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God Answers Job in a Whirlwind - The Book of Job · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. So the Lord blessed the latter end
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  Speaker 1: of Job more than his beginning. For he had fourteen
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  Speaker 1: thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke
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  Speaker 1: of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. Job 42.12 Heavenly Father,
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  Speaker 1: as you appeared to Job and spoke to him as
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  Speaker 1: a father to a child, I thank you that you
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  Speaker 1: desire to speak to me in the same manner when
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  Speaker 1: I lose sight of your glory in perfect ways. I
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  Speaker 1: now know that my lack of understanding doesn't take away
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  Speaker 1: your sovereignty, but instead it causes me to lean in
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  Speaker 1: to your presence more so I can receive the answers
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  Speaker 1: my heart longs for. I confess that even though I'm
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  Speaker 1: in pain, I will not give myself permission to doubt
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  Speaker 1: your plans for my life. You are the God of
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  Speaker 1: the universe, the creator of all things, the one who
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  Speaker 1: puts air in my lungs. Therefore, I will acknowledge you
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  Speaker 1: and acknowledge that all your ways are perfect and flawless.
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  Speaker 1: Through the evidence of my past victories and through the
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  Speaker 1: life of Job, I know that if you allow something
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  Speaker 1: to exit my life, it's only because you are making
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  Speaker 1: room for more. In Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for
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  Speaker 1: praying with me today. Continue listening for an incredible Bible story.
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  Speaker 2: God Answers Job in a Whirlwind In our last story,
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  Speaker 2: we learned of Job's great sorrow. Boils covered his skin,
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  Speaker 2: and misery followed him every step. His wife told him
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  Speaker 2: to curse God and die, while his friends offered vain
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  Speaker 2: philosophical explanations as to why Job must be suffering. However,
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  Speaker 2: Job maintains his integrity and trusts in God, despite the
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  Speaker 2: upheaval of his life. In this story, Job begins to
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  Speaker 2: ask God about his faithfulness, and sorrow leads him to
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  Speaker 2: subtle doubt. God meets Job in a whirlwind and questions
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  Speaker 2: him beyond his human comprehension, as inspired by the book
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  Speaker 2: of Job.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
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  Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. In our last time together, we
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  Speaker 3: heard how God allowed Satan to attack Job's physical health.
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  Speaker 3: Job was diseased with painful boils and sores that covered
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  Speaker 3: his entire body. Yet even in this excruciating pain, and
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  Speaker 3: despite the urging of his own wife to curse God
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  Speaker 3: and die, Job remained steadfast in his trust of God.
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  Speaker 3: When his friends showed up and sat with him, helpfully
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  Speaker 3: at first, just to sit with him in silence and
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  Speaker 3: in his suffering, we discover that Job trusted God and
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  Speaker 3: said nothing. But Then those friends began to say that
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  Speaker 3: Job had hidden his own sins, that he was being
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  Speaker 3: judged and punished by God. Job dismissed their claims because
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  Speaker 3: he knew it wasn't true. He knew that he was
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  Speaker 3: good before God, righteous before God. But even though he
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  Speaker 3: was perplexed and didn't understand why all of this had
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  Speaker 3: happened and wanted answers, he trusted in God. And so
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  Speaker 3: he took his problems straight to the Lord. He took
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  Speaker 3: his questions to God himself. And today we'll hear that exchange,
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  Speaker 3: what Job says and how God answers him through a mighty,
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  Speaker 3: powerful storm. Let's listen to today's reading to find out
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  Speaker 3: what God has to say and what it leads Job
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  Speaker 3: to conclude.
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  Speaker 2: Job was through defending his honor to his friends. They
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  Speaker 2: assumed that some sort of wickedness had brought this sorrow
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  Speaker 2: upon him. Yet Job could not fathom why God would
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  Speaker 2: cause such terrible things to happen to him all at once.
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  Speaker 4: Was he not righteous?
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  Speaker 2: Was he not worthy of blessing? He trusted God, yet
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  Speaker 2: did not understand him. The ringing of Job's friends' bickering
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  Speaker 2: reached the ears of the Lord, as did the questions
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  Speaker 2: of Job. They traveled to his presence like a stench.
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  Speaker 2: He would endure no more vain questioning of his goodness
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  Speaker 2: or sovereignty. In an instant, Job was surrounded by a whirlwind.
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  Speaker 2: The tempest surrounded him in every direction, causing Job to
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  Speaker 2: cower where he stood. Lightning seemed to be striking in
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  Speaker 2: every direction, and Job heard a booming voice descending upon
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  Speaker 2: him with great force. Who is it that darkens my
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  Speaker 2: counsel without knowledge? Job looked around him, realizing that the
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  Speaker 2: voice was coming from God. The voice roared through the wind, saying,
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  Speaker 2: Prepare yourself like a man, for now.
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  Speaker 4: It is I who will be asking the questions.
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  Speaker 2: Job had wanted to hear from God, yet now he
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  Speaker 2: began to regret ever asking. God spoke to Job in poetry,
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  Speaker 2: so fierce that Job feared his life may end. As
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  Speaker 2: the winds howled around him, the Lord spoke. Where were
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  Speaker 2: you when I established the earth's foundation? If you know,
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  Speaker 2: please tell me. Who determines the world's measurements and lays
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  Speaker 2: its cornerstone? Who is it that sung the morning stars
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  Speaker 2: into existence or draped the clouds over the seas like
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  Speaker 2: a garment? Was it you who commanded the sun to
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  Speaker 2: rise and the dawn to know its place? Have you
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  Speaker 2: entered into the depths of the oceans or explored the
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  Speaker 2: recesses of the deep? Have you gazed upon the gates
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  Speaker 2: of death and the depths of darkness? Do you know
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  Speaker 2: the expanse of the universe and where the light emanates?
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  Speaker 2: Can you direct the stars and tighten the straps of
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  Speaker 2: Orion's belt? Please tell me if you have known these things,
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  Speaker 2: for of course you know. You were born then, were
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  Speaker 2: you not? Job was trembling as he listened to the
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  Speaker 2: voice of God. He said nothing, but God continued his
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  Speaker 2: torrent of questions. Is it you who understands the hawk's
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  Speaker 2: flight patterns and allows the wind to carry it? Are
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  Speaker 2: you the one who commands the eagles to mount up
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  Speaker 2: and make their nests on high? Who is it that
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  Speaker 2: contends with the Almighty? He who argues with God should answer.
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  Speaker 2: Job was shaking in his place. God was silent as
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  Speaker 2: he gained his composure. He stuttered, doing his best to
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  Speaker 2: create coherent sentences. How shall I even answer you?
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  Speaker 4: Job said.
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  Speaker 2: His knees were caving in on him. The sores on
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  Speaker 2: his feet were agonizingly painful. I cannot answer you, O God,
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  Speaker 2: Job said with his hands on his face. God's thundering
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  Speaker 2: voice arose again, saying, Will you prove me wrong? Will
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  Speaker 2: you condemn me and make yourself right? Do you speak
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  Speaker 2: in thunder as I, or is your arm as strong
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  Speaker 2: as mine? Adorn yourself with dignity, be draped in absolute
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  Speaker 2: glory and splendor. Take dominion and control over the earth
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  Speaker 2: you see, and maybe then I will acknowledge you.
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  Speaker 4: God had made his point to Job.
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  Speaker 2: He spoke of mighty beasts that were immense in power
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  Speaker 2: and glory, yet still in control by God. He spoke
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  Speaker 2: of the expanse of space and time, light and darkness,
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  Speaker 2: all to reveal to Job his vastness. In all God's questioning,
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  Speaker 2: there was an undertone of love. God wanted to bring
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  Speaker 2: Job outside of his circumstances. He wanted him to see
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  Speaker 2: that the universe operates on God's will and does.
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  Speaker 4: Not bend to Job's comforts.
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  Speaker 2: Job once again bowed before the Lord and said, I
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  Speaker 2: know that all things are possible for you. Your will
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  Speaker 2: cannot be denied. You have uttered what I could not
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  Speaker 2: possibly understand. I repent before you, Lord. After Job repented,
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  Speaker 2: God turned to his friends. My anger has been ignited
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  Speaker 2: against you, God said. You have spoken ignorantly of my
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  Speaker 2: ways and have not considered me as Job has. So
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  Speaker 2: the Lord had them repent, and Job made offerings for them.
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  Speaker 2: God kindly restored Job to greater health. Job's brothers and
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  Speaker 2: sisters came alongside him, and together they laughed and prayed
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  Speaker 2: with one another. Unlike Job's friends, they understood that comfort
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  Speaker 2: came not in vain philosophy or discourse. Rather, it came
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  Speaker 2: from friendship and true acknowledgement of God's goodness. Slowly, Job
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  Speaker 2: accumulated greater wealth and was reconciled to his wife. Together
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  Speaker 2: they had more children. Job sat among his new family,
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  Speaker 2: cherishing the memories of his old family.
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  Speaker 4: Job was spilling over with.
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  Speaker 2: Joy and gratefulness to God, and he lived a long
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  Speaker 2: and prosperous life.
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  Speaker 3: Today's story begins with Job walking away from his friends
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  Speaker 3: because they were toxic. In other words, their tenacious accusations
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  Speaker 3: against Job's character were silly and senseless because God knew
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  Speaker 3: that he had done nothing wrong, that God was not
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  Speaker 3: punishing him. He knows that he has not sinned against
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  Speaker 3: God in any way that would demand God's justice. Surely
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  Speaker 3: he's done nothing to deserve this terrible fate, so much loss.
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  Speaker 3: Job does not accuse God, but he is filled with doubts.
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  Speaker 3: He wants to hear from God and to know why,
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  Speaker 3: why this suffering. God knows, of course, everything that's been
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  Speaker 3: going on between Job and his wife, Job and his friends,
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  Speaker 3: and the questions that Job is asking himself and God.
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  Speaker 3: So now it's time for God to say something, for
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  Speaker 3: God to speak. And he comes to Job in a whirlwind.
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  Speaker 3: How terrifying that must have been for Job. He must
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  Speaker 3: have been thinking, what's next? All these blows that have
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  Speaker 3: come against me, and now this wind is blowing against me.
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  Speaker 3: Maybe Job thinks to himself, well, perhaps God is trying
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  Speaker 3: to kill me. But death wasn't what God had in
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  Speaker 3: mind for Job. God was about to teach Job and us.
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  Speaker 3: God says get ready and unleashes a barrage of questions
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  Speaker 3: for Job to answer. These are questions from God that
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  Speaker 3: Job cannot answer. Only God himself can answer the questions
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  Speaker 3: of suffering and pain in life, and that's the whole point.
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  Speaker 3: God says to Job, where were you when I laid
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  Speaker 3: the earth's foundations, when I hung the moon and the stars?
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  Speaker 3: God references all of creation from the distant stars and
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  Speaker 3: celestial bodies to the deepest oceans to the animals that
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  Speaker 3: roam the earth. God knows the when and the how
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  Speaker 3: and the why of everything. As you listen to the
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  Speaker 3: questions from God, ask yourself, what is God asking me?
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  Speaker 3: God's questions put Job in his place, and he knows
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  Speaker 3: he cannot offer an answer, and he admits this to God.
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  Speaker 3: But God isn't finished. He challenges Job to answer if
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  Speaker 3: he can match God's might and power. Humbled, Job answers God,
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  Speaker 3: beginning in Job 42, verses 1 through 3. Then Job
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  Speaker 3: answered the Lord and said, I know that you can
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  Speaker 3: do all things and that no purpose of yours can
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  Speaker 3: be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore,
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  Speaker 3: I have uttered what I did not understand, things too
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  Speaker 3: wonderful to be, things that I do not know. God
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  Speaker 3: hears the humble heart of his servant and the repentance,
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  Speaker 3: and he accepts it. He then turns to Job's friends
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  Speaker 3: and rebukes them for assuming that they knew God's thoughts
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  Speaker 3: and ways. They too repent, and Job offers sacrifices for
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  Speaker 3: his friends, returning to his priestly and godly role. Job
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  Speaker 3: has withstood the test, never turning from his trust and
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  Speaker 3: faith in God. And what does God do? In time,
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  Speaker 3: God restored his health and increased his wealth and his
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  Speaker 3: family line beyond what he had lost. The book of
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  Speaker 3: Job is all about how we handle the question of
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  Speaker 3: suffering in life. All the pain, all the heartache, all
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  Speaker 3: the tragedies that we see around us, what does God
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  Speaker 3: have to say about these? And this powerful story of
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  Speaker 3: Job reminds us that God is in control, and that
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  Speaker 3: while we can certainly ask questions of God, we should
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  Speaker 3: never question God. Let me say that again. You can
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  Speaker 3: ask God questions, any question, but do not question God.
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  Speaker 3: Do not question his faithfulness, his trustworthiness, his love for you.
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  Speaker 3: And if you know that, if you know that God
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  Speaker 3: loves you with an everlasting love and that his love
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  Speaker 3: will never let you go, then you can persevere through
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  Speaker 3: any trial and even life's greatest tragedies. Dear God, your
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  Speaker 3: might and majesty are so far beyond what we can understand,
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  Speaker 3: but we thank you for reminding us in the story
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  Speaker 3: of Job that you are steadfast through our struggles, that
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  Speaker 3: when we cry out to you and lean on you
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  Speaker 3: and believe in you and your plan for our lives,
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  Speaker 3: then you always work all things together for good and
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  Speaker 3: that you can restore and redeem everything what is broken
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  Speaker 3: in our lives. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 3: life be sure to visit jackgram.org. God bless you.
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  Speaker 4: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative healthcare solution
• 14:53
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• 14:58
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