Wealth on Fire

Job 1:1-5
1 There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area. 4 Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. 5 When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.

Job 1:8-11
8 Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
9 Satan replied to the LORD, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

Outline of Job

• Job, the righteous and rewarded, suffers. (1-2)
• Dialogue with "Friends" on "Why?" (3-31)
• Monologue of Elihu (32-37)
• God Speaks to Job (38-39)
• Dialogue with God (40-42:6)
• Job the Sufferer, vindicated and restored (42:7-17)

Questions for God

• If God stopped "blessing" me, would I stop loving Him?
• Do I love God for Himself alone?

Human Assumption (3-31)

• If I am wise and good, I will be successful and rewarded.
• If I am foolish and evil, I will suffer ruin and judgment.

Job teaches us to trust the good control of God, resist sin in suffering, and consider the frailty of wealth.

Trust the Good Control of God

Job 1:20-22
20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground    to worship. 21 He said,
   “I came naked from my mother’s womb,
   and I will be naked when I leave.
   The LORD gave me what I had,
   and the LORD has taken it away.
   Praise the name of the LORD!”
22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Job 2:8-10
8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”
10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.
Satan is not only after our destruction in suffering; he is after our sinful rebellion through suffering.

Job 1:8-11 (2:4-7)
8 Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
9 Satan replied to the LORD, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

Job 13:15a
God might kill me, but I have no other hope.
In abundance or loss, comfort or suffering, treasure Christ.

Job 42:1-6
1 Then Job replied to the LORD:
2 “I know that you can do anything,
   and no one can stop you.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
   It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
   things far too wonderful for me.
4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!
   I have some questions for you,
   and you must answer them.’
5 I had only heard about you before,
    but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
6 I take back everything I said,
   and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

Philippians 3:7-11
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!