"Job I: Tragedy Strikes" sermon preview

This week, our Chronological Bible readings have taken us from the end of the book of Genesis into two weeks of reading through the book of Job.  There is much that we could focus on within just the first week of these readings.  But we begin by reading of a man, Job, who even by God's own account was blameless and upright.  Yet when Satan challenged God to take away all that Job had, God gave Satan permission to do so.  Perhaps as we read this, we may find ourselves thinking, "If this is what God allows to happen to the blameless, perhaps I'm better off not being such a goody two shoes like Job after all."

But then as if loosing all that Job had lost and his children as well wasn't enough, God had another conversation with Satan.  Once again Satan challenged God.  This time Satan challenged God to take away Job's health as well.  God also gave Satan permission to do this but not to take Job's life.  What are we to make of all this?  Why are these bad things happening to such a good person?  Sounds like a familiar and contemporary question doesn't it?

In the book of Job,  we find that clearly God is in control.  Certainly Satan is the one seeking ill against Job.  And seemingly, God had confidence in Job's ability to "pass this test."  And yet, God allowed Job to undergo this suffering "without any reason."  And as if that wasn't bad enough, Job also experienced a less than supportive spouse who told him to "curse God and die;" as well as several unsupportive friends who may have meant well; but were not much in the way of encouragement.

Yet as Job experienced all of this, he still responded to God with worship.  Though Job felt distant from God and perhaps even mistreated through this experience, he desired an audience with God.  Job did not turn his back on God.  Job remained faithful and desired to work this out.  And perhaps through the suffering Job grew...