Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Job 32-37
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: It's good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin, Texas, and welcome to our Journey Through Scripture podcast. ⁓ we are getting close to the end of the book of Job. ⁓ in fact, ⁓ today we're going to be looking at ⁓ chapters thirty-two through thirty-seven. These this is gonna be the last kind of ⁓ time that we're gonna hear someone other than God speak. ⁓ after this we're gonna kind of see God's response and the conclusion of Job. ⁓ but We have a new character that is enters in the picture ⁓ in verse in chapters thirty two through thirty-seven. ⁓ his name is Elihu. ⁓ he he comes in, he hasn't said much, and man, he has been holding it all in and he's going to unleash ⁓ on both Job and Job's friends. Now r remember this whole time, this dialogue that's going back and forth contains human understandings of God's wisdom, right? So so we have to recognize that that this is kind of a debate back and forth between Job and his friends. His friends and Job kind of have the idea that God blesses the righteous and he curses the wicked. Now that's really simplifying it. And so they're they're all kind of struggling with this. Job especially, because he's like, man, I I haven't done anything wrong. Why is all this bad stuff happening to me? ⁓ his friends, they just believe that Job ultimately is not acknowledging what he has done wrong. So it they're they're at an impasse. And so all the things that we've been ⁓ reading back and forth, some of it is true, some of it is that human wisdom, right? Then and we are kind of waiting, we are going to see godly wisdom. Now, we know what godly wisdom is. you you read through Ecclesiastes, you look at the world. ultimately God will hold to account the wicked and the righteous will be with him forever. But in this world, sometimes the wicked are rewarded, not by God, but we're rewarded by the the world that we are in. And it is important for us to understand that. And we're gonna see a a fifth character comes in, Elihu. He is younger He's gonna make that clear by a couple of years. So he was letting the old people speak. ⁓ but now he is ready to unleash. And again, some of the things that he says are right, especially when he's talking about the majesty of God, the righteousness of God, the justice of God. Those things are correct. ⁓ but his delivery ⁓ is ⁓ let's just say horrible. ⁓ it is a ridiculous delivery and one that it that actually is instructive for us. That we need to make sure that we recognize ⁓ how we are proclaiming what we believe to be true, because Elihu gives an example of how not to do it. So chapter thirty two says, So these three men ceased answering Job because he was righteous in his own eyes. So that's what they felt. They thought he was ⁓ righteous in his own eyes, that ⁓ he wasn't acknowledging the things that he had done wrong, and so they've kind of given up. So Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barakel of the Besite, of the family of Ram was aroused against Job. His wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. So Elihu feels like Job is justifying himself and at the expense of who God is. Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused because they had found no answer and yet had condemned Job. So he basically doesn't like either one of the arguments that are being made. He doesn't think the three friends are making a good argument. Of course he is going to be able to make the right argument. So now he he says verse four, now because they were years older than he, ⁓ Elihu had waited to speak to Job. When Elihu I said two years, I'm I that just was a number in my head. That is not what scripture says. They were years older than he. And when Allahu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three friends, his wrath was aroused. So this is what he said. He said, I am young in ear years, and you are very old. Just a quick word of advice. If you're trying to make a point or give advice, the worst way you could start off is saying, Hey, look how young and healthy I am. Look how old and decrepit you are. Good luck with how you want to to approach that. Says therefore I was afraid and dared not declare my opinion to you. I said age should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. So he's he's I mean what what a jerk, right? So then he says, But there is a spirit in man and the breath of the almighty give gives him understanding. Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice. So basically he's saying, Y'all aren't wise, you don't understand justice, but lucky for you, here I am. So then he says he says, Therefore I say, listen to me. I also will declare my opinion. Indeed, I waited for your words, I listened to your reasoning, I paid close attention to you, and surely not one of you convinced Job or answered his words. And so he's basically bashing them. And but now he goes after Job in chapter thirty three. So he says, But please, Job, hear my speech, listen to all my words. Now I open my mouth. My tongue speaks in my mouth, my words come from my upright heart, my lips utter pure knowledge. The Spirit of God has made me this breath of the Almighty gives me life. If you can answer me, set your words in order before me, take your stand. Truly I am your spokesperson spokesman before God. Wow. I also have been formed out of clay. Surely no fear of me will terrify you. ⁓ so he's basically saying, I'll be this mediator between you and God that Job had asked for. Job just wanted to plead his case before God. So he this guy says, I'll be that mediator, and I will just tell you how it is. ⁓ Verse 12, Look in this you are not righteous. I will answer you, for God is greater than man. Why do you contend with him? For he does not give an accounting of any of his words. Right? Now that's not fully true. ⁓ God tells us many times why he does what he what he does. But he he's basically telling Job, you are not righteous. ⁓ because in his mind, the only way that bad things could be happening is because you're not righteous. Okay. Now, ⁓ let's clear something up. Many times, in fact, maybe most of the time, the stress and the hardship that we bring on ourselves that that we experience in life, we have we have a part to play in that. It's because we've made bad decisions. It's because we've sinned. It's because we have gone against God. It's because we've been stupid. Whatever it is, right? Many times it is us. But there are those times also that we are just dealt a bad hand, that bad things happen to us, that things that are completely out of our control. and if we have this old traditional wisdom that these friends keep ⁓ portraying, ⁓ eventually we're going to just say, you know what, I'm done with you, God, because no matter how good I am, the bad things still happen to me. You know, well, yeah, that's right, because we live in a fallen sinful world. So we need to understand that, which that is a wisdom that comes from God. It says ⁓ he continues on, he basically is just ⁓ going on about how God punishes the wicked and that Job ⁓ clearly must be wicked. Verse thirty one Give ear Job, listen to me, hold your peace and I will speak. If you have anything to say, answer me, speak for I desire to justify you. If not, listen to me. Hold your peace and I will teach you wisdom. So wow, he's saying I I I will I will do it. Now, there's nothing wrong with yeah, I mean w as we're going through the the Bible talking, we're teaching about wisdom. ⁓ but it's pretty important to have a little bit of humility ⁓ in that. ⁓ you know, and and ⁓ we have to be very careful. ⁓ whenever I talk about what I know that is wisdom, it is the fear of the Lord. is the beginning of wisdom. Right? And to l strive to live righteously in response to that. That is wise. ⁓ you know y you you you've got to be careful always judging people's actions and what's happening to them and just immediately jumping to a conclusion. ⁓ well, that bad thing wouldn't happen to them if they would just live their life right. ⁓ yeah, yeah be be careful with that. chapter thirty four. Elihu proclaims God's justice, so he's talking about justice that comes from God. ⁓ verse ten, therefore listen to me, you men of understanding, far be it from God to do wickedness and f from the almighty to commit iniquity, for he repays man according to his work, and makes man to find a reward according to his way. So there he is, there's he's reinforcing that old traditional wisdom. Verse twenty one, for his eyes are on the ways of man and he sees all his step. There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves, for he need not further consider a man that he should go before God in judgment. Right, so he you know that you can't hide. God is going to judge you. So he's kind of indicating Job, you've probably been trying to hide, ⁓ but that you can't can't hide from from God. ⁓ verse thirty four men of understanding say to me Wise men who listen to me, Job speaks without knowledge, his words are without wisdom. ⁓ that Job were tried to the utmost, because his answers are like those of wicked men, for he adds rebellion to his sin. He claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God. So man wow, this is that's pretty powerful accusation. Can you imagine being Job and what Job feels and 'cause Job is sitting there, he's struggling, he wants to know what his sin is. But he he cannot he he he he knows that he's been living a righteous life. Does this mean that he was perfect? No. But he was striving to live that life that God called him to live. ⁓ and he's like, I my my life has not been lived in a way that should deserve this. Again, because Job still has that traditional wisdom. ⁓ verse ⁓ chapter thirty five, but Elihu ⁓ Man, he's just he's just a jerk. I mean he he you you you don't know anything about wisdom, Job. you're adding rebellion now. ⁓ just he he just goes right after Job. he ⁓ condemn in chapter thirty five he talks a lot about self righteousness, kind of interesting. ⁓ he condemns that. He says, Do you think this is right? Do you say my righteousness is more than God's? For you say, What advantage will it be to you? What profit shall I have more than if I had sinned? I will answer you and your companions with them with you. Look to the heavens and see and behold the clouds, they are higher than you. Right? So he's calling all of these other guys self righteous. Verse thirteen Surely God will not listen to empty talk, nor will the almighty regard it, although you say you do not see him, yet justice is before him, and you must wait for him. And now because he is not punished in his anger, nor taken much notice of folly, therefore Job opens his mouth in vain. He multiplies words without knowledge. Right. So he so he's just saying, you know, basically God God is is ⁓ has already made his decision. you know you need to recognize ⁓ your your position, ⁓ which again is true. I don't think ⁓ Job has made it clear he understands that, ⁓ but he he just doesn't understand why this is happening to him. Then ver now chapter thirty six, ⁓ this sums up kind of Elihu. He says, Bear with me a little, and I will show you that there are yet words to speak on God's behalf. I will fetch my knowledge from afar. I will ascribe righteousness to my maker, for truly my words are not false. One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. I I think if if you start saying that you have perfect knowledge, ⁓ you've officially ⁓ reached a a a new level of self righteousness. verse ten, he opens his ear to instruction and commands that they turn from their iniquity. If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures. But if they do not obey, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. So he he's talking about that should have Read verse five, Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one, he's mighty in strength of understanding. He does not preserve the life of the wicked, ⁓ but gives justice to the oppressed. He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but that but they are on the throne with kings, for he had seated them forever, and they are exalted, and if they are bound in feathers held in cords of affliction, then he tells them their work and their transgressions, ⁓ that they have acted defiantly. So He's basically saying, if if j job, if God is not telling you what you've done wrong, then you're clearly wicked. You are not of the righteous. ⁓ and then it says, if you start to obey, then you will be rewarded again. Okay, listen, that that is not how it all works. We should obey because we fear the Lord, not because we think, ⁓ this is gonna magically change our circumstances. You can continue to read. He just kind of continues to go on about the majesty of God. and ⁓ goes through chapter thirty seven and we're gonna stop there and then we're going to read chapters thirty eight through forty one. so we'll finish up ⁓ Job or s forty two, excuse me. ⁓ thirty eight through forty two and we'll finish up Job so we will see you on