We turn this morning to the passage we read in which Job continues his parable that he has begun to speak. We considered before his answer to Bildad and his other friend from chapter 26 and here we conclude his parable through chapters twenty-nine thirty and thirty-one at the end of which it is written, the words of Job are ended.

These words, this response of Job to the accusations, the condemnation of his Moreover, Job continued his parable, and said, O that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me, when his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness, as I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle, when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me. when I washed my steps with butter and the rock poured out rivers of oil, when I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street, the young men saw me and hid themselves and the aged arose and stood up.

The princes refrained talking and laid their hand on their mouth. The nobles held their peace and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. As he begins this parable, It's interesting that these words are described as a parable. For we know that Christ came in the gospel, speaking parables. Tales which were pictures of the gospel.

Words that pointed those that were given ears to hear, not to man. not to the ability of men to save themselves but unto man's need of a savior words that pointed us to Christ and his salvation and here in this parable of Job Behind the words, behind his defense of himself, behind his wondering, behind his cries, behind his sorrow, is a picture of Christ and the Gospel. Is a picture of just what it cost, the Lord Jesus Christ. Just what it cost, the Son of God. just what it cost him in order to deliver his people from their sins. In order to save sinners, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, gave up all.

He left his glory in heaven above. He left his position with God the Father. And he came into this world, made a man, taking on himself human flesh, born as a man with a human soul. He came into this world and he walked amongst sinners. And he suffered the rejection of sinners. He came unto his own and his own received him not. All men cast him out, they despised him. He came from the highest of height and entered the lowest of depths.

Rejected by all, finally given up to be crucified, wicked men took the Son of God They beat Him, they bruised Him, they spat upon Him, they despised Him, they cast Him out, they nailed Him to a cross and they crucified Him. Hung up before men in shame, naked, beaten, bloodied, the Son of God. suffered the outpouring of God's wrath against the sin of men. God took the sins of His people and laid them upon His own Son. Christ was made sin that His people in Him might be made the righteousness of God. He was made a curse And God poured out the vials of his fury upon his own son.

He endured agonies that none can imagine. He paid a price that we cannot fathom. He entered the darkness of eternity. The light of the sun was taken away. He endured to the end. He paid the greatest price in order to save the worst of sinners. And in the end, having endured by faith, trust in his God and his Father throughout, he endured to the end. He finished the work of salvation. He rose victorious over sin, death and hell.

And what Christ suffered is what Job depicts in this parable. Job without knowing the reason why was stripped of all his glory. God took away all his riches. He took away his position in society. He brought him down from a high height to the lowest of depths. God took away his children, his family. And God took away his very health. He made him a derision, a laughing stock before men.

And he did so to show through Job the price that Christ, his Saviour, must pay. And to show to Job the price that Christ, his Saviour, his Redeemer, must pay. In these three chapters are a powerful picture of the gospel of Christ and a powerful picture of just what it cost Christ in order to deliver his people from their sins. we know that Christ came into the world to save sinners we know that he was crucified for sinners if we've read the gospels if we've heard the gospel we know these things but we cannot fathom the depth of just what he suffered just how much he endured we cannot comprehend it but here in a measure what happened to Job and the great suffering that Job was brought through is described in terms that we can comprehend and through Job we have just a glimpse just a glimpse of what Christ our Saviour suffered for his own. In chapter 29, Job describes where he stood once in society before his calamity came upon him. We've read there, Oh that I were as in months past as in the days when God preserved me.

How highly he was fought off. What a standing he had in society. Not only had God blessed him with riches and his family but he was a man with wisdom and understanding that others respected him. Young men regarded him. The wise men, the old men arose and stood up when he went past them. Nobles held their peace in his presence. he speaks of how he cared for the poor how he was the ear of the deaf and the eyes of the blind how he put on as it were righteousness and judgment as a robe and a diadem he's a father to the poor and the cause which I knew not I searched out he was wisdom to others Upon me men gave ear and waited and kept silence at my counsel. After my words they spake not again and my speech dropped upon them. They waited for me as for the rain and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

What a position he once knew. But oh how he longs. for those days because how far he has fallen how distant those days appeared to be all that he had has been stripped from him his wealth, his family, his health and all the respect and the position he had men now deride him, the worst of men deride him In chapter 30 he goes on to describe the state into which he's been brought into utter contempt. He's now derided in the midst of his suffering at a time when he needed comfort, when he needed help, when he needed pity. He's laughed at, he's mocked, he's sneered at. He's hated.

But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set were the dogs of my flock. Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me in whom old age was perished? For want and famine they were solitary, fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste. They were children of fools, yea, children of base men, they were viler than the earth, and now am I their song.

Yea, I am their byword. They abhor me, they flee far from me and spare not to spit in my face, because they have loosed my cord and afflicted me. They have also let loose the bridle before me. Upon my right hand rise the youth. They push away my feet and they rise and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction. They mar my path. They set forward my calamity. They have no helper. They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters. In the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.

Terrors are turned upon me. they pursue my soul as the wind and my welfare passeth away as a cloud and now my soul is poured out upon me the days of affliction have taken hold upon me my bones are pierced in me in the night season and my sinews take no rest what a place he's brought into utterly despised by the worst of men the most base of men He's made a byword for them. They laugh at him. They sneer at him.

And in this, of course, we see through Job just how we have treated the Son of God, Jesus Christ. In chapter 29, Job spake of where he once was. And Christ, the Son of God, once dwelt in glory with the Father. But when he came into this world of sin, when he came amongst sinners, what did we do with him? Each and every one of us, what did we do with the Son of God?

We despised We turned our backs upon him. We laughed at him. We abandoned him. And in the end with our sin, our unbelief, our self-righteousness, we said, away with this man. We will not have him to reign over us. And he was cast out. and we with our sins nailed him to the tree we pierced him we set him to death Job says of those that treated him in this way they were children of fools ye children of base men they were viler than the earth And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword. They abhor me, they flee far from me, they spare not to spit in my face. Who is that a description of? Children of fools, yea, children of base men, viler than the earth. Is that not a description of you and I? Of us by nature? Are we not in our unbelief? In our sin?

Fools. Fools to turn our back upon God. Fools to despise his son. Fools to close our ears to the gospel. Fools to set our energy, our efforts to trying to grab, grab, grab at all that this world offers. And to attain to what we can get in this world. which is but for a moment. With the few moments of life we have here in this fleeting existence, we grab at what we can gain, we strive to attain heights and then old age comes upon us and we're taken away. And we don't consider God, we don't consider eternity and we despise his son. How base and vile we are in our instincts, in our desires. What liars we are by nature. How vile we are, the language that comes from our lips. Job says, now I am their song, yea I am their byword.

How many take the name of Jesus upon their lips as a vile swear word. and treat him as nothing and despise him. How many in religion take his name upon their lips and pretend to follow him and take his name in vain when they despise the true Christ of scripture. When they do not know Jesus as revealed in the scriptures. When they follow another Jesus, another Christ of their own imagination. weak Christ, a weak Jesus that stands pleading with men to hear him and they despise the sovereign God that he truly is.

Whether you are a fool in the world or a fool in religion, whether you are a child of base men in the world or base men in religion, We're all the same, viler than the earth. And we've all taken Jesus upon our lips and made him our song and our byword and set him at nought and crucified him. They abhor me, they flee far from me and spare not to spit in my face. We've set him at nought.

Oh how Job felt the consequence. Have you any idea what Christ suffered when you hated him? Child of God, in your unbelief, do you understand? how it felt for the son of glory to come into this world in the darkness of this world to dwell amongst sinners and to take your hatred as one whom he loved as one for whom he would die to take your hatred to take your rejection and bear it and suffer the wrath of God in judgment against it. The worst of men despise Job as they despise Christ.

But in chapter 31 Job speaks of his integrity Now as a man, Job may have been brought in self-righteousness to defend himself against all the accusations that came his way. We may see the faults of Job in how he longs for the glory he once had and how he defends himself against all accusations but these words are given him to write as a picture of Christ and his gospel. For God says of Job that he was a perfect and an upright man. He said of Job, consider my servant Job because he looked at Job as a picture of his son and he set him forth as a picture of his son.

And when the calamity came upon Job, God said of him, that in all this, Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. When his health was taken away from him and his wife said, Dost thou still retain thine integrity, curse God and die? He said, What, shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil? In all this did Job did not Job sin with his lips.

Despite all that came upon him, despite the ridicule, despite the rejection, despite the darkness, despite the pain and the suffering, Job still waited upon God. Job maintained his integrity. In chapter 31 he describes this in various ways. He said, I made a covenant with mine eyes.

Why then should I think upon a maid? For what portion of God is there from above and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is not destruction to the wicked and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? Doth not he see my ways and count all my steps?

I've walked with vanity or if my foot have hasted to deceit let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity. He says if I've done this wrong then show me, if I've done that then show me. Did not I help the poor? Did not I look after the widows? Did I try to cover my transgressions as Adam by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom? Did I fear a great multitude or did the contempt of families terrify me that I kept silence and went not out the door?

O that one would hear me! Behold my desire is that the Almighty would answer me and that mine adversary had written a book Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. I would declare unto him the number of my steps, as a prince would I go near unto him.

If my land cry against me, or that the pharaohs likewise thereof complain, if I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life, let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. yes he speaks of his integrity essentially of his faith in God that though he's lost all he waits upon the Lord who can do with him as he wills and the chapter ends by saying the words of Job are ended.

What words these words are, but through them they are a pointer to the word of God, Jesus Christ. Job's words, his parable, the height from which he came the depth to which he fell and the faith and the integrity which he retained throughout are all a picture of the very Word of God Jesus Christ the Word of God a picture of his glory his humility his humiliation his suffering, his death, his love for sinners, his integrity, his righteousness, and his faith that endured to the very end. Such is the depth of the love of Christ for sinners such is the depth of his love that he endured this of which Job speaks and far more Philippians Paul speaks of this let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, fought in robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also have highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Christ Jesus was in the form of God the Son of God equal with the Father in glory fought it not robbery to be equal with God but he made himself of no reputation he gave up everything he took upon himself the form of a servant he was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death he gave up everything rejected by all.

He came unto his own and his own received him not. He came unto sinners and they cast him out and despised him.

And yet through it all, obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, through it all his faith endured. And he bore the sins of his people. He suffered that death. He wrought salvation. Bearing the sins of his own, being made sin, he made them to be the righteousness of God in him. He made his people righteous. He saved them with an outstretched arm. He took away death.

He took away the law. he took away the curse, he took away the condemnation, he took away the penalty of the law, he took away sin, he took away the judgment and he brought in righteousness and as a consequence he rose victorious with everyone for whom he died and he ascended and sat down in glory and God have highly exalted him, and God have given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. The day is coming, it's fast approaching, when every one of us, you and I included, every one of us, at the name of Jesus, our knees will bow. at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

This day is fast approaching when all those who mocked and derided Him, when all those foolish children of base men, who spat upon the Lord Jesus, who nailed Him to the cross with their sins, who wandered afar off, who closed their eyes to Him, who shut their ears to Him, who would not listen who when the gospel came their way shut their ears and went off seeking their own desire their own will fast is approaching that day when all these when all we shall bow the knee to his name yes Christ suffered the loss of all things in order that he might save his people from their sins he suffered the loss of all things that he might save his people from their sins he came from the highest height to the greatest depth oh what it cost him and such was the cost such was the price he paid and such was the impact of that salvation upon the apostle Paul upon Saul as he once was who in his religion in zeal for God thinking he was doing the right thing thinking he served God, thinking he knew who God was, in his zeal, in his own religion, by his own pride, for his own glory, he went about causing havoc in the churches, putting to death the followers of Jesus Christ, consenting to their death and trying to put the Word of God to death. trying to silence Christ and his gospel.

That was where his religion took him. He did everything he could to put this message in the dust, to silence it. And yet when God met him on the Damascus road and Christ met him there and said, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And Saul heard the word of Christ from heaven above in power.

When Saul was transformed by the gospel, and all his religion fell away as the filthy rags that it was, and Christ clothed him in the righteousness of God, which was wrought upon the cross in his place by faith, when Christ clothed him in righteousness, And when Paul heard that message from the words of Christ from heaven above and it entered into his heart in power it utterly transformed his thinking such that Paul would go on in chapter 3 of Philippians to describe what he once was but to say that he suffered the loss of all things in order that he should win Christ.

He says we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he have whereof he might trust in the flesh I more circumcised the eighth day of the stock of israel of the tribe of benjamin and hebrew of the hebrews as touching the law of pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless but what things were gained to me those i counted lost for christ yea doubtless and i count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of christ jesus my lord for whom i have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but done that i may win christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of christ the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. that I may know him.

Paul suffered the loss of all things he counted them but dung, all that he trusted in, all his own self-righteousness, all his own glory, all that he had before. He happily suffered the loss of it all and counted it as nothing that he might win Christ. He counted his own righteousness which was of the law as dung. and he clung to that righteousness which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith that righteousness that Christ brought in for him at the cross yes just like Job who lost all things that God through that would teach him in power the gospel and set him forth as a picture of his son in the gospel, just like Job who suffered the loss of all things, so did Saul, so did Paul.

And yet in Christ he gained all. In him he had life. In him he had salvation. In him he had the righteousness of God. He trod the same path that others trod before him. A pathway of faith. A pathway that led him from this world to Christ at the cross. Through death into everlasting life.

In Hebrews chapter 11 we read, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Job lost all that he may gain all. Saul lost all. He had nothing and God gave him in Christ everything. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith, Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. All that was before that Noah knew was taken away in the judgment. And yet it was brought through that death in Christ, in the ark. to a new heaven and a new earth as it were. A new world delivered in Christ the Ark, his Saviour.

By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went. He left everything behind. He left Ur of the Chaldees. He went into a wilderness. He went not knowing where he was headed. He gave up all.

By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which have foundations, whose builder and maker is God. by faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son of whom it was said that in Isaac shall I seed be called accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure what God gave him By faith, he gave up.

And by faith, Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child. And they were not afraid of the king's commandment. By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch him. He gave up everything for Christ his Saviour.

All of whom are pictures of Christ himself of whom we read in chapter 12 Wherefore seeing, we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. This is what Job pictured. This is what the words of Job in this parable are a picture of. Christ, who had all, who gave it all up. Walking by faith, the offer and finisher of faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. He was faithful, faithful to the end, Christ gave up all.

He became a derision, a byword amongst base men, vile men, fools like you and I. He was cast out by all. He was nailed to a cross by all. By our sin, our unbelief, we nailed him to the tree, we spat upon him, we derided him, we mocked him. He endured, he despised the shame, but loving his bride, the church, loving his own to the end, he gave himself for the church. He gave all for the church. He gave all for the one he loved. He took her sin, upon himself he took the sins of all his people upon himself he took the curse upon himself he took the judgment of God against sin upon himself he looked upon that cup that he must drink moved moved in the garden of Gethsemane He sweated, as it were, drops of blood, moved at what would come upon him, moved about what would be laid upon him, that he would be made sin, that he would bear the sins of his people, that he would have to drink the cup of God's wrath.

Oh, how he endured! But oh, the faith that he had. that looked to the joy that was set before Him, that looked to that people that would be His, that looked to that countless number chosen by God in eternity, laid upon His heart, on His breastplate, that number whom He loved from all eternity, that number whose sins He bore, that number who was wed to Him, united to Him in death. He looked to that number whom He would redeem, whom He would save. He looked unto Paul. He looked unto Moses. He looked unto Noah. He looked unto Isaac. He looked unto Job. He bore their sins. He washed them whiter than snow. He made them to be the righteousness of God in Him. Yes he died in their place and they died with him.

As Paul wrote, I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me He loved me and he gave himself for me. He endured to the end in my place. And at the cross, when the hours of darkness reached the end, when Christ's suffering in the darkness as he bore the sins of his people came to an end, when the price of the last sin had been paid, when the cost the price had been paid in full Christ finally cried out in victory it is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost he accomplished salvation He finished the work. He endured to the end.

He delivered everyone for whom he died. He came into this world preaching the gospel and we shut our ears to him. He came unto his own and looked upon them in love and we hated him. He came unto those that should have received Him and they cast Him out. He comes unto you and I in the Gospel and by nature we hate Him and despise Him and by our sins, our unbelief, we nail Him to the cross. And He says of His own to His Father, Father forgive them, they know not what they do. And He utters those cries from the cross. He preached the Gospel. and we would not heal.

And in the end, having finished the work, having accomplished salvation, he cries out, it is finished. Job spake a parable concerning Christ. He gave up his glory, he suffered the loss of all things, and yet his faith, his integrity remained to the end. And at the end, of chapter 31, we read, the words of Job are ended. The words of Job are ended. It is finished. When Christ gave up the ghost, his words from the cross were ended.

But that salvation brought him everlasting life for Job, for Paul, for Noah, for Isaac, it bring everlasting life for you? Oh may God give us ears to hear these words, Job's words, Christ's words, may they come in power as words of life that lead us away from self, away from the wisdom of this world, away from the religion of this world, that lead us as nothings to the foot of the cross, to the blood of the lamb, to cry out, Lord, be merciful to me, the sinner. May God give us eyes to behold Christ our Savior. May our words be brought to an end. May his everlasting words be all that we hear. May those words be spoken from the cross unto us like they were spoken to that thief upon the cross. When we come unto him and say, Lord, remember me, may he in love and mercy look upon us if we're his and say, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. Amen.