Sermon Tone Analysis

There are 3 Tests Job faces:

The test of Wealth - Loss of wealth seeks to rob him of his confidence in God.

The test of Health - Loss of health seeks to rob him of his trust in God.

The test of Stealth - His friends sneak try to rob him of his faith and integrity.

1:22 Antecedent to “this” are the calamities of vv.

13–19.

Any one of those events might have caused lesser men to lose faith, abandon hope, or even charge God with neglect or deliberate evil.

The “sin” that Job did not commit was to accuse God of “wrongdoing.”

He did indirectly acknowledge that God had sent these troubles, but he did not at this point question God’s justice, love, wisdom, or sovereignty.

It is a rare and commendable posture that the hero from Uz assumed, one that should characterize all God’s children whatever turns life might take.

Thus the chapter ends with “the greatest man among all the people of the East” destitute, childless, and broken.

In the space of less than a page and in a brief span of time, he went from being the greatest to being the least of men.

We the readers know something that Job did not, and so we cannot enter into his sorrow.

Like God, we know the end from the beginning.

We know all about the fact that Job had been chosen as a test case.

Because of his godliness God selected him for this trial.

Job was unaware that his troubles were a great honor.

Would Job remain faithful?

Will we?

3. Test of Health (2:1–10)

There are 4 catastrophes in Chapter One:

A number of similarities exist between this chapter and the preceding one.

Verses 1–3a are nearly identical to 1:6–8.

corresponds with 2:6, and 1:22 corresponds with 2:10c.

In these ten verses Job’s testing intensifies.

Up to this point he has lost his possessions and his children.

Now he would lose his health, which the Satan hoped would break his will and prompt him to curse his God.

These two tests together produce yet other losses that we will note in the course of the debate cycle: honor, respect, standing in the community, friendships, and even the support of his wife and brothers (12:4; 16:10; 19:13–19; 30:1, 9–10).

Theft of oxen and donkeys (1:

There are four catastrophes:

1st and 3rd are people related disasters

2nd and 4th are nature related disasters

All of these disasters befell Job in the course of one feast (vv.

13, and 18)

First disaster

Last disaster

All four were caused by Satan

All four were permitted by God

The implication is that Job lost everything…v.

21

(KJV 1900)

z ch.

8:7. .

a Comp.

ver. 10 with ch.

1:3.

12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.

b Comp.

ver.

10. & ch.

1:2 with .

The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version.

(Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), .

(1) theft of oxen and donkeys (1:13–15) - Sabeans from the South

1000 yoke of oxen

If you like the idea of owning livestock that will amaze your friends and neighbors, a pair of Gayal oxen might just fit the bill.

Because of their rarity, a 2-year-old pair sells for around $12,000, according to Jurgen Schulz who runs the Kifaru Exotic Animal Auction House in Lampasas, Texas.

He imported his Gayal oxen from Sweden many years ago.

On the rural heritage website, an oxen team was being sold for 1000 Dollars - One for $500

500 yoke (in today’s dollars) would be around $500,000 - If all the oxen were taken, that would have been quite a loss.

500 yoke (in today’s dollars) would be around $500,000

500 female donkeys

On horse clicks website they were selling female donkeys for $2500, $1200 and $1500 dollars...

500 donkeys about $650,000 in todays money

Servant’s Killed

(2) fire (1:16) - From above - North

7000 sheep

It also kindled Elijah’s sacrifice on Mount Carmel () and

$155-175 dollars

struck the first two groups of fifty men that King Ahaziah sent to Elijah (2 Kgs 1:10, 12, 14).

7000 sheep = $1,155,000

(3) theft of camels (1:17) - Chaldeans from the Northeast

and

Camel prices start at about $55,000

3000 camels = $165,000,000 in todays money

(4) the storm that killed his children (1:18–19) - Probably the Scirroco (shear - ahko)- a strong wind that begins in northern Africa (so from the West compared to where Job was) and can reach hurricane strength....

10 children - 7 sons and three daughters - No value or price can be put upon your children…they are precious beyond price!

So Job was getting slammed from every direction.

What Does he do?

What would you do?

In relation to the loss of children

A similar loss befell Horatio Spafford when his four children perished at sea, an event that prompted him to pen the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.”

This, in fact, will be the tenor of Job’s response.

I.

He took action (v.

20)

Five of the nine words in v. 20 are action verbs

A. He Got up

B. He Tore (Mantle - a robe or loose fitting tunic) - Typical reaction to traumatic news)

C.

He Shaved - Typical reaction

D. He Fell -

E. He Worshipped - The falling down and worshipping are what separates him from others....

It was not a fist in the face of God

Ill.

Have you seen the images in the news of people with their fists raised…It is an symbol of defiance, unity, strength, defiance, or resistance.

The raised fist, or the clenched fist, ✊, is a symbol of solidarity and support.

It is also used as a salute to express unity, strength, defiance, or resistance.

For Job, it was Humble acknowledgement of and capitulation to God’s sovereign will.

II.

He spoke poetically - It is in very difficult times that poetry can be and has been used to express the truest content of the human heart and also to bind up and heal the broken heart…

”Poetry to a broken heart is what ink is to the pen.”

A. He expresses his pain and suffering and sense of loss...

In pain, Always remember...