If you would, please be turning
to Job. Job, and I'm going to be in Job
1 and 2. I'm going to read... I'm sorry,
turn to Job 2, and I'm going to read verses 3 through 6. I'm
going to be on both chapters, though. Job chapter 2. Walter actually preached my message
this morning, and if you all missed that TV broadcast this
morning, you ought to go back and listen to it. Okay, Job chapter 2 verses 3
through 6. 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 exceweth evil? And still he holdeth fast his
integrity, although thou movest me against him, to destroy him
without a cause. And Satan answered the Lord and
said, skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give
for his life. But put forth thine hand now
and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy
face. And the Lord said unto Satan, behold, he is in thine
hand, but save his life. We read here in the first two
chapters of Job that Job was a man who had a lot of assets
in this life. I mean, it says he had seven
sons, three daughters, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 oxen
and she asses, and also a very great household, it says. That
means he had a nice house, and probably plenty of servants,
by the sound of it, reading it, to help him out with all this.
He was the greatest man of all the East is what it says actually. This is not an exaggeration or
even what he thought of himself when it says he was a perfect
man. God himself told Satan that this was so in verse eight. We
just read it. What God says is true. What God
does is right. If God says Job was this, then
he was. And what God does, even as it
concerns his people, is right. Had God not said to Satan, have
you considered my servant Job, Satan would not have done anything
to him. Satan himself says, you have
him hedged about, meaning you have him fenced in. Psalm 139
verses one through six, we read, O Lord, thou hast searched me
and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting
and my uprising. Thou understandest my thought
afar off. Thou compassest my path and my
lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is
not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and
before the hedge, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge
is too wonderful for me. It is high, I cannot attain unto
it. If God has you hedged in, then
you are hedged in, and nothing other than what God Almighty
himself wants done to you will be done. If he decides to take
the hedge down so that Satan might sift you as wheat, then
that is going to happen no matter what you do. I'm going to endeavor to bring
three messages from Job. That is, if God wills and I live.
Today I want to talk about the sovereignty of God, and mainly
from Job chapter one and chapter two. My message today is bone
and flesh touched. And that's what I want to talk
about today as it concerns God's sovereignty. And I want to talk
about this mainly as it concerns his people. And I have four points,
God's sovereignty over Satan, God's sovereignty over men, God's
sovereignty over earth, wind, and fire, God's sovereignty in
salvation. First of all, as I've already
said, God said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job? What did God mean by this? God
told Satan what Job was, so that means he was this. So God was
telling Satan, have you considered testing my servant Job? So God
tells Satan that all that Job had was in Satan's power, no
more and no less. God allowed Satan to do these
things, but it was God doing it. Job himself says in verse
21 of chapter 1, And 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.
He thanked God for what he had done. He said, blessed be the
name of the Lord. Nothing happens that is not what
that God that did it. Nothing happens if it's not God
that did it. It may be that God allowed Satan
to do these things, but had God not allowed it, then Satan could
not have done it. He had a hedge about him, it
says. Satan will not get around God's hedges, no matter how much
he may try. Satan and the devils know a whole
lot more than we give them credit for, though. Luke 4 and 41, we
read, And devils also came out of many, crying out and saying,
Thou art the Christ, the Son of God. And he rebuking them
suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he was Christ.
Most who do not know this are actually children of Satan. John
8 and 44 says, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lust
of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning
and abode not in the truth. because there is no truth in
him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he
is a liar and the father of it. God is sovereign of Satan and
devils. They do not do anything that
he, that is God, has not purposed to be done. It's kind of scary
to think about that God allows Satan to do these things. But
God is all powerful. There is no way that anything
will happen that God has not purposed, and that is even for
his people. Luke 22 and 31, we read, and
this is from here, and the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan
hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. But
I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, and when thou
art converted, strengthen thy brother. Christ knew Satan was
going to sift Peter because it was he that purposed Peter be
sifted. It was he that prayed for Peter
that his faith fell not. And it did not. There was not
any way that Peter's faith would have failed. It was God that
was upholding him. It was God that made him what
he was. If God has not purposed to love
you in grace, it may just be that he will allow Satan to enter
into you just as he did with Judas Iscariot. John 13 too it
says. And supper being ended, the devil
having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simon's son
to betray him. He, that is Christ, even will
put time limits on those whom he wishes. John 13, 27 we read. And after the sop, Satan entered
into him. That's Judas Iscariot. This is
Christ speaking. Then said Jesus unto him, that
thou doest, do quickly. We certainly are not in control
of Satan. We read in scripture several
accounts where Satan goes into individual or puts something
in their heart. Ananias and Sapphira. Paul says
the thorn in the flesh was a messenger of Satan to buffet him First
Thessalonians 2 and 18 we read Wherefore we would have come
unto you even I Paul once and again, but Satan hindered us
Satan will do unto us whatever it is that God is pleased for
him to do and But he is in absolute control of him, and whatever
he does, allow him to do, if you are one of his, it will be
for your good. God is sovereign over man. By
this I mean all mankind, whether it be his people or anyone else.
But we see here in this passage where the Sabians fell on oxen
and asses and took them and slayed the servants except for the one.
This is God doing all of this. And again, why do I say all this?
In Job 2 verses 3, we read, 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 askeweth evil? And still he holdeth fast his
integrity, although thou movedest me against him to destroy him
without a cause. This was God offering up Job
again for this sifting, after he had already let him do all
these other things to him. God is sovereign and whatever
he says will be. Whatever he allows was his purpose
or it would not have happened. The Chaldeans also came upon
the camels and took them away, killing all the servants save
one. There is not a human being that has been, is, or will be
on the earth that God is not sovereign over. If God controls
kings, and he does, then he has no trouble with turning us where
he wants us to go and what he wants us to do. Proverbs 21 and
one says, the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord as the
rivers of water. He turneth it whithersoever he
will. Maybe you are proud, as we all
are by nature, but maybe it is you think, God will not make
me do anything. I do what I want. This is pride
in what the scripture say in Daniel 4.37. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar,
praise and extol and honor the king of heaven, all whose works
are truth and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride
he is able to abase. Those who walk in pride, he is
able to abase. If you are to worship God, you
will be abased. God is able to abase anyone who
walks in pride. The concern we might should have
is, will he abase me? God controlled Satan as it concerned
Job and even allowed Satan to touch his flesh and bone. We
read this in our text. He was touched from the sole
of his foot to the top of his head with boils. They burned,
itch, and hurt, so much so that he could not sleep. And later
it says worms were on his body. This is what God Almighty did
to Job. Again, I say, had not God allowed
this, then it would not have been done to Job. He is in control
of our very health and will do as he sees fit with it. If you
are one of his, it will be for your good. Whatever your situation
is, be it bad, good, or fair. God is sovereign over earth,
wind, and fire. It says in verse 16, verse 16
of chapter one, while 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. And again in verse 19, it says,
and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness and
smoked 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. It says the wind from the wilderness
came and knocked the house down and killed all his kids and servants,
save one. God Almighty controls the very
elements so that they will accomplish his purpose, whatever it is.
Not one drop of rain falls that he has not decreed or purposed
it. Not one drop of rain is held
back that he has not purposed. The very dust in the air he controls
so that it comes and falls where he wants it to fall. When Jesus
Christ was on the ship with the apostles and they woke him up
because they thought they were going to die, he spoke and said,
peace, be still. And not only did the wind stop,
but the waves completely stopped. I'm sure it looked like a sea
of glass. It was so calm. The elements, the trees, the
flowers, the grass, and any flora and fauna obey his voice in whatever
it is purposed by him to do. Psalm 50 and 1 says, the mighty
God, even the Lord, hath spoken and called the earth from the
rising of the sun until the going down thereof. Not only is God
Almighty sovereign over the elements and flora and fauna, but he controls
the animals as well. He calls and asks to speak. He
does this quite often, I might add. Matthew 10, 29 says, are
not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them shall not fall
on the ground without your father? God Almighty is in absolute sovereign
control of all things. He created all things, He controls
all things. All is done to His honor and
glory. God is sovereign in salvation. If God is in absolute control
of all things, and He is, then how is He not in total absolute
control of salvation? The answer is that He is in absolute
control of salvation. Were he not in control of salvation,
then none would be saved. Romans is very clear on what
we all are by nature. Some might say, see there, the
scripture says there is a man who is perfect and God said he
was perfect. But let me point out that Job
himself says in Job 19, Job 19, turn there with me real quick.
Job 19. 19 and 25. Job 19 verse 25. Job says, for I know that my
Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon
the earth. A Redeemer is one who buys back
that which was lost. Job acknowledges he has a Redeemer. However, he has not seen his
Redeemer yet. The fact that he has a Redeemer
means he needed to be redeemed, right? The redeemed is predicated
on the fact that there is a Redeemer. No Redeemer, no redeemed. But what about God's people,
those whom he loves, those for whom he chose in Christ and came
down and purchased salvation for them? There is a reason why
God takes a man through the things that we must go through to show
him who Christ is. You must lose all to gain all,
spiritually speaking. God brought Job down to nothing
so that he might see Jesus Christ who is all. Let me say it this
way. He is sovereign over salvation
because it is he that is salvation. Hebrews 5, 8, and 9 says, though
he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which
he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal
salvation unto all them that obey him. Just like grace and
faith, he is the author of salvation. He purposed salvation. He carried
out salvation. He brings salvation. He continues
salvation. Because it is He who is salvation
and He is eternal. In reading the book of Job and
seeing all that fell upon Job, when you first look at it, it
really looked kind of bleak. But as we go through the book
of Job, God willing, we will see that God does not just put
us through things to torture us. But it is he who is in absolute
total control of everything. For the believer, by his grace,
we should trust him in what he is doing, knowing he does all
things right. And he does do all things for
the good of his people. Psalm 27 and one reads, The Lord
is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the strength of my life. Of whom should I be afraid? What does God tell us in his
scripture? Why it is he does some of the
things he does to his people? Sometimes it is for correction.
If you are never corrected by God, you have need for concern. Because God says that he chastens
all of his. He says if you are not chastened,
then you are illegitimate, or that is a bastard and not a son.
But God does chasten us, and his word tells us this. Hebrews
12, we read. Furthermore, we have had fathers
of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence.
Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of
spirits and live? For they verily for a few days
chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our profit,
that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening
for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless,
afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them
which are exercised thereby. Wherefore, lift up the hands
which hang down and the feeble knees. There are times that when
God does correct us, but not everything that happens to us
is for correction. He may put you in a situation
like he did Paul and Silas because he has another child of God for
whom he is bringing to himself. How glorious of a thought is
that? God will involve me in him bringing a lost sinner to
himself. Help me to be thankful to God.
But he also brings some things to pass for repentance. We are
ever repenting. And like Moose Park said here
one time, he said, most of the time we have to repent of our
repenting. Because all of our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags in God's sight. These things are done to turn
us to God. It is a good thing if a man or
a woman are put through things that cause them to turn to the
living God. We do not all go through the
same circumstances. What I go through may not be
the same thing that you go through. Maybe not any of us will go through
what Joe went through in losing everything he had, including
his health. But God is sovereign and knows our needs and knows
how to take care of us. There is nothing for us to fear
because of the fact that it is he who is in utter, complete,
absolute sovereign control. And that's like calling water
wet three times. Second Corinthians, verses seven
and 10, it says, for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation,
not to be repented of. But the sorrow of the world worketh
death. I'm not saying that every time
God puts us through something that it will cause us to sorrow.
We certainly do have that at times. But in all these things,
we have joy. Maybe we have sorrow, affliction,
and joy. 1 Thessalonians 1 and 6 reads,
and ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received
the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. Joy is not happiness, although
it can include that. Joy is a calm delight. You will
have joy in the midst of sorrow or affliction. joy knowing that
he is in complete control of everything, including my salvation. Was Job all smiles and laughing
and happy? Chapter one and verse 20. Then Job arose and rent his mantle
and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshiped. And then again in chapter two,
verses 11 through 13. 11-13. Now when Job's three friends
heard 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 Namathite. For they had made an appointment
together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. 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. 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. Romans 15 and 13 reads, now the
God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that
ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Joy is the fruit of the Spirit. So if you have true joy, it is
of God. That joy is hope in Christ. What else do these things do?
James chapter one, verses two through four reads, my brethren,
count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations, knowing
this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let
patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing. He does this to try our faith.
What is this patience it talks about? It is that patience that
he teaches to wait on him. Him being in control of all things,
working that which is right, working that which is good for
me. Help me to be able to say with Job, even if God is afflicting
me and my bone and flesh, even if calamity falls on me all in
one day, and then my health is affected. Help me to be able
to say with joy of the spirit, Shall we receive good at the
hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? Hail sovereign
love which first began, the scheme to rescue fallen men. Hail sovereign
free, eternal grace that gave my soul a hiding place. Oh, cause
me to see this often. Amen. Dear Lord God, holy, sovereign,
almighty God, It is you that protects us, that keeps us, that
has saved us. Allow us to see you, may it be
that when we stand here to speak that we honor the name of Jesus
Christ, our Lord. All these things we ask in Christ's
name, amen.