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Do We Fear God for Nothing?

Job 1.9

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • January 14, In the year of our Lord, 2018

Prelude:

  1. Would you believe me,
    1. if I said there was a man who:
      1. was unimpeachable,
      2. honest,
      3. feared God and
      4. avoided evil?
    2. Are you thinking that such a man has been extinct since the dinosaurs?
    3. Perhaps you reason that he has not gotten up out of bed yet!
  2. There are plenty of good men today.
    1. Men like that have it perfect in life, right?
      1. Nothing ever goes wrong for them, right?
      2. Is that not the reason they are good men?
    2. Actually the truth is the opposite.
      1. The reason we know that they are
        1. without corruption,
        2. honest,
        3. God-fearing and
        4. run from evil,
      2. is because they have proven themselves during trying times.
  3. The man I have pictured above was Job.
    1. Job 1 shows a real man.
      1. Unfortunately evil people get our attention,
      2. leading us to believe that men like Job do not exist,

        1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1.1).
    2. Job excelled in righteousness.
      1. Ezekiel 14 uses Job as one of the ultimate examples of righteousness,

        20 “…even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness” (Eze 14.20).
      2. God told Ezekiel
        1. that a land can become so wicked,
        2. that even the most righteous men in it,
          1. cannot save that land.
        3. The point is that these three men
          1. had righteousness that excelled.
          2. They were above others.
      3. However, if you remember the first two, Noah and Daniel,
        1. you know that they did not live trouble-free lives.
        2. We know them because of their troubles.
          1. The same can be said about Job.
          2. We know him because of his severe troubles.

Persuasion:

  1. The Lord Thought Highly of Job
    1. In Job 1 God shows total confidence in Job.
      1. Imagine God saying the following words about you,

        8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1.8).
    2. Satan will not let a man like that go unchallenged.
      1. Satan hates righteousness and
        1. he hates righteous people, including you.
        2. He wants to use any means possible to destroy you.
      2. Watch him challenge God in regard to Job,

        9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” 12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD (Job 1.9–12).

        1. Earlier in the narrative,
        2. you will see why Satan uttered those words,

          3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East. 4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly (Job 1.3–5).
    3. Satan saw
      1. all those possessions and
      2. those ten wonderful children and
        1. Satan concluded, as many people do about the righteous,
          1. that the only reason Job was a good man
          2. is that he had not suffered.
            1. Even as many people believe that if you are a good person,
            2. you will not suffer.
        2. The Book of Job explodes both false ideas.
    4. The brutality of Satan goes beyond calculation,

      13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” (Job 1.13–19).

      1. Satan added to the cruelty
        1. by allowing one servant to survive in each case, and
        2. by timing things so that one servant arrived
          1. while a previous one
          2. was just finishing his report.
      2. However, Job proved to be a true man of God.
        1. Job did not serve God because of the blessings,

          20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said:

          “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
          And naked shall I return there.
          The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
          Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

          22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong (Job 1.20–22).

        2. Job served God and God blessed him for it.
  2. Do We Fear God for Nothing?
    1. Look back at Satan’s accusation against Job:

      9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (Job 1.9).

      1. Do you know what Satan does most of the time?
      2. Revelation 12 shows him cast out of heaven.
        1. Listen to an announcement made to John
        2. as to why there was rejoicing in heaven:

          10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down” (Rev 12.10).

          1. They rejoiced that Satan had been cast down, because
          2. he accuses us before God endlessly.
    2. Luke 22 shows Jesus telling Peter
      1. that Satan asked to deal with him
      2. like Satan did with Job,

        31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat” (Luke 22.31).

        1. Satan believed the wrong things about Peter.
        2. Satan wanted to show why Peter served God.
    3. Why should we be excluded from Satan’s ferocity?
      1. Let us ask ourselves then why we fear God.
      2. Second Corinthians 13 tell us to make a self-examination,

        5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified (2Co 13.5).
    4. Satan does not give up,

      2.1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” 3 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” 4 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” 6 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. 9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2.1–10).

      1. When Satan finished tempting Jesus in the wilderness, Luke says:

        13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time (Luke 4.13).
    5. Why do I fear God?
      1. Why am I a Christian?
      2. Why do I worship?
        1. Satan believes all the wrong things about you.
        2. He answers that you do these things because:
          1. You believe you will never suffer;
          2. You think only good things will happen;
          3. God is protecting you, etc.
  3. Why Am I a Righteous Man Suffering Intensely?
    1. While we saw Job’s confession at the end of chapter one,
      1. that he worshiped God and
      2. confessed that
        1. he came into the world with nothing and
        2. he would leave the world in the same way,
          1. he was still confused as to why he suffered.
          2. The Book of Job shows
            1. that he did not understand his suffering,
            2. nevertheless, he remained faithful to God.
    2. Listen to Job wonder why he was living.

      1 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth (Job 3.1).

      1. He cursed the day of his birth:

        10 “Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb,
        Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.” (Job 3.10).
      2. If he had to be born, he reasoned further,

        11 “Why did I not die at birth?
        Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?
        12 Why did the knees receive me?
        Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?”
        (Job 3.11–12)
      3. If he was not stillborn, he wondered why he did not die during suffering:

        20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery,
        And life to the bitter of soul,
        21 Who long for death, but it does not come,
        And search for it more than hidden treasures;
        22 Who rejoice exceedingly,
        And are glad when they can find the grave?”
        (Job 3.20–22)

Exhortation:

  1. Is it possible that many difficulties we experience are attacks from Satan?
    1. Satan is ruthless.
      1. He works in secret.
      2. Even as Job did not know why he suffered,
        1. likewise many of your sufferings
        2. may be the direct attack of the dragon.
    2. He wants you to quit fearing God.
    3. Is it possible to fear God when you have nothing?
      1. Listen to Job’s determination.
        1. This is why he is so famous.
        2. Listen to him say that
          1. even if this is true,
          2. so something else will be true.

            15 “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
            Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.”
            (Job 13.15)
          3. Look at what he thought God was doing.
          4. Yet, Job had such confidence in God
            1. that the man determined to continue to trust God,
            2. knowing that things would turn out right in the end.
      2. Habakkuk 3 has a marvelous confession of God in the face of suffering.
        1. If you are a song-writer,
        2. would you please put Habakkuk 3.17–19 to music,

          17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
          Nor fruit be on the vines;
          Though the labor of the olive may fail,
          And the fields yield no food;
          Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
          And there be no herd in the stalls—
          18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
          I will joy in the God of my salvation.
          19 The LORD God is my strength;
          He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
          And He will make me walk on my high hills.
          (Hab 3.17–19)
  2. People question God because suffering exists.
    1. Yet, if they observe a husband and wife who have nothing,
    2. except they love one another,
      1. people honor them.
      2. To a couple in love, it does not matter whether they have little or much.
          1. Why can it not be that way with God?
          2. Why can we not admire someone who fears God while having little or much?