Page 10 - Good News July 2012 paper

hen his wife died, he didn't 1. He Was a Righteous Man Lord, ‘From roaming through
know at first how he would “In the land of Uz there lived a man the earth and going back and
Wsurvive. whose name was Job. This man was forth in it’” (verses 6-7).
Although he was a minister and had blameless and upright; he feared This passage answers a
helped many others through times of God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). You prevailing misconception
crisis, he now faced his own personal could talk for hours about those four about Satan. If you ask the
moment of truth. How would he phrases: blameless, upright, fearing average Christian, “Where is
reconcile his own loss with the God, shunning evil. But suffice it to Satan today?” most will say
Christian faith he claimed to believe? say that Job was as good a man as that Satan is in hell. But the
What would he say to his own you will find in all the Bible. Bible does not teach that. If
grieving congregation? Satan were in hell today, we
The year was 1927. The place, 2. He Was a Rich Man would have no problems at all.
Aberdeen, Scotland. The man, Arthur “He had seven sons and three As Hal Lindsey put it a few
John Gossip, pastor of the Beech- daughters, and he owned seven years ago, “Satan is alive and
grove Church, fifty-four years old and thousand sheep, three thousand well on planet earth.” In this
in the prime of his life. camels, five hundred yoke of oxen age the earth is under his
Historians tell us that he was humble and five hundred donkeys, and had a power and domination. Thank
and sincere, possessing a keen wit large number of servants. He was the God, the day will come when
and deeply devoted to his family and greatest man among all the people of Satan and all his hordes will be cast have a worry in the world. Of course
friends. He was beloved as a pastor the East” (verses 2-3). into the lake of fire forever (Matthew he’s Your best man. He’s also Your
and preacher. In fact, he is remem- It is hard to know how to translate this 25:41; Revelation 20:10). But that richest man. You do take care of Your
bered as a preacher primarily for one sentence into today's terms. By won’t happen until Jesus returns to own, don’t You?”
particular sermon he preached in spelling out the details about the the earth. Between now and then, Behind it all is a not-so-subtle
1927. Widely regarded as one of the sheep and camels and oxen and Satan roams about on the earth like a message. You’ve bribed him with
greatest ever preached, it was the donkeys, our text is telling us that if a roaring lion, seeking men and women prosperity.
first sermon he delivered after the list of the world's richest people had he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). This is the Old Testament version of
sudden death of his wife. He titled his been printed four thousand years The Bible teaches that there is a what today is called Prosperity
message But When Life Tumbles In, ago, Job would have been at the top. personal being called Satan who Theology. Note that it comes from
What Then? In it, he struggled to once was an angel of God but who Satan, not from God. Satan is
reconcile his Christian faith with the 3. He Was a Religious Man rebelled and fell from heaven to attacking Job’s motive and God’s
loss of a loved one. These are his “His sons used to take turns holding earth. In that rebellion he led many of integrity. Here is the real question of
words: feasts in their homes, and they would the angels with him. Those fallen the book of Job: Will anyone serve
“I do not understand this life of invite their three sisters to eat and angels became the demons. From the God without any personal gain?
ours. But still less can I compre- drink with them. When a period of day of his fall until now, Satan has Satan says the answer is no. Job will
hend how people in trouble and feasting had run its course, Job had but one purpose: to frustrate worship God only when things are
loss and bereavement can fling would send and have them purified. God’s plan by seeking to destroy men going his way. Thus he says in verse
away peevishly from the Early in the morning he would and women on the earth. After all 11: “But stretch out Your hand and
Christian faith. In God's Name, sacrifice a burnt offering for each of these thousands of years, Satan is strike everything he has, and he will
fling to what? Have we not lost them, thinking, ‘Perhaps my children still at it. surely curse You to Your face.”
enough without losing that too?” have sinned and cursed God in their Satan was behind all that happened Satan’s question is the supreme
How right he was. “So many people's hearts.’ This was Job’s regular to Job. God allows us to peek behind question of life. You served God in
religion is a fair-weather affair,” as he custom” (verses 4-5). Here is that the heavenly curtain to see the the sunshine; will you now serve Him
put it. “A little rain, and it runs and rarest of all rare creatures: A truly unfolding drama. in the shadows? You believed Him in
crumbles; a touch of strain, and it wealthy man who loves God more the light of day; will you still believe
snaps.” But if we turn from faith in the than he loves his money. Not only SATAN IS NOT THE ISSUE Him at midnight? You sang His
time of trouble, what shall we turn to? that, but a father who takes respon- That brings us to the key passage. praises when all was going well; will
Have we not lost enough without sibility for the spiritual welfare of his Notice in verse 8 that it is God who you still sing through your tears? You
losing that too? own family. brings Job’s name up. “Have you came to church and declared, “The
Let us begin our journey together by The point of these first few verses is considered my servant Job? There is Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not
spending some time in the book of very clear: By the world’s standards, no one on earth like him.” That’s the want.” Is He still your Shepherd in the
Job, chapter 1. That is not the only Job was successful; by God’s stan- other side of the coin. It’s not Satan valley of the shadow of death?
place we could begin, but it makes dards, he was righteous. Here is a who mentions Job. It is God. Satan He was good enough for you when
sense to start there, because Job man who truly had it all. He was was behind Job’s trials, but God was you had money in the bank. Is He
deals with timeless questions of wealthy and godly and popular. You behind Satan. good enough for you when you have
suffering and loss. Even though the couldn’t find a person who would say It is as if God were saying, “All right, no money at all? He was good
story is four thousand years old, it a bad word about Job. I repeat what I Satan, you’re looking for a good man. enough for you when you had your
could have been written yesterday. said earlier - He is as good a man as Let me tell you about Job. He’s the health. Is He good enough when the
Most of the book of Job is poetry, and you will find in all the Bible. best man I’ve got. I don’t think you doctor says, “You have six months to
the book has been properly called the can break him down.” live”? He was good enough when you
greatest poem in all human history. That fact is absolutely crucial to What an insight this is! were married. Is He good enough
One writer noted that “it bears the understanding his story. Let me say it Behind the suffering is Satan, and when the one you love walks out on
stamp of uncommon genius.” carefully. What happened to him behind Satan is God. That is why, as you? He was good enough when your
The book abounds with mysteries: happened because he was a good you read the book of Job, you find family was all together. Is He good
Who wrote it? When? Where? Why? man! Nothing in the book of Job that Job is complaining bitterly enough when you stand around an
But the greatest mystery is found in makes sense unless that is true. Job against God. He never brings up open grave?
the subject matter itself - the mystery is a case study in the suffering of the Satan. Satan is not the issue; God is. It’s not hard to believe in God when
of undeserved suffering. Why do bad righteous. As hard as it may be to Even though Satan was the one who everything is going your way. Anyone
things happen to good people? For understand, it was his righteousness caused the calamity, he did so with can do that. But when life tumbles in,
centuries thoughtful people have and his prosperity that brought on God’s permission. If God had not what then?
pondered that question. Why do his enormous suffering. And yet the given his permission, Satan could
babies die? Why are innocent people suffering was undeserved in the not have touched a hair of Job’s FOUR MESSENGERS
held hostage by madmen? Why are truest sense of the word. head. OF MISFORTUNE
the righteous passed over for promo- Now the scene shifts from heaven to
tion while the wicked cheat and lie ENTER SATAN DOES JOB SERVE earth. Satan has received God’s
their way to the top? While you ponder that, consider what GOD FOR NOTHING? permission to put Job to the test.
The book does not answer these happens next. The story suddenly In verse 9 we come to the key Notice that it happens on a “day when
questions with a theory. It answers shifts to Job’s first test. The scene question of the book: “Does Job fear Job’s sons and daughters were
them with a story. We are invited to changes from earth to heaven. Job God for nothing?” Satan is accusing feasting and drinking wine at the
examine one man whose life tumbled apparently never knew about this God of bribing Job into worshipping oldest brother’s house” (verse 13). In
in around him. Why did that happen part of the story. While he was on the Him. After all, Job has it all: a huge, a moment of great happiness, at a
and what did he do about it? earth tending to his vast holdings, loving family, enormous wealth, a family reunion, when you would least
Satan was having a conversation great reputation - everything in this expect it, Satan strikes.
THE MAN WHO HAD IT ALL with God: world a man could want. No wonder First, the Sabeans steal Job’s
The book of Job has a terse, direct, “One day the angels [the Hebrew he worships God. Who wouldn’t? livestock and kill his servants (verses
simple beginning. It unfolds like a calls them “the sons of God”] came That’s what Satan means when he 14-15).
film running at hyperspeed. The to present themselves before the says in verse 10, “Have you not put a Second, a “fire of God” destroys his
frames zip by one after the other as Lord, and Satan [the name means hedge around him?” He means sheep and kills his servants (verse
an entire life is squeezed into a ‘accuser,’ and Satan will now live up something like this: “You gave him 16).
handful of sentences. to his name] also came with them. so much and then You protect him Third, the Chaldeans steal his camels
The first five verses tell us three The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have from anything that could harm him. and kill his servants (verse17).
things about Job. you come from?’ Satan answered the He’s living on easy street; he doesn’t Continued on p. 11Continued on p. 11