Key Verse: Job 2:3, KJV [God Says to the accuser] “… And still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

Key Word: Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-zek)  Verb   Transliteration: Chazaq         MEANING: to grow firm  

What was Covered Last Month:

1. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit created everything in this world For Purpose!
2. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit created man, the highest earthly species in His own image and For specific Purpose
3. Man’s purposes on earth are to, Reproduce (Gen 1:28), Replenish (1:28) to Be Responsible (1:28) and Responsive (1:29 Behold – 2:17)
4. Man has been given Love, Logic and LibertyI
5. Angels are also created beings capable of love, logic and liberty
6. Lucifer, once a gifted Angel was removed from Heaven and has become the enemy of God known as satan or the devil
7. Satan only has one power….. to convince us that we have none which he does by tempting us to sin through 3 tricks: Lust of Flesh, Lust of Eyes and Pride of Life!
8. God has given man the power to resist sin with love, logic and liberty!

Introduction: Job 1, Psalms 23, Proverbs Passage

Devotion Prepares the Soul for Sad Times

The book of Job more than any other in Scripture is a ‘Survival Manual for Sad Times’

The author, date, and place of the Book of Job are all uncertain.                                                                        It may be that Job himself recorded his experiences in the book, or there may well have been another anonymous author.                                                                                                                                                  Scholars judge Job to be the oldest book of the Old Testament.                                                                                                                                 It belongs to the period covered by the book of Genesis; and the time of Abraham.                                                                                                                                It’s believed by many to be the oldest book of the Bible

• Books of Poetry: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes because their made of either songs, poems or wise sayings
• Job is a Theological Book
• Opening our understanding to what is known as Theodicy which means ‘Justifying God’ vis a vis “How can a Good God Allow Good People to go through Bad things” ………… How can a God be Good and Allow Evil?

THREE PRIMARY LESSONS WE LEARN FROM STUDYING JOB

1. We do not now or may not ever be given all the answers from God: Chps 1-2:10
2. People who are suffering need comfort most from Christians:            Chps 2:10-38:1
3. Suffering should cause us to search for answers:                                    Chps 38:1-42:1, KV 42:5

Torah	Genesis – Deuteronomy	Torah
Nevim	Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai Zechariah, Malachi	The Prophets
Ketuvim	Job – Chronicles	The Writings

20 Habits that Help Believers Hold Fast During Hard Times

Job 2:1-13, KJV

¹ Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.

² And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

• Trust God enough to train for war in times of peace

³ 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 escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

• Trust God through tests that keep on coming

This was the devils 2^nd round of tests

⁴ And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

⁵ But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

⁶ And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

⁷ So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

    Children are already gone, monies and servants as well and now sickness

⁸ And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

Unstoppable Itching

Acute Pain

Skin worms

Oozing serum

Odoriferous

Isolation

• Trust God through tough times

⁹ Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

• Trust God when other people close to you are doubting Him
• Trust God when satans touch turns tactical : Using same play as with Adam/Eve

¹⁰ But 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.

• Trust God through your talk and tone

¹¹ Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

¹² And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

¹³ So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

• Trust God by being there for others in their tough times

This is one of the best ways to witness as a believer

Chapter 3 

¹After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

² And Job spake, and said,³ Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.

⁴ Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

• Trust God by taking life so serious that suicidal thoughts in ourselves and others are taken serious and successfully sent back to hell
• In 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death for blacks or African Americans, ages 15 to 24.¹
• The death rate from suicide for black or African American men was four times greater than for African American women, in 2018.

Percentage of population with feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, or that everything is an effort, all or most of the time, among persons 18 years of age and over, 2018
	Non-Hispanic Black	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Sadness	4.2	2.6	1.6
Hopelessness	1.8	2.2	0.8
Worthlessness	1.8	2.3	0.7
Everything is an effort	11.0	6.6	1.7

Source: CDC 2021. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-7.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/shs/tables.htm

Chapter 4 

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

² If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

³ Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

⁴ Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

⁵ But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

⁶ Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

⁷ Remember, I pray thee, whoever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

⁸ Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

Eliphaz is saying you’re a sinner getting what you deserve

• Trust God though you may be torn down (social media, Fb, lies, etc….)

Chapter 5

¹⁷ Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

¹⁸ For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

¹⁹ He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

²⁰ In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.

²¹ Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

²² At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

²³ For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

²⁴ And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

²⁵ Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth. (by the end of the book he has more kids)

²⁶ Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season. (he makes a full recovery and lives to be 140)

• Trust God to turn lies into ladders!

²⁷ Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

^{CHAPTER 6}

²² Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance?

²³ Or, Deliver me from the enemy’s hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?

²⁴ Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

²⁵ How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?

²⁶ Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?

²⁷ Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.

• Trust God when you’ve been turned on by people you trusted

Don’t nobody love me but my momma and sometimes she …. B.B. King

²⁸ Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie.

²⁹ Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.

³⁰ Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?

Chapter 8 

¹Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

² How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

³ Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

⁴ If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;

• Trust God to take care of spiritually, those you’d like to take care of physically

⁵ If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

⁶ If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

Chapter 11

¹Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

² Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?

³ Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

⁴ For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

⁵ But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

⁶ And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

               Just go ahead and say you’re a sinner so this can end

• Trust mans word only when it matches Gods Word

Chapter 12 

¹And Job answered and said,

² No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

³ But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

⁴ I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

• Trust God to always turn the table in favor of those who are faithful!

Its not that Job is faithfully defending himself its that he hasn’t cursed God :                                   {2 weeks or 2 years}

Chapter 13 

¹Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.

² What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

³ Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

⁴ But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

• Trust God when He shows you true identities

When people show you who they are, Believe Them (distrust, certain things to say around them, watch what’s done around them)

⁵ O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

⁶ Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷ Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

⁸ Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

⁹ Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

¹⁰ He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

¹¹ Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

¹² Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

¹³ Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

¹⁴ Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?

¹⁵ Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

• Trust God even when tracing Him, seems trivial

¹⁶ He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

• Trust God by always taking Him at His Word!

¹⁷ Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.

¹⁸ Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

¹⁹ Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.

²⁰ Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.

²¹ Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.

²² Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.

²³ How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

• Trust God by seeking His Face for revelation of our faults

²⁴ Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

²⁵ Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

²⁶ For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷ Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

²⁸ And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

Chapter 16 

¹Then Job answered and said,

² I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

³ Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

⁴ I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.

⁵ But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.

• Trust God by better by people than they’ve done by you!

⁶ Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

⁷ But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.

Chapter 19 

¹Then Job answered and said,

² How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

³ These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

⁴ And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

⁵ If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:

⁶ Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

⁷ Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

⁸ He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

⁹ He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

¹⁰ He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

¹¹ He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

¹² His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

¹³ He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

¹⁴ My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

• Trust that God will never leave or forsake you, so long as you don’t leave Him

Chapter 25 

¹Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

² Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places.

³ Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?

⁴ How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

⁵ Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

⁶ How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

           Job the bottom line is that you’re a sinner

• Trust God by trying to by your best instead of hoping others will see your best

ILLUSTRATION:                                                           

FOR FURTHER STUDY:

CONCLUSION:                                                                                                                                  

PRAYER LIST:     

QUESTIONS?  

HOMEWORK:     ReadJob 26-28, KJV