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Host: Just how wealthy was Job?

Pastor Thom Keller: He was quote of all the men in the East, the richest man in all of the East. He had 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camel. So, you know, to get this in perspective, I think you need to be thinking like Bill Gates rich. In his world, this was Bill Gates. This guy was really really rich.

Host: We all go through troubles in this life. That is without question. Does God have a purpose in this? You're listening to Study the Word with Pastor Tom Keller of Calvary Chapel Lebanon. What can we learn from a book that was written several thousand years ago? The answer may surprise you. In the Old Testament book of Job, we learn that God has a faithful servant named Job who runs into a ringer, so to speak. We learn in chapter one that his children die after a series of tragedies. Listen in as Pastor Tom teaches on how God does have a purpose in our suffering.

We'll start off in Job chapter one verse one.

Pastor Thom Keller: So, in the book of Job is perhaps the earliest book in the Bible, the oldest book. Many believe it was written during the time of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, 1800 to 2000 BC. It's an old book, but it tells a story of a man who loses everything, his wealth, his family, his health, and struggles with the question why. God, why would you do this to me? There was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters.

He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. And he employed many servants. He was in fact the richest person in the entire area. So, what we find out here in the beginning is that Job is a moral, ethical man who fears God and hates evil. That's a good start, right? I mean, wouldn't you want that set of you that he's you, she, he is moral, ethical, they fear God and hate evil. There's a man from the church here that doesn't come often because there are some emotional issues that he deals with.

But he sends me letters from time to time, and he always signs it a God-fearing man. And I thought, wow, that's a How many people sign letters like that? That's pretty cool. A God-fearing man, but he was a God-fearing man. Now that's a good start. And in the Old Testament days, that typically led to a blessed life. That typically led to a blessed life. And it did for a while. But then we read about what happened to his children. In in Job verse two, it says that he has 10 children, and these are 10 good children.

We're going to find that they all get killed, but they're 10 children who grew up with money cuz it says later that he was the wealthiest man in all the East. So, these 10 children grew up in privilege and with money. And yet, you're going to see they remained in good relationship with all the siblings and the parents. I've said this before, when I do funerals, funerals of people that have had a lot of money are typically the the coldest many times of funerals because the money there's just a lot of stuff going on in the family.

You know what I mean? And yet, families that didn't have money, not that they don't have problems too, but there's just a whole different people are laid back, they kick back, kind of laughing. There's just a tenseness many times. It's not an absolute by any means, but there's definitely a trend that way. And so, the idea is that for Job to have 10 adult children and in fact let's let's go ahead just to to show you what I mean by this. In verse four, it says every year when Job's sons had birthdays, they invited their brothers and sisters to join them for a celebration.

On these occasions, they would get together to eat and drink. When the celebrations ended, and sometimes they lasted several days. Now let's just stop there for now. So, the children get together over each other's birthdays. And again, they have to be good relationships. And to me, to have 10 children from a family where there was a lot of money and they lived a privileged life, that's pretty amazing that they still all get along. Now you may say that's not I think that's pretty amazing. And they all get along with their parents. Cuz a lot of times money gets in the way of that, you know?

When your when your parents are poor, there are a lot of things that can get messed up with your parents, but it isn't going to be money. But when your parents are rich, have a lot of money, there's a lot of stuff that can get messed up in their in their child-parent relationship down that road. But yet, that didn't happen. He's the wealthiest man, great relationship with his children, and they have a great relationship with one another. One doesn't say you got more than me, it's not fair, I'm never having you over to my house.

None of that's going on. And his children lived in comfort and ease and wealth. And also note that Job was, the King James says, he was quote of all the men in the East, the richest man in all of the East. He had 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camel. So, you know, to get this in perspective, I think you need to be thinking like Bill Gates rich. In his world, this was Bill Gates. This guy was really really rich. And then let's go into verse four again. Every year when Job's sons had birthdays, he invited their brothers and sisters to join them for the celebration.

On these occasions, they would get together to eat and drink. When the celebrations ended, and sometimes they lasted several days. Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts. This was Job's regular practice. Now it says that 10 siblings got together for their birthday parties. And it says several days. I remember very few things from elementary school. I don't remember I don't know what a predicate adjective is.

I can hardly say it. But I should know what it is. I don't. You can tell by my speech I don't, the way I talk. But I do remember my teacher saying how many several is. Several is, she said, between three to seven. Three to seven is several. So, if it's seven days, that's and there 10 parties, that's 70 days a year. That's two months a year they were at parties with their siblings. That's quite if it's three, it'd be 30 days, a full month. So, somewhere between a full month a year and over two months a year, they were spending time with one another in in parties.

Now that 's a privileged life, right? Cuz they're not working. Someone's back home doing everything, they are not there. And it would appear it would appear that maybe Job's sons and daughters were not as moral or ethical as Job was because it says that they did not have maybe they did not have the same fear of God because he said perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their heart. Well, where would you get that from? You know, would you say would you say of someone maybe they cursed God in their heart? That's a pretty strong statement, isn't it?

Cursed God in their heart, that's pretty strong. So, maybe there was something there that he knew they were not as moral as ethical, and he wanted to intercede for them. Then the interesting thing is that if Job would offer a sacrifice, and he would not have felt a need to offer a sacrifice for them if he didn't feel they had done something wrong. And remember what sacrifices were for, right? Sacrifices were to make atonement for sin, to get things right with God once again. There's a book called Eternity in Their Hearts. Eternity in Their Hearts.

And it's a story of different cultures around the world where the the narrative that they had of their God fit the narrative of the God of the Old Testament and Jesus. And the point is that they the point they make in the book is that missionaries would go into these cultures and just completely ignore their the culture stories, the culture's background, and try to impose the western version of Christianity over top of them. Now there's only one version of Christianity, but hear me out. And so, this book talks about how so many of these cultures have have parts in their story that tie in perfectly to Jesus.

And one that I remember was really cool. And this was I think it's in South America. But there was a tribe, and every year to make atonement for their sins, they would take a I think it was a a chicken, and they would put it on a boat and send it down the river by itself to send it away. Now when they were told by a missionary that there's a scapegoat in the Bible, when they walked them to that and told them that that story, and then they said that the scapegoat they stopped doing scapegoats because the final sacrifice came and was Jesus.

See it all tied together. And instead of instead of disregarding that, you know, they they made they made use of that. So, you know, my point is, you know, it's just interesting how this idea of making appeasement to to a God, to gods for sin is found in so many cultures, so many settings. Yeah. Uh Vernon McGee interprets this as a fear Job had, a fear that his children had drifted away from God, so he interceded on their behalf. So, he made a sacrifice on their behalf. But it doesn't work that way, does it? You can't make atonement for your children, can you?

No. You can you can intercede in prayer, but they need to be the one that goes to God and confesses their sin. They need to be the one that goes and gets that made right with God. And so, although his heart was right, he's not getting the right person in front of God. So, for Job's children to be restored to a relationship with God after sinning, they would need to personally repent before God and in that era offer the sacrifice. Just as a father can't accept Christ for his son, a mother can't accept Christ for his her daughter.

So, why did Job not go that route? Why do you think he didn't go tell his children, you know what, you should you if you sin, you need to make a sacrifice, make atonement before God. So, here's the idea. Job did it for his children. He made the sacrifice. But he should have gone to his children and said, you need to go make this sacrifice. Why He would I think he would have known that. Probably it would have been the better thing, right? We'd have that figured out. Why do you think he wouldn't have done that?

Any ideas? You know, why is it that a lot of parents don't when there's signs in the home that their son or daughters is using drugs, why isn't many times parents don't jump in, right? They they don't want the confrontation. They don't want to they don't want to get into all this. But you know, the idea I was always found this interesting. This idea of Job offering sacrifices to God for forgiveness. Now listen again. This idea that Job is offering sacrifices to God for forgiveness. Question, where did that come from? This is before Moses. This is before the law.

So, where did it come from? Where what book did he have? What guide did he have? What instruction did he have? What was in writing that said you have to make sacrifices? And yet, he did. And yet, Abraham did the same thing. Remember? And even before Abraham, back in the garden days, Genesis three is the fall. And Genesis four is Cain and Abel. Put your finger in Job and go back to Genesis, the first book in the Bible. Genesis chapter four. It says speaking of Eve, Adam and Eve, his wife Eve, verse two it says later she, Eve, gave birth to a second son and named him Abel.

When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain was a farmer. At harvest time, Cain brought to the Lord a gift of his farm produce, while Abel brought several choice lambs from the best of his flock. The Lord accepted Abel's offering, but not did not accept Cain. This made Cain very angry. Now here's the point. Who told them that they needed to bring offerings? Who establishes their second generation? Where did they know that they're supposed to give an offering? And why do they know that you know, that they're supposed to give the best of the of the Where do they get that from?

You know, the Old Testament is is the record of God reaching out to a particular people, the Jews. And we have a good account of of his reaching down and giving them the law and for a very special reason. But there are really clear indicators in the Bible that God has also been reaching out to other people at the same time, other people groups, and speaking to them. I read a book called Twilight Labyrinth and I forget the author's name. His premise for the book is why does evil dwell where it dwells? And how has God been speaking to man through the centuries?

And this is his premise. His premise was that when mankind was new, when Adam and Eve were were fresh and Cain and Abel in the first and second and third, that they they were very sensitive to God like Cain like here. God says God says to Cain, why are you so dejected? Why are you so upset? They're having a conversation, right? Now we we just hear that quickly and and don't respond, but we don't that doesn't happen to us. There's not this discussion back and forth. So, his point is that he believes that from the beginning of mankind on as we has as mankind have sinned more and more, we've become less and less sensitive to the voice of God.

I'm not saying this is true. That's saying it's an interesting concept. And so, the idea is that back at this time as Bev said, God is probably even speaking to them like Abraham offered tithes to Melchizedek. Where did he get that from? Why did he offer tithes to Melchizedek? Why would you give 10% of what you have to someone unless someone told you to do it? We don't know where Job got this from, but obviously this early on God is communicating with Cain and Abel all the way up to the time of Job that this is to be a part of what they do.

Then let's look at going to verse six Job. This is where it starts to get really interesting. Job one verse six. It says one day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan, the accuser, came with them. Where have you come from? asked the Lord asked Satan. And Satan answered the Lord, I've been going back and forth across the earth watching everything that 's going on. One translation says patrolling the earth. And when I looked up the Hebrew, that's a very good word, patrolling. Then the Lord asked Satan, have you noticed my servant Job?

He's the finest man in all the earth, a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil. And Satan replied to the Lord, boy, can't you hear this this as a hiss, almost a hiss of a serpent? Yes, Job fears God, but not without good reason. You've always protected him in his and his home and his property from harm. You've made him prosperous in everything he does. Look how rich he is. But then you see this little this little wiry smile on Satan's face. But take away everything he has, and he will curse you to your face.

He will curse you to your face. Boy, there's so much in here. There are lessons we learn here about Satan that we don't see any place else. First of all, it says in verse six, the angels came, the sons of God. Now again, God's attendants are given a number of different titles in the Bible. They are sometimes called the hosts of heaven, sometimes messengers, sometimes angels. When they are God's messengers, his his holy ones he calls them holy ones. They're known as watchers, sons of God, spirits. Now to give you another picture of this that ties into this story and gives some other insights, make a left turn back to Second Chronicles 18.

And this is a fascinating little story that is unlike any other story in the Bible. This gives insights that aren't found anywhere else. Second Chronicles 18 verse 16. And this is about the Lord trying to induce Ahab to to be killed in battle. And so, God has a strategy, and he reveals this to the prophet Micaiah. So, Second Chronicles 18 16. So, Micaiah is a prophet. So, Micaiah told him in a vision, this is a true prophet of God. In a vision, I saw all Israel scattered in the mountain like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, their master has been killed, send them home in peace.

Didn't I tell you the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, he does it every time. He never prophesies anything but bad news for me. Then Micaiah continued, listen to what the Lord says. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven on his right and on his left. Do you get a picture of God in heaven on his throne and all the angels on his left and on his right. And the Lord said, who can entice King Ahab of Israel to go into battle against Ramoth Gilead so he can be killed there?

There were many suggestions until finally a spirit approached the Lord and said, I can do it. How you do this? the Lord asked. The spirit replied, I will go out and inspire all of Ahab's prophets to speak lies. You will succeed, says the Lord. Go ahead and do it. Verse 22. So, now Micaiah turns away from the vision and turns to the king and says, so you see the Lord has put lying spirits in the mouth of your prophet. But you get the picture. In Job, Satan appears with the angels. And what's interesting is in the in the Hebrew, when it talks about angels, unless it specifies it's from God or not from God, it's the same word that's used either way.

So, it can be it can be a bad angel or good angel. You need to know the context to kind of get that. And so, obviously this this spirit, this angel, this army of angels that appeared on the the left and right side of God's throne, this was an evil spirit cuz it put a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets. So, again, we we know that as hard as this is to believe that God actually uses uh demons to sometimes accomplish purposes. In other words, demons want to do what they want to do, and God blocks them.

But there are times if God can accomplish a purpose through what the demon wants to do, he will allow them to do what they want to do if it accomplishes his purpose. That's the case of the lying spirit. He allowed that to accomplish God's purpose. And so, the same thing is here with Job. Satan wants to tear Job to pieces, and God gives him limited permission to do so. So, again, God allows Satan to do something because God can use what Satan does to Job to bring about a greater good. Again, in Second Chronicles, the word there, the Hebrew word for host of angels is saba, t s a b a, saba, and it does not specify a fallen or unfallen angel.

Uh in Hebrew, the word is malak, and it's used 213 times in the Old Testament. And so, here it says that the Satan, the accuser, comes with the angels. Were they all good angels, all fallen angels? We don't know. Just says he came with the angels. And it's interesting, Satan, the accuser, comes with them. Satan is called the accuser only four times in the whole Bible. Four times in the entire Bible, old and new. Two times is in Job, chapter one and chapter two. And note that Satan appears in God's presence. Now just think about that.

Satan appears in God's presence. Many years ago, we worked with an evangelism team and went around the country doing conferences. And I I taught classes on evangelism. And in one of the one of the tools of witnessing the people, I said that why someone needs to have their sin forgiven before they can get to heaven. I said because God can't stand in the presence of sin. I said that for many years. God can't stand in the presence of sin. Nothing sinful can stand in God's presence. And this pastor came up and challenged me gently. He said, well, you know, I think you need to rethink that.

He said because Satan stood in the presence of God. And I thought, wow, you're right. If God can't stand in the presence of sin, how could Satan stand in front of him? I mean, he's the personification of sin and evil, right? That's just a little aside. But try to picture the scene. I picture you know, Jesus said, if you have seen me, you've seen the Father, right? So, don't ever lose that concept. If you if you see Jesus as being kind and loving and compassionate and loving you and caring about you and being compassionate towards you and see God as a stern lightning flashing from his fingertips on his throne, you know, the great and powerful Oz, don't get don't come behind the curtain, you know, one of those scenes, you got the wrong picture.

Jesus is the exact lightness of the unseen God. And so, in this scene, you have God and Jesus and Satan. Now the question is, how do you think Satan was dressed? If you're if you're not familiar with this, look at Second Corinthians chapter 11. It says verse 14, but I am not surprised even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. And so, the all the he is a deceiver, right? So, he comes I think in that form.

Host: You've been listening to Pastor Tom Keller on Study the Word and part of a study in Job. Would you like to give this a second listen? Either go to our website at ccleb.com or visit our YouTube page. Simply subscribe to our channel at Calvary Chapel Lebanon, and you can watch our services live or on demand. For those interested in a CD copy, call us at 717 273 5633. Once again, that's 717 273 5633. It takes a team to bring Study the Word to this station and many others like it. Please consider sending in a gift today.

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