Why Do Calamities Happen?
A Sermon on Job 1:20-22
Originally preached Feb. 8, 1953
Scripture
20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21And 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 …
Sermon Description
How does one remain steadfast like Job in the midst of suffering? In this sermon from Job 1:20–22 titled “Why Do Calamities Happen?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches that Job righteously endured his circumstances because he understood two things: who he was and who God is. If a Christian is prepared in their heart for the day of trouble, it will be because they recognize that all they have is given to them and that God is good, righteous, and holy. Some will be shattered by hardship and some will ignore it, but believers will stand firm like a mountain peak in a storm, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares. Pursue a right view of God and oneself and live in contrast to the world like Job.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Bible is practical and helps us live life, not just poetry.
- The Bible claims to be the only book that can teach us how to live life fully.
- The Bible helps us understand all of life, unlike any other philosophy.
- The Bible tells us how to face difficulties, not just the good times.
- The Bible tells us calamities will happen due to sin, so we shouldn't be surprised.
- The question is how to face difficulties, not why God allows them.
- Job's story shows two responses: thoughtless like his children or faithful like Job.
- Job's children lived thoughtlessly, just seeking pleasure without thinking of God.
- In contrast, Job worshipped God after losing everything, showing great faith.
- To be like Job, we must have the right view of ourselves as naked before God.
- We come into and leave this world with nothing, so we shouldn't cling to possessions.
- Only following Christ, the light of the world, can save us from the darkness.
- The world is fallen and cannot save itself, only Christ can redeem us from it.
- We must look to Christ alone, not worldly means, to be saved from the darkness.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Job 1:20-22
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones claim is the most ridiculous criticism of the Bible?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the most ridiculous criticism of the Bible is the view that it's "remote from life, something which is not practical, something which is entirely divorced from the practicalities of life." He calls this attitude "ridiculous," "futile," and "purile," noting that many people consider the Bible merely a book with "beautiful poetry" that's "out of date" and doesn't help with "the practical business of living life."
What exclusive claim does Dr. Lloyd-Jones make about the Bible?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones claims that the Bible "exclusively is the only book that can teach us and enable us and show us the way to live life fully, to live it truly, to live it happily, to live it successfully, to live it triumphantly." He states that the Bible is unique because it "enables us to face all the facts of life" from every aspect and angle, dealing with the origin of life, its meaning, problems, difficulties, and even life after death.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the Bible with other teachings?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that all other teachings (politics, art, science, etc.) are "partial" - they may be very important and helpful in certain aspects of life but don't embrace life in its entirety. He states: "There isn't another single view of life in this world which embraces the hurl of life which caters for every conceivable eventuality in life, save the Bible itself." The Bible alone helps us face both good times and calamities.
What does the Bible teach about why calamities happen in the world?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the essential biblical answer to why calamities happen is "because of sin." He explains, "These things are the direct outcome of sin and evil and men's disobedience of God. Disease and pestilence and calamities, and all these things have resulted directly from men's disobedience." He notes that God made the world perfect, but sin brought these troubles into existence.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is more surprising than calamities happening?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that the truly surprising thing is not that calamities happen, but "that they happen so infrequently and that God is so amazingly good and so amazingly kind to mankind." He finds it remarkable that "the holy, righteous and eternal God tolerates men as he does" and continues to "cause his son to rise upon the evil and the good and send reign upon the just and the unjust."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast Job's response to calamity with his children's attitude toward life?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes Job's children as having a "thoughtless," "heedless," and "unprepared" attitude toward life, focused on having parties and good times without serious thought. In contrast, when Job faced terrible calamities, he responded with "dignity and greatness and calmness and poise and balance and equanimity," worshipping God and saying "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."
What was Job's understanding about human life that helped him face calamity?
Job understood the fundamental truth about human existence: "We come into this world with nothing except ourselves" and we leave the same way. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, Job recognized that "You start with nothing but yourself... You're absolutely naked. You've got nothing at all... And every single one of us will go out to the world exactly like that." This perspective allowed Job to hold possessions loosely and maintain his focus on God when everything was taken away.
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, what is the only true hope for the world?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that the only hope for the world is Christ: "There is no hope in conferences, there's no hope in marching, there's no hope in moral influence, there's no hope in legislation... But here is a hope... The universe is still God's." He explains that Christ came not merely to teach us to be better but to "do something for us" - to dispel darkness, conquer Satan, take our sins upon himself, and ultimately redeem the entire cosmos.
Old Testament
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.