Summary: Why does God allow bad things to happen?

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Title: The Question, “WHY?”

Text: Various texts in Job

Introduction: How many times have you asked “why” in your life? It is a big question.

--Death of a loved one. Why did it happen?

--Our world’s idea of morality. (Homosexuality, abortion, honesty, etc.)

--Why does God allow it to continue?

--Why can’t we seem to make headway?

--What about disease? Why do good people have to suffer?

--Why spirituality?

--Why do innocent people have to die because of one crazy person?

**Whether one admit it or not, some of these questions have entered our minds.

**If anyone had a right to ask “why” it would have been Job.

Tell the story of the hardships of Job. Job 1:13-22 In one day he lost all his camels, sheep, donkeys, oxen, servants, and even his ten children. His health was taken from him. He was stricken with sores that itched so bad he had to scrape them with pottery.

1. The "Traditional" look at Job

a. We always here about the patience of Job, and indeed he was.

"You have heard of the perseverance of Job..." --James 5:11

b. We always here of Job’s faithfulness, and he was.

Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” --Job 1:21-22

c. Most of the time we stop here in the book of Job and talk about how we should stay faithful through adversity and that all things work together. Those are lessons we can learn from Job.

d. My goal is different in that I want us to see the heart of Job further in the book.

1. How was Job’s attitude toward God later on?

2. Did Job ever question God’s actions?

3. What does this story have to say about our own growth of faith?

2. Attitudes of Job

a. Bitterness. Job 10:1-7

b. Hopelessness and depression. Job 14:1-12

c. Loneliness and self-pity. Job 19:13-22

d. Frustration and willingness to argue with God. Job 23:1-7

e. He remembered the past Job 29:1 7

3. What do these passages tell us?

a. Job did not understand why these things were happening.

1. His "so called" friends tried to tell him it was sin.

2. Job knew he had sinned, but not so as to deserve this.

i. After Eliphaz, Job’s friend comes to him and tells him that his sin was causing all of his problems, job answers rather strongly.

1. Job 6:24-30 "Teach me, and I will be quiet. Show me where I have been wrong. {25} Honest words are painful, but your arguments prove nothing. {26} Do you mean to correct what I say? Will you treat the words of a troubled man as if they were only wind? {27} You would even gamble for orphans and would trade away your friend. {28} "But now please look at me. I would not lie to your face. {29} Change your mind; do not be unfair; think again, because my innocence is being questioned. {30} What I am saying is not wicked; I can tell the difference between right and wrong."

b. If Job did not doubt God’s judgement, he, at least, wanted an explanation from God concerning the matter of justice.

c. Job was willing to address God on the matter.

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