Job chapter 1, ending up Job chapter 1. Here it is, the seventh message, finally get to the end of chapter 1. If you don't have a copy of the sermon notes, there's some out on the table, so there you go. Job chapter 1, we're looking at Job's worship and his reasoning behind his worship and his actions as we look at Job chapter 1, verses 20 through 22. Poor Job, he's been there under that All those things that happened to him, that was like three weeks ago, we covered that one. Poor Job, he had been down in the ground for all that time. So, I was thinking about responding to tragedy, and we look at Job's response. It is rather unique, and it's a good lesson for us. And I was thinking that much like David, and David, remember, had the son of the adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, was sick unto death, and he prayed, and he fasted, and finally the child died. Of course, while he had been fasting and praying that the servants stood around him and they knew that the child was dead, and he kind of gathered that there was something to that, and so he asked if the child was dead, and they said yes. So David rose from the earth, and he washed himself, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to the house of God, and worshiped. So how does that happen? And that's what I'm going to look at tonight, because we find a job after losing everything, including his seven children, that he he worships God. And so there's something very unique. And so tonight we're considering Job's response to the tragedy and how we can learn from it and what was going on behind the scenes. So let's pray. Father, we thank you for this portion of Job and thank you for the book of Job. It's very encouraging to us. to see the background of some things that have happened even in our own lives. And so we give you thanks for this privilege to look into the inner courts of what's going on. We thank you, Father, for your word, because your word never changes, because you never change. And so everything that, as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans chapter 15, that the things written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through the patience and the comfort of the scriptures, might have hope. It would give us hope, Father, to understand what you are doing and the things behind what you're doing. And so we thank you for this portion of scripture tonight and pray that we would be able to glean from this and be encouraged by it to do likewise when things happen like, maybe not to the extent of Job, but things that happen in our lives, we'd be quick to worship you as we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Before we get into the Job thing, I was thinking, I read John Calvin on this passage of scripture, and he was talking about the fact that when we're not patient when things happen, our faith goes out the door. Because if we're, faith will actually lead us to more patience. And I thought, well, that's true. James chapter one says that my brother counted all joy when you fall into different trials, that the trying of your faith works patience So let patience have her perfect work. Also, the Apostle Paul, patience, comfort, encouragement, contentment. When the Apostle Paul says in the book of Philippians chapter four, that whatsoever state I am, I have learned to be content. See that light come on? See what happens when you start talking about contentment? People in this church know what happens when you talk about contentment. We're thinking automatically of Jeremiah Burroughs, right? Those of you that have never read Jeremiah Burroughs, a rare jewel of Christian contentment, you need to. That's a must for people to read. So if you'll just let me remind everybody and probably Charlie can recite it. I know Anthony can. He and Maritza still recite it. The rare jewel of Christian contentment, Jeremiah Burroughs, defined contentment this way. Here it goes. Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition. Isn't that sweet? That's good. So I encourage you to pick up Jeremiah Burroughs' Virgil of Christian Contentment. We went through it on a Bible study. I think we took, what is it, 35, 40 lessons on that. So it was really good. So anyway, so tonight what we're looking at, I want you to see in the midst of this, Job lost everything. Tragedy, right? We might think that. And so we find that Job really does give us an example of Christian contentment, even though he's before Christ. But he gives us an example of what it is to have peace and have peace of God, just relying upon God and realizing that he had great patience as well. So here we go, tonight we're looking at Job's worship and reasoning, Job chapter 1 verses 20 through 22. Let me read it and let's just break it down. Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. I probably should have read verses 13 through 19 to just get a handle on that, but we have covered that last time. And so just to understand that one messenger came after the other to say, you lost all your camels, you lost all your oxen, and your donkeys, and you have lost all your sheep. And the last one came and said, you've lost your children. So here he goes. And so he rises, and he tears his robe and shaves his head, and then he worships. So the first thing we're going to look at is Job's worship in verse 20, that he rose and tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. I want to bring to you, I just Okay, you're saying, well, Bob, you're just a lamenting pastor. And that's true, I do talk about it a lot, but I see in this as a lament. It's kind of a silent lament, okay? And you say lament, a lament has the aspects of addressing God, number one. Number two, that you offer a complaint fully honest to him. Number three, you offer a request as if God says, okay, what do you want me to do about that? And then number four, a word of trust. So I wanna say that his actions are loud in this. And so when he rises, the first thing I would point out, the first thing he does is he rises up, he's turning his attention to God. So you think about if he was, you know, probably, somebody said, you better sit down for this one, okay? So again, he talked about all the things that he lost. If you go back to 13 through 19, it's one messenger after another. It says, while he still spoke, the next guy came. So he didn't have a chance to take vengeance or figure out what he was going to do. He didn't have a chance, one after another. And so after the last one that announces that he also lost his children, then it says, then Job arose and tore his robe. So this arising, I was thinking like, It's kind of like a fighter that's down for the count. And he gets back up. So he's been knocked down. We would be knocked down, too, if we got all that word. He lost a great income. He lost everything, really. And then he lost his children. So I was thinking about, OK, what is that like? Well, listen to the words. This is from a lament in Psalm 22 when he says in verses one through five, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Very familiar words quoted by the Lord Jesus Christ. Why are you so far from saving me from the words of my groaning? Oh my God, I cry day by day, you do not answer. By night I find no rest. You are wholly enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted. They trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried. and rescued, and you rescued, and you they trusted and were not put to shame." So in one sense, I believe that he's feeling the same thing that David felt in Psalm 22, that kind of wanted to just call out to God, and so he just didn't have, maybe it's because he was so overwhelmed. He just didn't have the words. It just says he just rose up. I think it's significant that he rose up. He didn't just bury himself later is going to hit the deck and worship to God. But right now he just he just it's like he picks himself up. I said, Okay, you know, isn't it like this? This is kind of maybe it's far fetched, but follow with me on this. When God speaks to us when we're down, okay, when he comes to us, It is like the words of Song of Solomon in chapter two, when it says, my beloved speaks and says to me, arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. Arise, my beautiful one, and come away. It's almost like the Lord picks us up. You say, that seems far-fetched, is it? Isn't that what the Lord was doing to the Apostle Paul when he said he prayed that three times for that thorn in flesh to be taken away? Here's, Jesus picks him up and says, Paul, my grace is sufficient for you, and my strength is made perfect in weakness. So also, when you think about this, Psalm 113 says, he raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the heap. In Psalm 16, he says, for you will not abandon my soul to Sheol or let your Holy One see corruption. You make known to me the path of life. In your presence, there is a fullness of joy, and at your right hand are pleasures evermore. So I believe that Job was knocked to the ground, but the first thing he did was to rise. Okay, and was it the Lord picking him up? I sense it was. Okay, is the Lord that picks us up? And sometimes we're just down for the count. He picks us up. So we may not be addressing God with words, but there's a sense that we are lifted up from the pit. And we look to the heavens, as he says in Psalm 122, I'm looking to the hills, whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the Lord. So secondly, I've noticed that there is this honest worship here when he says he tore his robe and he shaved his head. I call this like the second phase of lament. He's just being honest and open. Maybe he's offering a verbal complaint or request. We don't see that per se, but the expression of grief is here. Too often we struggle with our feelings and fail to realize expressions of grief are okay. Okay, so I'm not advocating that somebody shave their head, okay, or tear your clothes, but that does, that is a reality of what happened in biblical times. They tore their clothes and shaved their head. Now let's understand, when you get like that, when you're down for the count, and you feel like you don't even have words that you can express to God, isn't it good that we have the help of the Holy Spirit? Listen to these words of Romans 8, 26. Likewise, the spirit helps us in our weakness, but we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Oh, I like that. That is good stuff because sometimes we can't even express it. And I believe that was where Job was right here. He can't even express it, but the spirit helps us when we're in that condition, helps us to pray according to the will of God. Now let me turn to a actual lament and get a sense of the trouble that is felt in a lament. In Psalm 77, verses 1 through 4, it says, I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. In the day of my trouble, I seek the Lord. In the night, my hand is stretched out without wearing, and my soul refuses to be comforted. When I remember God, I moan, and when I meditate, my spirit faints. Now you hold my eyelids open. I'm so troubled that I cannot speak. That's a person is giving words to his lament and his complaint before God. Job doesn't offer eight words, but he offers actions, shave his head and tear his clothes. Okay. I was looking about tearing the clothes. There's a good example of that. I think Sam and I are reading through the same Bible reading plan, and it takes us, we started out with the book of Ezra. Remember Ezra, when he found out that the Levites had taken in foreign wives. And when he heard that, it says in Ezra chapter 9, as soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and I pulled my hair and my beard and sat appalled. Yikes. So, there's something about that that makes you just cringe when you think about that. But there's the expressions of of the grief that he felt. So when it says in Psalm 77, let me remember my song in the night. Let me meditate in my heart and let my spirit made a diligent search. Will the Lord spurn forever and never again to be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased and has his promise come to an end? So, okay, that's an actual lament. And again, from Job, he's just tearing his clothes and shaving his head. And notice it says in Psalm 147, verse three, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wound. And the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart, O God, you do not despise in Psalm 51. Well, here's Job, he picks himself up, okay, and he expresses his grief by shaving his head and tearing his clothes. Let's notice the expression of faith and humility in his worship when he hits the ground, falls on the ground, and worships. In Psalm Isaiah 66 about worship, he says, this is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Again, from Psalm 77, the psalmist writes and says, and I said, I will appeal to this to the ears of the right hand of the most high, I will remember The deeds of the Lord, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder on your work and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O Lord, is holy, and what God is there like our God? You are the God who works wonders, and you have made known things among the peoples. So I thought about this, it's kind of what Romans chapter 11 says, that we take note of the kindness and also the severity of God. And of course, Job had the goodness or the kindness of God expressed as we looked at the first three verses in chapter one, that he was blameless and upright, but he was born to him seven sons and three daughters. possessed sheep and camels and oxen and female donkeys and he was the mightiest person in the land. But the severity of God, we understand when the severity of God hits, that's the kind of thing, are we calling upon God at that time? Or are we taking everything for granted and just turn on Him? So it says in the book of Romans that we are to not presume upon the riches and kindness and the forbearance and patience, but knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. So in one sense, you would see that Job is led to repentance. He is falling on the ground before God. He's expressed his grief. He's falling on the ground before God, and he's worshiping God. So it says, and I want to bring this up because it says in Isaiah chapter 43 that when we face these troubles, we're to remind ourselves what's gone behind the scenes. Where it says in Isaiah 43 that, Now the Lord has created you, O Jacob, and who formed you, O Israel. Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. And when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. And when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and the flames shall not consume you. Now, if you go back before the things happened, Satan accused Job before God and said, if you take away all the stuff that he has, he will curse you to his face. In other words, the things were a God to him, okay? And it just shows you right here that when it's all gone, yes, he expresses grief, but he's on his face worshiping God. He's on his face worshiping God. So let's look at his reasoning here. The reasoning that Job could do this, and I believe this really adds to the sense of lament, that his reasoning, he said, naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon expresses that when he says, all go to one place, all from the dust, and to the dust they shall return. And in Ecclesiastes chapter 12, it says that dust returns to the earth, as it is, and the spirit returns to God who gave it when we die. So it says, when he says, the Lord gave, the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. So when he says the Lord gave, of course, when he looked at that, the Apostle Paul says that in 1 Corinthians 4, verse 7 says, do you have anything, is there anything that you have that has not been given to you by God? Can you name one thing that you have that has not been given to you by God? And in the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul in Mars Hill says that he has given to all mankind life and breath and everything. The Apostle Paul says in the book of 1 Timothy chapter 6 that God richly provides us with everything to enjoy. So when we look at all the things that we have in life, the Apostle Paul would say that, and here Job says that the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Sovereignty of God. He has the right to take things away, doesn't he? So, the Lord has taken away. pastor friend who lives up the street actually, I was telling him that I was preaching through Job on Sunday nights. And he said, maybe you can straighten Job around. Because he said, Job has some bad theology. I said, what? And he said, yeah, because Job says the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. But looking back on that chapter, it says that Satan was incited this thing to happen, so God gave him the challenge, goes, go ahead and take it all away, okay, but don't take his life. So it had restrictions on it. So he says, the Lord didn't take it away, Satan took it away. Okay, let's back up, because there's a lot of people feel that. The Lord didn't take it away, Satan took it away. So back when Satan made that challenge, as we presented to you before, we looked at Job's affliction, that remember that God allowed Satan, number one, to challenge, because Satan is the accuser of the brothers. Satan is the adversary in our lives. Satan is the adversary of the church. And because there's an adversary out there, we are dependent upon our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you with me on that? That is so important to understand. And so God allows Satan, he's restricted, but he's allowing him to even afflict Job because Job needs to learn some things about calling upon God. He's a righteous man. God declares the fact that he's blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. God recognized that. But there are some things that Job had to learn, and only can be learned through affliction. So yes, Satan does a lot of things, but God allows him to do that, and God knows what he's going to do, and God puts restrictions on what he's going to do. And then God uses what he does for God's glory and our good. You're with me on that? That's good stuff, okay? So, my friend said, oh, Job's theology is wrong. Now, I was in a restaurant and I didn't feel like arguing with him, but I meet with him again in a couple weeks. I think I will. Okay, because if you look at Job, if you have your Bible, I might have put it in your outline, Job chapter two and verse three. We're gonna do this next time, but notice it says, the Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job? There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away evil. He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason. Okay, so God has taken responsibility of what happened to Joe. Because is there anything that happens in the world without God's sovereignty and control? If there's one thing, as R.C. Sproul said, if there's one maverick molecule, God is not a sovereign God. Just one maverick molecule, God is not sovereign. Okay, but he's sovereign and so he has control of all things. So Satan is doing God's dirty work for him because God knows that Job needed it. God knows that we need to be afflicted because we'll turn to him, right? Otherwise, we'll go haywire. We'll assume everything, we have everything together. Okay, so number one, I think that Job, that God, excuse me, we'll get to this next time, but I believe that God is rubbing Satan's nose in the mud when he says, you incited me. Okay, but before that, he says, he still holds his integrity, although you incited me. Okay, Satan accused Job before God said, if you get all this, take away his stuff, he'll curse you to his face. So God says, you incited me. But look at his integrity, even though he lost everything. So Job's a worshiper. All right, so he says, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. In Romans chapter 8, we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did what? Predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. He's predestinated us to be conformed to His Son. How are we going to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ? We're not. On our own, we might think we could, but we're not. We need assistance. And all that assistance is the affliction. And the affliction sends us driving to God, and we hold fast to Him. That's why in Hebrews chapter 12, it says, forgotten the exhortation addresses you as son. My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary of his been reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastens the son he receives. All right, so the Lord gives, the Lord takes away. then his response is a right response, blessed be the name of the Lord. It says in Psalm 34 verses 1 through 3, says, I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, my soul makes its boast in the Lord, let the humble hear and be glad, oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. And a very important passage of scripture from 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, that we are to be giving thanks in all circumstances. Isn't that a good passage? Give thanks in all circumstances. And he says, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. So if you want to know what God is doing in your life, he knows that our best way to live is in total dependency. But we have such a tendency to go off on the direction, and so we need to be driven back. And things happen in our lives that keep drawing us back, pain, affliction, persecution, whatever it is. So isn't it wonderful that God adds a little footnote in verse 22? In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Isn't that a good? How many times people charge God with wrong? How many times have you ever talked to somebody and shared the gospel with somebody that has said, yeah, I went to church, but this happened in my life and that happened, and I can't serve a God like that. And so they automatically say, well, things should have been perfect in my life. And so they just throw it all off. So they're charging God, actually, and when people just complain and complain and complain, they're charging God foolishly. But let's look at this. How could have Job sinned? It says, in all this, Job did not sin. How could he have sinned? Well, he could have complained and ranted, why is all this happening to me? I think there's a song about that, you know, that we could have gone around saying, why is all this happening? Round up what servants he has and look to take vengeance on those who took his property. Okay? But we don't find that. Matter of fact, he didn't have time for that because one came after the other. God was saving him for that. And sometimes people get so busy doing those things that they don't take time to see what God is doing in the midst of it. Psalm 4 says, be angry and do not sin, and ponder in your own hearts and your beds, and not be silent. In Ephesians chapter 4, it comes around, it kind of transliterated that and says, be angry and do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your anger. So there you go, Job did not sin before God, but he did not accuse God. I came across a few scriptures on that, where it says, arise, oh God, and defend your cause. Remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day. In Proverbs 19, it says, when a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord. How many times do you hear people rage against God? In Romans chapter nine, it says, shall the thing that is molded say to its maker, why have you made me thus? Nobody has the right to do that. King Nebuchadnezzar learned that, didn't he? He was taken from the heights of his glorious kingdom and down to eating grass in the earth. When God restored him, he said, all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. He works his will among the army of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. And no one, no one can stay his hand or say unto him, what are you doing? Wow. Okay, so Job laments without words. Job gets up, wherever he was. I'm not exactly sure how that looked. I kind of picture him maybe being in a seat of some sort. You know, he was a very famous man, and his servants came one after another and told him all the things that went wrong, and he gets up, okay? And it's almost like, okay, I just need a change of perspective. I believe when he got up, he was thinking about God. He wasn't thinking about the things that just happened. He got up, and then he went to lamenting. When he got up, he tore his clothes, and he shaved his head, expressing his grief to God. And then he bowed himself down on the ground, and he worshiped God. He didn't accuse God. but he worshiped. When we lament, we address God. We get up from where we are and we turn our sights above. When we're hit with tragedies in life, difficulties in life, it's real easy to just focus in and try to figure out how we're going to get through this. But if we rise up like Job, we turn our attention above, not on things of the earth. And then the lament is we offer our complaint to God. It's all right to complain that you're being totally honest and open with God. And sometimes that honesty and openness with God is exactly what Job did. I've never torn clothes, have you? I mean, I've torn it accidentally, you know, I have a nice shirt. Oh, no, I tore my clothes. This was on purpose, okay? And I don't know, sometimes things are double stitched or whatever and it might be hard to, you might want to tear them. Okay, so he tore his clothes and he shaved his head. I got in trouble for shaving my head when I was in high school. My dad said I looked terrible. I was on the football team, and we got together and everybody said, let's all shave our heads. I said, OK. So I went first. And everybody said, we're not doing that. And my mother, when I came home, ran out of the house crying. If she could see people now, all right. Anyway, shaving his head and tearing his clothes. We call it a silent lament. But he worships God. As he worships God, he realizes exactly what he said, that he trusts God to do what is right. And that comes at the end of a lament that we trust God to do what is right. That's what heals our hearts. That's the sign the Holy Spirit is with us. And the Holy Spirit was with Job during that time to say, the Lord gives, the Lord takes away. Blessing be the name of the Lord. Let's pray. Father, thank you for this time in Job. Thank you for Job chapter one. It's so good to see your hand and the things went on behind the scenes of Job's affliction. And then we see how you worked in his affliction to bring praise to yourself. Father, it's hard to prepare for those things. And we know that your grace is sufficient when we need it. And so we pray that as we face difficulties, however big or small or medium they are, that we would have likewise the faith that Job had to say the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. We give you thanks for this in Jesus' name. Amen.