We're looking at the book of
Job, but let's first look at Luke 24. I want to remind you
what our Lord said. And anyone who hasn't been in
on this, we finished the Gospel of Luke, and at the end of that
Gospel, Luke chapter 24, And our Lord, remember, he said
this in Luke 24, 44. He said unto them and us, these
are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law
of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning
me. Then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the scripture. and said unto them,
Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer
and rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these
things, the things of Christ. And so we started going through
the Old Testament. We're going through all of the
books. and preaching, teaching what we believe our Lord may
have taught them on that road to Emmaus. So that's what we're
doing. Now we come to the book of Job. Turn there. The book of Job is our next book
in our study. We've been looking at all the
old books. Job is the oldest book in the Bible. Did you know
that? Most believe that. He lived during
the time of Abraham. And it's only fitting or surely
the first book of the Bible must surely speak of Christ. The last book certainly does,
the Revelation. And Christ even said of himself,
I am the first and the last. The first words in the book,
God's book, the Bible, in the beginning, God. Well, that's
Christ, isn't it? The last words in the Bible,
Revelation 22, 22. I wonder if anybody caught that
in my notes. You say there's no verse 22.
Yes, there is. It's the little words at the
bottom that say, the end. The end. He's the beginning,
he's the end, and everything in between. The whole book, the
Bible, is the book of Christ. He's even called the Word. Isn't it? The Word was made flesh. The Word, the Bible, Jesus Christ
is the Bible personified. So Job, the whole book of Job,
surely represents our Lord Jesus Christ. His name, Job's name,
means hated, persecuted. Job was perfect and
upright, yet he was persecuted. What a picture he is of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the perfect yet persecuted. Man, look at Job
1 verse 1. There was a man in the land of
Uz whose name was Job. And that man was perfect and
upright, one that feared God and eschewed evil. And it went
on to talk about his greatness. There's none greater in all the
earth. What a picture of Christ he is. So the Lord started out
by saying there was a man named Job. Perfect, upright, feared
God, eschewed evil, but hated. persecuted in the end. In our
story, and then God said it again in verse 8, the Lord said unto
Satan, hast thou considered my servant Job? There's none like
him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth
God and escheweth evil. So God declared it once and twice. This book, as we said, this book
bears his name. And Christ is the Word. And the whole book declares or
sets forth the God-man, Jesus Christ. The whole book. Perfect. Just. None like Him. There's never been one like Him
before or since. And God has spoken once, yea,
twice. Most men don't perceive it. Perceiveth
it not. Old Testament, how many times
have you heard it? We're so blessed to know this.
The Old Testament says, this is the whole story of the Old
Testament, beginning with verse 1. Someone's coming. And the
whole Old Testament is about this someone in type and picture
and shadows and symbols and all of everything in the Old Testament
points to Jesus Christ. Every prominent person absolutely
represents Christ. Adam, Abel, on and on it goes. Even some women, like Esther. Everything speaks of Christ. Abraham saw his day. Job. knew
his Redeemer, Moses wrote of him, all the prophets, all the
apostles, every person, place, and thing, and story in the Bible
was purposed and written by God concerning his son, the Old Testament. In the New Testament, God spoke
once, twice, God in sundry times and diverse manners, spoken unto
the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto
us by his son. God says he's here. Sent the
angels of heavenly hope to earth to announce he's here, the Christ,
the one prophesied of. He's here to do what? to suffer, to die, to save His
people, put away sin, bring in an everlasting righteousness,
set up His kingdom, bring His people in that kingdom, finish
the work. So the whole book is Christ,
isn't it? It's Christ. And Job was declared
and set forth by our Lord, by God, twice. Twice. And so was our Lord Jesus Christ.
God the Father spoke out loud only twice in the New Testament.
That is, to men. He spoke three times. The third
time was to his son. When Christ said, Father, glorify
thy name, he said, I have glorified it, I will glorify it again.
He spoke to the son. But to men, at his baptism and
at his transfiguration, To man, God spoke twice, this is my beloved
son, here he him. That's all God has to say to
mankind. This is my beloved son. Hear
him. He's the only mediator, the only
advocate, the only daisman, the only one God deals with men through. The only name given under heaven,
given among men, whereby we must be saved. So God set him forth
and declared him to be His perfect, well-beloved Son. There is none
like Him. Listen to Romans 3. This is what Romans 3 says. Whom
God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood. Now
listen. To declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that
are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, He
said it twice. Did you hear me the first time?
I'm going to tell you again. To declare, I say, His righteousness. That God might be just and the
justifier of them that believe in Jesus. So God set forth Job,
declared Job as a just man, a perfect man, an upright man. Job is a
type of Christ whom God set forth and brought here to be our Lord
and our Savior. All right, look at chapter 1,
verse 6. There was a day when the sons
of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came
also among them. Just as Satan Not in the very
beginning. In the very beginning, it was
just God. Satan's a created being. And somewhere in the beginning
of time, Satan and his angels were created. And he was there.
Verse 7, the Lord said to Satan, 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. I think, I believe the Lord's
mocking Satan. He knows exactly what he was
doing and where he is. He's under his control. He can't
go, Satan's no free agent. No, no, he's not free at all.
He does what God allows him to do. He goes where God tells him
to go. Boy, the world hates this, but
God, we love it. The Lord said unto Satan, Hast
thou considered my servant Job? He presented Job to Satan. There's
nothing like him in the earth. perfect upright man, one that
fears God and is just evil. Satan said, does Job fear God
for naught, for nothing? Hast thou not made a hedge about
him and his house, about all he hath on every side? Ye have
blessed the work of his hand, his substance is increased in
the land. Job knew something of his greatness.
He knew that God made him great. What all Satan knew and knows,
we don't know. He's not omniscient. I hesitate. His principality and power is
spiritual wickedness in high place, but I can say this truthfully
that he's a fool because he's fighting against God. And anybody
that fights God is a fool. But he is, he does, he did. What
a fool. But he's wise to do evil, and
he's smarter than we are. But at any rate, he was there
in the beginning, and Christ is called the Lamb slain before
the foundation of the world. Christ was with the Father in
the beginning, at the right hand of God. And God purposed this,
for Christ to come, and Adam all died. You know the story,
Satan tempted Adam and Eve, and they fell, and Adam all died.
Well, then Christ's all going to be made alive. And Christ
is going to come, and that was predestined long before the world
ever began that Christ would come down here, the second Adam,
and be tempted by Satan. That's why I say Satan is not
omniscient. He just doesn't know, or else
he wouldn't have. here you know here's the thing
I want to see it before we look at how Christ was tried by Satan. Turn to Job 12, Job chapter 12. Job chapter 12. And I read through
the whole book in preparation for this. And I've seen this
but I forgot about it. You have it, Job chapter 12.
Now, God said Job spoke that which
was right concerning him, didn't it? Job started justifying himself
and spoke wrong. When you justify yourself, you
speak wrong. But you justify God when you
speak of God. And Job spoke that. God said
that he spoke that which was right concerning him. So what
Job said about God was right. Okay? Now look at this. Job 12.16. With God is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are His. Look at, you know this, Proverbs
16. Proverbs 16, you know these verses,
I know you do, but I want you to look at it. Remember where
it is. Proverbs 16, I've often said
that if a person would just read this, it would change their theology. Proverbs 16, the whole chapter
is marvelous in it. Verse 1, the preparation of the
heart in man, answer of the tongue is from the Lord. Remember the
verse that says the king's heart is in the hands of the Lord.
Like the rivers of water, he turneth it with us so that we
will. The heart, mind you, the will, the mind, the words. Look at verse 4. The Lord hath
made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked, for the
day of evil. You read verses like that, and
I'm sure they've changed this in modern version. Surely they
have, because they can't understand. Isaiah 45, where the Lord said,
I make peace, I create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things.
This is the God of the Bible. Satan is completely under his
absolute sovereign control. Everything, good and evil, is
under the control of our God and in his purpose. Working out
His purpose. Working all things together for
His glory and the good of God's people. Everything. All the evil. You believe that? How could anybody
have any peace or comfort or hope? Why would anybody need
a God who's a bystander, who doesn't want things to happen
and they happen anyway? That's a God that can't save. That's
a God that's not God. Our God is God. Absolute sovereign
over everything. Everything that happened to Job,
God sent it. Though it was through Satan.
Though it was through men. Okay? The greatest declaration
of how that evil serves God's purpose is seen in Calvary. And that's what the apostles
preached. You with wicked hands have taken and crucified the
Lord of glory. But you did what God determined
before to be done. That's the greatest proof, ultimate
proof. Because that was the greatest
act of wickedness and evil ever on this earth. And Satan was
right in the middle of it. But God did it. It says it pleased
the Lord to Bruce. He had put him to grief. And
men were his instruments. Satan was his instrument. So, that our, that Job said about,
uh, Job, Satan said about Job, you've hedged him about. I can't
touch him. Satan knew that. And we need
to know that for our peace and our comfort. Job knew that. Job
knew that. Job didn't blame the Sabaeans.
Job didn't blame the Chaldeans. Job glorified God for everything
evil that happened to him. Look at it. Chapter 1. Go back
there. Christ, our Lord, was tried by God, like Job, tried
by Satan, tried by man, by everyone. His friends turned against Him.
His family turned against Him. But in all this, verse 22, in
all this, Job sinned not. Chapter 1, verse 22. Job sinned
not. Really? That's what God said. Well, Christ is the sinless one,
isn't He? He's the sinless one. When our
Lord came, the first thing He did as a man was face Satan. It was tried by Satan. I was
going to have you turn there, but you know the verse where
Satan said, all this power is given unto me. Well, Christ was
tempted in all points, like as we are, yet without sin. He's the sinless one. You see,
He's our representative. He's our only hope. He's our
Savior. We're tempted in all points and
fail. But Isaiah wrote long before,
He shall not fail. It's all in His hands, you see.
Our salvation. In fact, the whole, as we say,
shooting match. The whole universe is in His
hands. And I'm glad. Aren't you glad? So glad. My times are in His
hands. My God, that's where I want them
to be. So the Lord tried Job through Satan, through men, the
Sabaeans, the Chaldeans, everybody came against Him, family, friends
all turned against Him. Our Lord was tempted and tried
by Satan, despised and rejected of men, smitten and afflicted
by men, yet even God turned against Him. Lamentation, I know you know
this, Lamentation 3, but this is another one of those that
you need to know where it is. There's some key verses, there
are 100,000 key verses, a million. They're all key verses, but oh,
this is surely. Speaking of our Lord, Lamentations
3, look at it. Lamentations 3, the first three
verses, I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of
God's wrath. He hath led me and brought me
into darkness, not unto light. Surely against me is he turned. He turned his hand against me. Who's that speaking? Not Jeremiah,
but Christ, Jesus Christ. Now, I want you to see some things
with me in Job. Job 13. Let's just browse through
here and see how clearly Job represents our Lord. Job 13. Do you know this verse? You need to know where it is.
We quote it all the time. Job 13. Now, these verses surely
speak of our Lord. And we can enter into them. Job 13, 15. Though He slay me,
yet will I trust Him. Remember in the garden, our Lord
prayed, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless,
God's going to slay His Son. God's going to slay the lamb,
his son. He knew that. Christ knew that. God spared not his son. He slew
his own son, like he told Abraham to do. God did. But yet look
at this, verse 15, but I will maintain my own ways before him. And that Job spoke wrongly about
himself, didn't he? But he spoke truly of Christ.
Job 23. Go over there. Job 23. I want
you to see how so much of what Job said is really Christ speaking. Job 23, 10. Look at that. Job 23, 10. He knoweth the way
that I take when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. That's true of God's people,
but it's never more true than of our Lord Jesus Christ. Gold,
silver, and precious stones are Christ himself. Job was just
a man, though perfect, upright, as a type of Christ. But what
so much, chapter 19, go back there, chapter 19, so much of
what Job said, you just read that with me. Look at these verses. This is amazing, people. It's
amazing. Amazing. Job 19. Job is speaking of what all God
did to him. Verse 6, you have it? Job 19,
6. Know now that God hath overthrown me and hath encompassed me with
his net. Verse 8. He hath fenced up my
way that I cannot pass. He hath set darkness in my path.
He hath stripped me of my glory. Taken the crown from my head.
God had a crown of thorns put on him. Took the crown from his
head. He left glory. I took the crown
from his head and put a crown of thorns on his head. Verse
11. Verse 11. He hath kindled his
wrath against me. And he counted me unto him as
one of his enemies. Verse 13. He hath put my brethren
far from me, my acquaintance. Strange from me, verse 14, my
kinsfolk have failed, my familiar friends have forgotten. Verse
19, all my inward friends have formed me. They whom I loved
are turned against me. My bone cleaveth to my skin.
That's Psalm 22, isn't it? Verse 21, have pity on me, my
friend. Have pity upon me, O you my friend.
The hand of God hath touched me. That's Christ. Job knew that for his comfort.
What was Job's hope? I cannot leave this chapter without
reading this. Oh, that my words were written
in a book. They are, Job. And your words,
you may not know it. But they're the words of Christ.
You're a Redeemer. Verse 25, I know my Redeemer
liveth, and that he'll stand at the latter day upon the earth.
He did, Job. He did. Job saw Him go to earth. Job saw Him with his own eye.
There He is. I spoke things too wonderful
for me. Chapter 29 of Job. Look at this. I'm almost finished. My half hasn't been told, though.
This is a long book. Job 29, 11. Job speaking of his greatness,
his former greatness. In this chapter, he's speaking
of what all he was and had before the Lord turned against him.
Okay? Now listen to this as a type
of cry. Job 29, verse 11. The ear heard me, it blessed
me. The eye saw it, it gave witness to me. Our Lord left glory where
the angels gave him all glory and honor. And if he opened his
mouth, they heard him. Everybody got quiet. Read on,
verse 12, I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless, and
had none to help him. Verse 13, the blessing of him
that was ready to perish came upon me. I caused the widow's
heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness. It clothed me. My judgment was
a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, feet
to the lame, father to the poor. I broke the jaws of the wicked. That's Christ. Now Job justified
himself wrongly. That's what Elihu dealt with
him about. God did too. But as a type of
Christ, as a clear type of Christ right here, our Lord justified
himself. He stood before men and said,
which of you convinces me of sin? You see, Job's friends turned
against him and thought, surely you've done something wrong.
And he ended up defending himself. No, I haven't. No, God did this. Where he was wrong was to keep
justifying himself because he's a sinner. He's just a man. And
his sin was justifying himself. But he did say, I'm innocent,
as a type of Christ who stood before everyone. Who convinces
me of sin? Done no wrong. Even his enemies
say, I find no fault in it. They had to drum up charges.
They had to drum up false witnesses. Satan couldn't find anything. God couldn't. I'm well pleased
for his righteousness. Satan couldn't. Men and devils
couldn't. He's the just one. And it's just
one. It's Jesus Christ. You see, He's
our Head, our Covenant Head. It's going to be in the next
message. The Christ is what this means. And Job is such a picture
of Him. All right, now look at this.
I'll close. justified in the end and accepted
by God and declared to all of Job's friends and everyone around,
this is the man that I accept. And you're going to come to him
and he's going to pray for you. And I'm not going to accept you,
except you come to him. Now you want to tell me who that
represents? Chapter 42, in the end. Chapter 42. Now remember,
the first chapter began, the first verse began, there was
a man. And the last verse in this book says, so Job died. Christ died, according to the
Scripture. But, he liveth. Chapter 42, verse
7. It was so, after the Lord had
spoken to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath
is kindled against thee and against thy two friends. Now if you read, he said, you
have not spoken the thing that is right, as my servant Job had. God's wrath abideth on the ungodly. Right? Me and only know John
3, 6, 8. God so loved the world. They
don't know John 3, 36. You do. You do. He that believeth not
on the Son, the wrath of God abideth on him. Not the love
of God. But those in Christ, those who
know Christ, those who need Christ, those who believe Christ, believe
on Christ, not just believe in Jesus, but believe on Christ,
cast all their care, all their sins, all their hope of salvation
on Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. There is no condemnation. There is no wrath. There is no
judgment. In Christ, no wrath. Outside of Christ, God is a consuming
fire. And God told these men this.
My servant Job has spoken right. You haven't. Now, he says, take
seven bullocks and seven rams. Take a sacrifice and go with
him. And Job, my servant Job, verse 8, read it with me. My
servant Job shall pray for you, and him will I accept, for I
will deal with you after your father." So God told these men,
these friends, friends, my own familiar friend, oh but Christ
is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother. He didn't forsake,
Job didn't forsake his friends. But God had this happen because
of a picture of Christ. God says concerning His Son,
this is My beloved Son, hear Him. This is My Son who has spoken,
not only spoken that which is right concerning Me, but done
everything right, perfectly, He is righteous. I am well pleased
for His righteousness said. Every word, who shall enter into
the In the halls of heaven and the glory, he that hath clean
hands, a pure heart, and never lifted up his soul unto vanity,
are sworn deceitfully." That's Jesus Christ. I love it. And God says, I'm well pleased
with him. Him will I accept. Him I accept. And you go to him. You come to
him. He offers that sacrifice for
you. He prays for you. I'll accept you in Him. You're complete in Him. And what did these men do? They ran to Job. Fear of the
Lord. The beginning of wisdom was the
fear of the Lord make you do. Run to Christ. And the Lord,
oh my, it was all over. In the end of the book, After
he who was rich, Job, was made poor. And everybody turned against
him. God turned against him. And then everybody came to him. And God justified him. And God
gave him twice as much as he had in the beginning. That's
our Lord. God has given him a name which
is above every name. And God has given him everything
as his inheritance. What a Lord, what a Savior, what
a book.