Sermon on Job

I just preached on Job (the whole book) on Sunday. I always enjoy the study part of preaching and even though I thought I had a pretty good handle on the book, I learned SOOO much. Dr. John H. Walton, who I had as a prof at Moody, really opened my eyes through his books that touch on Job. I started off talking about Hermeneutics (how to study the Bible). Then I looked at the 2 big problems in the book of Job. Let me give a couple of highlights below.

JOB: GOD ON TRIAL

PROBLEM 1: God is on Trial by Satan. Satan basically says that God's way of developing righteousness or godliness is a shame - it doesn't work. Even lab rats will do the right thing for reward.
Job never curses God or heads into sin. God's ways of developing righteousness are proven to be right.
In fact, God's blessing of Job at the end of the book is not because God felt bad for Job or because Job deserved it, rather, God is saying to Satan - I will train men in righteousness any way I want to


PROBLEM 2: Why to bad things happen to good people (Retribution Principle). God's Justice on Trial.
God never even tries to prove that He is just. Rather, He proves beyond a doubt that He is perfectly wise and soveriegn (wisdom is so much more than omniscience and sovereignty is so much more than omnipotence). You can trust God's justice because you know He is wise.

I closed with (reading) the Chorus of a song Babbie Mason sang (I believe it was her) -

God is too wise to be mistaken. God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don’t understand, When you don’t see His plan,
When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.

I leave the application aspects to your mind (though I spent about 1/4 of the sermon on application).