Introduction

The human race is beset with difficulties:

• Natural Disasters
• Death of loved ones
• The loss of possessions
• Famine
• Ill Health
• Suspicion, slander persecution, war

The list is endless and the question 'Why doesn't Elohim - if He exists - intervene? is on many lips. The book of Job should be compulsory reading for all believers: because it provides invaluable insight into the government of the mighty universe and of the conflicts that occur in the court of heaven. It also reveals the kind of being Satan is, how his mind works and how distrustful he is of the Almighty's intelligence and judgment. Job's bitter experiences, his personal sufferings and a look at the spiritual conflict between YaHuWaH and Satan, all provide inside information that will equip the believer to face life's trials, no matter how bad they may happen to be. The book of Job is a spiritual first-aid kit. Study it.

1. Job's Enormous Wealth

Job was one of the richest men of his day. He was greatly blessed of YaHuWaH. His possessions, family relationships and social standing were of the highest grade. He had arrived at a position of wealth and respect most men only dream about.

2. Satan's Accusation

It is difficult, if not impossible, to understand the mind of Satan. He leveled accusations against Job and YaHuWaH which every mind in the heavenly court found abhorrent. Job, Satan dared to suggest, was not serving the Almighty for nothing! Job was doing so for payment. In other words the Most High was bribing Job in order to prove that the Torah could be kept. In effect Satan claimed that YaHuWaH was buying human allegiance: He was enticing mankind with material possessions to obey His Torah. And Job, continued Satan, was the best example of this alleged 'divine bribery.'

"Remove the benefits and Job will curse you to your face." Satan suggested.

3. The Trials of Job

I have called this section the Trials of Job. It could as easily be called the Trials of YaHuWaH, because both were on trial at that testing time.

• Job, to see if he was worshiping YaHuWaH only because of incoming payments:
• The Almighty, to see if He was a) asking too much of mankind as regards obedience, b) was able to correctly judge human motives and c) was able to tell the end from the beginning.

All heaven watched and waited as the test began and Job's calamities began to mount. Within days Job had lost virtually everything.

TRIAL / LESSON ONE: Remain faithful with or without possessions.

TRIAL / LESSON 2: Remain faithful even in bad health

Strange as it may seem, Satan was still unconvinced that Job still genuinely worshiped the Most High; with or without possessions. Satan then obtained permission to devastate Job's health. Within days he reduced Job to a human wreck.

Remember: All heaven was watching!

TRIAL / LESSON 3: Remain true to YaHuWaH even though others accuse you of falsehood.

The next section (Chapters 3-37) is a catalog of human reasoning, and judgement, most of it completely missing the mark. Job's friends (?) coming to the conclusion that Job has probably secretly sinned and that is why YaHuWaH is punishing him with:

• The loss of his children
• The loss of his possessions and wealth
• The loss of his wife's love
• The loss of his health
• And finally the loss of respect, of wife and friends; for they had concluded that Job was a secret sinner: and this was the reason for his awful calamities.

Amid all this Job maintained his faith. Note his words.

TRIAL / LESSON 4: Do not question YaHuWaH, because we do not know all the facts

Then YaHuWaH spoke. In a series of questions, none of which Job could answer, the Most High pointed out the futility of men's judgements which are seldom - if ever - based on a knowledge of all the facts. Job realizing the smallness of his opinion says:

LESSON / TRIAL 5: Be prepared to forgive your accusers

This is Job's hardest trial. He has loved the Most High with all his heart and all his soul: even when his wealth and health were gone. Can he now love his neighbor as himself? YaHuWaH steps in with a final test which astonishes all Heaven and leaves Satan floundering in total shame.

4. The Patience of the Saints

In the book of Revelation we are shown a picture of YaHuWaH 's church in the last days. On a spiritual level every true believer is faced to varying degrees with situations similar to those Job went through:

• Loss of wealth and material possessions
• Loss of health
• Loss of loved ones, family and friends
• False accusations.

How will you cope? Will you, like Job, look past all the trials of life to the resurrection of the just when, because of your faith, you will see YaHuWaH and live forever! Or will you blame the Almighty for calamities which come your way? Perhaps your faith is currently being tested - to breaking point! I do not know. Like Job, perhaps even you do not know. But whatever the reason, you cannot afford to lose your faith: or give Satan the satisfaction of thinking that you only serve YaHuWaH for the temporal benefits (wealth, health, power, favor etc.)

Yes, how is it going to be with you?

Will you be patient like Job. Or will you give up your faith, perhaps even blaspheme YaHuWaH - and die?

• Satan had said to YaHuWaH : He (Job) will curse You to Your face!
• Job's wife had said: "Curse Elohim and die."

Job - Man of Patience - passed every test. I pray that all who hear or read this sermon will remember the lessons the patriarch Job has for us all.

James 5:11 You have heard of the patience of Job!