The Contrast Between The Book Of Job and The Book Of Psalms

·        Pray

·        Job wealthy and feared God – Bible says complete integrity (Job 1:1-12)

·        Satan tries to drive wedge btwn Job / God – convinces God to allow  

Tests. (I’m always amazed at the access that Satan seems to have to The God Of The Universe. [remember, God is perfect, everything about Him is legal and organized because of His perfection])

·        Story progresses – Job loses: family’, possessions, health

·        people that knew him are convinced that through sin, he brought this on himself

·        his wife in essence tells him he may as well “end it”

·        4 friends come to talk – Job didn’t talk for days

Friends just sat with him – (sometimes we don’t have to say anything to someone hurting. Just being there is what they need)

·        when they finally could talk to him tried to convince him to repent – his bad fortune caused by God punishing unrepented sin.

·        God rebukes Jobs friend for thinking he had something to do with this – good in us always about Him ~ bag always about us or Satan.

·        Job makes the case that he is righteous toward God and better than the unrighteous.

·        Job not so concerned about what he’d lost, but why he lost it.

·        Job asks God  “why”

·        God then rebukes Job tells him don’t worry about it I Am Sovereign – what I say goes – tells Job whats what. 38:1- 41:34 (1:4 – 8 & sample)

·        Job is restored (chapter 42

·        lessons Job learned

1.    God is sovereign – ALL AUTHORITY

2.    Bad things will happen to good people – Gen 3, Satan (always testing, hates God and His people, Satan has limitations)

3.    not that bad things wont happen, how we act when bad things happen – God want us to rely on Him alone.

4.    God then fairness…not fairness then God

·        Psalms are praise, laments, some wisdom (proverbs) all over the place. Not one story…a collection of conversations from the heart.

·        Written mostly through David and son Solomon

·        All Psalms put God first – acknowledge His Sovereignty

·        They never ask “why me, I’m a good guy”

·        Job asks until God sets him straight, “I’m righteous, why me?” – ignore God’s Sovereignty

·        Psalms always seem to say “you are God, WHY NOT ME?”

·        Psalms will ask for help – in doing so acknowledge God is only help

Ask class to draw conclusions btwn Job and Psalms