9/30/96		"A HEAVENLY MEETING ABOUT A GOOD MAN"	John W. Brown
			Job Chapter One

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	Job is the first of the poetical books which consist of
		Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon,
		and Lamentations. 

		1.	But don't expect it to be "rhythmic" because it is
			written in Hebrew parallelism. 
			a)	Meaning the author will state something, then
				illustrate it by saying it again in another
				way. But, not necessarily with rhyme nor
				rhythm like western poetry. 

	B.	We do not know who wrote the book of Job nor exactly the
		time Job was written! 

		1.	Some think the writer was Elihu.One of Job's friends
			because he uses the first- person, personal
			pronoun "I" as the author would have done in
			Chapter 32:16-17 - but that alone is not
			conclusive! 
				(1)	Other guesses have been Moses, Solomon,
					and Job himself! 
				(2)	There is no mention, in the entire book
					of Job, of the Mosaic Law or any of
					the events of the book of Exodus! 
					(a)	So, one would assume it was
						written before Exodus. 

	C.	We know that Job lived in a land called Uz, but we do not
		know exactly where Uz (was)! 

		1.	We will talk more about that as we commentabout verse

	D.	There are indicators that give us an idea of the "time" Job
		lived in. 

		1.	Job lived at least 170 -180 years which we will see
			when we get the Chapter 42. 
			a)	This was not uncommon before the flood, during
				the time of the patriarchs.
		2.	Job acted as the high priest of his family and there
			is no mention of any other priesthood!
		3.	Genesis 36:10 tells us that Eliphaz, one of Jobs
			friends, was Esau's son. 
			a)	That being the case, Job and Jacob knew each
				other! 

	E.	Most scholars will tell you the theme of Job addresses the
		age-old question, "Why do the righteous suffer if God
		is a loving God?" 

		1.	The book surely addresses that question, but I think
			that perhaps the theme is about "REPENTANCE."
			a)	Let's take a look!
				

II. TEXT

	A.	Job1:1 (NKJV) There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name
		[was] Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and
		one who feared God and shunned evil. 

		1.	Uz sounds like a pace out of a fairy tale, but it was
			a real city. 
			a)	Genesis 10:22-23 tells us that Uz was the
				grandson of Shem. 
				(1)	That would make him the great grandson
					of Noah. 
			b)	The Historian Josephus tells us that Uz was the
				founding father of Damascus located in the
				Syrian desert! 
				(1)	By the way, that was the same desert the
					Lord sent Paul into for his
					"post-graduate" work 
				(2)	The Lord still sends many who are called
					into His service into the desert for
					training!!!!! 
		2.	Job was "blameless" and "upright" meaning that he was
			honest and straight forward with the Lord and
			performed the necessary sacrifices to atone for
			his sins. 
			a)	Job had a healthy concept of the Lord and as a
				result, was a man who knew the consequences
				of sin and avoided it at all costs! 
			b)	In fact, he may have been too good at it all!
				(1)	You know we can let a wonderful thing
					like living for the Lord slip into
					ritual very easy. 

	B.	Job1:2 (NKJV) And seven sons and three daughters were born
		to him. Job1:3 Also, his possessions were seven
		thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred
		yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very
		large household, so that this man was the greatest of
		all the people of the East. 

		1.	Job was a very wealthy man with a large family.He was
			the Howard Hughes of his day!
			a)	They lacked for nothing!

	C.	Job1:4 (NKJV) And his sons would go and feast [in] [their]
		houses, each on his [appointed] day, and would send and
		invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
		Job 1:5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run
		their course, that Job would send and sanctify them,
		and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt
		offerings [according] [to] the number of them all. For
		Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and
		cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did regularly. 

		1.	I think we may, (and I say may) have a hint here why
			the Lord decides to call Jobs sons and daughters
			home. 
			a)	Please notice that this Godly man felt an
				uneasiness in his heart for his children's
				relationship with the Lord! 
				(1)	But, he seems to think that his is
					OK!There is not mention that he was
					concerned for his own relationship
					with the Lord 
			b)	Something inside him told him that he must
				intercede fore the kids because they seemed
				to be more concerned with partying that
				keeping right with the Lord! 
				(1)	So, like most of us parents, Job tried
					to "run interference" between his
					children and the Lord. 

	D.	Job1:6 (NKJV) Now there was a day when the sons of God came
		to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also
		came among them. Job 1:7 And the Lord said to Satan,
		"From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and
		said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from
		walking back and forth on it." 

		1.	The "scene" changes from earth to heaven and we see
			God's angels gathering for a meeting with Jehovah!
			a)	satan is also there to make a report and we
				know that at least one of his jobs is to
				accuse those who love the Lord! 
				(1)	Reve 12:9 (NKJV) So the great dragon was
					cast out, that serpent of old, called
					the Devil and Satan, who deceives the 
					whole world; he was cast to the earth,
					and his angels were cast out with
					him. Reve 12:10 Then I heard a loud
					voice saying in heaven, "Now
					salvation, and strength, and the
					kingdom of our God, and the power of
					His Christ have come, for the accuser
					of our brethren, who accused them
					before our God day and night, has
					been cast down.  
				(2)	2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us that satan is
					the "god of this world." And
					Ephesians 2:2 tell us that he is "the
					prince of the power of the air."
					(a)	So, he has been exercising those
						rights and roaming the earth
						looking for someone to accuse,
						and the Lord's response
						indicates that he already had
						his eyes on Job! 

	E.	Job1:8 (NKJV) 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?" Job 1:9 So Satan answered
		the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Job 
		1:10 "Have You not made a hedge around him, around his
		household, and around all that he has on every side? You
		have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions
		have increased in the land. 

		1.	The Lord give Job credit for being "His" man!
			a)	satan says, "The only reason Job loves you is
				because you have a hedge of protection
				around him and have blessed him and made him
				rich!" 

	F.	Job1:11 (NKJV) "But now, stretch out Your hand and touch
		all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your
		face!" 

		1.	I don't know if you catch the implication here but
			the underlying statement here is that God is not
			worthy of devotion just because He is God and that
			He has to "buy" it from Job!!!!
			a)	Please keep in mind that Job represents those
				dedicated to the Lord! 
			b)	And the reality is that for many who say that
				they love the Lord, if you took away the
				things that are the most dear to them, they
				would curse the Lord to His face!!
			c)	But there are others who though they would be
				devastated, would hang on to the Lord!!

	G.	Job1:12 And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he
		has [is] in your power; only do not lay a hand on his
		[person]." So Satan went out from the presence of the
		Lord.

		1.	We learn a couple of things from this verse:
			a)	#1 Sometimes the Lord will allow our "security
				blankets" to removed! 
			b)	#2 Nothing can come into our lives unless it
				passes by the "desk" of God! 
				(1)	It is at theses times in life, we must
					hand on to Romans 8:28 And we know
					that all things work together for good
					to those who love God, to those who
					are the called according to [His] 
					purpose.
				(2)	Suddenly the "scene" changes and we are
					back on earth, in Job's time.

	H.	Job1:13 (NKJV) Now there was a day when his sons and
		daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their
		oldest brother's house; Job 1:14 and a messenger came
		to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys
		feeding beside them, Job 1:15 "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!" 

		1.	The sons and daughters are spending their day just
			like they always did - partying! Roma 14:16-17
			(NKJV) Therefore do not let your good be spoken 
			of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating
			and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy
			in the Holy Spirit. 
			a)	It's is a pretty good bet that they felt they
				were "safe" because they had a godly father!
			b)	All of a sudden, Job begins to suffer loss.

	I.	Job1:16 (NKJV) 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!" 

		1.	Before the first man can even finish telling Job what
			had happened, a second came bearing more of the
			same bad news. 

	J.	Job1:17 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!" 

		1.	Now a third man with continuing bad news.So far,
			though the losses were great, it is not too close
			to home! 

	K.	Job1:18 (NKJV) 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, Job 
		1:19 "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.	Now, the loss rips at Job's very soul
			a)	He lost all 10 of his children in one fell
				swoop! 
			b)	He could replace his "things" but he could not
				replace his children! 
				(1)	Yet, look at his reaction to the losses.

	L.	Job1:20 (NKJV) Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved
		his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. Job 
		1:21 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."
		Job 1:22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God
		with wrong.

		1.	He was every bit as human as you and I.He grieved
			bitterly but he "bowed down" (worshipped) before
			the Lord and accepted God's will for his life!!!! 
			a)	He acknowledged that he was "stripped" when he
				came into the world, and that he would go
				out the same way - with nothing! 
			b)	Then he acknowledged that it was the Lord that
				had allowed it all to be taken away and
				instead of being resentful, blessed Him
				anyway! 
			c)	And in all of this, Job did not sin nor charge
				God with wrong. 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	I am humbled and shamed by Job's reaction!

		1.	I have grumbled and complained over much less than
			this! 

10/12/96		"FROM RICHES TO ASHES" 		John W. Brown
				Job 2

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	In our last study of the first Chapter of Job, we saw
		heavenly beings gathered to give an account to the Lord
		- and satan was amongst them! 

		1.	satan accused Job of being God's "paid lover" and
			indicated the Lord wasn't worthy of love and
			devotion just because He is God! 
		2.	In fact, satan said that if Job's security was pulled
			from him he would fold like a piece of paper, and
			curse God to his face. 
		3.	The Lord gave satan permission to test Job, but told
			him to leave his person alone!!!
			a)	We saw four messengers, one right after the
				other come to Job and deliver tragic news:
				(1)	The Sabeans killed servants and stole
					his donkeys and oxen. 
				(2)	Then, a fire fell from heaven and burned
					his sheep and more of his servants.
				(3)	Next, the Chaldeans came and took the
					camels, and killed even more servants.
				(4)	And finally, a tornado-like wind struck
					the house where all ten of his 
					children were and killed them all! 
		4.	Pretty much all that Job had was gone.
			a)	Yet, in the final verses of Chapter one, we see
				the depth of Job's love and devotion to the
				Lord. 
				(1)	Job1:20 (NKJV) Then Job arose, tore his
					robe, and shaved his head; and he
					fell to the ground and worshiped. Job 
					1:21 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." Job 1:22 In all 
					this Job did not sin nor charge God
					with wrong. 

II. TEXT

	A.	Job2:1 (NKJV) Again there was a day when the sons of God
		came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan
		came also among them to present himself before the
		Lord. 

		1.	Please notice that they are all reporting to the Lord
			again! 
		2.	We too will someday stand before the Lord to give
			account for our stewardship while on this earth!
			a)	2Cor 5:10 (NKJV) For we must all appear before
				the judgment seat of Christ, that each one
				may receive the things [done] in the body, 
				according to what he has done, whether good
				or bad.
				(1)	The person without Christ will be judged
					for that very reason and will spend
					eternity separated from all that is
					holy and good. 
					(a)	This is called the Great White
						Throne Judgement (Rev 20:11-15)
				(2)	The Christian will be judged for the
					purpose of receiving rewards for his
					stewardship while here on the earth! 
					(a)	A very good reason I might add for
						living for Christ instead of 
						ourselves!! 
		3.	Back to the text: satan is among this heavenly
			group.He too must give account. He is a created
			being, not free to do as he wishes. 

	B.	Job2:2 (NKJV) And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do
		you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From
		going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back
		and forth on it." 

		1.	He was, he is, and he still does "go to and fro, and
			walk back and forth on the earth."
			a)	All you have to do is look at the crime rate to
				see that he is still in charge! 

	C.	Job2:3 (NKJV) 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."

		1.	The Lord tells us again that this testing is not
			because of sin in Job's life! 
			a)	In other words, satan could find no
				"justifiable" reason to condemn Job! 
			b)	And the Lord also reminds satan that even in
				the middle of the greatest trial of Job`s
				life that he was holding on to his integrity
				with the Lord! 
				(1)	But satan makes further accusation.

	D.	Job2:4 (NKJV) So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin
		for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his
		life. Job 2:5 "But stretch out Your hand now, and 
		touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse
		You to Your face!" Job 2:6 And the Lord said to Satan,
		"Behold, he [is] in your hand, but spare his life." 

		1.	What satan said in verse four is true for almost
			every man and woman alive! 
			a)	Put our own life in jepeordy, and we would
				crumble like Peter did! 
			b)	But there are a few that have found a greater
				reason for living and dying. 
			c)	Matt 10:38 (NKJV) "And he who does not take his
				cross and follow after Me is not worthy of
				Me. Matt 10:39 "He who finds his life will 
				lose it, and he who loses his life for My
				sake will find it.
				(1)	If we find our "life" in living for
					ourselves and the things of this 
					earth, we end up the losers. 
				(2)	But if we "die" to those things and find
					"life" in the things of the Lord it
					is a greater existence indeed!! 
				(3)	satan is indicating that Job has not
					found that peace and security in 
					living for the Lord alone, and the
					Lord says, "Test it and see!" 

	E.	Job2:7 (NKJV) 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. Job 2:8 And he
		took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself
		while he sat in the midst of the ashes. 

		1.	satan is doing everything he can to "break" Job! To
			"brainwash" him if you will. 
			a)	You see, Job, even now, is convinced that the
				Lord is a loving and just God and that His
				purposes are good and noble. 
			b)	But satan wants to convince him otherwise and
				sets up the circumstances to fulfill his
				plan. He attempts to wear him down little
				by little. 
				(1)	Job was first attacked in the area of
					finances, then his family, and now
					physically! 
				(2)	I think anyone living for the Lord will
					find that these are the three areas
					where we are most vulnerable! 
					(a)	If we love money more that the
						Lord, that will be tested! 
						(i)	Matt 6:24 (NKJV) "No one can
							serve two masters; for
							either he will hate the
							one and love the other, 
							or else he will be loyal
							to the one and despise the
							 other. You cannot serve
							God and mammon.  
					(b)	If we love our family more that
						the Lord, that will be tested! 
						(i)	Matt 10:37 (NKJV) "He who
							loves father or mother 
							more than Me is not worthy
							of Me. And he who loves
							son or daughter more than
							Me is not worthy of Me.
							Matt 10:38 "And he who
							does not take his cross
							and follow after Me is not
							worthy of Me. 
					(c)	And eventually, for all of us the
						final test will come physically!
						(i)	1Cor 15:24 (NKJV) Then
							[comes] the end, when He
							delivers the kingdom to
							God the Father, when He
							puts an end to all rule
							and all authority and 
							power. 1Cor 15:25 For He
							must reign till He has 
							put all enemies under His
							feet. 1Cor 15:26 The last 
							enemy [that] will be
							destroyed [is] death. 
		2.	Up to this point all of Job's trials have been
			"outward".Now, this once healthy, rich man finds
			himself in poverty and ashes. 
			a)	Covered from head to toe with boils that he can
				do nothing about except scrape for some
				relief from the itching! 
				(1)	But at least in all this loss and pain
					he has his "help meet" (his loyal and
					faithful wife) to stand beside him and
					support him, or does he? 

	F.	Job2:9 (NKJV) Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold
		fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" 

		1.	Why is it that when things are going great, we have
			lots of friends but when the "suffering" starts
			they quickly abandon ship?? 
			a)	Job had many friends before all this started
				but now he has only three and they are not
				very good friends as the text will prove. 
			b)	Whatever Job's wife's intentions were, this
				proves how little she knew her own husband
				and the Lord! 
				(1)	Look at his reply to her.

	G.	Job2:10 (NKJV) 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. 

		1.	Have you settled that question in your own hearts?
			a)	If you and I are willing to accept the good
				gifts from the Lord, are we as willing to
				accept trials and pain? 
				(1)	I think and honest answer is, "No!"
				(2)	Why? Because "good" is easy to accept as
					being from the Lord , but pain and
					suffering is normally associated with
					being out of the will of the Lord! 
					(a)	As "punishment" if you will.
					(b)	After all, isn't that what Job's
						wife is indicating? 
						(i)	"God is against you Job, you
							might as well curse Him 
							and let Him kill you!" 
						(ii)	Yet, In all this Job did
							not sin with his lips. 

	H.	Job2:11 (NKJV) Now when Job's three friends heard of all
		this adversity that had come upon him, each one came
		from his own place--Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the
		Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an
		appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to
		comfort him. Job 2:12 And when they raised their eyes
		from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their 
		voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and
		sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. Job 2:13 So
		they sat down with him on the ground seven days and
		seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they
		saw that [his] grief was very great. 

		1.	Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar came with good intentions.
			a)	They cared about their friend and wanted to
				comfort him, but they weren't prepared for
				what they saw when they arrived! 
				(1)	Job was disfigured almost beyond
					recognition. 
				(2)	They were so taken aback by his
					condition that all they could do cry
					and mourn. 
				(3)	They sat with him for seven days and
					nights without saying a word! 
					(a)	As the story progresses, you will
						see that perhaps they would
						have been better off if they had
						continued they way they
						started. 
					(b)	Because their counsel was not
						Godly! 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	I want to make it clear as we conclude Chapter two, that
		God always has a reason for what He does!

		1.	But that doesn't mean that we will always understand
			or agree with His reasoning!
			a)	Isai 55:8 (NKJV) "For My thoughts [are] not
				your thoughts, Nor [are] your ways My
				ways," says the Lord. Isai 55:9 "For [as]
				the heavens are higher than the earth, So
				are My ways higher than your ways, And My
				thoughts than your thoughts. 
			b)	For all the evidence we have in our text, Job
				was a righteous man!! 
			c)	There no indication of sin in Job's life, nor
				the need for the judgment of God to fall
				upon his life! 
				(1)	But, by the sovereign reasoning of the
					Lord, He allows Job to be tested for
					a higher reason than Job's immediate
					safety and security!! 
				(2)	But, of this you can be sure.It was for
					the good of Job and the kingdom of
					God, not for the entertainment of
					satan!!!!!!! 
		2.	There will be times in our lives when there seems to
			be no reason for the suffering!
			a)	When it "feels" like we are nothing more than a
				"heavenly lab experiment" for satan to kick
				around like an old football. 
				(1)	But,. . He Himself has said, "I will
					never leave you nor forsake you." So
					we may boldly say: "The Lord [is] my
					helper; I will not fear. What can man
					do to me?" Hebr 13:5-6 
				(2)	And we must remember that "His thoughts
					are not our thoughts, nor are our
					ways His ways. His ways are higher
					than ours and His thoughts are higher
					than our thoughts." 
				(3)	Though we may "feel" abandoned, and
					though we may "feel" like a heavenly
					lab experiment, we must remember the
					promises of the Lord. 
					(a)	And like Job, we must resign
						ourselves to the sovereignty of 
						God. Trusting that He knows
						what is best for our lives! 
						(i)	Job1:22 In all (those
							trials), learn not to sin
							nor charge God with
							wrong. 

Communion

10/19/96	"JOB'S COMPLAINT" 	John W. Brown
			Job 3

(Response to an insurance company)
I am writing in response to your request for additional information
regarding my claim. In block #3 of  the accident form, I put "trying
to do the job alone" as the cause of my accident. You said in your 
letter that I should explain more fully, and I trust that the
following details will be sufficient. I am a bricklayer by trade.
On the date of the accident I was working alone on the roof of a new
six story building. When I completed my work, I found that I had
about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carry the bricks
down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley
which fortunately was attached to the side of the building at the
6th floor. Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the
roof, swung the barrel out, and loaded the bricks into it. Then I
went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to
insure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of brick. You will note in
block #11 of the accident report that I weight 135 pounds. But to by
surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my
presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say,
I proceeded at a rather rapid rate up the side of the building. In
the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming down. This
explains the fractured skull, and broken collar bone. Slowed only
slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the
fingers of my right hand were 2 knuckles deep into the pulley.
Fortunately, by this time, I had regained my presence of mind, and 
was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of my pain. At
approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the
ground, and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight
of the bricks, the barrel then weighed approximately 50 pounds. I
refer you again to my weight in block #11. As you might imagine, I
began a rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity
of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for
the two fractured ankles, and the lacerations of my legs, and lower
body area. The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen
my injuries when I fell onto the pile of bricks, and fortunately
only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however,
that as I lay there on the bricks, in pain . . . unable to stand . .
. and watching the empty barrel six stories above me . . . I again
lost my presence of mind and let go of the rope. The empty barrel
weighed more than the rope, so it came back down on me, and broke
both my legs. I hope I have furnished the information you have
required. 

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	Job has "lost" it!

		1.	He lost it all materially.
		2.	He lost it all "family-wise."
		3.	He lost it all "health-wise."
		4.	He lost the love and support of his wife!
		5.	He has lost his own sense of worth and dignity.
		6.	He is losing his comprehension of God's justice.
		7.	And he thinks he has lost God's love!
			a)	Is it any wonder that this man who started out
				saying, ". . .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." Job 
				1:21: ends up saying, "Job 6:4 (NKJV) For
				the arrows of the Almighty [are] within me;
				My spirit drinks in their poison; The 
				terrors of God are arrayed against me. 
				(1)	In the "flesh" it is easy to understand
					how Job could feel this way. 
				(2)	Many of us have felt the same way with
					far less "loss" in our lives! 
					(a)	But, as we progress in our study,
						we will see that Job's focus 
						and vision is much too narrow! 
					(b)	And so is his understanding of the
						Lord!! 

II. TEXT

	A.	Job3:1-5 (NKJV) After this Job opened his mouth and cursed
		the day of his [birth].  2 And Job spoke, and said: 3
		"May the day perish on which I was born, And the night
		[in] [which] it was said, `A male child is conceived.' 
		4 May that day be darkness; May God above not seek it,
		Nor the light shine upon it.  5 May darkness and the
		shadow of death claim it; May a cloud settle on it; May
		the blackness of the day terrify it. 

		1.	The after this referred to here is after the 7 days
			and nights of silence between Job and his friends.
			a)	Job finally breaks the silence with his first
				speech. 
		2.	This is simply a pretty, poetic way of saying, "I
			wish I had never been born." 
			a)	Have you ever said the same thing?
				(1)	Listen as he "articulates" how sorry he
					feels for himself. 

	B.	Job3:6 (NKJV) [As] [for] that night, may darkness seize it;
		May it not rejoice among the days of the year, May it
		not come into the number of the months. Job  3:7 Oh,
		may that night be barren! May no joyful shout come into
		it! Job 3:8 May those curse it who curse the day,
		Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan. Job  3:9 May
		the stars of its morning be dark; May it look for light,
		but [have] none, And not see the dawning of the day;
		Job 3:10 Because it did not shut up the doors of my
		[mother]'s womb, Nor hide sorrow from my eyes. Job 3:11
		"Why did I not die at birth? [Why] did I [not] perish
		when I came from the womb? Job 3:12 Why did the knees
		receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse? 

		1.	Isn't it ironic? We there are times in our lives when
			can identify with what Job is saying, but the
			reality is, his complaining isn't changing
			anything!!! 
			a)	About the only thing that is being accomplished
				is the "venting" of his anger.
				(1)	He is not changing the circumstances,
					his condition, nor God's will, but he
					is determined to let his friends know
					how he feels! 
				(2)	If we are honest with ourselves, as we
					look back at the times we have
					complained the most, it did very
					little to change our circumstances. 
					(a)	In most cases, it only made more
						of a mess that we had to go
						back latter and clean up!! 
						(i)	Apologies, repentance, etc.

	C.	Job3:13 (NKJV) For now I would have lain still and been
		quiet, I would have been asleep; Then I would have been
		at rest Job 3:14 With kings and counselors of the 
		earth, Who built ruins for themselves, Job 3:15 Or with
		princes who had gold, Who filled their houses [with]
		silver; Job 3:16 Or [why] was I not hidden like a 
		stillborn child, Like infants who never saw light? 

		1.	These are Job's 2 great wishes of this chapter:
			a)	That he had not been born,
			b)	And that even though he was born he wishes that
				he had been stillborn. 
				(1)	Job, at this point in his life, sees
					death as a relief from his pain! 

	D.	Job3:17 (NKJV) There the wicked cease [from] troubling, And
		there the weary are at rest. Job 3:18 [There] the
		prisoners rest together; They do not hear the voice of
		the oppressor. Job 3:19 The small and great are there,
		And the servant [is] free from his master. Job 3:20
		"Why is light given to him who is in misery, And life
		to the bitter of soul, Job 3:21 Who long for death, but
		it does not [come], And search for it more than hidden
		treasures; Job 3:22 Who rejoice exceedingly, [And] are
		glad when they can find the grave? Job 3:23 [Why] [is]
		[light] [given] to a man whose way is hidden, And whom
		God has hedged in? Job 3:24 For my sighing comes
		before I eat, And my groanings pour out like water. 

		1.	Are you picking up that Job sees death as the "great
			equalizer?" 
			a)	In fact, he compares it to hidden treasures in
				verse 21! 
			b)	Right now, he would prefer it to life.
				(1)	Job has definitely "lost it."
					(a)	He has lost his purpose for life.
						(i)	He has lost his sense of
							God's justice. 
						(ii)	And most importantly, he
							has lost his sense of
							God's purpose in his
							life. 
						(iii)	At this point in his
							suffering, he can see
							absolutely no reason for
							living!! 

	E.	Job3:25 (NKJV) For the thing I greatly feared has come upon
		me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. Job 3:26 I
		am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for
		trouble comes." 

		1.	Job reveals a little bit of his heart to us here.
			a)	Even when he was living like a millionaire, he
				was living in fear! 
			b)	Everything around him was going great, but deep
				inside, Job's greatest fear was that he
				would lose it all!! 
		2.	Does this sound familiar?
			a)	We too can be "living large" and yet living in
				fear. 
				(1)	We can have a good job, a nice car, the
					house on the hill - with our family
					at our side and still be incomplete
					and fearful. 
				(2)	In fact, like Job, our greatest fear may
					be that the Lord will take it all
					away. 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	We have already established that Job was a Godly man . . .
		one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds
		fast to his integrity, Job 2:3 

		1.	The Lord had reassured us that Job loved Him and was
			doing all the "right" things in life!
		2.	God was blessing his life beyond his wildest dreams.
		3.	Yet, Job tells us that in the middle of all that, he
			was living in fear! 

	B.	If it can happen to Job it can happen to any of us.

		1.	So, how does a Christian learn to learn to live
			his/her life to the fullest enjoying the things
			the Lord had provided without fear? 
			a)	There are a few things God's Word points out
				that we quickly forget and need to remind
				ourselves of throughout life: 
				(1)	Exod 34:14 (NKJV) `(for you shall
					worship no other god, for the Lord,
					whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a
					jealous God),  
					(a)	He will not tolerate any of His
						children loving anyone nor 
						anything more that Him! 
					(b)	Yet, He knows that many people and
						things will seek to take this
						place in our lives. 
					(c)	As His children, if we feel or see
						anyone or anything doing this,
						we must run from it! 
						(i)	So, one of the ways for us
							to avoid what Job is
							feeling in this Chapter
							is love the Lord, not the
							things provided by Him!! 
				(2)	1Chr 29:15 (NKJV) For we [are] aliens
					and pilgrims before You, As [were]
					all our fathers; Our days on earth
					[are] as a shadow, And without hope. 
					(a)	If we remember that we are aliens
						and pilgrims, just "passing
						through" it will help us not to
						allow other things to replace
						the Lord in our lives! 
						(i)	Step 2 in avoiding Job's
							despair is to live with
							our focus on heaven and
							eternity, not the here and
							now.  
				(3)	1Joh 2:15 (NKJV) Do not love the world
					or the things in the world. If anyone
					loves the world, the love of the
					Father is not in him. 1Joh 2:16 For
					all that [is] in the world--the lust
					of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
					and the pride of life--is not of the 
					Father but is of the world. 1Joh 2:17
					And the world is passing away, and
					the lust of it; but he who does the
					will of God abides forever.  
					(a)	If we place our trust and love in
						things that are passing away,
						that act buy its very nature,
						will cause insecurity and fear. 
					(b)	The only security blanket we were
						ever meant to have is the Lord
						Himself! 
						(i)	Step 3 - Make it your life's
							purpose to love the Lord, 
							not to accumulate things!! 
						(ii)	Most people, even
							Christians, spend more
							time working and
							entertaining themselves
							than they do learning
							about Whom they will spend
							eternity with!!!!!! 
					(c)	And that bring me to the 4th and
						final step in avoiding Job's 
						feeling of self-pity and
						despair: 
						(i)	If we really know Him, then
							we can trust Him! 							Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny
village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he 
owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king
coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never
been seen before -- such was its splendor, its
majesty, its strength. 

People offered fabulous
prices for the steed, but the old man always
refused. "This horse is not a horse to me," he
would tell them. "It is a person How could you sell
a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How
could you sell a friend?" The man was poor and the
temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.

One morning he found that the horse was not in the
stable. All the village came to see him. "You old 
fool," they scoffed, "we told you that someone
would steal your horse. We warned you that you would 
be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever
hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would 
have been better to have sold him. You could have
gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would
have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and
you've been cursed with misfortune." 

The old man responded, "Don't speak too quickly. Say only that
the horse is not in the stable. That is all we
know; the rest is judgment. If I've been
cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?"

The people contested, "Don't make us out to be
fools! We may not be philosophers, but great 
philosophy is not needed. The simple fact is that
your horse is gone is a curse." 

The old man spoke again. "All I know is that 
the stable is empty, and
the horse is gone. The rest I don't know.
Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can't say. All
we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will
come next?" 

The people of the village laughed. They
thought that the man was crazy. They had always
thought he was a fool; if he wasn't, he would have
sold the horse and lived off the money. But
instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man
still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the
forest and selling it. he lived hand to mouth in the
misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was,
indeed, a fool. 

After fifteen days, the horse
returned. He hadn't been stolen; he had run away
into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had
brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once
again the village people gathered around the
woodcutter and spoke. "Old man, you were right and we
were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a
blessing. Please forgive us." 

The man responded,
"Once again, you go too far. Say only that the
horse is back. State only that a dozen horses
returned with him, but don't judge. How do you
know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a
fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can
you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can
you judge the whole book? You read only one word of
a phrase. Can you understand the entire
phrase? 

"Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life
with one page or one word. All you have is a
fragment! Don't say that this is a blessing. No one
knows. I am content with what I know. I am not
perturbed by what I don't." 

"Maybe the old man is right," 
they said to one another. So they said
little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong.
They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild
horses had returned with one horse. With a little
bit of work, the animals could be broken and
trained and sold for much money. 

The old man had a son, an only son. 
The young man began to break
the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from
one of the horses and broke both legs. Once
again the villagers gathered around the old
man and cast their judgments. 

"You were right," they said. 
"You proved you were right. The
dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a
curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now
in your old age you have no one to help you. Now
you are poorer than ever." 

The old man spoke again.
"You people are obsessed with judging. Don't go so
far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows
if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We
only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments."

It so happened that a few weeks later the country
engaged in war against a neighboring country. All 
the young men of the village were required to
join the army. Only the son of the old man was 
excluded, because he was injured. Once again the
people gathered around the old man, crying and 
screaming because their sons had been taken. There
was little chance that they would return. The 
enemy was strong, and the war would be a losing
struggle. They would never see their sons again. 

"You were right, old man," they wept. "God knows you were
right. This proves it. Your son's accident was a
blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is
with you. Our sons are gone forever." 

The old man spoke again. "It is impossible to talk with
you. You always draw conclusions. No one 
knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and
mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a
curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God
knows." 

In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado Word
Publishing, 1991 Page 144-147

11/24/96	"ELIPHAZ - RELYING ON EXPERIENCE"	John W. Brown
			Job 4-5

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	Last week, in Chapter 3, Job was at the height of his deep,
		dark, depression! 

		1.	In fact, he stated over and over again that he wished
			that he had never been  born, and even though he
			had, he wished he had been stillborn. 
			a)	But, I would like to point out, that even in
				the middle of what are the darkest hours of
				Job's life, he never mentions suicide! 
		2.	We discovered in our study, that Job was fearful even
			when he was living in luxury!
			a)	We concluded with 4 things from God's word that
				can keep us from living in the same fear
				that Job had: 
				(1)	Exod 34:14 (NKJV) `(for you shall
					worship no other god, for the Lord,
					whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a
					jealous God),  
					(a)	In other words, love the Lord and
						not the "things" provided by
						Him. 
				(2)	1Chr 29:15 (NKJV) For we [are] aliens
					and pilgrims before You, As [were]
					all our fathers; Our days on earth
					[are] as a shadow,  
					(a)	We need to have an "eternal"
						perspective instead of living 
						for the "here and now." 
				(3)	1Joh 2:15 (NKJV) Do not love the world
					or the things in the world. If anyone
					loves the world, the love of the
					Father is not in him. 1Joh 2:16 For
					all that [is] in the world--the lust
					of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
					and the pride of life--is not of the 
					Father but is of the world. 1Joh 2:17
					And the world is passing away, and
					the lust of it; but he who does the
					will of God abides forever. 
					(a)	We need to make it our life's
						purpose to love the Lord and 
						serve Him, not to accumulate
						things! 
				(4)	And finally, #4, learn to love Him with
					whom you will spend eternity! 
					(a)	If we really know Him, then we can
						trust Him even during the hard
						times! 

	B.	Now we turn our attention to Chapters 4 and 5.

		1.	Eliphaz is the first of Job's friends to respond to
			Job. 
		2.	Verse 27 of Job Chapter 5 gives an indication that
			these friends had discussed what they would say
			to Job and most likely appointed "Eliphaz = the
			`seer'" as their spokesman. (You'll understand
			why I use the term "seer" as go on.) 
			a)	Job5:27 (NKJV) Behold, this we have searched
				out; It [is] true. Hear it, and know for
				yourself." 
			b)	It is important however to point out that there
				is no indication that they prayed about
				what they would say to Job!! 

II. TEXT

	A.	Job4:1 (NKJV) Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
		Job4:2 "[If] one attempts a word with you, will you
		become weary? But who can withhold himself from
		speaking? 

		1.	In other words he asks Job if it will upset him to
			talk to him, then says that he is going to talk
			to him anyway! 

	B.	Job4:3 (NKJV) Surely you have instructed many, And you have
		strengthened weak hands. Job 4:4 Your words have
		upheld him who was stumbling, And you have strengthened
		the feeble knees; Job 4:5 But now it comes upon you,
		and you are weary; It touches you, and you are
		troubled. Job 4:6 [Is] not your reverence your
		confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope? 

		1.	Eliphaz reminds Job that when he lived in luxury, he
			was very good a giving counsel, but now he can't
			even apply what he use to dish out! 
			a)	This is not an uncommon thing!
			b)	It seems to be a human trait to "psychoanalyze"
				everyone else, but neglect seeing our own
				inadequacies. 
				(1)	That reminds me of the cartoon of 2
					psychiatrists that met on the street
					and one says to the other, "You are
					fine, how am I." 
					(a)	Why is it so much easier to see
						the short-coming of others and
						hard to see it in ourselves? 
					(b)	As we are going to see in the next
						few verses, Eliphaz is say, "I
						am fine, but you're not!" 

	C.	Job4:7-11 (NKJV) "Remember now, who [ever] perished being
		innocent? Or where were the upright [ever] cut off? 
		Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow
		trouble reap the same.  By the blast of God they
		perish, And by the breath of His anger they are
		consumed.  The roaring of the lion, The voice of the
		fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are
		broken.  The old lion perishes for lack of prey, And
		the cubs of the lioness are scattered. 

		1.	Do you catch the implication and sense of superiority?
			a)	You can almost see the pious grin on Eliphaz'
				face and hear the "message" behind the
				message. 
				(1)	"Come on Job, what secret sin are you
					not telling us about?You know that
					God would not the innocent suffer!" 
		2.	Now we know that was not the case with Job because
			the Lord has already told satan that Job was a
			"righteous man." 
			a)	But this same lie is being perpetuated today
				with the "health and wealth" teaching.
				(1)	The proponents of this teaching are
					telling God's children the same thing
					Eliphaz told Job: 
					(a)	"It is not God's will for you to
						be sick!" 
					(b)	"It is not God's will for you to
						be poor!" 
					(c)	"If either of these things are in
						your life it must be a result of
						 sin!" 
		3.	Eliphaz goes on to tell us how he came to this
			marvelous conclusion! 

	D.	Job4:12-16 (NKJV) "Now a word was secretly brought to me,
		And my ear received a whisper of it. 13 In disquieting
		thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep
		falls on men,  14 Fear came upon me, and trembling,
		Which made all my bones shake.  15 Then a spirit
		passed before my face; The hair on my body stood up. 
		16 It stood still, But I could not discern its
		appearance. A form [was] before my eyes; [There] [was]
		silence; Then I heard a voice [saying]: 

		1.	Not all "spirits that go bump in the night" are from
			the Lord!! 
			a)	Later on in the book, the Lord rebukes all the
				counsel of Job's friends. 
			b)	Therefore, based upon the Lord's rejection of
				their counsel, we know that this was not
				the Holy Spirit or any messenger of the
				Lord!!!!! 
				(1)	That only leaves one option - this was
					an evil spirit sent by satan for the
					very purpose of discouraging Job even
					further. 
				(2)	It was all part of his plan to fulfill
					what he had said to the Lord and get
					Job to curse God! 
		2.	The proponents of the "health and wealth" teaching
			also claim to have divine authority for their
			same lie. 
			a)	I would also like you to notice that this was
				indeed a real "spiritual" experience.
				(1)	It had all the spiritual mystery, and it
					even made Eliphaz' "bones shake", and
					his "hair stand on end". 
				(2)	But please also notice that this spirit
					came in the dark of night and never
					let Eliphaz see him clearly!! 
					(a)	And the "advise" he gives is even
						more clouded than his 
						appearance. 

	E.	Job4:17-21 (NKJV) `Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
		Can a man be more pure than his Maker? 18 If He puts
		no trust in His servants, [If] He charges His angels
		with error, 19 How much more those who dwell in houses
		of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, [Who] are
		crushed before a moth? 20 They are broken in pieces
		from morning till evening; They perish forever, with no
		one regarding. 21 Does not their own excellence go
		away? They die, even without wisdom.' 

		1.	As when satan came quoting God's word to Jesus, these
			word are true! 
			a)	But the message they send is false because of
				the omission of God's grace and love!
			b)	With the reference to angels in verse 18, you
				get the impression that is more like how
				satan feels about God and man than the Lord! 
				(1)	[If] He charges His angels with error,19
					How much more those who dwell in
					houses of clay, Whose foundation is in
					the dust 
				(2)	"If He would kick me and my crew out of
					heaven for a small `error', why
					should he care about you human
					`dust-balls'? 
					(a)	Notice that this evil spirit
						doesn't even acknowledge their 
						rebellion in heaven for what it
						was = SIN! 
						(i)	He calls it an "error"
						(ii)	"And for a simple "error"
							God kick His angels out of
							 heaven why should He show
							you any mercy?" 
			c)	If this was a message from the Lord it would
				contain hope, and it contains none.

	F.	Job5:1-3 (NKJV) "Call out now; Is there anyone who will
		answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you
		turn?  2 For wrath kills a foolish man, And envy slays
		a simple one.  3 I have seen the foolish taking root,
		But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place. 

		1.	More truth mixed with lies.
			a)	Wrath and envy does kill, but again Eliphaz
				kills Job's hope with the lie that there is
				no one to hear and answer him when he call
				out for help! 
			b)	Eliphaz is classifying Job among the "foolish"
				because he believes that he has sinned
				against God secretly. 

	G.	Job5:4-7His sons are far from safety, They are crushed in
		the gate, And [there] [is] no deliverer.  5 Because
		the hungry eat up his harvest, Taking it even from the
		thorns, And a snare snatches their substance.  6 For
		affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does
		trouble spring from the ground;  7 Yet man is born to 
		trouble, As the sparks fly upward. 

		1.	There is surely truth to this.
			a)	Mankind, even God's kids, are not immune to
				human suffering. 
				(1)	The Hebrew word for "man" means "the
					miserable." 
				(2)	And our English word "sympathy" means
					"to suffer together." 
					(a)	That was not God's hope for us,
						but it is part of the curse 
						from the fall! 
					(b)	But because our Lord is so
						wonderful, knowing that mankind 
						would suffer, he uses it for
						good in the life of those who 
						follow Him. 
						(i)	Jame 1:2 (NKJV) My brethren,
							count it all joy when you
							fall into various trials,
							Jame 1:3 knowing that the
							testing of your faith
							produces patience.  
			b)	the sparks fly upward because of the principle
				of thermodynamics. 
				(1)	It is a law of nature, not an accident!
				(2)	The plight of mankind is likewise not an
					accident. 
					(a)	It was chosen at the Garden!

	H.	Job5:8-16"But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I
		would commit my cause--  9 Who does great things, and
		unsearchable, Marvelous things without number.  10 He
		gives rain on the earth, And sends waters on the fields.
		 11 He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who
		mourn are lifted to safety.  12 He frustrates the
		devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry
		out their plans.  13 He catches the wise in their own
		craftiness, And the counsel of the cunning comes
		quickly upon them.  14 They meet with darkness in the
		daytime, And grope at noontime as in the night.  15
		But He saves the needy from the sword, From the mouth
		of the mighty, And from their hand.  16 So the poor
		have hope, And injustice shuts her mouth. 

		1.	Eliphaz is a `self-righteous fool."
			a)	He has told Job that there is no one who will
				hear him (Job) if he cries out "But as for
				him, he would seek God, And to God he would
				commit his cause- 
				(1)	And of course God would hear him because
					he was not a sinner! 

	I.	Job5:17 (NKJV) "Behold, happy [is] the man whom God
		corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of
		the Almighty. 

		1.	This is also true but Eliphaz is "whipping" Job with
			it, not encouraging him with it! 

	J.	Job5:18-26 (NKJV) For He bruises, but He binds up; He
		wounds, but His hands make whole.  19 He shall deliver
		you in six troubles, Yes, in seven no evil shall touch
		you.  20 In famine He shall redeem you from death, And
		in war from the power of the sword.  21 You shall be
		hidden from the scourge of the tongue, And you shall
		not be afraid of destruction when it comes.  22 You
		shall laugh at destruction and famine, And you shall
		not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.  23 For you
		shall have a covenant with the stones of the field, And
		the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. 
		24 You shall know that your tent [is] in peace; You
		shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.  25
		You shall also know that your descendants [shall] [be]
		many, And your offspring like the grass of the earth. 
		26 You shall come to the grave at a full age, As a sheaf
		of grain ripens in its season. 


		1.	In these verses, Eliphaz gives us situations in which
			the Lord will redeem His children, and once again
			it is a mixture of truth and lies. 
			a)	Verse 18 gives a beautiful picture of caring
				Father that although suffering is part of
				His plan, he is there right beside us! 
			b)	But, Christians do die from famine, and war,
				and wild beasts and people's tongues!
			c)	And then almost as if to taunt Job, Eliphaz
				"prophesizes" a prosperous future for Job
				and death at an old age! 
				(1)	But of course this is predicated upon
					Job admitting that he has secretly
					sinned against the Lord and asking for
					His forgiveness. 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	We must be careful of psychoanalyzing everyone, but not
		looking into our own hearts! 

	B.	We must all be careful that the counsel we give is Godly!

		1.	Sin is not always the reason for the suffering!

	C.	Not all "spirits" are holy!

		1.	2Cor 11:13 (NKJV) For such [are] false apostles,
			deceitful workers, transforming themselves into
			apostles of Christ. 2Cor 11:14 And no wonder! For
			Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of
			light. 2Cor 11:15 Therefore [it] [is] no great
			thing if his ministers also transform themselves
			into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be
			according to their works. 
		2.	That is why God's children must walk by faith in what
			they know to be true and not in their "feelings."

	D.	And lastly, just because something is "true" doesn't mean
		it is Godly or righteous! 

		1.	satan love to quote the truth, but if we "kill the
			patient" that is not God's way! 
		2.	Christians can rip each other to shreds with the
			"truth".

12/01/96	"JOB'S ANSWER TO ELIPHAZ"	John W. Brown
			Job 6 & 7

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	Last week we took a look at Eliphaz' speech to Job.

		1.	Eliphaz based the authority for what he said to Job
			upon the visitation of an  angel.
		2.	But, we also concluded that since later in the book,
			the Lord rebukes the counsel given by Job's
			friends that this was not a Holy visitation. 
			a)	And like the one whom sent him, this fallen
				angel counseled Job with a mixture of truth
				and lies. 
			b)	His main point was that Job must be hiding some
				deep dark sin or he wouldn't be going
				through this pain. 
				(1)	Because after all, Eliphaz concludes,
					"the Lord doesn't allow the righteous
					to suffer!" 
				(2)	However, we have the Lord's word that
					Job is a righteous man that loved the
					Lord and hatred evil. 
					(a)	We shouldn't in any way take this
						to mean that Job was not a
						sinner like the rest of us! 
					(b)	What it does mean is that although
						a sinner like all men, Job 
						loved the Lord enough to provide
						the necessary sacrifices to 
						atone for his sins. 
						(i)	He took care of his sins the
							way the Lord prescribed, 
							and stayed close to Him! 
						(ii)	Yet, his "friend" Eliphaz
							has accused him of being a
							 deceitful sinner,
							deserving of what he is
							going through.
The following story appeared in the newsletter OUR
AMERICA; "Dodie Gadient, a schoolteacher for thirteen
years, decided to travel across America and see the
sights she had taught about. Traveling alone in
a truck with camper in tow, she launched out. One
afternoon rounding a curve on I-5 near
Sacramento in rush-hour traffic, a water pump blew
on her truck. She was tired, exasperated,
scared, and alone. In spite of the traffic jam
she caused, no one seemed interested in helping.
"Leaning up against the Trailer, she prayed,
'Please God, send me an  angel . . . preferably one
with mechanical experience.' Within four
minutes, a huge Harley drove up, ridden by an
enormous man sporting long, black hair, a beard
and tattooed arms. With an incredible air of
confidence, he jumped off and, without even glancing
at Dodie, went to work on the truck. Within another 
few minutes, he flagged down a larger truck,
attached a tow chain to the frame of the disabled
Chevy, and whisked the whole 56-foot rig off the
freeway onto a side street, where he calmly
continued to work on the water pump. "The
intimidated schoolteacher was too dumbfounded to
talk. Especially when she read the paralyzing words
on the back of his leather jacket: 'Hell's Angels --
California'. As he finished the task, she
finally got up the courage to say, 'Thanks so much,' 
and carry on a brief conversation. Noticing her
surprise at the whole ordeal, he looked her
straight in the eye and mumbled, 'Don't judge a
book by its cover. You may not know who you're
talking to.' With that, he smiled, closed the hood
of the truck, and straddled his Harley. With
a wave, he was gone as fast as he had appeared." 

	B.	This morning we will be studying Job's response to Eliphaz'
		accusations in Chapters 6 and 7.
		

II. TEXT

	A.	Job6:1 (NKJV) Then Job answered and said: Job6:2 "Oh, that
		my grief were fully weighed, And my calamity laid with
		it on the scales! Job 6:3 For then it would be heavier
		than the sand of the sea--Therefore my words have been
		rash. Job 6:4 For the arrows of the Almighty [are]
		within me; My spirit drinks in their poison; The
		terrors of God are arrayed against me. 

		1.	Job is saying, "You have come to a quick conclusion,
			but you haven't considered the weight and measure
			of my pain." 
			a)	"What I am going through is almost more than
				any human can bear, but instead of having
				any kind of pity or compassion upon me, you
				just judge me for my rash words!" 

	B.	Job6:5 (NKJV) Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass,
		Or does the ox low over its fodder? Job 6:6 Can
		flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or is there 
		[any] taste in the white of an egg? Job 6:7 My soul
		refuses to touch them; They [are] as loathsome food to
		me. 

		1.	I believe it was Shakespeare that said, "If you prick
			me do I not bleed?" 
			a)	"Can't you at least understand that this pain
				has made me a little irrational!"
				(1)	"This attitude I have is not without
					cause, look at my life!" 
			b)	And he illustrates that point by saying if the
				donkey or the oxen are eating, there is no
				need for them to cry out for food! 
				(1)	They only do that when they are hungry.
				(2)	And it seems like even the mention of
					food make Job sick. 

	C.	Job6:8 (NKJV) "Oh, that I might have my request, That God
		would grant [me] the thing that I long for! Job 6:9
		That it would please God to crush me, That He would
		loose His hand and cut me off! Job 6:10 Then I would
		still have comfort; Though in anguish, I would exult,
		He will not spare; For I have not concealed the words
		of the Holy One. 

		1.	Again, Job's death wish.


	D.	Job6:11 (NKJV) "What strength do I have, that I should
		hope? And what [is] my end, that I should prolong my
		life? Job 6:12 [Is] my strength the strength of 
		stones? Or is my flesh bronze? Job 6:13 [Is] my help
		not within me? And is success driven from me?. 


		1.	"I am tired and weary and have nothing to live for."
		2.	"I am not made of stone or bronze, I am only a human
			being, and I can't take it any more."


	E.	Job6:14 "To him who is afflicted, kindness [should] [be]
		[shown] by his friend, Even though he forsakes the fear
		of the Almighty. 

		1.	"Eliphaz, as my friend you should have pity and
			compassion upon me, even if I have lost sight of
			the Lord in all of this, but you don't!" 
			a)	How many times a Christians do we judge instead
				of pointing a hurting person back to the
				Lord? 

	F.	Job6:15 (NKJV) My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a
		brook, Like the streams of the brooks that pass away,
		Job 6:16 Which are dark because of the ice, [And] into
		which the snow vanishes. Job 6:17 When it is warm, they
		cease to flow; When it is hot, they vanish from their
		place. Job 6:18 The paths of their way turn aside,
		They go nowhere and perish. Job 6:19 The caravans of
		Tema look, The travelers of Sheba hope for them. Job 
		6:20 They are disappointed because they were confident;
		They come there and are confused. 

		1.	"As my `brothers' I expected you guys to be
			`refreshing' to my tormented soul!" 
		2.	"But, you guys are like water that is frozen in the
			winter and dries up in the summer heat."
			a)	"Thirsting Caravans come looking for a drink
				but there is no water with which to refresh
				themselves." 
			b)	Job6:20 They are disappointed because they were
				confident; They come there and are
				confused. 

	G.	Job6:21 (NKJV) For now you are nothing, You see terror and
		are afraid. Job 6:22 Did I ever say, `Bring [something]
		to me'? Or, `Offer a bribe for me from your wealth'?
		Job 6:23 Or, `Deliver me from the enemy's hand'? Or,
		`Redeem me from the hand of oppressors'? 

		1.	"Right now you guy are like those streams and brooks,
			you are worthless to me." 
		2.	"I have never asked anything from any of you, but
			right now I need your wisdom and compassion."

	H.	Job6:24 (NKJV) "Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause
		me to understand wherein I have erred. Job 6:25 How
		forceful are right words! But what does your arguing
		prove? Job 6:26 Do you intend to rebuke [my] words, And
		the speeches of a desperate one, [which] [are] as wind?
		Job 6:27 Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless, And you
		undermine your friend. Job 6:28 Now therefore, be
		pleased to look at me; For I would never lie to your
		face. Job 6:29 Yield now, let there be no injustice!
		Yes, concede, my righteousness still stands! Job 6:30
		Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste
		discern the unsavory? 

		1.	In other words, "Give me something helpful that I can
			use.""I am willing to listen to Godly counsel."
			a)	"All you do is rebuke me for my desperate words
				and cut me down.Is that friendship?"
			b)	Then he says, "Look at me!'"I wouldn't lie to
				you." "I am not concealing anything from
				you or the Lord." 
			c)	"MY RIGHTEOUSNESS STILL STANDS!"
				(1)	And then he reminds them, that he is
					sick not stupid!He has enough
					intelligence to determine injustice
					and the "unsavory" attitude of his
					friends. 

	I.	Job7:1 (NKJV) "[Is] [there] not a time of hard service for
		man on earth? [Are] [not] his days also like the days
		of a hired man? Job 7:2 Like a servant who earnestly
		desires the shade, And like a hired man who eagerly
		looks for his wages, Job 7:3 So I have been allotted
		months of futility, And wearisome nights have been
		appointed to me. Job 7:4 When I lie down, I say, `When
		shall I arise, And the night be ended?' For I have had
		my fill of tossing till dawn. Job 7:5 My flesh is
		caked with worms and dust, My skin is cracked and breaks
		out afresh. 

		1.	Job says, "Guys, you are not taking into account that
			man's futility is part of the curse."
		2.	"Let me describe mine to you."
			a)	"I toss and turn all night wishing that it
				would end, because my flesh is caked with
				worms and dirt scabs. As I toss and turn
				the skin cracks and breaks open all over
				again and the cycle just keeps repeating
				itself!" 

	J.	Job7:6 (NKJV) "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle,
		And are spent without hope. Job 7:7 Oh, remember that
		my life [is] a breath! My eye will never again see
		good. Job 7:8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no
		[more]; [While] your [eyes] are upon me, I shall no
		longer [be]. Job 7:9 [As] the cloud disappears and
		vanishes away, So he who goes down to the grave does not
		 come up. Job 7:10 He shall never return to his house,
		Nor shall his place know him anymore. 

		1.	Job's days are swift only in relationship to his
			nights!He is miserable all the time, but the
			nights are worse! 
			a)	His life is passing right before his eyes and
				he has lost all hope of anything better
				than the grave. 

	K.	Job7:11 (NKJV) "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I
		will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain
		in the bitterness of my soul. Job 7:12 [Am] I a sea,
		or a sea serpent, That You set a guard over me? Job 
		7:13 When I say, `My bed will comfort me, My couch will
		ease my complaint,' Job 7:14 Then You scare me with
		dreams And terrify me with visions, Job 7:15 So that my
		soul chooses strangling [And] death rather than my
		body. Job 7:16 I loathe [my] [life]; I would not live
		forever. Let me alone, For my days [are] [but] a breath. 

		1.	"The way I look at it guys,is that I have nothing to
			lose, so I will not restrain my mouth; I will
			speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain
			in the bitterness of my soul and there ain't
			nothing you can do about it!" 
		2.	It is difficult to determine in the next few verses
			if Job is talking to his friends or directly to
			the Lord. 
			a)	Perhaps it is a mixture of both!
		3.	If it is the Lord, then evidently Job ran enough of a
			fever at times to be delirious and have
			hallucinations that terrified him! 
		4.	If it was his friends, this is probably the meaning:
			a)	"When I tell you that my death-bed will
				actually be a comfort to me, you try to
				scare me with the message you say came from
				this "night visitor" you had."
			b)	The result is, that instead of giving me hope
				to live, you make it easier to want to die."

	L.	Job7:17 (NKJV) "What [is] man, that You should exalt him,
		[That] You should set Your heart on him, Job 7:18 That
		You should visit him every morning, [And] test him
		every moment? Job 7:19 How long? Will You not look away
		from me, And let me alone till I swallow my saliva? Job
		 7:20 Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher
		of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am
		a burden to myself? Job 7:21 Why then do You not
		pardon my transgression, And take away my iniquity? For
		now I will lie down in the dust, And You will seek me 
		diligently, But I [will] no longer [be]." 

		1.	I believe these verses are turned towards the Lord!
			a)	Job senses that he is being tried because he
				knows that the Lord's eyes are upon him
				every second of the day. He just doesn't
				understand why! 
			b)	He even asks the Lord, "Why have You set me as
				Your target, So that I am a burden to
				myself? 
			c)	Job doesn't deny that he is a sinner "in
				general" and asks, "Why then do You not
				pardon my transgression, And take away my
				iniquity? 
				(1)	The idea is this, "If it is for
					something I have done wrong Lord, I 
					have asked you forgiveness, why won't
					you forgive me?" 
				(2)	"Because if I die, how can I repent?How
					will I know what I have done wrong? I
					will simply be dead." 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	Job is saying things that are making his friends very
		uncomfortable. 

	B.	Because, you see, if the Lord allows testing simply because
		of His divine sovereignty, then they could be next!

		1.	Likewise, when Christians see a brother or sister's
			humanity it scares them! 
		2.	It reminds them that they too are but dust.
			a)	But often, the response is judgment instead of
				compassion. 
			b)	And I think the reason for that in part, is
				this: 
				(1)	If we can convince ourselves that the
					reason for the situation is the other
					persons "fault" = (sin), then it
					exonerates us! 
				(2)	And that makes us feel a little lest
					vulnerable. 
				(3)	But like Eliphaz, most often our
					judgment is wrong!! 
At a pastor's conference in Spokane, Chuck Swindoll told of being at a
California Christian camp. The first day there a man approached him and
said how greatly he had looked forward to hearing Dr. Swindoll speak and his
delight at now finally being able to realize that desire. That evening
Swindoll noticed the man sitting near the front. But only a few minutes into
the message the man was sound asleep. Swindoll thought to himself that
perhaps he was tired after a long day's drive and couldn't help
himself. But the same thing happened the next few nights, and Dr. Swindoll
found his exasperation with the man growing. On the last night the man's
wife came up and apologized for her husband's inattention to the messages.
She then explained that he had recently been diagnosed as having
terminal cancer and the medication he was taking to ease the pain made him
extremely sleepy. But it had been one of his life-long ambitions to hear Dr.
Swindoll speak before he died, and now he had fulfilled that goal. 

12/08/96		"BILDAD'S LECTURE"	John W. Brown
				Job 8

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	Last week in Job's reply to Eliphaz - we saw a small
		glimpse of the Job's physical  condition:

		1.	The worms, the sores that would break open in the
			sleepless nights, and the days that were almost
			as miserable. 
		2.	And in short, Job told Eliphaz that he should at the
			very least, have compassion upon him.
		3.	Job also told Eliphaz that his pain had caused him to
			say things and act in ways that made him question
			what the Lord was doing in his life. 
			a)	But, hr also told Eliphaz that as friends, they
				were no help to him at all! 
			b)	Instead of encouraging him in the Lord, they
				discouraged him by false accusations of
				secret sin. 
				(1)	Instead of giving him a reason to live,
					they caused him deeper depression.
				(2)	Hearing Job's response, to Eliphaz -
					Bildad, one of the other "friends"
					decides Job's need "straightening
					out". 
					(a)	And of course, he's just the "wise
						counselor" to do it! 
					(b)	Chapter 8 is Bildad's first
						"lecture" to Job! 

	B.	To help us better understand the speech we need to
		understand Bildad a little more. 

		1.	Bildad is one of those guys in life that we have all
			encountered. 
		2.	He is the guy that anytime anyone wants to change
			things says, "That's not the way we do things
			around here!" "We have always done them this way
			and they've" always worked so were not going to
			change them!" 
			a)	He is a "traditionalist"!
			b)	He is also a bit of an evolutionist!
				(1)	In the sense that the evolutionist picks
					up a rock, tries by human logic to
					place a date upon the rock. 
				(2)	After he dates the rock, he then
					fabricates a story about the past and
					calls it "history" and "fact". 
				(3)	Then he begins to predict the future,
					based upon his own interpretation of
					the past - which can't scientifically
					be validated in the first place!! 
					(a)	Therefore, if his premise is
						wrong, so will be all the 
						"speculation." 
		3.	Bildad "picks up a lot of rocks" in this Chapter and
			basis his advice to Job on what he "thinks he
			knows." 

II. TEXT

	A.	Job8:1-2 (NKJV) Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
		2 "How long will you speak these [things], And the
		words of your mouth [be] [like] a strong wind? 

		1.	Bildad is even a little less tactful than Eliphaz
		2.	In effect, he is calling Job a "windbag", and asks
			him how long they have to listen to his hot air!

	B.	Job8:3 (NKJV) Does God subvert judgment? Or does the
		Almighty pervert justice? 

		1.	"Job, God can't be wrong so you must be!"
		2.	"You must be getting exactly what you deserve, and we
			all know why." 

	C.	Job8:4 (NKJV) If your sons have sinned against Him, He has
		cast them away for their transgression. 

		1.	If you will remember, early in Job scripture told us
			that Job's children partied a lot and that Job
			would offer sacrifices for them in case they had
			done or said something that they shouldn't have
			during the course of the evening. 
			a)	BUT, it did not say directly that they had
				offended the Lord or that they were being
				judged when they were taken home to be with
				the Lord! 
		2.	However, Bildad suggest that they were killed for
			sinning against the Lord. 
			a)	This had to be a tremendous source of
				encouragement for a man on the verge of
				mental and physical collapse. 
				(1)	If you are a parent, don't you think
					that Job has probably "mulled" this
					over in his mind a million times!! 
				(2)	Or at least blamed himself for not being
					a better father! 

	D.	Job8:5-7 (NKJV) If you would earnestly seek God And make
		your supplication to the Almighty, 6 If you [were] pure
		and upright, Surely now He would awake for you, And
		prosper your rightful dwelling place. 7 Though your
		beginning was small, Yet your latter end would increase
		abundantly. 

		1.	"Job if you were really pure and upright like you say
			that you are, you could simply ask the Lord and
			He would restore your health and wealth!" 
			a)	Therefore, there must be some "hidden" sin in
				your life that is preventing Him from doing
				this. 

	E.	Job8:8 (NKJV) "For inquire, please, of the former age, And
		consider the things discovered by their fathers; 

		1.	You can almost see Bildad as he takes out his
			glasses, puts on his collegiate look begins to
			try and impress with his wisdom of the ages. 
		2.	He start by saying, "Job, lets take a look at
			history." 
		3.	"Our forefathers have figured out that things have
			always worked in certain ways. Let me explain a
			few of those to you." 

	F.	Job8:9-10 (NKJV) For we [were] [born] yesterday, and know
		nothing, Because our days on earth [are] a shadow. 10
		Will they not teach you and tell you, And utter words
		from their heart? 

		1.	It's too bad that Bildad doesn't believe his own
			words. 
			a)	When he says, "For we [were] [born] yesterday,
				and know nothing", he really doesn't
				believe that HE knows nothing, only that Job
				knows nothing! 
		2.	Here is where Bildad kicks in the history lesson by
			saying, "Job, lets pick up a few rocks and look
			at then all this will make sense to you." 

	G.	Job8:11-13 (NKJV) "Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
		Can the reeds flourish without water? 12 While it [is]
		yet green [and] not cut down, It withers before any
		[other] plant. 13 So [are] the paths of all who forget
		God; And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish, 

		1.	"Job, you know that plants can't grow without
			water.They wither and die." 
		2.	"And by the way, Job, the hypocrite who forgets the
			Lord is the same way.His life will wither and die
			also. Sound like anyone you know Job!?!?!?" 
			a)	Once again he is accusing Job of lying and
				putting up a front to cover his sin.
			b)	I don't know about you, but so far, I'm not too
				impressed with Bildad's "scientific"
				mind?!?!? 

	H.	Job8:14-18 (NKJV) Whose confidence shall be cut off, And
		whose trust [is] a spider's web. 15 He leans on his
		house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it
		does not endure. 16 He grows green in the sun, And his
		branches spread out in his garden. 17 His roots wrap
		around the rock heap, [And] look for a place in the
		stones. 18 If he is destroyed from his place, Then [it]
		will deny him, [saying], `I have not seen you.' 

		1.	"The hypocrite looses his confidence, because the
			Lord is not there to `support' him. There is
			nothing to lean on." 

	I.	Job8:20 (NKJV) Behold, God will not cast away the
		blameless, Nor will He uphold the evildoers. Job 8:21
		He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, And your 
		lips with rejoicing. 

		1.	This is not exactly true!  God died for the
			"evildoers."And 2Pet 3:9tells us that The Lord is
			. . . not willing that any should perish but that
			all should come to repentance. 
		2.	And before we get too self-righteous Roma 3:10-12
			tells us . . . "There is none righteous, no, not
			one; 11 There is none who understands; There is
			none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned
			aside; They have together become unprofitable;
			There is none who does good, no, not one." 
		3.	Righteousness, good, and evil are all measured at the
			cross! 
			a)	It is not measured by how prosperous or
				healthy, or how educated a man or woman is.

	J.	Job8:22 (NKJV) Those who hate you will be clothed with
		shame, And the dwelling place of the wicked will come
		to nothing." 

		1.	This is definitely true from the Christian
			perspective when the Lord reconciles everything,
			but it is not the case in this world! 
			a)	Sometimes the people closest to you who will
				"hate" you for simply trying to serve the
				Lord because they disagreeing on how you
				should do that! 
				(1)	Matt 10:34 (NKJV) "Do not think that I
					came to bring peace on earth. I did
					not come to bring peace but a sword.
					35 "For I have come to `set a man
					against his father, a daughter against
					her mother, and a daughter-in-law
					against her mother-in-law'; 36 "and
					`a man's enemies will be those of his
					[own] household.' 
			b)	And right now, in this world, the wicked are
				prospering, and crime does pay.
				(1)	Which would you rather do if you didn't
					have the Lord: 
					(a)	Work for $6 an hour honestly or
						make $600/hr selling drugs?

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	Bildad missed it also!

		1.	Suffering is part of the plan!
		2.	Job was not hiding sin.
		3.	God was doing a mighty work in his life.

1. INTRODUCTION
   


1. In our study last week, Bildad the "traditionalist" tried to give Job "the wisdom of the ages" as an explanation for Job’s suffering.


1. With all the wisdom he could muster, he told Job that plants wither and die without water, and so does the hypocrite!
1. Insinuating like Eliphaz, that Job was lying about not having hidden sin in his life.
2. And he reminded Job that after all, God would not allow what had happened to him, unless he was guilty:
1. Because "verse 20" "God will not cast away the blameless, nor will he uphold evil doers."
3. And of course, if he was not guilty, he could simply "name it and claim it" and God would restore it all.
   


2. We concluded in last weeks study, that in this fallen world the wicked do prosper, and the righteous do suffer!
   


1. But as Christians, we have the assurance that this will all be "righted" when the Lord returns.
2. And we also have the assurance that the Lord will use our trials for good. That they have spiritual purpose!
   


3. This morning, our study will be in Chapters 9 and 10 and they will cover Job’s response to Bildad.
   


1. I think you will find that Job has questions about the Lord that you and I have asked many times.
   


2. TEXT
   


1. Job 9:1 (NKJV) Then Job answered and said: Job 9:2 "Truly I know [it] [is] so, But how can a man be righteous before God? Job 9:3 If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. Job 9:4 God [is] wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened [himself] against Him and prospered?
   


1. Please remember that Job did not have the New Testament!
2. He did not yet have the Messiah.
3. He did not have the great Mediator between God and man.
1. So he found himself caught in this great gulf that separated him from the Lord.
4. He acknowledges that much of what Bildad has said is true, but asks, "how can a man be righteous before God?"
1. There is only one way, you and I know that answer, but he did not.
5. Than he goes on to explain why he feels so separated from the Lord.
1. "Even if a person wanted to do debate with Him, that person would be lucky if he could even get one out of a thousand questions right!"
2. Then he says that the Lord is so wise and strong that a person would be stupid to go up against him.
1. Right again Job!!!!!
2. Then he goes on to briefly explain just how strong and wise the Lord is.


2. Job 9:5 (NKJV) He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger; Job 9:6 He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; Job 9:7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; Job 9:8 He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea; Job 9:9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; Job 9:10 He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.
   


1. Job has a wonderful grasp of the Lord as CREATOR of the universe, but knows very little of His tender mercy.


3. Job 9:11 (NKJV) If He goes by me, I do not see [Him]; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;
   


1. Job is very aware that God is a Spirit.
1. John 4:24 (NKJV) "God [is] Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
2. But what he is missing, is the human element, God wrapped in flesh.
1. Hebr 4:15 (NKJV) For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all [points] tempted as [we] [are], [yet] without sin.
2. Job goes on to describe this great distance he feels between him and God.
   


4. Job 9:12 (NKJV) If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, `What are You doing?' Job 9:13 God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him. Job 9:14 "How then can I answer Him, [And] choose my words [to] [reason] with Him? Job 9:15 For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge. Job 9:16 If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. Job 9:17 For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause. Job 9:18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness. Job 9:19 If [it] [is] [a] [matter] of strength, indeed [He] [is] strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day [in] [court]? Job 9:20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I [were] blameless, it would prove me perverse. Job 9:21 "I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life. Job 9:22 It [is] all one [thing]; Therefore I say, `He destroys the blameless and the wicked.' Job 9:23 If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent. Job 9:24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not [He], who else could it be?
   


1. "If the Lord wants to remove something from your life, who can stop Him or even question Him?"
2. "If you come to Him with a proud heart, that’s foolish, yet I feel that I am righteous."
3. "And since He is not listening, I can’t even beg for mercy."
4. "In fact, I am at the point that even if He did answer me, I wouldn’t believe it."
1. "Because, " and this is where Job start to get on shaky ground.
1. He begins to say things about the Lord that are not correct.
2. "Because" Job says, "He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause. Job 9:18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness.
1. The Lord does test us, but not beyond what we are able to endure.
1. 1Cor 10:13 (NKJV) No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God [is] faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear [it].
2. The Lord sometimes allows us top be "wounded" but it is not without cause.
1. Roma 8:28 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to [His] purpose.
3. And although it seems at times that there is no end to the trial, bitterness is a human choice, not a Godly choice!
1. Hebr 12:14 (NKJV) Pursue peace with all [people], and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: Hebr 12:15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
4. The bottom line here is that bitterness, is the result of not believing that God is good!
1. It is the result of being convinced that somehow we got "raw deal"!
2. And ultimately, as Christians, we know that God is in charge, so, that "raw deal" had to have come from the Lord!
   


5. Job 9:25 (NKJV) "Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. Job 9:26 They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey. Job 9:27 If I say, `I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,' Job 9:28 I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent. Job 9:29 [If] I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain? Job 9:30 If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap, Job 9:31 Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me.
   


1. And little more self pity, although somewhat understandable.
   


6. Job 9:32 (NKJV) "For [He] [is] not a man, as I [am], [That] I may answer Him, [And] [that] we should go to court together. Job 9:33 Nor is there any mediator between us, [Who] may lay his hand on us both. Job 9:34 Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me. Job 9:35 [Then] I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me.
   


1. Without even knowing it, this is Job’s heart crying out for Jesus. Because of this great "chasm" that Job is talking about, and his need to identify with a human being, Paul tell us in Phil 2:7-8 that the Lord . . . made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to [the] [point] [of] death, even the death of the cross.
1. He became flesh so that we could identify.
2. Job also expresses his heart’s desire for a "mediator" between him and the Lord.
1. 1Tim 2:5 (NKJV) For [there] [is] one God and one Mediator between God and men, [the] Man Christ Jesus,
2. Job’s illustration here is a person that will grab his hand, then grab the hand of God and reconcile their differences!
1. Job is crying out for Jesus!
   


7. Job 10:1 (NKJV) "My soul loathes my life; I will give free course to my complaint, I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. Job 10:2 I will say to God, `Do not condemn me; Show me why You contend with me. Job 10:3 [Does] [it] seem good to You that You should oppress, That You should despise the work of Your hands, And smile on the counsel of the wicked?
   


1. "Because I have no mediator, I will have to defend myself. I know it is not the best way, but it is all I have!"


8. Job 10:4 (NKJV) Do You have eyes of flesh? Or do You see as man sees? Job 10:5 [Are] Your days like the days of a mortal man? [Are] Your years like the days of a mighty man, Job 10:6 That You should seek for my iniquity And search out my sin, Job 10:7 (NKJV) Although You know that I am not wicked, And [there] [is] no one who can deliver from Your hand?
   


1. The answer to these questions is of course, "Yes!", but Job at this time cannot see the human, and merciful side of the Lord.


9. Job 10:8 (NKJV) `Your hands have made me and fashioned me, An intricate unity; Yet You would destroy me. Job 10:9 Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again? Job 10:10 Did you not pour me out like milk, And curdle me like cheese, Job 10:11 Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews? Job 10:12 You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit. Job 10:13 `And these [things] You have hidden in Your heart; I know that this [was] with You: Job 10:14 If I sin, then You mark me, And will not acquit me of my iniquity. Job 10:15 If I am wicked, woe to me; Even [if] I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head. [I] [am] full of disgrace; See my misery! Job 10:16 If [my] [head] is exalted, You hunt me like a fierce lion, And again You show Yourself awesome against me. Job 10:17 You renew Your witnesses against me, And increase Your indignation toward me; Changes and war are [ever] with me. Job 10:18 `Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me! Job 10:19 I would have been as though I had not been. I would have been carried from the womb to the grave. Job 10:20 Are not my days few? Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort, Job 10:21 Before I go [to] [the] [place] [from] [which] I shall not return, To the land of darkness and the shadow of death, Job 10:22 A land as dark as darkness [itself], As the shadow of death, without any order, [Where] even the light [is] like darkness.' "
   


3. CONCLUSION
   


1. Job is back to his death wish!


1. It doesn’t look like Bildad’s "lecture" did him much good.
2. But, when you are this far down, there is not that anyone can say to cheer you up!


2. Job wished he were dead!


1. It is interesting to note that there were a couple of other Bible characters that wished they were dead too.
2. They were Elijah and Jonah!
1. And in both cases they were running away from something!
1. Elijah was running away from Jezebel, and Jonah was running from the Lord!
   


3. I would like to conclude this mornings teaching by asking this question.
   


1. If you are down and depressed this morning, (baring medical reasons), could it be because you are running from something?
2. Could it be that instead of believing in the Lord’s promises and accepting His will for your life, you refuse to accept that this trial is meant for good, and not to destroy you?!?
1. Jere 29:11 (NKJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find [Me], when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, . . . .

1. INTRODUCTION




1. Last week we saw Job crying out for a mediator so that he could reconcile his differences with the Lord.
   


1. He sensed this great chasm between him and the Lord, and felt there was no way to get to Him.
2. He has also spent a great deal of time talking about the judgement side of the Lord, and because of his pain, has missed the mercy side.
3. Job’s second friend, Bildad called him a hypocrite, and we ended the chapter with Job being back to wishing he were dead.
4. So far neither of his two friends have helped him at all.
1. Now, in today’s study - Zophar, the third friend will speak and again leave Job comfortless!
   


2. We are going to pick up the pace a little and cover four Chapters this morning!
   


1. We will take a look at Zophar’s first speech to Job and Job’s reply.
2. Job’s reply to Zophar is his longest, covering 3 chapters all by itself.
3. We will not have time to cover every verse, so please make sure that you read the chapters for yourself in private devotion.
   
2. TEXT
   


1. Job 11:1 (NKJV) Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: Job 11:2 "Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be vindicated? Job 11:3 Should your empty talk make men hold their peace? And when you mock, should no one rebuke you? Job 11:4 For you have said, `My doctrine [is] pure, And I am clean in your eyes.' Job 11:5 But oh, that God would speak, And open His lips against you, Job 11:6 That He would show you the secrets of wisdom! For [they] [would] double [your] prudence. Know therefore that God exacts from you [Less] than your iniquity [deserves].
   


1. Verse 3 in the King James reads, "Should thy lies make men hold their peace?"
1. Eliphaz hinted at hidden sin in Job’s life. Bildad called Job a hypocrite and now Zophar calls him a liar! Some friends, huh?
1. I believe these guys are called "Fair weather friends."
1. When Job was healthy and wealthy, they kissed up to him, but now that they feel he has nothing to offer, they call him names!
2. I want to ask you, is this any different than most "friendships" today?
3. It has been my experience that most friends today will turn on you also when they think you no longer have anything to offer them.
1. But, I think the Lord at least "allows" this to show us that HE is supposed to be our best friend!!
2. If you find that friends have abandoned you and hurt you, you are not alone and you are in company!!
2. The prophet Zechariah said this about Jesus. Zech 13:6 (NKJV) "And [one] will say to him, `What are these wounds between your arms?' Then he will answer, `[Those] with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'
2. In essence what Zophar is saying is this, "Job, you say that you do not have hidden sin in your life, but I wish that God would speak and expose you as a liar. Then you would see that what you are going through is mild compared to what you really deserve."
2. Verses 7-11 tell of the Lord’s omnipotence and omniscience, and are really quite wonderful if you take them by themselves.
3. And then again in verse 12, Zophar takes another "shot" at Job.
   


2. Job 11:12 (NKJV) For an empty-headed man will be wise, When a wild donkey's colt is born a man.
   


1. Zophar is without a doubt, not talking about himself! For he believes that he is quite wise!
1. At the risk of mixing metaphors, Zophar is basically saying, "Job, you are an empty headed man and you will be wise when pigs fly!"
2. In verses 13 through the end of Chapter 11, Zophar tries to convince Job, like his other friends, that if he would just repent, everything would be fine!
3. Now, as you might imagine, Job is a little upset.
1. He has sit and listened to these guys accuse and call him names and he is sick of it!
2. So, he decides to take his best shot!
3. And by the way, (in the flesh), it’s a pretty good one at that.
   


3. Job 12:1 (NKJV) Then Job answered and said: Job 12:2 "No doubt you [are] the people, And wisdom will die with you! Job 12:3 But I have understanding as well as you; I [am] not inferior to you. Indeed, who does not [know] such things as these?
   


1. There is a modern-day colloquialism that says, "You’re the man!"
1. Meaning the one about whom this is said is the coolest, "badest", and brightest person on the face of the earth! The sun rises and sets because of him!
2. That is basically what Job is saying about his friends.
1. Job 12:2 "No doubt you [are] the people, And wisdom will die with you!
2. No one will every be able to compare with your wisdom, in fact all wisdom will die when you guys die, because you contain it all!
3. But, he says, I am not an idiot, and stop treating me like one!
4. Today we would probably say something like, "Since when did the Lord die and give you the throne?"
3. Job reminds them that he is not inferior to them, and that they have not uncovered some great wisdom that he is not aware of!
1. Then in the rest of the Chapter, he, like Zophar extols the truths about the Lord, but Job does it from the point of pain.
1. In other words, though the things he says may be true, Job sees the Lord as a harsh judge and juror, not a merciful Savior!
2. Pain has a way of causing us the view the Lord like that. But the reality is that He is just as merciful and wonderful in times of trouble as He is in the times of blessing!!
1. It is just harder for us to see.
4. Job takes a few more "shots" at his friends in Chapter 13.
   


4. Job 13:1 (NKJV) "Behold, my eye has seen all [this], My ear has heard and understood it. Job 13:2 What you know, I also know; I [am] not inferior to you. Job 13:3 But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. Job 13:4 But you forgers of lies, You [are] all worthless physicians. Job 13:5 Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom! Job 13:6 Now hear my reasoning, And heed the pleadings of my lips. Job 13:7 Will you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him? Job 13:8 Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God? Job 13:9 Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man? Job 13:10 He will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality. Job 13:11 Will not His excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you? Job 13:12 Your platitudes [are] proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay.
   


1. You guys are the liars!
2. Your about as worthless a doctor who knows nothing about medicine.
1. Job’s friends were like this doctor. He needed to be "treated" with kindness and love, and instead they had cut out his heart!
3. Job tells them that they would be better if they would just shut up!
1. He tells them that their silence would actually be wisdom compared to what they were spewing out, their proverbs of ashes.
4. Then he accuses them of misrepresenting the Lord, by speaking falsely against him!
5. The rest of the Chapter 13, Job complains to the Lord, and in Chapter 14 Job once again praises the benefits of death.
1. But we find in Chapter 13 verse 15 - Job’s great statement of faith in the Lord.
   


5. Job 13:15 (NKJV) Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
   


1. In this one single verse we begin to see what is at the core of Job’s problem.
1. He trusts in the Lord even to the point of death, but he believes that he can defend himself before the Lord!
2. There is a certain self-righteousness in Job’s heart.
1. Mala 3:1 (NKJV) "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the Lord of hosts. Mala 3:2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He [is] like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap. Mala 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; . . .
3. Job actually thought that he could defend himself before the Lord.
1. Roma 3:10 (NKJV) As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; Roma 3:11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. Roma 3:12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."
4. The only way any of us can stand before the Lord is in the shadow of the cross.
1. 1Cor 3:11 (NKJV) For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1Cor 3:12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation [with] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 1Cor 3:13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 1Cor 3:14 If anyone's work which he has built on [it] endures, he will receive a reward. 1Cor 3:15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
   


3. CONCLUSION
   


1. Job was a "righteous" man in the sense that he performed all the necessary sacrifices to atone for his sins.
   


1. But in a sense, his miserable friends were right. He was still a sinner like the rest of us!
2. His only defense was and is the same as ours - to fall upon the mercy of the Lord and beg forgiveness.
1. Ephe 2:8 (NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it] [is] the gift of God, Ephe 2:9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
2. Job could not stand on his own and neither can we.
3. He said he would trust the Lord even in death, but he was having a hard time trusting him in life!
4. Many say, "I would die for the Lord!"
5. But my challenge to you this morning is, "Will you live for Him?"

01/05/97			ELIHU’S SPEECHES	John W. Brown
				Job 15-37

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	In our last study of the book of Job (Chapters 11-14), -
		Job had just replied to Zophar's  speech.

		1.	Chapter 14 concludes the "first round" of
			speeches by Job's friends.
		2.	All of their speeches have ended pretty much the same
			with the accusation that Job is in sin and
			too proud to admit it! 
		3.	Of course, Job maintains his innocence.

	B.	In Chapters 15 though 31, Zophar speaks once more and
		Eliphaz as well as Bildad speaks two more times!

		1.	Job answers them all, and maintains his innocence!

	C.	In Chapters 32 through 37, a young man by the name of
		Elihuspeaks up because he can no longer contain himself
		as he listened to the others. 

		1.	In all of his 4 speeches, he doesn't help Job either,
			but he comes a lot closer! 
		2.	He has some things to say about the Lord that are
			worth listening to! 

II. TEXT

	A.	Job32:1-3 (NKJV) So these three men ceased answering Job,
		because he [was] righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then the
		wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the
		family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was
		aroused because he justified himself rather than God. 
		3 Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused,
		because they had found no answer, and [yet] had
		condemned Job. 

		1.	Elihu feels that he has to speak for two reasons:
			a)	#1Job had spent most his time justifying
				himself, and not defending the Lord.
				(1)	Basically, he was accusing the Lord of
					being unfair in his life! 
			b)	#2He was upset that Job's three friends had
				accused Job, but given him no real answers!
				(1)	This is true, but there is also an
					underlying assumption that HE CAN do
					better. 

	B.	Job32:4-7 (NKJV) Now because they [were] years older than
		he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. 5 When Elihu saw
		that [there] [was] no answer in the mouth of these
		three men, his wrath was aroused. 6 So Elihu, the son of
		Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: "I [am] young
		in years, and you [are] very old; Therefore I was
		afraid, And dared not declare my opinion to you. 7 I
		said, `Age should speak, And multitude of years should
		teach wisdom.' 

		1.	This is quite a different perspective upon youth
			respecting their elders than we have today.
			a)	If it were today, this young man would probably
				have already given his opinion with little
				concern for his elders! 

	C.	Job32:9-10 (NKJV) Great men are not [always] wise, Nor do
		the aged [always] understand justice. 10 "Therefore I
		say, `Listen to me, I also will declare my opinion.'

		1.	What he is saying at the beginning of these verses is
			that being old, or powerful (successful) doesn't
			necessarily guarantee wisdom and understanding. 
			a)	That is certainly true!And evidenced with Job's
				three friends. 

	D.	Job33:1-8 (NKJV) "But please, Job, hear my speech, And
		listen to all my words 2 Now, I open my mouth; My tongue
		speaks in my mouth. 3 My words [come] from my upright
		heart; My lips utter pure knowledge. 4 The Spirit of God
		has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me
		life. 5 If you can answer me, Set [your] [words] in
		order before me; Take your stand. 6 Truly I [am] as your
		 spokesman before God; I also have been formed out of
		clay. 7  Surely no fear of me will terrify you, Nor
		will my hand be heavy on you. 8 "Surely you have spoken 
		in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of [your]
		words, [saying],

		1.	"Job, I am just a man like you, but you have been
			asking for a mediator.I will be your mediator! I
			have listened and heard your story, now you will
			hear what the Lord thinks!"
			a)	You have to admire this young man's boldness in
				standing up for the Lord, but he is a
				little to "self-important." 
				(1)	It is an awesome thing to say that you
					speak for the Lord! 
		2.	There is one of the things Elihu has heard Job say
			that he wishes to discuss! 

	E.	Job has said in Job33:9-11 (NKJV) `I [am] pure, without
		transgression; I [am] innocent, and [there] [is] no
		iniquity in me. 10 Yet He finds occasions against me, 
		He counts me as His enemy; 11 He puts my feet in the
		stocks, He watches all my paths. '

		1.	Job say that he is innocent therefore, the
			insinuation is that God is unjust in dealing with
			Job the way he has! 

	F.	Job33:12-17 (NKJV) "Look, [in] this you are not righteous.
		I will answer you, For God is greater than man. 13 Why
		do you contend with Him? For He does not give an
		accounting of any of His words. 14 For God may speak in
		one way, or in another, [Yet] [man] does not perceive
		it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep
		sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, 16
		Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their
		instruction. 17 In order to turn man [from] [his] deed,
		And conceal pride from man, 

		1.	"Job, you have forgotten that God is greater than
			man, and He doesn't have to give an account or
			explain what He does!" 
			a)	This may be hard to take , but it is still true
				today! 
		2.	Notice that this was before the Bible, and the Lord
			often spoke through dreams and visions!
			a)	It is not that He cannot do the same today, but
				the most effective and most exhaustive
				instruction the Lord will ever give is in
				His Word! 
			b)	I for one am very happy that we don not have to
				solely depend upon dreams and visions to
				know the will of the Lord! 
		3.	Elihu reminds Job that that the Lord often does what
			He does In order to turn man [from] [his] deed,
			And conceal pride from man, VS 17 

	G.	Job33:29-30 (NKJV) "Behold, God works all these [things],
		Twice, [in] [fact], three [times] with a man, 30 To
		bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be 
		enlightened with the light of life. 

		1.	In other words, God's motivation is ALWAYS just and
			for our benefit! 
		2.	These verses only reinforce Roma 8:28 (NKJV) And we
			know that all things work together for good to
			those who love God, to those who are the called 
			according to [His] purpose. 
		3.	Now on to Chapter 34

	H.	Job34:1-9 (NKJV) Elihu further answered and said: 2 "Hear
		my words, you wise [men]; Give ear to me, you who have
		knowledge. 3 For the ear tests words As the palate
		tastes food. 4 Let us choose justice for ourselves; Let
		us know among ourselves what [is] good. 5 "For Job has
		said, `I am righteous, But God has taken away my
		justice; 6 Should I lie concerning my right? My wound
		[is] incurable, [though] [I] [am] without
		transgression.' 7 What man [is] like Job, [Who] drinks 
		scorn like water, 8 Who goes in company with the workers
		of iniquity, And walks with wicked men? 9 For he has
		said, `It profits a man nothing That he should delight
		in God. ' 

		1.	He says, "Listen up," to Job's friends as well as Job!
		2.	"Job has said that God had wounded him for no reason,
			but even his response has put him in the company
			of sinners." 
			a)	Because the message he has sent out by that
				statement basically says, "It profits a man
				nothing That he should delight in God." 
				(1)	When Christians complain about their
					lives it sends the same message today!
				(2)	It tells the world that Christianity is
					a joke, and that there is not God who
					really cares about man!! 

	I.	Job34:10-12 (NKJV) "Therefore listen to me, you men of
		understanding: Far be it from God [to] [do] wickedness,
		And [from] the Almighty to [commit] iniquity. 11 For He
		repays man [according] [to] his work, And makes man to
		find a reward according to [his] way. 12 Surely God
		will never do wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert
		justice. 

		1.	God cannot do or be wicked or unjust!It is against
			His nature! 

	J.	Job34:31-37 (NKJV) "For has [anyone] said to God, `I have
		borne [chastening]; I will offend no more; 32 Teach me
		[what] I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will do
		no more'? 33 Should He repay [it] according to your
		[terms], [Just] because you disavow it? You must
		choose, and not I; Therefore speak what you know. 34 
		"Men of understanding say to me, Wise men who listen to
		me: 35 `Job speaks without knowledge, His words [are]
		without wisdom.' 36 Oh, that Job were tried to the
		utmost, Because [his] answers [are] [like] those of
		wicked men! 37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; He
		claps [his] [hands] among us, And multiplies his words
		against God." 

		1.	"Job you would be better of throwing yourself upon
			the mercy of the court instead of trying to
			justify yourself!" 
		2.	"Just because you cannot `see' or understand the
			thing in your life that the Lord is dealing with,
			should He change who He is just for you?" 
		3.	"Job, you speak without wisdom."
			a)	Remember we said at the beginning that age does
				not guarantee wisdom! 
			b)	Elihu ends these verses telling Job that he
				hopes that the Lord doesn't let up until he
				can magnify the Lord instead of justifying
				himself! 
		4.	Now we conclude with a brief look at Chapters 35-37.


	K.	Job35:1-8 (NKJV) Moreover Elihu answered and said: 2 "Do
		you think this is right? Do you say, `My righteousness
		is more than God's'? 3 For you say, `What advantage
		will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than
		[if] I had sinned?' 4 "I will answer you, And your
		companions with you. 5 Look to the heavens and see; And
		behold the clouds--They are higher than you. 6 If you
		sin, what do you accomplish against Him? Or, [if] your
		transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? 7
		If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does
		He receive from your hand? 8 Your wickedness affects a
		man such as you, And your righteousness a son of man. 

		1.	It appears that in the back of this young man's mind
			is the thought that Job figures that he is dying
			anyway and things can't get any worse, so why
			admit that he is at fault? 
			a)	There is no proof that this was in Job's heart,
				but it is an interesting deduction!
		2.	Based upon this deduction, the thought here is this:
			a)	Man's sin or his righteousness will not change
				the Lord one iota in the long run!
			b)	But, it will affect the life of a man a great
				deal. 
				(1)	In other words, we are not making the
					Lord any greater by living Godly
					lives, but we are better people for
					doing so! 
				(2)	So, Job giving the Lord His rightful
					place in his heart could only result
					in his own good! 

	L.	Job36:4-7 (NKJV) For truly my words [are] not false; One
		who is perfect in knowledge [is] with you. 5 "Behold,
		God [is] mighty, but despises [no] [one]; [He] [is]
		mighty in strength of understanding. 6 He does not
		preserve the life of the wicked, But gives justice to
		the oppressed. 7 He does not withdraw His eyes from the
		righteous; But [they] [are] on the throne with kings,
		For He has seated them forever, And they are exalted. 

		1.	Elihu assures Job that the Lord is the only one is
			perfect in knowledge, and that he is with him!
		2.	He also assures him that the Lord despises [no]
			[one], 
			a)	Something Job had forgotten.
		3.	He remind him that God is just.
		4.	And that the Lord sees Job's pain!


	M.	Job36:22-23 (NKJV) "Behold, God is exalted by His power;
		Who teaches like Him? 23 Who has assigned Him His way,
		Or who has said, `You have done wrong'? (To the Lord)

	N.	Job37:22-24 (NKJV) He comes from the north [as] golden
		[splendor]; With God [is] awesome majesty. 23 As [for]
		the Almighty, we cannot find Him; [He] [is] excellent
		in power, [In] judgment and abundant justice; He does
		not oppress. 24 Therefore men fear Him; He shows no
		partiality to any [who] [are] wise of heart." 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	The next time you feel like complaining about your life
		remember these things from Elihu's speech:

		1.	Being old, or powerful (successful) doesn't
			necessarily guarantee wisdom and understanding.
			a)	No matter how long you have been in the Lord,
				ask yourself if you really have the wisdom
				to question the Lord! 
		2.	God is greater than man, and He doesn't have to give
			an account or explain what He does!"
			a)	It is nice when He does, but He is not
				"required to." 
		3.	The Lord often does what He does In order to turn man
			[from] [his] deed, And conceal pride from man, VS 17
		4.	God's motivation is ALWAYS just! It is against His
			nature to be anything other! (Rom 8:28)
		5.	What we say about the Lord in the middle of a trial
			can either be a great witness or an awful one!
		6.	It is a lot smarter to throw ourselves upon the
			Lord's mercy that to try and justify ourselves!

1/12/97		GOD SPEAKS- JOB REPENTS		John W. Brown
			Job 38-40

	A.	Last week we covered a lot of territory!

		1.	We finished with Elihu's speeches to Job and found
			that, although he was a lot  more accurate in what
			he had to say about the Lord, he really didn't
			help Job either. 

	B.	This morning, we will conclude our study in the book of Job.

		1.	It seemed appropriate to re-cap what we have seen so
			far. 
		2.	Job was once a wealthy, successful man admired by all
			who knew him. 
		3.	He was one to whom people came for counsel and 
			direction - a "pillar" in the community.
		4.	Everything seemed to be going wonderfully:
			a)	Then in one fell swoop, he lost all ten of
				children. 
			b)	All of his possessions and material wealth were
				gone. 
			c)	He became stricken with a leprosy-like disease
				for which there seemed no recovery.
			d)	His wife has told him to "curse God and die."
			e)	His three remaining friends accused him of
				hidden sin and only succeeded in sending
				him into further depression. 
			f)	All the while, Job has listened and maintained
				his innocence. 
		5.	This morning we come to the turning point, as well as
			the close of the entire book.
			a)	The Lord finally interrupts all the miss-guided
				counsel and speaks to Job directly.
			b)	That is where our study begins this morning!
				

II. TEXT

	A.	Job38:1 (NKJV) Then the Lord answered Job out of the
		whirlwind, and said: 2 "Who [is] this who darkens
		counsel By words without knowledge? 3 Now prepare
		yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall
		answer Me. 

		1.	The Lord knew exactly who Job was, but the question
			is actually more like, "Who do you think you are
			acting as a counselor for God. Spewing out words
			and making statements that you know absolutely
			nothing about!" 
			a)	If you want a classic example of this, you will
				find it on today's talk shows. 
				(1)	They go on for an hour about the most
					trivial things. 
				(2)	Everyone talks and some even claim to be
					experts on the various subjects, but
					they never accomplish anything! 
				(3)	We Christians have to careful about
					"going on" about trivial things we
					have little or no knowledge of. 
					(a)	Jere 4:22 "For My people [are]
						foolish, They have not known
						Me. They [are] silly children,
						And they have no understanding.
						They [are] wise to do evil, But
						to do good they have no
						knowledge."  
					(b)	1Tim 1:4 (NKJV) Do not . . . give
						heed to fables and endless
						genealogies, which cause
						disputes rather than godly
						edification which is in faith. 5
						Now the purpose of the
						commandment is love from a pure
						heart, [from] a good
						conscience, and [from] sincere
						faith, 6 from which some,
						having strayed, have turned
						aside to idle talk, 7 desiring
						to be teachers of the law,
						understanding neither what they
						say nor the things which they
						affirm.  

	B.	Job38:4-11 (NKJV) "Where were you when I laid the
		foundations of the earth? Tell [Me], if you have
		understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements? 
		Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 To
		what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its
		cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together,
		And all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 "Or [who]
		shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth [and]
		issued from the womb; 9 When I made the clouds its
		garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band; 10 When
		I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors; 11
		When I said, `This far you may come, but no farther,
		And here your proud waves must stop!' 

		1.	The Lord begins with the first days of creation and
			goes from there. 
			a)	I think the Lord is making the point here that
				the creation of mankind came later.
			b)	He wasn't even there for any of these decisions
				because he was not needed to make these
				decisions! 
			c)	The non=Christian "scientific" community speaks
				of things that occurred millions or
				billions of years ago as if they were there
				themselves. 
				(1)	They speak as though they have absolute
					proof of their theories. 
				(2)	However, on many issues, they speak as
					"men without knowledge." 
					(a)	They weren't there when the Lord
						put it all together any more 
						than Job was. 
			d)	The Lord continues to put Job in his place.


	C.	Job38:12-18 (NKJV) "Have you commanded the morning since
		your days [began], [And] caused the dawn to know its
		place, 13 That it might take hold of the ends of the
		earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? 14 It takes
		on form like clay [under] a seal, And stands out like a
		garment. 15 From the wicked their light is withheld,
		And the upraised arm is broken. 16 "Have you entered the
		springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the
		depths? 17 Have the gates of death been revealed to
		you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
		18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell
		[Me], if you know all this. 

		1.	"Job you seem to have all the answers and even know
			more than I do, so answer these questions if you
			can!" 
		2.	Chapters 38 though 41 are pretty much the same: the
			Lord putting Job in his proper place of willful
			submission, by showing him how small he really is. 
			a)	There are however a few passages we should look
				at before we deal with Job's repentance.

	D.	Job38:22 (NKJV) "Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or
		have you seen the treasury of hail, 23 Which I have
		reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle
		and war? 

		1.	There is much that could be said about these 2
			verses, but at the very least we can determine
			the Lord will use snow and hail in his final
			judgment upon the earth.
			a)	Reve 8:7 (NKJV) The first angel sounded: And
				hail and fire followed, mingled with blood,
				and they were thrown to the earth. And a
				third of the trees were burned up, and all
				green grass was burned up. 
			b)	If you are a history student then you know that
				it was snow that defeated Napoleon, and has
				affected the outcome of many wars since. 

	E.	Job38:31 (NKJV) "Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
		Or loose the belt of Orion? 32 Can you bring out
		Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you guide the Great 
		Bear with its cubs? 33 Do you know the ordinances of the
		heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth? 

		1.	Evidently those whom have gone before us had a pretty
			good understanding of the universe.
			a)	It is my understanding that the Egyptians could
				correctly calculate the distance to the sun.
				(1)	Even the great pyramids are
					architectural "marvels!" 
			b)	In the Myan culture even some of their
				buildings were constructed to tell times
				and seasons, much the same as a gigantic sun
				dial! 
			c)	All this is living proof that you can have a
				tremendous knowledge of the creation and
				miss the Creator!! 

	F.	Job40:1-2 (NKJV) Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said:
		2 "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct
		[Him]? He who rebukes God, let him answer it." 

		1.	"Job you have rebuked me and corrected me.Are you
			really in a spot to do that? If you are, answer my
			questions." 

	G.	Job40:3-5 (NKJV) 3 Then Job answered the Lord and said: 4
		"Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my
		hand over my mouth. 5 Once I have spoken, but I will
		not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further." 

		1.	This is the same man who said he would maintain his
			innocence and integrity no matter what happened
			to him! 
		2.	He is that same guy who said that because he was
			innocent, God was therefore unjust to allow what
			had happened to him! 
			a)	He was the "good guy" and God was the "bad guy".
			b)	Now, in the Lord's presence, he sees himself as
				vile!What happened? 
			c)	We get a little better picture in the final
				Chapter of Job, Chapter 42. 

	H.	Job42:1 (NKJV) Then Job answered the Lord and said: 2 "I
		know that You can do everything, And that no purpose
		[of] [Yours] can be withheld from You. 3 [You] [asked],
		`Who [is] this who hides counsel without knowledge?'
		Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
		Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4
		Listen, please, and let me speak; [You] [said], `I will
		question you, and you shall answer Me.' 5 "I have heard
		of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees
		You. 6 Therefore I abhor [myself], And repent in dust
		and ashes." 

		1.	Basically when Job could compare himself to his
			family, his wife, or even his friends, he thought
			he measured up pretty good! 
			a)	But when he came face-to-face with the Lord it
				was a different story. 
		2.	We are no different than Job.When we compare
			ourselves with our friends, our family or our
			spouses, we can develop a sense of
			self-righteousness. 
			a)	We begin to think that we have the right to
				judge those around us, and even how the
				Lord deals with them. And us!! 
			b)	But, it is only when we compare ourselves with
				Jesus that we get a proper estimate of
				where we are really at in our walks. 
			c)	Job's vision of the Lord (and himself) changed
				3 very important things in his life:
				(1)	His opinion of the Lord
				(2)	His opinion of himself
				(3)	And his opinion of his friends

	I.	Job42:7 (NKJV) And so it was, after the Lord had spoken
		these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the
		Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two
		friends, for you have not spoken of Me [what] [is]
		right, as My servant Job [has]. 8 "Now therefore, take
		for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My
		servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt
		offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I
		will accept him, lest I deal with you [according] [to] 
		[your] folly; because you have not spoken of Me [what]
		[is] right, as My servant Job [has]." 9 So Eliphaz the
		Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite [and] Zophar the 
		Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for
		the Lord had accepted Job. 

		1.	The Lord begins to restore Job and uses him to
			restore his friends! 
			a)	What a wonderful example of what a Christian
				should be and do. 
				(1)	As we understand our own sinfulness, it
					should make us compassionate of those
					around us. 
				(2)	And instead of judging them, allow the
					Lord to use us as instruments of
					restoration in their lives! 

	J.	Job42:10 (NKJV) And the Lord restored Job's losses when he
		prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice
		as much as he had before. 11 Then all his brothers, all
		his sisters, and all those who had been his
		acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him
		in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him
		for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon
		him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a
		ring of gold. 12 Now the Lord blessed the latter [days]
		of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen
		thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke
		of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also
		had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the
		 name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second
		Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In
		all the land were found no women [so] beautiful as the
		daughters of Job; and their father gave them an
		inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this Job
		lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children
		and grandchildren [for]four generations. 17 So Job died,
		old and full of days. 

		1.	Please notice, Job's restoration came after he prayed
			for his friends! 
			a)	It was only then that the Lord not only
				restored, but doubled what Job had before
				all this. 
			b)	Before we close I would like for you to notice
				one more thing. 
				(1)	Job included his daughters in the
					inheritance along with the sons, 
					something that was unheard of at the
					time. 
				(2)	I think this bout with the Lord, gave
					Job a new understanding of grace!
		2.	(If time permits, close with) 1Cor 13:4 (NKJV) Love
			suffers long [and] is kind; love does not envy;
			love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5
			does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is
			not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice
			in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears
			all things, believes all things, hopes all
			things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. 
			But whether [there] [are] prophecies, they will
			fail; whether [there] [are] tongues, they will
			cease; whether [there] [is] knowledge, it will
			vanish away. (And substitute your name with the
			word "love" = Christ!)

9/30/96		"A HEAVENLY MEETING ABOUT A GOOD MAN"	John W. Brown
			Job Chapter One

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	Job is the first of the poetical books which consist of
		Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon,
		and Lamentations. 

		1.	But don't expect it to be "rhythmic" because it is
			written in Hebrew parallelism. 
			a)	Meaning the author will state something, then
				illustrate it by saying it again in another
				way. But, not necessarily with rhyme nor
				rhythm like western poetry. 

	B.	We do not know who wrote the book of Job nor exactly the
		time Job was written! 

		1.	Some think the writer was Elihu.One of Job's friends
			because he uses the first- person, personal
			pronoun "I" as the author would have done in
			Chapter 32:16-17 - but that alone is not
			conclusive! 
				(1)	Other guesses have been Moses, Solomon,
					and Job himself! 
				(2)	There is no mention, in the entire book
					of Job, of the Mosaic Law or any of
					the events of the book of Exodus! 
					(a)	So, one would assume it was
						written before Exodus. 

	C.	We know that Job lived in a land called Uz, but we do not
		know exactly where Uz (was)! 

		1.	We will talk more about that as we commentabout verse

	D.	There are indicators that give us an idea of the "time" Job
		lived in. 

		1.	Job lived at least 170 -180 years which we will see
			when we get the Chapter 42. 
			a)	This was not uncommon before the flood, during
				the time of the patriarchs.
		2.	Job acted as the high priest of his family and there
			is no mention of any other priesthood!
		3.	Genesis 36:10 tells us that Eliphaz, one of Jobs
			friends, was Esau's son. 
			a)	That being the case, Job and Jacob knew each
				other! 

	E.	Most scholars will tell you the theme of Job addresses the
		age-old question, "Why do the righteous suffer if God
		is a loving God?" 

		1.	The book surely addresses that question, but I think
			that perhaps the theme is about "REPENTANCE."
			a)	Let's take a look!
				

II. TEXT

	A.	Job1:1 (NKJV) There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name
		[was] Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and
		one who feared God and shunned evil. 

		1.	Uz sounds like a pace out of a fairy tale, but it was
			a real city. 
			a)	Genesis 10:22-23 tells us that Uz was the
				grandson of Shem. 
				(1)	That would make him the great grandson
					of Noah. 
			b)	The Historian Josephus tells us that Uz was the
				founding father of Damascus located in the
				Syrian desert! 
				(1)	By the way, that was the same desert the
					Lord sent Paul into for his
					"post-graduate" work 
				(2)	The Lord still sends many who are called
					into His service into the desert for
					training!!!!! 
		2.	Job was "blameless" and "upright" meaning that he was
			honest and straight forward with the Lord and
			performed the necessary sacrifices to atone for
			his sins. 
			a)	Job had a healthy concept of the Lord and as a
				result, was a man who knew the consequences
				of sin and avoided it at all costs! 
			b)	In fact, he may have been too good at it all!
				(1)	You know we can let a wonderful thing
					like living for the Lord slip into
					ritual very easy. 

	B.	Job1:2 (NKJV) And seven sons and three daughters were born
		to him. Job1:3 Also, his possessions were seven
		thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred
		yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very
		large household, so that this man was the greatest of
		all the people of the East. 

		1.	Job was a very wealthy man with a large family.He was
			the Howard Hughes of his day!
			a)	They lacked for nothing!

	C.	Job1:4 (NKJV) And his sons would go and feast [in] [their]
		houses, each on his [appointed] day, and would send and
		invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
		Job 1:5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run
		their course, that Job would send and sanctify them,
		and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt
		offerings [according] [to] the number of them all. For
		Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and
		cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did regularly. 

		1.	I think we may, (and I say may) have a hint here why
			the Lord decides to call Jobs sons and daughters
			home. 
			a)	Please notice that this Godly man felt an
				uneasiness in his heart for his children's
				relationship with the Lord! 
				(1)	But, he seems to think that his is
					OK!There is not mention that he was
					concerned for his own relationship
					with the Lord 
			b)	Something inside him told him that he must
				intercede fore the kids because they seemed
				to be more concerned with partying that
				keeping right with the Lord! 
				(1)	So, like most of us parents, Job tried
					to "run interference" between his
					children and the Lord. 

	D.	Job1:6 (NKJV) Now there was a day when the sons of God came
		to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also
		came among them. Job 1:7 And the Lord said to Satan,
		"From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and
		said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from
		walking back and forth on it." 

		1.	The "scene" changes from earth to heaven and we see
			God's angels gathering for a meeting with Jehovah!
			a)	satan is also there to make a report and we
				know that at least one of his jobs is to
				accuse those who love the Lord! 
				(1)	Reve 12:9 (NKJV) So the great dragon was
					cast out, that serpent of old, called
					the Devil and Satan, who deceives the 
					whole world; he was cast to the earth,
					and his angels were cast out with
					him. Reve 12:10 Then I heard a loud
					voice saying in heaven, "Now
					salvation, and strength, and the
					kingdom of our God, and the power of
					His Christ have come, for the accuser
					of our brethren, who accused them
					before our God day and night, has
					been cast down.  
				(2)	2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us that satan is
					the "god of this world." And
					Ephesians 2:2 tell us that he is "the
					prince of the power of the air."
					(a)	So, he has been exercising those
						rights and roaming the earth
						looking for someone to accuse,
						and the Lord's response
						indicates that he already had
						his eyes on Job! 

	E.	Job1:8 (NKJV) 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?" Job 1:9 So Satan answered
		the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Job 
		1:10 "Have You not made a hedge around him, around his
		household, and around all that he has on every side? You
		have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions
		have increased in the land. 

		1.	The Lord give Job credit for being "His" man!
			a)	satan says, "The only reason Job loves you is
				because you have a hedge of protection
				around him and have blessed him and made him
				rich!" 

	F.	Job1:11 (NKJV) "But now, stretch out Your hand and touch
		all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your
		face!" 

		1.	I don't know if you catch the implication here but
			the underlying statement here is that God is not
			worthy of devotion just because He is God and that
			He has to "buy" it from Job!!!!
			a)	Please keep in mind that Job represents those
				dedicated to the Lord! 
			b)	And the reality is that for many who say that
				they love the Lord, if you took away the
				things that are the most dear to them, they
				would curse the Lord to His face!!
			c)	But there are others who though they would be
				devastated, would hang on to the Lord!!

	G.	Job1:12 And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he
		has [is] in your power; only do not lay a hand on his
		[person]." So Satan went out from the presence of the
		Lord.

		1.	We learn a couple of things from this verse:
			a)	#1 Sometimes the Lord will allow our "security
				blankets" to removed! 
			b)	#2 Nothing can come into our lives unless it
				passes by the "desk" of God! 
				(1)	It is at theses times in life, we must
					hand on to Romans 8:28 And we know
					that all things work together for good
					to those who love God, to those who
					are the called according to [His] 
					purpose.
				(2)	Suddenly the "scene" changes and we are
					back on earth, in Job's time.

	H.	Job1:13 (NKJV) Now there was a day when his sons and
		daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their
		oldest brother's house; Job 1:14 and a messenger came
		to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys
		feeding beside them, Job 1:15 "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!" 

		1.	The sons and daughters are spending their day just
			like they always did - partying! Roma 14:16-17
			(NKJV) Therefore do not let your good be spoken 
			of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating
			and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy
			in the Holy Spirit. 
			a)	It's is a pretty good bet that they felt they
				were "safe" because they had a godly father!
			b)	All of a sudden, Job begins to suffer loss.

	I.	Job1:16 (NKJV) 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!" 

		1.	Before the first man can even finish telling Job what
			had happened, a second came bearing more of the
			same bad news. 

	J.	Job1:17 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!" 

		1.	Now a third man with continuing bad news.So far,
			though the losses were great, it is not too close
			to home! 

	K.	Job1:18 (NKJV) 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, Job 
		1:19 "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.	Now, the loss rips at Job's very soul
			a)	He lost all 10 of his children in one fell
				swoop! 
			b)	He could replace his "things" but he could not
				replace his children! 
				(1)	Yet, look at his reaction to the losses.

	L.	Job1:20 (NKJV) Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved
		his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. Job 
		1:21 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."
		Job 1:22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God
		with wrong.

		1.	He was every bit as human as you and I.He grieved
			bitterly but he "bowed down" (worshipped) before
			the Lord and accepted God's will for his life!!!! 
			a)	He acknowledged that he was "stripped" when he
				came into the world, and that he would go
				out the same way - with nothing! 
			b)	Then he acknowledged that it was the Lord that
				had allowed it all to be taken away and
				instead of being resentful, blessed Him
				anyway! 
			c)	And in all of this, Job did not sin nor charge
				God with wrong. 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	I am humbled and shamed by Job's reaction!

		1.	I have grumbled and complained over much less than
			this! 

10/12/96		"FROM RICHES TO ASHES" 		John W. Brown
				Job 2

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	In our last study of the first Chapter of Job, we saw
		heavenly beings gathered to give an account to the Lord
		- and satan was amongst them! 

		1.	satan accused Job of being God's "paid lover" and
			indicated the Lord wasn't worthy of love and
			devotion just because He is God! 
		2.	In fact, satan said that if Job's security was pulled
			from him he would fold like a piece of paper, and
			curse God to his face. 
		3.	The Lord gave satan permission to test Job, but told
			him to leave his person alone!!!
			a)	We saw four messengers, one right after the
				other come to Job and deliver tragic news:
				(1)	The Sabeans killed servants and stole
					his donkeys and oxen. 
				(2)	Then, a fire fell from heaven and burned
					his sheep and more of his servants.
				(3)	Next, the Chaldeans came and took the
					camels, and killed even more servants.
				(4)	And finally, a tornado-like wind struck
					the house where all ten of his 
					children were and killed them all! 
		4.	Pretty much all that Job had was gone.
			a)	Yet, in the final verses of Chapter one, we see
				the depth of Job's love and devotion to the
				Lord. 
				(1)	Job1:20 (NKJV) Then Job arose, tore his
					robe, and shaved his head; and he
					fell to the ground and worshiped. Job 
					1:21 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." Job 1:22 In all 
					this Job did not sin nor charge God
					with wrong. 

II. TEXT

	A.	Job2:1 (NKJV) Again there was a day when the sons of God
		came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan
		came also among them to present himself before the
		Lord. 

		1.	Please notice that they are all reporting to the Lord
			again! 
		2.	We too will someday stand before the Lord to give
			account for our stewardship while on this earth!
			a)	2Cor 5:10 (NKJV) For we must all appear before
				the judgment seat of Christ, that each one
				may receive the things [done] in the body, 
				according to what he has done, whether good
				or bad.
				(1)	The person without Christ will be judged
					for that very reason and will spend
					eternity separated from all that is
					holy and good. 
					(a)	This is called the Great White
						Throne Judgement (Rev 20:11-15)
				(2)	The Christian will be judged for the
					purpose of receiving rewards for his
					stewardship while here on the earth! 
					(a)	A very good reason I might add for
						living for Christ instead of 
						ourselves!! 
		3.	Back to the text: satan is among this heavenly
			group.He too must give account. He is a created
			being, not free to do as he wishes. 

	B.	Job2:2 (NKJV) And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do
		you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From
		going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back
		and forth on it." 

		1.	He was, he is, and he still does "go to and fro, and
			walk back and forth on the earth."
			a)	All you have to do is look at the crime rate to
				see that he is still in charge! 

	C.	Job2:3 (NKJV) 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."

		1.	The Lord tells us again that this testing is not
			because of sin in Job's life! 
			a)	In other words, satan could find no
				"justifiable" reason to condemn Job! 
			b)	And the Lord also reminds satan that even in
				the middle of the greatest trial of Job`s
				life that he was holding on to his integrity
				with the Lord! 
				(1)	But satan makes further accusation.

	D.	Job2:4 (NKJV) So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin
		for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his
		life. Job 2:5 "But stretch out Your hand now, and 
		touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse
		You to Your face!" Job 2:6 And the Lord said to Satan,
		"Behold, he [is] in your hand, but spare his life." 

		1.	What satan said in verse four is true for almost
			every man and woman alive! 
			a)	Put our own life in jepeordy, and we would
				crumble like Peter did! 
			b)	But there are a few that have found a greater
				reason for living and dying. 
			c)	Matt 10:38 (NKJV) "And he who does not take his
				cross and follow after Me is not worthy of
				Me. Matt 10:39 "He who finds his life will 
				lose it, and he who loses his life for My
				sake will find it.
				(1)	If we find our "life" in living for
					ourselves and the things of this 
					earth, we end up the losers. 
				(2)	But if we "die" to those things and find
					"life" in the things of the Lord it
					is a greater existence indeed!! 
				(3)	satan is indicating that Job has not
					found that peace and security in 
					living for the Lord alone, and the
					Lord says, "Test it and see!" 

	E.	Job2:7 (NKJV) 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. Job 2:8 And he
		took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself
		while he sat in the midst of the ashes. 

		1.	satan is doing everything he can to "break" Job! To
			"brainwash" him if you will. 
			a)	You see, Job, even now, is convinced that the
				Lord is a loving and just God and that His
				purposes are good and noble. 
			b)	But satan wants to convince him otherwise and
				sets up the circumstances to fulfill his
				plan. He attempts to wear him down little
				by little. 
				(1)	Job was first attacked in the area of
					finances, then his family, and now
					physically! 
				(2)	I think anyone living for the Lord will
					find that these are the three areas
					where we are most vulnerable! 
					(a)	If we love money more that the
						Lord, that will be tested! 
						(i)	Matt 6:24 (NKJV) "No one can
							serve two masters; for
							either he will hate the
							one and love the other, 
							or else he will be loyal
							to the one and despise the
							 other. You cannot serve
							God and mammon.  
					(b)	If we love our family more that
						the Lord, that will be tested! 
						(i)	Matt 10:37 (NKJV) "He who
							loves father or mother 
							more than Me is not worthy
							of Me. And he who loves
							son or daughter more than
							Me is not worthy of Me.
							Matt 10:38 "And he who
							does not take his cross
							and follow after Me is not
							worthy of Me. 
					(c)	And eventually, for all of us the
						final test will come physically!
						(i)	1Cor 15:24 (NKJV) Then
							[comes] the end, when He
							delivers the kingdom to
							God the Father, when He
							puts an end to all rule
							and all authority and 
							power. 1Cor 15:25 For He
							must reign till He has 
							put all enemies under His
							feet. 1Cor 15:26 The last 
							enemy [that] will be
							destroyed [is] death. 
		2.	Up to this point all of Job's trials have been
			"outward".Now, this once healthy, rich man finds
			himself in poverty and ashes. 
			a)	Covered from head to toe with boils that he can
				do nothing about except scrape for some
				relief from the itching! 
				(1)	But at least in all this loss and pain
					he has his "help meet" (his loyal and
					faithful wife) to stand beside him and
					support him, or does he? 

	F.	Job2:9 (NKJV) Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold
		fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" 

		1.	Why is it that when things are going great, we have
			lots of friends but when the "suffering" starts
			they quickly abandon ship?? 
			a)	Job had many friends before all this started
				but now he has only three and they are not
				very good friends as the text will prove. 
			b)	Whatever Job's wife's intentions were, this
				proves how little she knew her own husband
				and the Lord! 
				(1)	Look at his reply to her.

	G.	Job2:10 (NKJV) 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. 

		1.	Have you settled that question in your own hearts?
			a)	If you and I are willing to accept the good
				gifts from the Lord, are we as willing to
				accept trials and pain? 
				(1)	I think and honest answer is, "No!"
				(2)	Why? Because "good" is easy to accept as
					being from the Lord , but pain and
					suffering is normally associated with
					being out of the will of the Lord! 
					(a)	As "punishment" if you will.
					(b)	After all, isn't that what Job's
						wife is indicating? 
						(i)	"God is against you Job, you
							might as well curse Him 
							and let Him kill you!" 
						(ii)	Yet, In all this Job did
							not sin with his lips. 

	H.	Job2:11 (NKJV) Now when Job's three friends heard of all
		this adversity that had come upon him, each one came
		from his own place--Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the
		Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an
		appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to
		comfort him. Job 2:12 And when they raised their eyes
		from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their 
		voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and
		sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. Job 2:13 So
		they sat down with him on the ground seven days and
		seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they
		saw that [his] grief was very great. 

		1.	Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar came with good intentions.
			a)	They cared about their friend and wanted to
				comfort him, but they weren't prepared for
				what they saw when they arrived! 
				(1)	Job was disfigured almost beyond
					recognition. 
				(2)	They were so taken aback by his
					condition that all they could do cry
					and mourn. 
				(3)	They sat with him for seven days and
					nights without saying a word! 
					(a)	As the story progresses, you will
						see that perhaps they would
						have been better off if they had
						continued they way they
						started. 
					(b)	Because their counsel was not
						Godly! 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	I want to make it clear as we conclude Chapter two, that
		God always has a reason for what He does!

		1.	But that doesn't mean that we will always understand
			or agree with His reasoning!
			a)	Isai 55:8 (NKJV) "For My thoughts [are] not
				your thoughts, Nor [are] your ways My
				ways," says the Lord. Isai 55:9 "For [as]
				the heavens are higher than the earth, So
				are My ways higher than your ways, And My
				thoughts than your thoughts. 
			b)	For all the evidence we have in our text, Job
				was a righteous man!! 
			c)	There no indication of sin in Job's life, nor
				the need for the judgment of God to fall
				upon his life! 
				(1)	But, by the sovereign reasoning of the
					Lord, He allows Job to be tested for
					a higher reason than Job's immediate
					safety and security!! 
				(2)	But, of this you can be sure.It was for
					the good of Job and the kingdom of
					God, not for the entertainment of
					satan!!!!!!! 
		2.	There will be times in our lives when there seems to
			be no reason for the suffering!
			a)	When it "feels" like we are nothing more than a
				"heavenly lab experiment" for satan to kick
				around like an old football. 
				(1)	But,. . He Himself has said, "I will
					never leave you nor forsake you." So
					we may boldly say: "The Lord [is] my
					helper; I will not fear. What can man
					do to me?" Hebr 13:5-6 
				(2)	And we must remember that "His thoughts
					are not our thoughts, nor are our
					ways His ways. His ways are higher
					than ours and His thoughts are higher
					than our thoughts." 
				(3)	Though we may "feel" abandoned, and
					though we may "feel" like a heavenly
					lab experiment, we must remember the
					promises of the Lord. 
					(a)	And like Job, we must resign
						ourselves to the sovereignty of 
						God. Trusting that He knows
						what is best for our lives! 
						(i)	Job1:22 In all (those
							trials), learn not to sin
							nor charge God with
							wrong. 

Communion

10/19/96	"JOB'S COMPLAINT" 	John W. Brown
			Job 3

(Response to an insurance company)
I am writing in response to your request for additional information
regarding my claim. In block #3 of  the accident form, I put "trying
to do the job alone" as the cause of my accident. You said in your 
letter that I should explain more fully, and I trust that the
following details will be sufficient. I am a bricklayer by trade.
On the date of the accident I was working alone on the roof of a new
six story building. When I completed my work, I found that I had
about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carry the bricks
down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley
which fortunately was attached to the side of the building at the
6th floor. Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the
roof, swung the barrel out, and loaded the bricks into it. Then I
went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to
insure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of brick. You will note in
block #11 of the accident report that I weight 135 pounds. But to by
surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my
presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say,
I proceeded at a rather rapid rate up the side of the building. In
the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming down. This
explains the fractured skull, and broken collar bone. Slowed only
slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the
fingers of my right hand were 2 knuckles deep into the pulley.
Fortunately, by this time, I had regained my presence of mind, and 
was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of my pain. At
approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the
ground, and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight
of the bricks, the barrel then weighed approximately 50 pounds. I
refer you again to my weight in block #11. As you might imagine, I
began a rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity
of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for
the two fractured ankles, and the lacerations of my legs, and lower
body area. The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen
my injuries when I fell onto the pile of bricks, and fortunately
only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however,
that as I lay there on the bricks, in pain . . . unable to stand . .
. and watching the empty barrel six stories above me . . . I again
lost my presence of mind and let go of the rope. The empty barrel
weighed more than the rope, so it came back down on me, and broke
both my legs. I hope I have furnished the information you have
required. 

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	Job has "lost" it!

		1.	He lost it all materially.
		2.	He lost it all "family-wise."
		3.	He lost it all "health-wise."
		4.	He lost the love and support of his wife!
		5.	He has lost his own sense of worth and dignity.
		6.	He is losing his comprehension of God's justice.
		7.	And he thinks he has lost God's love!
			a)	Is it any wonder that this man who started out
				saying, ". . .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." Job 
				1:21: ends up saying, "Job 6:4 (NKJV) For
				the arrows of the Almighty [are] within me;
				My spirit drinks in their poison; The 
				terrors of God are arrayed against me. 
				(1)	In the "flesh" it is easy to understand
					how Job could feel this way. 
				(2)	Many of us have felt the same way with
					far less "loss" in our lives! 
					(a)	But, as we progress in our study,
						we will see that Job's focus 
						and vision is much too narrow! 
					(b)	And so is his understanding of the
						Lord!! 

II. TEXT

	A.	Job3:1-5 (NKJV) After this Job opened his mouth and cursed
		the day of his [birth].  2 And Job spoke, and said: 3
		"May the day perish on which I was born, And the night
		[in] [which] it was said, `A male child is conceived.' 
		4 May that day be darkness; May God above not seek it,
		Nor the light shine upon it.  5 May darkness and the
		shadow of death claim it; May a cloud settle on it; May
		the blackness of the day terrify it. 

		1.	The after this referred to here is after the 7 days
			and nights of silence between Job and his friends.
			a)	Job finally breaks the silence with his first
				speech. 
		2.	This is simply a pretty, poetic way of saying, "I
			wish I had never been born." 
			a)	Have you ever said the same thing?
				(1)	Listen as he "articulates" how sorry he
					feels for himself. 

	B.	Job3:6 (NKJV) [As] [for] that night, may darkness seize it;
		May it not rejoice among the days of the year, May it
		not come into the number of the months. Job  3:7 Oh,
		may that night be barren! May no joyful shout come into
		it! Job 3:8 May those curse it who curse the day,
		Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan. Job  3:9 May
		the stars of its morning be dark; May it look for light,
		but [have] none, And not see the dawning of the day;
		Job 3:10 Because it did not shut up the doors of my
		[mother]'s womb, Nor hide sorrow from my eyes. Job 3:11
		"Why did I not die at birth? [Why] did I [not] perish
		when I came from the womb? Job 3:12 Why did the knees
		receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse? 

		1.	Isn't it ironic? We there are times in our lives when
			can identify with what Job is saying, but the
			reality is, his complaining isn't changing
			anything!!! 
			a)	About the only thing that is being accomplished
				is the "venting" of his anger.
				(1)	He is not changing the circumstances,
					his condition, nor God's will, but he
					is determined to let his friends know
					how he feels! 
				(2)	If we are honest with ourselves, as we
					look back at the times we have
					complained the most, it did very
					little to change our circumstances. 
					(a)	In most cases, it only made more
						of a mess that we had to go
						back latter and clean up!! 
						(i)	Apologies, repentance, etc.

	C.	Job3:13 (NKJV) For now I would have lain still and been
		quiet, I would have been asleep; Then I would have been
		at rest Job 3:14 With kings and counselors of the 
		earth, Who built ruins for themselves, Job 3:15 Or with
		princes who had gold, Who filled their houses [with]
		silver; Job 3:16 Or [why] was I not hidden like a 
		stillborn child, Like infants who never saw light? 

		1.	These are Job's 2 great wishes of this chapter:
			a)	That he had not been born,
			b)	And that even though he was born he wishes that
				he had been stillborn. 
				(1)	Job, at this point in his life, sees
					death as a relief from his pain! 

	D.	Job3:17 (NKJV) There the wicked cease [from] troubling, And
		there the weary are at rest. Job 3:18 [There] the
		prisoners rest together; They do not hear the voice of
		the oppressor. Job 3:19 The small and great are there,
		And the servant [is] free from his master. Job 3:20
		"Why is light given to him who is in misery, And life
		to the bitter of soul, Job 3:21 Who long for death, but
		it does not [come], And search for it more than hidden
		treasures; Job 3:22 Who rejoice exceedingly, [And] are
		glad when they can find the grave? Job 3:23 [Why] [is]
		[light] [given] to a man whose way is hidden, And whom
		God has hedged in? Job 3:24 For my sighing comes
		before I eat, And my groanings pour out like water. 

		1.	Are you picking up that Job sees death as the "great
			equalizer?" 
			a)	In fact, he compares it to hidden treasures in
				verse 21! 
			b)	Right now, he would prefer it to life.
				(1)	Job has definitely "lost it."
					(a)	He has lost his purpose for life.
						(i)	He has lost his sense of
							God's justice. 
						(ii)	And most importantly, he
							has lost his sense of
							God's purpose in his
							life. 
						(iii)	At this point in his
							suffering, he can see
							absolutely no reason for
							living!! 

	E.	Job3:25 (NKJV) For the thing I greatly feared has come upon
		me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. Job 3:26 I
		am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for
		trouble comes." 

		1.	Job reveals a little bit of his heart to us here.
			a)	Even when he was living like a millionaire, he
				was living in fear! 
			b)	Everything around him was going great, but deep
				inside, Job's greatest fear was that he
				would lose it all!! 
		2.	Does this sound familiar?
			a)	We too can be "living large" and yet living in
				fear. 
				(1)	We can have a good job, a nice car, the
					house on the hill - with our family
					at our side and still be incomplete
					and fearful. 
				(2)	In fact, like Job, our greatest fear may
					be that the Lord will take it all
					away. 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	We have already established that Job was a Godly man . . .
		one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds
		fast to his integrity, Job 2:3 

		1.	The Lord had reassured us that Job loved Him and was
			doing all the "right" things in life!
		2.	God was blessing his life beyond his wildest dreams.
		3.	Yet, Job tells us that in the middle of all that, he
			was living in fear! 

	B.	If it can happen to Job it can happen to any of us.

		1.	So, how does a Christian learn to learn to live
			his/her life to the fullest enjoying the things
			the Lord had provided without fear? 
			a)	There are a few things God's Word points out
				that we quickly forget and need to remind
				ourselves of throughout life: 
				(1)	Exod 34:14 (NKJV) `(for you shall
					worship no other god, for the Lord,
					whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a
					jealous God),  
					(a)	He will not tolerate any of His
						children loving anyone nor 
						anything more that Him! 
					(b)	Yet, He knows that many people and
						things will seek to take this
						place in our lives. 
					(c)	As His children, if we feel or see
						anyone or anything doing this,
						we must run from it! 
						(i)	So, one of the ways for us
							to avoid what Job is
							feeling in this Chapter
							is love the Lord, not the
							things provided by Him!! 
				(2)	1Chr 29:15 (NKJV) For we [are] aliens
					and pilgrims before You, As [were]
					all our fathers; Our days on earth
					[are] as a shadow, And without hope. 
					(a)	If we remember that we are aliens
						and pilgrims, just "passing
						through" it will help us not to
						allow other things to replace
						the Lord in our lives! 
						(i)	Step 2 in avoiding Job's
							despair is to live with
							our focus on heaven and
							eternity, not the here and
							now.  
				(3)	1Joh 2:15 (NKJV) Do not love the world
					or the things in the world. If anyone
					loves the world, the love of the
					Father is not in him. 1Joh 2:16 For
					all that [is] in the world--the lust
					of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
					and the pride of life--is not of the 
					Father but is of the world. 1Joh 2:17
					And the world is passing away, and
					the lust of it; but he who does the
					will of God abides forever.  
					(a)	If we place our trust and love in
						things that are passing away,
						that act buy its very nature,
						will cause insecurity and fear. 
					(b)	The only security blanket we were
						ever meant to have is the Lord
						Himself! 
						(i)	Step 3 - Make it your life's
							purpose to love the Lord, 
							not to accumulate things!! 
						(ii)	Most people, even
							Christians, spend more
							time working and
							entertaining themselves
							than they do learning
							about Whom they will spend
							eternity with!!!!!! 
					(c)	And that bring me to the 4th and
						final step in avoiding Job's 
						feeling of self-pity and
						despair: 
						(i)	If we really know Him, then
							we can trust Him! 							Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny
village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he 
owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king
coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never
been seen before -- such was its splendor, its
majesty, its strength. 

People offered fabulous
prices for the steed, but the old man always
refused. "This horse is not a horse to me," he
would tell them. "It is a person How could you sell
a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How
could you sell a friend?" The man was poor and the
temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.

One morning he found that the horse was not in the
stable. All the village came to see him. "You old 
fool," they scoffed, "we told you that someone
would steal your horse. We warned you that you would 
be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever
hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would 
have been better to have sold him. You could have
gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would
have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and
you've been cursed with misfortune." 

The old man responded, "Don't speak too quickly. Say only that
the horse is not in the stable. That is all we
know; the rest is judgment. If I've been
cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?"

The people contested, "Don't make us out to be
fools! We may not be philosophers, but great 
philosophy is not needed. The simple fact is that
your horse is gone is a curse." 

The old man spoke again. "All I know is that 
the stable is empty, and
the horse is gone. The rest I don't know.
Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can't say. All
we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will
come next?" 

The people of the village laughed. They
thought that the man was crazy. They had always
thought he was a fool; if he wasn't, he would have
sold the horse and lived off the money. But
instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man
still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the
forest and selling it. he lived hand to mouth in the
misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was,
indeed, a fool. 

After fifteen days, the horse
returned. He hadn't been stolen; he had run away
into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had
brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once
again the village people gathered around the
woodcutter and spoke. "Old man, you were right and we
were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a
blessing. Please forgive us." 

The man responded,
"Once again, you go too far. Say only that the
horse is back. State only that a dozen horses
returned with him, but don't judge. How do you
know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a
fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can
you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can
you judge the whole book? You read only one word of
a phrase. Can you understand the entire
phrase? 

"Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life
with one page or one word. All you have is a
fragment! Don't say that this is a blessing. No one
knows. I am content with what I know. I am not
perturbed by what I don't." 

"Maybe the old man is right," 
they said to one another. So they said
little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong.
They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild
horses had returned with one horse. With a little
bit of work, the animals could be broken and
trained and sold for much money. 

The old man had a son, an only son. 
The young man began to break
the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from
one of the horses and broke both legs. Once
again the villagers gathered around the old
man and cast their judgments. 

"You were right," they said. 
"You proved you were right. The
dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a
curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now
in your old age you have no one to help you. Now
you are poorer than ever." 

The old man spoke again.
"You people are obsessed with judging. Don't go so
far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows
if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We
only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments."

It so happened that a few weeks later the country
engaged in war against a neighboring country. All 
the young men of the village were required to
join the army. Only the son of the old man was 
excluded, because he was injured. Once again the
people gathered around the old man, crying and 
screaming because their sons had been taken. There
was little chance that they would return. The 
enemy was strong, and the war would be a losing
struggle. They would never see their sons again. 

"You were right, old man," they wept. "God knows you were
right. This proves it. Your son's accident was a
blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is
with you. Our sons are gone forever." 

The old man spoke again. "It is impossible to talk with
you. You always draw conclusions. No one 
knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and
mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a
curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God
knows." 

In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado Word
Publishing, 1991 Page 144-147

11/24/96	"ELIPHAZ - RELYING ON EXPERIENCE"	John W. Brown
			Job 4-5

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	Last week, in Chapter 3, Job was at the height of his deep,
		dark, depression! 

		1.	In fact, he stated over and over again that he wished
			that he had never been  born, and even though he
			had, he wished he had been stillborn. 
			a)	But, I would like to point out, that even in
				the middle of what are the darkest hours of
				Job's life, he never mentions suicide! 
		2.	We discovered in our study, that Job was fearful even
			when he was living in luxury!
			a)	We concluded with 4 things from God's word that
				can keep us from living in the same fear
				that Job had: 
				(1)	Exod 34:14 (NKJV) `(for you shall
					worship no other god, for the Lord,
					whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a
					jealous God),  
					(a)	In other words, love the Lord and
						not the "things" provided by
						Him. 
				(2)	1Chr 29:15 (NKJV) For we [are] aliens
					and pilgrims before You, As [were]
					all our fathers; Our days on earth
					[are] as a shadow,  
					(a)	We need to have an "eternal"
						perspective instead of living 
						for the "here and now." 
				(3)	1Joh 2:15 (NKJV) Do not love the world
					or the things in the world. If anyone
					loves the world, the love of the
					Father is not in him. 1Joh 2:16 For
					all that [is] in the world--the lust
					of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
					and the pride of life--is not of the 
					Father but is of the world. 1Joh 2:17
					And the world is passing away, and
					the lust of it; but he who does the
					will of God abides forever. 
					(a)	We need to make it our life's
						purpose to love the Lord and 
						serve Him, not to accumulate
						things! 
				(4)	And finally, #4, learn to love Him with
					whom you will spend eternity! 
					(a)	If we really know Him, then we can
						trust Him even during the hard
						times! 

	B.	Now we turn our attention to Chapters 4 and 5.

		1.	Eliphaz is the first of Job's friends to respond to
			Job. 
		2.	Verse 27 of Job Chapter 5 gives an indication that
			these friends had discussed what they would say
			to Job and most likely appointed "Eliphaz = the
			`seer'" as their spokesman. (You'll understand
			why I use the term "seer" as go on.) 
			a)	Job5:27 (NKJV) Behold, this we have searched
				out; It [is] true. Hear it, and know for
				yourself." 
			b)	It is important however to point out that there
				is no indication that they prayed about
				what they would say to Job!! 

II. TEXT

	A.	Job4:1 (NKJV) Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
		Job4:2 "[If] one attempts a word with you, will you
		become weary? But who can withhold himself from
		speaking? 

		1.	In other words he asks Job if it will upset him to
			talk to him, then says that he is going to talk
			to him anyway! 

	B.	Job4:3 (NKJV) Surely you have instructed many, And you have
		strengthened weak hands. Job 4:4 Your words have
		upheld him who was stumbling, And you have strengthened
		the feeble knees; Job 4:5 But now it comes upon you,
		and you are weary; It touches you, and you are
		troubled. Job 4:6 [Is] not your reverence your
		confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope? 

		1.	Eliphaz reminds Job that when he lived in luxury, he
			was very good a giving counsel, but now he can't
			even apply what he use to dish out! 
			a)	This is not an uncommon thing!
			b)	It seems to be a human trait to "psychoanalyze"
				everyone else, but neglect seeing our own
				inadequacies. 
				(1)	That reminds me of the cartoon of 2
					psychiatrists that met on the street
					and one says to the other, "You are
					fine, how am I." 
					(a)	Why is it so much easier to see
						the short-coming of others and
						hard to see it in ourselves? 
					(b)	As we are going to see in the next
						few verses, Eliphaz is say, "I
						am fine, but you're not!" 

	C.	Job4:7-11 (NKJV) "Remember now, who [ever] perished being
		innocent? Or where were the upright [ever] cut off? 
		Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow
		trouble reap the same.  By the blast of God they
		perish, And by the breath of His anger they are
		consumed.  The roaring of the lion, The voice of the
		fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are
		broken.  The old lion perishes for lack of prey, And
		the cubs of the lioness are scattered. 

		1.	Do you catch the implication and sense of superiority?
			a)	You can almost see the pious grin on Eliphaz'
				face and hear the "message" behind the
				message. 
				(1)	"Come on Job, what secret sin are you
					not telling us about?You know that
					God would not the innocent suffer!" 
		2.	Now we know that was not the case with Job because
			the Lord has already told satan that Job was a
			"righteous man." 
			a)	But this same lie is being perpetuated today
				with the "health and wealth" teaching.
				(1)	The proponents of this teaching are
					telling God's children the same thing
					Eliphaz told Job: 
					(a)	"It is not God's will for you to
						be sick!" 
					(b)	"It is not God's will for you to
						be poor!" 
					(c)	"If either of these things are in
						your life it must be a result of
						 sin!" 
		3.	Eliphaz goes on to tell us how he came to this
			marvelous conclusion! 

	D.	Job4:12-16 (NKJV) "Now a word was secretly brought to me,
		And my ear received a whisper of it. 13 In disquieting
		thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep
		falls on men,  14 Fear came upon me, and trembling,
		Which made all my bones shake.  15 Then a spirit
		passed before my face; The hair on my body stood up. 
		16 It stood still, But I could not discern its
		appearance. A form [was] before my eyes; [There] [was]
		silence; Then I heard a voice [saying]: 

		1.	Not all "spirits that go bump in the night" are from
			the Lord!! 
			a)	Later on in the book, the Lord rebukes all the
				counsel of Job's friends. 
			b)	Therefore, based upon the Lord's rejection of
				their counsel, we know that this was not
				the Holy Spirit or any messenger of the
				Lord!!!!! 
				(1)	That only leaves one option - this was
					an evil spirit sent by satan for the
					very purpose of discouraging Job even
					further. 
				(2)	It was all part of his plan to fulfill
					what he had said to the Lord and get
					Job to curse God! 
		2.	The proponents of the "health and wealth" teaching
			also claim to have divine authority for their
			same lie. 
			a)	I would also like you to notice that this was
				indeed a real "spiritual" experience.
				(1)	It had all the spiritual mystery, and it
					even made Eliphaz' "bones shake", and
					his "hair stand on end". 
				(2)	But please also notice that this spirit
					came in the dark of night and never
					let Eliphaz see him clearly!! 
					(a)	And the "advise" he gives is even
						more clouded than his 
						appearance. 

	E.	Job4:17-21 (NKJV) `Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
		Can a man be more pure than his Maker? 18 If He puts
		no trust in His servants, [If] He charges His angels
		with error, 19 How much more those who dwell in houses
		of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, [Who] are
		crushed before a moth? 20 They are broken in pieces
		from morning till evening; They perish forever, with no
		one regarding. 21 Does not their own excellence go
		away? They die, even without wisdom.' 

		1.	As when satan came quoting God's word to Jesus, these
			word are true! 
			a)	But the message they send is false because of
				the omission of God's grace and love!
			b)	With the reference to angels in verse 18, you
				get the impression that is more like how
				satan feels about God and man than the Lord! 
				(1)	[If] He charges His angels with error,19
					How much more those who dwell in
					houses of clay, Whose foundation is in
					the dust 
				(2)	"If He would kick me and my crew out of
					heaven for a small `error', why
					should he care about you human
					`dust-balls'? 
					(a)	Notice that this evil spirit
						doesn't even acknowledge their 
						rebellion in heaven for what it
						was = SIN! 
						(i)	He calls it an "error"
						(ii)	"And for a simple "error"
							God kick His angels out of
							 heaven why should He show
							you any mercy?" 
			c)	If this was a message from the Lord it would
				contain hope, and it contains none.

	F.	Job5:1-3 (NKJV) "Call out now; Is there anyone who will
		answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you
		turn?  2 For wrath kills a foolish man, And envy slays
		a simple one.  3 I have seen the foolish taking root,
		But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place. 

		1.	More truth mixed with lies.
			a)	Wrath and envy does kill, but again Eliphaz
				kills Job's hope with the lie that there is
				no one to hear and answer him when he call
				out for help! 
			b)	Eliphaz is classifying Job among the "foolish"
				because he believes that he has sinned
				against God secretly. 

	G.	Job5:4-7His sons are far from safety, They are crushed in
		the gate, And [there] [is] no deliverer.  5 Because
		the hungry eat up his harvest, Taking it even from the
		thorns, And a snare snatches their substance.  6 For
		affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does
		trouble spring from the ground;  7 Yet man is born to 
		trouble, As the sparks fly upward. 

		1.	There is surely truth to this.
			a)	Mankind, even God's kids, are not immune to
				human suffering. 
				(1)	The Hebrew word for "man" means "the
					miserable." 
				(2)	And our English word "sympathy" means
					"to suffer together." 
					(a)	That was not God's hope for us,
						but it is part of the curse 
						from the fall! 
					(b)	But because our Lord is so
						wonderful, knowing that mankind 
						would suffer, he uses it for
						good in the life of those who 
						follow Him. 
						(i)	Jame 1:2 (NKJV) My brethren,
							count it all joy when you
							fall into various trials,
							Jame 1:3 knowing that the
							testing of your faith
							produces patience.  
			b)	the sparks fly upward because of the principle
				of thermodynamics. 
				(1)	It is a law of nature, not an accident!
				(2)	The plight of mankind is likewise not an
					accident. 
					(a)	It was chosen at the Garden!

	H.	Job5:8-16"But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I
		would commit my cause--  9 Who does great things, and
		unsearchable, Marvelous things without number.  10 He
		gives rain on the earth, And sends waters on the fields.
		 11 He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who
		mourn are lifted to safety.  12 He frustrates the
		devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry
		out their plans.  13 He catches the wise in their own
		craftiness, And the counsel of the cunning comes
		quickly upon them.  14 They meet with darkness in the
		daytime, And grope at noontime as in the night.  15
		But He saves the needy from the sword, From the mouth
		of the mighty, And from their hand.  16 So the poor
		have hope, And injustice shuts her mouth. 

		1.	Eliphaz is a `self-righteous fool."
			a)	He has told Job that there is no one who will
				hear him (Job) if he cries out "But as for
				him, he would seek God, And to God he would
				commit his cause- 
				(1)	And of course God would hear him because
					he was not a sinner! 

	I.	Job5:17 (NKJV) "Behold, happy [is] the man whom God
		corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of
		the Almighty. 

		1.	This is also true but Eliphaz is "whipping" Job with
			it, not encouraging him with it! 

	J.	Job5:18-26 (NKJV) For He bruises, but He binds up; He
		wounds, but His hands make whole.  19 He shall deliver
		you in six troubles, Yes, in seven no evil shall touch
		you.  20 In famine He shall redeem you from death, And
		in war from the power of the sword.  21 You shall be
		hidden from the scourge of the tongue, And you shall
		not be afraid of destruction when it comes.  22 You
		shall laugh at destruction and famine, And you shall
		not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.  23 For you
		shall have a covenant with the stones of the field, And
		the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. 
		24 You shall know that your tent [is] in peace; You
		shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.  25
		You shall also know that your descendants [shall] [be]
		many, And your offspring like the grass of the earth. 
		26 You shall come to the grave at a full age, As a sheaf
		of grain ripens in its season. 


		1.	In these verses, Eliphaz gives us situations in which
			the Lord will redeem His children, and once again
			it is a mixture of truth and lies. 
			a)	Verse 18 gives a beautiful picture of caring
				Father that although suffering is part of
				His plan, he is there right beside us! 
			b)	But, Christians do die from famine, and war,
				and wild beasts and people's tongues!
			c)	And then almost as if to taunt Job, Eliphaz
				"prophesizes" a prosperous future for Job
				and death at an old age! 
				(1)	But of course this is predicated upon
					Job admitting that he has secretly
					sinned against the Lord and asking for
					His forgiveness. 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	We must be careful of psychoanalyzing everyone, but not
		looking into our own hearts! 

	B.	We must all be careful that the counsel we give is Godly!

		1.	Sin is not always the reason for the suffering!

	C.	Not all "spirits" are holy!

		1.	2Cor 11:13 (NKJV) For such [are] false apostles,
			deceitful workers, transforming themselves into
			apostles of Christ. 2Cor 11:14 And no wonder! For
			Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of
			light. 2Cor 11:15 Therefore [it] [is] no great
			thing if his ministers also transform themselves
			into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be
			according to their works. 
		2.	That is why God's children must walk by faith in what
			they know to be true and not in their "feelings."

	D.	And lastly, just because something is "true" doesn't mean
		it is Godly or righteous! 

		1.	satan love to quote the truth, but if we "kill the
			patient" that is not God's way! 
		2.	Christians can rip each other to shreds with the
			"truth".

12/01/96	"JOB'S ANSWER TO ELIPHAZ"	John W. Brown
			Job 6 & 7

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	Last week we took a look at Eliphaz' speech to Job.

		1.	Eliphaz based the authority for what he said to Job
			upon the visitation of an  angel.
		2.	But, we also concluded that since later in the book,
			the Lord rebukes the counsel given by Job's
			friends that this was not a Holy visitation. 
			a)	And like the one whom sent him, this fallen
				angel counseled Job with a mixture of truth
				and lies. 
			b)	His main point was that Job must be hiding some
				deep dark sin or he wouldn't be going
				through this pain. 
				(1)	Because after all, Eliphaz concludes,
					"the Lord doesn't allow the righteous
					to suffer!" 
				(2)	However, we have the Lord's word that
					Job is a righteous man that loved the
					Lord and hatred evil. 
					(a)	We shouldn't in any way take this
						to mean that Job was not a
						sinner like the rest of us! 
					(b)	What it does mean is that although
						a sinner like all men, Job 
						loved the Lord enough to provide
						the necessary sacrifices to 
						atone for his sins. 
						(i)	He took care of his sins the
							way the Lord prescribed, 
							and stayed close to Him! 
						(ii)	Yet, his "friend" Eliphaz
							has accused him of being a
							 deceitful sinner,
							deserving of what he is
							going through.
The following story appeared in the newsletter OUR
AMERICA; "Dodie Gadient, a schoolteacher for thirteen
years, decided to travel across America and see the
sights she had taught about. Traveling alone in
a truck with camper in tow, she launched out. One
afternoon rounding a curve on I-5 near
Sacramento in rush-hour traffic, a water pump blew
on her truck. She was tired, exasperated,
scared, and alone. In spite of the traffic jam
she caused, no one seemed interested in helping.
"Leaning up against the Trailer, she prayed,
'Please God, send me an  angel . . . preferably one
with mechanical experience.' Within four
minutes, a huge Harley drove up, ridden by an
enormous man sporting long, black hair, a beard
and tattooed arms. With an incredible air of
confidence, he jumped off and, without even glancing
at Dodie, went to work on the truck. Within another 
few minutes, he flagged down a larger truck,
attached a tow chain to the frame of the disabled
Chevy, and whisked the whole 56-foot rig off the
freeway onto a side street, where he calmly
continued to work on the water pump. "The
intimidated schoolteacher was too dumbfounded to
talk. Especially when she read the paralyzing words
on the back of his leather jacket: 'Hell's Angels --
California'. As he finished the task, she
finally got up the courage to say, 'Thanks so much,' 
and carry on a brief conversation. Noticing her
surprise at the whole ordeal, he looked her
straight in the eye and mumbled, 'Don't judge a
book by its cover. You may not know who you're
talking to.' With that, he smiled, closed the hood
of the truck, and straddled his Harley. With
a wave, he was gone as fast as he had appeared." 

	B.	This morning we will be studying Job's response to Eliphaz'
		accusations in Chapters 6 and 7.
		

II. TEXT

	A.	Job6:1 (NKJV) Then Job answered and said: Job6:2 "Oh, that
		my grief were fully weighed, And my calamity laid with
		it on the scales! Job 6:3 For then it would be heavier
		than the sand of the sea--Therefore my words have been
		rash. Job 6:4 For the arrows of the Almighty [are]
		within me; My spirit drinks in their poison; The
		terrors of God are arrayed against me. 

		1.	Job is saying, "You have come to a quick conclusion,
			but you haven't considered the weight and measure
			of my pain." 
			a)	"What I am going through is almost more than
				any human can bear, but instead of having
				any kind of pity or compassion upon me, you
				just judge me for my rash words!" 

	B.	Job6:5 (NKJV) Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass,
		Or does the ox low over its fodder? Job 6:6 Can
		flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or is there 
		[any] taste in the white of an egg? Job 6:7 My soul
		refuses to touch them; They [are] as loathsome food to
		me. 

		1.	I believe it was Shakespeare that said, "If you prick
			me do I not bleed?" 
			a)	"Can't you at least understand that this pain
				has made me a little irrational!"
				(1)	"This attitude I have is not without
					cause, look at my life!" 
			b)	And he illustrates that point by saying if the
				donkey or the oxen are eating, there is no
				need for them to cry out for food! 
				(1)	They only do that when they are hungry.
				(2)	And it seems like even the mention of
					food make Job sick. 

	C.	Job6:8 (NKJV) "Oh, that I might have my request, That God
		would grant [me] the thing that I long for! Job 6:9
		That it would please God to crush me, That He would
		loose His hand and cut me off! Job 6:10 Then I would
		still have comfort; Though in anguish, I would exult,
		He will not spare; For I have not concealed the words
		of the Holy One. 

		1.	Again, Job's death wish.


	D.	Job6:11 (NKJV) "What strength do I have, that I should
		hope? And what [is] my end, that I should prolong my
		life? Job 6:12 [Is] my strength the strength of 
		stones? Or is my flesh bronze? Job 6:13 [Is] my help
		not within me? And is success driven from me?. 


		1.	"I am tired and weary and have nothing to live for."
		2.	"I am not made of stone or bronze, I am only a human
			being, and I can't take it any more."


	E.	Job6:14 "To him who is afflicted, kindness [should] [be]
		[shown] by his friend, Even though he forsakes the fear
		of the Almighty. 

		1.	"Eliphaz, as my friend you should have pity and
			compassion upon me, even if I have lost sight of
			the Lord in all of this, but you don't!" 
			a)	How many times a Christians do we judge instead
				of pointing a hurting person back to the
				Lord? 

	F.	Job6:15 (NKJV) My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a
		brook, Like the streams of the brooks that pass away,
		Job 6:16 Which are dark because of the ice, [And] into
		which the snow vanishes. Job 6:17 When it is warm, they
		cease to flow; When it is hot, they vanish from their
		place. Job 6:18 The paths of their way turn aside,
		They go nowhere and perish. Job 6:19 The caravans of
		Tema look, The travelers of Sheba hope for them. Job 
		6:20 They are disappointed because they were confident;
		They come there and are confused. 

		1.	"As my `brothers' I expected you guys to be
			`refreshing' to my tormented soul!" 
		2.	"But, you guys are like water that is frozen in the
			winter and dries up in the summer heat."
			a)	"Thirsting Caravans come looking for a drink
				but there is no water with which to refresh
				themselves." 
			b)	Job6:20 They are disappointed because they were
				confident; They come there and are
				confused. 

	G.	Job6:21 (NKJV) For now you are nothing, You see terror and
		are afraid. Job 6:22 Did I ever say, `Bring [something]
		to me'? Or, `Offer a bribe for me from your wealth'?
		Job 6:23 Or, `Deliver me from the enemy's hand'? Or,
		`Redeem me from the hand of oppressors'? 

		1.	"Right now you guy are like those streams and brooks,
			you are worthless to me." 
		2.	"I have never asked anything from any of you, but
			right now I need your wisdom and compassion."

	H.	Job6:24 (NKJV) "Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause
		me to understand wherein I have erred. Job 6:25 How
		forceful are right words! But what does your arguing
		prove? Job 6:26 Do you intend to rebuke [my] words, And
		the speeches of a desperate one, [which] [are] as wind?
		Job 6:27 Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless, And you
		undermine your friend. Job 6:28 Now therefore, be
		pleased to look at me; For I would never lie to your
		face. Job 6:29 Yield now, let there be no injustice!
		Yes, concede, my righteousness still stands! Job 6:30
		Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste
		discern the unsavory? 

		1.	In other words, "Give me something helpful that I can
			use.""I am willing to listen to Godly counsel."
			a)	"All you do is rebuke me for my desperate words
				and cut me down.Is that friendship?"
			b)	Then he says, "Look at me!'"I wouldn't lie to
				you." "I am not concealing anything from
				you or the Lord." 
			c)	"MY RIGHTEOUSNESS STILL STANDS!"
				(1)	And then he reminds them, that he is
					sick not stupid!He has enough
					intelligence to determine injustice
					and the "unsavory" attitude of his
					friends. 

	I.	Job7:1 (NKJV) "[Is] [there] not a time of hard service for
		man on earth? [Are] [not] his days also like the days
		of a hired man? Job 7:2 Like a servant who earnestly
		desires the shade, And like a hired man who eagerly
		looks for his wages, Job 7:3 So I have been allotted
		months of futility, And wearisome nights have been
		appointed to me. Job 7:4 When I lie down, I say, `When
		shall I arise, And the night be ended?' For I have had
		my fill of tossing till dawn. Job 7:5 My flesh is
		caked with worms and dust, My skin is cracked and breaks
		out afresh. 

		1.	Job says, "Guys, you are not taking into account that
			man's futility is part of the curse."
		2.	"Let me describe mine to you."
			a)	"I toss and turn all night wishing that it
				would end, because my flesh is caked with
				worms and dirt scabs. As I toss and turn
				the skin cracks and breaks open all over
				again and the cycle just keeps repeating
				itself!" 

	J.	Job7:6 (NKJV) "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle,
		And are spent without hope. Job 7:7 Oh, remember that
		my life [is] a breath! My eye will never again see
		good. Job 7:8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no
		[more]; [While] your [eyes] are upon me, I shall no
		longer [be]. Job 7:9 [As] the cloud disappears and
		vanishes away, So he who goes down to the grave does not
		 come up. Job 7:10 He shall never return to his house,
		Nor shall his place know him anymore. 

		1.	Job's days are swift only in relationship to his
			nights!He is miserable all the time, but the
			nights are worse! 
			a)	His life is passing right before his eyes and
				he has lost all hope of anything better
				than the grave. 

	K.	Job7:11 (NKJV) "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I
		will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain
		in the bitterness of my soul. Job 7:12 [Am] I a sea,
		or a sea serpent, That You set a guard over me? Job 
		7:13 When I say, `My bed will comfort me, My couch will
		ease my complaint,' Job 7:14 Then You scare me with
		dreams And terrify me with visions, Job 7:15 So that my
		soul chooses strangling [And] death rather than my
		body. Job 7:16 I loathe [my] [life]; I would not live
		forever. Let me alone, For my days [are] [but] a breath. 

		1.	"The way I look at it guys,is that I have nothing to
			lose, so I will not restrain my mouth; I will
			speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain
			in the bitterness of my soul and there ain't
			nothing you can do about it!" 
		2.	It is difficult to determine in the next few verses
			if Job is talking to his friends or directly to
			the Lord. 
			a)	Perhaps it is a mixture of both!
		3.	If it is the Lord, then evidently Job ran enough of a
			fever at times to be delirious and have
			hallucinations that terrified him! 
		4.	If it was his friends, this is probably the meaning:
			a)	"When I tell you that my death-bed will
				actually be a comfort to me, you try to
				scare me with the message you say came from
				this "night visitor" you had."
			b)	The result is, that instead of giving me hope
				to live, you make it easier to want to die."

	L.	Job7:17 (NKJV) "What [is] man, that You should exalt him,
		[That] You should set Your heart on him, Job 7:18 That
		You should visit him every morning, [And] test him
		every moment? Job 7:19 How long? Will You not look away
		from me, And let me alone till I swallow my saliva? Job
		 7:20 Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher
		of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am
		a burden to myself? Job 7:21 Why then do You not
		pardon my transgression, And take away my iniquity? For
		now I will lie down in the dust, And You will seek me 
		diligently, But I [will] no longer [be]." 

		1.	I believe these verses are turned towards the Lord!
			a)	Job senses that he is being tried because he
				knows that the Lord's eyes are upon him
				every second of the day. He just doesn't
				understand why! 
			b)	He even asks the Lord, "Why have You set me as
				Your target, So that I am a burden to
				myself? 
			c)	Job doesn't deny that he is a sinner "in
				general" and asks, "Why then do You not
				pardon my transgression, And take away my
				iniquity? 
				(1)	The idea is this, "If it is for
					something I have done wrong Lord, I 
					have asked you forgiveness, why won't
					you forgive me?" 
				(2)	"Because if I die, how can I repent?How
					will I know what I have done wrong? I
					will simply be dead." 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	Job is saying things that are making his friends very
		uncomfortable. 

	B.	Because, you see, if the Lord allows testing simply because
		of His divine sovereignty, then they could be next!

		1.	Likewise, when Christians see a brother or sister's
			humanity it scares them! 
		2.	It reminds them that they too are but dust.
			a)	But often, the response is judgment instead of
				compassion. 
			b)	And I think the reason for that in part, is
				this: 
				(1)	If we can convince ourselves that the
					reason for the situation is the other
					persons "fault" = (sin), then it
					exonerates us! 
				(2)	And that makes us feel a little lest
					vulnerable. 
				(3)	But like Eliphaz, most often our
					judgment is wrong!! 
At a pastor's conference in Spokane, Chuck Swindoll told of being at a
California Christian camp. The first day there a man approached him and
said how greatly he had looked forward to hearing Dr. Swindoll speak and his
delight at now finally being able to realize that desire. That evening
Swindoll noticed the man sitting near the front. But only a few minutes into
the message the man was sound asleep. Swindoll thought to himself that
perhaps he was tired after a long day's drive and couldn't help
himself. But the same thing happened the next few nights, and Dr. Swindoll
found his exasperation with the man growing. On the last night the man's
wife came up and apologized for her husband's inattention to the messages.
She then explained that he had recently been diagnosed as having
terminal cancer and the medication he was taking to ease the pain made him
extremely sleepy. But it had been one of his life-long ambitions to hear Dr.
Swindoll speak before he died, and now he had fulfilled that goal. 

12/08/96		"BILDAD'S LECTURE"	John W. Brown
				Job 8

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	Last week in Job's reply to Eliphaz - we saw a small
		glimpse of the Job's physical  condition:

		1.	The worms, the sores that would break open in the
			sleepless nights, and the days that were almost
			as miserable. 
		2.	And in short, Job told Eliphaz that he should at the
			very least, have compassion upon him.
		3.	Job also told Eliphaz that his pain had caused him to
			say things and act in ways that made him question
			what the Lord was doing in his life. 
			a)	But, hr also told Eliphaz that as friends, they
				were no help to him at all! 
			b)	Instead of encouraging him in the Lord, they
				discouraged him by false accusations of
				secret sin. 
				(1)	Instead of giving him a reason to live,
					they caused him deeper depression.
				(2)	Hearing Job's response, to Eliphaz -
					Bildad, one of the other "friends"
					decides Job's need "straightening
					out". 
					(a)	And of course, he's just the "wise
						counselor" to do it! 
					(b)	Chapter 8 is Bildad's first
						"lecture" to Job! 

	B.	To help us better understand the speech we need to
		understand Bildad a little more. 

		1.	Bildad is one of those guys in life that we have all
			encountered. 
		2.	He is the guy that anytime anyone wants to change
			things says, "That's not the way we do things
			around here!" "We have always done them this way
			and they've" always worked so were not going to
			change them!" 
			a)	He is a "traditionalist"!
			b)	He is also a bit of an evolutionist!
				(1)	In the sense that the evolutionist picks
					up a rock, tries by human logic to
					place a date upon the rock. 
				(2)	After he dates the rock, he then
					fabricates a story about the past and
					calls it "history" and "fact". 
				(3)	Then he begins to predict the future,
					based upon his own interpretation of
					the past - which can't scientifically
					be validated in the first place!! 
					(a)	Therefore, if his premise is
						wrong, so will be all the 
						"speculation." 
		3.	Bildad "picks up a lot of rocks" in this Chapter and
			basis his advice to Job on what he "thinks he
			knows." 

II. TEXT

	A.	Job8:1-2 (NKJV) Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
		2 "How long will you speak these [things], And the
		words of your mouth [be] [like] a strong wind? 

		1.	Bildad is even a little less tactful than Eliphaz
		2.	In effect, he is calling Job a "windbag", and asks
			him how long they have to listen to his hot air!

	B.	Job8:3 (NKJV) Does God subvert judgment? Or does the
		Almighty pervert justice? 

		1.	"Job, God can't be wrong so you must be!"
		2.	"You must be getting exactly what you deserve, and we
			all know why." 

	C.	Job8:4 (NKJV) If your sons have sinned against Him, He has
		cast them away for their transgression. 

		1.	If you will remember, early in Job scripture told us
			that Job's children partied a lot and that Job
			would offer sacrifices for them in case they had
			done or said something that they shouldn't have
			during the course of the evening. 
			a)	BUT, it did not say directly that they had
				offended the Lord or that they were being
				judged when they were taken home to be with
				the Lord! 
		2.	However, Bildad suggest that they were killed for
			sinning against the Lord. 
			a)	This had to be a tremendous source of
				encouragement for a man on the verge of
				mental and physical collapse. 
				(1)	If you are a parent, don't you think
					that Job has probably "mulled" this
					over in his mind a million times!! 
				(2)	Or at least blamed himself for not being
					a better father! 

	D.	Job8:5-7 (NKJV) If you would earnestly seek God And make
		your supplication to the Almighty, 6 If you [were] pure
		and upright, Surely now He would awake for you, And
		prosper your rightful dwelling place. 7 Though your
		beginning was small, Yet your latter end would increase
		abundantly. 

		1.	"Job if you were really pure and upright like you say
			that you are, you could simply ask the Lord and
			He would restore your health and wealth!" 
			a)	Therefore, there must be some "hidden" sin in
				your life that is preventing Him from doing
				this. 

	E.	Job8:8 (NKJV) "For inquire, please, of the former age, And
		consider the things discovered by their fathers; 

		1.	You can almost see Bildad as he takes out his
			glasses, puts on his collegiate look begins to
			try and impress with his wisdom of the ages. 
		2.	He start by saying, "Job, lets take a look at
			history." 
		3.	"Our forefathers have figured out that things have
			always worked in certain ways. Let me explain a
			few of those to you." 

	F.	Job8:9-10 (NKJV) For we [were] [born] yesterday, and know
		nothing, Because our days on earth [are] a shadow. 10
		Will they not teach you and tell you, And utter words
		from their heart? 

		1.	It's too bad that Bildad doesn't believe his own
			words. 
			a)	When he says, "For we [were] [born] yesterday,
				and know nothing", he really doesn't
				believe that HE knows nothing, only that Job
				knows nothing! 
		2.	Here is where Bildad kicks in the history lesson by
			saying, "Job, lets pick up a few rocks and look
			at then all this will make sense to you." 

	G.	Job8:11-13 (NKJV) "Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
		Can the reeds flourish without water? 12 While it [is]
		yet green [and] not cut down, It withers before any
		[other] plant. 13 So [are] the paths of all who forget
		God; And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish, 

		1.	"Job, you know that plants can't grow without
			water.They wither and die." 
		2.	"And by the way, Job, the hypocrite who forgets the
			Lord is the same way.His life will wither and die
			also. Sound like anyone you know Job!?!?!?" 
			a)	Once again he is accusing Job of lying and
				putting up a front to cover his sin.
			b)	I don't know about you, but so far, I'm not too
				impressed with Bildad's "scientific"
				mind?!?!? 

	H.	Job8:14-18 (NKJV) Whose confidence shall be cut off, And
		whose trust [is] a spider's web. 15 He leans on his
		house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it
		does not endure. 16 He grows green in the sun, And his
		branches spread out in his garden. 17 His roots wrap
		around the rock heap, [And] look for a place in the
		stones. 18 If he is destroyed from his place, Then [it]
		will deny him, [saying], `I have not seen you.' 

		1.	"The hypocrite looses his confidence, because the
			Lord is not there to `support' him. There is
			nothing to lean on." 

	I.	Job8:20 (NKJV) Behold, God will not cast away the
		blameless, Nor will He uphold the evildoers. Job 8:21
		He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, And your 
		lips with rejoicing. 

		1.	This is not exactly true!  God died for the
			"evildoers."And 2Pet 3:9tells us that The Lord is
			. . . not willing that any should perish but that
			all should come to repentance. 
		2.	And before we get too self-righteous Roma 3:10-12
			tells us . . . "There is none righteous, no, not
			one; 11 There is none who understands; There is
			none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned
			aside; They have together become unprofitable;
			There is none who does good, no, not one." 
		3.	Righteousness, good, and evil are all measured at the
			cross! 
			a)	It is not measured by how prosperous or
				healthy, or how educated a man or woman is.

	J.	Job8:22 (NKJV) Those who hate you will be clothed with
		shame, And the dwelling place of the wicked will come
		to nothing." 

		1.	This is definitely true from the Christian
			perspective when the Lord reconciles everything,
			but it is not the case in this world! 
			a)	Sometimes the people closest to you who will
				"hate" you for simply trying to serve the
				Lord because they disagreeing on how you
				should do that! 
				(1)	Matt 10:34 (NKJV) "Do not think that I
					came to bring peace on earth. I did
					not come to bring peace but a sword.
					35 "For I have come to `set a man
					against his father, a daughter against
					her mother, and a daughter-in-law
					against her mother-in-law'; 36 "and
					`a man's enemies will be those of his
					[own] household.' 
			b)	And right now, in this world, the wicked are
				prospering, and crime does pay.
				(1)	Which would you rather do if you didn't
					have the Lord: 
					(a)	Work for $6 an hour honestly or
						make $600/hr selling drugs?

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	Bildad missed it also!

		1.	Suffering is part of the plan!
		2.	Job was not hiding sin.
		3.	God was doing a mighty work in his life.

1. INTRODUCTION
   


1. In our study last week, Bildad the "traditionalist" tried to give Job "the wisdom of the ages" as an explanation for Job’s suffering.


1. With all the wisdom he could muster, he told Job that plants wither and die without water, and so does the hypocrite!
1. Insinuating like Eliphaz, that Job was lying about not having hidden sin in his life.
2. And he reminded Job that after all, God would not allow what had happened to him, unless he was guilty:
1. Because "verse 20" "God will not cast away the blameless, nor will he uphold evil doers."
3. And of course, if he was not guilty, he could simply "name it and claim it" and God would restore it all.
   


2. We concluded in last weeks study, that in this fallen world the wicked do prosper, and the righteous do suffer!
   


1. But as Christians, we have the assurance that this will all be "righted" when the Lord returns.
2. And we also have the assurance that the Lord will use our trials for good. That they have spiritual purpose!
   


3. This morning, our study will be in Chapters 9 and 10 and they will cover Job’s response to Bildad.
   


1. I think you will find that Job has questions about the Lord that you and I have asked many times.
   


2. TEXT
   


1. Job 9:1 (NKJV) Then Job answered and said: Job 9:2 "Truly I know [it] [is] so, But how can a man be righteous before God? Job 9:3 If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. Job 9:4 God [is] wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened [himself] against Him and prospered?
   


1. Please remember that Job did not have the New Testament!
2. He did not yet have the Messiah.
3. He did not have the great Mediator between God and man.
1. So he found himself caught in this great gulf that separated him from the Lord.
4. He acknowledges that much of what Bildad has said is true, but asks, "how can a man be righteous before God?"
1. There is only one way, you and I know that answer, but he did not.
5. Than he goes on to explain why he feels so separated from the Lord.
1. "Even if a person wanted to do debate with Him, that person would be lucky if he could even get one out of a thousand questions right!"
2. Then he says that the Lord is so wise and strong that a person would be stupid to go up against him.
1. Right again Job!!!!!
2. Then he goes on to briefly explain just how strong and wise the Lord is.


2. Job 9:5 (NKJV) He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger; Job 9:6 He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; Job 9:7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; Job 9:8 He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea; Job 9:9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; Job 9:10 He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.
   


1. Job has a wonderful grasp of the Lord as CREATOR of the universe, but knows very little of His tender mercy.


3. Job 9:11 (NKJV) If He goes by me, I do not see [Him]; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;
   


1. Job is very aware that God is a Spirit.
1. John 4:24 (NKJV) "God [is] Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
2. But what he is missing, is the human element, God wrapped in flesh.
1. Hebr 4:15 (NKJV) For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all [points] tempted as [we] [are], [yet] without sin.
2. Job goes on to describe this great distance he feels between him and God.
   


4. Job 9:12 (NKJV) If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, `What are You doing?' Job 9:13 God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him. Job 9:14 "How then can I answer Him, [And] choose my words [to] [reason] with Him? Job 9:15 For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge. Job 9:16 If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. Job 9:17 For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause. Job 9:18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness. Job 9:19 If [it] [is] [a] [matter] of strength, indeed [He] [is] strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day [in] [court]? Job 9:20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I [were] blameless, it would prove me perverse. Job 9:21 "I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life. Job 9:22 It [is] all one [thing]; Therefore I say, `He destroys the blameless and the wicked.' Job 9:23 If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent. Job 9:24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not [He], who else could it be?
   


1. "If the Lord wants to remove something from your life, who can stop Him or even question Him?"
2. "If you come to Him with a proud heart, that’s foolish, yet I feel that I am righteous."
3. "And since He is not listening, I can’t even beg for mercy."
4. "In fact, I am at the point that even if He did answer me, I wouldn’t believe it."
1. "Because, " and this is where Job start to get on shaky ground.
1. He begins to say things about the Lord that are not correct.
2. "Because" Job says, "He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause. Job 9:18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness.
1. The Lord does test us, but not beyond what we are able to endure.
1. 1Cor 10:13 (NKJV) No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God [is] faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear [it].
2. The Lord sometimes allows us top be "wounded" but it is not without cause.
1. Roma 8:28 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to [His] purpose.
3. And although it seems at times that there is no end to the trial, bitterness is a human choice, not a Godly choice!
1. Hebr 12:14 (NKJV) Pursue peace with all [people], and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: Hebr 12:15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
4. The bottom line here is that bitterness, is the result of not believing that God is good!
1. It is the result of being convinced that somehow we got "raw deal"!
2. And ultimately, as Christians, we know that God is in charge, so, that "raw deal" had to have come from the Lord!
   


5. Job 9:25 (NKJV) "Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. Job 9:26 They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey. Job 9:27 If I say, `I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,' Job 9:28 I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent. Job 9:29 [If] I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain? Job 9:30 If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap, Job 9:31 Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me.
   


1. And little more self pity, although somewhat understandable.
   


6. Job 9:32 (NKJV) "For [He] [is] not a man, as I [am], [That] I may answer Him, [And] [that] we should go to court together. Job 9:33 Nor is there any mediator between us, [Who] may lay his hand on us both. Job 9:34 Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me. Job 9:35 [Then] I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me.
   


1. Without even knowing it, this is Job’s heart crying out for Jesus. Because of this great "chasm" that Job is talking about, and his need to identify with a human being, Paul tell us in Phil 2:7-8 that the Lord . . . made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to [the] [point] [of] death, even the death of the cross.
1. He became flesh so that we could identify.
2. Job also expresses his heart’s desire for a "mediator" between him and the Lord.
1. 1Tim 2:5 (NKJV) For [there] [is] one God and one Mediator between God and men, [the] Man Christ Jesus,
2. Job’s illustration here is a person that will grab his hand, then grab the hand of God and reconcile their differences!
1. Job is crying out for Jesus!
   


7. Job 10:1 (NKJV) "My soul loathes my life; I will give free course to my complaint, I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. Job 10:2 I will say to God, `Do not condemn me; Show me why You contend with me. Job 10:3 [Does] [it] seem good to You that You should oppress, That You should despise the work of Your hands, And smile on the counsel of the wicked?
   


1. "Because I have no mediator, I will have to defend myself. I know it is not the best way, but it is all I have!"


8. Job 10:4 (NKJV) Do You have eyes of flesh? Or do You see as man sees? Job 10:5 [Are] Your days like the days of a mortal man? [Are] Your years like the days of a mighty man, Job 10:6 That You should seek for my iniquity And search out my sin, Job 10:7 (NKJV) Although You know that I am not wicked, And [there] [is] no one who can deliver from Your hand?
   


1. The answer to these questions is of course, "Yes!", but Job at this time cannot see the human, and merciful side of the Lord.


9. Job 10:8 (NKJV) `Your hands have made me and fashioned me, An intricate unity; Yet You would destroy me. Job 10:9 Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again? Job 10:10 Did you not pour me out like milk, And curdle me like cheese, Job 10:11 Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews? Job 10:12 You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit. Job 10:13 `And these [things] You have hidden in Your heart; I know that this [was] with You: Job 10:14 If I sin, then You mark me, And will not acquit me of my iniquity. Job 10:15 If I am wicked, woe to me; Even [if] I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head. [I] [am] full of disgrace; See my misery! Job 10:16 If [my] [head] is exalted, You hunt me like a fierce lion, And again You show Yourself awesome against me. Job 10:17 You renew Your witnesses against me, And increase Your indignation toward me; Changes and war are [ever] with me. Job 10:18 `Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me! Job 10:19 I would have been as though I had not been. I would have been carried from the womb to the grave. Job 10:20 Are not my days few? Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort, Job 10:21 Before I go [to] [the] [place] [from] [which] I shall not return, To the land of darkness and the shadow of death, Job 10:22 A land as dark as darkness [itself], As the shadow of death, without any order, [Where] even the light [is] like darkness.' "
   


3. CONCLUSION
   


1. Job is back to his death wish!


1. It doesn’t look like Bildad’s "lecture" did him much good.
2. But, when you are this far down, there is not that anyone can say to cheer you up!


2. Job wished he were dead!


1. It is interesting to note that there were a couple of other Bible characters that wished they were dead too.
2. They were Elijah and Jonah!
1. And in both cases they were running away from something!
1. Elijah was running away from Jezebel, and Jonah was running from the Lord!
   


3. I would like to conclude this mornings teaching by asking this question.
   


1. If you are down and depressed this morning, (baring medical reasons), could it be because you are running from something?
2. Could it be that instead of believing in the Lord’s promises and accepting His will for your life, you refuse to accept that this trial is meant for good, and not to destroy you?!?
1. Jere 29:11 (NKJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find [Me], when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, . . . .

1. INTRODUCTION




1. Last week we saw Job crying out for a mediator so that he could reconcile his differences with the Lord.
   


1. He sensed this great chasm between him and the Lord, and felt there was no way to get to Him.
2. He has also spent a great deal of time talking about the judgement side of the Lord, and because of his pain, has missed the mercy side.
3. Job’s second friend, Bildad called him a hypocrite, and we ended the chapter with Job being back to wishing he were dead.
4. So far neither of his two friends have helped him at all.
1. Now, in today’s study - Zophar, the third friend will speak and again leave Job comfortless!
   


2. We are going to pick up the pace a little and cover four Chapters this morning!
   


1. We will take a look at Zophar’s first speech to Job and Job’s reply.
2. Job’s reply to Zophar is his longest, covering 3 chapters all by itself.
3. We will not have time to cover every verse, so please make sure that you read the chapters for yourself in private devotion.
   
2. TEXT
   


1. Job 11:1 (NKJV) Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: Job 11:2 "Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be vindicated? Job 11:3 Should your empty talk make men hold their peace? And when you mock, should no one rebuke you? Job 11:4 For you have said, `My doctrine [is] pure, And I am clean in your eyes.' Job 11:5 But oh, that God would speak, And open His lips against you, Job 11:6 That He would show you the secrets of wisdom! For [they] [would] double [your] prudence. Know therefore that God exacts from you [Less] than your iniquity [deserves].
   


1. Verse 3 in the King James reads, "Should thy lies make men hold their peace?"
1. Eliphaz hinted at hidden sin in Job’s life. Bildad called Job a hypocrite and now Zophar calls him a liar! Some friends, huh?
1. I believe these guys are called "Fair weather friends."
1. When Job was healthy and wealthy, they kissed up to him, but now that they feel he has nothing to offer, they call him names!
2. I want to ask you, is this any different than most "friendships" today?
3. It has been my experience that most friends today will turn on you also when they think you no longer have anything to offer them.
1. But, I think the Lord at least "allows" this to show us that HE is supposed to be our best friend!!
2. If you find that friends have abandoned you and hurt you, you are not alone and you are in company!!
2. The prophet Zechariah said this about Jesus. Zech 13:6 (NKJV) "And [one] will say to him, `What are these wounds between your arms?' Then he will answer, `[Those] with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'
2. In essence what Zophar is saying is this, "Job, you say that you do not have hidden sin in your life, but I wish that God would speak and expose you as a liar. Then you would see that what you are going through is mild compared to what you really deserve."
2. Verses 7-11 tell of the Lord’s omnipotence and omniscience, and are really quite wonderful if you take them by themselves.
3. And then again in verse 12, Zophar takes another "shot" at Job.
   


2. Job 11:12 (NKJV) For an empty-headed man will be wise, When a wild donkey's colt is born a man.
   


1. Zophar is without a doubt, not talking about himself! For he believes that he is quite wise!
1. At the risk of mixing metaphors, Zophar is basically saying, "Job, you are an empty headed man and you will be wise when pigs fly!"
2. In verses 13 through the end of Chapter 11, Zophar tries to convince Job, like his other friends, that if he would just repent, everything would be fine!
3. Now, as you might imagine, Job is a little upset.
1. He has sit and listened to these guys accuse and call him names and he is sick of it!
2. So, he decides to take his best shot!
3. And by the way, (in the flesh), it’s a pretty good one at that.
   


3. Job 12:1 (NKJV) Then Job answered and said: Job 12:2 "No doubt you [are] the people, And wisdom will die with you! Job 12:3 But I have understanding as well as you; I [am] not inferior to you. Indeed, who does not [know] such things as these?
   


1. There is a modern-day colloquialism that says, "You’re the man!"
1. Meaning the one about whom this is said is the coolest, "badest", and brightest person on the face of the earth! The sun rises and sets because of him!
2. That is basically what Job is saying about his friends.
1. Job 12:2 "No doubt you [are] the people, And wisdom will die with you!
2. No one will every be able to compare with your wisdom, in fact all wisdom will die when you guys die, because you contain it all!
3. But, he says, I am not an idiot, and stop treating me like one!
4. Today we would probably say something like, "Since when did the Lord die and give you the throne?"
3. Job reminds them that he is not inferior to them, and that they have not uncovered some great wisdom that he is not aware of!
1. Then in the rest of the Chapter, he, like Zophar extols the truths about the Lord, but Job does it from the point of pain.
1. In other words, though the things he says may be true, Job sees the Lord as a harsh judge and juror, not a merciful Savior!
2. Pain has a way of causing us the view the Lord like that. But the reality is that He is just as merciful and wonderful in times of trouble as He is in the times of blessing!!
1. It is just harder for us to see.
4. Job takes a few more "shots" at his friends in Chapter 13.
   


4. Job 13:1 (NKJV) "Behold, my eye has seen all [this], My ear has heard and understood it. Job 13:2 What you know, I also know; I [am] not inferior to you. Job 13:3 But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. Job 13:4 But you forgers of lies, You [are] all worthless physicians. Job 13:5 Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom! Job 13:6 Now hear my reasoning, And heed the pleadings of my lips. Job 13:7 Will you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him? Job 13:8 Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God? Job 13:9 Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man? Job 13:10 He will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality. Job 13:11 Will not His excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you? Job 13:12 Your platitudes [are] proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay.
   


1. You guys are the liars!
2. Your about as worthless a doctor who knows nothing about medicine.
1. Job’s friends were like this doctor. He needed to be "treated" with kindness and love, and instead they had cut out his heart!
3. Job tells them that they would be better if they would just shut up!
1. He tells them that their silence would actually be wisdom compared to what they were spewing out, their proverbs of ashes.
4. Then he accuses them of misrepresenting the Lord, by speaking falsely against him!
5. The rest of the Chapter 13, Job complains to the Lord, and in Chapter 14 Job once again praises the benefits of death.
1. But we find in Chapter 13 verse 15 - Job’s great statement of faith in the Lord.
   


5. Job 13:15 (NKJV) Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
   


1. In this one single verse we begin to see what is at the core of Job’s problem.
1. He trusts in the Lord even to the point of death, but he believes that he can defend himself before the Lord!
2. There is a certain self-righteousness in Job’s heart.
1. Mala 3:1 (NKJV) "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the Lord of hosts. Mala 3:2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He [is] like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap. Mala 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; . . .
3. Job actually thought that he could defend himself before the Lord.
1. Roma 3:10 (NKJV) As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; Roma 3:11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. Roma 3:12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."
4. The only way any of us can stand before the Lord is in the shadow of the cross.
1. 1Cor 3:11 (NKJV) For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1Cor 3:12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation [with] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 1Cor 3:13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 1Cor 3:14 If anyone's work which he has built on [it] endures, he will receive a reward. 1Cor 3:15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
   


3. CONCLUSION
   


1. Job was a "righteous" man in the sense that he performed all the necessary sacrifices to atone for his sins.
   


1. But in a sense, his miserable friends were right. He was still a sinner like the rest of us!
2. His only defense was and is the same as ours - to fall upon the mercy of the Lord and beg forgiveness.
1. Ephe 2:8 (NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it] [is] the gift of God, Ephe 2:9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
2. Job could not stand on his own and neither can we.
3. He said he would trust the Lord even in death, but he was having a hard time trusting him in life!
4. Many say, "I would die for the Lord!"
5. But my challenge to you this morning is, "Will you live for Him?"

01/05/97			ELIHU’S SPEECHES	John W. Brown
				Job 15-37

I. INTRODUCTION

	A.	In our last study of the book of Job (Chapters 11-14), -
		Job had just replied to Zophar's  speech.

		1.	Chapter 14 concludes the "first round" of
			speeches by Job's friends.
		2.	All of their speeches have ended pretty much the same
			with the accusation that Job is in sin and
			too proud to admit it! 
		3.	Of course, Job maintains his innocence.

	B.	In Chapters 15 though 31, Zophar speaks once more and
		Eliphaz as well as Bildad speaks two more times!

		1.	Job answers them all, and maintains his innocence!

	C.	In Chapters 32 through 37, a young man by the name of
		Elihuspeaks up because he can no longer contain himself
		as he listened to the others. 

		1.	In all of his 4 speeches, he doesn't help Job either,
			but he comes a lot closer! 
		2.	He has some things to say about the Lord that are
			worth listening to! 

II. TEXT

	A.	Job32:1-3 (NKJV) So these three men ceased answering Job,
		because he [was] righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then the
		wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the
		family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was
		aroused because he justified himself rather than God. 
		3 Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused,
		because they had found no answer, and [yet] had
		condemned Job. 

		1.	Elihu feels that he has to speak for two reasons:
			a)	#1Job had spent most his time justifying
				himself, and not defending the Lord.
				(1)	Basically, he was accusing the Lord of
					being unfair in his life! 
			b)	#2He was upset that Job's three friends had
				accused Job, but given him no real answers!
				(1)	This is true, but there is also an
					underlying assumption that HE CAN do
					better. 

	B.	Job32:4-7 (NKJV) Now because they [were] years older than
		he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. 5 When Elihu saw
		that [there] [was] no answer in the mouth of these
		three men, his wrath was aroused. 6 So Elihu, the son of
		Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: "I [am] young
		in years, and you [are] very old; Therefore I was
		afraid, And dared not declare my opinion to you. 7 I
		said, `Age should speak, And multitude of years should
		teach wisdom.' 

		1.	This is quite a different perspective upon youth
			respecting their elders than we have today.
			a)	If it were today, this young man would probably
				have already given his opinion with little
				concern for his elders! 

	C.	Job32:9-10 (NKJV) Great men are not [always] wise, Nor do
		the aged [always] understand justice. 10 "Therefore I
		say, `Listen to me, I also will declare my opinion.'

		1.	What he is saying at the beginning of these verses is
			that being old, or powerful (successful) doesn't
			necessarily guarantee wisdom and understanding. 
			a)	That is certainly true!And evidenced with Job's
				three friends. 

	D.	Job33:1-8 (NKJV) "But please, Job, hear my speech, And
		listen to all my words 2 Now, I open my mouth; My tongue
		speaks in my mouth. 3 My words [come] from my upright
		heart; My lips utter pure knowledge. 4 The Spirit of God
		has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me
		life. 5 If you can answer me, Set [your] [words] in
		order before me; Take your stand. 6 Truly I [am] as your
		 spokesman before God; I also have been formed out of
		clay. 7  Surely no fear of me will terrify you, Nor
		will my hand be heavy on you. 8 "Surely you have spoken 
		in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of [your]
		words, [saying],

		1.	"Job, I am just a man like you, but you have been
			asking for a mediator.I will be your mediator! I
			have listened and heard your story, now you will
			hear what the Lord thinks!"
			a)	You have to admire this young man's boldness in
				standing up for the Lord, but he is a
				little to "self-important." 
				(1)	It is an awesome thing to say that you
					speak for the Lord! 
		2.	There is one of the things Elihu has heard Job say
			that he wishes to discuss! 

	E.	Job has said in Job33:9-11 (NKJV) `I [am] pure, without
		transgression; I [am] innocent, and [there] [is] no
		iniquity in me. 10 Yet He finds occasions against me, 
		He counts me as His enemy; 11 He puts my feet in the
		stocks, He watches all my paths. '

		1.	Job say that he is innocent therefore, the
			insinuation is that God is unjust in dealing with
			Job the way he has! 

	F.	Job33:12-17 (NKJV) "Look, [in] this you are not righteous.
		I will answer you, For God is greater than man. 13 Why
		do you contend with Him? For He does not give an
		accounting of any of His words. 14 For God may speak in
		one way, or in another, [Yet] [man] does not perceive
		it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep
		sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, 16
		Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their
		instruction. 17 In order to turn man [from] [his] deed,
		And conceal pride from man, 

		1.	"Job, you have forgotten that God is greater than
			man, and He doesn't have to give an account or
			explain what He does!" 
			a)	This may be hard to take , but it is still true
				today! 
		2.	Notice that this was before the Bible, and the Lord
			often spoke through dreams and visions!
			a)	It is not that He cannot do the same today, but
				the most effective and most exhaustive
				instruction the Lord will ever give is in
				His Word! 
			b)	I for one am very happy that we don not have to
				solely depend upon dreams and visions to
				know the will of the Lord! 
		3.	Elihu reminds Job that that the Lord often does what
			He does In order to turn man [from] [his] deed,
			And conceal pride from man, VS 17 

	G.	Job33:29-30 (NKJV) "Behold, God works all these [things],
		Twice, [in] [fact], three [times] with a man, 30 To
		bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be 
		enlightened with the light of life. 

		1.	In other words, God's motivation is ALWAYS just and
			for our benefit! 
		2.	These verses only reinforce Roma 8:28 (NKJV) And we
			know that all things work together for good to
			those who love God, to those who are the called 
			according to [His] purpose. 
		3.	Now on to Chapter 34

	H.	Job34:1-9 (NKJV) Elihu further answered and said: 2 "Hear
		my words, you wise [men]; Give ear to me, you who have
		knowledge. 3 For the ear tests words As the palate
		tastes food. 4 Let us choose justice for ourselves; Let
		us know among ourselves what [is] good. 5 "For Job has
		said, `I am righteous, But God has taken away my
		justice; 6 Should I lie concerning my right? My wound
		[is] incurable, [though] [I] [am] without
		transgression.' 7 What man [is] like Job, [Who] drinks 
		scorn like water, 8 Who goes in company with the workers
		of iniquity, And walks with wicked men? 9 For he has
		said, `It profits a man nothing That he should delight
		in God. ' 

		1.	He says, "Listen up," to Job's friends as well as Job!
		2.	"Job has said that God had wounded him for no reason,
			but even his response has put him in the company
			of sinners." 
			a)	Because the message he has sent out by that
				statement basically says, "It profits a man
				nothing That he should delight in God." 
				(1)	When Christians complain about their
					lives it sends the same message today!
				(2)	It tells the world that Christianity is
					a joke, and that there is not God who
					really cares about man!! 

	I.	Job34:10-12 (NKJV) "Therefore listen to me, you men of
		understanding: Far be it from God [to] [do] wickedness,
		And [from] the Almighty to [commit] iniquity. 11 For He
		repays man [according] [to] his work, And makes man to
		find a reward according to [his] way. 12 Surely God
		will never do wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert
		justice. 

		1.	God cannot do or be wicked or unjust!It is against
			His nature! 

	J.	Job34:31-37 (NKJV) "For has [anyone] said to God, `I have
		borne [chastening]; I will offend no more; 32 Teach me
		[what] I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will do
		no more'? 33 Should He repay [it] according to your
		[terms], [Just] because you disavow it? You must
		choose, and not I; Therefore speak what you know. 34 
		"Men of understanding say to me, Wise men who listen to
		me: 35 `Job speaks without knowledge, His words [are]
		without wisdom.' 36 Oh, that Job were tried to the
		utmost, Because [his] answers [are] [like] those of
		wicked men! 37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; He
		claps [his] [hands] among us, And multiplies his words
		against God." 

		1.	"Job you would be better of throwing yourself upon
			the mercy of the court instead of trying to
			justify yourself!" 
		2.	"Just because you cannot `see' or understand the
			thing in your life that the Lord is dealing with,
			should He change who He is just for you?" 
		3.	"Job, you speak without wisdom."
			a)	Remember we said at the beginning that age does
				not guarantee wisdom! 
			b)	Elihu ends these verses telling Job that he
				hopes that the Lord doesn't let up until he
				can magnify the Lord instead of justifying
				himself! 
		4.	Now we conclude with a brief look at Chapters 35-37.


	K.	Job35:1-8 (NKJV) Moreover Elihu answered and said: 2 "Do
		you think this is right? Do you say, `My righteousness
		is more than God's'? 3 For you say, `What advantage
		will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than
		[if] I had sinned?' 4 "I will answer you, And your
		companions with you. 5 Look to the heavens and see; And
		behold the clouds--They are higher than you. 6 If you
		sin, what do you accomplish against Him? Or, [if] your
		transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? 7
		If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does
		He receive from your hand? 8 Your wickedness affects a
		man such as you, And your righteousness a son of man. 

		1.	It appears that in the back of this young man's mind
			is the thought that Job figures that he is dying
			anyway and things can't get any worse, so why
			admit that he is at fault? 
			a)	There is no proof that this was in Job's heart,
				but it is an interesting deduction!
		2.	Based upon this deduction, the thought here is this:
			a)	Man's sin or his righteousness will not change
				the Lord one iota in the long run!
			b)	But, it will affect the life of a man a great
				deal. 
				(1)	In other words, we are not making the
					Lord any greater by living Godly
					lives, but we are better people for
					doing so! 
				(2)	So, Job giving the Lord His rightful
					place in his heart could only result
					in his own good! 

	L.	Job36:4-7 (NKJV) For truly my words [are] not false; One
		who is perfect in knowledge [is] with you. 5 "Behold,
		God [is] mighty, but despises [no] [one]; [He] [is]
		mighty in strength of understanding. 6 He does not
		preserve the life of the wicked, But gives justice to
		the oppressed. 7 He does not withdraw His eyes from the
		righteous; But [they] [are] on the throne with kings,
		For He has seated them forever, And they are exalted. 

		1.	Elihu assures Job that the Lord is the only one is
			perfect in knowledge, and that he is with him!
		2.	He also assures him that the Lord despises [no]
			[one], 
			a)	Something Job had forgotten.
		3.	He remind him that God is just.
		4.	And that the Lord sees Job's pain!


	M.	Job36:22-23 (NKJV) "Behold, God is exalted by His power;
		Who teaches like Him? 23 Who has assigned Him His way,
		Or who has said, `You have done wrong'? (To the Lord)

	N.	Job37:22-24 (NKJV) He comes from the north [as] golden
		[splendor]; With God [is] awesome majesty. 23 As [for]
		the Almighty, we cannot find Him; [He] [is] excellent
		in power, [In] judgment and abundant justice; He does
		not oppress. 24 Therefore men fear Him; He shows no
		partiality to any [who] [are] wise of heart." 

III. CONCLUSION

	A.	The next time you feel like complaining about your life
		remember these things from Elihu's speech:

		1.	Being old, or powerful (successful) doesn't
			necessarily guarantee wisdom and understanding.
			a)	No matter how long you have been in the Lord,
				ask yourself if you really have the wisdom
				to question the Lord! 
		2.	God is greater than man, and He doesn't have to give
			an account or explain what He does!"
			a)	It is nice when He does, but He is not
				"required to." 
		3.	The Lord often does what He does In order to turn man
			[from] [his] deed, And conceal pride from man, VS 17
		4.	God's motivation is ALWAYS just! It is against His
			nature to be anything other! (Rom 8:28)
		5.	What we say about the Lord in the middle of a trial
			can either be a great witness or an awful one!
		6.	It is a lot smarter to throw ourselves upon the
			Lord's mercy that to try and justify ourselves!

1/12/97		GOD SPEAKS- JOB REPENTS		John W. Brown
			Job 38-40

	A.	Last week we covered a lot of territory!

		1.	We finished with Elihu's speeches to Job and found
			that, although he was a lot  more accurate in what
			he had to say about the Lord, he really didn't
			help Job either. 

	B.	This morning, we will conclude our study in the book of Job.

		1.	It seemed appropriate to re-cap what we have seen so
			far. 
		2.	Job was once a wealthy, successful man admired by all
			who knew him. 
		3.	He was one to whom people came for counsel and 
			direction - a "pillar" in the community.
		4.	Everything seemed to be going wonderfully:
			a)	Then in one fell swoop, he lost all ten of
				children. 
			b)	All of his possessions and material wealth were
				gone. 
			c)	He became stricken with a leprosy-like disease
				for which there seemed no recovery.
			d)	His wife has told him to "curse God and die."
			e)	His three remaining friends accused him of
				hidden sin and only succeeded in sending
				him into further depression. 
			f)	All the while, Job has listened and maintained
				his innocence. 
		5.	This morning we come to the turning point, as well as
			the close of the entire book.
			a)	The Lord finally interrupts all the miss-guided
				counsel and speaks to Job directly.
			b)	That is where our study begins this morning!
				

II. TEXT

	A.	Job38:1 (NKJV) Then the Lord answered Job out of the
		whirlwind, and said: 2 "Who [is] this who darkens
		counsel By words without knowledge? 3 Now prepare
		yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall
		answer Me. 

		1.	The Lord knew exactly who Job was, but the question
			is actually more like, "Who do you think you are
			acting as a counselor for God. Spewing out words
			and making statements that you know absolutely
			nothing about!" 
			a)	If you want a classic example of this, you will
				find it on today's talk shows. 
				(1)	They go on for an hour about the most
					trivial things. 
				(2)	Everyone talks and some even claim to be
					experts on the various subjects, but
					they never accomplish anything! 
				(3)	We Christians have to careful about
					"going on" about trivial things we
					have little or no knowledge of. 
					(a)	Jere 4:22 "For My people [are]
						foolish, They have not known
						Me. They [are] silly children,
						And they have no understanding.
						They [are] wise to do evil, But
						to do good they have no
						knowledge."  
					(b)	1Tim 1:4 (NKJV) Do not . . . give
						heed to fables and endless
						genealogies, which cause
						disputes rather than godly
						edification which is in faith. 5
						Now the purpose of the
						commandment is love from a pure
						heart, [from] a good
						conscience, and [from] sincere
						faith, 6 from which some,
						having strayed, have turned
						aside to idle talk, 7 desiring
						to be teachers of the law,
						understanding neither what they
						say nor the things which they
						affirm.  

	B.	Job38:4-11 (NKJV) "Where were you when I laid the
		foundations of the earth? Tell [Me], if you have
		understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements? 
		Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 To
		what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its
		cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together,
		And all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 "Or [who]
		shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth [and]
		issued from the womb; 9 When I made the clouds its
		garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band; 10 When
		I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors; 11
		When I said, `This far you may come, but no farther,
		And here your proud waves must stop!' 

		1.	The Lord begins with the first days of creation and
			goes from there. 
			a)	I think the Lord is making the point here that
				the creation of mankind came later.
			b)	He wasn't even there for any of these decisions
				because he was not needed to make these
				decisions! 
			c)	The non=Christian "scientific" community speaks
				of things that occurred millions or
				billions of years ago as if they were there
				themselves. 
				(1)	They speak as though they have absolute
					proof of their theories. 
				(2)	However, on many issues, they speak as
					"men without knowledge." 
					(a)	They weren't there when the Lord
						put it all together any more 
						than Job was. 
			d)	The Lord continues to put Job in his place.


	C.	Job38:12-18 (NKJV) "Have you commanded the morning since
		your days [began], [And] caused the dawn to know its
		place, 13 That it might take hold of the ends of the
		earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? 14 It takes
		on form like clay [under] a seal, And stands out like a
		garment. 15 From the wicked their light is withheld,
		And the upraised arm is broken. 16 "Have you entered the
		springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the
		depths? 17 Have the gates of death been revealed to
		you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
		18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell
		[Me], if you know all this. 

		1.	"Job you seem to have all the answers and even know
			more than I do, so answer these questions if you
			can!" 
		2.	Chapters 38 though 41 are pretty much the same: the
			Lord putting Job in his proper place of willful
			submission, by showing him how small he really is. 
			a)	There are however a few passages we should look
				at before we deal with Job's repentance.

	D.	Job38:22 (NKJV) "Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or
		have you seen the treasury of hail, 23 Which I have
		reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle
		and war? 

		1.	There is much that could be said about these 2
			verses, but at the very least we can determine
			the Lord will use snow and hail in his final
			judgment upon the earth.
			a)	Reve 8:7 (NKJV) The first angel sounded: And
				hail and fire followed, mingled with blood,
				and they were thrown to the earth. And a
				third of the trees were burned up, and all
				green grass was burned up. 
			b)	If you are a history student then you know that
				it was snow that defeated Napoleon, and has
				affected the outcome of many wars since. 

	E.	Job38:31 (NKJV) "Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
		Or loose the belt of Orion? 32 Can you bring out
		Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you guide the Great 
		Bear with its cubs? 33 Do you know the ordinances of the
		heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth? 

		1.	Evidently those whom have gone before us had a pretty
			good understanding of the universe.
			a)	It is my understanding that the Egyptians could
				correctly calculate the distance to the sun.
				(1)	Even the great pyramids are
					architectural "marvels!" 
			b)	In the Myan culture even some of their
				buildings were constructed to tell times
				and seasons, much the same as a gigantic sun
				dial! 
			c)	All this is living proof that you can have a
				tremendous knowledge of the creation and
				miss the Creator!! 

	F.	Job40:1-2 (NKJV) Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said:
		2 "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct
		[Him]? He who rebukes God, let him answer it." 

		1.	"Job you have rebuked me and corrected me.Are you
			really in a spot to do that? If you are, answer my
			questions." 

	G.	Job40:3-5 (NKJV) 3 Then Job answered the Lord and said: 4
		"Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my
		hand over my mouth. 5 Once I have spoken, but I will
		not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further." 

		1.	This is the same man who said he would maintain his
			innocence and integrity no matter what happened
			to him! 
		2.	He is that same guy who said that because he was
			innocent, God was therefore unjust to allow what
			had happened to him! 
			a)	He was the "good guy" and God was the "bad guy".
			b)	Now, in the Lord's presence, he sees himself as
				vile!What happened? 
			c)	We get a little better picture in the final
				Chapter of Job, Chapter 42. 

	H.	Job42:1 (NKJV) Then Job answered the Lord and said: 2 "I
		know that You can do everything, And that no purpose
		[of] [Yours] can be withheld from You. 3 [You] [asked],
		`Who [is] this who hides counsel without knowledge?'
		Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
		Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4
		Listen, please, and let me speak; [You] [said], `I will
		question you, and you shall answer Me.' 5 "I have heard
		of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees
		You. 6 Therefore I abhor [myself], And repent in dust
		and ashes." 

		1.	Basically when Job could compare himself to his
			family, his wife, or even his friends, he thought
			he measured up pretty good! 
			a)	But when he came face-to-face with the Lord it
				was a different story. 
		2.	We are no different than Job.When we compare
			ourselves with our friends, our family or our
			spouses, we can develop a sense of
			self-righteousness. 
			a)	We begin to think that we have the right to
				judge those around us, and even how the
				Lord deals with them. And us!! 
			b)	But, it is only when we compare ourselves with
				Jesus that we get a proper estimate of
				where we are really at in our walks. 
			c)	Job's vision of the Lord (and himself) changed
				3 very important things in his life:
				(1)	His opinion of the Lord
				(2)	His opinion of himself
				(3)	And his opinion of his friends

	I.	Job42:7 (NKJV) And so it was, after the Lord had spoken
		these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the
		Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two
		friends, for you have not spoken of Me [what] [is]
		right, as My servant Job [has]. 8 "Now therefore, take
		for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My
		servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt
		offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I
		will accept him, lest I deal with you [according] [to] 
		[your] folly; because you have not spoken of Me [what]
		[is] right, as My servant Job [has]." 9 So Eliphaz the
		Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite [and] Zophar the 
		Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for
		the Lord had accepted Job. 

		1.	The Lord begins to restore Job and uses him to
			restore his friends! 
			a)	What a wonderful example of what a Christian
				should be and do. 
				(1)	As we understand our own sinfulness, it
					should make us compassionate of those
					around us. 
				(2)	And instead of judging them, allow the
					Lord to use us as instruments of
					restoration in their lives! 

	J.	Job42:10 (NKJV) And the Lord restored Job's losses when he
		prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice
		as much as he had before. 11 Then all his brothers, all
		his sisters, and all those who had been his
		acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him
		in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him
		for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon
		him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a
		ring of gold. 12 Now the Lord blessed the latter [days]
		of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen
		thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke
		of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also
		had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the
		 name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second
		Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In
		all the land were found no women [so] beautiful as the
		daughters of Job; and their father gave them an
		inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this Job
		lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children
		and grandchildren [for]four generations. 17 So Job died,
		old and full of days. 

		1.	Please notice, Job's restoration came after he prayed
			for his friends! 
			a)	It was only then that the Lord not only
				restored, but doubled what Job had before
				all this. 
			b)	Before we close I would like for you to notice
				one more thing. 
				(1)	Job included his daughters in the
					inheritance along with the sons, 
					something that was unheard of at the
					time. 
				(2)	I think this bout with the Lord, gave
					Job a new understanding of grace!
		2.	(If time permits, close with) 1Cor 13:4 (NKJV) Love
			suffers long [and] is kind; love does not envy;
			love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5
			does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is
			not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice
			in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears
			all things, believes all things, hopes all
			things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. 
			But whether [there] [are] prophecies, they will
			fail; whether [there] [are] tongues, they will
			cease; whether [there] [is] knowledge, it will
			vanish away. (And substitute your name with the
			word "love" = Christ!)