WWUTT 809 Job Worshiped?

When great disaster came upon a man named Job, he fell upon the ground and worshipped

God. Job 1 .22 says, In all this Job did not sin or charge

God with wrong. That's an example we should follow when we understand the text. Many of the

Bible stories and verses we think we know, we don't. When we understand the text is an online ministry dedicated to teaching the

Word of God in context, promoting sound doctrine while exposing the faulty. Here's your teacher,

Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. We come back to our study of the book of Job. And we'll begin right at the very beginning.

Always a good place to start. If you want the background info into this book, you need to go to last week's episode.

But here we are in a brand new month and a brand new study, Job 1 .1. There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was

Job. And that man was blameless and upright. One who feared God and turned away from evil.

As I mentioned last week, this is taking place in a pre -children of Israel period.

We would consider it in the time of the patriarchs. It may have happened during the lifetime of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, but certainly not during the time of Jacob's descendants, his children who would be the forefathers of the children of Israel and certainly before their enslavement and delivery out of Egypt.

Uz was a place that was to the east of Israel, the promised land that God was going to give to Abraham's descendants.

So it was not part of that land. We also don't know what Job's relationship was to Israel, whether he was a descendant of Eber as Abraham was.

And it is from Eber that the Hebrews are named. That's where that name Hebrew comes from. And Abraham is considered to be the first Hebrew.

But even though Abraham was chosen by God to be the father of many nations, that doesn't mean there was no one else on earth who feared

God. Job is spoken about here as one who feared the Lord. In fact, even in the story of Abraham in the book of Genesis, we read about another man who feared

God, and that was Melchizedek, the king priest of Salem. Abraham took the spoils of war when he had fought to release lot.

He took all of his spoils to Melchizedek and gave well, he gave the 10 percent of his spoils to Melchizedek.

Salem would eventually become Jerusalem. And Melchizedek was a priest of God, most high there in that city.

And when he blessed Abraham, he said, verses 19 and 20 of Genesis, chapter 14, blessed be

Abram by God most high, possessor of heaven and earth and blessed be

God most high, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. And so this was a man who greatly feared the

Lord and was a priest in the service of God. And it's later prophecies that we would have that that Jesus would be a priest in the order of Melchizedek.

So, yes, there were other men at this particular time who indeed feared the Lord. Abraham was not the only one.

And Job is another one that we read about, a man who was blameless and upright, one who feared

God and turned away from evil. He wasn't like the rest of the people in that particular land in us.

But Job was holy, meaning that he was set apart. Verse two, there was born to him seven sons and three daughters.

He possessed seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred female donkeys and very many servants.

So that this man was the greatest of all the people in the East. Now, numbers are often symbolic in the

Bible, and we may have some symbolism here mentioning that Job had seven sons and three daughters.

Seven is God's number or often the number of completeness. What this is saying is God has blessed

Job with a complete number of sons and three daughters. Three is also symbolic as it often refers to the

Godhead, father, son and Holy Spirit. This another indication that God was with Job and it says that Job possessed seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels.

Look, there you got the numbers seven and three again, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred female donkeys.

Those two numbers added up equal ten. Same with seven sons and three daughters.

That equals ten seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, seven and three equals ten five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, five and five equals ten.

Ten has a lot of symbolism in the Old Testament as well, for it often symbolizes the law.

And this is pointing to how Job was obedient unto the Lord and God blessed him with very many servants so that this man was the greatest of all of the people in the

East. These numbers are given to us right after it says that Job was one who feared

God and turned away from evil. The numbers aren't given exactly either. They're summaries of what

Job possessed. So we have, even in the numbers, a revealing of the blessing of God that was upon this man because of his obedience.

His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them seven days of feasting a week.

Now, that doesn't necessarily say something about Job's children to us as much as it just shows how much

God had blessed Job with verse five. And when the days of the feast had run their course,

Job would send and consecrate them. So at the end of seven days, Job would offer sacrifices for them.

He would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all.

Seven sacrifices, of course, for each one of his sons, but perhaps ten in all, including his daughters.

For Job said, it may be that my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.

Thus, Job did continually. Now, an interesting thing about this phrase, this statement that Job has made, it may be that my children have sinned and cursed

God in their hearts. When you read this in Hebrew, and I had to get this from another scholar because I don't understand

Hebrew, but in Hebrew, the translation of this is literally, if we were to translate it from the

Hebrew literally, it would be, it may be that my children have sinned and blessed

God in their hearts. And that word cursed in English is being substituted in for blessed because the word blessed is being used euphemistically.

What do I mean by that? Well, a euphemism is a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

The writer of Job does not want to put the word curse next to God. That would be a very serious sin and one in which

Job is going to be tested as the book goes on. But nonetheless, you see a reverence in the writer's heart to not want to put curse next to God.

So the in Hebrew, it's literally bless God rather than curse God. But if we were to translate it that way in English, the meaning would be lost.

So we've translated it exactly what is intended or meant by the author. And that is that in their hearts, it could be that Job's children have cursed

God. And that is exactly why Job is sacrificing for them. Why would he sacrifice for them if they had blessed

God in their hearts? And so it says thus Job did continually. So that's the reason why that would be written in Hebrew that particular way.

Now we get to verse six and we we change perspective in the story. We've seen everything now from an earthly perspective.

We've met Job and his family, and we've become familiar with how prosperous he is and how much God has blessed him.

And now we're going to be looking upon Job from a different vantage point, from a a heavenly perspective starting in verse six.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the

Lord. And Satan also came in among them. Now sons of God is angels or the holy beings, those who are able to go in and out of the presence of God in the spiritual realm.

Now Satan is kind of separated out from them. He's not supposed to be there, but he would not be able to come into the presence of God unless God allowed him to.

Everything that's about to transpire in the book of Job, all of this is happening by God's providential hand, but he will use other means to test

Job. He doesn't directly afflict Job. He uses Satan to do that.

So Satan is a pawn in all of this. It's not that Satan by his will is able to afflict

Job, but God allows him to. So Satan comes in among them and God is the one who initiates the conversation.

Satan doesn't speak up, probably can't, probably can't just in God's presence decide to speak because he is such a wretched creature and would not be able to stand there in the presence of God if God was not permitting him to.

So the Lord said to Satan, from where have you come? And Satan answered the

Lord and said, from going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.

Now the name Satan comes from comes from the word Hasatan, which means the adversary.

And so that word Satan actually appears in other places in the Hebrew to mean adversary. But here it's being used as a proper noun, as though to give

Satan a particular name, knowing that we're not talking about any random demon, but there is someone specific that God is conversing with to cause

Job such affliction. And that would be the chief of the fallen angels, the one who is known as Satan that we know in English as Satan.

And Satan is constantly scrutinizing the affairs of men. And so when he makes this statement before God that he's been going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it, that's basically what he's saying that he's doing.

Well, I'm meddling in the affairs of men. Verse eight. And the Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant

Job? This is somebody who hasn't been afflicted by Satan, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears

God and turns away from evil. Then Satan answered the Lord and said, does

Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has on every side?

You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land, but stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will curse you to your face.

Now Satan thinks he's being witty. He thinks that he's he's catching God and OK, yeah, battle of wit here.

Well, have you have you ever actually done anything to Job that would truly make him fear you?

His fear of you is worth nothing. But God is not being outwitted by Satan in this conversation.

God means to test Job and he's going to use Satan to do that. And so Satan is only saying what

God means for him to do. So the Lord said to Satan, behold, all that he has is in your hand only against him.

Do not stretch out your hand. So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. Before going on a little comical reference to make here,

Satan says that you've put a hedge around Job. This is actually the passage

Job 110 where we get that term that sometimes used in prayer hedge of protection.

Have you ever heard the term or used it before? God put a hedge of protection around him.

Well, it comes from Job 110 comedian Tim Hawkins. You're familiar with Tim Hawkins.

He has a funny little bit about a hedge of protection. Here's Tim Hawkins. I think the way we pray is prayer is a powerful thing, but I think when you grow up in church, you hear prayers all the time in different styles and stuff and little quirks that people have when they pray.

I don't know. Little phrases that I don't understand to this day, but we use the phrases, but that's just what we heard growing up.

We think that's just the right thing to say when we pray, you know, like hedge of protection. You ever hear that? I hear that a lot.

A hedge of protection. Damn, we are praying a hedge of protection around you, buddy. That's right.

A hedge around you and your whole family.

A hedge, huh? I don't mean to complain. Is that the best you can do?

How about a thick cement wall with some razor wire on top of that bad boy?

A hedge of protection, a good set of clippers, get right through that thing. I'm sure the devil's got a set of those.

I mean, you think a hedge is going to scare the devil away? What is this greenery? I can't get through that.

Move that bush. My greatest weakness is landscaping. How did they know? Oh, Tim Hawkins.

Good stuff. Well, that word hedge can be used to mean more than just shrubbery. So Hosea 2, verse 6, referring to unfaithful

Israel, therefore, I will hedge up her way with thorns and I will build a wall against her so that she cannot find her paths.

So this is just a word that Satan is using to say, hey, God, you've protected him from everything. I mean, seriously, the only way that you can get anybody to worship you is if you bribe them with protection and with prosperity.

And so that's what Satan is insinuating in that particular passage. So the Lord gives

Satan permission to strike everything that Job has, but he cannot afflict

Job himself. So that's where we go next. Now we come back to viewing the story as events unfold on Earth.

So we're leaving the heavenly realm. We're coming back to Earth. Verse 13. Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine and their oldest brother's house.

And there came a messenger to Job and said, the oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them.

And the Sabians fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword.

And I alone have escaped to tell you while he was yet speaking. There came another and said, the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them.

And I alone have escaped to tell you while he was yet speaking. There came another and said, the

Chaldeans form three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword.

And I alone have escaped to tell you while he was yet speaking. There came another and said, your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine and their oldest brother's house.

And behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck down the four corners of the house and it fell upon the young people and they are dead.

And I alone have escaped to tell you now all these disasters that are befalling

Job's family and his possessions, the way that they're being described is that all this disaster has come upon Job immediately and from all directions.

The Sabians came from the south, the Chaldeans came from the north, the strong winds come from the east.

You have the fire of God that comes down from heaven. So it's all of this disaster has come upon Job from every direction and it's happened immediately while he was yet speaking.

Another servant came in all of this happening all at once. How traumatic would this be?

And Job arose verse 20 and he tore his robe and he shaved his head and he fell on the ground and it says he worshiped.

Satan was doing all of this because he said to God, if you strike Job, he'll curse you to your face.

So God is proving Satan wrong here with Job falling on the ground and worshiping

God as even in the midst of all of this disaster that has befallen him. And Job 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 in all of this,

Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Now at least as far as what we've read in the story so far,

Job hasn't done that, but things will of course get worse for Job as we continue.

Now here in the book of Job is not the only place where we have seen God use evil spirits like Satan in order to accomplish his will.

In 1 Kings chapter 22, we read about how God allowed a lying spirit to go into the tongues of Ahab's wise men and deceive him into going into battle so he would be killed.

The prophet Micaiah revealed this heavenly council that had taken place in which an evil spirit had spoken up and said,

I will be a lying spirit in the mouths of Ahab's wise men so that he will follow their advice and he will be killed in battle.

So we see another example of that there. In Ephesians chapter three, starting in verse seven, the apostle

Paul wrote this, of this gospel, I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power.

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to preach to the

Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things so that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

So do you realize that when we go out preaching the gospel and we preach it to men, we are actually making known the wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places?

You wouldn't think that when we go out ministering to the gospel that we're ministering to spirits we can't see, but that's indeed what's going on.

And we are fighting a spiritual battle whenever we proclaim the gospel, fighting back the efforts of Satan to try to destroy mankind.

But instead, with the gospel, God is using this word to transform hearts from being people who are followers of Satan into people who are followers of God.

So we are fighting this battle that we have been recruited into by God when we go out with the gospel.

And Paul says in Romans 8 37, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our

Lord. So let us hold on to the knowledge that is revealed to us in the scriptures that God is working all things together for our good and for his glory.

That even when such great affliction would befall us, which is probably not going to be bad as what

Job suffered, but even when affliction comes upon you, know that God is working out something great through this.

We are being tested so that we would give glory to God, even in the midst of these things, not conquered by the by Satan and the devil's schemes.

But in all these things, may we not sin or charge God with wrong. May we take the example of Job, at least what we're presented with in chapter one, that even when suffering, he fell down and worshiped

God. Let us give joy to the Lord, praise to him and rejoice in all things, knowing that in Christ Jesus, we have been rescued from this world.

We are more than conquerors through him who loved us, and we will be delivered from this mortal plight.

Let us pray. Our God, we thank you for the salvation you have given us in Christ and the weapons of our warfare that we have been extended through your word and the power of the

Holy Spirit that dwells in our hearts. Help us to cling all the more to you and resist

Satan so that the devil flees from us and the power that we receive from on high is according to your will and is secured in your word.

We ask that we be faithful to these things that we have read, that have been written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the scriptures, we have hope.

In Jesus' name, amen. This has been When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabriel Hughes.

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