Hartland Spring Convocation 2022: Walking in the Light

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Hartland Institute of Health and Education

Stephen Bohr

God on Trial

It's beautiful to be here in God's country.

Before we begin our study we do want to have a word of prayer.

The title of our study today is God on Trial.

Father in heaven we come before your awesome throne and we come boldly because we come in the name of Jesus.

We know that when Jesus intercedes before you that you hear our prayers and you answer them.

We ask Father that as we open your holy book which was inspired by your Holy Spirit, that that same spirit that inspired your holy book will come and explain it to us as we study today.

Help us to handle your word reverently and respectfully, instruct us and empower us to live for you in these final days of earth's history, and we thank you for the promise of your answer, because we ask it in the precious and holy name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

As probably you gathered from the scripture reading today we are going to focus on the book of Job.

I want to make some introductory remarks first of all about the book of Job in general.

First of all we know that it's the most ancient book of the Bible and it is a literary masterpiece.

It was written by Moses as he tended Jethro's sheep in the desert of Midian.

The story actually is taking place about 2000 BC but Moses wrote it somewhere around 1500 BC.

The story takes place in the northwest section of what today is Saudi Arabia.

The first 2 chapters of the book are in prose, then from chapter 3 through chapter 42 in verse 6 it is poetry, and finally in the epilogue chapter 42 verses 7 through 17 once again it returns to a literary style of prose.

The central theme of this book has been misunderstood.

Some people think that the purpose of the book was to explain why the righteous suffer, Others think that the purpose of the book is to encourage us to be faithful in the midst of suffering.

Now there's no doubt that those 2 things are there in the book of Job, but really the central thought of the book of Job is God.

He is the central actor of the story, not Job.

This is a real-life drama where the accused is actually God, God is on trial.

Actually when you read the book you discover that what you have here is a judicial proceeding, It's a court scene, because when you look carefully at the story you're going to find a judge, you're going to find a jury which are the sons of God the representatives of the universe, you have an accuser or a district attorney, you have an accused who many think is Job but it's really God who is the accused, you have a defense attorney which is actually God because the judge in biblical times is also the 1 who is the defender of the innocent, you have an examination of evidence, you have a court verdict at the end, and then you have final rewards.

Let me give you just 1 example of dozens that I have here written in my notes.

Job 16 and verse 19 we find these words, Job is speaking.

Surely even now my witness is in heaven, and my evidence is on high.

Now it's important for us to realize that when Job went through this experience there was no written revelation from God, There was no Old Testament in other words when Job went through this experience.

So much of the knowledge that we have today Job did not have access to, and for that reason Job did not understand very much of what was happening.

The heavenly universe was very much aware of everything that was happening on earth, but Job who was living on earth was totally unaware of what was happening in heaven at the same time.

So I want you to imagine a scene where the curtain opens and on the stage now you are on earth.

Let's go to Job chapter 1 verses 1 to 3 to see what kind of man Job was.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, 1 who feared God and shunned evil.

And 7 sons and 3 daughters were born to him, a sign of God's blessing, many children, many blessings.

Also his possessions were 7, 000 sheep, 3, 000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large household so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.

A very rich man, but also a very spiritual man, because he's described as blameless, upright, feared God, and shunned evil.

We also catch that when we go to Job Chapter 1 and verses 1, 4, 5 and 8.

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job.

That man was blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil.

And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, probably their birthday, and would send and invite their 3 sisters to eat and drink with them.

So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them.

He was a family man and he believed in family worship, because it says he would sanctify them.

He would rise early in the morning and offer 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.

Then the Lord said to Satan, because the first time that we read his character traits it's been simply written by Moses, But now God is speaking.

Then the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, 1 who fears God and shuns evil, very rich but very righteous, blameless in the sight of God.

He was also a very generous person, He used his riches to bless other people.

Notice Job 29 and verses 12 through 17 Job 29 12 to 17 He was very charitable with his riches, he did not hoard riches he used them to bless everyone he came in contact with.

It says there in Job 29 verse 12 through 17 Because I delivered the poor who cried out, the fatherless, and the 1 who had no helper.

The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me.

I was eyes to the blind, I was feet to the lame, I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the case that I did not know.

I broke the fangs of the wicked, and plucked the victim from his teeth.

A rich man, but a spiritual man, who did not hoard his riches, but used his riches to bless humanity.

So we've already seen the first part of the drama, the curtain has opened, we've seen Job on earth, now the curtain closes, the stage is reset, and now the curtain opens again and the scene moves to heaven.

Job doesn't know that this is happening in heaven, This is an important detail in the story, Job has no idea what's happening in heaven, although all heaven knows exactly what is happening on earth.

And so we read in Job chapter 1 and verses 6 through 8 the following words.

Now there was a day when the sons of God, by the way the sons of God here are the representatives of the worlds that never sinned, God's heavenly counsel if you please.

So now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.

Well because Satan had stolen Adam's position.

Satan said to Jesus, I give the kingdoms to whomever I wish, because Adam gave them to me.

So Satan goes representing this earth which probably implies that the other beings that came, the other sons of God must have come also from other planets.

And the Lord said to Satan, From where do you come?

So Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.

In other words, from supervising and ruling my territory.

Then the Lord said to Satan, probably with a little sense of sanctified pride.

God is saying Job lives in your territory but is my servant.

Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, 1 who fears God and shuns evil?

He lives in your territory but he has these sterling character qualities.

But of course Satan has an answer, and I want us to realize folks that the entire heavenly universe is listening to this conversation, the representatives of the world, the heavenly council is listening to what God and what Satan are saying.

So Satan answered the Lord and said, Does Job fear God for nothing?

Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side.

You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

So in other words Job is a mercenary, Job serves you for the loaves and the fishes, Job serves out of self-interest because you've put a hedge around him, a protective hedge around him, and you have not allowed me to do anything with him.

Anyone would serve you that way because of the loaves and the fishes and because of all of the blessings, but now Satan challenges God.

The accused in this story is not Job, the accused in this story is God.

But now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.

God could have said to the heavenly council, folks you already know the character of this guy he's a liar don't pay any attention to him, and not allowed Satan to test Job.

But the heavenly beings would have had doubts, they would have said, well you know it's true God has put a hedge around him, God has blessed him, and God has not allowed Satan to touch him, maybe Job does serve God for the loaves and the fishes as a mercenary out of self-interest and not out of love.

So God puts Himself on the line and God says I'm going to allow you to test Him.

He says I am going to allow you to take anything and everything that he has.

The test here folks is whether Job would serve God in for good or for bad, in sickness and in health, in every circumstance, because he loved God and not out of self-interest.

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God on Trial

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