Encounters with God is a sermon series about the theophanies or divine appearances and how they reveal the stunning character of God and his heart for a world that is lost without him. People have always wrestled with the nature and meaning of suffering. The ancient story of Job presents five perspectives that help us better understand suffering, even today. Recorded on Nov 28, 2021, on the book of Job, by Pastor David Parks.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re talking about The Greatness of God. And today, we’re continuing a sermon series called Encounters with God. In the Bible, when God appears to someone it’s known as a theophany or divine appearing. And these encounters are wild stories, full of surprises. God never seems to act how we would expect. However, these stories reveal the stunning character of God and his heart for a world that is lost without him. Today, we’ll consider the fascinating encounter with God in the book of Job. Job is famous in the Bible for what he suffered because the book of Job is a series of dialogues dealing with the nature/purpose of suffering. This is a topic that human beings have always wrestled with — and whether you have yet or not, you will one day, too. So many of the answers to suffering have to do with what you believe about who God is and what God does in this world. Now, this morning we’re going to do something that I don’t think I’ve ever done before. I’m going to preach through the whole book of Job. We won’t read through the whole thing (although I’d encourage you to do so). But it’s necessary to have at least a working understanding of the flow of the whole book to understand the theophany at the end. So if you have a Bible/app, please open to Job 1:1. We’ll unpack this as we go. First, the prologue:

Job 1:1-5 (NIV), “1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. 4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.” Let’s pause here. So first, what kind of man is Job? Job is a very wealthy man, he was also a family man, and he was a devoutly religious man. Job is presented here as being exemplary in every way. V. 6

Job 1:6-12 (NIV), “6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan [Hebrew word meaning the Accuser or the Adversary] also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.