The BIBLe expedition. Job Overview

Transcription

1 The BIBLe expedition Job Overview Opening discussion: How do you feel about the Lord giving Satan permission to test Job? I feel sorry for Job I don t understand it It scares me I m glad Satan is subject to the Lord s authority Other It is not difficult for us to accept human suffering, when it is evil people who suffer. But why a man who, from all outward appearances, is good must suffer is a perplexing problem. Many view the book of Job as dealing with one of the oldest problems: Why do godly people suffer? Satan s view was that people love and serve God because it pays in riches and honor. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar basically agreed that the unrighteous suffer because of their sins while the righteous are rewarded. Thus, they reasoned that Job must have sinned and his suffering was his punishment. But if the theme of Job is Why do godly people suffer?, the question is never answered! The theme is better stated, How do the righteous suffer? Look at James 5:11. The main divisions of the book are as follows: 1 2 3:1 42:6 42:7-17 PROLOGUE DIALOGUE EPILOGUE Problem is Raised Problem is Discussed Conclusion is Reached PROLOGUE (1 2) Job is described as a well-balanced, mature believer. He not only lives a life of separation from evil, but, on the positive side, is perfect and upright before God. His life evidences more than just an adherence to outward religious ritual. He is a man whose inner devotion to God is evident to all. Consistency is one of the outstanding features of Job s life. 5

2 Job 1:1-5 tell us that Job was rich. Rich in character, for he was perfect and upright. He was also rich in his family, having seven sons and three daughters. Job was rich in possessions, a very great household. His livestock numbered in the thousands. Certainly God had blessed Job, and Job was not hesitant to praise God for all Most of us have no problem turning to God when things are going wrong, but how difficult it is to serve God and remember Him when things are prosperous. Job did not permit his money and possessions to take the place of God. See Deuteronomy 8:6-18; example of Solomon asked for wisdom but when he became rich allowed his wives to turn his heart away from God. God has saved a lot of people from losing a lot of money by never giving them much in the first place. In 1:6 2:13 Satan has two interviews with God in heaven. In the first interview, God holds up Job as an example of loyalty to Him, Satan questions Job s motivation. (1:9-11). He states that anyone would serve God when God has prospered and protected them. So God allows Satan to attack Job s possessions. Job maintains his worship of God stating that he is merely a steward of God s goods and God has every right to take what belongs to Him. 1:21 In the second interview, God points out that Satan s claim has been refuted. While Job s possessions are gone Job still worshiped God. Satan replies that the first test was not rigorous enough. 2:4 So God allows Satan to affect Job s health. As a result Satan inflicts Job with boils that cover his entire body. Job s wife encourages him to renounce God. She makes a mistake that is often repeated when tragedy strikes implying that trouble means that God is not concerned. Tragedy may have various meanings for a believer but one thing it never means is that God does not care. Discussion question 1: From the following passages what is implied by those coming to Jesus? John 11:1-3,5-6,17-18, 20-21,32. That if only Jesus had cared more Lazarus would still be alive. What does John 11:33-44 reveal? God does care. And He has the answer for our greatest fear death. It is important to note that through both of these incidents, God never gives Job one ray of light to understand why. It is also important to remember that although Satan attacked Job, the whole situation was under the control of God. Satan was restricted in what he could do. There is something for us to understand Satan does not have free reign in the world; he is under God s control. 6

3 DIALOGUE (3:1 42:6) The middle part of the book consists of dialogue between Job and three of his friends who seek to throw light on why Job has encountered such overwhelming tragedy. In chapter 3 Job begins to express his doubts audibly, thinking that his three friends will understand. He raises two questions: Why was I born? Job 3:11-12 (Many people in despair have asked this question. No one asks to be born.) Why can t I die? Job 3:20-22 (This would end Job s inner restlessness.) Verses indicate that Job had often thought about trials and feared he might have to face them. He was a prosperous man, and he wondered what he would do if he lost his wealth and health. In the midst of prosperity, it is easy to trust God, but when we lose everything and our pain is so intense we want to die, exercising faith is another matter. Please remember that Job did not curse God; nowhere in the book does Job deny the Lord or question His holiness or His power. In fact, God s justice was Job s real problem: how could such a holy God permit such awful calamity? When you become perplexed over the trials of life, remember that God is still on the throne. See Job 23:10 for an expression of Job s faith: But he knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold (NKJV). Job was going through the furnace. But when one of God s children is in the furnace, God is there with him (Isaiah 43:1 2 and Daniel 3:25). In chapters 4 28 Job s three friends are ready to supply the answers to his problem. This section contains a pattern in which each of the three friends speaks three times. Job replies to each in the course of the discussion. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Eliphaz Bildad Zophar Eliphaz 4 7 Bildad 8 10 Zophar Eliphaz Bildad 25:1 27:7 Zophar 27:8 28:28 Each speech contains the basic argument that God always deals with man justly and uses suffering to punish man for his sin. Job describes them as miserable comforters (16:2). 7

4 Theodicy: A vindication of God's goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil. THEODICY QUESTION IN GREEK AND WESTERN THOUGHT Question: How can the justice of an almighty God be defended in the face of evil, especially human suffering and, even more particularly, the suffering of the innocent? Three Possible Assumptions 1. God is not almighty 2. God is not just (there is a demonic element in His being) 3. Man may be innocent THEODICY QUESTION IN ANCIENT ISRAEL Three Certain Assumptions 1. God is almighty 2. God is perfectly just 3. No human is totally innocent in His sight Conclusion: Every person s s suffering in indicative of the measure of his guilt in the eyes of God. Question to Job: What great sin did you commit to incur such great suffering? While there are some minor variations each of the speakers has the following in common: 1. They believe all suffering is due to sin. 2. They picture God as a cruel master, waiting to pounce on us and punish us for the smallest infraction. They lack an appreciation of the love and grace of God. 3. They have easy answers to complex problems. 4. Their attitude towards Gov personally exhibits a lack of sympathy. They had never experienced the adversity Job encountered. It is easy to dispense worthless advice in areas in which we have had little personal experience. 5. The exhibit an attitude of self-righteousness. They talk down to Job rather than try to help him on a person-to-person basis. 8

5 The problem of human suffering is too deep and complex for the simple answers the three friends gave. Jesus never sinned, yet He suffered more than any person! Neither Job nor his friends knew about the conference in heaven, that God was using Job as Exhibit A before Satan and the angels to prove that people will trust God even when they do not understand what God is doing. The friends called Job a hypocrite (8:13; 15:34; 20:5; 34:30); God called him a perfect and an upright man (1:8; 2:3). Job would not bargain with God just to regain his material prosperity, for his greatest asset was his personal integrity. He appeals to his basic integrity. In each of his speeches, Job denies that he is secretly a sinner. (9:21, 13:18-19, 16:16-17, 19:7, 21:34, 23:6-7, 27:5,) He knows his own heart and he confesses that his friends have cruelly misjudged him. At the end of the book, when God reveals Himself to Job, Job does bow in dust and ashes and confess his worthlessness (40:3 5; 42:1 6); but this was not a confession of sins. Rather, it was a humbling of himself before God as he realized his own ignorance and worthlessness in the presence of the Almighty. God never does accuse Job of sin. He accuses him of not realizing the greatness of God and of trying to fit God into the confines of a little argument, but He does not judge him for the sins that his friends accused him of committing. Job s Concluding Monologue (29 31) In this section Job summarizes his basic attitude. As he considers his life, he can find no fault. As a result, he feels that God has not been fair with him (30:20-21). Job s attitude has changed from what it was in chapters 1 and 2. He now demands an explanation from God. Job and Elihu (32 37) The advice of Elihu reveals that he has a better understanding of the problem than his three predecessors. While the three friends are condemned by both God and Job, Elihu is condemned by neither. He points out that suffering may be more than punishment. Suffering often has a teaching value. He also emphasizes that Job should not blame God, since it is impossible for God to be unjust. (34:10 12). Job and God (38:1 42:6) God intervenes that this point. In 9:35, 13:22, and 31:35 37, Job had challenged God to appear and talk with him face to face, and now God does just that. His purpose is not to answer Job s questions, but to silence him. The narrative is not a refutation of the arguments that have been presented, but rather a revelation of God Himself. God s wisdom and power are emphasized in these chapters. When a person questions the manner in which God deals with him, he belittles both the omniscience and omnipotence of God. God asks Job a series of simple questions about the universe and its operation. Since you seem to know so much about God, let me ask you whether or not you could run the universe I have made! This seems to be the main thrust of these chapters. You challenged me; now I am going to challenge you! God begins with Creation (38:4 11). [VERSE 4] 9

6 Then God turns to inanimate nature the snow and hail, the rain and ice (38:22 30). Only God can govern this universe and make everything work harmoniously. In 38:31 38, God asks about the stars and constellations, as well as the clouds and rains. He next asks about animal life (38:39 39:30). Does a man hunt for prey to feed a lion? (38:39) Do the ravens depend on man for food? (38:41) The wild goats on the mountain (39:1), the wild donkeys in the plains (39:5), and the wild oxen (39:9) all look to God to protect them and provide for them. Even the stupid ostrich, which often forgets where its nest is, enjoys the care of the Almighty (39:13 18). Verse 18 is a reminder of the great speed of the ostrich. In 39:19 25, the horse is pictured as he faces the enemy in war; and in 39:26 30, the hawk and the eagle are mentioned. Wherever Job looks at animate creation, he sees the hand of God at work. Now, says God, you have reproved me and argued with me. Give me your answer! There is only one answer Job can give (40:3 5): I am unworthy; I have talked too much about things I do not understand. I will say nothing more. This is one step closer to blessing, but Job has not yet repented of the way he talked about God. So, God takes up the questioning again, and this time focuses attention on two great beasts the behemoth, 40:15 24 (how people can think this is the hippopotamus is beyond me. Look at verse 17.), and the ( leviathan, chap. 41). Who then is able to stand before me? asks Jehovah, (41:10) for the Creator is surely greater than the creature. The entire chapter serves to reveal the greatness of God s creatures and, therefore, the greatness of God. The result? Job humbles himself and repents (42:1 6). God does not charge Job with the sins that his friends accused him of committing, but God does charge him with not seeing himself in the light of the greatness and majesty of God. Job s religious experience is no longer second-hand; he has met God personally, and this makes all his sufferings worthwhile. It is important to note that God never answers Job s question of why. It is no longer necessary. Job has seen a revelation of God s character and he realizes that God does not owe him an explanation. If God is great enough to have created the universe and to control it, He is certainly wise enough to look after Job. EPILOGUE (42:7 17) Job receives abundantly all the material possessions he had lost. Health, wealth, and family are given to him. But his greatest legacy was spiritual. Through this experience he had learned lessons about God and himself that could not have been gained any other way. LESSONS 1. God is completely sovereign in His dealings with His people and will never permit anything to come to the life of an obedient Christian that is not for his good and God s glory. 2. We are to yield unreservedly to what God allows to enter our lives, even if we don t understand everything. God may disclose why certain things happen but He does not have to explain His ways to us. It is enough for us to know that He cares and that He never makes a mistake. We do not live by explanations; we live by promises. 3. When trials come, we should not ask, How can I get out of this? but Lord, what can I get out of this? The following is from the NIV Study Bible Intro to Job 10

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