20. 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.
And I want to take this verse in the light of what goes before it in the chapter, but also try and relate it to the overall message and the overall theme of Job as you go through the book.
Job is one of those books we call the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament, along with Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.
A group together as a group of what are called usually Wisdom Books, because their main theme is, in one way or another, to present us with wisdom as specified by God.
And in many ways Job fits into that so admirably, because the wisdom of God and the wisdom that Job himself at times revealed and spoke of,
is held in direct contrast to what his friends had actually wrongly thought was wrong with him,
which was approaching it from a different point of view, from wisdom that was mainly wisdom founded on man's own, on their own thinking, on their own conclusions.
Now, the difficult passages in the book of Job, particularly when you come to the remaining part of it, from chapter 3 onwards,
there are a lot of speeches there from Job's friends and Job himself,
and probably that's one of the reasons that the book is not that well used.
It is difficult to read through it, it is difficult to assimilate all that's in it,
and try and gain some understanding of why these comments are made, and why these chapters are as they are.
But essentially, Job is about the place of suffering in a believer's life.
I'm not giving any credence to the view that suffering has no part in a believer's life,
that it doesn't belong in a believer's life.
The Bible is full of evidence that God blesses suffering, that God uses suffering.
Instead of asking God just to simply take away our suffering,
we should pray, and are praying, I'm sure, that God will help us,
and others through the suffering that we need to endure, either small or great in amount,
but that through it we will actually have a greater understanding of God,
a greater understanding of his program, of our sanctification and cleansing,
and all of the things associated with the way he deals with us,
as we go through the various issues of life.
And as the purpose of suffering in a believer's life is brought out throughout the book of Job,
it's particularly the case that it's God's part in that that's specially emphasized,
or specially central to the whole theme.
What place does God have?
What is God's part in the sufferings of a believing life?
Is God detached from that?
Is it simply a bare permission, as the sovereign God, to allow such things?
Well, Job will say there is that, but the book also tells us that there's actually an appointment of suffering
on the part of God and his wisdom and sovereignty,
so that you have to go beyond what you might call a bare permission from God
for suffering to have a place in the Christian's life.
It's rather that God has appointed that, as well as all other things,
to fit together into what he has purposed in his wisdom,
to be the package for your life and mine,
and for the life of his people in every generation.
So, we'll look at three things, three headings tonight.
First of all, suffering and purpose together,
suffering and God's purpose especially,
as we find it here in these verses and in the book of Job as a whole.
Secondly, we'll look at the place that Satan has as the prosecutor of God's people,
the prosecutor of accusations against them,
and how that features largely in these opening chapters one and two of the book of Job as well.
Thirdly, we can look at the sovereignty of God in granting access to Satan
to actually come and have access to Job's life and experiences.
So, suffering and purpose.
Now, you see in the first part of the chapters we read through it,
verses one to four deliberately describe the kind of situation that Job had in the world.
Satan himself made reference to that as God called him to actually give a report to him, as it were.
And here is, in the first four verses, an account of Job's riches, of Job's status in his own society.
In fact, it goes so far as to say that God said that there is none like him,
as the greatest of all the people of the East, in verse three.
And why is that there at the beginning of the book?
Why is that important before the book goes on to describe the sufferings that he endured
and how these were things which he wrestled with and sought an answer from God for?
Well, the reason is so that we cannot say that Job was suffering or that God placed suffering in his life
because there was something drastically wrong with his life.
It wasn't that his relationship with God had begun to founder
or fallen on times of backsliding, you might say, on Job's part.
It wasn't to do with that at all.
Whatever we say was the reason and the purpose of God in the sufferings of Job,
it wasn't because he needed chastisement.
It wasn't because he needed something from God to bring him back into the way of obedience.
He was already in that.
And, of course, there are times in the book when Job spoke rather rashly
and he had to take some of these words back towards the end of the book
as he confessed to God his own smallness and his littleness
and his inability to actually think as God thought and understand all the ways of God.
But his suffering preceded the suffering actually precedes the words that he spoke
in terms of his complaint about his sufferings.
In other words, the Lord's sufferings were placed in his life
and it's from that point onwards that he came actually to make his complaints to God.
So, it's not because he was in need of correction.
It's not because he was in need of returning to the way of obedience.
It's something else.
We'll try and explore that.
And the suffering of Job was not designed by God to prove Job himself
in terms of what he was as a believer.
It wasn't to prove either the strength of his faith or his own commitment to God.
We read here in these last verses of chapter 1
that in all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
But the whole purpose of the book of Job, while it might account for,
that might be part of it, it's not primarily to bring out for us the quality of Job's faith.
It's actually, in the book, it's that God proves himself to be the one who is wise
and the governor of lives, his people's lives, including their suffering.
And that while we may not have access to all the reasons and the purpose
for God's placement of suffering in our lives,
the book of Job tells us that God himself knows.
And that God himself knows full well.
And therefore is able to use that suffering as we depend upon him
to improve our relationship with himself,
to actually enable us to understand more of his ways.
And when you go through the book of Job,
the questions that arise in your mind as you read through it
are questions not so much as why was there suffering in the book of Job.
It's more questions to do with God himself primarily.
Is God just?
Is God a just God?
When you read of the life of Job and God's relationship with his sufferings.
Or you might say, is the world, the creation, well managed?
Is the reason that there are certain things in the creation that are obviously not right,
obviously not working in sync, if you might say,
is that because God isn't managing it very well?
And near the end of the book, the final chapters of it,
God actually takes Job,
or what you might say is a tour of the creation,
mentioning some of the various parts of the creation,
like planets and stars and so on,
and places before Job the question,
can you do any better?
Can you govern it the way I govern it?
Have you a right to complain how I arrange things?
When you see yourself in the light of my greatness.
So all of these things are things which come across in the relationship of suffering and purpose,
especially God's purpose in the book of Job.
So let's turn to, secondly, to the place of Satan,
Satan the prosecutor.
Now the word Satan, you probably know this already,
the word Satan is a Hebrew word,
and the word Satan really means adversary,
or to oppose in the verbal form of it.
It almost means to stand against someone,
to oppose someone,
to be an adversary of someone.
And all the way through these chapters,
in the early parts of these two chapters especially,
Satan comes across to us as
the chief prosecutor, if you like,
of God's people such as Job,
who wants to actually have leave of God to access their lives,
to attack them,
to deal with them in such a way as he hopes
will bring their trust in God crashing down.
Because, you see, Satan's purpose really is,
in terms of his own aims and purposes in Job's case,
is that he wants to actually prove that Job is a fraud.
That the only reason Job serves God faithfully
is just so that he will get something personal out of it himself.
And that's why Satan said to God,
does Job serve God for nothing?
You have put a wall around him.
He's protected by you.
It's easy for him just now.
But you take all that away,
and he will curse you to your face.
In other words, Satan wanted to prove
that Job really was something of a fraud,
that the only reason he trusted in God,
or confessed to be a believer in God,
was so that he could fill his life
with the good things he already had,
and multiply and increase them,
and enjoy a good life.
Take all that away, Satan said.
And he'll curse you to your face.
He will prove himself to be
someone who's just in a selfish sense.
Now, we can't get behind
everything that's mentioned in the chapter.
There was a day when the sons of God,
verse 6,
came to present themselves before the Lord,
and Satan also came among them.
We understand that the sons of God,
they're a reference to the angels,
messengers of God,
and that Satan came amongst them.
And one of the things that comes across from that
is that in these opening scenes,
all beings that are created by God,
including angels,
are answerable to him.
Whether they are the good angels,
or the bad angels that accompany Satan
and his designs,
they are all ultimately answerable to God.
And they all have to give,
as it were, their report to God,
which really, in a sense,
the way they're coming to present themselves
before the Lord.
You might take that in a literal sense,
although there are difficulties along with that,
but it certainly means that
God requires of them
an account of their doings,
just as he does of you and me.
And Satan is no exception.
He is called to account by God
to give an account of his doings.
That's not because God didn't know
that he asked Satan,
where have you come from?
The Lord knew very well.
But he wanted to hear from Satan's own mouth,
and indeed for the benefit of Job,
ultimately as well,
what Satan was up to,
what his aspirations were,
what his purposes were.
And that's really taking us behind the scenes
into the issues of eternity,
the things which are, if you like,
behind the curtain that separates us
from eternity.
And it's giving us a little glimpse
into that world,
that mysterious world
over which God presides
as he presides over everything else.
And he's opening that curtain up
just a little chink, if you like,
so that we'll see that
even there it is God
who is totally in charge,
and God is the master of all
the beings that he has created,
including those that fell,
such as Satan himself.
Now here's a point that's really,
I think, crucial for us to understand
as you try and apply all these points
and these related points
to your own life as a Christian,
and to apply them to your times of temptation,
when you know that you're being tempted
to be disobedient to God,
and being tempted to just turn aside
or take a little holiday
from reading your Bible
or prayer or things like that.
The purpose of Satan
is obviously that you would do that.
But here's the comforting thing.
The purpose of Satan
actually fits into
the overall purpose of God.
The purpose of Satan
fits into the overall purpose of God.
Here is Satan's purpose
brought before us
in the book of Job.
He wants to get to Job.
He wants to actually attack Job.
He wants to prove Job a fraud.
He wants to actually get to him
to such an extent
that through his sufferings,
he will turn against God
and be done with God.
But that all fits into
God's overarching purpose,
where he's going to prove to Satan
that it's not for nothing
that Job trusts in God,
but because Job knows
that God is worthy of it.
However much or little
he will get out of it
practically or financially
or materially,
God is saying to us
through the book of Job,
faith in God
is not ultimately about
how much we can gather
of a material or financial
or other blessings.
Faith is about putting God first,
putting God first,
come what may,
challenging though that is.
And so, you see,
the aim of Satan
in seeking to prove
that Job was a fraud
was pretty much,
you could say,
well, if he can prove Job
was a fraud,
if he can prove this man
with all that he has,
this man with his godliness,
this man who is described
as blameless and upright,
who feared God
and turned away from evil,
if he can prove
that he is a fraud,
then it stands to reason
or it follows
that the credibility
of every other believer
really is at issue.
If he can get to Job
and turn his life upside down
to deny God
and to turn against him,
well, where does that
leave the rest of them?
Where does that leave
other believers?
others.
And
if he fails with Job,
having been granted
access by God
to Job's life,
to the extent,
as the book shows,
that he did
to cause
severe damage
to his family,
to himself,
to his possessions,
and to his own health,
if he actually fails
to turn Job
against God,
having had such an access,
he's done for.
He's a defeated enemy.
He has no chance
against others.
God will show
that Job's godliness
is actually
for God's own sake.
So we mentioned
previously
some questions
that arise
as you go through
the book of Job.
We mentioned that one.
Is God just?
Is the world
well managed?
But other questions
that arise
are
not so much
why is there
suffering
in the life
of believers?
Why does God
actually
appoint such things?
Why does God
not just allow
but give
such a place
to suffering
at times
in the lives
of his people?
It's not too much that.
The question really,
I think,
at the bottom
of it all is
why serve God
at all?
Why serve God
at all
if there's
suffering along
with doing that?
Is it worth
your while
serving God?
Would it not
be just as well
to turn away
from that
and just put up
with whatever
suffering is
in the world
and live a good
life in a worldly
sense?
These are all
questions
that this book
as a book
of wisdom
really comes
out with,
although maybe
not specifying
these questions
exactly as I've
mentioned them,
but they come
to your mind
as you read
through it
and they come
to your mind
in such a way
that says,
well,
let me ask myself
the question,
why do I serve
God?
Why am I committed
to following Christ?
Why am I actually
so concerned
to keep on following
and to pursuing
with a believing
life
when I know
that that
is a life
that attracts
so much suffering
from the world,
from the devil,
and maybe from
within my own heart?
And that's a message
for every suffering believer
and I'm sure
every believer
suffers
in different ways
to certain degrees
from time to time.
You know yourself
tonight
that there's an element
of suffering
in your life,
sometimes more
than other times,
but have you asked
the question,
why is it there?
And even more so,
have you asked
the question,
knowing that that's there,
is it worthwhile
serving God?
How do I answer that
if the question
comes to me
from someone
who knows my life
to be one
that has such suffering
in it
and knows that
I'm a Christian?
How do I answer them?
How do I actually say,
well,
this is why I serve God?
And that's why
Job's conviction
here in verse 21
is so important.
He said,
naked I came
from my mother's womb
and naked
I shall return.
The Lord gave
and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name
of the Lord.
Now he's saying that
against the background
of the losses
that are described
in the middle part
of the chapter.
And against these losses
you might expect,
well,
I didn't expect this
to be such a tough shift
following the Lord,
believing the Lord.
Now all that this
has happened
and the Lord
is obviously
presiding over it.
I've lost so much.
Where do I stand?
What am I going to make
of God
through all this?
Well,
he says,
I had nothing
coming into the world
when I came
from my mother's womb.
And when I leave
this world,
everything that I have
I'll have to leave behind.
Naked I came
from the mother's womb.
Naked shall I return.
And the Lord has given,
the Lord gave,
and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name
of the Lord.
In other words,
he's saying,
whatever God has given me
in the past
and given me
an abundance
of material things
that I enjoyed,
whatever God
takes away from me,
it doesn't alter
this great fact
that the Lord's name
remains blessed.
That the Lord remains
one worthy of my worship,
worthy of my service.
That's why he speaks
in chapter 2
there to his wife.
You see there he,
after he lost his health
as well,
he was struck
with loathsome souls.
It's really difficult
reading it.
Verse 8 there
in chapter 2,
he took a piece
of broken pottery
with which to scrape
himself from his sores
while he sat
in the ashes.
And his wife said to him,
Do you still hold
fast your integrity?
Curse God
and die.
Be done with it.
And he said,
You speak as one
of the foolish women speak.
Shall we receive
good from God
and shall we not
receive evil?
in all this God
did not sin
with his lips.
So you see Satan,
the prosecutor,
for all his attempts
thus far,
at least as you read
into it,
read into the book,
has met with failure.
Because Job's conviction
is that God,
come what may,
is worthy
of his trust.
Worthy of being served.
sometimes
we're challenged
in our own lives,
aren't we?
Maybe it's just
a challenge
that arises
in our own minds
rather than
from somebody else
outside of ourselves.
But a challenge
nevertheless
through various things
that we experience
in life
that are hard
and difficult
and unexpected
and would rather
not have
in our lives.
The challenge
then is,
am I going to
keep on
serving God?
Is it worth
going on
with a Christian life?
And Job is saying,
absolutely it is.
Because the name
of the Lord
remains blessed
and whether we receive
good or evil
or difficulty
from the hand of God,
it should never
actually lead us
to think of sinning
against him,
denying him
or not being true
to his calling of us.
So suffering
and purpose,
Satan the prosecutor,
we could amplify
that some more
but I want to move
on thirdly
to the
sovereign way
in which God
brought the suffering
into the life
of Job.
Now it's very interesting
in these chapters
that the focus
of the Lord
is not upon Job.
The focus of the Lord
is on Satan.
The focus of the Lord
is on him.
It was just the Lord
that having asked him
where have you come from
and Satan said
I'm from going
to and fro on the earth
from walking up
and down on it.
That's very similar
to Peter's description
isn't it?
Of the devil
as a roaring lion
going about
seeking whom
he may devour,
seeking to intimidate,
seeking to actually
swallow folks up
and destroy their faith
if he could.
Well,
here is Satan's answer
from going to
and fro on the earth
and walking up
and down on it
and it's the Lord
that said to Satan
have you considered
my servant Job?
He's calling Satan's
attention deliberately
to this particular man,
to this particular individual
and while you can't
get behind
all that's involved
in that
it does show you
that the Lord's
concentration there
is on Satan
and on the way
that he's going
to use Satan
to show
that faith in God
while it may actually
bring many benefits
it's especially
to do with
bringing glory
and praise
to God himself.
Have you considered
my servant Job?
And it teaches us
this as well
that the way
in which God
overcomes evil
in terms of
the life of his people
I'm thinking especially of
the way that God
overcomes evil
is not by destroying
evil altogether
and Job
God could have
instantly said
to Satan
you can't get access
to Job anymore
that's it
he could even have
destroyed him
he could destroy
the devils
he could destroy
the source of evil
just like that
and say to us
now I've done that
there's no more evil
for you to confront
so you're free
and you're free
from such
awful temptations
and difficulties
and sufferings
in your life
don't do that
God's way
in overcoming evil
and sin
and death
through his people
not that God
cannot do it without
it's what I mean
is when there's evil
and suffering
and trial
in the life
of God's people
he doesn't overcome it
and he doesn't enable
them to overcome it
by just taking it away
altogether
the amazing thing is
that
God through his people
contends with evil
contests evil
battles with evil
overcomes it
by giving his people
grace
and strength
to overcome it
and what better way
is there
rather than just
by some miraculous event
though of course
God could easily
have done that
in Job's case
in your case
in my case
by some miraculous event
that would show
his mastery of evil
and his support of you
instead of actually
producing that
and being very spectacular
in his demonstration
of his mastery
over evil
what does he do?
He gives you grace
he gives you grace
to overcome it
to stand up to it
to wrestle with it
God overcomes
the evil
and the
the sin
and the life
of his people
not by stamping it out
but by using them
as frail human beings
in dependence
on himself
to show
that he is
the Lord
and to show
that the best thing
we can do
is to continue
to depend
upon him
he uses
our weakness
I will remind you of
what Paul says
in his letter
to the second
letter of Corinthians
you know
the passage
in chapter 12
where Paul describes
his being
lifted up
to the third heaven
and
mystery though
there is
in that
he
was caught up
to the third heaven
and heard things
that
whether in the body
or out of the body
I don't know
he heard things
which cannot be told
which man may not utter
and then he goes on
to speak about
so to keep me
from being too elated
by the surpassing
greatness
of the revelations
a thorn
was given me
in the flesh
God applied
we're not exactly
sure what it was
but it was
certainly
a physical
matter
which caused
Paul
a whole lot
of pain
for which he prayed
three times
that the Lord
would take this
away from him
but you see
I've described it
a thorn was given
me in the flesh
a messenger
of Satan
to harass me
and that does not
mean
that every element
of suffering
in your life
is a messenger
of Satan
that doesn't mean
that when you have
severe suffering
in the life
of any Christian
that the source
of that is Satan
and that the reason
is there's something
wrong in that person's
life
don't ever conclude
that
Paul knows
this is the case
because God
revealed it to him
and what he's saying
is a messenger
of Satan
to harass me
to keep me
from being too elated
three times
I pleaded
with the Lord
about this
that it should
leave me
in other words
Paul himself
this apostle
of God
was saying
three times
he pleaded
with the Lord
please Lord
take this away
I want to serve you
and serve you
free from this
hindrance
this harassment
please take this away
and God said
my grace is sufficient
for you
this was God's way
of saying no
in other words
it's no
but
no but
my grace is sufficient
for you
for my power
is made perfect
in weakness
therefore I will boast
all the more gladly
of my weaknesses
so that the power
of Christ
may rest on me
for the sake
of Christ
then
I am content
with weaknesses
insults
hardships
persecutions
and calamities
for when I am weak
then I am strong
when I know
my own weakness
when I confess
that before God
when I take
God's promise
that his grace
is sufficient
for me
that I can overcome
this pain
this difficulty
this suffering
this buffeting
this messenger
of Satan
when I know
that God's grace
is sufficient
for me to do that
then I will glory
in my infirmities
that's very strong language
instead of
having it taken away
as if that was going
to be the best solution
to the problem
he's now saying
I accept
what God has said
I accept
that this is
the best way
that he will
give me grace
so that I will
overcome
by his grace
the difficulties
the trials
in my way
and you remember
in Luke chapter 22
as well
when the Lord
revealed to Peter
that Satan
had desired
to have them
he mentions
Satan has desired
to have you
but as you plural
the whole disciples
maybe even the whole church
but certainly
at the very least
the band of disciples
at that time
along with Peter
Satan
has desired
to have you
that he might
scatter you
like wheat
that he might
sift you
like wheat
see that's his purpose
he wants to destroy
he wants to
cause havoc
he wants to
get in among
the disciples
and cause such havoc
that they'll be scattered
and the cause of God
will be questioned
and people will say
well it's not worth
serving that God
but I have prayed
for you
he said
and I have prayed
for you
prayed what
that God would
take away the suffering
in his life
no
I have prayed
for you
that your faith
does not fail
yes
God knew
the Lord knew
that
Peter would deny him
and he did so
three times
grievously
against the Lord
but when you are
recovered
when you are
turned back
when you are
converted
the old
version has it
it means
when you have
come back
from your
lapse
when you have
come back
from that
turn against me
in your denial
strengthen
your brethren
see that was
Satan's purpose
to destroy
but like I said
at the beginning
it's inside
God's purpose
to strengthen
his church
because Peter
was going to prove
to be
one of the main
means of
strengthening the
church in the
New Testament
as the gospel
went out
both to Gentiles
as well as to
Jews
and see
in the early
chapters there
of Acts
you can see
the leadership
of Peter
and how strong
that leadership
was
how vital
that leadership
was
and that's
God
demonstrating
through Peter
that overcoming
evil and
overcoming
Satan
and overcoming
even the
lapse on the
sin in his
own heart
is a matter
of Christ's
prayer for him
filling him
with strength
I have
prayed for you
that your
faith does
not fail
and when
you are
recovered
strengthen
your brethren
now tonight
isn't that
our prayer
as well
we have no
right to say
to God
Lord please
take away
suffering from
my life
I would be a
far better
Christian
without suffering
in my life
without having
such difficulties
and trials
to contend
with
to battle
against
that's not
our prayer
Job teaches
us our prayer
is Lord
turn at all
times
my sufferings
to blessings
turn my trials
and my difficulties
to blessings
for myself
and for others
enable me
through them
not only to
progress
in my own
life as a
Christian
but to be
of benefit
and help
to others
around me
in your
church
that I
might strengthen
your cause
that I
might strengthen
especially any
others who
are struggling
with temptation
and questions
in their life
about their
relation to
God
God's purpose
in Job's
sufferings
in all
this
would that it
was true of
me and of
you
Job did
not sin
or charge
God
with any
wrong
let's pray
Lord we
thank you that
there are such
books in the
scriptures as
the book of Job
we acknowledge
that you are
the author
of scripture
from beginning
to end
we acknowledge
oh Lord
that it is
authoritative
and accurate
for us
a word
that is
dependable
we pray
for the grace
of your spirit
Lord
to add to
our understanding
daily
of what your
word teaches
us
we thank you
especially tonight
that as we know
that there are
powers looking down
upon us
more powerful
than ourselves
who have an evil
intention against us
we bless thee
for the shelter
of your wings
we thank the Lord
for the security
of your intercession
for your people
and we give thanks
for the assurance
you give to your people
that evil will not prevail
that you will bring
them at last
as we've been singing
earlier
to love the Lord
more fully
and also as we learn
from your word
to be brought finally
to that state
and into that place
of heaven
where there is no
temptation
anymore
bless us then
and bless your word
to us
hear the prayers
of your people
both silent
and spoken
here tonight
and in all other
gatherings of your people
Lord be present
to bless them
we ask it all
for Jesus sake
Amen
this comunisan
and text
as we understand
we ask your tard 아직
that
the Helen
miracle
who
said
to the
lord
or
for Jesusát
where
she
saw
the
other
thousands
of Jesus
as we
I
told us
of Jesus
and