Category: Sermon

Good morning church! A warm welcome to all who have joined us here at the hall and our dear friends who have joined us online. We’re glad that you’re with us & pray that this time would help you know and love Jesus better.

As a church we usually prefer to study books of the Bible – chapter by chapter, verse by verse like we’re covering with our current series from the book of Job. But since it’s Passion Week, we’ll take a short break and pick it back from where we left off the week after Resurrection Sunday.

As most of us know, today churches all over the world would be celebrating Palm Sunday. In some churches, they’d even be distributing palm branches during the service. All over the world, churches are trying to reflect back on key events that took place in the passage that we just read this morning.

And so we’ll also be spending some time trying to understand the significance of those events but also trying to figure what significance does that have for our lives today? I think all of us would agree that we would want something more than just a palm branch in our hands as a take away this morning.  We would want something that would help us deepen our relationship with Jesus. That’s what we’ll try to do & for that we need God’s help to open this passage for us.                                                                 

(Pray)                                      

Sometime back I watched a reality TV series titled Undercover boss. The premise of this series is that business owners / CEOs choose to go undercover in their own companies, taking on low level roles to get a sense of the ground level reality within their company.

And at the end of each episode, there’s a pivotal moment when the business owner / CEO makes his / her grand reveal. And then to the shock and surprise of the ground level employees, they come to realize that the person that they’ve been interacting with the whole time was the main boss! But not just shock, sometimes embarrassment because of the things that they may have done or said in the presence of the main boss. The main boss’s grand reveal has some serious implications on them!

Similarly, as we arrive at this particular point in Matthew, Jesus is making His grand reveal! Until this point, Jesus has been relatively subdued & secretive. Of course he’s performed miracles and healings, cast out demons and preached to many people, but the grand reveal telling everyone that He is the Messiah King that they’ve been waiting for – that has been kept under wraps…right until now.

And so the moment has arrived when Jesus makes His grand reveal – telling people who He is…what kind of King He is…how is He as a King going to treat His subjects…and what kind of reception should be given to Him. All these things are being revealed right now.

Let’s break this down verse by verse.

[1]  Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives,

Now this may seem like a simple statement of facts but Matthew has specifically mentioned these locations to show how we have arrived at the climax of the redemptive story. You may ask how?

Firstly, Jerusalem was the centrepoint & hub of Jewish worship and religious life. After all, the Temple was there! If spirituality could be tagged to a location, then that location would be Jerusalem.

Not just that, anyone who was a spiritual somebody or a spiritual A-lister would be found in Jerusalem.

Interestingly, Jesus didn’t spend a lot of his time out there during His earthly ministry.

Most of his ministry by choice happened outside of Jerusalem. All in all he may have visited Jerusalem three or four times but in secret. So this is going to be Jesus’ first public appearance in the spiritual centrepoint & hub of Jerusalem.

Secondly, leading up to this passage, whenever Jesus referred to Jerusalem, He spoke about it as the place where He’ll face suffering and death (Matt 20:18-19). In Jesus’ mind, this is the place marked with suffering & death.

Thirdly, this passage mentions the Mount of Olives: Again, not a simple, trivial fact. In the book of Zechariah, it was prophesied that this was the chosen place where God would fight for His people against their enemies.

Zechariah 14:3-4 ESV

[3] Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. [4] On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.

So Matthew is using all these ways to tell us that the climax is here! Whatever is going to happen after this is going to be a defining point in history!

But then in a sudden change of events, Jesus gives his disciples an unusual, strange instruction in V2-3:

[2] saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. [3] If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”

This instruction was unusual and throws up alot of questions. Firstly, why did Jesus want a donkey in the first place?

Donkeys were beasts of burden – they were used to carry heavy loads from one place to another. They were not the ideal choice animal for a King’s grand reveal! It’s like announcing “Presenting to you the richest man on earth” and we’re expecting him to come in a Rolls Royce but he turns up in a cycle. In the eyes of the world, it’s not the best way to make a good first impression.

Secondly, how did Jesus know that the disciples would find an available donkey and colt in the village ahead?

And how was it that the disciples were told to get hold of a colt and donkey which they neither owned nor purchased? Did Jesus make some prior arrangements with the owner of the donkey and colt?

To my mind, this wasn’t a simple instruction for the disciples to follow because they had to fully trust Jesus’ plan and also be willing to answer the embarrassing question of why were they taking a donkey and colt which didn’t belong to them. So they really had to take Jesus at his word on this.

Let’s move on ahead with V4-5 because it does give us an insight into why Jesus wanted the colt & donkey:

[4] This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, [5]  “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

Matthew says that this is a fulfillment of an OT prophecy from Zechariah:

Zechariah 9:9

[9]  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

So Jesus wasn’t being random or eccentric. Everything that Jesus did, had a divine purpose behind it. And it’s clear that by doing this Jesus was identifying Himself as the Promised Messiah of the OT. By doing this, Jesus is saying “I am the One that you’ve been praying and waiting for all these years!”

The verse says “Your king is coming to you”. He is the One who takes the initiative to come toward you. He takes the first step in coming toward us. He’s not waiting for us to block an appointment with Him. He’s not waiting for us to reach a certain spiritual level before thinking of coming to us. Your king is coming to you.

But the next question is, “Okay,I get it that Jesus is coming toward me, but how is He approaching me? What does He have in mind as He comes to me? Is He coming to take advantage? Is He coming to punish?

V5…humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.

Donkeys were not a symbol of royalty, strength and power like horses and chariots. They were a symbol of humility and servitude. Hard labor, doing the lowly insignificant tasks that no one else wants to do – that’s why they are beasts of burden.

By deciding to sit on a donkey instead of a horse or a chariot, Jesus was identifying Himself as the humble king who lays Himself down to serve His people. As King, He’s willing to go down the hard, uncomfortable road in order to serve His subjects. He’s willing to get His hands dirty in order to humbly serve His people.

This should tell us something – Jesus wasn’t coming to dominate over us or to assert His authority over us or oppress us. That was the baggage that the Israelites carried. They were used to seeing kings come on their mighty horses and chariots to take advantage of them (like the Israelite kings) or destroy them (like enemy kings).

And this was a radically different posture of a king who was entering their territory with the only intention to look out for them and bless them.

Let’s take a moment to pause and ask ourselves – what is the thought that fills our hearts when we think about Jesus the King approaching us? Is it one of anxiety and uncertainty thinking He’s going to take advantage of you? Or Is it one of punishment where you think Jesus’ going to get you for all the bad things you’ve done?

Let this thought sink in – that here’s our humble King who is coming with the attitude to serve us & look out for us.

[6] The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. [7] They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. [8] Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

V8. Very interesting response from the crowd which I think we need to spend a little time on. First thing that stands out is that “most of the crowd” responded by spreading their cloaks and branches on the road. It was not a tiny minority, but a majority of the crowd had a similar positive response toward Jesus.

Secondly, it says that they spread their cloaks & cut branches on the road. Why did they do that? It was a gesture to say that they were honoring Jesus as their king. They were voluntarily submitting to His authority.

There was a similar precedent in the OT where once Jehu was anointed as king of Israel, people in haste took off their outer garments and put on the bare steps, blowing the trumpet saying “Jehu is king”. (2 King 9:13) So it was a way of them acknowledging Jesus’ kingship and their voluntary submission to Him.

Thirdly, it seems like they agreed to the fact that Jesus’ entry was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah. Had they not, their response would have been quite different – it would have resulted in chaos and protest.

But it’s not just through their actions, look at what they were saying.

[9] And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” [10] And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” [11] And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Try and imagine this scene. There’s a massive crowd all around Jesus and they are shouting and “crying out” – “Hosanna to Son of David”. Hosanna means “Oh, save”. In other words, it’s a way of saying “I beg you, please save me!”

Not only are they recognizing Jesus as the person to save them – but they also recognize him as “the Son of David”. They are saying that He was the promised Messiah King who was in the lineage of David.  They recognize royalty.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord: They knew that Jesus was sent by God & had God’s stamp of approval on Him. And they were joyfully welcoming Him into their midst.

Hosanna in the highest: “I beg you to save, please extend God’s heavenly kingdom toward me”.

All this is happening, and V11 tells us the whole city was stirred up at Jesus’ entry where people asked “who is this?”. It’s so interesting that Jesus and his disciples don’t answer.

Instead it’s the crowd that came to Jesus’ defense saying that this was prophet Jesus of Nazareth of Galilee. By calling him as a prophet, they saw him as one appointed by God to speak the Word as it is. To heed to Jesus’ words is to obey God, to deny Jesus’ words is to reject God.

It looks like the entire crowd was drawn and attracted to Jesus completely. At this point – at V11 – if you and I were to rate the crowd’s spirituality, we’d probably conclude that these were the perfect examples of Christian devotion.

We’d probably do at least 5 bible studies on how the crowd responded to Jesus and how we should follow in their footsteps. Yet they were the same ones who shouted and cried with the same intensity saying “Crucify him” a few days later.

How is that even possible? Why would the same crowd turn against Jesus just a few days later? It makes no sense, why would they do that?

Though they seemed to have the right reception for a king and though they seemed to have the right expressions for a king, yet the truth was that they didn’t have the right heart to submit to a king.

They weren’t ready to fully surrender their lives to Jesus. They weren’t ready to have their lives turned upside down. They weren’t ready to

experience full scale life change.

Because for that they needed to admit to their sinfulness & moreover they needed to give up on their lifestyle of sin. That was too much to demand is what they felt.

They probably said Hosanna – “I beg you, please save me from the Roman rule”, but they weren’t ready to cry out desperately and say “I beg you, please save me from my sins”.

They were okay with convenience worship which says “I will worship God as long as it doesn’t demand me to make any change to my lifestyle”.

Before we get too critical of the crowd, let’s look inward and ask ourselves if we show the same tendencies as well. The reality is that we all also have the same tendencies too.

Some years back, I remember right after a youth worship set which I thought really came out well, the preacher challenged us to reflect if we understood the words that we just sang.

One of the songs we sang was “This is my desire to honor you. Lord, with all my heart I worship you. All that I have within me, I give you praise”…and he just asked us one question which hit right into my heart – is that really true? Would that be true of you on a Monday or a Tuesday when your church isn’t looking?

The problem is not with the song, but with us who are singing the song. We don’t mind singing the song, as long as we aren’t compelled to do it. What should we do? Do better, try better tomorrow?

To be honest, I don’t think any of us have the strength and power in us to willingly to yield to Jesus’ kingship. So what hope is there for us?

‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.

Jesus left His heavenly abode to come to us. He took on the form of humanity and then went up on the cross to die for you and for me. He was buried and rose again on the Third Day so that you and I can joyfully and willingly submit to His Kingship. Not just that, He has also placed His Spirit within us to help us surrender ourselves to His Kingship.

What a wonderful King we serve?

Summary of Job so far

• Job is introduced as a blameless and upright man who fears God.
• He is wealthy with seven sons, three daughters, and large herds of livestock.
• Satan challenges God, claiming Job only serves God because of his blessings.
• God allows Satan to test Job by taking away his possessions and children.
• Despite losing everything, Job maintains his faith and does not sin against God.
• Satan again challenges God, claiming Job would curse God if his health was affected.
• God permits Satan to afflict Job with painful sores.
• Job’s wife tells him to curse God and die, but Job remains faithful.
• Three friends – Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar – come to comfort him and sit with him in silence for seven days.
• After seven days, Job breaks the silence by cursing the day of his birth.
• He questions why he was born and expresses his deep anguish, wishing he had died at birth rather than face such suffering.
• He describes death as a place where the weary find rest.
• Eliphaz, the first friend to speak, suggests that Job’s suffering must be due to sin, as the innocent don’t perish.
• He claims to have received a vision confirming that no human can be more righteous than God.
• He implies that Job should acknowledge his sin and seek God’s forgiveness.
• Eliphaz continues his speech, advising Job to appeal to God.
• He argues that suffering is a form of divine discipline and that if Job accepts this correction, God will restore him.
• He presents a simplistic view that good people prosper while the wicked suffer, suggesting Job should humble himself before God to receive restoration.

Summary of Job Chapter

In chapter 6, Job responds to Eliphaz’s speech with raw honesty about his
suffering:

Expresses the intensity of his pain

Job 6:1-4 (ESV):

“Then Job answered and said: ‘Oh that my vexation were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words have been rash. For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me.'”

Job is expressing that his grief and anguish are so great that if placed together on a scale, it would be heavier than the sand of the seas

I also know my words have been rash and wild.

Itʼs because it feels like Godʼs poisoned arrows are in me, draining my spirit

The sores afflicting Job were painful skin lesions or boils – severe skin infections that caused intense physical suffering. They covered his entire body “from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (Job 2:7). These sores would have been open wounds or ulcers that caused constant pain, itching, and discomfort.

I remember when I was a child, I had chicken pox on my body. Anybody here? – It was a terrible experience. My mom would cover us with need leaves, wipe our open wounds with warm water.

Job was so afflicted that he “took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes” (Job 2:8), showing how desperate he was to find relief from the physical torment of these sores.

• In verses 5-7, he defends his right to express the pain – it is natural

Job 6:5-7 (ESV):

“Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass, or the ox low over his fodder? Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt, or is there any taste in the juice of the mallow? My appetite refuses to touch them; they are as food that is loathsome to me.”

Job uses two powerful analogies here to justify his complaints:

1. Animals only cry out when they lack food, suggesting his complaints come from real distress
2. Just as bland food needs salt to be palatable, his suffering needs expression to be processed

• In verses 8-13, he hopes to find comfort, not from being alive, but from death

“Oh that I might have my request, and that God would fulfill my hope, that it would please God to crush me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off! This would be my comfort; I would even exult in pain unsparing, for I have not denied the words of the Holy One. What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient? Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze?”

1. He sees death as release from pain: Job views death not as an escape, but as the only relief from his unbearable suffering. He even says he would “exult in pain unsparing” if it meant final release.
2. Still maintains faith while wanting death: Even in wishing for death, Job carefully notes that he “has not denied the words of the Holy One” – showing his desire for death isn’t rebellion against God.
3. Acknowledges human limitations: Through rhetorical questions about his strength, Job acknowledges he isn’t made of stone or bronze – he’s human with limited endurance for suffering.

This passage shows Job’s raw honesty before God – he doesn’t pretend to be stronger than he is or hide his desire for relief through death. Yet even in this dark wish, he maintains his integrity and faith.

• In verses 13-30, he expresses disappointment over his friends. In verses 13-30, Job delivers a powerful critique of his friends’ response to his suffering:
• Betrayal of friendship (v.14-17):

Job 6:14-17 (ESV):

“He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. My brothers are treacherous as a torrent-bed, as torrential streams that pass away, which are dark with ice, and where the snow hides itself. When they melt, they disappear; when it is hot, they vanish from their place.”

Job compares his friends to unreliable streams that disappear when needed most – flowing in winter but dry in summer heat when travelers desperately need water

• Deep disappointment (v.18-21):

Job 6:18-21 (ESV):

“The caravans turn aside from their course; they go up into the waste and perish. The caravans of Tema look, the travelers of Sheba hope. They are ashamed because they were confident; they come there and are disappointed. For you have now become nothing; you see my calamity and are afraid.”

He describes how caravans search hopefully for these streams only to find them dry – just as he looked hopefully to his friends for comfort but found none.

• Not asking for much (v.22-23):

Job 6:22-23 (ESV):
“Have I said, ‘Make me a gift’? Or, ‘From your wealth offer a bribe for me’? Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand’? Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the ruthless’?”
Job points out that he hasn’t asked them for money or rescue from enemies – he only wanted genuine comfort and understanding

• Challenge to show his error (v.24-27):

Job 6:24-27 (ESV):
“Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray. How forceful are upright words! But what does reproof from you reprove? Do you think that you can reprove words when the speech of a despairing man is wind? You would even cast lots over the fatherless and bargain over your friend.”

Job invites them to point out his actual sins if they can find any, rather than making vague accusations. He criticizes how they dismiss his words as “wind” while attacking a desperate man.

• Appeal for justice (v.28-30):

Job 6:28-30 (ESV):
“But now, be pleased to look at me, for I will not lie to your face. Please turn; let no injustice be done. Turn now; my vindication is at stake. Is there any injustice on my tongue? Cannot my palate discern the cause of calamity?”

He ends by asking them to look at him directly and judge if he’s lying. He asserts his integrity and ability to discern right from wrong despite his suffering. In the light of the pain and anguish Job is experiencing, I want us to reflect on our lives today.

I donʼt know where you are right now, but hereʼs perhaps some of the scenarios that you are facing in your life today.

• Perhaps you are experiencing intense physical pain and suffering right now— pain that has lingered in your body for years and only seems to grow worse with time. Maybe it’s due to sin, or perhaps it’s part of a spiritual battle like Job’s. The pain and anguish feel heavier than all the sand in the sea, as if God’s poisoned arrows are piercing your body, draining your soul and spirit.
• Or perhaps the pain isn’t physical—maybe it’s watching your loved one endure intense suffering. You feel helpless, unable to ease their misery. Your pleas to God seem to go nowhere, as though He doesn’t care, as if He has turned His face away. You desperately want to help but don’t know what to do.
• Or perhaps you are sick, and watching your loved ones experience sorrow and distress over your condition is tearing you apart inside.
• Or maybe the pain isn’t physical—it’s mental anguish. Perhaps you’re struggling to maintain relationships with your loved ones (husband, wife…), and no matter how hard you try, things seem to get worse each day. Maybe the anguish comes from being separated from someone you love—you desperately wish to be with them, but circumstances keep you apart, and the distance and loneliness are consuming you.
• Maybe your pain comes from watching a loved one drift away from the Lord— despite your many attempts to guide them back, they seem to move further and further from their faith.
• Maybe you are experiencing pain and anguish in your workplace—no matter how hard and sincerely you work, your efforts go unnoticed. Perhaps someone else in the organization is taking credit for your work and receiving promotions you deserve. Perhaps you are suffering from office politics and favoritism. Or maybe you are struggling to find a fulfilling and rewarding job, and you have reached a point where you have given up hope.
• Perhaps in your pain and anguish, you’ve been speaking rash, wild, and foolish words to yourself and others

And above all …

• Perhaps, in all your pain and anguish, you’re feeling desperately lonely — perhaps there’s no one you can talk to. Or perhaps you do have people around, but they either show up at the wrong time or say things that hurt instead of comfort, like Job’s friends. Or perhaps you’re surrounded by genuine friends who truly care for you, who show up at the right time and constantly encourage and pray for you, but you’re unable to receive it—your heart is closed to counsel and prayer. Perhaps your pain has made you stubborn and has dried up your faith in God and in people.

I don’t know where you are right now, but I know one thing with unshaken
confidence: whether you choose to believe it or not—and I urge you to believe— God has not left you. He is not absent from your life. He is closer than you think.

• Just like when he was with Abraham, who left his home, wandered in a foreign land, and struggled to believe whether god would bless him with an offspring
• Just like Moses, away from his family, struggling to believe whether god would keep his promise of rescuing his people
• Just like Joseph, in the pit and in prison, wondering if god had forgotten him and if his dreams would ever come true
• Just like David, running from Saul, hiding in caves, questioning whether he would ever see the kingship god promised him
• Just like Daniel, in the lions’ den, trusting god even when facing certain death
• Just like Paul, in chains and imprisoned, suffering persecution yet holding onto his faith in god’s greater purpose
• Just like Ruth, who lost everything but remained faithful, not knowing how god would provide for her future

He is Sovereign God, and he knows what he is doing

But here’s the greatest comfort we have – Jesus Christ, our truest and most faithful friend, who knows our pain intimately:

• Jesus experienced the deepest human suffering – He was betrayed, abandoned, tortured, and crucified. He understands our pain not from a distance but from personal experience

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet
without sin.” – Hebrews 4:15

• Unlike Job’s friends, Jesus never fails us. He promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” and He keeps His word
• Through His death and resurrection, Jesus offers us not just temporary comfort but eternal hope – a hope that transcends our current suffering

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

The gospel brings us these precious promises:

1. Our suffering is not meaningless – Christ redeems every tear and pain for His glory and our good
2. We are never alone – The Holy Spirit, our Comforter, dwells within us, interceding for us with groans too deep for words
3. Our present sufferings are temporary – They cannot compare to the glory that will be revealed in us
4. We have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses – Jesus invites us to come boldly to His throne of grace to find help in times of need

Even when we feel like Job – overwhelmed, misunderstood, and in deep anguish – Jesus remains our unwavering friend who sticks closer than a brother. He doesn’t dismiss our pain or offer empty platitudes. Instead, He walks with us through the valley of shadows, holding us close to His heart until we reach the other side.

Let me conclude with this powerful truth: No matter how deep your suffering, how heavy your burden, or how lonely your path may feel, you have a friend in Jesus who understands completely. He’s not a distant observer but an ever-present help in trouble.

Where Job’s friends failed, Jesus succeeded. Where human comfort falls short, His presence sustains. You may not understand why you’re going through what you’re experiencing right now, but you can trust the One who holds your future in His hands.

Remember, your current season of suffering is not the end of your story. Just as Job’s latter days were blessed more than his beginning, God is working even now – through your pain, through your tears, through your questions – to accomplish His perfect will in your life.

Let us pray with confidence, knowing that we approach not an indifferent deity but a loving Father who gave His only Son for us. In your deepest valleys, may you find strength in this truth: You are never alone, for you have a friend so faithful in Jesus Christ.

Good morning, church! Hope you’re well. If you’ve been tracking with us,byou’d be aware that we’re going through a series titled God’s blessing in suffering from the book of Job.

And I’m aware that for many of us this seems like an unusual title. Because we don’t normally use blessing and suffering in the same sentence. If we walked up to anyone on the street and asked them what they thought was the opposite of the word “blessing”, they’d tell you that it’s “suffering”.

Blessing and suffering are always treated as opposites. They don’t go together. So why are we saying “God’s blessing in suffering”? It’s because everything that God does has a purpose behind it. Including seasons of unbearable, prolonged suffering – even that – as hard as it is for us to believe – has God’s purpose behind it. So as a church we have embarked on a journey of spotting God’s blessing in suffering as we study the book of Job.

And it’s possible that some of us are looking at this series and wondering if this is actually relevant for us right now. Maybe we feel that a series on salvation or holiness or stewardship would be more relevant because we’re not going through a season of suffering right now. Well, let me tell you this, the thing about suffering is that it often doesn’t come to us with a prior booking. It’s usually unexpected!

I’m not trying to scare us this morning but I’m just stating a fact that if we don’t have a biblical framework to think through suffering, we’ll find ourselves hopeless, stuck, not knowing what to do as we come face to face with that unexpected medical report or an unexpected job loss or unexpected loss of relationship or loss of a loved one.

Suffering is a certainty in a believer’s life which is why James can tell us “count it all joy my brothers when (not if) you meet trials of various kinds”. The assumption is that suffering is a reality we can’t run away from.

And it’s not just limited to our own lives. All of us know someone or the other who is going through suffering. And if we’re able to get the right understanding of suffering, we’ll be in a better position to be more sensitive and helpful toward others as they deal with suffering. 

But in order to do that, we have to admit that there’s a lot of unlearning that needs to take place. And so I hope that all of us are approaching this series in this manner – where we’re praying and asking God to help us grow in our understanding & response to suffering. Let that be our prayer – and I think that’s a perfect place for us to begin our time this morning. So would you join me in prayer?

(Pray)

It had been the longest, quietest, agonizing week ever! A week has passed since Job lost his thriving business and his precious children – all in a single day. After trying to hold himself together, Job finally lets it all out in Chapter 3 cursing the day of his birth. So unbearable was his pain that he expresses that it would have been better to not be born than for him to go through all this.

His closest friends are sitting with him and are trying to comfort him with their limited understanding. Eliphaz is the first friend who speaks up but much of his advice is loaded with the assumption that Job must’ve sinned in some way or he’s carrying some secret sin which is what caused this unbearable suffering. Chapter 5 is a continuation of Eliphaz’s advice. Let’s try and break it down verse by verse.

[1] “Call now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?

V1 is a rhetorical question where Eliphaz is telling him “Job, you can call out to God, but don’t expect a response because of your secret sin. It’s pointless for you to pray because you’re already disqualified from approaching God”.

Wow, talk about discouragement right? Job’s already weighed down by his immense suffering, and now he’s having to deal with words of judgment & condemnation from his closest friends. I hope we can see here the danger in jumping to conclusions which can lead to unhelpful, discouraging conversations. That’s the last thing that’s going to help someone who is going through suffering.

[2] Surely vexation kills the fool, and jealousy slays the simple

Eliphaz seems to have already analyzed Job’s heart. He feels that Job is carrying “vexation” or “resentment” and jealousy in his heart. Eliphaz feels that these two sins – resentment (bitterness, irritation) and jealousy (unhealthy desire for what doesn’t belong to you) is what brought all this suffering upon Job. Now are these sins that God hates? Yes, undeniable.

But are these sins which Job secretly carried in his heart? There’s no evidence of that. In fact it’s clear from the first couple of chapters that the suffering which came upon Job wasn’t the result of his sins but a conference which took place in the heavenly courts where God permitted him to be tested. That’s the background which no one was privy to & so Eliphaz went ahead with his own assumption about resentment & jealousy.

And then in V3-5, Eliphaz proceeds to use an illustration (we don’t know if its a real story or just an analogy). He’s using the illustration to demonstrate what happens to a person who harbours secret sins in his heart.

[3]  I have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling. (NIV – but suddenly his house was cursed) – it happened unexpectedly

[4] His children are far from safety; they are crushed in the gate, and there is no one to deliver them.

[5] The hungry eat his harvest, and he takes it even out of thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.

We don’t know the source of this illustration but the end seems quite similar to what happened to Job’s children and his wealth. So Eliphaz isn’t being subtle here. He’s clearly drawing a relationship between the sins that he thinks Job is harbouring in his heart and his suffering in losing all that he ever had.

Again, we don’t know what was Eliphaz’s intention in giving this illustration but it comes across as almost like kicking someone who is already down and injured. 

[6] For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from the ground,

In other words, Eliphaz says that suffering doesn’t come out of thin air. It has to have a logical cause and the logical cause for suffering is sin according to him. All suffering can only be explained by personal sin. Nothing more and nothing less.

There are times when suffering is a consequence of sin. If we abuse our bodies with substances, it is going to result in serious health problems. But there are other times when suffering isn’t caused by sin. Look at V7.

[7] but man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.

In this verse, Eliphaz contradicts what he just said by saying that we are born in suffering. But this contradiction is actually a biblical understanding.

Suffering is something that comes with the package of being born in a broken world. Sometimes what we go through doesn’t have anything to do with our own sin or someone else sinning against us, it’s just part and parcel of us bearing the effects of a fallen world.

To once again go to the example of the blind man in John 9. The disciples of Jesus asked a question that most of us would have thought about – was it this man’s sin or his parent’s sin which is what caused this? Jesus’ answer surprised them because they were expecting a sin answer but Jesus answered “Neither, this happened so that God would be glorified in Him”. So this should tell us that we should have 2 categories as we observe the world around us: a category for sin but also a separate category for suffering.

[8] “As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause,

Eliphaz moves onto counselling Job with next steps – what he ought to do. He’s telling him “Job, if I were in your place, this is what I would do. I will seek God – I would earnestly pursue God, I would go after God and to God I would commit my cause – I will totally surrender myself to Him. I will be the most devoted guy ever”.

Now at the outset this seems like good spiritual advice. Is there anything wrong with seeking God or surrendering ourselves to God? No, these are good things – in fact critical things which are commanded in other places of Scripture.

But read with me from V9 to 27 to understand what he’s actually saying. A lot of what Eliphaz will say in the coming verses are things true about God which are also backed by other passages in the Bible but let’s try and understand the big picture of this advice.

[9] who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number: – True, Our God is a God of wonder without any limit.

[10] he gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields; – He is the God of providence who looks after His creation.

[11] he sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. – He exalts and helps those who are humble and in pain. He is close to the brokenhearted.

[12] He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.

[13] He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.

[14] They meet with darkness in the daytime and grope at noonday as in the night.

He is able to see through the wicked intentions of people and pronounces judgment on them.

[15] But he saves the needy from the sword of their mouth and from the hand of the mighty.

[16] So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.

God delivers the needy, hopeless and helpless. God takes pride and special interest in those who have no protection.

[17] “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty.

Hebrews 12 says a similar thing – that when God allows us to go through suffering, He’s actually disciplining us as His children – He’s doing it out of love so that we can grow in holiness. Again, this is something true of God.

And then he goes on to describe the blessing which will follow a devoted life

[18] For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal.

[19] He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no evil shall touch you.

[20]  In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.

[21] You shall be hidden from the lash of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction when it comes.

[22] At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and shall not fear the beasts of the earth.

[23] For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.

[24] You shall know that your tent is at peace, and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing.

[25] You shall know also that your offspring shall be many, and your descendants as the grass of the earth.

[26] You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, like a sheaf gathered up in its season.

[27] Behold, this we have searched out; it is true. Hear, and know it for your good.” –

So Eliphaz is confident on his theory and practice and now he’s highly recommending this for Job. This is what is going to fix his suffering. This is what is going to reverse his situation.

But what was the underlying message behind his advice? Because he assumed that suffering was caused by our sin & disloyalty to God, his fix was a greater degree of loyalty & devotion to God. Because God’s mad at me because of my sin, I need to do something to get back in his good books.

I need to demonstrate how passionate & committed I am toward Him so that He can start showing His favor to me. What’s this after all? Works based salvation. Performance based relationship. It’s stemming from the idea that God is transactional – He deals with me in the same way I deal with Him.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Two verses that always served as a reminder to my heart telling me how unconditional God’s relationship is with me.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

God didn’t wait for us to love Him first – as a precondition to loving us back. It wasn’t a love that was dependent on how much we loved God. It wasn’t transactional.

It wasn’t “matlabi” love which says I will love you only as long as you treat me and love me as I expect you to.

No, it’s a love where God took the initiative to love us way before we even realized our need for it.

How did he show us this love? While we still sinners, Jesus died for us.

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Even before we thought of making our first move to turn back to God, Jesus died for us. Which means that our status was still a “sinner” and an “enemy” of God at the time.

I remember right after 26/11 and when we got to know that the name of one of the terrorists was Ajmal Kasab, he became the object of anger and hatred of the entire nation because he was an enemy after all that he had done. And now imagine that to be the status and name that’s associated with us because of our rebellion toward God. That’s us!

And yet Scripture tells us that while we were still sinners and enemies, Jesus died for us. In other words, Jesus took the punishment that sinners and enemies of God deserved and He paid the price on our behalf so that we could be set free.

He rose again on the Third Day so that we would never again be referred to as enemies by God’s own children. Is God transactional and conditional? No, that’s not who He is. And so how do we comfort someone who is suffering who is searching for answers? 

1. By recognizing that every suffering cannot be always explained by a sin cause.
2. By recognizing that the resolution to suffering cannot be achieved by increased loyalty and devotion to God. Suffering isn’t a direct indication of God’s anger toward us; neither is blessing & prosperity a direct indication of God’s delight in us.
3. However, suffering can be explained by God’s divine purpose. Even though the details (how and the why of God’s ways) might not fully be clear, we can look at the cross and be assured that God won’t deal with us out of spite or cruelty. He always treats us better than we deserve.

I recently was listening to an audiobook of this particular pastor called Sam Storms. Sam Storms was recounting the story of the time he received an email from one man in his congregation. This man wrote in his email about his friend’s oldest son who committed suicide. There was nothing this man could say other than “I’m sorry”. He wanted to know if Sam Storms could help him with an high-level insight or wisdom from the Bible that could help him talk a grieving father. Pastor Sam replied to him saying the best thing you could do right now is to be there and not some insight or wisdom. 

We have the urge to understand stuff logically or make sense of things so that we could be at peace, correct? How easy it would if we had simple answers to what was happening in our lives and around the world.

But there is no simple answer. Why is there destruction, killing, immorality, and other such evils in the world? Why has sickness taken over me, or my children not in the Lord, or my job not great, or sin such a great struggle for me?

There is no simple answer.

However, there is a way to make sense of suffering but that comes only by knowing Jesus. Only by understanding what God did in the past, is doing today, and will do in the future can we make sense of suffering.

In our passage, Job’s friend, whose name is Eliphaz the Temanite, is trying to make Job see the reason for his suffering.

Before this, Job’s three friends sat with him in mourning for seven days straight. And they didn’t say a word.

But in chapter 3, Job begins pouring out his grief by cursing the day he was born and a lot of other not-so-uplifting things.

After this, Eliphaz begins to speak to him and tries to make him see why he’s suffering. What does he say? In a nutshell, Eliphaz is telling Job that his suffering is a result of some guilt or sin.

It would have been easy to accept pain in the world if we followed the logic of Job’s friend in chapter 4.

I’m experiencing pain and suffering because I did wrong. End of story. I need to accept that and seek God.

If you pay for economy seats in an airplane or Sleeper class in trains you’re going to get what you paid for. Itne paise me itnaa hi milega.

But Job’s suffering was not a direct result of some evil he did. Chapters 1 and 2 show us that. Satan took away his family, wealth and possessions. Job responds by saying the Lord gives and takes away, blessed be His name. Then Satan attacks his body. Job now has a disease that result in “loathsome sores” that covered his entire body. Job’s wife tells him to curse God and die. Job however replies saying shall we only receive the good and not the bad? The Bible says that even after what happened to his family and himself, he didn’t sin.

In the light of this, Eliphaz’s explanation falls flat. Job cannot accept such a simplistic explanation. Like I said earlier, it would’ve been easier.

On the other hand, Eliphaz’s explanation raises more questions? Will the suffering end if he repented of this so called sin? How long will he have to wait? Should he do something to stop the suffering? Can he do something? What about my sin? Can man ever be pure before God? Will my complaint before God seem unspiritual?

Suffering comes to both people who’ve done good and evil. Just like the sun rises on all so does suffering meet everyone. The Bible has many examples. Think of Noah’s time, God brought the flood as a result of the wickedness of mankind. Or the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, where they lied before Peter and God about the money they got after selling land. They dropped dead immediately. On the opposite end, you have Cain and Abel, where Abel suffered a brutal death at the hands of his brother. Or the account of the blind man in John 9, of whom the disciples ask Jesus about the origin of that man’s blindness, a result of his sin or that of his parents? Jesus says neither his sin nor his parents but it happened to reveal the glory of God.

Without the proper biblical or theological framework, suffering and sin will not make sense. I’m venturing out to say that suffering and sin makes sense only when we know Jesus.

Why do I say that? 

1. Through Jesus, you get an understanding of the world’s corruption
2. Through Jesus you find hope in your own sin struggle 
3. Through Jesus, you have confidence before God

This sermon is part of the sermon series “God’s Blessing through Suffering”

Job was a righteous man who feared God and had been blessed with wealth, children, and good health.

• Job loses his children and wealth
• His wife tells him to curse God and die
• Three friends come to comfort him
• They sit in silence with him for seven days

The Reality
Every human experiences suffering in some form – physical pain, emotional distress, loss of loved ones, financial hardships, or spiritual struggles. It’s a universal part of the human experience that connects us all.

In times of suffering, we often feel isolated and alone, but Job’s story reminds us that even the most righteous people face intense trials.

Today’s passage – After losing his children, wealth, and health, Job breaks his seven-day silence with an outpouring of anguish and lament.

1. Job Expressing The Weight of His Suffering (Job 3:1-10)

After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. And Job said:

“Let the day perish on which I was born,
and the night that said,
‘A man is conceived.’
Let that day be darkness!
May God above not seek it,

nor light shine upon it.
Let gloom and deep darkness claim it.
Let clouds dwell upon it;
let the blackness of the day terrify it.
That night—let thick darkness seize it!
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
let it not come into the number of the months.
Behold, let that night be barren;
let no joyful cry enter it.
Let those curse it who curse the day,
who are ready to rouse up Leviathan.
Let the stars of its dawn be dark;
let it hope for light, but have none,
nor see the eyelids of the morning,
because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,
nor hide trouble from my eyes.”

Job curses the day of his birth, wishing he had never been born.

• He curses the day of his birth
• He wishes for darkness to claim that day
• He expresses deep regret for his existence

Imagine the intensity of his pain – unbelievable pai

• He longs for complete non-existence rather than facing his current pain
• He views his birth as a tragic event that brought him into suffering
• He sees life itself as a burden too heavy to bear

2. Job Questions the Purpose of his existence (Job 3:11-19)

“Why did I not die at birth,
come out from the womb and expire?
Why did the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
For then I would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept; then I would have been at rest,
with kings and counselors of the earth
who rebuilt ruins for themselves,
or with princes who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child,
as infants who never see the light?
There the wicked cease from troubling,
and there the weary are at rest.
There the prisoners are at ease together;
they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.
The small and the great are there,
and the slave is free from his master.”

Job questions why he was given life if it would lead to such suffering.

• He ponders why he didn’t die at birth
• He observes how death brings rest to all people
• He notes how suffering ends in the grave

3. Job Questions why God gives suffering (Job 3:20-
26)

“Why is light given to him who is in misery,
and life to the bitter in soul,
who long for death, but it comes not,
and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
who rejoice exceedingly
and are glad when they find the grave?
Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
whom God has hedged in?
For my sighing comes instead of my bread,
and my groanings are poured out like water.
For the thing that I fear comes upon me,
and what I dread befalls me.
I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, but trouble comes.”

In verses 20-26, Job grapples with one of the most profound theological questions: why does God allow suffering to continue?

• He acknowledges God’s sovereignty over life and suffering
• He wrestles with the paradox of God giving life yet allowing misery
• He expresses the futility felt by those trapped in cycles of pain

The Reality of Pain in the Christian Life

• Faith doesn’t exempt us from suffering

Scripture provides many examples of faithful people experiencing suffering:

• David’s psalms of lament (Psalm 13:1-2): “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?”
• Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-9): “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this… But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you'”
• Jesus in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:38): “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death”
• Jeremiah’s struggles (Lamentations 3:1-3): “I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath”

These examples demonstrate that even those closest to God experienced deep suffering while maintaining their faith.

• God allows space for genuine lament

The Bible offers numerous examples of lament and crying out to God:

• “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1)
• “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1)
• Pain can coexist with deep faith

As people of the new covenant, we ought to look at suffering through the lens of the Gospel.

How the Gospel Transforms Our Pain

The gospel doesn’t eliminate our pain, but it reframes it in several powerful ways:

• Jesus experienced human suffering, demonstrating God’s empathy
• The cross shows that God can bring purpose out of pain
• The resurrection promises ultimate restoration
• Our suffering is temporary in light of eternal hope

Practical Steps for Processing Pain Through the Gospel Lens

Acknowledge the Pain: Like Job, we can be honest with God about our
suffering

1. Acknowledge the Pain: Like Job, we can be honest with God about our suffering
2. Remember Christ’s Suffering: Jesus experienced physical, emotional, and spiritual anguish on the cross
3. Trust God’s Presence: Even when we can’t feel Him, God promises to never leave us (Hebrews 13:5)

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'”

4. Look to Community: Share burdens with fellow believers who can pray and support us

5. Focus on Eternal Hope: Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with future glory (Romans 8:18)

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

The Purpose of Pain in Light of the Gospel

• Pain can deepen our dependence on Christ
• Suffering can make us more compassionate toward others
• Trials can refine our faith and character
• Our testimony in suffering can point others to Jesus

Remember: The gospel doesn’t just give us hope for the future; it gives meaning to our present suffering as we follow in the footsteps of our suffering Savior who ultimately triumphed over all pain and death.

Conclusion

As we conclude our study of Job 3, we are reminded that expressing pain and questioning God in times of suffering is not a sign of weak faith. Job’s raw honesty teaches us that we can bring our deepest anguish to God.

However, unlike Job who could only see his suffering through the lens of the old covenant, we have the privilege of viewing our trials through the transformative lens of the cross. We know that our suffering is not meaningless and that God Himself, through Jesus Christ, entered into our suffering to redeem it.

Application Question: How will you view your current struggles differently when seen through the lens of Christ’s suffering and triumph?

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you that you are not distant from our
pain but entered into it through your Son Jesus Christ. Help us to trust you even when we don’t understand our suffering. Give us the strength to persevere, knowing that you are working all things for our good and your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Good morning church! Hope you’re well this morning. Happy Women’s Day to all the wonderful women at our church. On behalf of the church, I just want to say that we’re so thankful to God for each of you & the immense blessing you are to our church.

I can’t begin to put into words how much I’ve been encouraged and challenged by your faith & you all are indeed indispensable (critical) partners with us in the mission of God. Thank you for all that you do – you all are truly a blessing!

So with that, let’s turn our attention to our time with the Word this morning. As a church, we place a high value on this time with the Word because we believe that the God of the universe speaks to us individually & personally through His Word.

This isn’t like a Ted talk where an expert shares his opinions and experiences on different topics. No, it’s our conviction that if this passage is faithfully opened up and preached as it is, then we’re not listening to someone’s opinion but to God Himself. Which is precisely why Paul could say this to the Thessalonian believers in 1 Thess 2:13:

13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.    

That’s why this time is critical, so let’s prepare ourselves to listen to God’s Word with attentive ears and open hearts.

If you’ve been tracking with us, you’re probably aware that we began a new series last week from the book of Job titled God’s blessing in suffering.

For some of us, this title seems like a contradiction because we’re not used to saying blessing and suffering in the same breath. We always think of these as two opposite ends of the spectrum.

What’s even more strange to our ears is to suggest that God blesses us in suffering because when someone goes through suffering, the last thing that he or she would say is “I’m blessed”. This simply defies our logic and expectations of what we consider as a blessed life.

And so the journey that we have set on is in seeing how God’s blessing comes in different shapes, forms and sizes. Sometimes blessing will come in the form of prosperity which is what Job experienced at the start of the book.

But other times, blessing will come in the form of suffering which is what we’ll explore over the next few months. And let’s state it right off the bat – some of these lessons aren’t going to be easy for us.

Some lessons might challenge our deep rooted beliefs (that we’ve held onto for many years). Some lessons might require unlearning. Some lessons might mean humbly surrendering to God’s will (instead of fighting with God’s will). Are we prepared to be unsettled? We need help, so let’s pray and ask God to help us.

(Pray)

It’s important to remind ourselves of the context in which Chapter 2 plays out. In a single moment, in a blink of an eye, Job lost everything he had.

He lost his property – his hard earned wealth and resources that he accumulated over many years. Some may say that’s just material stuff – but it wasn’t just that, he lost his own children!

They were pieces of his own heart. As a loving dad, he loved his kids, he gave them everything he could give them, he looked after them, he watched them grow up, he prayed for them & even offered sacrifices on behalf of them.

And yet for no reason of his own, he finds himself propertyless and childless – just like that. He’s still processing his shock and grief, and instead of becoming bitter toward God, he chooses to worship God!

That’s how we arrive at chapter 2 – where the suffering doesn’t seem to stop. It persists. What do we do when suffering persists? That’s the question that we will seek to answer today.

1. We acknowledge that there are things happening in the background which we don’t understand (v1)

There are things happening in the background which we aren’t privy to.

1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord.

It’s almost like the curtains to God’s throne room have been pulled back. We’ve been given exclusive inside access into one of those throne room discussions.

V1 tells us that the sons of God or angels present themselves before God & similarly Satan also presents himself to God like he did in Chapter 1.

In other words, Satan is answerable & accountable to God. Which tells us that like any other created being, Satan is not an equal to God and he exists under the authority of God.

Sometimes people assume that Satan is equally powerful & authoritative as God’s enemy. No, absolutely not – he is a lesser being and he is subjected under the authority of God.

Although, we know that he hates God’s authority & continuously rebels against that authority. In fact since creation, Satan has been making several attempts to usurp God’s authority – and that’s the biblical storyline which is played out from Genesis to Revelation.

But the main thing we need to take away and admit is that we often don’t understand what happens in the background. Even as all this is happening, Job has no clue about this. (Minutes of the meeting weren’t shared with him).

This should tell us that we should not jump to conclusions when we witness people experience suffering. As Saju explained last week, there is no simple explanation and in fact we should avoid simplistic explanations for suffering. Many times it’s actually not helpful when we try to explain all suffering to some sin that the person committed. We have to acknowledge that suffering is complex and our limitation to understand what happens in the background.

But not only do we acknowledge that there are things happening in the background which we don’t understand, we also

2. We should also acknowledge that there’s no suffering without God’s purpose attached to it (v2-6)

2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 And 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, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.”

V2 & 3 is almost like a repeat of the discussion in Chapter 1 where God commends Job referring to him as His servant (my servant) and then gives the most remarkable testimony of his faith where God says that there’s no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns from evil.

And then God adds a line which is different from Chapter 1. He still holds fast his integrity – despite all that has happened to him, he has not forsaken and sinned against God. He’s maintained his innocence.

And then God accuses Satan and says although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.This can be a troubling verse for us because it almost seems like God is admitting to being tricked, provoked and manipulated into doing something that He didn’t want to do. And if that’s possible, then how different is God from us?

But that’s where we’ll need to filter this through against our understanding of who God in the whole Bible.

From the Bible we know that God is all-knowing who also sees the hidden intentions in His creatures hearts and so there’s no way He can be tricked or provoked or manipulated to doing something that He doesn’t want to do.

That’s what separates God from fallen beings like us. We are weak and flawed. He is not. So then why did God give into the ask from Satan? Let’s look at the previous Chapter. Maybe that might give us a clue – Job 1:9:

Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason?

What Satan was trying to do was say that Job’s faithfulness is transactional – matlabi. He loves God only because of the gifts & blessings that God gives Him.

Satan’s challenge was that the moment you take away these gifts and blessings, Job will lose all reason to remain faithful to God. And that’s the same challenge which was being continued in Chapter 2:4-6:

4 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” 6 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

So God wasn’t being tricked or provoked or manipulated by Satan. God’s allowing Satan to do this!

Please underline this – God is permitting Satan to do this and also setting clear boundaries for what Satan can do and what he cannot do. Satan is restrained and constrained by the boundaries that God has put for him. He can’t operate independently.

So the question is why? Why is God allowing and permitting Satan to do this? God is allowing this to happen to Job so that the true quality of his faith is uncovered and revealed.

It’s to show if Job’s faithfulness is tied to God’s gifts and blessings or if it’s tied to God Himself. Does Job love the gifts or the gift giver? 

Even as we think about Job, I’m sure it’s also hitting us at a very sensitive spot in our own hearts. Oftentimes suffering and difficulties will uncover and reveal the true quality of our faith.

It will reveal our faith for what it is. It shows us if our faith is tied to all the good blessings and gifts that God gives us or if our faith is tied to God Himself?

If God were to remove the blessings in our life one by one, would we still love God? If God were to remove our comforts, physical health, material wealth, our jobs, relationships one by one, would we still love God? Is God God for us only because of the blessings that He gives? Or is He God just because He is our God and Savior?

Who is God to you and me? If we see God only for the gifts he gives us, then He’s no more than a genie to us – someone who exists to make all our wishes and dreams come true.

But God is not a genie. He is our Creator and Redeemer and in fact one of the reasons Jesus came into the world was to save us from this transactional relationship and help us see Him as the best Gift ever! 

But not only do we acknowledge that there are things happening in the background which we don’t understand & not only should we acknowledge that no suffering is without God’s purpose but

3. We acknowledge that it’s only the truths of God that can keep us rooted in Him during suffering (v7-10)

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.”

10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

In V 7 & 8, we see the after-effects of that meeting in heaven.

After facing the terrible unbearable pain of losing his family & property, if things couldn’t get worse he now carries loathsome sores all over his body – no area was untouched.

It’s not just his physical attractiveness that was affected. Whenever people looked at him, they would see him as someone unclean who needed to be kept at a distance. This was going to impact the way others saw him and related to him.

And it’s at that time that his closest confidant in life speaks to him – V9.

She’s basically telling him “What’s the point in you holding on to this God who has brought this upon you?”

You can imagine how discouraging it was for him to hear that. But not just that, when you’re experiencing such pain and processing that, it’s very easy to get swayed by thoughts like this because we’re in a very vulnerable place. And yet somehow we see Job choose to honor God in that moment.

10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

There’s a rebuke for what was being told to him but more than that there was an acknowledgment of truths that Job knew to be true about God.

He didn’t view God as a genie whose job was to deliver good gifts and blessings to him. He saw God as a wise Father who knows best what needs to be given and what needs to be taken away. Although he didn’t fully understand God’s ways, he wanted to trust in the wisdom and judgments of his God.

I know as we’re hearing some of this, most of us would probably think “this is so difficult to implement. Job was a great holy man, so he was able to trust God. I’m not like Job and I can’t do this”. 

I just want to say that I resonate with that. None of us have it in us to produce this kind of clarity and trust in God especially when we’re hit with unexpected suffering.

That’s why we need God’s Word and the Holy Spirit’s help to nail down these truths about God in our hearts, because when we’re being tested that’s when these truths come to our aid.

That’s why the church – form an appetite for good bible theology. It’s not so that we become puffed up in pride and use that as a way to look down at others but so that our hearts are changed so that we’re aided in seasons of suffering to go back to what we know is true about God.

It’s like consuming junk food and consuming healthy food. In the short term, it may seem like junk does the job in filling your stomach but in the long run when sickness and illness hit us, junk food wouldn’t be able to sustain us – in fact it’ll cause more issues. And so that’s why – don’t settle for shallow theology. Form a good solid biblical appetite for God’s Word.

11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. 12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

So terrible was his physical condition at the time that Job’s friends failed to recognize him. All they could do was weep and grieve with him because his suffering was so great. In the coming weeks we’ll see if they were actually able to do what they planned to do which was offer sympathy and comfort. But let’s realize that as people who are friends with those suffering, we do have a responsibility.

Just to summarize – what do we do when suffering persists?

• We acknowledge that there are things happening in the background which we don’t understand
• We acknowledge that there’s no suffering without God’s purpose attached to it
• We acknowledge that it’s only the truths of God that can keep us rooted in Him during suffering

How is God calling you to repentance and faith this morning?