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*Wisdom for the Good Life, II (Inscription 44)*
*Job: When the Good Life Doesn’t Work*
*Job*
*/February 27, 2011/*
* *
*Prep: *
· Read FB Notes, Skim Piper et al
*Scripture reading: Job 1:1-5*
Intro: Lent
Before we begin, I want to let you know about an *opportunity* and a *challenge* I have for the church.
Q How many of you know what *Lent* is?
Lent is one of the *oldest* Christian *traditions*, beginning in the 3rd century.
It basically consists of a *partial* *fast* for 40 days leading up to Easter (based off of the many “*40’s*” in the Bible – *Jesus* in *wilderness*, Jews wandering, etc).
· It is not in the Bible, but *most* *Christians* observe Lent and find it to be a *valuable* *Christian* *discipline*.
Most of us grew up in *informal* churches and have *never* observed it, others grew up *observing* Lent, but as an *external* *exercise*.
Several of us on *leadership* have decided to *observe* Lent and we wanted to invite you to *join* us, so we can do it *together*.
Of course the first question is “*why* on earth would I do that?”
Here are the *reasons* I want to do it:
1.
I take Christ’s *death* and *resurrection* more *seriously*.
Forty days remind me that Jesus gave up his life for me.
Fasting represents *mourning*, a chance to mourn his *death*.
At the same time, it gives me *greater* *reason* to *rejoice* at his resurrection (cf.
*Orthodox* *Christians* don’t eat any meat for 40 days).
2.
Fasting is an act of *repentance* – I want to take this time to repent of my sins which put Jesus on the cross.
3.
Willingly giving some *physical* *thing* that is *perfectly* *acceptable* up helps me shift my focus from my *physical* *appetites* to my *spiritual* *needs*.
So here is *how* it *works* – I would encourage each of you to choose one thing to give up:
\\ · Meat
· Candy
· Alcohol
· Coffee
· TV
· Internet
\\
It should be something that you will *miss*.
The beginning on *Ash* *Wednesday*, March 9th, you go without that thing until *Easter*.
· Here’s the cool part: *Sunday* is a *celebration*, so it is not right to fast on Sunday – you get *Sundays* “*off*.”
I am going to create a *Facebook* *event* where we can share what we are *giving* *u*p and what we are *learning*.
If you interested, check it on the *communication* *card*.
Prayer
· Guide each of us about *Lent*
· Speaks to us through *Job*, *comfort* us.
When the Good Life Doesn’t Work
· This is the *second* in our four-part series on the Wisdom, “*Wisdom* for the *Good* *Life*.”
Job is one of the most *moving* and *poetic* books of the Bible.
It contains some of the most *moving* *poetry* of the Bible, and also some of its most *disturbing* *questions*.
· Job serves as a *vital* *balance* to the *Pentateuch* and *Proverbs*.
In them, the principle is if you’re *righteous* you’ll be *blessed*, if you’re *wicked* you’ll be *cursed*, and it’s *usually* *true*.
Q But what do you do when it *doesn’t* *work*?
Q What do you do when *innocent* *suffer* and the wicked prosper?
It is one thing to ask why God allows *people* to *suffer*, it is a very different thing to ask why *I am suffering*, why people I love are suffering.
Sometime we are *slightly* *petty* and *self*-*serving*, “I love God, why isn’t he taking better care of me?” (EG: My *transmission*).
But other times it is *deep* and *bewildering* *pain*: Why did God allow this *innocent* *child* to die?
· The book of Job addresses these questions, and *God* himself *answers* them, but in a very *strange* way.
But even if that *doesn’t* *bother* you, and you don’t think you are ever going to suffer, you still need to pay close attention because sometime we are *Job* and sometimes we are *Job’s* *friends*,
· I pray that we can be *better* *comforters* than they were.
The Prologue: Setting the Stage
The story starts out by showing that Job was *truly* a *righteous* man, to *humorous* *extreme* in 1:5.
Maybe I should be praying that God forgive my kids every time they go out *in* *public*.
Remember, the whole system they were used to was “If you are righteous you will be blesses, if you are wicked you will suffer.”
It is called the *retribution* *system*.
And it is *working* for *Job*, he is very righteous and accordingly very wealthy.
Up to this point, everything in this story makes sense, until *Satan*, of all people, asks a *really* *good* *question*.
*Job 1:6-11 * One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?
There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?”
Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?
You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
In other words, Satan asks, “How do you know that Job *really* *loves* you?
What if he just loves you for what you *give* *him*?”
· The *problem* with the *retribution* system is it’s easy to serve God because what he *gives* you, instead of because he *is* *God*.
So God says, “*Game* on.”
In one day, *four* messengers run to Job:
1.
The first said, “*Sabean* *raiders* have stolen all your *oxen* and *donkeys* and have killed your farmhands!”
2. The second said, “*Fire* has fallen from the sky and burned up all your *sheep* and all your *shepherds*!”
3. The third said, “*Chaldean* invaders have stolen all your *camels* and have put your *herders* to the sword!”
4. The fourth said, “A *windstorm* has blown down the house of your oldest son and has killed all your *children*!”
*Job 1:20-22 * At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.
Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”
22 ¶ In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
This *isn’t* *good* *enough* for Satan.
He says once Job suffers physically, he’ll break, so God lets him kick it up a notch:
*Job 2:7-10 * 7 ¶ So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.
9 ¶ His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity?
Curse God and die!” [You can see why Satan didn’t kill her.]10
He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman.
Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
Does it *bother* *you* that that God would allow so much suffering for what amounts to a *cosmic* *bet*?
I think we *miss* the *point* of the story if we get hung up on that.
· That is the *not* the *point* of the book; the question of Job is, “Why do the *innocent* *suffer*?”
If it *helps*, Bible-believing *scholars* *disagree* as to whether Job is a *historical* account or a *long* *parable*.
It is not clear how *God* *intended* for us to understand it, but it makes *little* *difference* – the themes are clear.
When friends like this...
As Job is suffering, his *friends* come to comfort him, and at first they do *good* job of it, just sitting with him, not saying anything for seven days, then Job *breaks* the *silence*.
Q Have you ever *talked* to a *person* in *great* *pain*?
Q Have you ever noticed they don’t always say the *nicest* or most *theologically* *sound* thing?
· Job has an *inappropriate* *outburst*; because he will not curse God, he curses the *day* of his *birth*, for like a whole chapter.
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