Job 1 Part 1 – All Things Working Together For The Good!

by Michael Robson

What do we do when things go from being great, blessed, and peaceful, to where the bottom falls out of our world? Was it not for such wonderful texts as Rom.8:28, which states, ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose‘, we might be completely in the dark!

The alternatives are ‘bad luck’, ‘karma’, or in the words of Richard Dawkins, ‘The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect IF THERE IS, at bottom, no evil, no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference!’ – Not the most encouraging words to hear when tragedy strikes!

The Bible however shows that God is fulfilling His Plans and Purposes, and it is about Him and the Power of His Word both in Creation and the upkeep and sustaining of His creation (See Gen.1; Ps.33:9; Heb.1:3; Isaiah 55:10-11; Ps.33:8-11).

So when we “consider” the man called Job, found in the Book of Job, and how everything was going great for him (See Job 1:1-5), we would have no clue that some seriously bad stuff is about to happen. But between vv.6-12 we are given, as it were a peek behind the scenes into an unseen realm, and something that Job would never get to know about.

We see “The Satan” or adversary coming to a meeting which was between God and ‘the sons of God’ (which some believe was between God and the angels, possibly in heaven, but we are never told who the sons of God are or the location of this meeting). Satan had been roaming around the earth (See Job 1:7; 1 Pet.5:8; Matt.12:43-45).

The strangest thing is that the LORD draws Satan’s attention to His servant Job. We might say, “Now why did He have to go and do that?” Does that reveal that we have more fear of Satan and what he can do than in the LORD and what He can do?

Also, I asked the question during this message, “What would the LORD say about you? Would he speak highly of you the way he spoke so highly of Job?”

Satan brought accusations about Job suggesting that his motives for serving the LORD were selfish and that he only was in it for the blessings. Satan also brought to our attention the fact that Job, like David in Ps.139:5 was ‘hedged‘ – in all around! He stated that he knew that if Job lost all he had, that when the blessings were cut off, that Job would curse God to His face! But God knew better. God knew what the outcome would be. Satan does not know the future, and God knows exactly how His plans will work out. This takes us back to Rom. 8:28 and to 8:35-39 where we are told that there is NOTHING that can separate a true believer from the love of God.

My biggest personal takeaway from this sermon is that God is in control, and certainly not Satan, and that we can see here the Doctrine of the Perseverance/Preservation of the saints, because God insures a good outcome. This gives us great assurance of Salvation!

Michael Robson