I would like to look this morning
at this book of Job as a whole. Very seldom do I try to take
an entire book at one time, and we're not going to cover very
much of it, but I would like to look at it as a whole. The
Gospel According to Job. Now, I believe that Job had every
bit of salvation that anybody ever has had, saved by grace,
some wonderful blessed passages of scripture that we go to and
relish in when we read them out of the book of Job. And yet,
I believe the book of Job tells us a wonderful story about the
gospel and where God finds us and encounters us in the process
of bringing us to gospel. Now, there are three verses of
scripture that I'd like to read to say, this is what this kind
of book is about because it speaks of the Lord, speaks of God. And
the first one is found in Job chapter one and verse 21, Job
speaking. Now he's had some problems in
his life and we hear these words out of his mouth that's recorded
for us, the Holy Spirit purposed to have some writer, Job, when
it was written, or the author, is irrelevant. We know that the
one that actually gave these words in its original form was
the Holy Spirit. So thus saith the Lord. In verse
21, after the problems that Job had, he said, 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, and then his final
comment, blessed be the name of Jehovah. What a wonderful
statement he makes here in his time of trouble. Now if you turn
with me to Job chapter 9. In the book of Job chapter 9. Job chapter 9, we find another
one of those verses of scripture that share with us a great deal
about the gospel and about God's purpose of grace and how he saves
his people. And over here, we find that these
words are again found that we often go to and say, we need
someone just like this. We need a daisman. We need a
go-between. We need somebody that will step
in our place and will plead our case because we are unable of
ourselves. And here, neither is there any
daisman betwixt us. We need a daisman, and that daisman
is someone that brings two people that are on outs with each other
into one accord, that might lay his hand upon both of us. And
we truly find this in the person Christ Jesus. He is our daisman. He's the one that reconciles
us to God. He's the one that stands and
speaks for us and also speaks for the Father. So it's a wonderful
verse. And then over in the book of
Job chapter 19 and verse 25, we have these words, and these
are just blessed words when we get to talking about our Redeemer
and the end and what shall happen. What shall happen to a person
that knew the gospel, that knew Christ, God had blessed him with
salvation, and is swamped in a boat, dropped over the edge
of a boat, Fish come along and consume him, what's going to
happen? Well, we have Job commenting on that too. For it says here
in Job chapter 19 and verse 25, these words, for I know, and
I love the conviction that we find in Job's words in that verse
of scripture. I know that my Redeemer live
us. Now he's speaking about a Redeemer
that hasn't come yet, as we know him in the New Testament, and
continues on, and that he shall stand in the latter day upon
the earth. And though after my skin worms
destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. So what conviction he shares
with us about his faith. God had given him the revelation
that in his salvation, he would see God and it would be in a
special body. Yes, there would be a resurrection.
Yes. And it's brought out in that passage of scripture. So
those verses to me are just outstanding. And there are many others in
the book of Job, but let's for just a moment, think about Job
as the whole book. You know, as we read about Job,
we find that he was extremely blessed. Chapter one, we just
read about the wealth he had, the blessings that he had, all
of the things that God had given him. And you know, that just
reminds me if I go over to Genesis chapter one, or excuse me, to
Adam in Genesis chapter three there, about all that he had
when God gave it to him. The only thing he had to do was
eat fruit. That was his labor, keeping track
of the garden. He had no other responsibility
except worshiping God. He had everything in a condition,
no weeds, no fear of going out into your garden and having a
wild animal come after you. Everything was so settled, so
perfect in all of those ways. And then I look at Job and what
a blessing he had that God had given him. And just like Adam,
I look at Job and I say, my goodness, God purposed him to fall. Job
had everything that he owned taken away from him. There was
nothing left. And we find that that is true
about Adam, that everything he had, spiritually speaking, was
taken away from him because of the fall. He no longer had fellowship
with God. He no longer really had fellowship
with his wife. If he had of, he would not have
blamed her for all the problems he was in. He had nothing left. Every fiber of his being was
involved in the fall. His body, mind, and soul fell
when he awoke. eat of that forbidden fruit.
There was not one strand of his DNA that was not affected, not
one cell of his body that was not affected, not one drop of
his blood that was not affected by the fall. And it was a tragic,
tragic event that took place. And yet we find that God in his
great purpose of grace, just like with Job over here, Pete,
there's several people came in and said, there was a strong
wind over here and it destroyed everything. There was the, this
group came over and took all your camels and all your goats
and everything, took everything. And when it came down to it,
he was stripped of every possession that he had. And then the devil
was given permission to strip him of his health. You know,
Adam was never put into a place to have bad health in the original
creation. He never had a pimple. He never
had a toothache. He never turned gray. He never
had any of those problems. And as soon as he ate that fruit,
he brought into the strand of humanity all of the maladies
that we face even today. It's God's cold. It's God's cancer. It's God's COVID. It's God's,
he uses it for his glory, his honor, and his praise. All right,
now, just like we find in our own self, in the book of Job,
it tells us, Job chapter two, all the problems that he's had.
And in Job chapter two, we read these words. And I look at this
and I just say, you know, when we're in that condition, when
we find ourselves in that condition, it doesn't take very long and
religion is going to come along. And religion has the idea that
it can help us. And let's read right here in
Job chapter 2 verse 11. Job chapter 2 and verse 11. Now
when Job's three friends heard all this evil that was come upon
him, they came every one from his own place. Eliphaz the Timonite,
Bildad the Shuhite, Zophar the Nabothite, for they had made
an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort
him. Three friends, three acquaintances
that Job had. And to me, it just speaks so
well of when we're in that condition of being lost and having no help
or no hope or no God in this world, every time something comes
along and says, we can help you. And next verse, and when they
lifted up their eyes afar off, they knew him not. They lifted
up their voice and wept, and they rent everyone his mantle
and sprinkled dust upon their heads towards 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. Now, turn with me to Job chapter
16, if you would. Job chapter 16, verse 2. In Job chapter 16, we find some
time has taken place, and this is Job's comment about those
three friends that came to visit him. Job chapter 16, verse 2. I have heard many such things,
miserable comforters are ye all. You're miserable comforters.
You have nothing to give me any hope. You know, as we look at
it, we find it in religion. And I like what my youngest brother
had to say about religion one time. I didn't talk to him about
it. I wasn't even talking to him. But he came up to me and
he says, Norm, I want you to know this. There's nothing in
religion. And I said, you're right there. There is nothing
in religion. And here we have three friends
that come to comfort Job, but they have no comfort. There's
not a comfortable word in their vocabulary. They have no means
of comfort. They cannot comfort. There is
no comfort that they have. Now, these three guys get to
speak two times. And their conversation is pretty
long. If we look at The first one, Job chapter four,
would you back up there with me to Job chapter four? In Job
chapter four, and I'm not gonna say what these represent, they're
just folks that don't know nothing. It's impossible for them to offer
any comfort, and it's not very long, they begin to pick at Job
and say, you know, the real problem lies with you. You've done something
wrong. You have committed some crime
and God is going to get you for that. Well, I have to go over
there to the New Testament and read about the disciples because
in some ways they carried that same attitude. When there was
a blind man, blind from his mother's womb, and they said, Jesus, friend,
pastor, who sinned over there? They carried the same message
that these three friends of Job brought. Now the Lord's going
to help them a great deal and find out that it's not that way. Jesus said he didn't sin, his
parents didn't sin. Now he didn't say they weren't
sinners. He's simply saying that they didn't sin, some great sin,
and this is the result of it, that this man is born blind.
The result is not that. The reason for it is that God
would be glorified. And so that's what come out of
that. And we're going to find out the same thing here. God's
going to be glorified in this. God's going to be glorified in
Job. God's going to be glorified in a preacher of the gospel.
But these three miserable friends, there's nothing here to help
Job out. In the book of Job chapter four,
verse one, we have this, and Eliphaz the Tin Mine answered
and said, If we say to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? But how can he withhold himself
from speaking? So I have to share something
with you. You know, religion just has to
talk. And they didn't bring any good news. And these three guys,
every one of them is given an opportunity to talk. Job is given
an opportunity to respond. And then they're given an opportunity
again to talk. And Job is given an opportunity
again to respond. And there's chapters of this.
Much of Job is spent on this very thing, about the ill advice
of three, quote unquote, miserable friends, and their attitude towards
Job, and there's nothing that they could do to console him
or help him, because they're blaming him for the problem he's
in. Now, we're in a problem that we're in because of the fall,
and we comment on it by saying, I've sinned by practice, by nature,
and on purpose. It's just the way we are. And
Job, as he stood before his three friends, they're pointing out
everything. This would not have happened if you had not sinned.
Well, thank God Almighty that there is a man that waited for
a turn. Not one of those three. There's
a man that waited for a turn. You know, gospel preachers, you
and I, We just kind of wait for our turn. We don't try to create
anything. We don't try to do any of that.
Now we're thankful when we get the opportunity, but it's not
our job to create it. That has to be God. Paul mentioned
about a door of opportunity. effectual door of opportunity. I read in the book of Revelation
that God has the ability of closing doors that no man can open and
opening doors that no man can close. And I'm thankful for that
part that he can open doors that I can't close. Now, there are
times at that time I wish I could. I wish I could have got away
from it. I wanted that, but he opened a door that I could not
close. Now, at this state, I'm thankful
that he opened a door that I could not close. Your natural will
would have closed every door that he ever put up if that's
what we had the ability of doing. So here we have, in this passage
of scripture, We have somebody that knows something. He's a
gospel preacher. Would you turn with me to the
book of Job chapter 32? He represents the preaching of
the word. And he does not point to Job
and his problems. He points to God. He points to
the Lord. So here in the book of Job chapter
32, I think that's the right words, Job chapter 32, Verse
2. Well, let's read verse 1. So
these three men ceased to answer Job because he was righteous
in his own eyes. Then was Kindle, the wrath of
Elihu, the son of Berechel, the Buzite of the kindred of Ram,
against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himself
rather than God. Also against his three friends
was his wrath, Kendall, because they had found no answer and
yet had condemned Job. They couldn't offer any help.
And that's just the way religion is. It cannot offer us any help. It may make us feel better for
a short time, but it's not very long that feeling better got
over. And you know, I grew up in religion
that if you rededicated your life, you could get that straightened
up. Never did. Wasn't very long,
you're back in the same pit again. So that's just been created by
religion to get people to do something because they've never
been saved to begin with. All right, here it says here,
Now Elihu, verse 4, had waited till Job had spoken, because
they were elder than he. When Elihu saw that there was
no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was
kindled. And Elihu, the son of Berechel,
the Buzite, answered and said, I am young. And ye are very old,
wherefore I was afraid, and durst not show you my opinion. I said
days should speak, and multitudes of years should teach wisdom,
that there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty
giveth them understanding. Great men are not always wise,
neither do the aged understand judgment. So it's not because
of age. It's not because of white hair.
It's not because of moving along in age that we have anything. In fact, to the run of the mill,
they have nothing as they get older. Great men are not always
wise. And then verse 10, therefore
I said, hearken to me and I'll show mine opinion. You know,
as we go down through here, he's the one that speaks about God
in a positive way. He's the one that brings this
to his attention. There's chapters that he brings up here about
this subject. In chapter 33, verse one, would
you turn there with me? Chapter 33, verse one. Wherefore,
Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches and hearken to all my words.
Behold, now I have opened my tongue, my tongue hath spoken
in my mouth. My word shall be of the uprightness
of my heart, and my lip shall utter knowledge clearly. The
Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of Almighty hath given
me life. I want you to know where I'm
coming from. I didn't have this by nature,
and I didn't accumulate it over time. It's been given to me.
Grace has been given to me. The Spirit of God hath made me,
and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. If thou can
answer me, set thy words in order before me, and stand up. Behold,
I am according to the wish in God's stead. I also am formed
out of the clay. Behold, my terror shall not make
thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee. Surely
thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of
the word saying, I am clean without transgression, I am innocent,
neither is there iniquity in me. Behold, he findeth occasion
against me, he counted me for his enemy, he putteth my feet
in the stalks, he marketh all my paths, and it continues on
as Elihu keeps going on and then In chapter 37. I guess I'm just
going to start here with verse 21. And now men see not the bright
light which is in the clouds, but the wind passeth and cleanseth
them. Fair weather cometh out of the
north with God his terrible majesty. Touching the Almighty, we cannot
find him out. He is excellent in power, in
judgment, and in plenty of justice. He will not afflict. Men do therefore
fear him. He respecteth not any that are
wise of heart. What he says here about God. He brings this message to his
friend, Job, and the hearing of those three miserable friends
doesn't change them in the least. There's no change in them, but
we find out from this point on in the rest of this book that
job is dealing with someone he's never in up to this point dealt
with in the book of job now i'm not saying he wasn't saved up
to this point i'm just saying this is an illustration of how
god does his business He finds us almost every time in some
religion that we have taken counsel from and we've had some miserable
friends instruct us in that religion. And then God raises up somebody
who knows something and preaches or teaches or shares with us
the God of heaven. Those three didn't do anything
about that. He's preaching the God of heaven. I'm not here alive
because of me. I'm here alive because of God.
I didn't see before I could see. I see because God gave me sight.
And on and on he goes through this whole process. Well, it's
wonderful as we go on here in this book of Job. In the book
of Job chapter 38, would you look there? This is who we want
to get to. This is who we want to hear about.
And this is who we want speaking it. That friend could not take him
any further. He could talk to him about God.
He could share with him about what God had done for him. He
could do all, preach the gospel, hold God up, lift him up. If
I be lifted up, I'll draw all mine unto me. But he could go
no further. And then in chapter 38, we find
the blessed, blessed part of grace. Then the Lord answered
Job. And that's a hallelujah moment. This is where God gets involved. Now he's been involved with his
three miserable friends. He was involved when Job was
in good shape with all of his possessions. He was involved
when Job fell, if you please, lost all of his possessions.
It was by God's permission and God's purpose. He was involved
when three miserable friends came and gave him all those chapters
of advice and shared with him consistently, you wouldn't be
here if you hadn't done something too bad. Well, that's not why
we're here. And then a man that was silent
for all that nonsense came and says, I've got something to say
about this. And he brought out God, he preached God, he preached
Christ and him crucified, if you please. And then as we find
here, then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and
said, who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a
man, for I will demand of thee and answer thou me. Where wast
thou when I laid the foundation of the world? You know, Job's
learning something here that God lets everybody he ever saves
learn. God is sovereign. He built everything,
if you please, and that includes our spiritual life. Where wast
thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou
hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof?
If thou knowest, or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon
are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof?
He's saying, you didn't. And God's saying, I did. Where
were you in all of this? Oh, or who shut up the sea with
the doors when it break forth, as if it had been issued out
of the womb? When I made the cloud, the garment
thereof, the thick darkness, a swaddling band for it, and
break up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and you
know, we find that this conversation goes on in chapter 38, 39, 40,
and 41, God speaking to Job. God talking to Job about the
greatness of grace, about the greatness of God. This is it. Chapter 41, let's go over there
if you would. Chapter 41 of the book of Job,
and there in verse, let's look at verse 34. He beholdeth all high things. He is a king over all the children
of pride. The very next chapter, and Job
answered the Lord and said, I know that thou canst do everything. What an education Job got. And what an education God gives
to his people. We understand you can do everything.
and we are insignificant, we're dust of the balance. We have
no position before God by nature. I know that thou canst do everything
and that no thought can be withholden from thee. You're omniscient,
you know all about me." What an interesting statement that
Job comes up after having a visit from the Lord and God instructing
him in these matters. Who is he that hideth counsel
without knowledge? You know, every time he answered
his friends, it was not with this kind of language. This kind
of language only comes from God. This kind of language only comes
from grace. Verse four, here I beseech you
and I will speak, I will demand of thee and declare thou unto
me. I've heard of thee by the hearing of the ear. But something has happened now.
I've heard of thee by the hearing of the ear. But now my eye seeth
thee. And what happens next? Same thing happened to Isaiah.
Same thing happened to Paul. Same thing happened to every
believer. Wherefore, I abhor myself and
repent in dust and ashes. It was so that after the Lord
had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the
Tenemannite, my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy
two friends, for you have not spoken of me, the thing that
is right, as my servant Job hath. What a statement the Lord makes
against these three friends, quote, unquote, miserable friends,
quote, unquote, that came with nothing but allegations, no help,
No hope, you're stuck in your pit because you've done something
wrong. And once you get that figured out, God will be pleased
to bless you. You know, the end of Job was
better off than his first. That's one thing about being
in Christ after the fall. We're better off than if we'd
have been in that. We have the angels looking into what grace
is. The angels that kept not their
first estate fell, and they're bound in chains of darkness.
And those that were remaining did not know grace. They were
appointed to that place, but they look in and try to capture
and understand what this grace is. Job was able to say, I've
heard about you. Now my eye seeth you. His spiritual eye saw the blessings
of grace. And after that, we find out God
blessed him. And if we look in the scriptures
when it comes to spiritual things, he blessed us with every spiritual
blessing. None is withheld. And it says,
will I not give you all things? If I've given you my son, I'll
give you all things. I'll not hold back anything.
So the blessings that Job had in the end were better than the
blessings that he had to begin with. And we can look back and
say the blessings that God gave us in Christ are much better
than the blessings that we would have had just in Adam. The gospel. A man Seemed to have everything
going his way. And God touched his life and
he lost everything. A man who was created in a right state. You know, I have
a problem using that Adam was perfect. Because if Adam was
perfect, that wouldn't have happened. He was innocent. But he chose
to defy God and took the whole human race with him. And Adam
all died. And then, and from that point
on, we're gonna find out that people will come to us with every
sort of religious thing possible. Mike and I were talking this
morning about they're in Athens, up there in the Acropolis. Hundreds,
hundreds of deities, quote unquote. And the Romans had deities and
the Greeks had deities and they just had different names for
the same people. And then that one, place to the unknown God. They were so superstitious that
they didn't want to miss one. Well, it was at that point Paul
preached unto them Christ, the unknown God to them. Well, these
three friends couldn't preach anything. They didn't have any
hope. They didn't have any help to share. And God got after them
in the end. But thank God there was somebody
there that knew something about God and declared that something
about God to Job. And God was pleased to come to
Job in person and speak to him. And after he spoke to him about
his greatness, his power, his salvation, all those great things,
Job said, I've heard of you with the hearing of the ear, but now
my eye seeth you. What a statement about the great
salvation that the Lord has for his people in all ages. And then
it turns out what blessings are given to his people, not as a
result of their faith, but of the grace of God, not as a result
of their belief, but of the grace of God. Well, we're going to
stop there for this hour and give you some time to visit.