God's Purpose in Job's Sufferings

20. Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshipped.

And he said, Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return.

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

And I want to take this verse in the light of what goes before it in the chapter, but also try and relate it to the overall message and the overall theme of Job as you go through the book.

Job is one of those books we call the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament, along with Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

A group together as a group of what are called usually Wisdom Books, because their main theme is, in one way or another, to present us with wisdom as specified by God.

And in many ways Job fits into that so admirably, because the wisdom of God and the wisdom that Job himself at times revealed and spoke of,

is held in direct contrast to what his friends had actually wrongly thought was wrong with him,

which was approaching it from a different point of view, from wisdom that was mainly wisdom founded on man's own, on their own thinking, on their own conclusions.

Now, the difficult passages in the book of Job, particularly when you come to the remaining part of it, from chapter 3 onwards,

there are a lot of speeches there from Job's friends and Job himself,

and probably that's one of the reasons that the book is not that well used.

It is difficult to read through it, it is difficult to assimilate all that's in it,

and try and gain some understanding of why these comments are made, and why these chapters are as they are.

But essentially, Job is about the place of suffering in a believer's life.

I'm not giving any credence to the view that suffering has no part in a believer's life,

that it doesn't belong in a believer's life.

The Bible is full of evidence that God blesses suffering, that God uses suffering.

Instead of asking God just to simply take away our suffering,

we should pray, and are praying, I'm sure, that God will help us,

and others through the suffering that we need to endure, either small or great in amount,

but that through it we will actually have a greater understanding of God,

a greater understanding of his program, of our sanctification and cleansing,

and all of the things associated with the way he deals with us,

as we go through the various issues of life.

And as the purpose of suffering in a believer's life is brought out throughout the book of Job,

it's particularly the case that it's God's part in that that's specially emphasized,

or specially central to the whole theme.

What place does God have?

What is God's part in the sufferings of a believing life?

Is God detached from that?

Is it simply a bare permission, as the sovereign God, to allow such things?

Well, Job will say there is that, but the book also tells us that there's actually an appointment of suffering

on the part of God and his wisdom and sovereignty,

so that you have to go beyond what you might call a bare permission from God

for suffering to have a place in the Christian's life.

It's rather that God has appointed that, as well as all other things,

to fit together into what he has purposed in his wisdom,

to be the package for your life and mine,

and for the life of his people in every generation.

So, we'll look at three things, three headings tonight.

First of all, suffering and purpose together,

suffering and God's purpose especially,

as we find it here in these verses and in the book of Job as a whole.

Secondly, we'll look at the place that Satan has as the prosecutor of God's people,

the prosecutor of accusations against them,

and how that features largely in these opening chapters one and two of the book of Job as well.

Thirdly, we can look at the sovereignty of God in granting access to Satan

to actually come and have access to Job's life and experiences.

So, suffering and purpose.

Now, you see in the first part of the chapters we read through it,

verses one to four deliberately describe the kind of situation that Job had in the world.

Satan himself made reference to that as God called him to actually give a report to him, as it were.

And here is, in the first four verses, an account of Job's riches, of Job's status in his own society.

In fact, it goes so far as to say that God said that there is none like him,

as the greatest of all the people of the East, in verse three.

And why is that there at the beginning of the book?

Why is that important before the book goes on to describe the sufferings that he endured

and how these were things which he wrestled with and sought an answer from God for?

Well, the reason is so that we cannot say that Job was suffering or that God placed suffering in his life

because there was something drastically wrong with his life.

It wasn't that his relationship with God had begun to founder

or fallen on times of backsliding, you might say, on Job's part.

It wasn't to do with that at all.

Whatever we say was the reason and the purpose of God in the sufferings of Job,

it wasn't because he needed chastisement.

It wasn't because he needed something from God to bring him back into the way of obedience.

He was already in that.

And, of course, there are times in the book when Job spoke rather rashly

and he had to take some of these words back towards the end of the book

as he confessed to God his own smallness and his littleness

and his inability to actually think as God thought and understand all the ways of God.

But his suffering preceded the suffering actually precedes the words that he spoke

in terms of his complaint about his sufferings.

In other words, the Lord's sufferings were placed in his life

and it's from that point onwards that he came actually to make his complaints to God.

So, it's not because he was in need of correction.

It's not because he was in need of returning to the way of obedience.

It's something else.

We'll try and explore that.

And the suffering of Job was not designed by God to prove Job himself

in terms of what he was as a believer.

It wasn't to prove either the strength of his faith or his own commitment to God.

We read here in these last verses of chapter 1

that in all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

But the whole purpose of the book of Job, while it might account for,

that might be part of it, it's not primarily to bring out for us the quality of Job's faith.

It's actually, in the book, it's that God proves himself to be the one who is wise

and the governor of lives, his people's lives, including their suffering.

And that while we may not have access to all the reasons and the purpose

for God's placement of suffering in our lives,

the book of Job tells us that God himself knows.

And that God himself knows full well.

And therefore is able to use that suffering as we depend upon him

to improve our relationship with himself,

to actually enable us to understand more of his ways.

And when you go through the book of Job,

the questions that arise in your mind as you read through it

are questions not so much as why was there suffering in the book of Job.

It's more questions to do with God himself primarily.

Is God just?

Is God a just God?

When you read of the life of Job and God's relationship with his sufferings.

Or you might say, is the world, the creation, well managed?

Is the reason that there are certain things in the creation that are obviously not right,

obviously not working in sync, if you might say,

is that because God isn't managing it very well?

And near the end of the book, the final chapters of it,

God actually takes Job,

or what you might say is a tour of the creation,

mentioning some of the various parts of the creation,

like planets and stars and so on,

and places before Job the question,

can you do any better?

Can you govern it the way I govern it?

Have you a right to complain how I arrange things?

When you see yourself in the light of my greatness.

So all of these things are things which come across in the relationship of suffering and purpose,

especially God's purpose in the book of Job.

So let's turn to, secondly, to the place of Satan,

Satan the prosecutor.

Now the word Satan, you probably know this already,

the word Satan is a Hebrew word,

and the word Satan really means adversary,

or to oppose in the verbal form of it.

It almost means to stand against someone,

to oppose someone,

to be an adversary of someone.

And all the way through these chapters,

in the early parts of these two chapters especially,

Satan comes across to us as

the chief prosecutor, if you like,

of God's people such as Job,

who wants to actually have leave of God to access their lives,

to attack them,

to deal with them in such a way as he hopes

will bring their trust in God crashing down.

Because, you see, Satan's purpose really is,

in terms of his own aims and purposes in Job's case,

is that he wants to actually prove that Job is a fraud.

That the only reason Job serves God faithfully

is just so that he will get something personal out of it himself.

And that's why Satan said to God,

does Job serve God for nothing?

You have put a wall around him.

He's protected by you.

It's easy for him just now.

But you take all that away,

and he will curse you to your face.

In other words, Satan wanted to prove

that Job really was something of a fraud,

that the only reason he trusted in God,

or confessed to be a believer in God,

was so that he could fill his life

with the good things he already had,

and multiply and increase them,

and enjoy a good life.

Take all that away, Satan said.

And he'll curse you to your face.

He will prove himself to be

someone who's just in a selfish sense.

Now, we can't get behind

everything that's mentioned in the chapter.

There was a day when the sons of God,

verse 6,

came to present themselves before the Lord,

and Satan also came among them.

We understand that the sons of God,

they're a reference to the angels,

messengers of God,

and that Satan came amongst them.

And one of the things that comes across from that

is that in these opening scenes,

all beings that are created by God,

including angels,

are answerable to him.

Whether they are the good angels,

or the bad angels that accompany Satan

and his designs,

they are all ultimately answerable to God.

And they all have to give,

as it were, their report to God,

which really, in a sense,

the way they're coming to present themselves

before the Lord.

You might take that in a literal sense,

although there are difficulties along with that,

but it certainly means that

God requires of them

an account of their doings,

just as he does of you and me.

And Satan is no exception.

He is called to account by God

to give an account of his doings.

That's not because God didn't know

that he asked Satan,

where have you come from?

The Lord knew very well.

But he wanted to hear from Satan's own mouth,

and indeed for the benefit of Job,

ultimately as well,

what Satan was up to,

what his aspirations were,

what his purposes were.

And that's really taking us behind the scenes

into the issues of eternity,

the things which are, if you like,

behind the curtain that separates us

from eternity.

And it's giving us a little glimpse

into that world,

that mysterious world

over which God presides

as he presides over everything else.

And he's opening that curtain up

just a little chink, if you like,

so that we'll see that

even there it is God

who is totally in charge,

and God is the master of all

the beings that he has created,

including those that fell,

such as Satan himself.

Now here's a point that's really,

I think, crucial for us to understand

as you try and apply all these points

and these related points

to your own life as a Christian,

and to apply them to your times of temptation,

when you know that you're being tempted

to be disobedient to God,

and being tempted to just turn aside

or take a little holiday

from reading your Bible

or prayer or things like that.

The purpose of Satan

is obviously that you would do that.

But here's the comforting thing.

The purpose of Satan

actually fits into

the overall purpose of God.

The purpose of Satan

fits into the overall purpose of God.

Here is Satan's purpose

brought before us

in the book of Job.

He wants to get to Job.

He wants to actually attack Job.

He wants to prove Job a fraud.

He wants to actually get to him

to such an extent

that through his sufferings,

he will turn against God

and be done with God.

But that all fits into

God's overarching purpose,

where he's going to prove to Satan

that it's not for nothing

that Job trusts in God,

but because Job knows

that God is worthy of it.

However much or little

he will get out of it

practically or financially

or materially,

God is saying to us

through the book of Job,

faith in God

is not ultimately about

how much we can gather

of a material or financial

or other blessings.

Faith is about putting God first,

putting God first,

come what may,

challenging though that is.

And so, you see,

the aim of Satan

in seeking to prove

that Job was a fraud

was pretty much,

you could say,

well, if he can prove Job

was a fraud,

if he can prove this man

with all that he has,

this man with his godliness,

this man who is described

as blameless and upright,

who feared God

and turned away from evil,

if he can prove

that he is a fraud,

then it stands to reason

or it follows

that the credibility

of every other believer

really is at issue.

If he can get to Job

and turn his life upside down

to deny God

and to turn against him,

well, where does that

leave the rest of them?

Where does that leave

other believers?

others.

And

if he fails with Job,

having been granted

access by God

to Job's life,

to the extent,

as the book shows,

that he did

to cause

severe damage

to his family,

to himself,

to his possessions,

and to his own health,

if he actually fails

to turn Job

against God,

having had such an access,

he's done for.

He's a defeated enemy.

He has no chance

against others.

God will show

that Job's godliness

is actually

for God's own sake.

So we mentioned

previously

some questions

that arise

as you go through

the book of Job.

We mentioned that one.

Is God just?

Is the world

well managed?

But other questions

that arise

are

not so much

why is there

suffering

in the life

of believers?

Why does God

actually

appoint such things?

Why does God

not just allow

but give

such a place

to suffering

at times

in the lives

of his people?

It's not too much that.

The question really,

I think,

at the bottom

of it all is

why serve God

at all?

Why serve God

at all

if there's

suffering along

with doing that?

Is it worth

your while

serving God?

Would it not

be just as well

to turn away

from that

and just put up

with whatever

suffering is

in the world

and live a good

life in a worldly

sense?

These are all

questions

that this book

as a book

of wisdom

really comes

out with,

although maybe

not specifying

these questions

exactly as I've

mentioned them,

but they come

to your mind

as you read

through it

and they come

to your mind

in such a way

that says,

well,

let me ask myself

the question,

why do I serve

God?

Why am I committed

to following Christ?

Why am I actually

so concerned

to keep on following

and to pursuing

with a believing

life

when I know

that that

is a life

that attracts

so much suffering

from the world,

from the devil,

and maybe from

within my own heart?

And that's a message

for every suffering believer

and I'm sure

every believer

suffers

in different ways

to certain degrees

from time to time.

You know yourself

tonight

that there's an element

of suffering

in your life,

sometimes more

than other times,

but have you asked

the question,

why is it there?

And even more so,

have you asked

the question,

knowing that that's there,

is it worthwhile

serving God?

How do I answer that

if the question

comes to me

from someone

who knows my life

to be one

that has such suffering

in it

and knows that

I'm a Christian?

How do I answer them?

How do I actually say,

well,

this is why I serve God?

And that's why

Job's conviction

here in verse 21

is so important.

He said,

naked I came

from my mother's womb

and naked

I shall return.

The Lord gave

and the Lord has taken away.

Blessed be the name

of the Lord.

Now he's saying that

against the background

of the losses

that are described

in the middle part

of the chapter.

And against these losses

you might expect,

well,

I didn't expect this

to be such a tough shift

following the Lord,

believing the Lord.

Now all that this

has happened

and the Lord

is obviously

presiding over it.

I've lost so much.

Where do I stand?

What am I going to make

of God

through all this?

Well,

he says,

I had nothing

coming into the world

when I came

from my mother's womb.

And when I leave

this world,

everything that I have

I'll have to leave behind.

Naked I came

from the mother's womb.

Naked shall I return.

And the Lord has given,

the Lord gave,

and the Lord has taken away.

Blessed be the name

of the Lord.

In other words,

he's saying,

whatever God has given me

in the past

and given me

an abundance

of material things

that I enjoyed,

whatever God

takes away from me,

it doesn't alter

this great fact

that the Lord's name

remains blessed.

That the Lord remains

one worthy of my worship,

worthy of my service.

That's why he speaks

in chapter 2

there to his wife.

You see there he,

after he lost his health

as well,

he was struck

with loathsome souls.

It's really difficult

reading it.

Verse 8 there

in chapter 2,

he took a piece

of broken pottery

with which to scrape

himself from his sores

while he sat

in the ashes.

And his wife said to him,

Do you still hold

fast your integrity?

Curse God

and die.

Be done with it.

And he said,

You speak as one

of the foolish women speak.

Shall we receive

good from God

and shall we not

receive evil?

in all this God

did not sin

with his lips.

So you see Satan,

the prosecutor,

for all his attempts

thus far,

at least as you read

into it,

read into the book,

has met with failure.

Because Job's conviction

is that God,

come what may,

is worthy

of his trust.

Worthy of being served.

sometimes

we're challenged

in our own lives,

aren't we?

Maybe it's just

a challenge

that arises

in our own minds

rather than

from somebody else

outside of ourselves.

But a challenge

nevertheless

through various things

that we experience

in life

that are hard

and difficult

and unexpected

and would rather

not have

in our lives.

The challenge

then is,

am I going to

keep on

serving God?

Is it worth

going on

with a Christian life?

And Job is saying,

absolutely it is.

Because the name

of the Lord

remains blessed

and whether we receive

good or evil

or difficulty

from the hand of God,

it should never

actually lead us

to think of sinning

against him,

denying him

or not being true

to his calling of us.

So suffering

and purpose,

Satan the prosecutor,

we could amplify

that some more

but I want to move

on thirdly

to the

sovereign way

in which God

brought the suffering

into the life

of Job.

Now it's very interesting

in these chapters

that the focus

of the Lord

is not upon Job.

The focus of the Lord

is on Satan.

The focus of the Lord

is on him.

It was just the Lord

that having asked him

where have you come from

and Satan said

I'm from going

to and fro on the earth

from walking up

and down on it.

That's very similar

to Peter's description

isn't it?

Of the devil

as a roaring lion

going about

seeking whom

he may devour,

seeking to intimidate,

seeking to actually

swallow folks up

and destroy their faith

if he could.

Well,

here is Satan's answer

from going to

and fro on the earth

and walking up

and down on it

and it's the Lord

that said to Satan

have you considered

my servant Job?

He's calling Satan's

attention deliberately

to this particular man,

to this particular individual

and while you can't

get behind

all that's involved

in that

it does show you

that the Lord's

concentration there

is on Satan

and on the way

that he's going

to use Satan

to show

that faith in God

while it may actually

bring many benefits

it's especially

to do with

bringing glory

and praise

to God himself.

Have you considered

my servant Job?

And it teaches us

this as well

that the way

in which God

overcomes evil

in terms of

the life of his people

I'm thinking especially of

the way that God

overcomes evil

is not by destroying

evil altogether

and Job

God could have

instantly said

to Satan

you can't get access

to Job anymore

that's it

he could even have

destroyed him

he could destroy

the devils

he could destroy

the source of evil

just like that

and say to us

now I've done that

there's no more evil

for you to confront

so you're free

and you're free

from such

awful temptations

and difficulties

and sufferings

in your life

don't do that

God's way

in overcoming evil

and sin

and death

through his people

not that God

cannot do it without

it's what I mean

is when there's evil

and suffering

and trial

in the life

of God's people

he doesn't overcome it

and he doesn't enable

them to overcome it

by just taking it away

altogether

the amazing thing is

that

God through his people

contends with evil

contests evil

battles with evil

overcomes it

by giving his people

grace

and strength

to overcome it

and what better way

is there

rather than just

by some miraculous event

though of course

God could easily

have done that

in Job's case

in your case

in my case

by some miraculous event

that would show

his mastery of evil

and his support of you

instead of actually

producing that

and being very spectacular

in his demonstration

of his mastery

over evil

what does he do?

He gives you grace

he gives you grace

to overcome it

to stand up to it

to wrestle with it

God overcomes

the evil

and the

the sin

and the life

of his people

not by stamping it out

but by using them

as frail human beings

in dependence

on himself

to show

that he is

the Lord

and to show

that the best thing

we can do

is to continue

to depend

upon him

he uses

our weakness

I will remind you of

what Paul says

in his letter

to the second

letter of Corinthians

you know

the passage

in chapter 12

where Paul describes

his being

lifted up

to the third heaven

and

mystery though

there is

in that

he

was caught up

to the third heaven

and heard things

that

whether in the body

or out of the body

I don't know

he heard things

which cannot be told

which man may not utter

and then he goes on

to speak about

so to keep me

from being too elated

by the surpassing

greatness

of the revelations

a thorn

was given me

in the flesh

God applied

we're not exactly

sure what it was

but it was

certainly

a physical

matter

which caused

Paul

a whole lot

of pain

for which he prayed

three times

that the Lord

would take this

away from him

but you see

I've described it

a thorn was given

me in the flesh

a messenger

of Satan

to harass me

and that does not

mean

that every element

of suffering

in your life

is a messenger

of Satan

that doesn't mean

that when you have

severe suffering

in the life

of any Christian

that the source

of that is Satan

and that the reason

is there's something

wrong in that person's

life

don't ever conclude

that

Paul knows

this is the case

because God

revealed it to him

and what he's saying

is a messenger

of Satan

to harass me

to keep me

from being too elated

three times

I pleaded

with the Lord

about this

that it should

leave me

in other words

Paul himself

this apostle

of God

was saying

three times

he pleaded

with the Lord

please Lord

take this away

I want to serve you

and serve you

free from this

hindrance

this harassment

please take this away

and God said

my grace is sufficient

for you

this was God's way

of saying no

in other words

it's no

but

no but

my grace is sufficient

for you

for my power

is made perfect

in weakness

therefore I will boast

all the more gladly

of my weaknesses

so that the power

of Christ

may rest on me

for the sake

of Christ

then

I am content

with weaknesses

insults

hardships

persecutions

and calamities

for when I am weak

then I am strong

when I know

my own weakness

when I confess

that before God

when I take

God's promise

that his grace

is sufficient

for me

that I can overcome

this pain

this difficulty

this suffering

this buffeting

this messenger

of Satan

when I know

that God's grace

is sufficient

for me to do that

then I will glory

in my infirmities

that's very strong language

instead of

having it taken away

as if that was going

to be the best solution

to the problem

he's now saying

I accept

what God has said

I accept

that this is

the best way

that he will

give me grace

so that I will

overcome

by his grace

the difficulties

the trials

in my way

and you remember

in Luke chapter 22

Luke 22 · chapter mention

as well

when the Lord

revealed to Peter

that Satan

had desired

to have them

he mentions

Satan has desired

to have you

but as you plural

the whole disciples

maybe even the whole church

but certainly

at the very least

the band of disciples

at that time

along with Peter

Satan

has desired

to have you

that he might

scatter you

like wheat

that he might

sift you

like wheat

see that's his purpose

he wants to destroy

he wants to

cause havoc

he wants to

get in among

the disciples

and cause such havoc

that they'll be scattered

and the cause of God

will be questioned

and people will say

well it's not worth

serving that God

but I have prayed

for you

he said

and I have prayed

for you

prayed what

that God would

take away the suffering

in his life

no

I have prayed

for you

that your faith

does not fail

yes

God knew

the Lord knew

that

Peter would deny him

and he did so

three times

grievously

against the Lord

but when you are

recovered

when you are

turned back

when you are

converted

the old

version has it

it means

when you have

come back

from your

lapse

when you have

come back

from that

turn against me

in your denial

strengthen

your brethren

see that was

Satan's purpose

to destroy

but like I said

at the beginning

it's inside

God's purpose

to strengthen

his church

because Peter

was going to prove

to be

one of the main

means of

strengthening the

church in the

New Testament

as the gospel

went out

both to Gentiles

as well as to

Jews

and see

in the early

chapters there

of Acts

you can see

the leadership

of Peter

and how strong

that leadership

was

how vital

that leadership

was

and that's

God

demonstrating

through Peter

that overcoming

evil and

overcoming

Satan

and overcoming

even the

lapse on the

sin in his

own heart

is a matter

of Christ's

prayer for him

filling him

with strength

I have

prayed for you

that your

faith does

not fail

and when

you are

recovered

strengthen

your brethren

now tonight

isn't that

our prayer

as well

we have no

right to say

to God

Lord please

take away

suffering from

my life

I would be a

far better

Christian

without suffering

in my life

without having

such difficulties

and trials

to contend

with

to battle

against

that's not

our prayer

Job teaches

us our prayer

is Lord

turn at all

times

my sufferings

to blessings

turn my trials

and my difficulties

to blessings

for myself

and for others

enable me

through them

not only to

progress

in my own

life as a

Christian

but to be

of benefit

and help

to others

around me

in your

church

that I

might strengthen

your cause

that I

might strengthen

especially any

others who

are struggling

with temptation

and questions

in their life

about their

relation to

God

God's purpose

in Job's

sufferings

in all

this

would that it

was true of

me and of

you

Job did

not sin

or charge

God

with any

wrong

let's pray

Lord we

thank you that

there are such

books in the

scriptures as

the book of Job

we acknowledge

that you are

the author

of scripture

from beginning

to end

we acknowledge

oh Lord

that it is

authoritative

and accurate

for us

a word

that is

dependable

we pray

for the grace

of your spirit

Lord

to add to

our understanding

daily

of what your

word teaches

us

we thank you

especially tonight

that as we know

that there are

powers looking down

upon us

more powerful

than ourselves

who have an evil

intention against us

we bless thee

for the shelter

of your wings

we thank the Lord

for the security

of your intercession

for your people

and we give thanks

for the assurance

you give to your people

that evil will not prevail

that you will bring

them at last

as we've been singing

earlier

to love the Lord

more fully

and also as we learn

from your word

to be brought finally

to that state

and into that place

of heaven

where there is no

temptation

anymore

bless us then

and bless your word

to us

hear the prayers

of your people

both silent

and spoken

here tonight

and in all other

gatherings of your people

Lord be present

to bless them

we ask it all

for Jesus sake

Amen

this comunisan

and text

as we understand

we ask your tard 아직

that

the Helen

miracle

who

said

to the

lord

or

for Jesusát

where

she

saw

the

other

thousands

of Jesus

as we

I

told us

of Jesus

and