. Introduction: put your imagination to work
   A. The season: Eastertime
   B. The setting: a large church sanctuary, packed
    1. The choir loft full, singers still
    2. At microphone stands soloist, known for cultured soprano voice
    3. In foreground orchestra seated, poised, ready
        a. Conductor raises baton: holy hush falls over audience
        b. Strings begin to play
        c. Soloist comes in
    4.   From every corner of the room resounds this glorious proclamation:
         “I know that my Redeemer liveth And that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth
          And though worms destroy this body Yet in my flesh shall I see God”  (goosebumps)
  C. Words from Handel’s Oratorio, “Messiah”
    1. Original author not Handel, but Job (of Biblical fame)
    2. Original context not pristine church setting but barren, dusty desert
    3. Original declaration
        a. Not an exclamation of triumph over sin and death
        b. But a grasping for hope in the midst of pain, frustration, despair
   D. Amazing that under circumstances
    1. Declaration made at all
    2. All the more amazing declaration so positive, so focused on future
    3. Job, probably lived back in days of patriarchs when
        a. God the Father was the focus of worship
        b. The plan of redemption through His Son had not yet been executed in time and space
    4. Yet Job, it appears, looked down the corridor of time and saw Christ:
        a. Not only His birth, but beyond that to His death (“my Redeemer”)
        b. Beyond His death to His resurrection (“my Redeemer liveth“)
        c. Beyond His resurrection to His 2nd Coming (“He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth”)
        d. Beyond His 2nd Coming to Job’s own resurrection “Though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God”
            1) What a statement!
            2) What rock solid faith – expressed at a time when his world was falling apart (which makes it all the more amazing)
    5. Questions:
        a. What brought Job to this kind of faith?
        b. Can we have it too?
            1) We studied Job in a small group Bible study
            2) It was one of the greatest blessings of our lives; hope it will be for you too
    6.   Quick overview of Job
        a) Prologue (chapter 1:1 – 2:10)
        b) The Drama (2:11-42:6)
        c) The Epilogue (42:7-17)
        d) Follow references as I give numbers or just listen
            1)   Working through drama
            2)   Job’s friends speeches contain untruths (God’s rebukes them at end)
            3)     Turning point for Job takes place in Chapter 38 when God speaks
II. Background information on Job
  A. Wealthy rancher from Middle East
  B. Large family (10 children)
  C. Community leader
  D. Religious man, because of that:
    1. God had been hedging him in
    2. Bad things that happened to others didn’t happen to Job
III. One day all that changed
   A. Job lost everything: kids, support of wife, health, wealth, status in society, including all but 4 of his servants
   B. Primary culprit: storm  READ 1:13-22
    1. Bolt of fire snaked from sky, killing herds (1:15-17); looters stole what left
    2. Desert wind ripped through house while children partying (1:19) – all 10 died
    3. Disease ravaged body (related to storm?)
        a. Reduced to skin and bones (19:20)
        b. Driven crazy by itchy sores (READ 2:7-10)
   C. Wife says “Why don’t you end it all?” (2:9)  “Curse God and die” (commit spiritual suicide)
    1. Lest we be too swift to pass judgment on her, let’s realize she’s
    2. Going through own pain – 10 caskets – mother’s heart breaking
    3. Perhaps “displacement”, “transference” (taking out frustration on others)
   D. Enormity of tragedy for both overwhelming
   E. Question: Why do you think God allowed Job to suffer so?
IV. Picture scene after tragedy: spiritual DRAMA of the highest order! (before TV: LIFE itself was the drama)
   A. Job sitting alone in desert near the town dump
   B. Friends are beginning to gather around
    1. Hardly recognize (2:12) (disease altered features so much)
    2. Want to support him
    3. Sit with him for a week – in silence (most encouraging week of ordeal)
   C. When they speak: PONTIFICATE (worst thing to do to a friend in need)
    1. Reveal conclusion: “You’re in this mess because you’ve sinned” (4:7)
    2. Secondary conclusion: Kids sinned too “That’s why they died early” (8:4)
        How would you like those statements from friends?
    3. Final blow: “You’re lucky you got off so easy. You should be grateful God didn’t give you what you really deserve.”
        (11:6b) I believe they meant well (we discussed in our Bible study group: men felt friends went to confront Job,
        ladies felt friends went to comfort Job)
   D. BUT HURT: reason why
    1. Statements false (but not totally) – bear with me
    2. Some truth in what they said (mixture hurt)
        a. Truth: All have sinned (Job included)
        b. Truth: Trouble in world because of sin (sickness, tragedy)
            1) But most of time it’s because of Adam’s sin, not ours (original sin)
            2) Linking tragedy to a specific, personal sin is reserved for God alone (only He knows)
            3) Most of time no linkage at all
        c. Good and bad things happen to everybody (Christians and non-Christians alike)
            “Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward” (Eliphaz, 5:7)
            1) Life on fallen planet assures us of that. EG Author Tim Hansel: “If you have a pulse you’ll have a problem.”
            2) Christians will lose children too, health too, homes too
            3) These tragedies will continue to happen to all of us until Christ comes again and
                restores our planet to its pre-sin state.
            4) Meanwhile, we wait in God’s “waiting room”
            5) Question: If tragedies befall all people, Christians and non-Christians alike,
                is there any advantage to being a Christian?
                a) Absolutely: a big one!
                b)  God will work the Christian’s problems for the Christian’s ultimate good
                c) But that’s a promise for Christians only
                    1) No where in Scripture does God promise a good end for non-Christians
                    2) In fact, just the opposite is true
            6) This working in the Christian’s life TAKES TIME
            7) While God working out, Christian working through (what Job is all about)
V. Working through: PROCESS (all phases necessary) – the phases they pertain to where we focus as we’re struggling – where we LOOK (Job looks 5 places)
   A. Job looks around (natural place to look)
    1. He looks
        a. At his body (not pretty sight): “My body is clothed with worms and scabs, my skin is broken and festering”  (7:5)
        b. At the place where his son’s house used to sit (not there)
        c. At the fields where his cattle used to graze (empty, deserted)
        d. At the town square where he used to conduct business (someone else in his place of prominence)
    2. That hurts
    3. What Job starts doing is ”awfulizing” (dwelling on the awful in his life)
        a. Awfulizing has its place (can’t help it anyway when tragedy first strikes)
        b. But it will kill you if you don’t get past it
        c. The lesson seems to be: look around but limit the length of your gaze
   B. Job looks up – a good place to look (because that’s where God is)
    1. In Job’s case, he doesn’t see God: “If only I knew where to find Him.” (23:3)
    2. Reasons he wants to find Him:
        a. “I would state my case before Him.” (23:4) INNOCENT! (tell Him that)
        b. “I would ask some questions” (23:5) BIG!-
            1) Why do the righteous suffer? (8:20)
            2) “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?”  (21:7)
            3) “How can a mortal be righteous before God?” (9:2)
            4) “If a man dies, will he live again?” (14:14) Very important question.
            5) But biggest question of all (to Job personally): Why is this happening to me?  (7:20)
        c.   God doesn’t answer any of these questions – at least not at the moment
    3. Some lessons do seem to leap out at us in all of this:
        a. Questions are necessary in working-through process (don’t be afraid to ask them)
        b.   But don’t necessarily expect an answer (God is silent at times)
        c. When He does answer
            1) The answer may not be what we expect.
            2) The answer may not satisfy
        d. We have to ask ourselves, will there ever be an answer that satisfies?
        e. This question will linger throughout our study of Job
   C. Job looks back (which you can’t help doing when times are dark)
    1. When he does, the contrast between THEN and NOW is so sharp it stuns him
    2. This is not a bad reaction; it can have a good effect.  EG  Greek writer Sophocles:
        “One must wait until the evening to see how bright the day has been.”
    3. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way for Job. As he reminisces, there is a startling omission: he never
        gives thanks for a single one of his past blessings. He only beefs about the bad times he is experiencing now.
        a. This observation was made in our Bible study group by Joanie, who is quiet most of the time,
            so when she speaks, we listen
        b. That evening we were so convicted, we prayed, “O God, forgive us. We get so caught up in our present  problems
            that we forget how good you have been to us. Your mercies have been new every morning.
            We want to take this moment to thank you for each and every one.”
    4. But Job is not there yet (still working through)  READ 29:1-17
    5. He says, “Oh for the days”  (29:4)
        a. Reminds me of the TV sitcom “All in the Family”
        b. At the beginning of each episode, Archie and Edith Bunker are sitting at the piano and Edith is screeching
            “Those were the days” (Remember?)
    6. Job says: “How I long for the months gone by….” (29:2) the times when
        a. God was near (29:5) (not distant like now) – How I loved it!
        b. Family in tact (29:5)  (kids at knee)
        c. Enjoyed material prosperity (29:6) “My path was drenched with cream” (beautiful!)
        d. Had respect of everyone (29:7-11)
            1) “Young men…old men…chief men…nobles.”
            2)  Whenever I came into their presence, they did this (visual) “covered their mouths with their hands”
                (Remember this as the story develops)
        e. Had ministry to needy  (29:12-17)
            1) “Poor, fatherless, dying, widows, blind, lame, strangers, victims”
            2) I’d be impressed if he ministered to even ONE of these groups
            3) Job ministered to all – exceptional in social outreach
    7. That was THEN, this is NOW: all changed.  BUT NOW….
        a. I endure mocking (30:9-10) Men younger than I “spit in my face.” (imagine?)
        b. I’m consumed by my fears (30:15)  Terrors of night “overwhelm”
            EG He’s playing that storm video over and over (recent earthquakes in El Salvador, India)
        c. I’m nagged by gnawing pain (30:17)  “never rests”
            EG Some of you can identify
     8.  It makes you want to look back to brighter times as Job does
   D. Job looks inside (introspection): “Did I do something to deserve this?” (Necessary question)
    1. Pharaoh of Egypt should have asked it when his son was slain
        a. He did do something to incur God’s wrath
        b. In that case, there was a connection between his son’s death and a specific, personal sin
    2. But too much introspection can be a quagmire
        a. Most of time, people are victims of tragedies not because of any personal sin whatsoever
            BUT simply because they’re members of a fallen human race
        b. If there is a link between personal tragedy and personal sin, God will make it abundantly clear
            (Nebuchanezzar, Miriam, Achan)
    3. In Job’s case – no connection at all between a specific, personal sin and his present tragedy. Just opposite.
        a. He himself comes to this conclusion.
        b. But it leads him to ask another question, “If I haven’t sinned, why then is this happening to me?”
            (good question, no answer yet)
    4. Good news: in his self-examination Job never loses his faith in God
        a. If nothing else, the book of Job teaches us
            1) We can have a strong faith and still have doubts – both at same time
            2) EG Think of faith as an under water mountain range
                a) When the sea is calm, the peaks are visible (islands)
                b) When a storm is raging, the islands may be obscured by the wind and rain
                c) However, that doesn’t mean they are not there.
                d) And they can appear in midst of violent turmoil – greater BLESSING!
        b. Examples of Job’s islands of faith appearing in his spiritual storm (2 storms in Job’s life – physical and spiritual)
            1) After Job learns he’s lost everything (flocks, servants, social standing) and has attended a funeral for his 10 children,
                Job states
                a) “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (1:21)
                b) Not storm has taken, not looters have taken, not Satan has taken away (all true) but Lord has taken
                        (acknowledgment of who’s in CONTROL!   (IN HANDS OF A SOVEREIGN)
            2) After wife urges him to curse God and die as result of blasphemy, Job counters,
                a) “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” (2:10)
                b) Indication that he knows believers are not exempt from the problems that befall other people
                c) But that statement made in midst of storm
            3) After his friends shoot barbs and he is smarting with pain he declares,
                a) “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (13:14-15 KJV) SUICIDE? NO!
                b) Declaration of total surrender to King of kings and Lord of lords.
                c) Under the circumstances, an amazing statement
            4) After bout of awfulizing comes greatest statement of faith: “I know that my Redeemer liveth…”
                a)   Listen to what comes first (19:13-19)
                    “My brothers are alienated from me…”
                     “My acquaintances are estranged…”
                     “My kinsmen have gone away…”
                     “My friends have forgotten me…”
                     “My guests and maidservants count me a stranger…”
                     “I summon my servant and he does not answer…”
                     “My breath if offensive to my wife…” (dragon-mouths then too)
                     “I am loathsome to my brothers…”
                     “Even little boys scorn me…”
                     “All my friends detest me.”
                b) This bout of awfulizing may be the thing that forces Job to start looking to the future.
   E. Job looks ahead (after he has looked around, up, back and inside)
    1. This forward look is the most important look of all because it’s the one that encourages him to keep on keeping on
    2. READ Job 19:23-27 NIV  (convincing self while saying it)
        “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.” (notice the focus on the future) WE TOO!
    3. Yet even as Job is making this triumphant statement, the reader can feel his frustration
        a. Job’s struggle is still going on (spiritual storm is not over)
        b. Job is still “pressing on toward the mark” (Phil 3:13)
        c. Job is saying to himself, “I know I will see God at some future time. But I want to see Him NOW!”
        d. Like Mary and Martha at death of Lazarus
            1) Martha: “I know he will rise again at the resurrection at the last day.” (Jn 11:24) (How about now, Lord?)
                LORD DID MIRACLE
            2) The Lord will do a miracle for Job too – but of a different nature.
VI. Let’s look at some behind-the-scenes information that may help us better understand the book
        (Turn to chapters 1 & 2) READ 1:1-12
   A. Unfortunately, the information contained in these chapters is not given to Job (he still can’t see forest for trees)
   B. But it’s given to us so that we can have victory in the midst of our storms (what an advantage!)
        See structure behind tragedies of life.
   C.  In chapters 1 & 2, we get transported to heaven and are made privy to what REALLY happened to Job
    1.  Job, man of integrity (1:1) “blameless and upright”
        a.   Not hurting because he sinned
        b.   Hurting because he’s godly (exact opposite of what his friends said)
    2. Satan approaches God (who seems to be smiling as He’s looking down upon     His servant Job - 1:6)
    3.  God initiates conversation with Satan (not other way around):
        “Have you considered my servant Job?” (1:8) He’s a good man!
    4.  Satan replies:
        a.   “Reason Job good; hedge around him.”  (1:10)
        b.   “Let me break through, then see how good”  (1:11)
    5. God (perhaps with tear in eye) grants permission to Satan to afflict Job (1;12) “He’s in your hands”
        a. Could be said, “In the hands of Satan” (correct, but only partially)
        b.  Satan himself is in hands of God  (NOT equal forces)
    6.  Do I fully understand how God works? NO
    7.  But this we know: God is the One in control
        a. Sometimes God can accomplish through tragedy what He cannot accomplish any other way
        b. If it requires moving through Satan, so be it! (events surrounding the cross, an example)
            GREATEST BLESSING FROM GREATEST EVIL
        c.  Let me explain this phenomenon (illustration compliments of son, Dirk)
   D.  Life is made up of 3 layers (one of top of other: man’s, Satan’s, God’s); where we focus determines victory or
         defeat
    1. Bottom layer – Man - the world that directly affects us (nature, people, circumstances)
        a. In Job’s case: storm, looters, disease
        b. We can focus on such things if we wish
        c. If we do, we will become more and more depressed (like Job)
     2.   Middle layer – Satan’s machinations
        a. In Job’s case, Satan is working through storm, looters, diseases (trying to  get Job to curse God)
        b. We can focus on this layer if we wish.
            1) Some people do (see Satan behind everything)
            2) This is BONDAGE (trying to stop him can be an all-consuming effort)
         c.   In Job’s case, Satan’s purposes are foiled (Job does not  curse God)
         d.   In every case involving believers, Satan’s purposes are foiled; so why focus on him?  (defeated foe)
         e.  Why not look higher – to the One who is in control of it all?
     3.  Top layer – God’s ultimate plan (holy, perfect, just)  IN HIS HANDS!
        a. God, not the author of evil (Satan is), but God is the author of how evil is used
        b. In Job’s case, God is moving through Satan, who’s moving through circumstances –
            to turn Job into an even stronger believer than he was before
        c. God is working everything for Job’s own good and for God’s own glory
        d. If we choose to focus on God in midst of tragedy, VICTORY will be ours as it was for Job.
VII. Question: How does Job get to the point where his vision is focused on God?
   A. Answer: Through a storm (physical)
   B. Now a storm is the last thing Job wants to experience (it was a storm caused him great loss)
   C. But sometimes we have to return to the place of our pain for healing to come
   D. So it is with Job
    1. He needs to know he was in God’s hands THEN
    2. He needs to know he is in God’s hands NOW
    3. He knows to know he will be in God’s hands FOREVER (nothing can snatch him out of God’s hands – Jn 10:28)
   E.   Elihu, Job’s 4th friend, is speaking  (DRAMA)
   F. His presentation is so fascinating that it’s getting dark in middle of day and nobody is noticing. SUDDENLY
    1.    SPLAT! Everybody looks up  (36:28)
    2.    A RUMBLE in the distance! Everybody gets up, gathers things (36:33)
    3.    A STREAK in the sky! Everybody runs for cover, even the animals (37:8)
   G. Job is left alone – with God – in midst of storm (chap 37) TURNING POINT
   H.   God speaks
    1.  Why does God speak to Job and not to friends who seem to need it more?
        a.   Maybe Job is more ready to listen
        b. Maybe Job is more needy (focus on ourselves can keep us from moving forward in our faith)
    2.  God’s approach is intriguing: He gives Job no answers, only questions (70)
        a. God: “You said you wanted to question me, I want to question YOU!”
        b. God: “You’ve spent your time listening to everybody else, now you’re  going to listen to ME!”
        c.  As Job listens, he sees God as He really is for very first time – in   control of everything, even evil – he’s flattened.
VIII. Questions: chapter 38-41 (Remember BIG YAHWEH – little man?)
   A. Sampling
    1. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (38:4)
    2. “Have you ever given orders to the morning?”  (38:12)
    3. “Have you walked in the recesses of the deep?”  (38:16)
    4. “Have the gates of death been shown to you?”  (38:17)
    5. “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow?” (38:23)
    6. “Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons?” (38:32)
    7. “Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water?” (38:34)
    8. “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?”  (39:1)
    9. “Will the wild ox consent to serve you?” (39:9)
    10. “Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?” (39:19)
    11. “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south?” (39:26)
    12. “Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high?” (39:27)
   B. In other words,
    1. “Can you create life, sustain life, maintain balance in the ecosystem?” (“I know you can mess it up.”)
    2. “I have asked you some questions, Job, and you have listened. Now I expect you to answer.”  (40:6,7)
   C. Job’s reaction (one of most poignant moments in drama)
    1. Look at this gesture: “I put my hand over my mouth” (40:4) [Refer to 29:9]
    2. The same gesture others used to humble themselves before him, he is now using to humble himself before God.
READ 42:1-6
   D. When he does get himself together enough to speak, he admits:
    1. “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand.” (42:3b)
    2. Before tragedy I thought I had life figured out: good blessed, bad cursed.
    3. Then bad things started happening to me and I realized I was working from a wrong premise
    4. Now that I’ve been through tragedy, I realize You’re big enough to work through that too. You’re VERY big!
    5. “Before, my ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.” (42:5)  “spiritual” eyes
    6. “Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” (42:6)
IX  Curtain closes on drama
   A. Job’s friends are rebuffed (They are wrong!)
   B. Job is vindicated and blessed (heart is right!)
   C. “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first”  (42:12)
   D. But we can’t close our Bibles without this word:
    1. The book of Job is not just about Job
    2. It’s about you and me too
    3. It’s about where to go when times are tough: “Divine purpose in human suffering” (Jim DuBois)