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No matter whatever we go through, whatever problems we face, we need to understand this too will pass. Book of Job is about the evil forces against the spiritual forces. This is the story of the good, bad and the ugly. It's the story of a mans struggle against Satan the devil, a story of testing, a story of pain, a story of what God can do at the end of our life. Through all Job's trials and temptations he still hung on to God.
1. Job Was Faithful
Job 1:1-5
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.
2 He had seven sons and three daughters,
3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
5 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.
Job's life was so inspiring that even Hezekiel had written about Job in his book, even Paul writes about him, even James has written in his book. When you read this story you might think no, can this happen? It looks so strange some thing that can't happen.
In vs.1 it says this man was blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil. In fact the first five vs. talks about his profile, Job was blameless and upright. He was a holy man; he was not scared by the world. Bible says he feared God, how many of us here who fear God; this is the kind of man who feared God and lived many years ago. This is what God is expecting from us as a disciple as a Christian. Bible says when we fear God we will shun evil. Job had many children. Bible says he was a rich man he had all kinds of things, but his strength was his faith in God.
Because of his faith he was able to endure hardship that was about to come to his life. So often we too will face all kinds of problems in our life. Probably we have faced already but the difference is because of our lack of faith we go away from God. When there is lack of faith, we shut of, we back of, we get discouraged and we move away from God and yet when we look at this mans life no matter what happens in his life he fought his battles in a right way.
Job's children and family saw that his dad was a faithful dad. He was concerned about their spirituality, as parents we are responsible for our children. So often we rely on the disciplers, the leadership for our children. No, we are responsible for our children. Job took responsibility for his family, he made sure he called them to righteousness and made the sacrifices. We have to get the faith that Job had.
Job was faithful, nothing could move. We will face difficult times but as long as we are near to God, as long as we are faithful no one can take what God has given to all of us.
2. Job Loved God
Job 1:6-12
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
8 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."
9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied.
10 "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.
11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."
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." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
We see a different scene, probably in heaven the angles God and even satan being present. There is a discussion about brother Job on earth. They are talking about his life, they're talking about his future, they are talking about the pains that they are about to inflict on him, and they are planning to test him. God asked where did you come from, he says roaming through the world going back and forth a restless soul. Roaming around, he has no other jobs, hoping trying to get one of us. That is the only goal to take us away from God.
Job had great time in his life parties, children, wealth he had every thing in his life and yet time of testing came to Job. Here we see Satan accuses God and Job, he accuses Job for his impure motives. Satan said you strike Job and take away every thing and he will curse you. This was his response to God, you take away every thing all his blessings, you take away the protection around him he will get back to you and he will curse you. But God was so confident that Job will definitely love him, not because of the treasures and the blessings he received. Job loved God not because of the protection that God had given him. Job loved God for who he was.
Do we serve God for nothing? Would we love him any way? What if there is no accountability in the church, would you still be committed, would you read your bible daily and would you still do what is right? What if no body reminded you about your regular contribution would you give it every month? What if your prayers were not answered, would you still love God? What if some one was mean to you and rude to you in the church would you still love God? Job just loved God for who He was.
Whether we have things, whether God blessed us or not we got to give our hearts to God all the time, that's what God wants from us. God does not get bribe, he can't be bribed. When we are blessed we are happy we come to church. When every thing is going good we are exited we come to church, but when things don't go well would we be committed?
3. Job, The Man Of Integrity
Job 1:13-22
13 One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house,
14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby,
15 and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
16 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!"
17 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!"
18 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,
19 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!"
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship
21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."
22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Operation begins, God is watching, the angles are watching, people around Job are watching. The first attack was in vs. 13-15 the cattle have been robbed and the servants killed. The second attach in vs. 16 the fire burns up the sheep's and the servant. The third attack in vs.17 the camels have been robbed and the servants were killed, we see attack, after attack, after attack. Sometimes this kind of incidence happens in our life as well. Satan does not stop till he gets us. If we are strong in the first attack he will give us second attack. And if we are strong in the second attack he will give us the third attack.
Imagine how Job must have felt after these three attacks? Every thing was gone his wealth and every thing was completely gone. He praised God. God gave us the wealth and he took it away, at least I have my family and he must have praised God for his family. In vs. 18 and 19 the worst takes place the fourth attack, all his family including his ten children with one shot lost their life.
He was not loosing one child, he was losing ten beautiful children that he raised up. Job lost his entire precious ones he had no time to recover from every attack. He was mashed each time and each time the news got bad and worse. Satan was trying to break Job; he was trying to make enmity between Job and God. But Job fell to the ground and he worshiped God. His attitude was God gave and God took it away, Let the name of the Lord be praised. That's the kind of heart Job had. He was the man of integrity nothing could move him. Even though he had severe pain in his life- he still did what was right. Job 1:22 in all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
When Jesus was dying on the cross, two thousand years ago, God would have had a flash back of Jobs life. Job 2: 1-10 the fifth attach takes place, satan attacked Jobs body with all kinds of sores. It was so bad that he was taking anything to scrape his body because of the pain. 2: 9 His wife is telling him are you still holding on to your integrity curse God and die. She was so sarcastic with him saying, what is the use of your integrity, when you are suffering so much. Job said, you are talking like a foolish woman shall we accept good from God and not trouble. In all these Job did not sin.
Jobs life was a great life, his problems, his pain, his life, probably we cant relate to it, but in a smaller way we will go through these things in our life in the future and when we go through lets remember the faith that Job had. Let's remember the love that he had for God. Let's remember the integrity that he had. He was the man that wouldn't move for anything. Job 42 we see the blessings come in the end. Bible says he was blessed twice as before. God gave back his children, can you imagine that God gave back the same amount of children he had. Bible says that his daughters were so beautiful that every body marveled at them. No matter what goes on in our life as long as we hold on to God, this too will pass, lets be faithful.
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