Milford Church of Christ

 

THERE WAS A MAN FROM THE LAND OF UZ WHOSE NAME WAS JOB
1. He was blameless, upright, fearing God, turning away from evil (1:1)
2. He was a family man having 7 sons and 3 daughters (1:2)
3. He was a wealthy man (1:3)
     a. 7,000 sheep
     b. 3,000 camels
     c. 500 yoke of oxen
     d. 500 female donkeys
     e. many servants
4. He was the “greatest of all the men of the east” (1:3)
5. He offered sacrifices continually in case his children had sinned (1:5)

SATAN WAS IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Satan spoke to God. (Job 1:6; 2:1; Zechariah 3:1-2)
He was permitted by God (Job 1:12; 2:6)
He was given restrictions “Don’t put forth your hand on him” and later “only spare his life”

WHEN SATAN IS PERMITTED, HE AGGRESSIVELY ATTACKS FROM MANY ANGLES
The Focus of Satan’s Attacks
1. He used the following attacks to ultimately destroy Job’s faith in God so his prediction would come to pass; “he will surely curse You to Your face” (1:11)
2. He attacked Job’s wealth – livestock and servants
3. He attacked Job’s family
4. He attacked Job’s health

Satan’s Weapons of Attack
He used enemies
1. He used the Sabeans to kill Job’s servants (1:15)
2. He used the Chaldeans to steal Job’s camels and kill his servants (1:17)
He used “nature”
1. He used the “fire of God” (possibly lightning) to kill Job’s sheep and servants (1:16)
2. He used wind to kill his children (1:18)
He used disease (2:7)
He used Job’s wife who said “curse God and die” (2:9)
He used Job’s friends who thought his affliction was due to some sin he had committed (2:11ff).

But Job is noted for his endurance and God is noted for His compassion and mercy!
“We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful” James 5:11

GOD RESTORES THE FAITHFUL
“6For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7and to give relief to you who are afflicted” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7)
1. Job’s friends faced the wrath of God. “My wrath is kindled against you [Eliphaz] and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has” (Job 42:7). They were told to offer sacrifices and have Job pray for them. They did and “the Lord accepted Job.”
2. “The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold.” (Job 42:10)
3. “The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning” (Job 42:12)
     a. 14,000 sheep
     b. 6,000 camels
     c. 1,000 yoke of oxen
     d. 1,000 female donkeys
     e. Seven sons and three daughters
     f. “In all the land no women were found so fair as Job’s daughters”
Jemimah – “little dove” or “handsome as the day”
Keziah – “the angel”
Keren-happuch – “child of beauty” or “horn (box) of cosmetics”
4. While our restoration may not come in this life time it will be a reality in the life to come.
     a. Job 14:14; 19:25
     b. Jesus came to restore “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel” (Isaiah 49:6)
     c. “19Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” (Acts 3:19-21)
5. Satan’s workings are current and they are during this world (Revelation 12:13, 17). He will have no workings in the life to come. He cannot touch kingdom things, for he has been thrown down. “7And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven” (Revelation 12:7-8).