The Lie About Job

 So let’s review. In the last four weeks we’ve covered a lot. I shared Isaiah 53:5 – by His wounds, His stripes, we are healed, and Matthew 8 that says Jesus healed them all. I told you healing is a promise from God, and how things we do or think – sin, lack of confidence, and tradition – can keep us from receiving our healing. You’ve heard some awesome stories of healing – some great examples of people who had confidence, or built their confidence, in the Word of God. And, we covered how communion ties into it, too.

If you’re just jumping in, you can get caught up. Read the posts from the last four weeks and you’ll get all of it. Then stay with us over the next few weeks because there is more to come. We have more to cover.

What’s left? Plenty. Plenty of truth and plenty of lies.

And that’s where we’re going this week – we’re going to uncover the truth about one of the biggest lies ever believed about God. And, we’re going right to the Bible to find it – to the Book of Job.

If you know anything about the Word of God, you’ve probably heard about Job and his boils and what God did to him, right? It’s a really big deal. It’s a whole book of the Bible that has been used to deceive people – especially when it comes to healing – and we’re going to tear it apart.

In the first chapter of Job we learn that he was a very wealthy man. We’re told that his sons took turns hosting feasts in their homes and that Job regularly offered sacrifices on behalf of his children. Then we see that Satan came to God and they talked about Job. God said there was none on earth like Job, but Satan disagreed.

Before I go into this further, let’s look at Luke 22:31. Jesus tells Peter that Satan has asked to sift him as wheat, but that He prayed for him so that his faith would not fail.

What does this mean and why am I throwing it in right here? Well, when Satan asked to sift Peter as wheat that means he wanted to have dominion over him. That’s what Satan was going to God for when they were talking about Job. Satan wanted dominion over Job. He thought it was unfair that God had put a hedge of protection around him. He pretty much told God, “Why wouldn’t he serve you? Look at what you’ve done for him! If you’d allow pressure to come against him we’d really see where his heart is.”

And then we see where the first lie about the character of God is pulled from. It does appear that God allowed Satan to harm Job, but that’s not true. God didn’t have a choice. Satan had every right to go to God and complain and he had every right to Job. The whole earth belongs to him after all. He has legal dominion over it. Adam gave it to him in Genesis 3. And because there was no intercessor at that time – there was no Jesus – Satan had a legal right to Job. God couldn’t say no.

So Job lost his provision and he lost his children. And here is another scripture used to deceive people about the character of God. Yes, Job lost his children, but he didn’t lose his own life and he didn’t lose his wife. Why did he lose his children? Well, think about it. Why do you think he offered sacrifices for them continuously? He knew there were some things going on in their lives that weren’t right and he was fearful for them. We get confirmation of this later in Job – his children paid the penalty of sin.

We see another lie about the character of God in verse 20 when Job said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.” People actually quote this today! In fact, there is a popular song that sings this and it grieves me every time I hear it. Just because something is written in the Bible doesn’t mean it’s proper. We need to look at the person we’re quoting and really make sure they have a proper perception of God.

Job didn’t have the right perception. He lacked knowledge of the character of God. He lived in fear and gave offerings out of fear. His perception was that God gives and takes away. That was his understanding, but that is NOT God. Think about how great that sounds. Doesn’t that make you want to serve God? He gives and takes away? Wow. Thanks! I can do that myself! It’s a phrase you hear often, but that doesn’t mean it’s truth. That is where Job was. That was his perception.

Back to the Bible – Satan comes back to God and tells God Job isn’t as righteous as he appears and he wants to be able to touch his body. God has to say yes and Job develops boils. Then we begin to hear some stuff happening. We really start to see Job’s heart.

In 3:25 Job says what he has feared has come upon him. And there it is. Job didn’t have peace before. He was consumed with doing things right and giving offerings and trying to do things religiously correct. He wasn’t in a place of knowing God’s character. He was afraid of God. He dreaded these things happening. He gave offerings in his limited knowledge just to appease God.

When his friends came along to talk to him about his heart and his understanding Job went on a tangent of severe and serious misrepresentations of God. He said God destroys both the blameless and the wicked. Do you see anything wrong with that? I do. Job had a completely wrong picture of who God is. If this was what you thought of God what would you do? You’d give offerings everyday all day long. If this were the God you were serving you would think you have to appease him nonstop. If this is the kind of justice God has then you have to continually perform, right? Job had God all wrong.

Now let’s jump to where God starts talking to Job and dealing with his perception. God shows him the goodness of creation – His goodness, His faithfulness, and what He’s done. God taught Job about Himself and Job finally saw that God is good.

Then he repented – from his wrong perception of God; his wrong image of God; a works, fear-based, religious mentality of God, which gave the enemy access to his life. And God blessed Job more than ever before.

So, have you believed a lie about the Book of Job? Do you know why those things happened? Do you know the end of the story? Get your Bible and read the whole thing. See what you learn. Then ask yourself if it was God’s will to bring destruction to Job’s life. Ask yourself if it’s God’s will to bring destruction – to bring sickness – to your life.

The Bible says that what God was able to bring about was a good thing. God was faithful to bring wisdom and knowledge to Job. He kept him from incurring destruction.

Job had the victory in the end. And so can you.

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