Page 26 - Job

Reading JOB to Know God

Chapter 3 Partial Answers to the Mysteries of Life

Before we look at the first two chapters which we have called “God’s
partial answer to the mysteries of life”, let me say a word or two about the
sufferings of Job. Now, I think even the most uninstructed person in the
Word of God hears the name Job and thinks suffering. Job was one of the
world’s great sufferers. Now, he was not the greatest sufferer. Who was
the world’s greatest sufferer? The Lord Jesus. As far as the record goes,
the Apostle Paul suffered much for the Lord. There have been tens of
thousands tortured for Christ through the ages. At least this much is sure.
Job was up there with the best of them. Let me name three things that
show the severity of his suffering. The first is the time element.
Chapter 1:13,
“Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and
drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job
and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
and the Sabeans attacked and took them away. They also slew the servants
with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

Now notice verse 16:1 While he was still speaking, (he did not even get it
out of his mouth) another also came and said,
“The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep And the
servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Then look at verse 17: another also came and said,

“The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels
and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I
alone have escaped to tell you.”
Verse 18: While he was still speaking, another also came and said,
“Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their
oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came from across the
wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the
young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

The bottom dropped out of everything for Job. Psalm 42:7 says,

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