Job chapter 20 Zophar replies again to Job and in the midst of his suffering with the so-called friends of his constantly accusing him Constantly condemning him. Constantly pointing the finger at Job. With their words of derision and condemnation. Job felt no pity, no mercy, no kindness from them. He felt forsaken. The Lord's hand was gone out against him. And all men round about him condemned him. He was alone.

And often we may find ourselves in circumstances where we feel something of what Job did. Where we feel like we're in trial. where it feels like God himself is angry with us. And we have no pity or compassion from man. It feels like we are isolated, alone, cast out, forsaken.

And yet, Christ says under his own, throughout time, in all places, to every one of his lost sheep that he delivered, that he saved. To each of his sheep he says, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. And Job, in this deep trial, knew his God, I know that my Redeemer liveth. He was not forsaken, though it appeared so.

Yes, Christ says to each of his sheep, his children, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, because others will. Because many will turn against us, many will abandon us. Even those we thought would be our friends, our brothers and sisters. Even those we thought would stand by us, sometimes abandon us. And we can feel completely forsaken and alone. Completely condemned.

Christ says, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. We sang in our opening hymn these words. Satan may vent his sharpest spite and all his legions roar. Almighty mercy guards my life and bounds his raging power. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee well Zophar here heard what Job said in chapter 19 he heard Job's cry have pity upon me have pity upon me oh ye my friends for the hand of God have touched me why do you persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh He heard Job's testimony. Oh, that my words were now written. Oh, that they were printed in a book, that they were graven with an iron pen and led in the rock forever. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, for mine eye shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me. I know that my Redeemer liveth.

He heard Job's words. And yet here, in chapter 20, he replies again. and says unto Job, knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment. Though his excellency mount up to the heavens and his head reach unto the clouds, yet he shall never, yet he shall perish forever like his own dung. They which have seen him shall say, where is he? Where is he? Where is the wicked?

All Zophar has to say in the entire chapter to Job is to describe the state of the wicked. and to imply once more that Job is wicked and the trial that has come upon him is a judgment of God against him. Just like Bildad in his second reply to Job, all Zophar can do to Job, even when Job cries out for pity from his friends, All he can do is double down on his insinuation that Job is wicked and under the wrath of God. All he speaks of is what will become of the wicked man. And all he can see regarding God and the truth is a legal attitude that God rewards the righteous deeds of men and condemns their wickedness. So the fact that Job is in this circumstance, the fact that he is suffering must mean to Zophar's mind that God in righteousness is condemning him. How hard he is to his friend Job. How nasty! How mean-spirited! He's just heard Job again cry out for pity from his friends. And all he can do is condemn. He says nothing about the Redeemer that Job has just spoken of.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, Job says. I know that though I'm in this state, that though God is treating me this way and though I deserve it, I nevertheless know that my Redeemer liveth. Job looked up in faith. Job looked to the grace and the mercy of God. and Zophar says nothing about it. He doesn't encourage Job in that faith. He doesn't agree with it. He has no understanding of it. It is as though these men just don't know what Job is speaking about.

Every time Job in his responses says something concerning God's grace, God's mercy, concerning Christ and the gospel, when he speaks of his Redeemer, it's like Zophar has no knowledge of him, no understanding, no regard for him. He cannot see it. All he can do is find fault with Job and imply, Job, you're wicked. And what's the end of the wicked Job? He shall perish forever. And they which have seen him, Job, shall say, where is he? Where is he?

The religious never hear. They never hear. As we've said before, these friends of Job were all religious. They all believed in God. They all had a knowledge in religion. But they never listened to Job. When he spake of his Redeemer, it's like he said nothing. They never listened. All they could do is come back with their own thoughts, their own wisdom, their own knowledge and their own hatred and condemnation.

The same is true today. The religious never hear. The child of God may speak of Christ and His mercy and His grace and His love for sinners. We may preach Christ and Him crucified. We may declare Him in all His glory. And all religious man does is condemn. He finds fault. He says, you've got it wrong. Look at you. Look how few there are of you. Look how pitiful you are. Look at the trial you're under. Your God doesn't bless you. He doesn't love you. He doesn't care for you. They point to their own numbers. They look at their own success and say, the Lord is blessing us. But look at you. Look at you, Joe. Look at the state you're in, you must have sinned.

Consider the wicked joke. Where is he? Where is he? Well, the wicked, left in their sin, left to themselves, may well end up where Zophar describes his description of what will come upon the wicked and the portion of a wicked man from God the heritage appointed under him by God his description of these things in this chapter may well come to many wicked. And we all, as wicked sinners from birth, we all, every one of us, having gone astray, we all, every one of us, having rebelled against Holy God, having turned our back upon Him, having hated Him from the day we were born, having been conceived in iniquity, Having been born speaking lies, every one of us as a wicked, rebellious sinner deserves this condemnation that Zophar speaks of. This is our just reward for our sin.

But what Zophar forgets or knows nothing of is God's grace. God's mercy, God's love unto sinners in Jesus Christ. What of Job? Where is he? Where is he? To Zophar he was wicked, under God's wrath. Yet Job in the midst of his suffering says, I know that my Redeemer liveth. What of Job? Where is he? He's safe in the arms of his Redeemer. Despite all outward appearance, Christ truly says under his child, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Job was safe in the arms of his Redeemer, no matter how it may have looked upon earth. No matter how desperate the situation appeared, in reality, Job was safe. God had him in his hands. He was watching over him. He was providing for him. He was keeping him. And in the end, he would deliver him and bless him eternally. God loved him. Christ loved him and gave himself for him. He was the Lord's. However it appeared under Zophar, Job was safe, safe in the arms of his Redeemer.

Where is he, Zophar? Where is Job, Zophar? Not where you think he is. not where outward circumstance appears to suggest that he is. O Zophar, you may be in comfort and ease. You may have your family and your home and your riches. In your religion you may have your meeting and your people and those that come and go and all the blessings that you think are from God. All outward circumstances, Zophar, might make you think that God is on your side. You may be in ease, but where will your end be?

How easy it is to deceive ourselves by outward circumstance and say, the Lord is with me, he's blessing me, look at what he's done, I've done these things for him and he's blessed them, he's added to my numbers, he's given me so much. And how many will enter eternity saying, Lord, Lord, we've done this in thy name and that in thy name. And he will say unto them, Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you.

Yes, Job at this moment was at death's door. Everything seemed against him. But where is he? He's in Christ, safe in the arms of his Redeemer. safe with an everlasting salvation, given faith to look up out of his circumstances, look up into glory and say, I know that my Redeemer liveth.

Where is Zophar? Perhaps he's where you are, in relative ease. sure of your beliefs and your understanding, confident that God will bless you in the end. But will he? Where is he? Where is the wicked? Where is he? To Zophar, Job was the wicked. with an eternity of destruction ahead of him. Where is he?

But what does this truly picture? Of whom does it picture? Of whom does Job remind us? Christ. Christ. Where is he? Where is He? Well Christ is not the wicked, you may say. Christ is God, He's righteous, He's holy. He knew no sin, He was perfect. He's God. How can this speak of Him?

Yet to men, Christ was wicked. To mankind, Christ has no time for him. He hates him. Three times in the gospel, in the gospels, we hear this question asked concerning Christ. Where is he?

The first time we heard the question asked is at his birth or following his birth. In Matthew 2 verse 2, the wise men came to Herod looking for Jesus and saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and I'll come to worship him. These wise men, sent of God, sought Christ, and they looked for a Saviour. Yet the one to whom they came, Herod, the King of the Jews at that day, on hearing of one born King of the Jews, sought that these wise men on finding him should come and return and tell him where he was because he hated the one born king of the Jews and he sought to kill him and he issued an order to slay the firstborn in Israel he murdered countless numbers in his attempt to put Christ to death.

Where is he that is born King of the Jews? Herod asked the same, because Herod would not receive him. Yes, Christ came to his own, and his own received him not. at his birth he came into this world. God made man the son of God in flesh. Came into this world to save sinners. He came unto his own and his own received him not. The religious cast him out. The Jews cast him out. They would not receive him.

Where is he? Then in John chapter 7, we read for a second time, we read of how the Jews sought to kill Christ. We read there, after these things Jesus walked in Galilee for he would not walk in Jewry because the Jews sought to kill him. So Jesus wore no more in jewelry. And he went up to the feast in Jerusalem in secret. At which point the Jews there sought him saying, asking, where is he? Verse 11 of John. Then the Jews sought him at the feast and said, Where is he?

Why did they ask this? Because to them, Jesus, the Son of God, whom they should have received as their Messiah, was a wicked man. He was a wicked man. and they believed like Zophar that the portion of a wicked man from God, the heritage appointed unto him by God, was death. Their attitude to Christ when he came to them was just like Zophar's attitude with Job. The triumphing of the wicked is short. and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment. He shall perish forever like his own dung. They which have seen him shall say, where is he?

To the Jews, though Christ came, a perfect man, the son of God in righteousness, honouring his father, living by faith before God, doing all things right, healing the sick, preaching the gospel. Though he came in perfection before them, speaking the truth like no man spake it, No man spake like this man. Never man spake like this man. Though he spake the truth in fulfilment of all the scriptures, to them he was a man that didn't honour God. That blasphemed the Father. that made himself equal with God, that forgave sins which is only something God can do, to them he was a blasphemer, a heretic, a man who dishonoured God, a wicked man, deserving of sin. Where is he that we may destroy him?

Thirdly in the Gospels, in chapter 9 of John, we read the question again. There in that chapter we read of the man born blind, a man blind from birth, whom Jesus meets and touches his eyes and makes him to see. And he goes to his neighbours and speaks of Christ, this man that gave him sight. And they ask in verse 12, where is he? Where is he? And then when the Jews come to this man, they first came to his parents and his parents said, well, go and ask him about who healed him. And they come to the man and they say, who healed thee? And he says unto them, one thing I know, whereas I was blind, now I see. I was blind, but now I see. this man touched my eyes and i see he's a savior and yet they hated him and yet they hated him and christ came to them later in the chapter where we read, following these words, where he meets with the man and says, he answered and said, who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him.

The blind man whom Jesus touched believed. Dost thou believe on the Son of God? Yea, Lord, I believe. Once I was blind and now I see. But then Jesus says this to the Jews. For judgment I am come into the world, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin. But now ye say, We see. Therefore your sin remaineth. Like Zophar, they thought they saw, and yet they were blind. And yet Jesus came unto a poor, blind, wretched sinner and touched his eyes, and he saw a poor wretch like Job, whom they cast out as nothing, whom they despise like they despise the Saviour.

Where is he, they say? To the Jews, Christ was wicked. The triumphing of the wicked is short. He shall perish forever. Where is he? Where is the wicked? Zophar asks Job. Is that your attitude concerning Christ? Are you like them, these Jews? So far. When you ask, where is he concerning Christ? Is it so that you can get rid of him? The natural heart says of Christ when it hears of him in the gospel, it says, well, where is he? I can't see him. Where is he in the world? Where is he with all the trouble that's round about? Where is he to come and help me? Where is he? But all we are doing is condemning. With that question, we have no desire to see him, to find him. We just mock and deride and cast him out. We want to be rid of him. To us, he's wicked. And we want to see him destroyed.

Yes, these Jews sought to kill him. And yet we read of Christ that when he was reviled, he reviled not again. They were very ready with their words to fling at him. They were very ready with their words to condemn him like Zopharis. Yet when he was reviled, he reviled not again. How much Job had to suffer from these his friends so called. Yet when he answers he says, have pity, pity upon me my friends. And he declares the gospel unto them. And they shut their ears. Christ came unto his own and preached salvation. He preached redemption. He spake of himself as the redeemer of sinners. He preached salvation. And men said, no, away with him, crucify him.

The day finally came when they took him and crucified him and put the Lord of glory to death upon a tree. Is that us? Where is he? Where is Christ? Was he crucified as a wicked sinner and destroyed as the Jews sought to destroy him? Well indeed, he was nailed to the tree. We read in Isaiah 53 that he made his grave with the wicked. He died the death of the wicked that Zophar speaks of here. He died that horrible death. He was cast out of God's presence. Why? Because he came in the place of sinners. He came in the place of Job. to suffer the death that sinners deserve to die, to suffer the death that Job deserved to die, in order to take Job's sin away, in order to wash him clean of his sins, in order to make him to be the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, in order to deliver him, in order to save him. He came as Job's saviour, but to save him he must be crucified. He must die. He must bear the sins of his people. He must be made sin and he must drink the cup of God's wrath and judgment against sin. He must be made a curse under the law. So he made his grave with the wicked.

He was crucified between two thieves who rightly deserve to die. He was numbered with the transgressors. And as we read, one of those thieves justly perished in his sins. But Christ looked upon the other in grace and mercy. Unlike Zophar, he looked upon the other who was wicked indeed. And in grace, he said, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. Where is he? On the cross in the darkness, Christ suffered an eternity of hell, of the wrath of God. He drank the cup of God's wrath to the dregs, the innocent one, the righteous one, the Holy Lamb of God, who knew no sin was made sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. The innocent one died the death of the wicked. The innocent bore the sins of the wicked. He was made sin. and he made his grave with the wicked.

Where is he? On that day he hung upon the cross as a guilty sinner, cast out as a criminal, hung between two thieves, forsaken of all, forsaken of all men. Even his friends, his disciples, stood afar off. And his own father, laying upon him the sins of the elect, making him to be sin, forsook him, turned his face against him. He was always there, but he beat his son as the sinner. in the darkness.

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

He was cast out, hated, despised, rejected by all. Where is he? Where is he? Having shed his blood, having been pierced in the side by one of the soldiers with a spear, and forthwith came thereout blood and water, having proven that he was dead. Having laid down his life, Christ was taken down and buried. He made his grave with the wicked. He was buried.

But where is he now? To Zophar, the wicked shall all perish. The Jews thought that Christ perished upon the cross. And yet, on the first day of the week, early in the morning, the women, the disciples, came to the tomb and found the stone rolled away. It was empty. He had risen. He arose victorious over sin, death and hell. He blotted out the sins of his people. He'd taken sin away. He'd brought in everlasting righteousness. He'd made his people to be the righteousness of God in him. He rose victorious. He conquered sin, He conquered death, He conquered hell, He conquered all His enemies, all His people's enemies, He took them all away. And all His people crucified with Him. Paul says, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. All His people crucified with Him, rose with Him victorious. and they ascended with him into glory above. and sat down with Him in heavenly places. A righteous people, a delivered people. Once they were blind, but now they see. And they see their Saviour and they will see Him forevermore. As they cast their crowns down before His throne, they will rejoice in Him forever.

Where is He? Where is He now? In glory. victorious, ascended in power and victory, in glory with his people, every one of them. Where is he? With his people in glory, with Job. With Job, who was cast out by all men, but loved of God eternally, in Christ forever. He's there with His Redeemer, there today with His Redeemer, like poor Mephibosheth. He is sat at the King's table rejoicing in Christ's salvation and His free deliverance from sin.

Where is He? Christ is in that people and they are in Him. eternally united, forever one. Job is in glory with Him. Job is seated in heavenly places on high today. And at the same time, Christ dwells in His people here on earth. Everyone for whom He died is seated in glory with Him, victorious. And at the same time, He's in them on the earth. He's in his people, in the midst of their suffering, on dust and ashes, as it were, they may be just where Job sat here in desperate straits, and yet Christ, the King of glory, is in them, saying unto them in their heart and spirit, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Where is he? Where is Christ? in the temple, preaching and teaching his gospel, in the midst of his people. Where is he? Where will you find him? You'll find him in the gospel, in the preaching of the gospel, in the midst of his people.

In Romans 10, we read of where Where is Christ? Who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above? Who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead? Where is he? Scripture says, what does it say? The word is neither even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is the word of faith which we preach. He's in that word, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek. For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Where is he in this gospel? In this Gospel that declares, I know my Redeemer liveth. Where will you find Christ? In this Gospel. In the hearts of his people.

Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Have you found Christ? Or are you just looking upon Him and His people and His preachers as those that deserve death like the wicked do? Do you say, I see and I'm righteous and all is well with me, but cast them out, the blasphemers, those that dishonour God. We see, like Zophar saw, like the Jews saw.

Is that you saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews, that you might put him to death in your heart? Or has God come to you in the gospel like a blind man born blind, and come and touched your eyes and made you see? And is your cry then, where is he? Because your heart longs for Christ. You must have him. You must know him. You must see him by faith.

Behold the Lamb of God. Oh God, send us the gospel, not in word only, but in power, in the heart, that when we cry, where is he? we may see and know our Saviour Jesus Christ, and be able to say, one thing I know, whereas I was blind, now I see, and I know that my Redeemer liveth.