Mt. Rainier National Park
Without Cause
Job 2
Lesson 5
In Job 1, Satan approaches God and slanders Job and states he will turn on God if he suffers. God allows Satan to cause the demise of Job’s possessions and his children. Absolutely devastating!
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
He said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’
Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.
To sit here in my study, to pour over these words in chapters 1 and 2 and consider the plight of Job is an emotional and sobering experience. The relief and blessings we find at the end of the story in Job 42 is coming. But as we move from the devastation of Job 1 into chapter 2, things get worse before they get better. Much worse.
There’s a biblical reality in these two chapters that is very, very hard for us Christians to accept. Please remember that my writings in this blog is my attempt to share with you, in real time, my journey of digging deeper into scripture much more than I have done in the past. I am discovering rich truths about the nature of God that are mind—blowing. The side of God we see in Job is not the God that current Christian authors and preachers spend time discussing. What God does here is fair and righteous in every way, but it’s very difficult for us to accept from our human standpoint. Here it is:
God gives blessings upon blessings that we don’t deserve and didn’t earn. That’s the good news. He saved us not on the basis of anything we did. He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy… Titus 3:5. On the other hand, according to Job 2, He allows us to suffer at times for no reason that we caused. Speaking to Satan, God speaks of Job; he (Job) holds fast his integrity, although you (Satan) incited Me against him to ruin him without cause, Job 2.3.
This is a difficult statement. God states that He caused Job ‘ruin without cause.’ Job didn’t deserve it. We are all wired to believe we get what we deserve. It’s difficult to accept blessings without earning them and it’s difficult for us to accept suffering we didn’t deserve. That’s why Job’s three friends reasoned that Job must have done something to deserve his suffering. Job stated, no, ‘I didn’t do anything to deserve this.’ Job was right.
I relish the blessings God gives me that I don’t deserve. But I hate considering that I may incur suffering that I didn’t deserve. But Job knew it was true and stated, The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
By faith, we believe that God is always fair and righteous in all His dealings with us. It takes faith because life can deal us some deep and painful blows. By faith, we believe there is a plan and a purpose. By faith, we believe that all things work together for our good, which sometimes means suffering for a time. By faith, we know that our time on earth is brief and eternity is coming. Now is the time to love God, serve others and walk humbly with our God. Soon will be our time to be in His presence and experience peace and joy for all time. Come Lord Jesus, come.
Father of all Comfort, when trials come, I often think of heaven; when earthly pursuits and attainments will fade, when being rich or poor is of no consequence, when being admired or despised is meaningless. Very soon, in heaven, all that matters is the presence of Jesus; to see Him face-to-face. Comfort me with hope and surety of eternity in Your glorious presence. Amen!