Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Job 38-42
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: It's great to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin, Texas. And ⁓ this is our journey through Scripture. ⁓ I hope that you had a a good weekend. ⁓ well we are concluding the book of Job today. So it'll be Job chapter thirty-eight through forty-two. ⁓ so the very end of Job. ⁓ we are at the place now where ⁓ God is is going to speak to Job. ⁓ so remember Job has expressed his frustration. ⁓ he's also expressed his innocence that he is he is not wicked. the his friends have basically concluded that no, you you've obviously done something wrong or or all of this bad stuff wouldn't happen to you because they are expressing this worldly wisdom, ⁓ this understanding that ⁓ if you do wicked that you will be punished, ⁓ and if you do good, you will be rewarded. So th that's a very simplistic way of looking at things. And there's there's some truth to that. You can find some ⁓ instances of that. ⁓ but there's also times that it's very much not true. ⁓ it ⁓ the world is more complicated than that. ⁓ we we like for it to to be ⁓ more simple, ⁓ but no, it it can be very difficult to understand. And ⁓ Job has gotten frustrated with God. ⁓ he has not you know, kind of spoken out against God, he has not rejected God, he has not turned his back on God. If you go back to the beginning of this, that's what ⁓ Satan was trying to do is to ⁓ you know get get Job to ⁓ rebuke God and to turn his back on him. ⁓ Job never does that. ⁓ but he he does does question and he does wonder what God is doing, ⁓ as anyone would during ⁓ going through such a difficult time. And so now God is going to ⁓ answer Job and It's an interesting answer. God's answer, he does not get into the details. ⁓ God kind of is a is is a big picture and he's kind of just presents himself ⁓ as ⁓ as who he is, someone who is ⁓ unfathomable, someone who is greater than our understanding, and basically says, Job, quit focusing on all the whys of this is happening and focus on who I am. Right. And and and Job realizes his insignificance. and ⁓ so let's let's read ⁓ I encourage you to read through this. Starts off ⁓ God is speaking to Job through a a whirlwind and it says ⁓ that then the Lord answered Job, this is in chapter thirty-eight, ⁓ out of the whirlwind and said, Who is this who's who's who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man, I will question you. And you shall answer me. So it so he's basically he said, Okay, Job, you wanted an audience. Well, here's the audience, and so I'm gonna question you and you're gonna answer me. And then God just kind of goes on with question after question after question ⁓ to Job. You can imagine ⁓ how Job must be taking this in. He says Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding, who determined its measurements? Surely you know, or you or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning star saw when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. So you can see where this is going. God is saying, I'm the one who laid all of this out. I'm the one who has created all of this. I am behind. ⁓ everything. why are you getting so y'all y'all getting so involved in this argument of of how things work and this ⁓ worldly wisdom and think you have things figured out. ⁓ none of you were there, right? ⁓ and so he asked Job these questions and then he continues on and ⁓ it just kind of builds on on it on itself. And ⁓ verse nineteen says, Where is the way to the dwelling of light and darkness? Where is its place? That you may take it to its territory, that you may know the path to its home. Do you know it because you were born then, or because the number of your days is great? Right. So he's saying, You th you think you're old, so that you're gonna know this? Of course not. He's asking these rhetorical questions at this time, and and Job is probably just ⁓ hoping God will stop. ⁓ he continues to to go on, verse thirty one. Says, can you blind bind the cluster of Pleiades ⁓ Pleiades, I can't remember how to say that, ⁓ or loose the belt of Orion. Can you bring out Maseroth in its season? Can you guide the great bear with its cubs? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth? Now this is interesting because he's talking about constellations here. He's talking about Orion, he's talking about the Great Bear. These are constellations that we see today ⁓ that date all the way back. ⁓ and what's interesting is ⁓ in many of the Greek and ⁓ other cultures, ⁓ in their theologies, you know, ⁓ the constellations they were ⁓ reminded people of of gods and things like that. And ⁓ and here God is saying, I'm the creator of all of those. all of that is is beneath me. ⁓ I have created ⁓ the heavens and the earth, the this moon and the sun and the stars. ⁓ you know, who are you to question? ⁓ so it's ⁓ it's really neat what God is doing here. He is he is just expounding on his holiness, on who he is, on what he has done. ⁓ he can he continues on in that vein ⁓ as you get into chapter thirty-nine, just continue continue to ⁓ to read. It ⁓ starts talking about different animals and how amazing and intricate they are. ⁓ and you know, the and God says, Do do you have control over them? Can you can you control them? ⁓ it just kinda continues to to go. ⁓ verse twenty six of chapter thirty ⁓ nine, does the hawk fly by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south? Does the eagle mount up at your command and make its nest on high? Right? The Lord shall make ⁓ mount with wings as eagles, right? That and so now God is ⁓ asking Job. ⁓ do you have that power? ⁓ do you have the power to mount the eagle ⁓ or to d does the eagle mount up at your command? ⁓ on the rock it dwells and resides on the crag of the w rock and the stronghold. From there it spies out the prey, it its eyes observe from afar, its young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there it is. Right. So he he's just talking about how he has created this intricate ⁓ workings of the world and and the the animals within it. ⁓ in verse ⁓ chapter forty says, ⁓ the Lord answered Job and said, Shall the one who contends with him, with the Almighty, correct him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it. Right? So s so God looks looks at Job, shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct him, he who rebukes God let him answer it. So then Job answered the Lord and said, Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer you? I lay my hand over my mouth once I have spoken, but I will not answer. Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further. So he he realizes that even his questionings are are futile in comparison to the greatness and the wisdom of God, that there is no way to fully comprehend or to understand who God is. And then ⁓ God continues and he ⁓ kind of ⁓ moves to even larger than life ⁓ animals. ⁓ we this is something that people have spent probably way too much time thinking about. ⁓ you have ⁓ two animals ⁓ introduced, ⁓ but first starting there in chapter forty, says, Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and says, Now prepare yourself like a man. I will question you and you shall answer me. Would you indeed annul my judgment? Would you condemn me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like his? Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and array yourself with glory and beauty and disperse the rage of your wrath. Look on everyone who is proud and humble him, look on everyone who is proud and bring him low, tread down the wicked in their place, hide them in the dust together, bind their faces in hidden darkness. Then I will also confess to you that That your own right hand can save you. I love that it says, Have you an arm like God in verse nine? And then at the end says, if you can do all of these things, if you can hold the wicked accountable, if you can do all of this stuff, then your own right hand can save you. Again, so he's he's just making it clear that Job does not have the power to justify himself. Job does not have the power to make things right. Verse 15 says, Now look at the Beamath. ⁓ which I made along with you. He eats grass like an ox. Now his strength is in his hips. So he goes on, some people say this is like a hippo, some say it's a dinosaur. I I I'm sorry. Things like this just aren't that important. W it's fun to kind of talk about, but ⁓ it it doesn't matter. I don't know if this is a reference to dinosaurs in the Bible or not. I don't care. What he's talking about is this great beast that that ⁓ is is ⁓ more powerful than than humans and that that ⁓ that humans are terrified of. God's saying, I created that, right? That ⁓ that I I I am greater ⁓ than than that animal. ⁓ it says ⁓ verse chapter forty one, can you draw out the Leviathan with a hook? And then goes on and on. Kind of it nearly feels like this is a a dragon of the sea. You know, some people said it's crocodiles. I I again I I that can be fun to talk about, but man, you're missing the point of scripture if you start trying to figure out exactly well what animal was that? Well what ⁓ was that something that used to exist and now doesn't exist? All all that that is is not helpful. So I I encourage you, n don't just don't get wrapped up into to stuff like that. Too much. We can have some fun with it, but that's definitely not the point here. So it gets to verse nine indeed any hope of overcoming him is false. So he's talking about this Leviathan, right? That the Job knows there's no humans are no match for this. Says Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him? No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against me? Who has preceded me that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is mine. That is what what ⁓ the the Lord is is reminding Job of and using these earthly things that Job can see and can think about and and recognize, wow, nothing ⁓ in this earthly realm compares to the glory and the greatness of God. ⁓ says continues on, I I thought it was interesting, ⁓ Verse twenty five, when he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid because of his crashings they are ⁓ beside themselves. Though the sword reaches him it cannot avail, nor does dar spear, dart, or javelin. He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee. So the Leviathan pr pretty pretty impressive animal. ⁓ and and again, God created that. ⁓ and he's equating his greatness to ⁓ by ⁓ comparing it to the things that we consider unconquerable. Says on earth there is nothing like him which is made without fear. He beholds every high thing, he is king over all the children of pride. So then you get to chapter forty two. So Job answers, ⁓ says, I know that you can do everything, and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. You ask 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. Listen, please, and let me speak. You said I will question you and you shall answer me. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, bit but now my eyes see you. Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. So that's interesting. Basically Job is saying, You you've you've asked me this question. and now he's saying, I have heard of you, I have heard all of these things, but now I have seen it, I have experienced you in a whole new way. And I recognize how how short I have fallen. And so he therefore he abhors himself, right? He he repents in dust and ashes. He's just repenting just because he didn't recognize the greatness of God, even though he knew about that. He had heard about that. But now he sees it and he realizes even w once he sees it, it doesn't compare ⁓ to what he had heard about God. And so he repents for not knowing God's greatness ⁓ that he is now is experiencing. So you may say, well it sounds like God is is chastising Job. I don't I don't really think that's what's happening here. I don't I don't think this is God in a an irritated way talking to Job. He's just laying it out plainly. Job, look at who I am. Right? There's no way you're going to fully understand this. You just need to put your trust in me. ⁓ and because he he God now is going to make it clear that Job was correct in his arguments in that he had not done anything wrong. J God is going to chastise the friends. because of what they had done ⁓ and how they had told Job that he had ⁓ been wicked. He actually affirms Job. So you can continue to read there verse seven, and so it was after the Lord had spoken these words to Job that the Lord said to Eliphaz, ⁓ 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. Now therefore, take yourselves seven bulls, seven rams, go to my servant Job, 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. So he is rebuking this worldly wisdom, isn't he? God is saying this worldly wisdom that you are holding on to is not right. Job was experiencing. ⁓ this ⁓ just calamity and what felt like punishment even though he had done nothing wrong. That is what happened. Your worldly wisdom was not correct. So Eliphaz and ⁓ Bild Bildad and Zophar ⁓ they did as the Lord commanded them, which ⁓ is admirable for them. They they are they are learning from this. ⁓ it says and the Lord restored Job's losses When he prayed for his friends, ⁓ the Lord go ⁓ gave Job twice as much as he had before. ⁓ and then it it goes about how everybody came and his name was restored, his wealth was restored, ⁓ he had children. ⁓ verse sixteen, after this Job lived one hundred and forty years, saw his children, grandchildren for four generations. So Job died old and full of days. So you know, I I think what's im important with the the book of Job is that we we do recognize we are li we're limited in our understanding of God. ⁓ we are always going to be limited. And to to create kind of just real simplistic ⁓ models of wisdom that hey you do good and you'll be rewarded, do bad, you're gonna be punished, ⁓ that that's our limited human understanding. no the world is more complex than that. And so our focus does not need to be on what's going on in the world. Our focus needs to be on the one who has created the world, the one who is above all of that, ⁓ the one who does know the future and who is there ⁓ with us and who who knows ⁓ hi his plan for our lives, that we put our trust in him and not on worldly wisdom. So I hope that ⁓ you've enjoyed this time as we've gone through the book of Job. ⁓ now we're ⁓ kind of getting gonna be getting into now the rebuilding of the the temple and the wall and kind of that process of the people coming back from exile ⁓ back to Jerusalem. So we're going to begin reading from the book of Ezra. ⁓ let's read ⁓ chapters one through four of Ezra and chapters one and two of Haggai. So Ezra one through four and ⁓ Haggai one and two. All right, we'll see you on