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Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

Job. Why does God let bad things happen to good people?. The Rightesous. Introduction. 1 st of the Poetic books 18 th book overall of the Old Testament. True Story.

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Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

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  1. Job Why does God let bad things happen to good people? The Rightesous

  2. Introduction • 1st of the Poetic books • 18th book overall of the Old Testament

  3. True Story • “Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 14:14 • “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” James 5:11

  4. Date • The era of the Patriarchs, or earlier • No mention of the Exodus • No mention of the Temple Laws • No mention of Aaron’s Priesthood, • Job offered sacrifices on behalf of his family

  5. Authorship • Unknown, but most probably one of the following: • Moses • Eliphaz the Temanite • Bildad the Shuhite • Zophar the Naamathite • Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram

  6. Structure • Prologue: Ch. 1-2 • Job’s life story • God allows “Satan” to test • Job’s 7 tribulations • Job’s friends come to console him: Ch. 3-31 • Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar • Each spoke 3 times, except for Zophar spoke twice, and Job answering each one in turn

  7. Structure • Job’s 4th friend, Elihu, starts speaking, Ch. 32-37 • God speaks to Job and restores his life, Ch. 38-42

  8. Job • Job was a righteous man: • “Blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” Job 1:1 • Not an Israelite, • “a man in the land of Uz” Job 1:1 • 7 sons and 3 daughters • Wealthy: • “seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.” Job 1:2,3

  9. A heavenly meeting • “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.“ Job 1:6 • Satan means “The Accuser” • “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Job 1:7 & Job 2:2

  10. A heavenly meeting • God initiated the discussion about Job, • “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” Job 1:8 • Satan does not deny Job’s righteousness, but accuses his motives, • “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Job 1:9

  11. Trials & Tribulations • God allows Satan to take all of Job’s possessions, but not his health. • First 4 tests: • The Sabeans raided the oxens and donkeys • “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them” Job 1:16 • The Chaldeans raided the camels • Big storm, all 10 children died in the house of the elder brother

  12. Trials & Tribulations • Job does not curse God, but instead says • “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21 • The Accuser still accuses • “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.” Job 2:4

  13. Trials & Tribulations • God allows Satan to take Job’s health, but not his mind. • The last 3 Test: • “Satan … struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” Job 2:7 • His wife abondons him: “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job 2:9 • Job’s friends: Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar

  14. Comfort NOT from Above • Job’s friends came to comfort him: • “when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.” Job 2:12,13

  15. Comfort NOT from Above • After seven days, Job finally speaks and says: “May the day perish on which I was born” Job 3:3 • Then the dialogues of between Job and his three friends begin, • Eliphaz, 3 speeches (Ch. 4 & 5, 15, 22) • Bildad, 3 speeches (Ch. 8, 18, 25) • Zophar, 2 speeches (Ch. 11, 20) • Job, 8 speeches

  16. Comfort NOT from Above • Job’s friends failed to comfort him and also failed to point him to the cause of his sufferings • False accusations: “Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquity without end? For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason, And stripped the naked of their clothing. You have not given the weary water to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry. But the mighty man possessed the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it. You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the fatherless was crushed.” Job 22:5-9

  17. The 3 Friends • Eliphaz: Personal experience • Bildad: Tradition, more logical • Zophar: “Bad things just happen” • All three friends tried to convince Job that these things happened to him because of a sin he committed, and they tried to falsely accuse him to justify their way of thinking.

  18. The 4th friend • Elihu • Meaning: My God is “He” • Present since the beginning • Silent since the beginning • Youngest

  19. The 4th friend • “the wrath of Elihu … was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.” Job 32:2,3 • Elihu began to show Job his real problem SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS

  20. The Real Problem • “When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square, The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood; The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth; The voice of nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me; Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper. The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame. I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know. I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.” Job 29:7-17 • “But now they mock at me, men younger than I, whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.” Job 30:1

  21. The Real Problem • Indeed Job was righteous • Even Satan did not deny Job’s righteousness • Elihu confronted Job with his real problem, • “Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the sound of your words, saying, ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me. Yet He finds occasions against me, He counts me as His enemy” Job 33:8-10 • Job is unable to answer • Elihu prepared the way for God’s speech

  22. God Almighty • When Job is finally ready, God speaks to him through the storm, saying: • “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.” Job 38:2,3 • Ch. 38, 39 & 40, 41 speak about the great and awesome works of God in His creation and the way He takes care of it.

  23. Job before God • Job finally begins to realize his error: • “Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.” Job 40:4,5 • “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5,6

  24. “I will sing of mercy and justice” Psalm 101:1 • God forgave Job, and “gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10 • All possessions were returned to Job in double • God gave Job 7 sons and 3 daughters, on account of the first 10 children still counted for Job and will be waiting for him in heaven • Job lived 140 peaceful years after his tribulations

  25. “I will sing of mercy and justice” Psalm 101:1 • God even asked Job’s three friends to go ask job to offer sacrifices on their behalf, to further show His approval of Job and to indicate that He had forgiven him. • “After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days.” Job 42:16,17

  26. Why do we suffer? • General suffering, for the sake of the balance of nature and due to its laws. • Temptation from the devil and because of the weakness of man, to separate man from God. • Tribulation from God, • To increase the faith • To discipline and not to punish • To purify • To shape • To keep man from pride • For man to have compassion on his fellow man • To share with Christ in His suffering

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