Sermon Outline

Key verse: Job 40:8

Main Points:

  1. It proves that God lovers don’t fall forever
  2. It proves faithfulness in sufferings
  3. It inspires worship without blessings
  4. It tests ‘groundless’ trust in God
  5. It brings the realization that some reasons can only be a post-script
  6. It tests acceptance of the ‘mystery’ behind the suffering
  7. It increases trust in God’s omniscience
  8. It reminds us God is the Potter and we are just clay
  9. It tests our love and reliance on God
  10. It shows that God doesn’t need to justify Himself
  11. It allows for repentance before blessings
  12. It is a cause for eternal blessings
  13. It is unexplainable and beyond human understanding
  14. It builds a father – child relationship

 

Additional references:

  1. Job 1
  2. Luke 22:31
  3. Isaiah 55:8, 9
  4. Job 13
  5. Job 38:4
  6. 2 Corinthians 12:9
  7. Deuteronomy 29:29
  8. Job 7:11, 12

 

Sermon

“Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?” (Job 40:8).

Suffering comes to all of us; it doesn’t discriminate. In the midst of pain we cry out to God, “Why me? What have I done to deserve this?” When you need Him most, He seems the most remote. Today we are going to examine the problem of pain and the dilemma of keeping the faith in the midst of such suffering. Unknown to Job, God selected him to play a key role in history. Job was a godly man (Job 1:1).

He also happened to be quite wealthy and God had greatly blessed him (Job 1:3). He was holy, happy, healthy and wealthy. Job had it all! With such a wonderful background and exemplary character, we cannot help but wonder why God did not reveal to Job the reason for his suffering. Why didn’t God warn him before the devil attacked? At least then Job could have prepared himself. But neither does God warn Job of what is coming nor does He reveal to him reason behind his suffering.

Let us learn a few things from the reason why sometimes God doesn’t reveal the reason of our sufferings. You know when Satan came to God he claimed that Job’s worship of God was based on selfishness, not integrity. Satan alleged that Job would be loyal to Jehovah only as long as God continued to reward and protect him. To answer Satan’s charge, Jehovah allowed Satan to attack that faithful man. As a result, within the course of one day, Job learned that his livestock had been stolen or destroyed, his attendants had been killed, and his ten children had lost their lives. Worse was he himself was inflicted with an incurable disease. All because Satan said Job worshipped Jehovah only for what He had. The beauty is that even after he lost everything, Job still worshipped the true God. He did not even know he was being tested!

Why didn’t God reveal the reason of his suffering? He is God and at times He will keep things a secret from you. When it is a test, nobody reveals the questions of test beforehand. Sometimes our teacher/professors would give a surprise test without warning or giving a notice to students. For Job, it was a test and trial instigated by the devil before God and God allowed it without telling Job about it. And it’s proper.

  1. It proves that God lovers don’t fall forever

Unless God knew the heart of Job, why would he allow him to be tested? But what if Job had failed? The truth is, if a person loves God, he will not fail. Even if he fails, he will come back to God even after the fall. Like when Jesus told Peter, “Satan had asked of you to be sifted as wheat but I have prayed for you that after you fall and come back you will strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:31). Peter could have protested, “Lord why didn’t you ask me first whether I am ready to be tested? What if I fail? What if he really harms me?” But Jesus didn’t ask and Peter didn’t question. Do you see that?

  1. It proves faithfulness in sufferings

God didn’t tell Job His reasons because God trusted Job to prove even to the devil than an imperfect human can keep his integrity by remaining faithful under tests, temptations or tribulations. God had a plan to work out in Job’s life and knew that Job – in time – would understand. I was taught in school that tests are not for the teacher but they are to help students learn.  Satan told God that the only reason Job served Him was because of His blessings. He taunted God that if he took away his hedge of protection, Job would surely turn against him. Thank God Job remained faithful!

  1. It inspires worship without blessings

Satan also attacked God’s character, implying that God is unworthy of worship in and of Himself and that the created owes the Creator nothing in terms of worship or service. But God was confident that Satan would find in Job more than mere surface devotion, so he gave Satan permission to test his theory.

Do we view worship and religious devotion as a coin to purchase God’s blessing? Have you ever put money in a vending machine and the product you purchased didn’t come out? Satan attacks a man’s motive for worship. Satan said that worship was ‘bought’. “What is in it for me?”

  1. It tests ‘groundless’ trust in God

Can you imagine Job’s emotional state at this point? – Shock, despair, panic, disbelief, a profound sense of loss, deep sadness and depression. What was Job’s response? Did he curse God as Satan insisted he would? No, in fact we are told that Job fell to the ground in worship even when he must have been shaken and shattered. It’s easier to face some problems in life if we are told the reason behind it. We can rectify ourselves too. But that is the very reason God at times never reveals His reasons. “ ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord, ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8, 9).

  1. It brings the realization that some reasons can only be a post-script

The reason for your suffering may not be revealed in this life – Job never knew what was going on behind the scenes! Job didn’t get to read the first two chapters. He had to live out chapters 3-42 without the aid of divine perspective. That’s what made Job’s suffering all the more unbearable. Like many of us, he believed that the faithful were supposed to be blessed by God. It was the wicked who were supposed to suffer. Job knew that he was a righteous man. Not a perfect man, but a truly moral, loving, God-fearing man. He also knew that God was just and loving. What he couldn’t figure out was how to perceive these two things together in the light of his suffering. It just didn’t make sense. And God never explained to Job the reason for his suffering. It remained shrouded in mystery.

  1. It tests acceptance of the ‘mystery’ behind the suffering

We too must learn to live with the mystery of suffering. It is futile to criticize God’s ways; we sin when we accuse God of injustice. Despite all of Job’s suffering, he never cursed God. Although he wavered, he maintained his faith and God won his wager with Satan (Job 13:15). If you read the book of Job you can divide it in three parts:

  1. Seeking answers – In the beginning Job wanted to have an audience with God but then he realized that he did not deserve anything from God. Then his friends cameto meet him and he saw they were poor comforters and were of no help to him.

 

  1. Accepting the suffering – About midway he recognizes that he doesn’t know where God is or what He is doing but one thing he does know is that when God has tried him, he will come forth as Gold. When God starts speakingto him, he realizes that he is not entitled to things. In the end Job came to a much better and deeper understanding of God.

 

  • Trusting without knowing – At the end of the book Job transitions from trusting and not understanding to not only trusting but understanding as well. He didn’t just knowof God, but he experienced God.

 

In the end He learns one thing there are some mysteries in life that we may never know at least on the earth and that even God may not reveal it. So he let it go. His job was to trust God and everything that comes from His hand.

 

  1. It increases trust in God’s omniscience

 

Look at God instead of answering him He says, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job 38:4). Many think that it was a game with Satan. No God was simply using Satan for a much greater cause. Though Satan meant it for evil, God meant it for good. Beloved are you going through trials you don’t reasons for? You can’t find any fault at your end but yet you are suffering? If you have prayed to God and still God doesn’t reveal it, the simply submit to His divine wisdom. Paul suffered with the thorn in the flesh. He prayed to Jesus 3 times. This was right and proper but the answer he wanted never came. God didn’t remove the thorn nor did He reveal why the thorn was there in the first place! But Jesus said only one thing, ‘My grace is sufficient for you.” This was enough for Paul. He said “I will now rejoice with the thorn. In my weakness I boast so that Gds power rests on me.’ (2 Corinthians 12:9 paraphrased).

  1. It reminds us God is the Potter and we are just clay

Paul did not know the reason for the thorn till his death. So also, even we might never know the exact reasons. That is the way God works sometimes. Why? To remind us that we are just clay and He is the potter. He shows to us that he is the Sovereign God. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us.” (Deuteronomy 29:29). But in the end did not God bless Job with a double measure? Before God could do that, He had to change Job’s thinking. God wanted to reveal certain things to Job. Job said, “I want an audience with you. I want to discuss with you.” From this we can understand the grumbling and complaining of Job. “Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I the sea or the monster of the deep that you put me under guard?” (Job 7:11, 12). Job even goes one step further and asks for a court hearing on his matter!

God grants him his desire and questions him. Job wanted to know why. Thus his question is about the justice of God. God doesn’t answer him directly. In Job 40:8, God says this, “Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?” God asked Job a reflective question about his justice and his justification over God’s justice and God’s justification. Are you trying to prove that you are innocent by accusing God of injustice? By putting God wrong, Job was trying to you are prove himself right. No one can do that. Can you tell God what He is doing? Are we calling God a sinner so that we can be saints?

  1. It tests our love and reliance on God

God wanted to bring Job to a level, where though everything goes against him and he is left alone, he would trust and love God. He would be ready to take up the cross and follow Him. The test given to Job is a test of every person – especially for Christians. Do we love God more than ourselves? Do we love God more than our possessions? Do we believe God has his reasons even though we may not know the exact reason for our trials?

The questions Job asked went unanswered, but we have an insight to the reasons. It wasn’t that God didn’t know how Job would respond to the trials. It was for Job to know for himself what he believed about God. It is easy to believe in God when the blessings flow, but what happens when it stops or what we have is taken away? Does our faith/belief change with the circumstances? This is a big question for us.

  1. It shows that God doesn’t need to justify Himself

It’s true that Job at that time didn’t know why he suffered. Even after he received doubt blessings later, God still did not disclose why Job suffered. Who was the culprit? Why did it happen? Did God send the angel of death? Did God on His own, allow it to happen? Who was responsible for his great losses? God did not reveal till his death. He and his generation went to the grave without knowing who was responsible for it all. But when the book of Job was written down by the Holy Spirit, He revealed to us who the culprit was. Now we know it was satan and though Job did have a loss that could never be recovered – like his own children – yet that is the way things work. Today Job knows and he must be happy because he now has twenty children. Like Job never knew the reason why God allowed the trials to happen to him, we may never know the reasons why God allows trials to happen to us.

If God were to give us the reason, what happens if we disagree with him or do we feel that God has to meet our justification for allowing it to happen to us? Does God need our consent before trials come? He is God, not us. Trust is the foundation for our relationship with God. The ‘whys’ are our cry of pain in our lives. Job had more than his share of pain, but through his pain we learn to trust God without answers to the whys. When Job questioned God because of the misery he was facing he felt he never deserved, the Lord answered him out of the whirlwind saying, “who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man, I will question you and you shall answer me” (Job 38:1-3).

  1. It allows for repentance before blessings

When Job spoke to his friends, he lamented his condition and threw himself a huge pity party. Not that I blame him. I think any human in his place would have done it and done it worse. He challenged God on why he did certain things. Finally God decided to take the centre stage and answered back powerfully. The questions that God asks Job were entirely to remind Job of the fact that God is the all powerful Sovereign God who is in absolute control of everything. That God is the potter and Job is the clay. God says, “Shall he that contends with the Almighty instruct him? He that reproves God let him answer it but you have argued that I am wrong. No you must answer me” (Job 40:2). In effect God was saying, “I am the Almighty One, will a common man argue with me and correct me? You, who have brought charges against me, answer me first. Are you going to take me to court? Which court? Who is the lawyer? Before which judge?” Job had no answer, got no answer from God and finally he didn’t want any answer.

He did not have the slightest idea of what took place in the heavens. He just repented, “I know that you can do everything Lord. I have uttered what I didn’t understand – things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. I repent in dust and ashes.” He repented before receiving any blessing. People repent after God blesses them. But Job repented even when his children lay dead, his property was gone and his sickness was still there. He repented in dust and ashes. God saw his heart and healed him and blessed him in a double measure.

  1. It is a cause for eternal blessings

God blessed Job while he was alive and He will bless him in the future by resurrecting him to paradise earth. There is a good chance that God will resurrect the children of Job that were murdered by the Devil. That will be an ecstatic reunion. His example shows that we can be faithful too, that no matter what we go through God is aware and will bless those who are faithful sooner or later.

  1. It is unexplainable and beyond human understanding

Job got not only what he needed to know but also so much more. There is no way to pinpoint the reason for all sufferings. Job’s friends said certain things that may not be fully wrong. Like they said Job was suffering because of some hidden sins. Another said “who that was innocent ever perished? or where were the upright cut off? But those who sin reap the same.” Or as Bildad said, “Will God reject a blameless person?” Or like the third one said, “If there is sin in your hand put it away.” Job’s friends accused him of doing something that deserved such misfortune. That God had punished Job for something because God is just. Job maintained his innocence, but his friends didn’t believe him. We know Job was innocent because God said so before the catastrophe struck. Job’s friends might have been right in general but in Job’s case they were wrong. The lesson learned is that there are many things only God can know and we ought to be careful in trying to explain things we do not truly understand. So God was angry with Job’s three friends.

  1. It builds a father – child relationship

God was building a relationship with Job as of a father to the son. The questions that God asked Job were not to gain understanding or to test Job’s knowledge; they were designed to emphasize the relationship between God and Job. These are the kind of questions that fathers ask their children. Many times the fathers say to their children, “You just trust on daddy. Don’t ask too many questions. Trust my judgment, my love and my wisdom. I will not let you down. I may not answer all your questions but trust me; I have the best intention in my heart.” This was the time a new relationship of Job and God was developed – that of a loving father and son.

Finally, what does the life of Job teaching us? Secret things belong to God. Even if you don’t understand why you suffer at times, just trust Him. This is faith. The last scripture verse I will give you is this: “who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God” (Isaiah 50:10). Do you see that? If you fear and obey God but are still in darkness, do one thing – trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon God. This is what we are called to do. Cast your cares upon Jesus. Let Him do what He wants because He knows what to do. If there is something to be done, He will surely do it. He may not give you what you want all the time, but He will definitely give you what you need. Trust His time, trust His decision and trust His ways. God will surely bless you. Don’t try to find out the ‘whys’. Just flow with God and let him be the Sovereign God of your life. Praise God!!!

 

Abstract

“Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?” (Job 40:8).

Today we are going to examine the problem of pain and the dilemma of keeping the faith in the midst of such suffering. Unknown to Job, God selected him to play a key role in history. Job was a godly man (Job 1:1).

If a person loves God, even if he fails, he will come back to God even after the fall. God didn’t tell Job His reasons because God trusted Job to prove even to the devil than an imperfect human can keep his integrity by remaining faithful under tests, temptations or tribulations. What was Job’s response? Did he curse God as Satan insisted he would? No, in fact we are told that Job fell to the ground in worship even when he must have been shaken and shattered. Do we view worship and religious devotion as a coin to purchase God’s blessing?

The reason for your suffering may not be revealed in this life – Job never knew what was going on behind the scenes! We too must learn to live with the mystery of suffering. God wanted to bring Job to a level, where though everything goes against him and he is left alone, he would trust and love God. Do we love God more than ourselves? Do we love God more than our possessions? Do we believe God has his reasons even though we may not know the exact reason for our trials? It is easy to believe in God when the blessings flow, but what happens when it stops or what we have is taken away? Does our faith/belief change with the circumstances?

If you fear and obey God but are still in darkness, do one thing – trust His time, trust His decision and trust His ways. Let Him do what He wants because He knows what to do. He may not give you what you want all the time, but He will definitely give you what you need. Don’t try to find out the ‘whys’. Just flow with God and let him be the Sovereign God of your life. Praise God!!!