109 of the church bible and we're going to read all of chapter 1 so someone's going to read verses 1 to 12 and then 13 to 22.
Job chapter 1 or yeah chapter 1 sorry in verse 1.
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright. He feared God and shunned evil.
He had seven sons and three daughters and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen and 500 donkeys and had a large number of servants.
He was the greatest man among all the people of the east.
His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes and he would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
When a period of feasting had run its course Job would send and have them purified.
Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them thinking perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.
This was Job's regular custom.
One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came with them.
The Lord said to Satan, Where have you come from?
Satan answered the Lord, From roaming through the earth and going to and fro in it.
Then the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job?
There is no one on earth like him. He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.
Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan replied.
Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?
You have blessed the work of his hands so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
But stretch out your hands and strike everything he has and he will surely curse you to your face.
The Lord said to Satan, Very well then.
Everything he has is in your hands.
But on the man himself do not lay a finger.
Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house,
a messenger came to Job and said,
The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby,
and the Sabians attacked and carried them off.
They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said,
The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants,
and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said,
The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off.
They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.
While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said,
Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house,
when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house.
It collapsed on them, and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.
Then he fell to the ground in worship and said,
Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
May the name of the Lord be praised.
In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Well, we are going to be looking at this book over the next number of weeks,
and time to time I will recommend some books that relate to this theme.
I have got three this morning, some that I have read that you may find helpful.
This one is just a very simple little book.
It's called Suffering and Evil, aimed at kind of teenage years.
But if you've got a simple mind like me, then that's the book for you.
It's a very simple read.
This one on a similar vein is,
If I were God, I would end all the pain,
written by a man whose father died in an airplane crash,
and he works through that whole issue of suffering and the big question, why?
Okay, this one is a little bit more, I think, better.
It's a longer read, a little bit more pastoral.
Suffering Well, the Predictable Surprise of Christian Suffering.
And it really says, look, it's not if we suffer, but when we suffer,
because we're all going to face it at some stage or another,
asking all those questions and how to deal with it as Christian people.
So those are three books that I recommend,
and there'll be others along the way that I'll be pointing out too.
So you can look at them afterwards if you wish.
Well, let's get to the book of the Bible,
the book that we can trust, God's Word.
Let's pray.
Father, we recognise that all of us will face some form of suffering,
and perhaps we are already in it or have gone through it.
And we come with all kinds of questions and struggles,
and we want to come with you openly and honestly,
asking that you would speak into our lives,
that you would help us to understand your ways better,
but ultimately that you would give us a heart
that submits to you and trusts you.
Even when the darkness closes in,
we would still be able to say,
blessed be the name of the Lord.
Please help us.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
A loving family,
with all their plans and dreams ahead of them,
are greeted with the unwelcome news
that the husband has a tumour.
With great strength and determination and faith in God,
they fight through all the operations,
all the treatment and the pain.
Just after the birth of their second child,
which he's become too weak to hold,
he leaves this world as death takes over.
Why?
A young man has become a Christian.
He turns from his selfish life to submit to God.
He was told that the cost of becoming a Christian,
that friends might turn their back on you,
and people might even criticise you.
But he never thought his wife would leave him,
taking with her their only child.
Why?
A family who obeyed God's call
to go and serve the people in North Asia.
At great sacrifice,
they leave their family and friends,
bringing with them the good news of the gospel.
The conditions they are at are poor and basic,
but filled with a love for God,
they go on serving their neighbours around them.
Tragically,
their little son dies in an awful accident,
burned from an open cooking fire.
Why?
A pastor and his wife rush to the hospital,
ready for the birth of their fourth child.
The delivery goes well,
but as the early days pass,
it becomes apparent
that their daughter is not going to survive for very long.
Amazingly, she does survive,
but requires 24-7 care.
Now more than 20 years later,
she still can't walk or talk
or go to the loo by herself.
Why?
Now I'm sure you all have your own stories
of people who suffer,
but each one of these are people that I know.
And their suffering is not just
an intellectual problem with the head,
it's experienced,
and they live with the pain
and the heartache
every single day.
And of course,
it's natural for us
that when we are facing suffering,
that we ask the question,
why?
Why me?
Why this?
Why now?
And it's a question
that we all want answers to,
but there are no easy answers.
When we ask the question,
why?
God in his wisdom
has given us a book
called Job,
which is 42 chapters long.
In other words,
it's telling us
that there is no quick fix.
There are no pat answers.
You can't just do it
in one easy session.
As one writer has put it,
these are not armchair questions.
These are wheelchair questions.
So as we read through Job,
we are invited to watch
and listen
and to learn
from one man's experience
of suffering.
It's a real
and an honest account
of personal pain,
heartache,
and tragedy.
It's a journey
of one man
as he gets angry,
confronting God
and questioning God
and shaking his fist
at God
to cope with suffering,
to deal with suffering,
to understand suffering.
We need to take time
to immerse ourselves
in this story.
In some way,
this story
must become
our story.
We've got to let it
touch our hearts
and to impact our minds.
We are to feel
his pain.
We're to ask
his questions
and we are to submit
to his God.
So as we go over
these studies
over the next few weeks,
there's got to be
some clear signposts
that we have in place.
They don't answer
all of our questions.
In fact,
at the end of this study,
there are going to be
more questions.
But what they do
is they begin
to point us
in the right direction.
They help us
to start the journey
as we live life
in a suffering world.
So signpost number one
is this,
innocent suffering.
Job is innocent,
but yet he suffers.
You know the stories
that I told
at the beginning
have all one thing
in common.
Those involved
are all
innocent people.
I don't mean
they're perfect
because none of them
will tell you
that they're perfect.
But what I mean
is they are hard-working,
loving and caring people
who seek to do
what is right
and good.
You see,
some suffering
that happens
as a result
of our foolish actions.
We can understand that.
So somebody
might drink too much,
they get in their car,
they end up having a crash
and they have brain damage.
And as tragic
and as awful
as that is,
we can understand
that there's a logic
to it.
But when people
suffer for no
apparent reason,
then that's really hard.
When good,
honest and caring
people get sick
and they struggle
with terrible pain
and then they die.
When people
who love justice
and seek peace
get mugged
and stabbed.
When hard-working,
generous people
lose their savings
and job,
we find it very difficult
to understand.
But that's the story
of Job.
Job is introduced
to us,
look at verse 3
of chapter 1,
the end of verse 3,
as the greatest man
among all the people
of the East.
He is obviously
a man of great influence
and power.
He has considerable wealth.
Look at verse 2.
He had seven sons
and three daughters
and he owned
7,000 sheep,
3,000 camels,
500 yoke of oxen
and 500 oxen
and he had a large
number of servants.
He's in millionaire status.
But he doesn't allow
his wealth to rule
or ruin his life.
Look at verse 1.
We're told there
in the middle
that this man
was blameless
and upright.
He feared God
and he shunned evil.
Or as God says
in verse 8,
there is no one
on earth
like him.
Job is a man
of integrity
and honesty.
He seeks
what is good.
He loves God,
not just in words,
but in his actions.
And he hates
evil.
But not only that,
he's not only concerned
for his own spiritual life,
he's concerned
for his whole family.
Look at verse 4.
His sons used
to take turns
holding feasts
or parties
in their homes
and they would invite
their three sisters
to eat and drink
with them.
And when a period
of feasting
had run its course,
Job would send
and have them purified.
Early in the morning
he would sacrifice
a burnt offering
for each of them
thinking,
perhaps my children
have sinned
and have cursed God
in their hearts.
You see,
Job is the kind
of neighbour
you would want,
the kind of friend
that you'd love
to have,
the husband
or the father
that you would dream of,
the employer
you'd love to be
working for.
You can't fault him.
He's innocent.
But then all of a sudden
and without warning,
he is destroyed
by personal suffering.
In the first scene,
look at verse 15.
He loses his donkeys
and servants
to some act of war,
not unlike what's
going on in Syria.
Then in verse 16,
through some natural disaster,
most likely it's
lightning,
but we're told
that fire wipes out
his sheep
and more servants.
And then in verse 17,
there's more violence
as all his camels
are stolen
and his remaining
servants are
brutally butchered.
And if that were
not enough,
in verse 18,
all of his children
and their families
and all the grandchildren
are killed
in what seems like
a tornado
or a hurricane,
a natural disaster
similar to what
had struck
at Japan
a year ago.
And then in the second
scene,
in chapter 2,
verse 7,
it gets even
more personal.
We're told there
that Job is afflicted
with painful sores
from the tip of his toes
to the top of his head,
excruciating pain
all day
and all night.
In a matter of days,
his life is ruined,
broken,
and destroyed.
An innocent man
experiencing
unimaginable suffering.
And as we said,
suffering that happens
as a result of our
foolish actions,
we can understand,
we can kind of get
our heads around it,
but innocent people
who suffer,
well, that's too hard
to bear.
And it's that kind
of suffering that
begins to ask
the question,
why?
Why did God
allow this to happen?
Why did God
not intervene?
Such suffering
threatens to destroy
our faith,
our hope,
and our meaning
and purpose,
and to get our heads
around the world
that we live in.
Another man
who knew
great suffering
was a man
called
Elie Wiesel.
As a teenager,
he was shoved
with his family,
a Jewish family,
into a cattle hold
onto a train
and taken
to Auschwitz.
On the first night
of being in that
concentration camp,
he witnessed
his mother
and his little sister
being forced
into a giant
furnace.
and as he
reflects,
this is what
he writes.
He reflects
on that night.
Never
shall I forget
that night,
the first night
in camp
that turned
my life
into one
long night,
seven times
sealed.
Never shall I
forget that smoke,
never shall I
forget the
small faces
of the children
whose bodies
I saw
transformed into
smoke under
a silent sky.
Never shall I
forget those flames
that consumed
my faith
forever.
Never shall I
forget the
nocturnal silence
that deprived me
for all eternity
of the desire
to live.
Never shall I
forget those moments
that murdered
my God
and my soul
and turned
my dreams
to ashes.
Never shall I
forget these
things,
even were I
condemned to
live as long
as God
himself.
Never.
Do you hear
what he said?
Never shall I
forget those flames
that consumed
my faith.
Never shall I
forget those
moments that
murdered my
God.
You see,
innocent suffering
when it comes
threatens to
destroy our
faith,
our hope,
our meaning,
our purpose.
What is this
world that we're
living in?
And if we are
to leave it there
at this point,
it would leave us
without faith,
without hope,
without meaning,
like Elie
Wiesel.
But God has
so much more
to say.
Our second
signpost is
this.
Satanic
influence.
Satan is
real,
but not
in control.
When suffering
happens,
people tend
to blame
Satan.
In other
words,
everything bad
that happens
in this world
is the work
and the influence
of Satan.
But everything
good that
happens is
the result
of God's
goodness and
his love.
But that's
not how it's
presented in
Job.
Unknown to
Job,
and let's
remember this,
unknown to
Job,
but known
to us,
the reader,
God and
Satan are
in conversation
behind the
scenes.
Look at
verse 6,
chapter 1.
One day
the angels
came to
present themselves
before the
Lord,
and Satan
came with
them.
The Lord
said to
Satan,
where have
you come
from?
Satan
answered the
Lord,
from roaming
through the
earth and
going to
and throw
in it.
There's
something evil
and sinister
there,
isn't there?
Satan
wandering
around the
earth looking
for ways
to get
at people.
Verse 8,
then the
Lord said
to Satan,
if you
considered my
servant Job,
there is
no one
on earth
like him,
he is
blameless
and upright,
a man
who fears
God and
shuns
evil.
Does Job
fear God
for nothing?
Satan
replied.
Have you
not put a
hedge around
him and
his household
and everything
he has?
You have
blessed the
work of
his hands
so that
his flocks
and his
herds are
spread
throughout
the
land.
You see,
anyone will
love God,
or the
only reason
that Job
seeks good,
the only
reason that
Job loves
God,
the only
reason that
Job hates
evil is
because he's
wealthy and
healthy.
Do something
to him,
verse 11,
stretch out
your hands
and strike
everything he
has and
he will
surely curse
you to
your face.
You see,
saying anybody
will love
God,
any one of
us will
be a
Christian,
if everything
in their
life is a
bed of
roses.
But if
you throw
in a
few
thorns,
then that
will soon
sort out
who is a
genuine
believer.
Go on,
God,
make something
bad happen,
make him
suffer,
and then
you'll soon
see that
he is
nothing more
than a
fake.
Without a
doubt,
Satan is
real.
His
influence
is real.
And we
should never
minimize his
desire and
his effort to
keep people
from God
and to
turn people
away from
God.
He is
God's
enemy and
he's our
enemy.
But we
should never
think that
he has the
power over
God or
that he has
control over
the world.
The story
of Job does
not allow us
to let Satan
be the
boss.
Look at
what happens
in this
conversation.
It's all
happening in
the control
room of
power.
Look at
verse 6
again.
The angels
were told
and Satan
come to
present
themselves
before God.
It's like
they've been
summoned to
report their
activities to
the Almighty,
to the one
who's in
control.
Even Satan
knows who
is in
control.
Look down
at verse
11.
He says,
but stretch
out your
hand and
strike
everything
he has.
Satan
knows he
can do
nothing on
his own.
He hasn't
got the
power to
do as
he pleases.
He has
to ask
God to
stretch
out his
hand.
Verse 12.
The Lord
said to
Satan,
very well
then,
everything
he has
is in
your hands.
God,
with absolute
power and
supreme
authority,
allows
Satan to
bring
suffering
into this
man's
life.
But there
is a
boundary.
Look at
the rest
of verse
12.
But on
this man
himself,
do not
lay a
finger.
It's
repeated
again in
chapter 2.
There's
almost the
identical
same
scene.
They come
before God,
present
themselves.
Look at
verse 6.
Satan has
come again
asking for
more
suffering.
The Lord
said to
Satan,
verse 6,
very well
then,
he is in
your hands,
but you
must spare
his life.
So Satan
went out
from the
presence of
the Lord
and afflicted
Job with
painful sores
from the
soles of
his feet
to the
top of
his head.
Satan
is real,
but he
is under
the control
of God.
It's
like if we
could imagine
it like
this,
that Satan
is on a
leash,
he's on
a lead,
he's tied.
Yes,
he has
influence,
but he
does not
have free
reign to
do what
he pleases
when he
pleases.
The story
of Job
makes it
crystal clear
that this
is God's
world and
he is the
one who
remains in
charge.
sin.
So signpost
one, there
is such a
thing as
innocent
suffering.
Signpost
two, there
is satanic
influence, but
he does not
have control.
And the
third signpost
is this,
divine sovereignty
or sovereign
control.
God is
powerful,
but lets
people suffer.
You see,
despite all
the suffering,
God holds
sovereign
control.
Nowhere are
we ever to
think that
this world
is in
freefall,
that it's
some kind
of avalanche
that nobody
can stop,
or that
somehow Satan
is this force
that God
is struggling
to cope
with,
trying to
come up
with plan
B and
plan C.
In fact,
the opposite
is true.
Behind all
the suffering
that is
going on
stands God
who remains
firmly in
charge of
Job's life,
of your
life,
of my
life,
over Satan
and the
world in
which we
live.
In fact,
the big
shock and
the big
struggle and
the big
difficulty
for us
is that
God,
who is
all-loving
and all-powerful,
allows
innocent
people
to suffer.
Look at
how this
has worked
out.
God
initiates
Job's
test.
Look at
verse 8
of chapter
1.
Then the
Lord said
to Satan,
have you
considered
my servant
Job?
You see,
it's not
Satan who
picks on
Job.
It is
God who
brings
his faithful
servant
Job
to Satan's
attention.
To God,
Job is
special.
He calls
him a
servant.
It's a
title.
The same
title that
were given
to great
men of
honour like
Abraham and
Moses.
The same
title that
was given
to Jesus
Christ.
So there's
no animosity
between God
and Job.
God loves
him.
He treasures
him.
He cares
for him.
But yet
God takes
this initiative.
Have you
considered
my servant
Job?
Job.
But then
God also
permits
Job's
suffering.
Verse 12.
The Lord
said to
Satan,
Very well
then,
everything he
has is
in your
hands,
but on
the man
himself do
not lay
a finger.
Satan
knows who's
in control.
That's why
he had to
first ask
God,
for God
to stretch
out his
hand.
But in
what is
perhaps the
most
surprising
and shocking
response
in the
whole of
the story
of the
Bible,
God
turns
Satan's
desire
back to
Satan
and gives
him
permission
to inflict
suffering.
It's not
that God
is standing
idly by
with his
hands tied
behind his
back.
No,
he's
involved,
he gives
permission
for this
awful
suffering
that
follows.
And if
that is
not shocking
enough,
and it
should
outrage
us,
Satan
comes a
second time
to God.
Look at
chapter 2,
verse 3.
The Lord
said to
Satan,
Have you
considered
my servant
Job?
There is
no one on
earth like
him.
He is
blameless
and upright,
a man who
fears God
and shuns
evil,
and he
still maintains
his integrity,
though you
incited me
against him
to ruin
him without
any reason.
Skin for
skin,
Satan replied.
A man will
give all he
has for his
own life,
but stretch
out your
hands and
strike his
flesh and
bones,
and he
will surely
curse you
to your
face.
You see,
at this
point we
would think
God would
say,
no,
that's it,
stop,
enough is
enough.
There's been
enough suffering
in this
man's life,
there's going
to be no
more.
But to
our shocking
surprise,
God gives
Satan
permission
again,
verse 6.
Then the
Lord said
to Satan,
very well
then,
he is
in your
hands,
but you
must spare
his life.
You see,
everything
within us
screams
that this
can't be
true.
I want
to rip
those verses
out of
the Bible.
I don't
want to
read them
because I
don't like
them.
I find
it too
hard to
come to
terms with
because the
God that I
know is
loving and
compassionate
and in my
thinking he
would never
take initiative
and he
would never
give permission
for such
terrible
suffering to
happen to
innocent people.
The man is
blameless,
people are
blameless,
he's done
nothing wrong,
how can we
say that
God is
behind all
of this?
It raises
lots of
questions and
there's no way
that we're
going to
answer all
of that.
That's why
we're going
to take
our time
over these
coming weeks
to work
through it,
to battle
with it,
to deal
with it.
But at
this point
let me
say that
as far
as this
story so
far,
the story
of Job
tells us
that God
stands behind
all good
and behind
all evil.
But God
is never
ever charged
with wrong
doing.
He's never
charged with
doing anything
wrong.
He's not
vindictive.
But he
stands behind
it as the
one who's
in control
and as
mysterious
as it
is for
us to
try and
comprehend,
we are
left to
conclude at
this point
in the
story
that God
is in
control.
He's in
control of
the world.
He's in
control of
your life.
He's in
control of
my life.
He's in
control of
everything.
So how
do we
respond?
Well,
Job's
response
helps us.
Look at
verse 20
of chapter
1.
Let's
try and put
ourselves in
this man's
shoes and
all that he
has lost
and the
suffering that
has come
his way,
verse 20.
How does
he respond?
At this,
Job got
up and
he tore
his robe
and he
shaved his
head and
then he
fell to
the ground
in worship.
He doesn't
understand his
suffering.
He has no
answers.
He has no
reasons.
He simply
responds with
worship.
He's not
jumping up
around the
place,
jumping up
and down,
singing happy
songs.
That's not
what it
means.
He fell
to the
ground in
worship.
It means
that he
just fell
down and
submitted
himself to
God.
He bows
down to
one who
does know
and one
who we
can trust
in every
circumstance
of life.
And then
he says,
verse 21,
the well-known
words,
naked I
came from
my mother's
womb,
naked I
shall
depart.
The Lord
gave and
the Lord
has taken
away.
May the
name of
the Lord
be praised.
Do you
notice that
Job attributes
all the
good in
his life
and all
the suffering
in his
life,
not to
Satan,
but to
God.
we sang
it earlier,
these very
words,
the Lord
gave and
the Lord
has taken
away.
Blessed
be the
name of
the Lord.
Verse 22,
in all
this,
Job did
not sin
by charging
God with
wrongdoing.
Job longs
for answers
as we will
see as we
read through,
and we
desperately
want answers.
But before
we can move
on and start
addressing some
of those,
we've got to
stop.
We've got to
stop and
worship.
To learn to
trust God
like Job
and not
curse God
like his
wife.
Look at
chapter 2,
verse 9.
His wife
said to him,
are you still
holding on to
your integrity?
Curse God
and die.
He replied,
you are
talking like
a foolish
woman.
Shall we
accept good
from God
and not
trouble?
In all
this,
Job did
not sin
in what
he said.
There's
no quick
fixes.
There's
no pat
answers.
And if
we are to
live in a
suffering
world,
we must
stop
to worship.
to bow
down with
all of our
questions that
we have
right now
and submit
to our
God,
who is
loving and
compassionate,
who is
powerful and
sovereign,
and kneel
before him
and say
with all of
our struggles
that you
are God
and I
am not.
Amen.
I'd like
us to
turn to
Psalm
13.
Rather
than sing,
I think
it's hard
to sing
sometimes.
It's not
always appropriate
to sing.
but we're
going to
read a
psalm that
perhaps helps
us to
express
some of
the things
that we've
been looking
at.
Psalm
13.
I'm going
to read
verses 1
and 2
and then
I'd like
us all
together to
read verses
3 to
6.
Psalm
13.
The first
part is
just simply
an expression
of the
questions
of why.
But then
as we get
into it
then there's
this trust
in verse
5.
I will
trust in
your unfailing
love.
So let me
read verses
1 to 2
then you
respond by
reading verses
3 to 6
out loud
and then
we'll just
simply have
a moment's
quietness
to reflect.
How long
O Lord
will you
forget me
forever?
How long
will you
hide your
faith from
me?
How long
must I
wrestle with
my thoughts
and every
day have
sorrow
in my
heart?
how long
will my
enemy
triumph
over me?
Look on
me and
answer
O Lord
my God
give light
to my
eyes
or I
will sleep
in death
my enemy
will say
I have
overcome
him
and my
foes
will rejoice
when I
fall
but I
trust in
your
unfailing
love
my heart
rejoices
in your
salvation
I
will sing
to the
Lord
for he
has been
good to
me
let's just
take a
moment's
quietness
to reflect
Lord
holy
safe
and
have
tears
to the
you
.
pro
Thank you.
Everything is possible.
God at that moment could have come to Jesus and said, enough is enough.
We won't go through this suffering.
Everything is possible.
But then he says, yet not what I will, but what you will.
The cross reminds us that God plans suffering for himself so that we might live.
And with absolute control, God in Christ suffered for you and for me.
Jesus submitted himself to the Father and Jesus on the cross drinks the cup of suffering.
He takes the wrath of God on himself for my sin, for your sin.
He takes the judgment of God.
He experiences hell, the ultimate suffering, on himself so that we don't have to.
God planned suffering for himself so that we might escape the greatest suffering.
And that's what we celebrate here with the bread and the wine.
The simple meal, Jesus took bread and broachers and gave it to his disciples.
And he said, you have to do this in remembrance of me.
God will not suffer anything from himself so that we might escape the most of you.
And the bread and the wine after I make is full of me.
Just in his mind, reflect on what Christ has done to me and to me.
And then we will continue.
Amen.
And Christ was in the garden.
And he prayed.
he cried out that if possible the suffering would pass but not my will but
your will be done and in his submission he suffered on the cross for you and for
me so that we might have life and the promise