What's Your Big Complaint? (2/14/11)

Shalom,

    Please begin by reading Job 2:1-10.

    At different times all of us go through periods of pressure or testing.  When we encounter these times it seems to feel like our spiritual walk may have stirred up some sort of definite demonic opposition.  Well, why not?  That's the biblical picture we get.  The more we stand for Jesus, the more Satan and his system will work to resist our influence.  The clear picture we're given in the scriptures is that there's a war going on and that we're actively involved in it.  There are no spiritual Switzerland's who can claim neutrality.  Jesus said in Matt 12:30, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."  You have already chosen a side, hopefully you've sided with Jesus.

    The picture of Job in this second attack allowed by Yahweh is amazing.  This passage is puzzling to some and very unpopular with others.  Many don't like to think of Yahweh allowing evil to happen.  But how do you explain the difference between his sovereignty and the allowance of evil?  If Yahweh is truly sovereign, nothing happens without his knowledge or permission.  When Satan challenged that Job was overly protected by Yahweh, he was then allowed a limit of what he could do to the man.  Yahweh was and is in full control of what the devil can do to any one of us.  He's not causing the evil, he's putting definite limits on what it can do to us.

    The words "should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad" proclaim the full sovereignty of El Shaddai, the Great God Almighty.  We know from the full story that Job was certainly a man of moral excellence and integrity.  We also know his attitude didn't always remain as pure as it could.  But he's an excellent example to us because he stood strong during a time of severe testing.  This book is a testimony to his trust in Yahweh and Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over all the activity in our world.  Aren't you glad that he holds the reins which limit the destruction the devil is allowed to visit on mankind?

    Yahweh defended Job's innocence, praised his integrity, and flaunted his determination and feistiness to Satan.  There's a Chinese saying: "True gold is not afraid of fire."  As a body, our fellowship has asked ourselves the question of why gold is so valuable lately.  There's just something about this "precious" metal that makes humans value it so much.  Yes, it looks very nice, but there's got to be something more than that which causes us to covet and crave it.  It's not just attractive to the eye, it has qualities other metals don't have.

    Gold has a very high melting point of 1945 degrees Fahrenheit.  It's considered valuable because it's almost indestructible and has been used and reused for centuries.  Many times confiscated gold is melted down and reused, whether into new statues and jewelry or in bars and ingots.  All the gold currently in existence is almost equal to all the gold that's ever been mined.  Gold is also a great medium for making jewelry because it never rusts or tarnishes.

    We'd be likely to say Job was as good as 24K gold, which is considered 100% gold.  He didn't bend in his character, and he didn't deviate from his integrity.  He may have gotten a little to fiesty in his attitude because of his frustration with his circumstances, but he still trusted in Yahweh.  The word used for maintains in verse 3 refers to his strength and courage, just like when Yahweh told Joshua to "be strong and courageous" (Josh 1:6, 7, & 9).  In the midst of severe testing, just like is done to gold, he came out purer and stronger in the end.

    We also know Job to be somewhat headstrong and thick-skinned.  He was stubborn and uncompromising.  He didn't move, budge, or retreat from his viewpoint of not having sinned.  He steadfastly defended his integrity.  When his wife challenged him, he responded strongly.  When his three friends accused him of harboring deliberate sin in his life he said, "I will never concede that you are right; until I die I will defend my innocence" (Job 27:5-6).  Yahweh's challenge to Satan that this man was a true worshiper and servant of the Most High God was proven in the furnace of affliction.  We all need to ask ourselves if we could stand that same sort of heat and come out stronger.

    It's been said that every winner has scars.  The Roman army distrusted most foreigners who tried to fit in with them.  What they did admire were battle scars.  In contrast, they also despised what were considered cowardly scars.  To have scars on your back was a mark of shame.  It showed that you'd either turned your back in battle or worse that you'd been whipped either as a slave or prisoner.  Scars on your front were thought of as a display of bravery.  It showed that you stood in the face of battle and remained strong and brave.

    To inspire his troops it's said that Alexander the Great stood in front of his men and dropped his toga.  After displaying the scars on the front of his body, he then turned to show he had none on his back.  This helped to whip his troops into a battle frenzy because they knew their leader was truly a brave man.  Anyone who had doubts about his leadership ability was given proof of his resolve in battle.

    Job didn't quit because of his pain.  He didn't hide his pain either.  He didn't grovel for help when things got intense.  With courage, he scraped himself with a piece of broken pottery to deal with the boils.  Job passed the school of hard knocks with highest honors.  Yes, he would have appreciated some sympathy from his wife and friends, but even without it he continued to stand against their misguided thinking.

    Nobody seemed to understand him, not his wife nor his friends.  Job cried out in his pain, but he didn't give in to it in despair.  He was left to stand alone by his wife and friends, yet he didn't break, he didn't quit standing for truth and righteousness.  He was discouraged with his circumstances, but he wasn't overwhelmed to the point he could no longer function rationally.  He had hope in Yahweh and clung to it.

    Yes, Job spoke some things he probably shouldn't have in his frustration, but as we know from the end of the story Yahweh accepted him.  He may have longed for death in the midst of his ordeal, but he clung to life.  He showed courage in facing evil, injustice, and heartache.  If only we had some of the resolve that led Job to say, "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God" (Job 19:25-26).

    I can't imagine what it's like to lose all my children and all my wealth in one day.  I can only hope that I'll have the same kind of resolve about my trust and faith in Yahweh.  Job's scars help us see his bravery in facing the enemy of our souls.  This testing of Job is probably the best example of the description Jesus gave us of Satan in John 10:10.  "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy."  Job's livestock were stolen, his children killed, and his home destroyed.

    Yahweh called Job "my servant" six times in this book.  He spoke very highly of him to Satan.  Job 1:8 says, "He is the finest man in all the earth."  But Job didn't serve Yahweh because of the hedge of protection that guarded his family and estate.  Job had always feared and served and loved the Lord.  He didn't do it for fame and fortune, but like in a marriage - he did it for better or worse.  We should think of this since we're supposed to be the Bride of Christ.  It's nice to think about the reward of eternal life awaiting us, but even more important is the intimate love relationship we're enjoying right now.

    Satan was wrong.  Job didn't just fear Yahweh, he worked at avoiding evil.  At the point when Yahweh withheld his blessing, Job didn't spout evil words, he said good things.  He blessed his Lord, praised his name, and declared Yahweh's goodness.  Job was stable, steadfast, and single-minded in his faith.  His trust in Yahweh wasn't superficial, it went much deeper than the surface.  Job knew his God, trusted in his loving-kindness, and stood strong during a time of trial.  We would do well to learn how to be as resilient in the face of troubles.

    Yes, Job wrestled and argued with Yahweh, but he never blamed or challenged him.  He was vocal in his complaints, but never defiant.  Job didn't consider that Yahweh was his enemy.  He didn't consider the Lord to be cruel, offensive, or irresponsible.  He didn't blame Yahweh for taking his stuff, he thanked him for giving the opportunity to have had something.  If Yahweh is truly sovereign, then we must also do these same things.  Is it hard to give thanks and offer praise for the tough things that come our way?  Of course it is.  But 1 Thes 5:18 clearly says, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

    What about Yahweh's sovereignty?  We know that James 1:13 says, "God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either."  So how can Job say we receive bad things from his hands sometimes?  We're not talking about hard-core predestination.  Everything is not set in stone.  Our actions come from our free will, not some pre-ordained script.  Yahweh's greatness, his sovereign control over all of Creation isn't changed by our free will.  What it means is that he's big enough to deal with our uncertain and wavering willfulness.  Yahweh is big enough to step out of the way and let us make our own decisions, and he's not giving up any of his sovereignty in allowing this.  He still has full say over what's allowed.  Do you remember how Yahweh challenged Satan and set the limits of what he was allowed to do?  In the first test, Yahweh allowed everything but physical harm against Job.  In the second test Satan was told to spare Job's life.

    Yahweh's sovereignty sets all the limits.  We live in a fallen world.  People make many bad choices every day, but Yahweh sets the boundaries of the affects of those bad choices.  Nothing that happens on earth is a surprise to our Almighty and Sovereign God.  He never says, "Oops, didn't mean for that to happen."  He never says, "Wow, that was a surprise."  He fully allows our free will to work while placing the absolute limits fo what happens in his Creation.

    So in the great cosmic battle between good and evil, when everything seems to be out of control - at least your control - act with courage and do what's right.  We can be triumphant in the worst of situations when we trust our Father in heaven.  We're not bystanders on this earth, we're active participants in the fight against evil.  As Paul admonished Timothy, "Fight the good fight of faith" (1 Tim 6:12).

    So having looked a little closer at what happened to Job, "What's your big complaint?"  What's going on in your life that's so hard to deal with?  After Yahweh had confronted him Job said, "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted...  Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know" (Job 42:2-3).  We need to trust our Sovereign Lord even when things get out of our control, especially when things get out of our control.  There's nothing too big for us to withstand if we put our full trust and hope in Yahweh, the Sovereign Lord God Almighty.

    Blessings & Peace,    Mike