For years I
have heard many different things preached about Job and what happened to him.
The most common teaching or explanation I have heard is that God is the one
that took from Job what he had. There are different teachings as to how God did
so. Some teach that God used satan to do this in order to teach Job humility. Others
teach that God allowed satan to do this, again because He wanted to teach Job
to be humble. What often is said about Job comes about simply because people
don’t read the whole story, or they take certain verses from Job’s story out of
context. This week I want to talk about Job’s story.
The reason
I believe this is so important is because we have an enemy who has made use of
such things to rob from others. If we don’t fully understand what scripture
teaches we can be taken advantage of. As scripture teaches God’s people perish
for lack of knowledge. May we always focus on allowing scripture to interpret
scripture, because if we do we will always be accurate in declaring truth that
really does bring liberty to those who will hear it.
The first
issue to address is this statement found here in Job 1:21. It certainly sounds
like God is the one who is taking from Job his health, family members, and
blessings. What many don’t realize is that just because something is recorded
in scripture about God does not mean that it is true of God. What we are
reading is a recorded statement that Job in fact did make, but that does not
mean this is a true statement about God.
Job after
going through some very difficult things began to get some pretty bad counsel
from his friends. Not only did he get bad counsel, his wife as well was not
very supportive toward Job. She wanted Job to curse his God and die. After Job
and his friends get done talking about all the different reasons why they think
what happened to Job happened, God shows up out of a whirlwind and begins to
reveal Himself to Job. As He does Job takes on a whole new perspective on God
and what he thought about God.
Job 38:1 Then the
LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
Job 38:2 “Who is
this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Job 38:3 Now
prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
Job 38:4 “Where
were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have
understanding.
Job 38:5 Who
determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon
it?
Job 38:6 To what
were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,
Job 38:7 When the
morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
God here
begins to speak to Job and question his understanding of God. Take a close look
at verse two above. Notice that God speaks to Job and asks him, “Who is this
who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” Right off the bat God is
telling Job that he and his friends have been saying things about God, which
God says is darkened counsel by words that did not have proper knowledge of
what they were saying. This goes all the way back to what Job began to say from
the start.
God goes on
to tell Job that He would now question him and he would answer God. He begins
to talk about the creation of the earth and asks Job if he was there when He
founded the earth. He continues by asking Job who it was that determined its measurements,
and even challenges Job by saying to Job, “Surely you know.” He continues to
talk about what all He had done in creating the earth. This continues all the
way through the end of chapter 41. God talks about the different animals He
made, the seas, etc. In Job 42 we get Job’s answer after God had revealed
Himself to Job.
Job 42:1 Then Job
answered the LORD and said:
Job 42:2 “I know
that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from
You.
Job 42:3 You asked,
“Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered
what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Job 42:4 Listen,
please, and let me speak; You said, “I will question you, and you shall answer
Me.’
Job 42:5 “I have
heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.
Job 42:6 Therefore
I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”
Now take
note in verse three what Job says in response to the question God had asked him
saying, “Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?” Look closely at the
last part of verse three where Job then declares, “Therefore I have uttered
what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know.”
Remember our first point we are dealing with here is Job stating back in Job
1:21 that it was God who gave and God who took away. Now Job is acknowledging
he spoke without having full knowledge of God and he had therefore said things
that he had not understood.
Then in
verse five and six he acknowledges that he now has a better understanding of
seeing God as He is, and therefore he repents, and turns from his previous
statements about God. Job realizes that it wasn’t God who had taken these
things from him. He had made a statement that is similar to many other people
in life when faced with adversity and difficult times who lacking understanding
of God and what His Word actually says about Him said something that was not
true about God. So just because such a statement was recorded that does not
mean it is a true statement referring to God. Again we want to allow scripture
to interpret scripture so let’s look at another verse.
John 10:10
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I
came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full,
till it overflows).
Jesus Himself
here makes a statement that is very clear as to what a thief comes to do. A
thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus said that He had come so that we
may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance. Some may say well that was
Jesus. Jesus Himself said that if you have seen me you have seen the Father. He
even declared that He had come not do to His will, but the Father’s will. Job
had things stolen, killed, and destroyed in his life. It was not God doing this
to Job. As you will see in a minute Job is the one that opened the door for
these things to happen.
The reason it
is so important to realize that God did not take these things from Job is
because the devil works hard at trying to convince people that God is the one
who does these destructive things to them. If He can do so there are two things
that happen. People begin to accept them as a part of God’s will and therefore
they do not take their rightful place in God to rise up against them. The other
thing that happens is that we then do not take responsibility for our lives and
that keeps us from being victorious at overcoming what Jesus gave us the
ability to defeat in life.
One other
thing needs to be said here and that is not everything that happens in life
that may be painful or destructive is always a work of the devil. Humans have a
free will and therefore their own choices can bring painful results. When we
are unwilling to admit this then we are open prey for satan to take advantage
of us by deceiving us to think it is God who did this. The Bible clearly states
that if we sow to our flesh we will reap corruption, but if we sow to the
Spirit we will reap life.
Gal. 6:7 Do not be
deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
Gal. 6:8 For he who
sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the
Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
Paul
clearly states here that God is not mocked, for whatever a MAN sows, that is
what he is going to reap. To mock God means to say things about Him that are
not true. This spiritual law began with the creation of the world and in
Genesis God said that as long as the earth remains this spiritual law remains
in operation. Some will teach that because God is sovereign that He is in
control of everything. If that were true then He was the one that used the
terrorists to fly planes into the trade towers, but of course that is not true.
God is sovereign but what that means is He is all-powerful, yet He gave man a
free will and the right to choose his own outcome in life.
Job 3:25 For the
thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me.
Here we
find out the reason why Job experienced what he went through. He declared that
the thing he greatly feared had come upon him. You reap what you sow. Job had
been sowing fear. Fear gives place to the devil and this is what provided the
opportunity for satan to come against Job. In the midst of it all remember God
would not allow satan to take his life for even though he allowed fear in his
life, he still served God.
Job 42:10
And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the
LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
In the end God
gets Job’s eyes off of himself and gets him to minister to his friends and in
doing so God gets Job to exercise faith. The moment that happened God was able
to move in Job’s life and restore Job’s losses, and gave him twice as much as
he had before. Faith gives place for God to move in your life, fear gives place
to the devil. So don’t fall for the lie that God is the one who brings
destructive things into your life, make sure you take accountability for
yourself, get in faith, and let God bring about what He desires for you. Life
and that more abundantly!
See You Again
Next Week For More “Weekly Wisdom”
May God’s Best
Be Yours!
Pastor Darryl
Baker
