All right, good to see you. Let's take our Bibles and turn with me to the book of Job chapter 8, Job 8. Truly, the depth of Job Chapter 8. And to grasp the depth of this particular chapter, we need to consider a few verses out of Job chapter 9.

I want to preach, Lord willing, I want to preach out of this chapter 8, obviously not to the extent, try to, go through every verse in the depth that I would prefer to, but I want to touch on this chapter, but to touch on chapter 8. I could not get around reading the first two verses of Job chapter 9.

Here's what Job chapter 9 said, verses 1 and 2, and Job answered. and said, I know it is of a truth. It is so of a truth. But how should man be just with God? Now, those words is expressing something that Job had just heard. Now, he's being spoken to by some of his friends, and these friends have proven to be quite insensitive to the troubles that Job has gone through. And Job made this statement. What he said was, I know what you're saying is so. You're saying what's true. I know you are. But when he said, I know, It is of a truth, but how? That's what he said in verse nine. How? How can I absolutely express something that humanly speaking is an impossibility? How? How can man be just?

Now, when Job asked how can a man be just, he's talking about how can a man be perfect. Now remember, we're going to look at Job 8 for a second and just see what his friends are saying to him. And I want you to remember something right now. As we look at these verses in Job 8, everything that his I keep using the same word that scripture uses. They're dealing him some misery. But what they're saying is absolutely true. And after hearing what his friends are saying, Job asked this question. I know it is so for truth, but how? How can man be just with God?

Whatever Job was getting ready to hear, when we look at chapter 8, whatever we're getting ready to look at, Job could not deny it. But Job, though he couldn't deny it, he asked that question that every one of us today ought to take to heart, truly. How can man, fallen man, How can man truly be justified before God? You know what the word justified means. I've said it before, I'm going to say it again. No charge. No charge. Justified. Innocent. Innocent. Absolutely no guilt. None.

Job chapter 8. And I want us to look with the eyes of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that the Spirit of God might give us some understanding. Now, the words that we're getting ready to read is from a man named Bildad. And we look at these words, and as we read these words, I want us to consider that this man, Bildad, He's actually going to be expressing something, so you can get where I'm coming from. He's actually expressing, though they are coming out of Bildad's, a man's mouth, what he's expressing is actually the attitude of Satan, the world, and the old man, and all that is ever cunningly, presented as an accusation before God's people.

And whatever this man's saying, let's just not get it in our mind that, well, this guy was, you know, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years ago. This is the same attitude that believers deal with today. This is alive. This scripture's alive. Look and see what this man has got to say, this man represents somebody, Bildad. He represents Satan, self, this old man, the world.

Remember this also. God has a people that he has everlastingly loved in Christ. God has an elect. He's got a people. He's got a bride. The Lord Jesus Christ has a bride. It was given to him by the father in electing grace. And he's going to save them. He's going to save them by grace. He's going to save them by power. He's going to save them and they're going to be with him forever.

So understanding where we're coming from. These people that are going to be saved in the Lord Jesus Christ, they fell in Adam's transgression, and before they were ever born, Almighty God loved them. I've loved you with an everlasting love. Just pray that the Lord give us some understanding here. Before this world was ever created, God knew his people, and they were given to the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ loved them. They were the gift of the Father. This was his bride, and he's going to save them. Their fault, they fell in that. But it did not change their standing before God Almighty and his love for them and them being the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So let's look, let's look at the tactics. I want you to look at the actual, the ways that this people, this elect, these chosen out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue, let's look and see the attitude toward them, God's mercy.

All right. The scripture starts off, chapter eight, And this is what Bildad, mouthpiece, has got to say. Then answered Bildad, the Shuhite, and said, and he's talking to Job now. He's talking to Job, the object of God's mercy. And he's heard Job just under the stress, the strain, trials that he's been sent through. He's lost his kids. He's lost his land. He's lost his reputation, his friends, his health. And he's being talked to by this friend. This friend asks him, how long wilt thou speak these things. How long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?"

Job, again, he suffered all these things. And let me tell you, after he'd suffered all these things, the kid's wife turned on him. Why don't you just curse God and die? After all these things, let me tell you what the Spirit of God says was the attitude of Job. in word, in thought, and in deed.

Now if you want to see a perfect picture in this scripture of the Lord Jesus Christ, Job right here is a perfect picture. The Lord Jesus who suffered on the behalf of his people, all the trials and tribulations, that Job is a type of Christ here. And here he is, he suffered, he's hurt, And here's what, turn back to Job chapter 1 verse 22. You see this, this is actually talking about a man named Job, but a man named Job who was a type and a picture of Christ. Of all the sufferings that Job as a type of Christ went through, look at verse 22, in all this Job sinned not. nor charge God foolishly."

Of all the sufferings that Job went through as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, he sinned not. He sinned not against God. It was Mr. Spurgeon or Matthew Henry, one of them, said that when he said he sinned not, in word, in thought, or deed. Now somebody says, well, that's impossible. If Almighty God, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, moved upon the writer of the book of Job to write in all these things, if God said in all these things, Job sinned not, then let me tell you, our little fickle Minds are, you know, we're going to correct him a little bit. Best thing we can do is bow to what God says. In all these things, Job sinned not.

Now, who do you think we ought to believe? Our little spiritual self-righteous understanding? Or believe what God says? Scripture says he sinned not. And he did not charge God foolishly. He didn't attribute any folly to God for what God put him through. He sinned not.

So what Bildad was saying to this tried believer, in verse 2, he said, this is what he was saying, how long, how long shall thou speak these things. How long are you going to resist God? How long are you going to go against? How long shall you speak the words of that mouth like a strong wind? Bildad was accusing him of something that Job did not do according to the word of the Lord. Job didn't resist God. He did not resist God. What Bildad was saying to this tried believer was, how long are you going to be rude and obstinate against God's providence?

Now, you leave me to my flesh, and I'll tell you exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to be rude toward the providence of God. Paul the Apostle said he did the same thing. Oh, wretched man that I am. The things that I would not be rude against the providence of God, those are the things I do. But the scripture says concerning a believer, a believer, one in Christ, sinneth not. He doesn't sin.

Now, these are great, great things, great and mysterious things. But in the Lord Jesus Christ, as he is, what's the next thing I'm going to say? So are we in him. There's an old man in me and a new man created in righteousness, holiness and true righteousness.

Bill Dadd comes to this man that's been tried of God. How long are you going to speak these things? How long are these words going to be coming out of your mouth like a strong wind? Then Bill Dadd, supposing that he knew exactly why Job was suffering, this is what he said. I read these words again and again and again, and I thought, you talk about the evidence of absolute self-righteousness. This is man by nature. This is self-righteousness. He asked me in verses three and four, does God pervert judgment, or does the Almighty pervert justice? if thy children have sinned against him, and he hath cast them away for their transgression. And I'll finish the rest of it in just a second.

What he was saying is this. Job, obviously, as we've said before, there's something that you're doing, though I don't know what it is, but God knows what it is. Obviously, God Almighty, is punishing you for something that you've done.

And I read these words again, and I thought this, it just reeks. This is us by nature. We are so self-righteous. Somebody, a believer, going through some things. He's going through some trials and tribulations. And let me tell you what that old man's gonna say. You probably wouldn't say it out loud because you don't want to embarrass yourself. But this is what we all think. I wonder what they've done. They've done something. Nobody goes through what you're going through without suffering.

And that's what Bildad asked him. Does God not punish the wicked? Does God fail not to reward the righteous What he's saying is this, all this that you've suffered, losing your kids, losing your health, losing your reputation. I'll tell you what it's from, Job. This is what Bildad's saying. This is what Satan accuses us of, the old man, the world. It's because of sin. See, if you'd straighten up and fly right, you wouldn't be going through this stuff. If you'd live a righteous life, if you'd live like I do, you wouldn't go through this stuff.

All these accusations that call into question God's dealings with His people. Instead of being a friend to Him, praying for Him, say, I pray God sustain you and keep you, hold you up, Job, The Lord, you know, has been pleased to put you through these things, and it's just, it's coming to us, too. I know it is. No, they're going to get over there and tell them, say, boy, you're doing something that's wrong. Build that in the spirit of a Pharisee. This is a Pharisee. One who trusts in himself that he's righteous. If you want to see what a Pharisee is, and sepulchers full of dead men's bones. That's what the Lord said.

If you want to see what a Pharisee is, now you listen, listen to this. Look at verses 5 to 7. If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty, if thou wert pure and right, surely now he would awake for thee. and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end greatly increase.

Bill Dead was saying, again, as a Pharisee, if you lived a holy life, if you would live a life that was worthy to God would bless you and prosper you. You wouldn't be going through all this, Joe. Oh, what a heavy burden is placed upon a suffering saint. Listen, God's people know what they are by nature. They know what they are. Turn to Romans chapter 7. Listen, this is under the inspiration of God's Spirit, what the Apostle Paul wrote. Romans chapter 7, verse 18. This is the confession of a true believer. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me. Let me ask you, you that believe, is it not the desire of your heart. I want to walk before God in a right way. I do. I want to. I want to do that which is pleasing in his sight. I want to do that which is honoring. The will is present with me. But how to perform that which is good. I don't find it in me. I don't find it. Look at verse 21-24. I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, bringing me into captivity to the law of sin. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

What they were saying was this. What you are doing, or whatever you're doing, speak so loud, I don't hear what you're saying. You claim that God's with you. You claim that you love the Lord. Job, looks like to me you're suffering greatly, because obviously there's sin in your life. Now can you just, I mean, just listen to that statement coming out of somebody's mouth. And they start justifying themselves by condemning others, by putting men down. That's what these friends are doing. Verse 5, if thou wouldest seek unto God, be times, and make supplication to the Almighty. Do you think that Job had not done that? Do you think that Job had failed to call upon the Lord and seek God? What they were saying is, Job, if you'd get right, if you'd straighten up, if you'd get your life right with God, I tell you what, everything would be happy, happy-go-lucky for you. Everything would be great, Job. But because you're going through what you're going through, it's obvious that you're a rebel against God. But God's people, are quite aware of their insufficiencies. They know it's not by works of righteousness that they've done, but it's according to God's mercy that he saved us.

But then to further prove their point, enhancing their reprimand toward Job, Bildad advises Job to search out from the word of the Lord and the experiences that others have gone through and has had to suffer to see if what he was saying wasn't right. He said, now I'm going to prove this up to you, Job. I'm going to just, I'm going to show you that what you're doing has brought all this on you. And there's something, there's something, and God, God's going to bring it out. But I can tell you right now, Job, based on experience, I know why you're suffering these things.

He says in verses eight to 10. For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age. Prepare thyself to search of their fathers. What he was saying was this, Job, if you want to know why people go through tribulation and trials, if you think that God doesn't judge sin, you just go back and look at the former age. Look back at what happened to Sodom. What happened to Sodom, Job? Why did God send the flood, Job? Did God not send a flood and destroy the world because of what they were doing? What he's saying is, Job, I'm telling you, I'm proving what I'm saying. So, there's something going on with you. And you're going through these things because of rebellion, Job.

And then he says in verse 9, And you talk about a self-righteous statement. Look at this statement. For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon the earth are a shadow. Let me tell you what he was saying right there. He said, now, Job, now listen. I'm just telling you the way things are. Now, as for me, Job, I'm nothing. I'm just a failing fool. I'm just, I mean, there's nothing good in me, Job. But I'm telling you that what God has said in his scriptures in the ages before, in his actions, in his word, he said, I'm telling you right now. He said, God is going to deal with rebellion, Job. He's going to deal with it.

Hold you place right there. Turn to Exodus chapter 19. Exodus 19, verses 5 and 6. Exodus 19, 5 and 6. He told me, he said, I'm just, I want you to go and just look and see what was commanded of God, Job. And then ask yourself, why am I going through these things? Exodus 19, 5 and 6. Listen to the word of the Lord. If you will obey my voice, indeed, and keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be unto me a kingdom of priest, holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

They were saying, Job, if you want to know if you want to know where the foundation of the truth that I'm telling you right now. You see back here in the Old Testament when God said, if you'll obey my voice, obviously, Job, you hadn't obeyed the voice of God. That's the reason you're going through. If you'll keep my covenant, obviously, Job, you hadn't kept the covenant of God. That's the reason that you're going through these things. If you'll do all these things, if you'll obey God, and walk like you say you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you won't be suffering these things.

And then Bill Dadd asked Job another question to continue on in his seeking after proof of what he's saying. He says in verses 11 and 12 back in chapter 8, He said, can the rush grow without mire, flag without water? The rush there and the flag there, they're plants. I had to look them up to find out what they were. I didn't know what a rush was or flag. It's just, it's plants that grow. The rush, for sure, is a hollow, It's a plant with a hollow, you know, center. And it grows in miry, watery places. And it just, it grows up. It's just a, it says it's a spongy, hollow plant, which represents a hypocrite. It's a plant, and there's just virtually no substance to it. It looks like it's a plant. I mean, it is a plant. But it looks like it's got some substance to it, but it's got a hollow center. I didn't know that, but I thought, wow. And a flag. I looked up a flag plant, and it's a plant with large, showy flowers. Like an iris, it grows in marshy, you know, places. It comes up. It's not cultivated or anything like that, but it's just a, but it was a picture of a hypocrite. It just, there's no sustenance to it. There's just nothing. It looks like it's got something to it. And he's using that for an example.

Verse 11, can the rush grow up without mire? Can the flag grow without water? While it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. You just tell them, say, look at nature, Job. God preaches through nature. Look at these useless plants. There's no sustenance to them. And in verse 13, so are the paths of all that forget God, and are the hypocrites hope shall perish. Job, he said, I'm telling you, the word of God bears it out in Exodus. Nature bears it out. There's a reason, Job, that you're suffering. Because you're a hypocrite. You're going through these things. Look at verses 13 to 19. So are the paths of all that forget God, and the hypocrites shall perish, whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web." He said, he said, Job, a spider, spider web. He said, you're just like that. It's just hypocrisy out of your own womb. You know, a spider, he spins a web. And it just, his web comes out of him and he builds himself a web. And that's what he's going to put all of his trust in. And he says, verse 15, he shall lean upon his house and it shall not stand. Shall hold fast, hold it fast, but it's not going to endure. He said, just Job, look around everything that you're putting your trust in. It's not going to stand. It's not going to be here.

The Lord told his disciples, he warned them. Turn to Matthew 23, 1 to 7. Matthew 23, 1 to 7. The Lord warned his disciples against the Pharisees. 23, 1 to 7. Then spake Jesus to the multitude, to his disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe." What a Pharisee does, and this is the subtlety of it, they use scripture. They use scripture. And they misapply it. They misapply what the scripture says. They're telling you something out of the Bible. You look at false religion, and they'll pick up a Bible, and they'll turn to a passage of scripture, and they'll rest. I told you, W-R-E-S-T. I've said that so many times, but I want you to understand. They twist it.

Verse 3, back in Matthew 23, all therefore whatsoever they bid you, because they're telling you something out of the scriptures, when they read the scriptures, observe, that you observe and do, but do not ye after their works. They're taking the word of God. And this is the subtlety of a hypocrite. They will take the word of God and they're going to twist it and they're going to make it, try to make it, say what he doesn't say.

They bind heavy, heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men, make broad their phylacteries, enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the uppermost rooms, feast, chief seats in the synagogue, the greetings in the markets. They love to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. They love the praise of men more than the praise of God.

And this is what, this is what Bildad is telling Job, he said, Job, you make a claim to know God, but everything that you're doing, Job, by your actions, by your words, Job, you're just inconsistent. And all they were doing was exposing their own inconsistency.

The sufferings accused him of cursing God. And Job never did. All these things. Job sinned not. He did not curse God in his heart.

But all the words of reprimand levied against Job and Job's sufferings came down to this. Job, I mean, Bildad made a statement in verses 20, 22. And what they said was,