3. When the Storm Hits

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Hymns: RHC 109 Jesus Is All the World to Me, 205 Thine Is the Glory, 243 The Comforter Has Come

Job 1:5, 8-12, 13-19

 5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered 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 did Job continually.

 8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

 13And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 14And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 19And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. (Job 1:5, 8-12, 13-19 KJV)

When the Storm Hits

OUTLINE

(1) Preparation (v5)

(2) Permission (v8-12)

(3) Persecution (v13-19)

 

INTRODUCTION

Jesus gave these words of wisdom, comfort and cheer to His disciples before He went to the cross in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 is the record of the last words of our Lord’s last sermon to His disciples. The discourse began in John 13:31 after Judas had left the group to betray Jesus. The Lord was in the Upper Room with the disciples before He went to the cross. And He gave His disciples these comforting words of assurance of His abiding presence with them. Just as His Father’s presence was with Him without let-up, so too they would find rest in Jesus’ abiding presence in times of severe trial and testing. His abiding peace (v33a) resting with us and persevering courage to live for Jesus (v33b), trusting in Him to see us through hard days.

Andrew Murray speaks well of a spiritual man’s devotional life, “Just as the sun rising each morning is the pledge of light throughout the day, so the quiet time of waiting upon God will be the pledge of His presence and His power resting on us all day. Learn this great lesson that the sun proclaims each day: As the sun on a cold day shines on us and imparts its warmth, believe that the living God will work in you with His love and His Almighty power. God will reveal Himself as life and light and light and joy and strength to the soul that waits upon Him.”

(1) Preparation (v5)

5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered 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 did Job continually.

 A Time and Place of Quiet Before God – In life as in spiritual life, we wrestle distinguishing the urgent from the important. The urgent is not important and the important may not be urgent. When we are encumbered with the urgent, we lose sight of the important. There is a proper priority for life with God. Jesus sets the example for us.

 …in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

It was a spiritual discipline, a habit of dependence upon God for success in life that He demonstrated. First of all, it was deliberate. He would rise up a great while before day. Before there is the breaking of light, He was awake and He was getting ready and He had to travel so that He will find for Himself a place where He can be alone. Away from distractions.

 Preparation for Spiritual Conflict at Hand – Reason: the spiritual conflict at hand requires God’s power to overcome. And prayer is power. Power with God and power with men. Power over temptation and strength to overcome trials. As a child of God, we are engaged in spiritual warfare, for our souls and the souls of our family members. This is the place where we prepare for the conflict of the day. We prepare for warfare. We prepare to do the Father’s will. We are not trudging along in life. Jesus took time to pray. He gave time so that He can be quiet before the Father.

In times of affliction, God’s people can rely upon Him to see him through yet another impasse in life till he finds himself finally safe in the Arms of Jesus.

(2) Permission (v8-12)

8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. 

God’s people need to know that our Lord God Almighty is the “Shield and Buckler”, He is the “Rock and Fortress” to all who put their trust in Him. Indeed, affliction and distress can come to the Christian but none can touch a hair on our heads without God’s permission.

We saw last week the conversation between God and Satan in God’s throne room where God issued a challenge to Satan to test His servant Job – 8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? (Job 1:8 KJV)Men may be filled with malice against us, Satan may rage and seek our destruction, but none can touch us with God’s permission.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

How precious it is for the child of God to know that the Lord places Himself as a Shield between him and his malicious foe! Indeed, as the rightly said in Psalm 125:1-2 “They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.”

Why did God recommend or commend His servant Job? Because Job was a man who loved God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. He developed a vibrant spiritual life. He would rise up early to seek God in daily devotion.

Peter the Apostle wrote his epistles to prepare the church for a period of grave persecution. He reminded them that they are God’s special people, chosen before the foundation of the world to be the sons and daughters of the living God. Because Jesus rose from the dead conquering sin and death, the believers have the privilege of the divine presence of God taking care of them. They will be kept by the power of God moment by moment. He prepares them for the trials of faith to come by reminding them that their end journey in heaven is secured. Therefore, in the tussel with the evil one, they will lose nothing. It will be a time of testing where their faith will be sorely tried. It is like the passing of precious metals through a refining fire where all the impurities will be rid of. God will through the trials He has permitted us to go through to be purified. We will be drawn closer to Him, behold more of His glory.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.6Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:7That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Pet. 1:3-9 KJV)

He urged them to keep the faith, trusting in the complete care of Jesus, abiding in Him, finding in their heart peace and unspeakable joy in the midst of trial.

(3) Persecution (13-19)

13And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 14And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 19And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

The afflictions of Job come in 4 consecutive waves of unfavourable external circumstances. The attack on Job was cunningly contrived by Satan. It was designed to overwhelm him, leaving him no time to recover from the rapid succession of calamities. Notice the degree of pain increases with each calamity and there are 5 recorded afflictions which we shall describe in modern terms:

  • His Livelihood Plundered – oxen/asses (1:13-15)
  • His Assets Destroyed – sheep (1:16)
  • His Means of Transport – camels (1:17)
  • His Children – 7 sons and 3 daughters (1:18-19)
  • His Health – boils (2:7)

To be continued…