Pain Perplexity and Promotion

"I have had a personal fascination with the book of Job, and find Bob's perspective provocative and insightful. Bob's personal identification with Job adds credibility to his interpretations. If read prayerfully, this book will ignite your heart with fresh passion for Jesus and a greater abandonment to His purposes."

"Bob Sorge has done it again! . . .balanced, scholarly, practical. This is not 'theology lite' but a jump-down-your-throat confrontation with what Bob calls 'microwave' and 'Martha' theology. The prophetic implications of Job for the endtime bride, the church, are especially helpful."

"This is a brilliant assessment of the life of Job which answers the many questions asked by 'suffering saints.' It can forever change your life."

Here you can read a chapter from Bob Sorge's book, Pain, Perplexity, and Promotion: a prophetic interpretation of the book of Job.

Here's an explanation of Chapter One: We're excerpting Chapter One for you here on this web site because it's important that you start the book at the beginning. This book builds on itself as it follows through the book of Job.

    If you've not done so recently, please read the first two chapters of Job. They paint the backdrop for the rest of the book. Here's the essence of the story.
    Job is a godly, wealthy man with ten children who love to party. Fearing for their spiritual condition, Job regularly offers burnt offerings on their behalf to atone for their sins.
    Noticing Job's piety, God says to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" (1:8). Basically, God is picking a fight with Satan, and Job is the scapegoat. And at the time this is happening, Job knows nothing of this heavenly exchange.
    It is essential to highlight this truth: the entire saga that is about to unfold is the result of God's initiation, not Satan's. From start to finish this whole thing is God's idea.

A Divine Wager
    Satan responds to God's pointing to Job in so many words: "Little wonder that Job serves You. He's no fool. You bless him; You protect him; You answer his prayers. He'd be a fool to forsake this handy arrangement he has with You. But don't think for a moment, God, that Job serves You because He loves You. He doesn't love You for who You are; he loves You for what You do for him. He loves You only because of the blessings You lavish upon him. And if You'll give me a chance, I'll prove that to You. Take away Your hedge of protection from his life, and let me have a shot at him, and I bet he'll curse You to Your face!"
    God then responds by basically saying, "You've got a deal! Go ahead, take a whack at Job; I'll remove My hedge of protection around his life. And We'll see if you're right. You can touch anything he possesses, but you must not touch his person."    So God and Satan have taken bets, and Job is the guinea pig.

Round One: Satan touches Job's stuff

Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house; and a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans
raided them and took them away-indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and
burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" (1:13-19).

    In the above passage, Satan killed Job's servants, took his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his camels, and then killed his ten children. But Job's response in 1:20-22 is absolutely incredible! He tears his robe, shaves his head, and falls to the ground in worship before God. He does not curse God as Satan had wagered. Instead, he worships!

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: "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 (1:20-22).

    Verse 22 affirms that Job did not sin in round one, so we go to round two.

Round Two: Satan touches Job's health

    God also initiates the next interchange with Satan:

Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you
incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause." So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head (2:3-7).

    When God mentions Job to Satan the second time, Satan refuses to admit that he's lost the bet, so he basically says, "There's nothing more important to a man than his health. Remove Your protection from his health and You'll find out what Job really thinks about You. Because he doesn't love You for who You are, he loves You for how You bless him. Touch his health, and he'll curse You to Your face!"
    So God said to Satan, "Deal! You can touch Job's body, you just can't take his life."
    Each time God establishes the boundaries that Satan cannot cross. Yet Satan is masterful at inflicting pain (a truth that is embodied in the cross). He finds a way to produce maximum distress in Job's body without killing him.
    How does Job respond to all this?

And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips (2:8-10).

    Then, Job's three friends pay him a visit-to mourn with him and comfort him. They are so distraught at his deplorable condition that they sit on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, speechless.
    After seven days of silence, Job opens his mouth and vents his agony. This starts a series of dialogues between Job and his three friends, and these exchanges comprise the majority of the book (chapters 3-31). Next, a young man by the name of Elihu expounds his opinions in chapters 32-37, and then in chapters 38-41 God speaks to Job. Finally, chapter 42 tells the story of Job's restoration and subsequent bliss.
    So the book starts with God picking a fight, and it ends with Satan losing his wager. Not only does Job prove that he loves God from a pure motive, but he is also radically transformed in the process. It is this transformation of Job which is the central theme of all that you are about to read. Now, let's look at the keys which unlock this book.

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Below is a complete listing of Chapter Titles:

Chapter 1 God Picks A Fight
Chapter 2 A Blameless Man
Chapter 3 Interpreting The Book
Chapter 4 Job The Pioneer
Chapter 5 Job The Worshiper
Chapter 6 Job's Wife
Chapter 7 Job's Three Friends
Chapter 8 Elihu
Chapter 9 Parallels To The Cross
Chapter 10 Job's Failure
Chapter 11 Embracing God's Discipline With An Open Spirit

Chapter 12 Holy Desperation
Chapter 13 Seeking Fervently
Chapter 14 Commitment To Integrity
Chapter 15 How God Changed Job's Fathering Paradigm
Chapter 16 Job's Three Daughters
Chapter 17 Job's Attainments