In an unknown century B.C. Job suffered tremendous loss.

Who was Job?

Job 1:¹There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. ²And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

What were Job’s possessions?

³His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

What did Job lose?

7 sons & 3 daughters

7,000 sheep

3,000 camels

500 yoke of Oxen

500 she asses

Job suffers loss of health

Job 1:¹³And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: ¹⁴And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: ¹⁵And 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. ¹⁶While 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. ¹⁷While 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. ¹⁸While 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: ¹⁹And, 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. ²⁰Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, ²¹And 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. ²²In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job 2:⁶And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. ⁷So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. ⁸And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. ⁹Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. ¹⁰But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Job’s friends come to comfort him and mourn with him.

Comfort from Eliphaz

Job 4:¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, ²If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? ³Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. ⁴Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. ⁵But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. ⁶Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? ⁷Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? ⁸Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

What do you suppose is Eliphaz’s understanding of Job?

What do you suppose is Eliphaz’s understanding of God?

Comfort from Bildad

Job 8:¹Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, ²How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? ³Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? ⁴If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression; ⁵If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; ⁶If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

What do you suppose is Bildad’s understanding of Job?

What do you suppose is Bildad’s understanding of God?

Comfort from Zophar

Job 11: ¹Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, ²Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified? ³Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? ⁴For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. ⁵But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

What do you suppose is Zophar’s understanding of Job?

What do you suppose is Zophar’s understanding of God?

Elihu, the young man, speaks

Job 34:⁷What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? ⁸Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men. ⁹For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. ¹⁰Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. ¹¹For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. ¹²Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

Job 35:¹Elihu spake moreover, and said, ²Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s? ³For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin? ⁴I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee. ⁵Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou. ⁶If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? ⁷If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? ⁸Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man. ⁹By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty. ¹⁰But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night; ¹¹Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven? ¹²There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men. ¹³Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it. ¹⁴Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him. ¹⁵But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity: ¹⁶Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

What do you suppose is Elihu’s understanding of Job?

What do you suppose is Elihu’s understanding of God?

How the LORD rebuked

Job 42:⁷And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. ⁸Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. ⁹So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job. ¹⁰And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Why do you suppose Elihu was not rebuked?

Do you suppose it was hard for Job to pray for them?

How the LORD restored
Job 42:¹²So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. ¹³He had also seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. ¹⁵And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. ¹⁶After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations. ¹⁷So Job died, being old and full of days.

Our Focus -Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore 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 the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.³ For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Our challenge- Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good  plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti