JOB: How Should We Respond in the Midst of Great Sorrow, Suffering and Loss? "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:10-12)

We concluded the previous lesson with the above scriptures.  They bear repeating because we have to understand the type of entity Satan is. Jesus said to them, “...the devil,... He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." (John 8:42-44) ...your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (I Peter 5:8)

That describes Satan perfectly!  He tempts and promises the world, but all he can deliver is death and destruction; and that's exactly what he did to all Job had in a matter of hours. Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” (Job 1:13-15)

While he was still speaking, another also came 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 still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” (Job 1:16-17)

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” (Job 1:18-19)

After all that Job loss in a matter of hours, did he respond the way Satan said he would and the way most of us would, by cursing God to His face?  No!  But he responded by stating some of the most powerful words of Truth, even in the midst of his deepest sorrow and suffering. Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. (Job 1:20-22) My God, WOW!

How could Job worship God in the midst of all that had happened?  We stated in the previous study that the purpose of God allowing all of this to happen to Job and having this book recorded, "is to the the unfathomable wisdom of God's providence, and the benevolence of God even in the trials brought upon His children.  ... The spiritual perspective of the account and the fact the God exercised total control over Satan promotes complete trust in God." *Strong's Key Word Bible notes

We hear so much now and days from the spirituality movement and prosperity teachers that God doesn't want us to suffer and He wants to bless us with everything we desire.  That is true, because scripture does say, Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)  But can we delight ourselves in the Lord, even when He allows situations in our lives that seem unfair and unbearable, because we also know that Jesus promised, "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”" (John 16:33)

What we all have to learn, and fortunately for Job he already knew it, which is why he was able to respond to his suffering the way he did, is what Jesus said before he was going to be crucified on the cross, Then He said to them,“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:38-39)

Whatever the reason God allowed Satan to destroy all that Job had, and whatever the reason God allows us to suffer, even after we accept His free gift of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, we must declare as Job and the Apostle Paul, But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11)

We may be tempted to say, "well, Job still had his health and his wife, so he didn't lose everything."  Well, Satan doesn't just want some of us, he wants all of us. Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (Job 2:1-2) 

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” (Job 2:3-5)

And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. (Job 2:6-8)

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2:9-10) My God, how POWERFUL! This book of Job "also explains why God allows righteous people to suffer: to expose their frailty and sinfulness, to strengthen their faith, and to purify them." *Strong's Key Word Bible notes We will learn just how God does all of that in our lives, through the example of Job's life as the studies continue...