Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Job. Job chapter 1. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Our Father, we thank you this
evening for this blessed time to be able to assemble ourselves
together Having been gathered by You, we know that, Lord, according
to Your Word and promise, You're in our presence, allowing us
to be in Your presence. Would You bless the Gospel this
evening? Help us to hear, help us to worship,
for Christ's sake. Amen. Job chapter 1 and verse 1, declares
that there was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And that man was perfect. He was a believer. He was perfect
not in himself, but in the Lord Jesus Christ. This man was upright. He was fair in his dealings with
men. One that feared God, he was devoted
in his worship to the Lord. And he was a man that eschewed
evil. He was careful in his walk. He was mindful of his conversation
before men and did it as unto the Lord. And the Scripture says
in verse 6 of chapter 1, Now there was a day, when the sons
of God came to present themselves before the Lord. And Satan came
also among them, and the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest
thou? And Satan answered the Lord,
and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking
up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan,
Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like
him in the earth?" A perfect an upright man, one that feareth
God and escheweth evil. Then Satan answered the Lord
and said, Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast not thou made an
hedge about him, about his house, about all that he hath on every
side? I was blessed the work of his hands, and his substance
is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now,
and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.'
And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in
thy power, only upon himself. Put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the
presence of the Lord." Now I'm going to tell you before I go
any farther, Job is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Job is a picture of Him truly
who is perfect, upright, one that escheweth evil, fears God. There's none like Him in all
the earth. And the Scripture says in chapter
1, verse 20, 22, There was a time when the sons
of man came and sons of God came and presented themselves and
Satan told the Lord, when the Lord said, have you considered
my servant Job? Satan said, yeah, but you've
hedged him about. You've got him protected. Tell
you what, everything that he touches, you cause it to increase. You put forth thine hand. Touch
what he has and he'll curse you to your face. Well, the Lord
gave Satan liberty. And I won't read all the verses
because I'm going to go through the book of Job, different parts. But the Lord allowed Satan to
touch Job's substance. And the Scripture says in one
day, you read this through the next few verses in there, one
day Job lost his livestock, his servants, and his kids. One day,
all of it was gone. And this is what Job had to say.
Job 1 verse 20, And Job arose and rent his mantle, shaved his
head, fell down upon the ground, and worshipped and said, Naked
came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. Thither
the Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name
of the Lord. In all this, Job sinned not,
nor charged God foolishly. He was a man that feared God.
Worship God. Job chapter 2, verses 1 to 10. Again, there was a day when the
sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came
also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord
said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered
the Lord and said, From going to and fro in the earth, from
walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan,
Hast thou considered my servant Job? that there is none like
him in the earth, a perfect upright man, one that feareth God, escheweth
evil. Still he holdeth fast his integrity,
although thou movest me against him to destroy him without cause.
And Satan answered the Lord and said, Skin for skin, yea, all
that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine
hand now and touch his bone, his flesh, he will curse thee
to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan,
Behold, he is in thine hand, but save his life. So went Satan
forth from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore
balls from the sole of his foot to his crown. He took him a posture
and scraped himself withal. He sat down among the ashes.
Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine
integrity? Curse God and die. And he said
unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh."
What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we
not receive evil? And all this did not Job sin
with his lips. Next, you can read the account
again for the sake of time. Three of Job's friends heard
about Job's adversity and came to mourn with him and comfort
him and rattled out a part of that In the second chapter right
there, they came and seeing his grief, scripture says, verse
12 and 13, when they lifted up their eyes afar off, they knew
him not. Lifted up their voice and wept,
and they rent everyone his mantle and sprinkled dust upon their
heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon
the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word
unto him, for they saw that his grief was very great. The Scripture declares in chapter
3, verse 11, that Job began to lament. He never charged God
with foolishness. But he said this, and let me
just say this, Job is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But I heard Brother Henry Mahan say one time, no picture is ever
a perfect picture of Christ. You understand that. Job's a
picture. You'll see that. And I'll tell
you another thing you'll see in here and I'll just tell you
so you can be watching for it. Job's a picture of the Lord Jesus
Christ and the three friends that we see that treats Job with
so much disrespect is a picture of us. Now you watch. We're going
to read and see how these friends, what their attitude was until
the very end. Third chapter, 11th verse, this
is what Job has to say with all of the adversity. Why died I
not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost
when I came out of the belly? Job was in himself a frail creature,
just like we. Then in chapter 4, Job's friends
began to go through the rest of the book I'll show you parts
of this as we go. He began to charge Job with hypocrisy. Look at chapter 4 verses 1 to
6 as I read these words and I'll show you. Remember now the scripture
refers to them as Job's friends. And I'll tell you this, we were
all born The elect of God were all born children of wrath, even
as others. Not under the wrath of God, but
wrathful children against the Lord. Scripture says in Job chapter
4 verses 1 to 6, Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, answered and said,
If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? But who
can withhold himself from speaking? Behold, thou hast instructed
many, Thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have
uphold in him that was falling, and Thou hast strengthened the
feeble knees. But now it has come upon Thee,
and Thou faintest. It touches Thee, and Thou art
troubled. Is not this Thy fear?" The Scriptures
said that Job was a man that feared God. And here's now Eliphaz,
his friend. Is this Thy fear? Thy confidence,
thy hope, the uprightness of thy ways." Here he is, he begins
to rail upon Job and Job's adversity. He starts to call him a fraud,
a hypocrite. He starts to tell Job that all
of this came upon him because of the iniquity. that was found
in Job. He said, I know that you're guilty.
Something's wrong here. And after this first friend just
rode Job hard for his supposed hypocrisy, and the next friend
jumps in. Jump over to chapter 8. Job chapter
8, verse 1 to 6. Here's the next friend. Then
answered Bildad, the Shuhite, and said, how long Wilt thou
speak these things? How long shall the words of thy
mouth be like a strong wind? Doth God pervert judgment? Doth
the Almighty pervert justice? If thy children have sinned against
Him, and He hath cast them away for their transgression, if thou
wouldst seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to
the Almighty, if thou wert pure and upright, surely now He would
awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness
prosperous." Now here's Bildad. railing on Job just like Eliphaz
did, and even insinuating when the Lord was pleased to allow
Satan to take his kids. Here is this man Bildad insinuating
that the death of his children was judgment from God. One is supposed to have been
upright, and look what you're going through. But oh, listen
to the words of a believer, one that's sure of the Lord's goodness
and mercy. You know, truly, if the Lord
be for us, who can be against us? Look at chapter 9, verses
1 to 4. Then Job answered, and he said,
I know it is so of a truth. But how should man be just with
God? If he will contend with him,
he cannot answer him one of a thousand. He is wise in heart, mighty in
strength. Who hath hardened himself against
him and hath prospered?" Here Job said, he said, I am deserving
of whatever I receive. He said there in verse 3, He
said, if He will contend with him who He cannot answer him
one of a thousand, what He said is this, if I had to answer for
one sin out of a thousand, if I had to answer for one, I'd
have no hope what sinner can prosper by hardening himself
against the all-wise and almighty God. A sinner can do nothing
but plead for mercy. Lord, have mercy upon me. And
it's by the grace of God that he does that. It takes a new
heart for that. You know, some might say, I don't
deserve to be going through all this. My friend, we've received
much less as the children of God, much less than we deserve. Christ was made sin for us. He who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. What a believer receives
in this life, the scripture reveals to be loving chastisement. And then Job cries unto the Lord
for relief. Look at chapter 10, verses 1
and 2. He said, my soul is weary of
my life. I will leave my complaint upon
myself. I will speak in the bitterness
of my soul." Look at chapter 7, "...thou knowest that I am
not wicked. There is none that can deliver out of thine hand."
Job here says nothing more when he says, you know I'm not wicked.
He's saying this, Lord, I mean in himself. All of us were born,
you know, sinners, rebels against God. But Job is saying, Lord,
I've not intentionally, knowingly, lovingly sinned against You. A believer knows what he is by
nature. And I am a sinner. You are too.
But I'm telling you the truth. Job is saying, I don't seek. I don't seek to be a hypocrite
as I've been accused. I don't want to be a hypocrite
before you. I want to be faithful. Look at
chapter 10 verse 8 to 13. Job says, Thine hands have made
me. and fashioned me together round about, yet thou dost destroy
me. Remember, I beseech thee, that
thou hast made me as the clay, and wilt thou bring me into the
dust again? Hast thou not poured me out as
milk, and curled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin
and flesh. Thou hast fenced me with bones
and sinews. Thou hast granted me life and
favor. and thy visitation hath preserved
my spirit, and these things hast thou hid in thine heart. I know
that this is with thee." Job is saying, Lord, you made me
flesh the first time. You made me new in Christ. You
clothed me in righteousness. And now you visit me every day
in grace, in mercy. And after Job's respectful bowing
to the Lord, The third friend starts in chapter 11, verse 1
to 4. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite
and said, should not the multitude of words be answered? And should
a man full of talk be justified? Should thy lies make men hold
their peace? And when thou mockest, shall
no man make thee ashamed? For thou has said, my doctrine's
pure, and I'm clean. in thine eyes. Is there no end
to man's unkindness and rebellion? Not merely, it's so. These three friends, how they
treated and mistreated Job. But oh, stop and just get the
truth that's been set forth here. This is you and me by nature. This is us. If you want to know
what we are, you say, I can't even believe that they're that
unkind. We're all, we're all as evil,
evil, evil. There's none good, no not one. There's none righteous, no not
one. There is no end. There is no
depth to man's rebellion. And then in chapter 16, Job pleads
for more tenderness from his friends and expresses how unkind
they've been to him. Look at Job chapter 16, verse
1 to 6. Job 16. Then Job answered and said, I
have heard many such things. Miserable comforters are you
all. Shall vain words have an end?
Or what emboldened thee that thou answerest? I also could
speak as you do. If your soul were in my stead,
my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you and shake
mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with
my mouth and the moving of my lips should assuage your grief. Though I speak, my grief is not
assuaged. And though I forbear, what am
I is truly a man of sorrows. The Lord Jesus Christ was acquainted
with grief. And then Job proclaims his hope
in the Lord Jesus. Job 16, 19-22. And now, behold,
my witness is in heaven. My record's on high. My friends
scorn me. But mine eye poureth out tears
unto God. Oh, that one might plead for
a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbor. When a few
years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not
return." And then in chapter 18, that railing starts all over
again. 18 verses 1 to 3. Then answered
Bildad the Shuhite and said, how long? Will it be ere thou
make an end of words? Mark, and afterwards we will
speak. Wherefore are we counted as beast
and reputed vile in thy sight? Then look at chapter 19, verses
1 to 7. Then Job answered and said, how
long will you vex my soul and break me in pieces with these
words? These 10 times have you reproached me. You're not ashamed
that you make yourselves strange to me. And be it indeed that
I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself. If indeed ye will
magnify yourselves against me, plead against me my reproach,
know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with
his net. Behold, I cry out of wrong, but
I am not heard, I cry aloud, there is no judgment." Here Job
declares that that which should have stopped the cruelty He says,
my afflictions are from the Lord. You know, He has afflicted me. God Almighty was pleased to bruise
Him. It was the Lord that bruised
Him. Look at chapter 19. Verse 13 to 21, He hath put my
brethren far from me, mine acquaintance very estranged from me. My kinfolk
have failed, my familiar friends have forgotten me. They that
dwell in mine house and my maids count me for a stranger, I'm
an alien in their sight. I called my servant. He gave
me no answer. I entreated him with my mouth.
My breath is strange to my wife, though I entreated for the children's
sake of mine own body. Yea, young children despise me.
I arose and they spake against me. All my inward friends abhorred
me. They whom I loved or turned against
me. My bone cleaveth to my skin,
to my flesh. I'm escaped with the skin of
my teeth. Have pity upon me. Have pity upon me, O ye my friends,
for the hand of God hath touched me." I just read these words
and I think these truly are the words of our precious Savior,
who bore our guilt in His own body. made our sins to be his
own. My sins, my sins, he said, have
taken hold upon me. And then Job gives one of the
greatest exclamations of faith recorded by a man's suffering.
at the hand of His loving God. Job chapter 19, verse 25-27. He says, for I know. Five things
He's going to say, I know, I know, I know. First thing right here,
He says, I know that my Redeemer liveth. Job in himself. Job was a sinner. A sinner in
need of redemption. His redeemer is the Lord Jesus
Christ, God himself in human flesh. Abraham told Isaac when
asked him, said, well, here's the fire, here's wood, where's
the lamb? Abraham said, my son, God will
provide himself a lamb. God will provide himself a lamb.
Job set forth, he said, I know this. I know that my Redeemer
liveth. Here's the second thing he knew.
He's coming back. He's coming back. Now these words
were written before the Lord Jesus Christ ever came the first
time. But look at the prophecy he set forth. I know that my
Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day. latter day upon the earth, He's
coming back to receive His own unto Himself. For all that He's
everlastingly loved, all the elect that were given Him in
the Lord Jesus Christ, our precious Savior, came into this world
made of a woman, made under the law, walk before God Almighty
in absolute obedience before God, earning the righteousness
with which we're robed. He said, I know this, my Redeemer,
the One that died for me, laid down His life for me, the One
that shed His blood for me is coming back. Then he said thirdly,
he said this, I know that I'm going to die. He said in verse
26, and though after my skin worms destroy this body, I know
this, I'm going to go to the ground. I know that I'm going
back to the dust. But he says this, fourthly, I
know that I'm going to rise again in newness of life. Though after
my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God. I'm coming out of the ground.
What great revelation that God Almighty would give this man
a revelation of the resurrection. And then fifthly, he said, I
know that I anxiously await seeing Him. Look at verse 27, Whom I
shall see for myself. And mine eyes shall behold, and
not another, though my reins be consumed within me." The margin
gives good explanation of this. If you have a margin, it says
my reins, my very being, my heart, my desire. My reins within me
are consumed with earnest desire for that day. He said, I know
he's coming back, and I anxiously anticipate it. Psalm 34 19 says,
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth
him out of them all. Now in conclusion, until the
end of this chapter, end of this book really, Job's friends continued
to be resentful and self-righteous, railing upon Job These three
friends, as I said, at no point did this book ever refer to them
to anything other than Job's friends. What did the Lord Jesus
Christ say concerning us? He said, I don't call you servants.
I call you friends. The friend of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the one that the Lord Jesus Christ reveals the words
of the Father to. You're my friends. Before we
were called out of darkness, before we were regenerated by
the grace of God, were we His friends then? God doesn't change. God doesn't change. We've always
been His friends. We've always been His bride. We've always been His elect.
We've always been His sheep. These were friends. But God Almighty, mercifully
and as disrespectfully as they were to Job, And it's Job maintained,
oh what a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who did
only always those things that pleased the Father. And Job maintained
by God's grace, his integrity. And I want you to turn now to
Job 42. Job 42. And I want you to look at something
so beautiful, so merciful. I'm reading this account of these
three friends, and I know in themselves, I know
what they deserve. They deserve just exactly what
I deserve. Judgment. That's what they deserved. For
the way they treated Job, oh, but the way we treated the Lord
Jesus. But I want you to look at Job 42. Verse 79, God mercifully,
mercifully, He could have left them alone, but let me show you
a beautiful, beautiful revelation of truth, of God's mercy to His
people. Job 42, verse 79, And it was
so that after the Lord had spoken these words with Job, the Lord
said unto Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath, my anger, I looked
at my anger. is kindled against thee, and
against thy two friends. For ye have not spoken of me,
the thing that is right, as my servant Job has. Therefore, take
unto you now seven bullocks, seven rams, and go to my servant
Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering, and my servant
Job shall pray for you. For him will I accept, lest I
deal with you after your folly. in that ye have not spoken to
me the thing which is right, like my servant Job." My goodness,
does that not preach? I mean, just read it. The God
Almighty was merciful unto these three friends of Job that had
treated him with so much disrespect, but the Lord was pleased to have
a sacrifice. A burnt offering, a sacrifice
was given. for these three friends of Job,
and he said, I'm going to have mercy on you for Job's sake.
For Job's sake. Job's going to pray for you.
And I'm going to hear Job. You've not been respectful. You've not acted as you ought
to. but I'm going to hear Job for your sake. Oh, may the Lord
Jesus Christ have mercy upon us for Christ's sake. In ourselves,
we have nothing to offer, nothing to plead, no good works, none
whatsoever. And a believer is honest about
that. Lord, I come unto you as a needy
sinner against you. Lord, if you marked iniquity,
Who should say it? May the Lord bless these words
to our heart for Christ's sake.