Alright, let's open our Bibles
to Job chapter 23. Job chapter 23. Now, I've entitled
this message, The Sinner Made Good As Gold. The Sinner Made
Good As Gold. And I took that title from verse
10 of chapter 23. Look at Job 23 and verse 10.
It says, But he, that is God, This is Job speaking. God knoweth
the way that I take. When he hath tried me, tested
me, I shall come forth as gold. The sinner made good as gold. Isn't that remarkable? Well,
you know, this is Job's answer here in chapter 23. He's answering Eliphaz, the Temanite. who once again had, maybe in
a different way, repeated the same old story that man latches
on to, the false gospel of salvation by works, health, wealth, and
prosperity. That's what man knows by nature
and that's the way he lives by nature. And so Job is answering
Eliphaz. Eliphaz had brought statements
down upon Job. Job in his suffering, in his
sorrow, in his pain, in his trials, Eliphaz had brought down statements
of condemnation upon this man. And here's Job's answer. Some
commentators say that when you read this, it's like Job is ignoring. Eliaphaz. But I don't really
believe he is. I believe he's just stating once
again the reality of his hope. And this chapter 23 is really
a remarkable example of true god-given faith in christ
it really is fact that you know something i know uh... many of
you are i think are following along in reading through the
bible and and that's a good thing uh... sometimes i find myself
though as i read through kind of not stopping and smelling
the roses as you would say or not stopping and looking at the
scenery and uh... when i went back and began to
study this chapter twenty three it's really in my study in it
it's become one of those chapters that i believe i'll refer to
quite often uh... you know we all we we have uh...
have those portions of scripture that seem to be quoted most uh... among even
among believers we think of passages like uh... some twenty three
obviously and and we think of uh... as a a fifty three romans
chapter eight places like that Well, this Job 23, and after
I finish this message, I hope you'll see that and go back and
read it for yourself. Because it's an amazing thing. What we have here is Job admitting
his own weakness, his own sinfulness, but declaring the greatness and
the glory of God in all things. And what's another thing, it's
remarkable about it, but it's also sad. And that's this, and
I want you to see this in this chapter. The God that Job declares
here, the God who is his hope, the God who is his savior, is
the God that this world wants nothing to do with. And that's
sad. I thought about that passage
over here in Job 20 where he was talking about how the wicked,
In verses 14 and 15, they say unto God, depart from us, for
we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. Now Job's going to
talk about God's ways. He's been talking about it, but
he's going to talk about it more in chapter 23. And that's, the
world doesn't want anything to do with this God. He says, what
is the Almighty? He's talking about how the wicked
speak. What is the Almighty that we should serve Him? And what
profit should we have if we pray to Him? You see, this is the
God of the Bible. The world wants a God that they
can manipulate. I know because I was there. The
world wants a God that they can really command. You know, I've
heard, I think I mentioned this last time in chapter 22, how
this, what's this so-called word of faith movement, you just speak
a word and it'll be done. Well, that's almost like saying
you're commanding God. But Job knows nothing of that
false God. He knows the true and living
God. And then another thing that's remarkable about it, and that's
sad, is this, the gospel that Job declares here is news that
this world wants nothing to do with now why is it that man by
nature the world wants nothing to do with this god in this gospel
i'll take exactly why because it does not glorify man it does
not exalt man doesn't exalt him as a person it doesn't exalt
him in his works and it does not exalt him in his will And
that's what man wants. That's what we by nature want.
Even we as believers have to fight that, don't we? The warfare
of the flesh and the spirit. So let's just start through here.
First of all, the first thing Job does in his answer is he
acknowledges his sorrowful estate and condition. It's like he's
saying, I know where I'm at, and I know what I'm doing. And
listen to what he says. Verse one, then Job answered
and said, verse two, even today is my complaint bitter. My stroke is heavier than my
groaning. Now that word stroke there, you
may have that in your concordance as the word hand. and commentators
go to different ways on that some say and i think this is
what my tendency to agree with it is instead of saying my stroke
is heavier than my groaning he's saying that the hand of god upon
is heavier than his groaning in other words i'm groaning but
my groaning doesn't even tell the whole story of what i've
been through and how i feel inwardly it may sound bad to you but it
doesn't tell the whole story And others say that he's talking
about, my hands are heavier than my groin. In other words, Job
is so burdened down, his hands are hanging. In other words,
he's using the posture of his body. to describe the sorrow
and pain and burden of his heart and that could be either way
it doesn't really matter here's what job is mainly saying in
verse two and i want you to think about this he said he's admitting
this he said i know my complaints are bitter what he's saying is
that the way he's coming across with it is i'm complaining too
much and i'm too bitter And I thought about this, you know, if Job
says he's complaining too much and he's too bitter, what does
that say about me? I mean, whenever I complain or
get bitter, what does it say about you? I mean, what Job is
going through, we all go through trials. Everybody hurts sometime. That's right. You know that's
so. We all go through trials. We all go through troubles. When
the Bible says, man is a few days and full of trouble, that
describes us. I mean, we have some happy moments,
but they're moments. But there's trouble and there's
trials and stuff. And what do we do? We complain,
we get bitter. Well, we haven't even touched
the surface of what Job went through. And he's saying, I'm
complaining too much. I'm too bitter. So what's happening
here is Job is simply saying, I know I'm a weakling. I know my frame. I know I'm a
sinner. I know I'm impotent. I know that
I have nothing to recommend me unto God. I'm just a bitter complainer. I know I shouldn't be. Well,
I'll tell you something. The way we look at it, if anybody
should be bitter and anybody should be complaining, it ought
to be Job. And look at what he lost. But he says, I know. I know my complaint. is better. So what does he do? Well, here's
the second thing. Job longs to see God. So what? So that he can do what? Now this may seem strange, but
when we read these, I want you to see this. Job longs to see
God so that he can plead his cause. He wants to plead his
cause. And what you have here from verses
3 to 7 is some of the most beautiful language in the scripture that
shows a true believer's confidence in judgment. Confidence in judgment. You see, this idea that people
use to promote doubts and legal fears and misgivings as humility,
Job didn't know anything about that stuff. Listen to what he
says. He says in verse 3, Oh, that
I knew where I might find him, talking about God. Well, Job,
haven't you found him already? Well, he had in salvation, but
he's troubled. He feels like he's been abandoned
by God. This is how he feels. He hasn't
been, but he feels that way. And he says that I might come
even to his seat. Job knew his hope was in God. He knew his hope was in Christ.
He stated that several times. We know there's three things
that prove that Job knew that his hope was in Christ. The first thing we know that
proves it is God's testimony of Job in chapter one. God said
it. The second thing we know is Job's
life of worship and sacrifice. He worshiped God through sacrifice,
the blood of the Lamb. And then the third thing that
proves it is his statements himself. He said, I know my Redeemer liveth. So those three things show us
that Job knew that his hope was in Christ. But Job is suffering,
and he wants to plead his cause. And he knows this, that the only
real answers he's going to get on this matter come from and
in God, not from Eliphaz, not from Bildad, not from Zophar,
not from any man. I've got to hear God's Word.
He trusted God. Here's Job suffering. And not
like Adam in the garden who fled from God when he realized his
sin, Job sought after God. He said, oh, that I may know
where I might find Him. I've got to find God. I've got
to seek God. I've got no place else to go,
no one else to turn to but God. Job sought after God. Job longed
after him. And this is the way of a child
of God seeking his heavenly father. I've got to speak to Abba Father. Papa Papa. That's who I need
to see. He's the only one who can come
for me. He's saying, I've got to come to the throne of grace
for mercy and help in time of need. And how do you come to
the throne of grace? You come through the great high
priest. the Lord Jesus Christ you come through his merits his
blood and righteousness alone that's what the scripture says
we have an audience we have a communion we have free access into the
holiest of all by the blood of Jesus by his righteousness alone
and so look at verse four he says he says I would order my
calls before him I'll set things in order and fill my mouth with
arguments Now that sounds like Job saying, I'm going to argue
with God. But that's not really what he means by that. That's
the way we think of it today. But that's not how he's saying
it. What he's saying when he's talking about and fill my mouth
with arguments, he's simply saying, I'm going to state my case and
I'm going to back it up with the evidence. and what is the
evidence that he's talking about he's talking about raising forth
bringing forth the promises of god himself through christ you
see job is saying i want to build my case now for what are you
going to build your case joe what he's not going to build
his case upon his own goodness because he's already stated that
i have not You can't build your case before God based upon your
goodness. He's not going to build his case
based upon his own righteousness. He said, how can any man be clean
before God? He agreed with that. How's he
going to build his case? Upon what foundations of truth
and reality is Job going to present himself before this judgment
seat, even this mercy seat of God, the throne of grace? Well,
he's going to build his case totally and exclusively upon
the glorious person, offices, grace, blood, righteousness,
and the sacrifice of his Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
how he's going to build his case. That's where his arguments are
going. And from the declarations of God's Word, What did God say? This is the issue. Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's who? It's God
that justifies. What did God say? The promises
of God's Word. And that's what gives Him confidence
in judgment. That's an amazing thing. I thought
about that in 1 John verse 4. Or chapter 4 and verse 17. You don't have to turn there,
but remember that's where John He's talking about the perfection
of God's love to His people. He says, herein is love, not
that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to
be the propitiation, the reconciliation, the satisfaction for our sins. And He comes down to the judgment
there in verse 17 of 1 John 4, and listen to what He says. He
says, herein is our love made perfect. Now what is he talking
about when he says, hearing is our love made perfect? And think
about it this way. We who are saved by the grace
of God, we can honestly say we love God. That's why you're here
tonight. Because you love him, you love
his word. So you can't love God and not
love his word. You study his word, you worship him. and you
assemble to worship God, that's an expression of love. But none
of us, I hope, would say we love God perfectly. Are there no rivals
for the love of God in your heart? There are in mine. Sad to say,
but it's there. And it's the flesh. Self-love
rivals my love for Christ. I have to fight it all the time.
It's a great enemy. I can't even beat it. It takes
the Spirit of God within me to have any victory at all, and
then it keeps coming back, and it will until I die and go to
be with the Lord. Isn't that right? Self-love. And that self-love shows itself
in so many ways, so many individual sins. And so, yes, there are
rivals within our hearts. We cannot say we love God perfect,
but what's he saying, what does he mean here when he says, hearing
is our love made perfect? That word perfect there does
not mean sinless perfection, it means complete. In other words,
here's the completion of love, alright? If my love is complete,
What does it mean? That we may have boldness in
the day of judgment. Now that's what Job is expressing
here. Boldness in the day of judgment. Because now what's,
what do we build that case on? Boldness in the day of judgment.
I thought we were going to be up there, you know, wondering,
Oh, is it, am I going to hell or what? You know, is that the
way it is? No, he says boldness in the day
of judgment. Well, up on what argument? Up
on what case? What evidence would you get?
Here's what he says, because as he is, as Christ is, so are
we in this world. I'm in Christ. I have nothing
to plead before God, but Christ. Now, when Job says, I'm going
to bring forth my arguments, that's what he means. He's been
arguing it all along. He said it. And I keep going
back to Job 19 because that's the one I remember most. But
there are other statements that he made that are similar and
the same thing. I know my Redeemer liveth. There's
my hope, you see. I know I'm a complainer. I know
I'm bitter. I know if God would mark iniquities,
I wouldn't stand. If God ever gave me what I've
earned or deserved, it'd be damned forever. But I know this. I know
my Redeemer liveth. I know His blood washes me clean
from all my sins. I know His righteousness charged
to me gives me a complete, right, eternal standing before a holy
God. What an argument that is. It's
not arguing with God. You know what that is, really?
That's agreeing with God. There's no argument there with
God. Those who argue with God in the sense of what most people
take these things are those who come before God based on their
works. That's an argument, isn't it? That's a debate. But that's
not what Job's doing. He's simply stating his case. And his case was built upon Christ.
Now look at verse 5. He says, I would know the words
which he would answer me and understand what he would say
unto me. He says, will he plead against
me with his great power? No, but he would put strength
in me. Now that's confidence. You know
what he's actually saying there? He's saying, God's not going
to do what you fellows are doing. You're trying to condemn me.
You're trying to break me down in order so that you can self-righteously
brag about building me up. That's not the way God does it.
Now, he does say this. He means here, he says, if there
is, if there were, these fellows were saying, Job, you've got
some sin in your life that you haven't repented of. Well, Job
is saying, well, if there is sin for which God is bringing
this punishment, this affliction upon me, God would let me know.
He's not going to leave you in the dark about that. But I'll
tell you what Job says. He did. He'd do it in a way that
strengthens me. That's the way God would do it.
What is that strength that he's talking about? Well, it's the
power of God and the salvation. God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's that strength. God would tell me and bring me
to repentance. He wouldn't put the law down
on me to condemn me. He wouldn't tear me down. He'd
put strength in me. What is that strength? It's His
Spirit, the Holy Spirit within us. That's the strength. It's
His Word. the promises of His grace and
mercy, His grace in faith and knowledge and repentance. As
I said, Job knew he was a sinner. And he knew if the Lord would
mark iniquity, he wouldn't stand. But he also knew Christ Jesus
would come into the world to do what? To save sinners, of
whom I am chief. You believe God saves sinners?
Do you really believe that? Don't answer too quickly. Most
people do. So it's kind of like I used to
think this way when I was growing up in religion. I'd say, yeah,
God saved centers, but not some centers. Oh no. He saved centers. He doesn't
save all centers, but he saved centers. And Job had confidence
that God was for him. That's what he's saying here.
How can you have confidence in judgment? If you don't really
believe God is for you. You see, if you believe or think
that God might be against you, you can't have confidence in
judgment. But Job knew that God was for him. Now, here's the
question. How can I know that God is for
me? How can I know that for sure?
Well, where's your confidence? What Job said, I know my Redeemer
lives. I can tell you this right now.
If Christ, the true Christ of this Bible, is your only hope
of salvation, I can tell you right now, God is for you. You
know why? Because God said he was. That's
right. He said, this is my beloved son
in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. Have you heard him? Have
you heard his word? Heard his call? And Job knew
he'd be cleared in God's court. He's like David, blessed is the
man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. Where did Job say
that? Remember back when he said, my
record is in heaven? Job knew that his record was
clear in heaven. What cleared it? It's washed
clean by the blood of the Lamb. Righteousness imputed to him
is on that record. Job is longing to come to the
throne of grace through the blood and righteousness of Christ.
And look at verse 7, he says, there the righteous might dispute
with him, so should I be delivered forever from my judge. Now again,
he's not arguing here in the sense of debate or disagreeing
with God or acting as if he knows more than God. He's simply pleading
his cause in the way of reasoning. You say, well, you can't reason
with God. Hold on. God commands us to reason with
Him. Isaiah 118, Come now, let us
reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet,
they'll be white as snow. Though they be red like crimson,
they'll be as wool. That's a command of God. You
see, the problem is man reasons on his own terms. And that's
sinful. That's self-righteous. That's
pride. But God brings a sinner down.
He brings us down in our sin and our depravity, showing us
our guilt and our defilement, to bring us to reason with Him
on His terms, which is Christ and Him crucified. So Job, he
simply, based upon what his friends were saying, he's showing them
the truth. They said he was condemned. But
Job is simply saying here, since I have it on God's Word, God's
testimony, I would plead what God has said in my defense. and
God says he saved sinners for Christ's sake by his mercy I
never forget a preacher friend of mine got into a disagreement
with another preacher over an issue and really what it was
over is over the definition of a phrase or a term and this one
preacher called my friend and Here's what he said to him. He
started the conversation off like this. He said, now I want
you to know that one of us is going to burn in hell over this.
And my friend returned with this answer. He said, if I burn in
hell, I will be the first and only sinner who ever went to
hell looking to Christ. You see, my friend, that doesn't
happen. If you're looking to Christ, God will not and cannot
send you to hell. You know why? Because if you're
looking to Him, that proves that He took your hell for you on
the cross. Look at verse 8. Here's the third
thing. Job admits his ignorance in many
things, but he pleads what he knows. Verse 8, he says, Behold,
I go forward, but he's not there, knows I look into the future
on this thing of providence. Now, this is what he's talking
about. These matters of suffering, This life. Can anybody here tonight
tell me what's going to happen in your life tomorrow? You can't. So that's what Job's saying.
I've got to go forward but he's not there. God hasn't revealed
to me what's going to happen tomorrow. Now God did have prophets
in the Old Testament and He did reveal some future things. But
I'm talking about the daily lives that we lead. And then he says,
but he's not there. And he said, backward, and I
cannot perceive him. I look back in my past, and I
don't know why a lot of these things have happened. He's simply
saying, I find no answer to these things of God's providence, the
daily providence. I don't know why. And he said
that all along. Job said, I don't know why all
this has happened to me. You say that too. I've said it.
I don't know why this has happened to me. We get down on each other
sometimes for what we call the why me Lord syndrome, but we
all have that syndrome. Now we do. We may not state it
that way, but it's there. It's just natural to us. But
look here what Job says in verse 9. He says, On the left hand
where he doth work, but I cannot behold him. He hideth himself
on the right hand that I cannot see. God has not given me an
answer in these matters of providence, but look at verse 10. But here's
what I do know. Now listen to this. I know that
he knoweth the way that I take, that way that is with me. That's
what he means there. And when he hath tried me, when
he hath tested me, I shall come forth as gold. What a statement. That's beautiful, isn't it? What's
he saying? Well, I don't know why God's
causing me to suffer. I don't know why these things
of daily life are going on. But I'll tell you what, I know
this, God knows the way that I take. God always knows Job
and He knows where Job is. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 2 with
me. Sometimes when Believers go through
trials either as individuals or as a church body. And we all
do, don't we? You're going through individual
trials now, whatever they are. But we're also going through
trials as a church body here in Ashland, Kentucky. And we'll
see things that we didn't think we'd see, some good, some bad. We'll be amazed, won't we? And
we'll see some leave, some come in. The Lord will take away,
the Lord will purge away, the Lord will add to. And that's
what was happening here at Ephesus when Paul was writing to Timothy.
And he talks about those who have erred concerning the truth
and led many away. And that's why he told them,
he said, it's imperative. This is not an option now. It's
imperative that you study to show yourself approved under
God workmen that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth. And he's he mentions those who
led people astray, made shipwreck of people's faith by by name.
But he says in verse 19, look at it. Second, Timothy two, verse
19. He says, nevertheless, The foundation
of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them
that are His. That's what Job is saying. And
he says, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity. The Lord knows His people. And His knowledge of His people
is not just an awareness of them. It's not just that He knows your
name. He knows you. He knows me. That's an intimate
love election relationship. It's a redemptive relationship.
It's the Father and His children through the Son. And He knows
it. And that's what Job is saying.
He knoweth the way that I take. What is that way? It's the way
of Christ. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. It's the
way of grace. It's the way of mercy. And he
says, when I'm tried, when I'm tested by God, and these tryings
are from God, he's going to say that in just a moment, he says,
I shall come forth as gold, even like gold purified in the fire,
the impurities That gold is put to the fire and the impurities
are removed, even as gold refined in the fire. You know what Job
is saying there? He said, I'm no hypocrite here. I'm no false apostate. I have confidence in Christ.
I have faith in Him. My faith is not in myself. My
faith is not in my works. My faith is not even in my faith. It's in Christ. There's a difference. He's like, what does the Bible
say a true Christian is? We are the circumcision, that's
new birth, which worship God in spirit and rejoice, boast
in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Paul wrote in the book of Hebrews
chapter 12 and verse 11 that these trials and these things
that burden us down, they're not joyous, they're grievous. They're grievous. They're hard.
Don't be fake about that. Job's not being a fake here.
He's saying, my cries have been bitter. And the groans that you
hear from me, they don't even describe really what I'm going
through in my suffering, my soul suffering. And he says that. They're burdensome. They're grievous. But it's afterward, he said,
comes the peaceable fruit of righteousness. What is that?
What is the peaceable fruit of righteousness? It's you come
out on the other side, having been brought forth of God like
gold tried in the fire, looking to Christ even more, depending
upon Him even more, seeing His glory even more, thanking Him
even more. That's the peaceable fruit of
righteousness. You know what Job is saying here in verse 10?
I shall come forth as gold. He's saying all things work together
for good to them that love God who are the called according
to His purpose. He's saying, I don't know how or when this
is all going to end, but I know it'll end well. I'm going to
come forth as gold. As bad as all this looks and
is, I'm going to be as good as gold. The sinner made good as
gold. And you know what that is? That's
the work of God. That's the work of Christ for
His people. Paul said, I know whom I have believed and I'm
persuaded that He's able to keep that which I've committed unto
Him against that day. It's what Peter called there
in 1 Peter 1, the trial of your faith that is more precious than
gold, than the physical gold that perishes. That's it. Look at verse 11. He says, My
foot hath held His steps, His ways have I kept and not declined.
The psalmist said, I've kept the ways of the Lord and have
not wickedly departed from my God. What's he saying here? These
trials will not drive a believer away from Christ. It'll draw
him closer to Christ. And he'll have his moments, just
like Job has his. But in the end, he'll end up
clinging to Christ even more. Verse 12, he says, neither have
I gone back from the commandment of His lips. I have esteemed
the words of His mouth, and listen to this, underscore this, more
than my necessary food. Anybody here doubt that food
is necessary for your physical body? Got to have food, don't
you? You wouldn't argue that a bit.
Well, Job said, well, there's something even more necessary
for me than that. when it comes to my soul, and
that's the Word of God. Desire the sincere milk of the
Word, that you may grow thereby. We feed upon His Word. And it's
by His grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, through His Word, that
God brings us through this fiery trial, and we come forth as good
as gold. The work of God. The work of
God. Isn't that something? Well, in
these last verses, here's the fourth thing. You know what Job
says? Something this world doesn't want to hear. And that's this. In all these things that he's
talking about, all these trials, all these sufferings, all the
grace, all the glory, God is sovereign in and over all things. Listen to what he says. Verse
13. But He is in one mind and who can turn Him? You can't change
God's mind. Job said that. Now the world
wants God they can change His mind, don't they? You pray hard
enough, believe it hard enough, work hard enough, you'll change
God's mind. That's what the world wants. Job says you can't change
God's mind. No need to change God's mind.
God's perfect. God's omniscient. Who can turn
Him? Who'd want to turn Him if you
know Him? And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. God does
what he wants. The psalmist wrote in Psalm 115
in verse 3, But our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever
he hath pleased. Verse 14, For he performeth the
thing that is appointed for me. Job is saying these trials, these
sufferings that I'm going through are the appointment of God. Now
the world wants nothing to do with that God, do they? Old disaster
comes and the preacher gets up on TV and he says, that's not
of God, that's the devil. The Bible says that's the appointment
of God. And he says, and many such things
are with him. There's more to come. That's
what Job's saying. All these trials that I've suffered,
they're by God's appointment. And let me tell you something.
If that weren't true, Job could not in confidence say, I shall
come forth as gold. If God's not in control and if
these things are not by his sovereign appointment, we would be of all
people most miserable. But he says, all these trials
that I've gone through, all these sorrows and pains, they're by
God's appointment and there's more to come. You say, when's it going to stop?
Job says, well, I don't believe it is. There's more to come.
Oh, there'll be times of joy. We'll see that in Job's life.
But there's more trials to come. And he says in verse 15, therefore
I'm troubled at his presence when I consider I'm afraid of
him. Now there's a good fear of God,
and then there's an unbelieving fear of God. What Job is talking
about here is his ignorance of what's coming. He says in verse
16, listen, for God maketh my heart soft, that means weak,
and the Almighty troubleth me. I don't know what's coming. It's
made me weak-hearted. Having gone through what I've
gone through in the past here, I don't know what else is coming.
It makes me afraid. That's what he said. And that's
okay. That's a respect for God. I don't
know what God's going to bring us through as a church in this
fall and the next year. I don't know what he's going
to do. And I know what he can do. I know he can make it bad. He can make it good. I don't
he can make every one of us happy. I doubt that that's going to
happen, but he, you know, he can make every one of us sad,
but either way, it kind of makes you weak hearted when you think
about it, doesn't it? Because I, I know you, you, you
folks that were here from the beginning, you've seen things
that you never thought you'd see. And you, and God says, well,
there's more to come. It kind of makes you weak hearted.
You kind of say, woo, you know. And that's what Job is saying.
It troubles me. Now he's not speaking in realms
of unbelief and doubt there. He's just saying, I'm an ignorant
man and I don't know what's coming. And he says in verse 17, he says,
because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he
covered the darkness from my face. What Job is saying there
is I don't understand why God hadn't cut me off from this life
before all these things. In other words, why hadn't God
just taken me out before all this stuff happened? He'd just
rather go on. Well, God has His purpose, and
Job knew that. I know God has His purpose. He'll
preserve us in Christ. And Job says, I know that I'll
come forth as gold. That's confidence in God. David
said in Psalm 77 in another place there, he said, what times or
in another, in another Psalm, rather not Psalm 77. He said,
what times I am afraid I will trust him. Well, we know the
God of the Bible. We know the God of all grace
who saves sinners for Christ's sake. We don't know what's coming
tomorrow. It may be something great and
glorious that we can just jump up and hoot and holler and dance. Or it may be something that'll
just make us hang our heads so low that we're like Job. My hands
are just, my groans don't even tell. We don't know. But I know
this, I know my Redeemer living. I know that when we come through
this trial, trusting Christ, we'll be sinners made good as
gold by the grace and power of God in Christ. All right. Let's sing hymn number 350.