From : bibleteacher.org
When Angels Preached The Gospel

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Luke 24:1-12 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words …

The Bible Is God’s Book!
People ask me why I believe that this Bible is God’s Book, written through the Prophets and Apostles. Why do I believe that “no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21, CSB)? It is because I have experienced the power of this magnificent Book. God has given us – you and I – a Book written by His Spirit, and taught by His Spirit (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).

Every time I come to the Bible, if open to the Holy Spirit, I nearly always find something new.

For instance, as I read this story of the resurrection of Jesus, a message I have preached before, I thought “what could be new in this text?” then God answered.

Angels Preached The Gospel The Day Jesus Rose
I was reading a commentary the other day when I came across this statement:

“During the current dispensation in which we live – the church age – angels are not permitted to preach or share the Gospel (the message of Jesus) with people. They are, however, involved in the process of people being saved or born again”.

Christian, there are lots of good commentaries out there, and I’m sure this isn’t a bad commentary. But never take the word of man above that of God. Men and women make mistakes. I make mistakes. “Try the Spirits, whether they be of God or not”(1 John 4:1). Is it true that “angels do not preach the Gospel”? Let’s look at what the Bible says. The Apostle Paul wrote:

Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [9] As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

The Apostle suggested that an Angel could preach the Gospel – and called the curse of God on any Angel that preached a contrary Gospel to that which is presented in the Scripture. I do not believe that Angels normally preach the Gospel, as the Great Commission was given to the Church by Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20). However, on the Sunday that Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Cleopas we are told an angel rolled the stone from the tomb of Christ, and said:

Matthew 28:5-7 … Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

An Angel preached the Gospel! In our Sunday School lesson today (I wish you would attend Sunday School – you’d be blessed!) we’ll see the resurrection account in John chapter 20. When Mary Magdalene gets to the tomb of Jesus, she sees the stone rolled away. The Bible says:

John 20:11-13 Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

Mary thought that someone had stolen the body of Jesus. As she and the other women came to the tomb, they came to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial.

When they took Jesus down from the Cross to bury Him, He was hastily buried because the next day was the High Sabbath, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Leviticus 23:6-7 …. on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation (Hebrew miqrā’, a special time where Israel was called together to worship) ; you shall not do any ordinary work.

Had Jesus’ body been stolen, He would have been defiled by Jewish law. His preparation was not complete! Mary was devastated. We’ll see in Sunday School that Mary will look into the Tomb and see …

John 20:12 … two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain

There are two angels there. In our text today we read in Luke that, when they looked into the tomb perplexed …

Luke 24:4 … behold, two men stood by them in shining garments…

These “TWO MEN” in “SHINING GARMENTS” were angels. Though angels do not normally carry the Gospel, God used the angels to remind the disciples to get busy and spread the Gospel.

Sadly, we as humans are fickle. Sometimes we need an angel to get us moving in the right direction. The disciples did not need to waste time wondering where Jesus is. Jesus is where He is supposed to be. Let’s get busy!

The Great Physician Luke was used to God to write both the Gospel of Luke, as well as Acts. At the empty tomb Luke tells us that “two men in shining garments” share the Gospel. After Jesus is reunited with His disciples and gives us the Great Commission, Jesus ascends into Heaven. The Bible tells us that:

Acts 1:10-11 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

I believe that this is the same “TWO MEN – ANGELS – IN SHINING APPAREL” that were at the empty Tomb. Stop staring where Jesus went up to Heaven. He is coming again. Get busy, and tell others that He has risen just as He said.

The Gospel Is That Jesus Died, But Rose Again
The Gospel that Jesus gave us – a Gospel first preached by Angels – is very simple. We read:

Luke 24:5-7 … Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

The Angels redirected the gaze of the disciples, reminding us that death has no hold on Jesus. Jesus repeated told His disciples that He had to die on the Cross. In this same Gospel we read:

Luke 9:22 {Jesus said} The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and BE RAISED THE THIRD DAY.

Jesus often used the title “Son of Man” for Himself. In the Old Testament the term “son of man” was used to describe fallen man. The Prophet compared man to God, saying …

Job 25:6 How much less man, that is a worm (rimmâ, that which causes decay)? and the son of man, which is a worm?

Though God put man on a perfect earth, and gave us all that we needed for a great life, man chose to try and be like a god (Genesis 3:5). It came to my attention the other day that some of these television preachers are saying that we as humans can be gods This is hogwash! God has said,

Isaiah 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me …

There is NO GOD beside our God. We cannot be gods. We are sons of men. But Jesus Christ – Eternal God in the flesh – became the Son of Man so that He might bring us to God. Jesus Christ – the Only Begotten Son of God – became the Virgin Born Son of Man. “What is man, that God would remember us? What are the sons of men, that God would come down to visit us?” (Psalm 8:4).

Jesus is the Son of Man prophesied in Daniel, the Messiah come to bring us to God (Daniel 7:13).
Jesus told His disciples …

Luke 9:44-45 .. Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. 45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.

Jesus would be “DELIVERED” over to judgment to make payment for our sinfulness. Jesus is the Messiah prophesied in Scripture. Just three days before the empty Tomb, Jesus told His disciples:

Luke 18:31-33 … Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be DELIVERED unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: AND THE THIRD DAY HE SHALL RISE AGAIN.

“DELIVERED unto the Gentiles” Jesus was beaten and bruised.
“DELIVERED unto the Gentiles” Jesus was stripped and mocked.
“DELIVERED unto the Gentiles” Jesus was spitted on and scourged.
“DELIVERED unto the Gentiles” Jesus as nailed to the cross, and died.

Pierced with a spear, Jesus’s dead body yielded blood and serum (John 19:34). Hastily buried, the Disciples came looking for His body. Three days and three nights Jesus did as He said:

Matthew 12:4 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of a great fish because of his disobedience to God. Jess, however, stayed three days and three nights among the dead. He has paid the penalty for our sin, fulfilling the promise of God in the Scripture. The Scripture says:

Galatians 3:13-14 Christ (the Son of Man) hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Jesus died to make PAYMENT to God for our sins. Jesus rose from the grave to give us CONTINUING REDEMPTION from sin.
Titus 2:13-14 … Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

He lives, so we live. He died, so that we will never die. Jesus defeated sin and Satan, death and destruction. The Angels preached:

“Why seek ye the living among the dead?”, the Angels preached. He is not here – He is risen, just as He said!

The Resurrection Is A Key Part Of The Gospel
When the women ran to tell the disciples what the Angels preached, we are told:

Luke 24:11-12 … And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulcher; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

Peter went to the Tomb to inspect it for himself. When he got to that tomb, he found something interesting. If Jesus’ body had been stolen from that tomb, the grave robbers would not have taken the time to take off His linen burial cloths, laying them neatly to the side. When a person was buried, the Jews would tightly bind a NAPKIN, the Greek soudarion. The soudarion is a larger version of what I carry in my pocket, a handkerchief or a veil, also equated to an apron (Acts 19:12). When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the Bible says:

John 11:44 … he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin (soudarion). …

The “soudarion” was not laid on the head, but bound AROUND the head. Lazarus had to be released from his “soudarion” (also John 11:44). When Peter saw the “soudarion” the Bible says:

John 20:7 … the napkin (soudarion) that was about {Jesus’} head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

This was not the act of grave robbing. Grave robbers would have taken the body of Christ along with all His coverings. Instead, the body was carefully unwrapped, the grave cloths neatly folded. Jesus’ death was carefully planned by God to save us. Jesus rose from the grave to walk with those whom He saved.

The Apostle Paul puts it this way:

1 Corinthians 15:3-5 I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen …

The actual death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very foundation of the Gospel of salvation. You cannot be saved unless you believe Christ both DIED then ROSE AGAIN. Jesus walked on this earth for forty days following His death and resurrection. He was SEEN by many who, in turn, were willing to die affirming that they saw a Living Savior. The Apostle Paul said:

1 Corinthians 15:17 … if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

In order to be “saved” a person must “confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that GOD HAS RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD” (Romans 10:9-10). Without the resurrection death is still man’s greatest enemy. But since Christ has conquered death we can say with the Apostle: 1 Corinthians 15:55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

One day, dear soul, physical death will come to each and every one of us. If you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, death will have no hold on you. Where Jesus is, we who love him will someday be. But to those of you who have resisted the Gospel, rejecting Christ as the Son of Man – you will not only die PHYSICALLY, but you will remain in SPIRITUAL death. Your ending will be never ending. You will be relegated to a place where the Son of Man says,

Matthew 7:23; 25:41 … depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. I never knew you, you who work at iniquity.

The choice is yours. Believe He died for you, and rose again for you Receive Him as SAVIOR in His death, and SOVEREIGN in His resurrection. May God the Holy Spirit guide you to give yourself to Him today. Amen and Amen.

From bibleteacher.org.

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“He received 39 stripes because 40 was known to kill a man. They wanted him alive. They held handfuls of his beard, and hair and pulled it out by the roots. They wanted him alive. They kicked, punched, and spit on him for hours. Until there wasn’t a single spot on his body not covered in blood.
They shoved a crown of thorns down on his head so harshly it stuck in his skin. After hours of being beaten, mocked, whipped, flogged, and tortured they made him walk with a cross. They made him carry it. A rough piece of wood with splinters digging into fresh wounds.
They wanted him to feel every ounce of pain they could bring. He had to feel it in order to heal us. Crucifixion was historically one of the cruelest most tortured deaths a human could face. Hours upon hours of torture. Torture most of us can not mentally think of because the cruelty isn’t normal. It isn’t something our minds can comprehend. We celebrate Easter with pastel colors, happy kids hunting eggs, and chocolate. Truth is there was absolutely nothing happy about the day Jesus died. It was cruel, bloody, and nasty.
He could have stopped all of it. He could have called every angel in heaven to demolish every person standing and shouting “Crucify Him!” He didn’t. He knew in order to have a Sunday you have to have a Friday. He knew in order to have joy you have to carry your cross. He felt everything that day.
On that cross he held the rapist and murderers, the sinner and the saint. He leveled every playing field and said ALL of you are worth it. He knew he had to carry the cross. He never promised the cross you carry in this life would not be heavy. His wasn’t. His promise is that Sunday is coming.
No matter how heavy Friday is. Financially, emotionally, mentally, or physically. Friday is heavy. That cross is weighing you down and you are about to crumble under its weight. His promise was simply this. He won’t make you carry it alone. What kind of king would step down from his throne for this?
Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God did. For you.
He did every bit of it for you and me. Ohin yes it is heavy. So heavy sometimes you do not think you can take one more step. But look up, because Sunday is coming.”

Gods judgement is on America. America has written in its laws that a man can lay with a man and a woman can lay with a woman, allowing marriage of the different sexes.We have allowed millions of babies to be slaughtered in their mothers womb and call it women’s rights. God sees it as the murder of HIS Creation. Two men cannot make life together, either can two women. “Male and female created he them.” The end is near for America.

Repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Genesis 1:27-28

DR. S.M. LOCKRIDGE

https://bibleteacher.org/

From: Bibleteacher.org

Why Is God Letting “Good” People Hurt?

When trials come our way – trials like the Coronavirus – we all respond to the trials in a variety of ways.

Some people blame Satan for the trial. Certainly a good and loving God, they say, would not allow such suffering.
Others blame a political party or a leader. He allowed the virus to spread – it is his fault that it is all happening.
Some blame God. They ask, “If God is so good and loving, and God can do anything, then why doesn’t He stop this?”.
The humanist and atheist cry is “Why would God allow things like this to happen to good people? If there is a God He either is NOT Almighty, or He is NOT good.”
Why would God allow bad things to happen to “good people”? Let me answer the question with a question:

“Are people “good”?

Now I didn’t ask if people are “moral” or “nice” or “friendly”. There are a lot of “moral” people in the world. There are a lot of people who have never met a stranger, that are pleasant to be around. But are any people “good”? Before you say “Yes, there are”, may I point to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ:

“there is none good but one, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18)

Was Jesus right, or did He misspeak? I believe He is absolutely correct. The Bible makes it clear that – compared to God – there is none good. The Psalmist draws an interesting picture in:

Psalm 14:2-3 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, no, not one.

We as humans are not the definers of “good”. It is God Who defines “good”. Ever since the Garden of Eden where man ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of GOOD and EVIL (Genesis 2:17) we as humans believe that we have the right to define “good” and “evil”. Yet God says over and over again scripture:

there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, no, not one (Psalm 52:3)
there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, no, not one (Romans 3:12)

The question “Why do bad things happen to “good” people is therefore a bad question.

According to Scripture there are none who are “good” when compared to God.

The Lord is good, blessed is the one who trusts in Him (Psalm 34:8).

The Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures forever (Psalm 100:5).

The Lord is good, sing praises to His name (Psalm 135:3).

The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works (Psalm 145:9).

The Lord is good; for His mercy endureth forever (Jeremiah 33:11).

The Lord is good to them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him (Lamentations 3:25).

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7).

God is good. The Scripture declares it. So why does a Good God allow suffering? That’s the better question. Well, we have an answer in our text today.

Even “Perfect” People Suffer. Consider Job.
Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

The Book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible. Some believe it was written some four hundred years before the Book of Genesis. It makes sense that Job is the oldest Book of Scripture. Man has suffered from the beginning of the fall. Adam’s foolishness brought the curse:

Genesis 3:17-19 … cursed is the ground for your sake, Adam, thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, in the sweat of thy face you shall eat …

Man suffers. Women suffer. Children suffer. Suffering comes to the wealthy as well as the poor. It comes to the famous, as well as the obscure. Job was, the Bible says:

Job 1:3 … this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

Now Job was not a “good” man (for we have established the Scripture says that none are “good” – Remember?). Job was a SAVED man. He believed in God, and trusted Jesus Christ as His Savior. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no one comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). Jesus knew the Lord. We know that he knew the Lord by how his life was lived. We read:

Job 1:1 {Job}was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and {rejected} evil.

There are many who are wealthy or beautiful or powerful who worship their money, their looks, or their domination of others. Job was not like that. He loved the Lord. Those who love the Lord treat that which Christ has created with respect and care and kindness. Job was “perfect”.

Word Study The word “perfect” is actually the Hebrew word תָּםtâm, (pronounced tawm), which means “COMPLETE”. Noah was described as:

Genesis 6:9 “… a JUST man and PERFECT (תָּמִים tâmîym, pronounced taw-meem’) in his generations, and Noah walked with God ..

To be “perfect” or “complete” is to walk with God daily, to believe on Him as Lord and Savior. Noah walked with God daily. So did Job. Job, like all who have ever been saved, was saved by faith in the Lord Jesus. When you walk with God you are blessed. You may not be wealthy – God does not give all wealth – but you are blessed. You are COMPLETE in Him, in Jesus. The Apostle wrote:

Colossians 2:9-10 … in {Christ} dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are COMPLETE in {Jesus Christ}, which is the head of all principality and power:

Job was COMPLETE. No one is COMPLETE apart from Jesus Christ. Until we find Christ, until we come to know Him as Savior and Lord, we are IMPERFECT and INCOMPLETE. But in Christ we are complete. Job was complete.

Job had many blessings bestowed on him by God. We all have many blessings bestowed on us by God. When you follow God through Christ you will be blessed! Jesus said:

Matthew 6:31-34 {do not worry} saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

God is to be sought after FIRST. God is not to be an afterthought, but our forethought. We should seek His will and His blessing first. Our Heavenly Father is Sovereign, in control of all things. Jesus said:

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

God is in control of all things. I say,

God Is In Control Of ALL Things: He Is Sovereign!
Job knew that God was in control of all things, and he treated God with absolute respect. We read that his children had a party, with lots of food and lots of wine. Though Job did not attend the party we read:

Job 1:5 …. when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

Job was complete in Christ. He did not want his God offended. Job put God first above all else. Job walked with the God Who save him. He honored God, not just with his lips, but with his life. After the party Job sought first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He made sacrifices for his family. Job honored the Lord, praying for his family lest they had sinned against God.

Job loved the Lord. He lived for the smile of God. Are you living for the smile of God, or for the satisfaction of man?

Job was doing everything right. Then Satan came into the picture. Satan comes into the Throne-room of God, and …

Job 1:7-8 …. the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and {rejects} evil?

God is blessed by Job, and points him out as a man that walks by His side. God said “Job is a complete and upright man. He fears God, and rejects evil”. Now notice Satan’s words to God, words that God does not correct.

Job 1:9-10 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

The riches that Job has, he has because God has blessed him. Job sought God first, and God blessed Job. If you are blessed, that blessing came from God. If you have power, that power came from God. The Bible says:

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

God is ultimately in control. When Naomi, Ruth’s mother in law lost her husband, two sons, and a daughter in law through famine, Naomi said:

Ruth 1:20-21 … the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

When Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers he later as Reagent of Egypt could have punished those brothers. Instead, Joseph told them:

Genesis 50:19-20 …. Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Joseph did not say “God USED it for good”, but “God MEANT it for good”. Though the brothers of their own wills chose to sell Joseph into slavery, God MEANT it to happen. He caused the event. God is in control. The Apostle said that everything that is, is

Ephesians 1:11 … according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

God holds absolute sway over the world. Satan is in subjection to God. He tells God “the reason Job does so well is because YOU did so well for him”.

What Will Job Do When The Blessings Are Gone?
God is in control. Satan can do nothing without God’s allowance. So Satan challenges God. He says to our Lord:

Job 1:11 But put forth Thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

God knows what Job will do, for He sees Job’s heart. “The LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). God knows Job’s heart, and doesn’t need to try Job to see what he will do. But God allows this trial of Job to go forward so that YOU can see what a believer should do. It is in the midst of trials that we as humans see what genuine faith looks like.

Genuine faith stands on the Rock that is Christ whether on a mountaintop, in a valley, or at the bottom of the sea. Genuine faith, the faith that saves, does not abandon God when the hard times come. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my Portion forever (Psalm 73:26)!”

God told Satan:

Job 1:12 … Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

God told Satan that he could take over anything in Job’s life EXCEPT his life. God is in control. Though the devil brings the suffering, it is God Who allows him to do what he does. God has said of Himself:

Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

It is our God Who controls all things. When we think of tomorrow the Apostle tells us:

James 4:14-15 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

We in our arrogance believe that we are in control. We are not. God is in control. It is God Who reigns. He tells Satan what he can do. The devil leaves the presence of God and suddenly Job’s life is upended.

Job 1:14-19 …. there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Job had done nothing to earn nor deserve what happened to him. He walked with God. He was perfect (complete) and upright. And yet God allowed Satan to take his things, his riches, his pleasures. God allowed Satan to knock down the home where Job’s sons and daughters were once more partying. His children were killed. Job has lost everything.

But Job still has his God!

Satan cannot hurt Job without God’s permission. Satan cannot hurt us without God’s permission. Satan wanted to sift Peter as wheat (Luke 22:31-34), but Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would be strong.

A New Testament Job, the Apostle Paul writes:

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 …. lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Though Paul cried out to God three times that this “messenger” be removed, the Lord told him “No! My Grace is sufficient for you!”. What is your faith in? I ask again, what is YOUR faith in? Is it in God, or your STUFF? Is it in Jesus Christ, or in your PROSPERITY? Is it in God, or in your GOOD HEALTH? Where is your faith? As believers in Christ (if you are a believer in Christ), we are to:

Proverbs 3:5-12 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 9 Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. 11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: 12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Job Kept His Eyes On Jesus
As All Around Him Disaster Struck
Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job received a great deal of bad news. In just one day a lifetime of things, children he has raised, blessings received. Does Job “curse God to His face” as Satan suggested. No. His behavior is quite strange to the world, but is normal behavior for a Christian.

Job ROSE up. He did not give in to self pity nor depression. Job didn’t lie down and die. Many believers throughout history have been through much suffering. When threatened by Jezebel, Elijah ran for his life. He lost his focus on Jesus. He laid down in the wilderness, and begged God to take his life.

1 Kings 19:4 … O Lord, take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers!

What did the Lord do? He told Elijah, “Rise up and eat, and go to the Mountain of God” (1 Kings 19:7-9). Rise up, Child of God. Rise up! In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart, Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). Rise up! Look up, Child! Look up! Look unto Jesus!

Hebrews 12:1-2 … seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus …
Job RENT his mantle, and shaved his head. These are actions that denote mourning or grieving. It is all right to grieve the loss of family, the loss of blessings. But as you mourn, keep it all in the perspective of God. Our God is in control! Trust Him! The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 30:5 … in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart (Psalm 34:18).
Job RENDERED worship to God. Though he lost all his stuff, he honored God with his mouth. He praised the Lord anyway.
Job 1:21 … the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord

What you have, you have because God gave it to you. What is taken away, is taken away because God took it from you. The Bible says “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (verse 22).

If you lose everything, dear Christian
– you still have Christ!
Romans 8:31-32 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Where is your faith? My faith is in my Jesus. My faith is in my God. Beloved, invest your life in Him Who loves you, and only then will you begin to live. May God touch your hearts with His Word!