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God’s Righteous Judgment Job 1 I. SATAN
CHALLENGES THE JUSTICE OF GOD’S JUDGMENT CONCERNING JOB (Job 1:6-12; 2:4-5) A. Job’s concern that one of his sons “cursed God in their hearts” (v.5) forms a transition to the heavenly assembly where Satan says Job “will surely curse You to Your face” (v.11). B. Modern commentators say things like, “The Satan is certainly
Job’s adversary, but in this scene he is not an enemy of God” (David Clines). C. Satan, The Accuser, is most certainly an
enemy of God in this passage for two reasons: 1. Job is a friend of God and if Satan
opposes Job then he is opposed to God (Job 1:8; cf. Job 1:1; 2:3). 2. Satan, the liar, is calling God’s
judgment prejudiced and partial. Satan
contradicts God’s judgment about Job and asks, “Does Job fear God for
nothing?” (Job 1:9-11; 2:4-5) 3. Satan’s questioning of God’s judgment is
similar to what happened in the Garden of Eden. a. God promised death if Adam and Eve ate
of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). b. Satan questioned the Word of God and
said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said…” (Genesis 3:4-5) c. This pattern of the serpent questioning
and then denying the Word of God is the same thing Satan does in Job 1-2. i. Question: “Does Job fear God for
nothing?” (Job 1:9) ii. Denial: “put forth Your hand now
and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face” (Job 1:11). D. Satan’s claim is that God is prejudiced,
unfair, biased and partial. Satan, the
father of lies, is essentially saying to God, “Your judgment about Job is
unjust and therefore You are an unjust Judge.” (cf. Job 34:10-12) E. Satan’s challenge occurs in the context
of the heavenly assembly (Court) (v.6; cf. Deut.3:24; 10:17; 1 Kings 8:23; Jer.10:6; Psalm
86:8, 89:6-9; 95:3; 96:4[=1 Chr 16:25]; 97:7; 135:5; 136:2; etc.). II. GOD’S JUDGMENTS ARE ALWAYS TRUE AND JUST A. If God were to allow sinners into heaven
for all eternity, these sinners will be an eternal testimony to all that God
is unjust and impartial. This would
mean that Satan’s basic contention with God in Job 1 is right. B. If you think you can get into heaven on
the basis of your imperfect obedience to God, your imperfect love for God and
your neighbor, then you are just as deceived as the devil. God is holy, true and just (Leviticus 19:15;
Deuteronomy 1:17; 10:12-19; 16:18-20; 24:17; 2 Chronicles 19:5-7; Proverbs
24:23–26; Micah 3:11; Malachi 2:9; cf. Genesis 15). C. Nothing unclean will enter into the everlasting
presence of God, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful (2
Thessalonians 1:8-9; Rev.21:27). III. WHEN SATAN QUESTIONS GOD, SATAN IS ESSENTIALLY
SAYING TO GOD, “YOU AREN’T GOD!” THE
ACCUSER IS NOT SIMPLY SPEAKING AGAINST JOB!
HE IS SPEAKING AGAINST GOD!! A. In order for a person or heavenly being
to question God’s judgment, they must first think that they can elevate
themselves above God. B. God will never allow you or anybody else
to elevate yourself above Him (Isaiah 14:13-15; Revelation 20:10,14-15). 1. There are five rebellious “I wills”
pronounced by Babylon/Satan in Isaiah 14: Ø “I will ascend to heaven”
(v.13b) Ø “I will raise my throne above
the stars of God” (v.13c) Ø “I will sit on the mount of
assembly” (v.13d) Ø “I will ascend above the
heights of the clouds” (v.14a) Ø “I will make myself like the
Most High” (v.14b) 2. Unless you repent, you will be cast down
like Babylon and Satan (Isaiah 14:11-12). C. If God is truly God then He isn’t
accountable to anyone. God is the
standard and there is no higher standard (Job 42:1-6; Daniel 4:35; Isaiah
45:9)! D. The Creator is never accountable to the
creature (Job 33:13; 38-41; Isa.29:16; 45:9; 64:8; Jer.18:6; Romans 9:20-21;
cf. Psalm 135:6).
B. The reason people don’t believe the Word
of God is because they are children of the devil (John 8:45-47). “We
know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the
control of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19) C. God not only declares from heaven what is true,
but God also vindicates His truth on earth.
The
justice/righteousness of God is not something that only that happens in
heaven but is actually worked out in the earth in the life of Job. 1. The justice/righteousness of God is
demonstrated when the Sabeans plundered Job’s oxen and donkeys and put to
death his servants (Job 1:14-15).
3. The justice/righteousness of God is
demonstrated when the Chaldeans formed raiding parties and took Job’s camels
and killed his servants with the edge of the sword (Job 1:17). 4. The justice/righteousness of God is demonstrated
when a great wind (sirocco)
came across the wilderness destroying the house and killing Job’s 7 sons and
3 daughters (Job 1:18-19). 5. The justice/righteousness of God was
vindicated in Job 1:20-22 when Job worshipped God. D. The book of Job is about the Gospel. It is the story of how God’s righteous
servant Job shuts the mouth of the serpent, “The LORD God said to
the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust
you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and
the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the
head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15; cf. Job 31:33) QUESTIONS FOR SABBATH DISCUSSION & MEDITATION Take what you
have learned this morning and pray that God would grant you humility to
worship and serve Him as your Creator and Redeemer. What was God’s
judgment about Job? In what setting
did Satan (“The Accuser”) contradict God’s judgment? Comment on the
following, “The Satan is certainly Job’s adversary, but in this scene he is not an
enemy of God” (David Clines). How is the book
of Job about God’s justice? What was
“just/righteous” about Job losing everything? How is Satan’s
questioning of God’s judgment similar to the Garden of Eden? When we
question God’s Word or judgments what are we saying about ourselves? What does this have in common with Satan? Explain what was meant by the statement, “If God is truly God then He isn’t
accountable to anyone.” Why don’t
people believe the Word of God? (see John 8:45-47) About how many
years ago did Job live? How much of
the Gospel had been revealed by God in the time of Job? How is the book
of Job about the Gospel? |
