Suffering and Grace - Series Part 2

The second part of the Suffering and Grace sermon series that pastor Sam gave in Grace Gospel Church, delves into the character of Job and the nature of suffering, emphasizing the importance of Christ's crucifixion for understanding the book. The sermon begins by making two preliminary observations about the book.

Understanding the Book of Job's Length and Complexity: The first observation is that Job is a very long book, forty-two chapters long. The sermon argues that God has given us this long book for a reason, and it's a mistake to quickly skip over the central arguments (chapters 3-37), focusing only on the beginning and end. Many churches handle Job in very short sermon series, often dedicating only one sermon to chapters 3-37, which pastor Sam sees as inadequate. The length is crucial because questions about suffering, God's presence in pain, and God's nature cannot be answered simply. God gives us a forty-two-chapter book, not a postcard message, Tweet, or SMS, inviting us on a journey that takes time. There is no instant answer, no quick fix to pain, and the message of Job cannot be distilled into a nutshell. The narrative has a slow pace and long delays, reflecting that there is no instant working through grief. The sermon draws an analogy to therapy, noting that understanding and engaging with pain takes a long time, like absorbing a new language or unlearning an old way of being to develop a sustainable one. For a similar reason, the book of Job is long; we need to read it all, and read it slowly.

The Nature of Answers and Suffering: The sermon questions the modern world's focus on finding answers and solving problems, which stems from a technological mentality that sees the world as something to understand and control. The book of Job contains many problems and questions, but precious little that counts as an "answer" as we usually understand the term. God sometimes allows or even ordains that people walk through suffering, perhaps as the only way to discover the power of his comforting presence, or due to inscrutable divine purposes. Job brings us face to face with the mystery of innocent suffering – the central theme – for which there is no easy explanation. It confronts us with the inadequacy of common approaches to ministry, preaching, and pastoral care in the face of such pain. Job suffers intolerably and seemingly endlessly, enveloping the reader in his pain, misery, sense of injustice, and feeling of abandonment. His suffering forces us to rethink our prejudices, theology, and what we say about God. The mystery of innocent suffering is encountered in various global tragedies and personal hardships, raising questions about God's allowance, presence, and seemingly capricious nature.

Job's Friends as a Cautionary Example: Job's friends are presented as a contrast to the desired approach. They could not live with Job's suffering; they immediately looked for causes and solutions. They were uncomfortable with the mystery that defied their theological logic and felt they had to proclaim their perceived "truth". They insisted on treating suffering only as a problem to be solved, rather than being willing to cope with the uncertainty of facing its mystery. For this approach, they received a "pretty sharp word from the Lord" at the end of the book (Job 42:7). The book asks the reader to walk with Job through his struggle, open to where he takes us, to grasp the significance of God's voice at the end.

Structure of the Book of Job: The book falls into three clear sections:

• Prologue: Chapters 1 and 2. This is a prose section setting the scene, placing earthly and heavenly realities side by side.

• Body: Chapters 3:1–42:6. This is a long poem where Job and his friends argue, and Job eventually hears God's voice.

• Epilogue: Chapter 42:7–14. This is a prose section concluding the story.

In each part, characters are introduced in prose. The prologue introduces Job (1:1-5) and details what happens to him. The long poetic section focuses on Job and his three friends, introduced in prose (2:11-13), and ends with "The words of Job are ended" (31:40). Elihu is introduced in prose (32:1-5) before his speeches. God also addresses his speeches to Job, and Job replies.

Authorship and Context: The author of Job is unknown, as is the precise date of writing. Job is mentioned in Ezekiel 14:14, alongside Noah and Daniel, suggesting a recognized tradition about him existed. The sermon provides the text of Ezekiel 14:14: "even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God".

Focus on Job and His Introduction (Job 1:1-5): The author is described as a master storyteller, with the prologue being essential to the plot. The human focus of the book is solely on the one man Job. He is introduced first, is either on stage or the subject of discussion throughout, and even God addresses his speeches to him. We are told to pay careful attention to his introduction. The Sermon starts by describing Job as an exceptional figure, highlighting his extreme wealth, happiness, and greatness. This sets the stage for the drastic downfall he experiences, emphasizing the extremity of his suffering.

The writer tells us five things about Job in the introduction (1:1-5):

1. His Place: He lived "in the land of Uz" (v. 1). This was likely in Edom, east of the promised land. The significance is not precisely where it is, but where it is not – not in Israel. His story is not tied to Israelite history, and he seems to have lived around the time of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), before the giving of the Law or entry into the promised land. He knew almost nothing of God compared to later Israelite revelation, yet he knew, trusted, and worshipped God.

2. His Name: "whose name was Job" (v. 1). He is simply a man called Job, without significant family connections or genealogy highlighted.

3. His Godliness: "and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil" (v. 1). This is the first really significant information about him and describes his "constant nature".

• Blameless: This means genuine and authentic, not sinless. It indicates personal integrity, not perfection. His "within was like his without". This is the opposite of hypocrisy. This characteristic of blamelessness or integrity is pivotal in the book.

• Upright: This focuses on how he treats others, being straightforward and dealing straight in human relationships.

• Feared God: This describes his humble piety, a devout reverence and desire to please God based on the limited knowledge he had. Job initially believed God was sovereign and just, powerful enough to make the world run fairly.

• Turned away from evil: This shows his godly morality, habitually staying on the straight path and turning away from sin. To turn away from sin is to repent, so Job's character was marked by daily repentance.

4. His Greatness: As a result of his godliness, he was a very great man, which seems like the expected outcome in a "well-run world" where good people prosper.

• Family: He had seven sons and three daughters (v. 2), described as an ideal family with good numbers, signifying blessings and completeness. This is a picture of family harmony and innocent festivity.

• Possessions: He was a wealthy farmer and local dignitary with 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many servants. This depicts great wealth and power. He is described as "the greatest of all the people of the east" (v. 3).

• Initial Worldview: Job's life initially supports the idea that godliness leads to greatness and prosperity, presenting a world where the righteous lead. This is what is expected in a well-run world.

5. His Anxiety: Despite the harmony and happiness, there is a deep anxiety and care in Job's heart (v. 4-5). After his children's feasts, he would rise early and offer burnt offerings for each child, suggesting eagerness and urgency.

• Reason: He did this because he worried, "It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts" (v. 5). He knew that inner disposition matters more than outward piety. Cursing God in the heart is a serious offense.

• Action: Job believed in the atoning power of sacrifice and did this continually, year after year. This practice is described as godly Job covering any secret sin in his children's hearts with sacrifice.

Setting the Scene: The introduction (v 1-5) sets a scene that is happy with one shadow. The “happiness” is the good man being a great and prosperous man, seemingly validating the prosperity gospel. The “shadow" is the anxiety that people might be pious outwardly but impious inwardly, wishing God were dead in their hearts. Job knows there is something dark in human hearts and that by nature people do not honor God or give thanks to him. He believes only sacrifice can cover such inner sin.

The sermon emphasizes that the Book of Job is a long, complex journey intended to challenge simplistic understandings of suffering and God's justice. It introduces Job as a remarkably godly and prosperous man, presenting a picture of a world where righteousness leads to blessing, while simultaneously hinting at underlying human brokenness through Job's anxiety for his children's hearts. The friends' failure to grapple with the mystery highlights the book's rejection of easy answers and its call to engage deeply with the reality of innocent suffering.