Now, let's open our Bibles to
the book of Job chapter 12. Job chapter 12. Now, I've entitled
this message, The Lord Has Done This. The Lord Has Done This. I got that title from verse 9,
where Job is speaking and he says, talking about the great
sovereign providence of God. It says, God knoweth not in all
these that the hand, or those who God controls by his providence,
they knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath
wrought this, hath worked this, hath done this. And we'll see
what he's talking about here in just a minute. There he's
talking about the beast of the field. But he's saying here,
in all the things that have transpired in his life, Job's life, that
his three friends, his three miserable advisors, miserable
comforters, need to understand that this is all the working
of the Lord, who works all things after the counsel of His own
will, who makes it so that all things work together for good
to them that love God, who are the called according to His purpose.
And that's what Job is going to be showing us. The Lord has
done this. Well, here in chapters 12 all
the way over to chapter 14, we find Job's response to his three
friends, not just Zophar. Zophar had just finished speaking.
Eliphaz and Bildad and Zophar, those three advisors, those three
so-called self-appointed spiritual counselors, who claimed to be
sent from God. They had advised Job, and their
message was basically the same. They came at it from different
viewpoints, and they had a different emphasis, each one, and a different
mannerism of delivery. But it was still the same message
of salvation by the works and the will of man. It was still
the false gospel of health, wealth, and prosperity. And we'll look
at that again. But here, in chapters 12 through
14, we have Job's response to his three friends. Now, we'll
just cover chapter 12 tonight, but I want you to look over in
chapter 13, because there's a couple of verses there that provide
the key to Job's response. And it's Job 13, look at verse
15. This is one of the most quoted
verses in all of the Bible. And Job makes this statement.
Look at Job 13, 15. He says, though He slay me, though
God slay me, yet will I trust Him. But I will maintain mine
own ways before Him. And He also shall be my salvation,
for a hypocrite shall not come before Him. And those are the
keys. to joe's response now i want
to caution you uh... you may you may be one who uh...
is interested in in other translations of the bible and that's ok because
i study other translations to sometimes they help me i am cut
i'm a confirmed believer that the king james version is the
best version the best translation uh... of the scriptures that
God providentially has ever allowed to come down through the English
language. I believe it's the closest to the original text. What original text there? The
original manuscripts. But sometimes you can get help
from other versions. And that's okay. But you have
to be careful. And a lot of the modern versions
will change that verse 15 and translate it in the negative.
and say it uh... read it something that like this
that god's going to slay me and i have no hope and that's you
know uh... if if it were like that you know
it would certainly be a moment of doubt and unbelief in job's
life and that i'm not going to try to say that believers don't
have those moments we do but that is not they're correct i
don't believe that's the correct translation of this uh... it
this or the original language i believe this this version here
is the correct one. I believe it's the closest to
the original. I believe the context shouts for it. Though he slay
me, I will trust him. That's what Job is saying. So,
be careful when you do look at these other translations, especially
the modern ones, you know. You know as well as I do that
a lot of these modern translations, they'll leave out any notion
of sovereignty or or predestination or election, some of them will
even leave out the bloods because that, you know, that turns people
off, you know, but just be careful with them. But this, that's the
key. Though he slay me, yet will I trust him. Well, let's look
back at chapter 12. You know, we see that Job's hope
is his longing for a mediator who will stand between himself
and God. And that's a good place for a
man to be whatever his situation. Whether you're going through
a trial or a bunch of trials like Job, a severe trial, or
whether you're on the mountaintop of prosperity tonight, the best
place for you to be is to see that you're a sinner in need
of mercy. And that's the only hope. Job,
you know, his words, you know, sometimes you'll read particular
selections of Job's prayers and Job's complaint. Job's debates
and you might say well how could he say that and you know I always
tell you you know that walk in his shoes for a little bit now
before you pass judgment too harsh on Job don't don't end
up agreeing with his miserable comforting friends you know don't
be like them but what you're going to see is that the bent
and tenor of his life is right there in that verse in chapter
13 though he slay me yet will i trust him that's a gift from
god and that's not natural demand i mean i know it's natural you
know i i i know that even natural man can get caught up in what
they call the power of positive thinking and all that but that's
not what jobs talking about he's talking about a real solid certain
assurance that comes by god's promise god's promise of salvation
a covenant promise A covenant promise that God not only made,
but a covenant promise that God engaged himself in an oath to
make sure that that promise would come about. And it's all wrapped
up in the surety, the mediator, the substitute who stands between
us and God and pleads our case on the ground of justice satisfied. And the only way that we can
know that kind of hope and be assured of it from God's Word
is as it points us to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord our
righteousness. There's no other way that we
can have that based on the Word of God. Now we can have a lot
of pie-in-the-sky imaginations, don't get me wrong. But the only
way we'll have a solid hope based on the Word of God is as all
this points us to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord our righteousness.
And so, this is the issue. Well, as you know, Job's three
friends, they had a message. And their message was intended
to put Job in his place. That's really what they're saying.
Job, we're going to put you in your place. and they say something
to this effect they say well we have an answer from god for
you you know joe what's job problem you know his problem is he's
wondering why he's suffering he wants to know what that that
that's not that you know why am i going through this why have
i lost my family why have i lost my belongings why my possessions
why have i lost my health he's wondering why Well, his three
friends come by and they say, well, we have the answer, the
answer from God. And here it is, basically, just
summing up in a nutshell like this. God is just and he only
punishes the guilty and he only rewards the righteous. God is
punishing you, Job, therefore you must be guilty. What you
need to do, there's no use. You see, Job is saying, I'm going
to appeal to God. I don't want to hear from you
three. I want to appeal to God. That's a good thing. In other
words, I want to hear God's word on this. I don't want to hear
the opinions of men. And so his three friends are
basically saying, well, Job, it's no use you appealing to
God, because you're a sinner. You're an evil, wicked man. You're
a hypocrite, they even told him. I think it was the second one
who said, you're a hypocrite. And he says, the answer's clear.
Atone for your sins, Job. Work this thing out. Confess
those hidden sins that you're trying to keep from everybody
and make it right with God. And work your way into His favor.
Now, that's their message. Now, we know better than even
Job knows about why Job is suffering. We know better because we know
that chapter 1 told us why he's suffering. Number 1, he's suffering
because he's a godly man of faith. You say, well, why would anybody
have to suffer for that? Well, because saving faith is
going to be tested. If we're saved, we're sinners
saved by the grace of God walking in a wilderness that is not our
home. And the perfection of glory does
not come until this world is destroyed and we're glorified
with Christ. And saving faith is going to
be tested. You know, his friend said, you're suffering because
you're evil. Because you're a hypocrite. But God said he was an upright,
a perfect, a justified man. And that he feared God, a man
of faith, a worshiper of God, who eschewed, fled from evil,
avoided evil. The second reason we know Job
is suffering is because of Satan's challenge that Job was a hypocrite. Satan called Job a hypocrite.
You know, that's something. Because when Job's three friends
say you're a hypocrite, they're actually taking sides with Satan
against God. They don't realize it. And so
he said, Satan challenged that Job was a hypocrite. Well, you
remember he said, does Job fear God for nothing? Does he serve
God for nothing? He said, he's doing it just because
you've given him all these. In other words, he said, Job's
a mercenary. He's not a willing, loving, bondservant of Christ.
He's a mercenary. He'll serve you and he'll worship
you as long as you keep him in the lap of luxury. And you know
that Job was in the lap of luxury. He was the greatest man of the
East. He was the richest. But Satan challenged that. And
then thirdly, Job is suffering because God for His own honor
and glory and for Job's good eternal good allows Satan to
test him most severely. You remember, Satan told God,
he said, you've got a hedge around you. Well, that's true. You know, if you're a child of
God, there's a hedge around you right now. And all God has to
do is lower the hedge. and allow Satan to get to you
just like he did Job and we see the power of God and you know
in doing that what we see is the power of God's grace the
reality and strength of God-given faith wherein God will not let
his people go Christ preserves his people unto the end and he's
going to preserve Job but let's look at his response here's the
first thing the first six verses of chapter twelve Here we have
the testimony of Job himself as an evidence against his friend's
advice. And he's simply saying you're
wrong. Look at verse 1. Job answered and said, No doubt,
but you are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. Now he's
being sarcastic. You're the people. You're it.
You're the man. You hear that today. You're the
man. You're the ones, listen, you claim to be sent of God,
you claim that you have the wisdom, you have the insight, you have
the knowledge, you have the experience to give me this advice. You're
the people. You're the people who everybody
wants to hear from, who got the right... He said, wisdom's gonna
die with you. I know a lot of people like that. Who think when they die, wisdom's
gonna die with them. They think they've got an answer
for everything. In fact, you know, most preachers, and I'll
say that and indict myself, you know, you know, you know, the
three words I used to say in seminary, of course, I went to
a false seminary. Don't, don't get me wrong. I'm
not, not uplifting the place at all, but, but I used to say
in seminaries, the three words you can't get any real preacher
to say, I don't know. Cause they got to have an answer
for everything, you know? And that's why Job's friends
were here. They had to have an answer. And he said, well, you
got an answer. And he said, yeah, you think you're wise enough?
Wisdom's going to die with you. But look at verse 3. He says,
but I have understanding as well as you. Now, I have some knowledge. Job's not bragging here. He's
just stating the fact. And you might look in your concordance
in your Bible, that word understanding might be translated heart. I
have a heart as well as you. What does he mean? He's not talking
about feelings here when he says understanding our heart. He's
talking about the way that in the Old Testament the heart is
presented. It's presented forth, set forth
as the mind and the affections and the will. It's the whole
man. And he's saying I have an understanding. And he says I'm
not inferior to you. I don't fall lower on this scale
than you. You're lifting yourself up. above
me." And they were doing that in more ways than one, especially
in their self-righteousness. Joe, you're evil or God wouldn't
be punishing you. Now, we're not being punished,
so we're righteous. That's the implication of this
whole thing. In other words, according to their theology,
according to their philosophy, if you're ever being punished,
it's because you're evil. Now, you know what that is. That's
the way the natural man thinks. And any other understanding that's
correct from God's Word, what? Has to be a gift from God. And
that's what Job's talking about. I have understanding. I have
a heart. It's a new heart. It's a new
spirit. It's a new mind. It's a new way
of looking at things. It's from God, especially in
this matter of salvation in a man's relationship with God. I think
about 1 John 5 and verse 20. Let me just read it to you. where
the apostle john made this statement he said we know that the son
of god is come and have given us an understanding that we may
know him that is true that we may know the true and living
god and we are in him that is true our fellowship is with the
father and the son even in his son jesus christ this is the
true god and this is eternal God's given us an understanding.
Now, we don't understand everything. Job didn't understand why he
was suffering. And that's his big problem. That's why he says,
I want a direct counsel with God. And he gets rather arrogant
in expressing that later on, too. He really does. He goes off the map a little
bit, trying to do that. but he says I've got an understanding
as well as you and I'm not on a lower scale than you I'm not
inferior to you yea look at verse three yea who knoweth not such
things as these now Job had an understanding even more so than
his three friends you know when he says there I'm not inferior
to you you know why would he say that? well you know when
the book of Job opened what how was joe described he was the
greatest man of the east that's how he was described i mean there
was no doubt that joe was not inferior to anybody in that description
of him in that case now where is he he's sitting outside the
city of us on a dome he scraping his soars his boils but you know
what he's still the same person He's the exact same person that
he was when he was the greatest man of the East. You see, naturally
speaking, there is really no inferiority or superiority among
men when it comes to a standing with God. All have sinned and
come short of the glory of God. Now what Scripture says, there's
no difference. They're right. I can tell you
whether you're on the mountaintop or in the valley, you're still
just as much a sinner in need of God's grace for salvation
as anybody else on God's green earth. You're no closer to God
based upon your works and efforts than the worst situated wretch
that ever walked the face of this earth. And if God saves
your soul, He does it how? By His grace through the Lord
Jesus Christ. And you're no more saved or righteous
in the sight of God than the lowest believer, whatever that
is, however you see it. There's neither Jew nor Greek,
bond nor free, male nor female, but all are one in Christ. We're
equally forgiven based on the blood of Christ. We're equally
justified based on his righteousness imputed. And he can't give his
righteousness any more to you than he does to me. It's the
same righteousness. It's the righteousness of God.
It's the one he worked out on Calvary's cross by his obedience
unto death. And it makes us all on equal
standing before our holy God. Now there are differences. And
there's different gifts, there's different rates of growth, different
degrees of knowledge. But as far as inferiority or
superiority in this matter of a standing with God, it doesn't
matter whether you're a rich man or a poor man. If you're
lost, you're just as much in need of His grace as anybody
else. You're a sinner, come short of the glory of God. If you're
saved, you're equally righteous in His sight. No difference. And so, when Job answers his
friends here, he says in verse 3, he says, Who knoweth not such
things as these? What he's telling them, I believe
here, is this, the things that you've said to me, talking about
Job's three friends, I remember what he said. He said, I've got
understanding as well as you. I'm not inferior to you. And
who doesn't know what you're putting forth? The things you've
said unto me, which you would pass off for the secrets of wisdom,
the deep things, the mysterious things of life, hid from evil
men, which you claim to be righteous, but hid from evil men, which
you claim that Job was an evil man. What you're saying is what
every natural man thinks, by nature. You say there is a God. Well, you remember what James
said, the devils, the demons know there is a God. You say
God made the world. People know that, and I know
some men spend their lives denying that. They know it. You say God governs the world.
You say He's a just God. You say He's unsearchable. The
things which they advised is what every natural man thinks
and knows. You know, turn over to John 8
for a second. I want you to see something here. Christ is here speaking to the
Pharisees. And you know who the Pharisees
were. They were men who were devout religionists who were
seeking to establish a righteousness of their own before God by their
works. They were devout Jews. And they
claimed that they were children of God and that they were saved
and they were justified because they were Abraham's children.
Abraham is our father. And so Christ looks at them,
look at John 8, 44, and he says, you're of your father the devil.
John 8, 44. Now these are the most well-respected,
look, you know, Job looked at his three friends and he said,
his three friends and he said, now there's no doubt you're the
people. Well that's what would have been said of the Pharisees
in their day, you're the people, you're the ones. If you want
to know anything about God, know anything about salvation, if
you want to know anything about how to serve God, there's the
people. Go to the Pharisees. And so Christ says to him, he
says, you're of your father the devil and the lust, which is
an unlawful desire, the lust of your father you will do. Now,
what was their unlawful desire? Well, they desired salvation
based on their self-efforts, their works. Now, he was a murderer
from the beginning. We know what he's talking about
there. He's talking about how Satan brought the human race into ruin
and death, soul murder. And he says, he abode not in
the truth. That's how he did it. He didn't
drop an atom bomb. He just told a lie. And it says,
because there's no truth in him. Now listen to this. When he speaketh
a lie, he speaketh of his own. Now do you know what that means?
Here's what it means. It means when Satan speaks a
lie, he's only speaking what's natural to him. He's speaking
out of His own resources. He's not speaking the Word of
God. He's not speaking by the Spirit of God. He's not speaking
by the grace of God. He's just telling you what comes
natural to Him when He tells a lie. Now, when men speak lies,
religious lies, false gospels, they're only telling you what
comes out of fallen human nature. And that's what Job is saying
to his three friends. Who doesn't know what you're
saying? That's natural to people. And of course Christ goes on
and says that he's a liar and the father of it. So what you're
saying is just natural. There's nothing new to that.
Man has thought that way since the fall. Cain thought that way. Cain would say, I'm a sinner
so I've got to do something to atone for my sins. I've got to
work my way into God's favor. Well, that's what Elihu and Bildad
and Zophar are saying. Go back to Job 12 now. You see,
matters of grace, salvation by grace, blessings by grace, the
reward of grace, that's a revelation from God. That doesn't come natural
to any man. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them. They're
spiritually discerned. And by nature, we're spiritually
dead. That's why we must be born again. So when Job says, I have
understanding, he's talking about an understanding that comes from
God. But look at verse 4. He says, in Job 12, verse 4,
he says, I am as one mocked of his neighbor, who calleth upon
God now the neighbor is the the way that set up in my seniors
but he's not talking about the neighbor calls upon God it be
in the original be like this I'm one who is mocked of his
neighbor the neighbor laughing at him and looking inside will
see him he's the one who called upon God but look at him now
that's what they're saying well Joe did call on God and it says
and he answereth him God answered him now Joe feels like he's not
getting an answer right now about this issue of suffering. But
he said, I'm mocked of my neighbors. They say, look, Job, look at
him now out there on that dung heap. He called on God and God
answered him. And then he says, the just upright
man is laughed to scorn. Well, as I said, Job was one
who called upon God. But do you remember how Job called
upon God? Remember what chapter 1 said
about Job calling upon God? How did he do it? He did it by
sacrifice, by a burnt offering. Because you see, that's the only
way a sinner is going to call upon God and get the right answer. Salvation, forgiveness, righteousness,
eternal life and glory. Because justice has to be satisfied. Job knew that. Whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. What is it to
call upon the name of the Lord? The first time that phrase, call
upon the name of the Lord, is ever used. Now, not the first
time anybody called upon the name of the Lord. The first example
in the scripture that we have of anybody calling upon the name
of the Lord is Abel. I believe Adam called upon him,
but I'm talking about the first recorded example is Abel. And how did Abel call upon him?
bringing the blood of the lamb through sacrifice so we are the
first time that phrase is used about calling upon the name of
the Lord leave us in Genesis chapter 12 which when God made
covenant with Abraham and brought Abraham out there of the Chaldees
and it says Abraham called upon the name of the Lord but it says
something before that you know what he did before he called
upon the name of the Lord he built an altar well you build
an altar for sacrifice God must be just when he justifies the
ungodly. You see, that's a sinner seeking mercy. God, be merciful
to me, the sinner. That's a mercy beggar. That's
a sinner seeking mercy based upon justice satisfied through
a substitute, a surety, a righteousness that the sinner has no part in
producing. That's a sinner testifying of
the great and glorious truth of substitution, how sin must
be imputed, charged to the proper substitute, the lamb without
blemish and without spot, and how righteousness must be imputed
to him. And so, when Job says the just
upright man is left to scorn, what's he talking about? He's
talking about the man of grace. That's what he's talking about.
You know, the Bible said that Noah was just and upright, didn't
it? Genesis chapter 6. But you know
what it said before that? Before it said that Noah was
just and upright? It says, Noah found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. There's no sinner who is just,
justified, righteous, and upright, straight, in His ways before
God apart from grace. And grace reigns through righteousness
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Always has and always will. It
wasn't different in the Old Testament. That didn't change at Calvary.
That was always the truth and it was accomplished at Calvary.
You see? But the man of grace now by nature
men and women know nothing of grace grace is as foreign to
man by nature as anything you can think of it's foreign that's
why that's why these three men when they come to give their
advice they're just saying what's natural they don't know anything
about grace and anytime grace interrupts the natural thinking
of self-righteous sinners what happens What happens? Well, the
just upright man is mocked. Laughed to scorn. You're crazy. What's going on? You've lost
your mind. That's what they told Paul. You've
lost your mind. Oh, if that's the case, well,
I'll just go out here and sin all I want to. You can hear it
because it's so foreign to people. Salvation totally by grace. Brother Mahan once said in a
message I was listening to, he said, the one thing that it's
impossible for the natural man to do is just simply to believe
God's grace in Christ. Because it just doesn't make
sense to him, you see. And so people are... That's why
Christ said, Blessed are you when men shall persecute you,
same all manner of evil against you. That's what's happening
to Job. Look at verse 5. He says, He that is ready to
slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him
that is at ease. Now what in the world does that
mean? Well, think about it this way. This is kind of like a proverbial
saying. And it's kind of jumbled up as
they translate it from the old Hebrew. But it really makes sense. And here's what it's saying.
When Job was prospering, alright, when Job was prospering, when
he was the greatest man of the East, he was like a shining lamp
to others, wasn't he? He was like a lamp. People wanted
to come and see Job. They wanted to talk with Job.
They wanted Job's advice. But now that he's fallen under
severe trials and he's sitting out there on the dung heap, that
lamp that was so shining before now is counted as worthless and
is cast away. No, but who wants to talk to
Job now? Only these three miserable comforters. You don't see people
flocking and lining up to be with Job, to be in his company.
You see, it's easy to pass judgment on one who's suffering when you're
not suffering. That's why we're told as believers
in the Lord Jesus Christ to let our light shine so shine before
men that they may see our good works and do what? Glorify our
Father which is in heaven. Draw attention to Christ and
not to ourselves. But that's what that means when
he says that he that is ready to slip with his feet is as a
lamp despised. He was before a shining example. Now, nobody wants to see that
light. The light's extinguished, you see. Look at verse 6. He says, the tabernacles of robbers.
Now that word robbers could be spoilers, it could be destroyers. the tabernacles of spoilers prosper
and they that provoke god are secure and this provoking god
here is an is an open defiance i mean it's a hatred of god that's
what that indicates and he says those that provoke god are secure
you ever heard people make the statement you know when they
hear somebody shout out some kind of a blatant blasphemy and
they say well we better duck lightning might strike well you
know what this is saying, God doesn't work that way I'll tell you what, if God worked
that way we'd all been struck down long ago but what Job's saying is the
tabernacles of robbers and what he's saying here is now this
proves his three miserable comforters wrong on their their theology,
their advice, you know Here's the wicked, they suffer. Here's the righteous, they always
prosper. No, he says the tabernacles of
robbers prosper. Spoilers, destructive. Men and women are always trying
to get away with things, trying to hide it, trying to get up
on somebody, and sometimes they're successful. For a while. Am I right? On this earth in
Providence. And they that provoke God are
secure. And then it says, into whose
hand God bringeth abundantly. The wicked will sometimes prosper
in this life, those who provoke God. Listen, there's no thunderbolts
falling from heaven. Now God does sometimes bring
His wrath down upon people. He did it to Sodom and Gomorrah.
But He didn't do it immediately, did He? It took a little while. You know, I heard people say
when that Hurricane Katrina come through, well, At New Orleans,
they were so wicked, you know, God just finally got them. Well,
what about Ashland? Are we much better? Oh, we think
we are because we don't have that Mardi Gras or what? Listen
to me. What did Christ say about that?
He said, except you repent, you shall likewise perish. And that's
why those things happen. God doesn't always visit immediately
with thunderbolts the wicked and sometimes the wicked prosper
and even those into whose hand God bringeth abundantly you know
the abundance that even the wicked have is given them by God now
chew on that one for a little while Boy, that would upset the
health, wealth, and prosperity folks today, wouldn't it? You know, who bring God? And
they make God their puppet. I mean, I'm surprised that some
old false preacher didn't show up to Job and say, write a check
and send your seed money, Job, and then you'll be all right. It's just, you know, those are
the things that people think naturally. The theories of Job's
friends could not explain the reality of his situation. They
reduced God to someone you can control, who's at your beck and
call like a genie in a bottle. And Job says, this proves that's
not so. Even the robbers, even the spoilers and the destroyers,
even they prosper for a while. Now, they won't always prosper.
We know their end. Ultimately, listen, ultimately
and eternally, it's true, God always punishes the wicked, God
always prospers the righteous, but not in His providence here
on earth. You see, the kind of wisdom Job
is appealing to here is the wisdom of God that comes only in the
salvation of sinners by the Lord Jesus Christ and shows the ultimate
eternal end of all things. The issue here is that those
whom his friends called good were actually evil, and those
whom they called evil were actually good in the sight of God by His
grace. Man's judgment is always flawed. But look here. Now from here to the rest of
the chapter, the end of this chapter, he shows the testimony
of God's providence, evidences against his friends. Look at
verse 7. He said, Ask now the beasts,
the animals. and they shall teach thee, and the fowls of the air,
and they shall tell thee." That's natural revelation. Learning
the lessons of nature. He says, learn from the animals. I'll give you an example, I think,
of what he's talking about. You know, back then, sheep were
a very important part of their lives. Sheep provided a lot of
things that these people needed by way of food and clothing.
And yet sheep were the weakest, helpless animals that you could... Sheep, listen, you put a sheep
out away from the fold, away from the shepherd, it's a dead
sheep. But now take a bear. Bear meant
nothing to their economy. Bear couldn't contribute anything
to their food or their clothing, really, back then in this culture.
And yet, who's going to get killed if a bear come up against the
sheep? Now you say, well, that doesn't seem fair. Oh, it may
not seem fair to you, but that's the way God made it. Learn from the animals. He says,
verse 8, Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee, and
the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee, God has set the order
of things. He says, verse 9, Who knoweth
not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
Everything, the way it's made, the way it works, whether it
seems fair to you or unfair, God did it. God did it. It says, In whose
hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.
How many times you heard me say, the next breath you take is a
gift from God. That's what Job is saying. verse
eleven listen to this he says doth not the ear try or test
words as and it should be as the mouth taste his meat if you
if you put something in your mouth that tastes rancid and
awful what do you do you spit it out well when you hear something
that is wrong a lie that's pitiful rancid what do you do you ought
to put it to the test and disregard it but men and women don't I'll
tell you what, people today, and I know because I've done
it too, they speak and hear all kinds of religious things and
they'll just let it go. They won't test it. They won't
test it with the Scripture. What does the Scripture say in
1 John 4? Test the preachers. And I'm amazed at this. And I'm
not saying that in a self-righteous way. I mean, I've heard things
from men who I believe or have believed were gospel preachers
say things and people just sit there like a bunch of lemons
and let it go by. And what's Job saying here? He's simply saying, aren't you
listening to what you're hearing? That's what he's saying to his
three friends here. You haven't listened to even nature. The
world around you, even the dumb animals, you haven't listened
to them. You just, I mean, it's just like a, you know, it goes
in one ear and out the other and boom, there it is. Listen
to what you're hearing, that's what he's saying. Test these
things. Here's God like, you see, all
of this is of God and he says, verse 12, he said, with the ancient
is wisdom, that's the people who grow old. Now this is a general
statement. As you grow older, you ought
to be getting wiser and in length of days understanding. But here's
what he says, verse 13. It's with Him, that's with God,
is wisdom and strength. He hath counsel and understanding. God alone. And then he begins
to show how God works in all His mysterious ways to do these
things. Look at it. He says, verse 14,
Behold, God breaketh down, and it cannot be built again. He
shutteth up a man, and has put him in prison, and there can
be no opening, no freedom, unless God allows it. Behold, he withholdeth
the waters, and they dry up. There's a drought. Also, he sendeth
them out, and they overturn the earth. There's a flood. With
him is strength and wisdom, and the, listen to this, the deceived
and the deceiver are his. God's in control. You say, I
can't figure all that out. Join the club. Nobody can. He says in verse
70, he leadeth counselors away spoiled and maketh the judges
fools. God does. He looseth the bond
of kings and girdeth their loins with a girdle. In other words,
he's the one who builds them up and defeats them. "...he leadeth
princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty. He removeth away
the speech of the trusty." In other words, those who are trusted,
he removes their speech. "...and taketh away the understanding
of the aged. He poureth contempt upon princes,
and weakeneth the strength of the mighty. He discovereth deep
things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death."
God's the one who reveals the right way of salvation by Christ,
the deep things of God. You remember Paul wrote about
that in 1 Corinthians 2. The Spirit searches the deep
things of God. In other words, the only way
we're going to know these deep things that nature cannot teach
us, you remember Paul wrote about, or the psalmist wrote about that
in Psalm 19, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament
His handiwork. But it's the Word of God that
brings us to salvation. That's by revelation, the deep
things of God, the light to the shadow of death. What is that
light? That light is Christ, immortality,
swallowing up mortality by the death of Christ. Verse 23, He
increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them. He enlargeth the nations,
and straighteneth them again. He taketh away the heart of the
chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in
a wilderness where there is no way. and they grope in the dark
without light and he maketh them to stagger like a drunk man you
see god is like this is god's providence and he's in control
when he has his reasons and all we know is what he shows us and
what he reveals to us and when we sit down and try to figure
these things out as a natural man we'll always always go wrong
But the ultimate end of all things, what does he say? What does God
tell us? I know we quote it, it's kind
of like a motto, but don't let it ever slip by your brain, you
know. This is a good word to feed upon. And that is that all things truly
do work together for good. To them that love God, who are
the called according to his purpose. That's what the story of Job
ultimately is going to bring us to once again in the experience
of Job. And hopefully it'll do the same
in our own experience. as we live our lives to the glory
of God.