Job 42:7-16 All Age Sermon for Jemima’s Thanksgiving 9th May 2021 suffering. Why? Was it because he had done something wrong? No: Reread Job 42:14. Pray. For our sermon today, we are taking a bit of he hadn’t done anything wrong. “It’s not fair!” a break from our series in Acts to meet Jemimah. Not the CCH What made it even worse was that all his friends gave him a hard Jemima who we have already met, but the Jemimah in the Bible, time and said he was guilty, that’s why God was punishing him. But found here in Job 42. he wasn’t guilty, and they got a right telling off from God at the end. “It’s not fair!” When I asked Jemima’s Dad why they chose the name Jemima, he said it was because they liked the name Jemima Puddleduck from Perhaps someone here today can relate to Job’s story. You’ve been the Beatrix Potter books! Well I think this Jemimah gives us an treated really badly at home or at school or at work for something additional reason why it’s such a brilliant name! Not because she you didn’t do. “It’s not fair!”. Sometimes you meet people who was beautiful and rich (!) but because she points to the God who have just had wave upon wave of suffering in their life and they just puts everything right. And that’s what this (Bible) Jemimah tells us, don’t deserve it. “It’s not fair!”. Maybe you are suffering unjustly and what I pray this Jemima will keep reminding us of as the years at the moment and it’s so painful. It’s made this last difficult year go on. even harder. Have a think about what that might be. One day God will put everything right. Just one point today. Well you might like to get to read Job’s story. It’s long and he does get a few things wrong along the way in how he speaks of God, but Kids I’ve got a few signs here. I’m going to need 3 people to hold he never gives up his faith. He hangs onto God and learns a lot them up. And we’re going to need you to wave them at different about who God is, and how he is in control of nature and of evil, at points in our sermon. They are phrases that Jemima may get to the end of the book (in this chapter) there’s a day when God puts know one day…. everything right. • When I ring the bell & all say…. “It’s not fair”. So, let’s move onto our second sign. lego “I’ll sort it out”. • When ring bell lego… “I’ll sort it all out”. • When I ring bell car… “Are we nearly there yet?” Jemima I don’t know if you like lego yet. I would imagine that George does. Sometimes mums and dads have to say, it’s time to First we need this: “It’s not fair!”. Kids often say this when they put all the lego away and tidy up. And then you say grumpily… are asked to do something they don’t want to do, like go to bed, or OK…. “I’ll sort it all out”. switch off their tablet. Sometimes it is fair, because past bedtime! All the pieces have to be sorted out and put back in their box. For Let me tell you about Jemima’s dad, Job (spelled job!). We’ll kids it’s not as much fun sorting out the mess as playing the game. probably come back to studying his book one day because it’s so But actually mums and dads like it when they get the living room helpful. Well his story is summed up in 3 words…. “ “It’s not fair!” back. OK “…. I’ll sort it all out”. It really wasn’t fair! And this chapter at the end of the book shows that he is the God He had everything. He had family, he had happiness, he had who sorts everything out. He does it in two ways, First his friends possessions. But one day God took it all away in a Tsunami of need a good telling off for getting things so wrong, and if we’ve done wrong we need forgiveness and the wonder of a sacrifice Names are really interesting. Jemima means “dove”. Another sister dying in our place. was called Keziah which means “a kind of perfume”. And the last sister was called Keren Happuch- which means “A type of eye Jesus has died in our place and there is full forgiveness for when we shadow”1. So they were famous for being beautiful! Perhaps are guilty. But the story of Job focuses on the fact that regarding Jemima’s name might also be related to a beauty product, like Dove what he went through he wasn’t guilty. is a kind of soap to us today! But though Job wasn’t perfect, he didn’t do anything to deserve the Now the young ladies in our church might like to remember that the suffering he had, and at the end of the book he is shown to be in the NT speaks about the best kind of beauty. “Your beauty should not right, and he is restored. It’s like God is saying “I’ll sort it all out”. come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the Although I don’t think God says it in a grumpy voice! wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, There’s a day when God put everything right. He restores the mess. which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:4). That’s real It’s a wonderful thing. “I’ll sort it all out”. beauty- not eye shadow or perfume, not that those things are Earlier this week there were serious storms across England, leaving wrong! sticks and leaves everywhere, and even snow in Scotland. But after These daughters even got an inheritance, which means their father the storms on Wednesday there was a lovely calm. And chapter 42 left them riches when he died. That was quite rare for women in is like that! those days. But for Christians, men and women are equally treated God restores the mess. After the storm there’s calm. After the mess by God who has a wonderful inheritance in the new creation for us he sorts everything out. Job lost his health, his family, his herds. He to look forward to. Perhaps the young men (and old men) might didn’t lose his faith. He hung onto God. It was tough at times. But need to remember that’s true gold! wonderfully in chapter 42 we see everything gets sorted out. “I’ll But I think the big lesson from Jemima is.… God will put everything sort it all out”. right. “I’ll sort it all out”. In fact v10. The Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as Sometimes when you suffer and it’s not your fault, when someone much as before. His brothers and sisters came back and comforted ignores you at school, or someone in your family is cruel to you, it’s him, he had double the number of sheep, camels, oxen, donkeys as easy to think that God has abandoned you, and he doesn’t even in chapter 1. care. But he sees everything, he doesn’t ignore you, and he’s And having lost 7 sons and 3 daughters, he had 7 more sons and 3 waiting for the day when he puts everything right. You’ve just got to more daughters (v13). And one of them was called… Jemima (v14). wait. “I’ll sort it all out”. That’s where she comes in! Now Jemima and her two sisters were There may be a wait, but God sorts out the mess. v10. “I’ll sort it very special. They were extremely beautiful and extremely rich. all out”. 1 See ESV study Bible page 933! For Job that was in the past. For us it’s in the future. haven’t reached the destination yet. … “Are we nearly there yet?” Let’s go to our last sign that helps us learn about the God who sorts everything out. I think a lot of people are waiting for Covid to be over. Their plans are on hold, their hope is for a day without suffering and When you are travelling in the car, sometimes Kids ask their parents restrictions. But what if that day takes longer than we think? OR car… “Are we nearly there yet?” It’s a bit tricky when it’s a four- What if Covid is over and then there’s a different kind of suffering? hour journey and after 10 minutes someone shouts … “Are we nearly there yet?” Our hope isn’t for this life. It’s for the day when Jesus comes back. When he will wipe away every tear from our eyes. That’s the day But the thing to remember about Job is that he didn’t get when God will put everything right. Sins will be seen to be forgiven everything sorted out straight away. … “Are we nearly there by Jesus’ cross, and the things yet?” There’s a singer called Faith Hill, and she sings a song called “There I don’t know what you’re suffering now, but it may not get sorted in will come a day”… this life.