
reaping what he has sown?
No, the point
is just the opposite.
It's not because
he's a bad man
it's because
he's such a righteous man.
If Job was somehow
harboring some evil
or darkness
in his life
the whole story
wouldn't make sense.
It's precisely
because he's such
a good man
because he's so
God-fearing
and righteous
that the story
makes sense.
That Satan
can allow this
to happen.
Job's suffering
is simply
beyond comprehension.
And so look
at verse 20.
Job hears
the report of this
and it says
Job rose
and tore
his robe
perhaps symbolizing
the tearing
that is taking place
in his heart.
He shaves his head
as a sign of mourning
and an identification
with the dead
and he falls
on the ground.
And so friends
let me ask you
have you ever
gone through
a dark night
of the soul
where everything
that was precious
and good
was taken from you?
Friends
have you ever
found yourselves
so crushed
and compressed
by the weight
of pain
and agony
and desperation
having nowhere
to turn
and nothing
to hold on to
that it seems
like the insides
were going to burst.
Friends
maybe you've
had to bury
a child.
It's not the way
it should happen.
Children should bury
their parents.
Friends
maybe you've watched
a loved one
being eaten alive
by cancer
until you eventually
had to say goodbye.
Friends
have you been
unfairly accused
sidelined
ridiculed
have your name
tarnished
dragged through
the mud
your reputation
your career
destroyed
unfairly
unjustly
and how
did we respond?
How do we respond?
This is the question
that Job
is asking us.
When we are
unrighteously
and unfairly
and unjustly
brought to our knees
how will we respond?
Well I must confess
that I have not
experienced
many of those things
not to the level
that many of you
have this morning
but let's look
at how Job responds.
Look at verse 20.
Job arose
and he tore his robe
he shaved his head
he fell down
onto the ground
and he
worshipped.
he worshipped.
Friends
how few
of us
find worship
to be our first
reaction
even at the best
of times.
Many of us
struggle to worship
even when it's all
laid out for us
and all we have to do
is just arrive.
And here is a man
who is staring
in the face
a multitude
of losses
and bereavements
who's been
utterly stripped
of everything
that's precious
to him
and is walking
through loss
after loss
and his first
response
is to lift
his eyes
God would
and somehow
whether out of
instinct
or discipline
or maybe
just sheer
desperation
he falls on
his knees
and he
worships.
And when it says
he worships
I don't think
that means
he belts
out a worship
song.
I think
it means
that he
somehow
finds the
strength
to out of
the words
of his mouth
and out of
his mind
if not yet
his heart
to say
God
you are God
and you are
worthy of
adoration
and reverence.
It's
shockingly
provocative
and challenging
and C.S. Lewis
I don't have
the exact quote
to paraphrase him
in his book
The Screwtape
Letters
says
there is nothing
so dangerous
to the cause
of Satan
as when a person
no longer
desiring
but still
attending
to do
God's will
looks round
upon a universe
in which
every trace
of God
seems to have
vanished
and asks
why he has
been utterly
forsaken
and yet
still trusts
and obeys.
Friends
one of the things
that the Bible
tells us
is that
if you live
long enough
you will
suffer
tremendously
and every
one of us
will go
through some
kind of
dark night
of the soul
we are
looking
around
the universe
upon us
it will
seem
as if
every trace
of God
has vanished
where God
is silent
and the world
seems amuck
with injustice
and pain
and heartache
and God
will seem
either not
to care
or not
to be able
to do
anything
about it
and in
those moments
the question
that Job
asks us
is
how will
we respond
how will
we respond
Job
arose
and tore
his robe
shaved
his hair
fell
to his
knees
and worshipped
verse 21
he says
naked I
came from
my mother's
womb
naked I
shall return
the Lord
gave and the
Lord has
taken away
blessed
means praise
blessed be
the name
of the Lord
in all this
Job did not
sin or charge
God with
wrong
it's an
unbelievable
conclusion
to the
most shocking
story
except it's
not the
conclusion
it's only
half way
and the
book of
Job is
going to
keep on
shocking
us for
another
41
chapters
it's
going to
be an
emotional
rollercoaster
of the
next
seven
weeks
and so
Job
chapter 2
starts off
the same
way
we are
back in
heaven
and God
is meeting
with his
council of
angels
at some
point
God
sees
Satan
and he
says
Satan
come over
here
and talk
to us
for a
second
he says
have you
considered
my servant
Job
that upright
and blameless
man
who
trusts God
and honors
him
he still
holds to his
integrity
though you
incited me
against him
to destroy
him
without
reason
Satan
you father
of lies
says God
your cynical
ignorance
has found
you out
you thought
you knew
Job
you thought
you could
turn him
against me
you thought
his devotion
depended on
his circumstances
but you
were wrong
for you
are always
wrong
Satan
and even
after you
did that
even after
I allowed
you to
nearly
destroy
him
still
he
worships
so the
Satan
goes again
he says
oh that's
because you
haven't really
allowed me
to touch
him
you only
allowed me
to touch
him on
a surface
level
skin for
skin
which is
a shocking
statement
as if that
didn't penetrate
deeply
allow me to
really hurt
him
and then
you'll see
he'll curse
you to
your face
and Christopher
Ash points
out that if
we were
writing the
book of
Job
or if
we were
God
we would
have said
that's
enough
is enough
the man
has suffered
more than
anyone else
in one day
he has
suffered
tremendously
no more
Satan
be banished
but we're
not God
and that's
the point
and one of
the things
we're going
to learn
again and
again
in the book
of Job
is that
we are
not God
and God
does not
act like
us
and so
God
agrees
to allow
Satan
to strike
Job
once again
more intensely
and more
intimately
than before
and so
verse 7
of chapter 2
Satan
went out
from the
presence
of the
Lord
and struck
Job
with loathsome
sores
from the
sole of
his foot
to the
crown of
his head
a total
and intimate
suffering
all of
Job's
personhood
is invaded
with this
suffering
and verse
8
Job
goes out
in the
rubbish
heap
of the
city
he takes
a piece
of broken
pottery
scrapes
himself
and he
sits
in the
ashes
and as if
Job
hasn't
suffered
enough
now
the
person
closest
to him
his wife
turns to
him
and says
curse
God
and die
curse
God
and die
but in
all this
Job
did not
sin
friends
what do
we do
with
Job
chapter
one
and
two
well
one of
the
things
as I
said
earlier
the
book
of
Job
doesn't
actually
give us
many
answers
and even
when he
gets
right
to the
end
God
does
not
answer
many
of
Job's
questions
and
that's
deeply
provocative
and
challenging
it's
offensive
it's
gut
wrenching
it's
confrontational
so what
are we
meant to
do
with
it
well
I
think
coming
back
to what
I said
in the
beginning
the
book
of
Job
asks
us
this
question
when
God
and
his
ways
seem
deeply
unjust
unfair
and
make
no
sense
when
God
allows
severe
hardship
to
come
our
way
and
it
seems
that
God
leaves
us
and
is
abandoned
us
what
will
we
do
will
we
shake
our
fists
at
the
heavens
and
walk
away
will
we
accuse
God
or
will
we
somehow
turn
our
eyes
heaven
would
and
say
God
I
do
not
understand
I
do
not
know
why
you
are
doing
the
things
you
do
but
one
thing
I
know
is
you
are
God
and
I
am
not
and
I
will
let
you
be
God
and
so
what
are we
to
do
with
this
well
Job
asks
us
one
question
and
that
is
the
question
how
will
we
respond
when
God's
ways
seem
unjust
friends
when
we
read
God's
word
and
it
offends
us
and
it
challenges
us
when
God's
ways
go
against
how
you
feel
what
must
be
right
with
the
world
will
you
curse
God
and
die
will
you
shake
your
fist
at
God
and
walk
out
or
will
you
somehow
resolve
out
of
desperation
better
still
out
of
faith
to
will
you
find
it
in
your
heart
to
trust
him
to
worship
him
to
obey
him
will
you
let
God
be
God
the
question
that
Job
asks
us
but
maybe
you're
thinking
Kevin
you've
got to
be
out
of
your
mind
right
after
all
we've
read
this
morning
how
on
earth
why
would
I
ever
trust
God
and
that's
a
good
question
and
the
God
hasn't
left
us
in
the
dark
in
fact
he's
given
us
his
Bible
he's
given
us
his
word
so
that
though
we
may
not
have
the
answer
to
every
question
one
thing
we
do
know
is
that
God
is
in
heaven
and
he
is
God
and
we
can
hold
on
to
him
remember
Isaiah
55
I
think
it
is
it
says
my
ways
are
infinitely
higher
than
your
ways
my
thoughts
are
we
would
have
been
left
in
the
dark
but
he
tells
us
that
not
because
he's
going
to
give
us
every
answer
he
tells
us
that
so
that
when
it
feels
like
we
are
walking
in
the
dark
we
can
hold
on
to
him
and
we
can
say
God
I
do
not
understand
your
ways
I
do
not
understand
your
thoughts
but
one
thing
I
know
is
that
you
are
God
and
I
am
not
and
we
can
hold
on
to
him
and
so
friends
when
God's
ways
are
traveling
and
challenging
and
difficulty
the
reason
that
we
have
the
Bible
is
so
that
deconstruction
and
doubt
and
walking
away
from
God
is
not
the
only
option
left
to
us
God
doesn't
give us
the
Bible
just
to
entertain
us
or
to
scold
us
for
not
being
as
good
as
Job
but
calls
us
to
trust
in
God
like
Job
did
and
to
trust
in
the
God
that
Job
did
trust
in
and
so
friends
as
we
read
this
book
of
Job
it's
going
to
be
challenging
but
let's
cry
out
to
God
to
give
us
the
faith
to
trust
him
as
Job
did
Job
didn't
have
a
Bible
and
he
didn't
know
about
the
conversation
in
heaven
but
we
do
and
so
let's
trust
him
secondly
Job
didn't
know
about
the
gospel
and
he
didn't
know
about
Jesus
but
we
do
and
so
let's
trust
him
now
the
cross
of
Jesus
Christ
is
not
the
primarily
point
of
the
book
of
Job
but
it's
impossible
to
read
the
book
of
Job
without
seeing
in
it
the
shadows
of
the
truly
innocent
man
who
truly
suffered
friends
the
entire
Bible
revolves
around
the
one
righteous
man
the
one
innocent
man
who
was
infinitely
more
innocent
than
Job
and
yet
suffered
innocently
more
than
Job
ever
suffered
and
friends
Jesus
sacrificial
suffering
on the
cross
makes
no
sense
to us
and
to
many
in
the
world
for
those
of
us
who
are
Christians
who
have
come
to
love
and
trust
Jesus
and
see
him
for
who
he
is
the
suffering
servant
Jesus
the
Lord
it
gives
us
such
hope
and
such
confidence
but
for
most
of
the
world
a
naked
suffering
servant
hanging
on a
cross
as a
savior
is
utterly
scandalous
and
ridiculous
it
makes
no
sense
at
all
just
like
the
story
of
Job
and
yet
for
those
of
us
who
have
come
to
be
saved
by
it
is
our
hope
it
is
our
sure
foundation
it
is
an
anchor
for
the
soul
it
is
a
rock
upon
which
we
can
build
our
lives
Christ
the
sure
and
steady
anchor
while
the
tempest
rages
on
Christ
the
sure
and
steady
anchor
through
the
floods
of
doubt
and
unbelief
Christ
the
sure
and
steady
anchor
as
we
face
the
waves
of
death
friends
Job
didn't
know
about
the
suffering
servant
but
we
do
Job
didn't
know
that
Jesus
would
die
and
rise
again
and
promise
that
he
would
come
again
but
we
do
and
when
the
storms
of
life
seem
unbearable
and
when
life
has
more
questions
than
answers
and
when
we
have
nothing
to
hold
on
to
let
us
hold
on
to
Jesus
who
went
into
the
depth
of
hell
itself
on
our
behalf
for
us
and
came
out
the
other
side
and
let's
hold
on
to
him
and
so
dear
friends
Job
poses
the
question
when
life
hits
rock
bottom
and
God
seems
silent
how
will
we
respond
will
we
turn
our
backs
and
figure
out
life
on
our
own
or
will
we
somehow
find
it
in
our
hearts
to
turn
to
him
to
trust
him
to
obey
him
even
to
worship
let's
pray
Father
God
Job
chapter
1
and
2
leaves
us
this
morning
with
many
questions
it
leaves
our
hearts
wondering
but
God
it's
not
the
end
of
the
story
God
I
know
that
many
of
us
here
this
morning
may
feel
like
Job
in
the
storms
of
life
when
the
tempest
rages
on
God
I
pray
by
your
spirit
won't
you
draw
near
to
us
and
lift
our
eyes
and
see
Christ
our
sure
and
steady
anchor
father
when we
are
tempted
to give
up on
you
and to
take
the
reins
of our
life
and to
be our
own
God
lord
won't
you
draw
near
to
us
and
help
us
to turn
our
eyes
God
and
to
trust
you
father
I
pray
by
your
spirit
won't
you
draw
us
near
to
yourself
and
help
us
God
won't
you
give
us
faith
like
Job
won't
you
cause
us
God
in
the
storm
to
look
to
you
and
God
by
your
spirit
we
pray
won't
you
comfort
us
and
won't
you
give
us
hope
won't
you
cause
us
to
trust
to
obey
to
worship
in
your
name
we
pray
amen