Sermon – Job 1 and 2 – Why Do We Love God?

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon – Job 1 and 2 – Why Do We Love God?

September 27, 2015

Today we turn to the Book of Job. This wonderful book is found in the Old Testament. It is also part of the ancient Hebrew Bible where it is classified as a work of wisdom. The Hebrew Bible has three sections. The first contains God's instructions for life and we find these in the first five books of our Bibles, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The second section of the Hebrew Bible contains the prophets, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others. The third and final section of the Hebrew Bible contains wisdom, practical ways of living you lives wisely. We have been looking at this wisdom for several weeks now as we have studied the Song of Solomon and Proverbs. And today we enter into another wisdom book, Job.

The books of wisdom do not contain a history of God's people or the pronouncements of God's prophets as do the other books in the Bible. Rather, they tend to use allegory and personification to explain complex ideas in way we can understand. In the Book of Job, we have the central character Job, who is the personification of all believers. We also have God and the heavenly district attorney. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.

Let's turn to the first chapter of the Book of Job.

Job 1

 1In 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.

Job was a billionaire. He had a house on the water, and a yacht. He spent winters in Naples and summers in Maine. His high tech company is now run by his son who has expanded seven fold. He has been married to his beautiful wife for forty-eight years. He feels that he has been richly blessed by God.

4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, 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 make arrangements for them to be 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 and his wife were faithful believers. They came to church every Sunday. They tithed 10% of their vast income to their church and other non-profits. And they prayed for their children every day. Job and his wife were models for living a blessed life. But now in their retirement somethings happens.

Before we get to verse 6 of the first chapter of Job let me set the context. God is seated on his throne in his role as judge of the world. At his left hand is heaven's prosecutor, the accuser, ha satan. These Hebrew words sound a lot like the English word, “Satan”. But this is not the man in a red cape with a pitchfork. This is not the focus of evil on Earth battled by Jesus. Get these images out of your mind. The ha satan is the personification of the complex idea that in heaven we will be judged for our sin. In this story the ha satan is the heavenly district attorney who has a list of everything we have done and will accuse us when we meet God for judgment.

The accuser sits at the left hand of God telling God about us. Jesus sits at the right hand of God reminding God that we have already confessed to these sins and that he, Jesus, already paid our penalty. So God declares us washed clean and allows us into heaven. This is how it now works. But let's suppose, as a hypothesis, that Jesus is not there one day, and we are meeting God and the accuser without our savior. Here is what would happen.

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 throughout the earth, going back and forth on 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 now 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 power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

And with that the accuser has proposed a test. Certainly people love God because of all the blessings they have received. And all of us have been richly blessed. But what if we lost our blessings? What if our money was gone? What if we lost our homes and our families? Would we then still love God as much as we do right now? Let's see what Job did.

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 made off with them. 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 heavens 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 made off with them. 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!”

The stock market has crashed and all Job's retirement accounts have gone bankrupt. He lost his house and his boat. All of his children have died. He and wife are now living in a small efficiency apartment with Social Security as their only income. What do you think? Will he still love God? Let's see.

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.

Yes, Job continued to love God even after his economic and family misfortune. At least he can be thankful that he still has his wife and his health. And so he continues to love God. But what if he also loses his health? What then? Would he still love God?

Job 2

On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

3 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. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

So now Job has lost his health. He has no money, no family, and now shingles. What will he do? What would you do? I've met many people in nursing homes with nothing. Their money and family and health are all gone. Do they still love God? Would you love God at a time like this? Job's wife has had enough. Let's hear from her.

9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

Is that what we would do? At that moment when we have lost everything should we curse God? Or sould we continue to love God? Let's hear Job's reaction.

10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

And with that Job continued to love God even though he had lost everything. This is a wise thing to do because God always love you. God will always be there with you. He will send his spirit to strengthen you and comfort you in your final days. The day will come when you leave behind the treasures of this world, and you will leave behind your diseased body and you will appear before the throne of God in heaven. The accuser will be there with a list of all the things you have done. Your only hope is that Jesus, sitting at right hand of God, rises at that moment to say that you are forgiven because you still love God. Continuing to love God, no matter what happens, is a wise thing to do.

When Job was facing God he had something to say about all this. We will hear from Job next week. But this week remember that God loves you no matter what may happen. Love God with all your heart. Let's pray.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for all the blessings we have received in this life. Bless us on the day we lose everything with your gracious love and forgiveness. This we pray in your name. Amen.