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Curse God and Die - The Book of Job · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain
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  Speaker 1: thine integrity? Curse God, and die. Job 2.9 My Lord,
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  Speaker 1: today marks the day that I will begin to prequalify
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  Speaker 1: who gets to speak into my life. I will not
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  Speaker 1: allow the length of time that I've known a person
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  Speaker 1: to be the reason why I keep them close, if
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  Speaker 1: they continue to speak against you and what you've commanded.
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, help me to protect my ears so that
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  Speaker 1: the only things I allow in are the words that
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  Speaker 1: are in alignment with what you have spoken to me
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  Speaker 1: about my future and destiny. Satan, you will not break me.
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  Speaker 1: You will not destroy me, no matter how many times
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  Speaker 1: you try to inflict me with pain. Lord, I decree
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  Speaker 1: and declare that you are my Redeemer. and I know
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  Speaker 1: that you live. Whatever may come, I will not stop
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  Speaker 1: praising your name. Redemption and favor follow my life, and
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  Speaker 1: I know this to be true. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To
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  Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life, stay tuned for The
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  Speaker 1: Bible in a Year, brought to you.
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  Speaker 2: Curse God and die. In our last story, we learned
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  Speaker 2: about the righteousness of Job. The Lord showcased Job to
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  Speaker 2: Satan as an example of uprightness, integrity, and love. Job
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  Speaker 2: was truly unmatched in riches, familial bliss, and devotion. Satan
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  Speaker 2: in an attempt to expose Job's shallow faith, destroyed his property, riches,
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  Speaker 2: and family. Job stood over the corpses of his children,
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  Speaker 2: breathing in the ash from his burning fields, yet still
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  Speaker 2: praised God. His faith was unwavering. Now we learn of
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  Speaker 2: Satan's second attempt to break Job. Satan removes his health,
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  Speaker 2: and Job is faced with his wife and friends, who
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  Speaker 2: tragically fail to comfort Job, as inspired by the book
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  Speaker 2: of Job.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
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  Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. In yesterday's reading, we learned how
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  Speaker 3: God allowed Satan to take away Job's riches and even
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  Speaker 3: his children. Satan had challenged God, saying that if he
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  Speaker 3: took away what Job had, that Job would curse him,
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  Speaker 3: Job would no longer serve him. But when Job lost everything,
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  Speaker 3: His response was surely grief, but through the tears, there
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  Speaker 3: was worship. Never once did he accuse or curse God.
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  Speaker 3: Satan had underestimated this man's heart and the power of
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  Speaker 3: God to be faithful to his servant. Today, we'll see
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  Speaker 3: God remove another layer of protection, allowing the enemy to
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  Speaker 3: attack Job himself, leaving him without his health, but still alive.
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  Speaker 3: He'll be joined by his friends and his wife, those
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  Speaker 3: closest to him, who should offer him comfort and encouragement.
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  Speaker 3: But how will they respond to Job's challenges? Let's listen
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  Speaker 3: to today's reading to find out.
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  Speaker 2: Satan stood again before the presence of God. The sound
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  Speaker 2: of Job's praises filled the accuser with more hatred and contempt.
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  Speaker 2: Again the Lord asked, From where have you come? Satan
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  Speaker 2: gazed upon the Lord and said, walking up and down
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  Speaker 2: the earth, seeking souls that may be deceived and corrupted.
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  Speaker 2: The Lord once again showcased Job before him, saying, Have
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  Speaker 2: you seen the faithfulness of my servant Job? His integrity
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  Speaker 2: and love towards me endures even after your vain attempts
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  Speaker 2: to destroy him. Satan snapped as he spoke, saying, Skin
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  Speaker 2: for skin, Job would give away his property and children
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  Speaker 2: to save his own life. But if you allow me
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  Speaker 2: to touch his bones and flesh, I promise you that
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  Speaker 2: he shall curse your name. So the Lord allowed it.
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  Speaker 2: He could harm Job and take his body, but he
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  Speaker 2: could not kill him. So Satan descended upon Job once again,
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  Speaker 2: hell-bent on killing the spirit within him. Job awoke in
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  Speaker 2: the morning from his bed. The room was filled with
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  Speaker 2: ash from the fire outside his home. He coughed for
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  Speaker 2: minutes and then rose up from the bed. A sharp
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  Speaker 2: pain shot out from the soles of his feet. Job
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  Speaker 2: fell back onto his bed, looking at his feet and legs.
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  Speaker 2: They were covered in disgusting sores. Job felt around the
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  Speaker 2: rest of his body to realize he was covered in
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  Speaker 2: oozing boils. They were tender to the touch and filled
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  Speaker 2: his entire body with pain. He felt poisoned unless he
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  Speaker 2: got rid of them, but he had to scar his
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  Speaker 2: body to do so. Job's silent weeping could be heard
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  Speaker 2: from his room as he took a broken piece of
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  Speaker 2: pottery to scrape off the sores. He sat there alone
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  Speaker 2: in his room, wincing in pain. Job's wife peeked her
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  Speaker 2: head in from the hall. She looked at her husband
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  Speaker 2: with glazed eyes. They were red from weeping throughout the night. Job,
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  Speaker 2: who had been praising God over the dead bodies of
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  Speaker 2: her children, was now covered in sores and pus. She
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  Speaker 2: stood at the entrance of the room and said, Do
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  Speaker 2: you still feel joy now, Job? Job looked at her.
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  Speaker 2: He was in too much pain to respond to her.
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  Speaker 2: She did not cry. She could spare no more tears.
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  Speaker 2: She scoffed at him and said, You should curse God
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  Speaker 2: and die. Her words stung more than the sores. Job
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  Speaker 2: raised himself from the ground and walked past her. He
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  Speaker 2: limped down the hall and said, Shall we only receive
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  Speaker 2: good from God and not bad? So Job left to
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  Speaker 2: go sit outside and pray. Job sat beside the wall
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  Speaker 2: of his home, overlooking the darkness and ash of his land.
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  Speaker 2: He did not smile. Instead, he closed his eyes and
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  Speaker 2: sought any semblance of comfort from God he could. Occasionally,
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  Speaker 2: he would look to the direction of his son's house
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  Speaker 2: and cry. Job's friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar heard of
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  Speaker 2: his hardship and made plans to go and mourn with him.
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  Speaker 2: The three friends approached his home and saw Job sitting
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  Speaker 2: on the floor outside. They could barely recognize him. His
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  Speaker 2: face was dirty with ash, his cheeks were covered in
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  Speaker 2: small sores, and his eyes were red from crying. Job
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  Speaker 2: sat there, wet with the pus oozing from his boils.
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  Speaker 2: His friends said nothing. Instead, they sat with Job, looking
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  Speaker 2: into the nothingness. Their silent presence was a comfort to Job.
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  Speaker 2: There they remained for seven days and seven nights. They
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  Speaker 2: would eat and sleep, but say nothing out of respect
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  Speaker 2: for Job. They saw that his suffering was truly great.
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  Speaker 2: The silence was palpable, and none of the friends dared
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  Speaker 2: to speak first. Then, after seven days of complete silence,
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  Speaker 2: Job spoke.' Cursed be the day I was born!' Job yelled.
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  Speaker 2: His friends were startled by Job's statement. Job beat the
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  Speaker 2: wall behind him, saying, Let gloom and darkness consume my life.
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  Speaker 2: I pray that the thickness of night would drown me.
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  Speaker 2: Why did I not die at birth? To experience joy
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  Speaker 2: only increases the.
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  Speaker 1: Pain of loss.
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  Speaker 2: Why even give life to a bitter soul like mine?
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  Speaker 2: My soul knows no rest, no comfort, and no peace.
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  Speaker 2: Job's words cut deep into his soul. He lamented in
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  Speaker 2: front of his friends. For a while they sat in silence. Then,
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  Speaker 2: one by one, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar began a barrage
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  Speaker 2: of explanations as to why God could have possibly allowed
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  Speaker 2: Job to suffer such a loss. Eliphaz suggested that God
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  Speaker 2: wanted Job to have a greater understanding of how to
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  Speaker 2: comfort others, and that sorrow gives him a greater depth
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  Speaker 2: of empathy. Bildad and Zophar chimed in with the possibility
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  Speaker 2: that Job must be partaking in some tremendous sin. Surely
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  Speaker 2: Job is under the judgment of God, or else he
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  Speaker 2: would not be suffering. Bildad contemplated the possibility of Job's
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  Speaker 2: children being the real sinners, and thus bringing their deaths
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  Speaker 2: upon themselves. Their voices continued to shake in Job's brain.
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  Speaker 2: Their explanations offered him no peace, no resolution, and no
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  Speaker 2: respite from his suffering. The bickering rang in Job's ears.
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  Speaker 2: His heart began to beat fast as he listened to
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  Speaker 2: their quarreling and speculations. You are worthless friends and poor physicians,
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  Speaker 2: Job screamed. You think I have somehow sinned? Tell me,
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  Speaker 2: what crimes have you witnessed in my life? I have
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  Speaker 2: made a covenant with my eyes that no evil thing
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  Speaker 2: shall enter into the windows of my mind. Show me
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  Speaker 2: a tangible reason for my tragedy and I will be silent.
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  Speaker 2: Still Job's friends insisted that his claims to righteousness came
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  Speaker 2: from a skewed image of God's justice and character. Job
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  Speaker 2: sighed deeply, and tears once again began to fall from
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  Speaker 2: his face. There is only one who will speak for me.
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  Speaker 2: Job stood to his feet and brushed the dust off
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  Speaker 2: of his clothes. He took a deep breath and looked
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  Speaker 2: to heaven. I know that my Redeemer lives. I know
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  Speaker 2: I shall witness his faithfulness still. After more bickering and
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  Speaker 2: visiting from more friends to discuss the philosophical reasons for suffering,
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  Speaker 2: Job departed on a walk to sit in his own sorrow.
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  Speaker 2: What he knew of God's goodness did not align with
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  Speaker 2: his experiences, and he beat his chest in pain over it.
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  Speaker 2: In the quiet of the evening, Job wrestled with his
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  Speaker 2: faith in God and sought answers to the question of
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  Speaker 2: suffering and God's sovereignty.
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  Speaker 3: In today's scripture, we see another meeting between God and Satan.
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  Speaker 3: The accuser, Satan, has failed to prove that Job's faithfulness
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  Speaker 3: is conditional upon God's blessing. And God points this out
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  Speaker 3: to Satan, reminding him that Job still worshipped even when everything,
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  Speaker 3: his possessions, even his family was taken away from him.
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  Speaker 3: He tells God that if Job were to feel his
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  Speaker 3: own health failing, if God were to allow Satan to
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  Speaker 3: touch him or harm him, Job's attitude would change. He
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  Speaker 3: says this righteous man would show his true colors and
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  Speaker 3: curse God to his face in the midst of personal pain.
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  Speaker 3: This exchange, as the one from yesterday, show us some
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  Speaker 3: profound truths. First, God is always in control. That means
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  Speaker 3: God is sovereign. Satan answers to God. And even though
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  Speaker 3: there is an eternal battle between good and evil now,
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  Speaker 3: God is still on his throne and he commands the
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  Speaker 3: powers of the devil himself. There may be times when
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  Speaker 3: it seems the devil is getting the upper hand, but
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  Speaker 3: he is restrained by God's own will and God's own purposes. Secondly,
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  Speaker 3: God did not himself cause the harm to Job. Satan
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  Speaker 3: attacked him. And soon we're going to see that Job's
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  Speaker 3: friends will claim that this was somehow God's punishment. But
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  Speaker 3: nothing could be further from the truth. God allowed Satan
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  Speaker 3: to do physical harm to Job, but he was not
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  Speaker 3: permitted to kill him. And Satan once again leaves and
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  Speaker 3: gets to work on Job. He strikes Job with illness,
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  Speaker 3: painful boils. Can you imagine the pain that he must
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  Speaker 3: have felt as these boils raging across his body? He
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  Speaker 3: was scraping his skin with broken clay just to remove
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  Speaker 3: the sores. He was in intense pain. Job's wife then
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  Speaker 3: enters the scene. And rather than being a comfort to
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  Speaker 3: her diseased and distraught pain-ridden husband, she challenges him. Why
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  Speaker 3: is he still holding on to God? He should just
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  Speaker 3: curse God and die, she says. He rebuked his wife,
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  Speaker 3: reminding her that God is to be praised not only
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  Speaker 3: in good times, but in the bad times, even in
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  Speaker 3: the tragedies of life. Job was, at this point, all
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  Speaker 3: alone in his suffering humanly. But then three of his
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  Speaker 3: friends come to him. They see his pain. And in
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  Speaker 3: Job 2.13, we see what their first response is. And
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  Speaker 3: they sat with him on the ground seven days and
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  Speaker 3: seven nights. And no one spoke a word to him,
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  Speaker 3: for they saw that his suffering was very great. It
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  Speaker 3: would be good if we could just stop right there.
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  Speaker 3: Sometimes the very best response to someone who is grieving,
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  Speaker 3: hurting in intense pain is just to be present, just
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  Speaker 3: to be there. No attempt to explain the pain, to
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  Speaker 3: make sense of the suffering that is inexplicable and unexplainable,
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  Speaker 3: just to be there. Job needed his friends to sit
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  Speaker 3: with him in these moments of suffering. After this silence
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  Speaker 3: and suffering, Job gave voice to his feelings. He deeply
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  Speaker 3: lamented his pain, and he was not blaming God. He
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  Speaker 3: was simply pouring out his honest hurt and sorrow. His
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  Speaker 3: friends listened, and then they tried to offer explanations. I
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  Speaker 3: suppose their intentions were good at first, but they weren't helpful.
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  Speaker 3: They certainly weren't comforting. What begins are musings and questionings
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  Speaker 3: that become accusations against Job. Job must have sinned in
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  Speaker 3: some way so that this pain and judgment has come
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  Speaker 3: upon him. He should just confess and own up to
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  Speaker 3: his mistakes. That's what his friends said. Some kind of friends, huh?
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  Speaker 3: They assumed that blessings were a sign of favor and
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  Speaker 3: suffering was a sign of sin. But Job knows something
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  Speaker 3: that his friends don't. That God is a Redeemer. and
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  Speaker 3: that God redeems our suffering. And in the midst of
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  Speaker 3: pain and problems that we can't understand or explain, God's
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  Speaker 3: presence is enough. So Job leaves his friends behind and
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  Speaker 3: goes to talk with God himself. There he will ask
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  Speaker 3: God what is happening and why. And we'll hear that
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  Speaker 3: conversation tomorrow. Let's pray. Dear God, help us to know
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  Speaker 3: how to comfort those who suffer and are in pain.
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  Speaker 3: Help us to show up and sit with people who
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  Speaker 3: hurt and to give them your word, not our own.
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  Speaker 3: May we always trust you in the plans and purposes
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  Speaker 3: that we may not understand. And may we never, ever
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  Speaker 3: doubt your love for us because we know your love
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  Speaker 3: is an everlasting love that you've promised never to leave
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  Speaker 3: us or forsake us. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you
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  Speaker 3: for listening today to the Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church.
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  Speaker 3: Download the Pray.com app and make prayer a priority in
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  Speaker 3: your life. And if you enjoy this podcast, share it
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  Speaker 3: then be sure to visit jackgram.org.
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  Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative health care
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