THE SENSIBILITY OF SUFFERING AND SOVEREIGNTY Job 2:1-10
Introduction Suffering doesn t always make sense to us When we re going through it, the pain often obscures our ability to see God All we see are the pieces When we watch those close to us suffer, we hurt and can fail to see God
Introduction One question keeps coming to mind Why did God let that happen? The Book of Job offers us some insights to the answer about suffering That s why this series called Pieces Last week, we began in Chapter 1 when Job lost all his possessions and kids
Introduction Job s response was to keep on trusting God He hurt and he mourned tore his clothes and shaved his head He worshipped God in the midst of loss He knew God could make something beautiful from his brokenness
Introduction You would think that would have been enough Satan had tried to challenge his faithfulness to God by removing all that was closest to him except his wife But Job trusted God more So, Satan tried another plan
Job 2:1-6 1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." 3 Then
Job 2:1-6 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, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause." 4 So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a
Job 2:1-6 man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" 6 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life."
Introduction If you are like me, this passage is a difficult one It is more than uncomfortable watching what is happening A faithful man lost everything and still worshipped God Even after passing the test, he faces more suffering
Introduction We are tempted to cry out That s not fair! He already proved his faithfulness in suffering Why should he go through more? We have to remember God is working to make Job even more faithful
Roman 5:3-5 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Job s faithfulness is challenged God bragged on Job again to Satan Even through what had been inflicted, he remained faithful And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause." v3 This was God s picture of Job
Job s faithfulness is challenged Satan accused Job of being selfish "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. v4 For many, this is true will do anything to save themselves Sinking of the cruise ship Concordia a few years ago of Tuscany captain abandoned ship
Job s faithfulness is challenged People will do anything to save themselves Lie, cheat, steal, and blame Satan is counting on this with Job God gives Satan the okay to attack Job physically
Two key truths here for us First, much of what we see happening around us is a very small part of the reality of our lives There are dimensions to our suffering that we do not see Second, God is in complete control over what happens Satan still has to ask permission
Job s response to the suffering struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job took a potsherd a piece of a broken pot, or tile, to press out, or remove, the purulent matter which was under his ulcers He mourned sat in the midst of ashes
Job s response to the suffering Job did not dismiss his suffering or try to minimize it He accepted what it was and did what he could to relieve the pain He still trusted God more than his circumstances
Job s wife response to the suffering "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" Mrs. Job has caved into Satan s attack She s no longer looking at God as loving and just She sees God as unfaithful and His promises untrue
Job s wife response to the suffering She may have taken up an offense Hard to watch those close to you hurt and not be affected Could have been the last straw for her She was silent and apparently supportive from Satan s first attack
Job s response to his wife "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Foolish because it is not founded in truth He says in the same way we accept good, we must accept adversity Our acceptance is based on trust in God We trust His sovereignty and His ways
Luke 6:45 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Job s response to the suffering In all this Job did not sin with his lips Job refused to allow his suffering to change his trust in God Job refused to allow his wife to change his trust in God His heart was full of trust and commitment to God
For us Suffering and hardship is For the most part, suffering and hardship will never make sense to us It s unfair It s uncaring and unloving As we experience it, we miss out that God can make something even more beautiful
"Somehow we realize that great stories are told in conflict, but we are unwilling to embrace the potential greatness of the story we are actually in. We think God is unjust, rather than a master storyteller". - Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
For us In Job 40:10 - at the end of all this testing The Lord restored the fortunes of Job. Job s extended family - his friends - they all come together to support Job God blesses Job with double the amount of sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys that he had before Blesses him with more kids and long life
For us Remember It s a Wonderful Life? In the last scene his family and friends - the whole town - including some of this adversaries - show up and pour out their affection to him and come together to meet his physical needs God was not through with him God was not through with Job
For us God is not through with us We can still praise God in spite of pain We can still thank God during trials We can still trust God when tempted to give up Even when it makes no sense, we can trust Him
Remember,