Faith under Trial
(Message delivered by Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo at the True Life Church 10.30 am Service, Jan 14, 07)
Text: Job 1:1-22
Introduction
Tragedies, disasters, pain and suffering are part and parcel of life on earth. We are living in a sin-cursed world. The floods, typhoons, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, drought and famine, disease and death, war and murder, the stresses and pressures of work and life are all daily reminders that we are living in a fallen world which has broken the commandments of God, and is cursed by sin.
I think we have much to learn from Job. The book of Job deals with suffering, but it is important to note that the focus of the book is not on suffering, but on faith. The book of Job has to do primarily with Job’s faith, not his suffering. That was why when the Apostle James spoke of Job, he spoke of his “patience”—“the patience of Job” and not the “pain/suffering of Job” (Jas 5:11). The suffering was incidental, the focus was on Job’s faith in God.
As such, the book of Job is, first and foremost, a doctrinal book. It deals with a most important doctrine—the doctrine of faith. The book of Job is not trying to answer the question, “Why is there suffering in this world?” or “Why do bad things happen to good people?” but “What kind of faith do we have?” Is our faith true faith or false faith? What is genuine faith like?
In Job chapter 1, we learn one characteristic of genuine faith. From the experience of Job, we learn that genuine faith is unconditional. In other words, faith has no strings attached.
Job’sWealth
Who was Job? What was Job? The first chapter tells us that Job was from the land of Uz. Uz is mentioned in Lamentations 4:21 as a place near Edom (region south of Dead Sea), and in Jeremiah 25:20 as a land of kings. It was a fertile piece of land in those days. It was an ideal place for animal husbandry or farming. Job lived in a land of plenty. By today’s standards, he would be living in a developed, first world country. Job was a very wealthy man; in fact he was the wealthiest among the wealthy; he was the greatest of all the men of the east (v3).
Not only was Job a very rich and powerful man, we are glad to read that he was also a very spiritual man. In verse 1, we read that he was “perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” There are 4 descriptions here: (1) Perfect—he was morally without fault, full of integrity, and blameless; (2) Upright—he was straight, honest, law abiding, not deviating from God’s standards. (3) God fearing—he was a believer of the living and true God, and obeyed His commands; (4) Eschews evil—he hated and rejected sin and wickedness, and anything that went against God’sWord.
Job had everything going for him: a beautiful wife, 7 sons and 3 daughters, health, wealth, fame, and power. In modern terms: a career, 2 houses, 3 cars, 4 country clubs, 5 figure salary. What more could a man want?
Satan’s Accusation
Satan said to God, “Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast 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. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face” (Job 1:9-11). What a malicious insinuation and accusation! Satan was trying to assassinate Job’s character. The diabolical charge was made that Job believed in God because of all the physical and material blessings he had received from God.
Satan is called an accuser of the brethren. Satan is an expert in character assassination. He questioned Job’s faith—that his faith was based on ulterior motives. When Satan accused Job, he in effect also accused God: “Job believes in you because you have bribed him.” “You preached to him a health and wealth gospel; believe in Christ and you will be healthy and wealthy, rich and famous.” Today, we find many charismatic preachers and megachurches peddling such a prosperity gospel which seeks to bribe people into believing in Christ. This is another gospel, a gospel that does not save. Did Job believe in a health and wealth gospel?
God’s Permission
God knew the heart of Job. Job believed in God out of a true and sincere heart of faith. God gave Satan permission to take away all of Job’s possessions, but he must not touch Job’s body or his life (v12). This shows that God is sovereign and all-powerful. He is in control. The battle between God and Satan is not a battle between two equal powers, but between unequal powers. God is over Satan. Satan is absolutely powerless to afflict God’s people unless God allows him to do so.
Job’s Faith
In a single day, Job lost everything: his sons and daughters, all his animals, his servants, his possessions, everything (vv13-19). He received wave after wave of tragic news. How would you feel if you lost everything suddenly? Imagine yourself in Job’s shoes. How would you respond? Will we shout at God angrily, “Why me?” “What did I do to deserve this from you?” “Have I not served you faithfully in the church?” “Have I not given my tithes and offerings?” “Have I not kept my QT?” “Have I not been a good Christian at home and at work?” “God, why are you doing this to me? You are so unjust and unfair!” Will we curse and swear at God? Will we reject Christ as Lord and Saviour?
How did Job respond? He (1) arose: he was mentally alert, and not about to faint or in a state of shock; (2) rent his mantle: this was not a sign of anger but of grief and sorrow; (3) shaved his head: he did not tear his hair in a fit of anger, but shaved his hair deliberately as an act of personal humiliation; (4) fell down to the ground: he bowed down, prostrated himself, face down to the ground—a sign of submission to God’s will in holy obeisance; (5) worshipped: he did not complain against, swear at, or accuse God, but rather glorified Him. From Job’s actions, we see that the emotions that welled up from within him when he received all those tragic news were not those of anger and rebellion against God, but deep sorrow, and submission to God’s will. “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (vv20-22). Job indeed showed himself to be “perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil.”
Job knew his theology. Look at what he said in verse 21: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” What Job said reflects good, solid theology. He saw things not from man’s limited and finite perspective, but from God’s holy and sovereign perspective. God is the Creator, man is but a creature. God is the Potter, we are but clay in His hands. All that we have belong to Him. If God wants to give to us, it is His prerogative and His alone. If He wants to take away what we have, He has every right to do so. Nothing belongs to us, everything belongs to Him.
Dear friends, do you see your children and material possessions as yours or God’s to use as He pleases? If the Lord were to call your brightest and most promising son to full-time Christian service, would you be ready to support him and to let him go? If the Lord were to say, “I want all your silver and gold,” will you give all of your money to Him? Our God is our heavenly Father who loves us and provides for us. He asks only a tenth of what He has freely given to us. Do we give even our tenth to Him? Have we been faithful in our tithing and offerings? In any case, if God were to ask for your all, are you willing to part with everything you have for Christ? That is the test of true faith. If we were in Job’s shoes, how would we respond towards God? What kind of faith do we have? Do we possess true faith or false faith? Job had genuine faith. True faith would never deny, reject, or rebel against God. True faith would always confess, submit, and worship God not only in good times but also in bad times.
Conclusion
“Did Job fear God for nothing?” The answer is yes. True faith is not mercenary faith but unconditional faith. We must have the faith of Job. Nothing belongs to me, everything belongs to God. I will keep on trusting in Christ come what may. May the Lord grant us the kind of faith Job had.
THE GOSPEL OF LIFE:
The Epistles of Life
I John 1:3-4
Life in Christian Fellowship
In John 1:12, 13 the Apostle says “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
It is those who are born again, who have received Christ as Saviour and become children of God that begin to live a new life. This new life, in its relationship with one another, between God and men, between Christian and Christian is called fellowship. This fellowship is unique to Christianity. It is above the comradeship that Communists and socialists talk about, the friendship that brings together people of the same mind on a worldly plane.
For Christian fellowship must relate to the Father and the Son, through the Son to the Father. There must first be that vertical relationship before there can be the horizontal relationship. It is a life, an organism, not an organisation, like a tree and not a wooden structure.
The Apostle is here revealing to new believers the treasures of Christian fellowship. “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (I Jn 1:4). He is telling us, “Isn’t it wonderful that we are become sons and daughters of God, members of the same family of God, that we have close contact with God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ?” John further wants to assure any new Christian of the fellowship the Church would extend to them when they have truly believed.
Have you not experienced this new spiritual relationship that is deeper and sweeter than that on the natural plane? Spiritual brothers and sisters are closer with one another than brothers and sisters in the flesh …. “and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24).
Behold, how good and how pleasant,
When brethren dwell in peace
What heavenly sweetness and fragrance
This Christian Unity.
How gracious is the Saviour’s love
That binds our hearts in one:
It rains like Hermon’s dew above
Upon the hills of Zion.
