Job 22-23, Consider What Words May Stir Up God’s Wrath
Job 22, Eliphaz Stirred Up Wrath
1. Declaring Affliction Must Be Judgment For Sin (Job 22:1-11)
2. Announcing Presumed Motivations (Job 22:12-20)
3. Promising Immediate Good To The Righteous (Job 22:21-30)
Job 23, Job Did Not Stir Up Wrath
1. Expressing A Desire For Answers From God (Job 23:1-7)
2. Admitting Confusion About What God Is Doing (Job 23:8-14)
3. Confessing A Fear And Terror Of God (Job 23:15-17)
Well, we continue on in the Book of Job and it is a challenging book.
As I shared last week and there's lots of difficulties that are found in it sometimes.
Just reading through it can be quite difficult because of the great pain and the agony that is seen there and the things that are expressed.
And we are learning as we work through job a lot of valuable skills in walking through some of the challenging subjects that, well, we just have to face in this life.
Part of the realities of life is the reality of sin and suffering, and difficulty and pain and also nonsense.
And we've seen quite a bit of that with Job's friends, and we'll continue to see that as we look at these passages together this evening, I've titled the Message Tonight. Consider what words may stir up.
God's wrath, and so we get to see one of the exchanges that happen between Job's friend Eliphaz and himself and a little bit of interaction that takes place.
We're just getting one little snippet.
There's of course, so much discussion that goes on before, and more so even after, but we're just going to take a little snippet.
Of the the slice that God has assigned for.
Us today and consider.
That here's a quick reminder of the outline of.
The Book of job.
You can really.
Kind of divide it into 4 sections.
As the first three verses really introduced the affliction and the grief of job, as all of these events unfold in his life, then the bulk of the book, chapters 4 through 37, is a record of the dialogue that happens between job and his friends, and there's a lot of back and forth. They go around three times.
Each of them sharing something and job responding to it, and then at last there's a fourth guy who jumps in right at the tail end and we'll probably get to see that next week as we.
Continue on well then chapters 38 through 41. We get to see the dialogue between God and job and after some time finally you know when we get to chapter 38.
We're so excited. Finally, God shows up and he begins to speak and so we'll get to see his response and what he shares in the midst of the situation. And then chapter 42 gives us.
The restoration of job and kind of the fulfillment of all the things that God was working through the midst of it and we get to see him essentially live happily ever after.
Having survived this trial victoriously and as a man of faith.
And really proving the enemy wrong and all the things that the enemy sought to bring forth in chapter one and two and to bring job to a place of cursing God.
Job stands the test. He survives the trial. He does not turn away from God and so God rewards him and blesses him at the end and job chapter 42. So lots of.
Things to consider and we'll continue working our way through that.
But as we look at tonight's chapters and I, I want to remind you of a verse I shared last.
Week and it's kind of a.
A theme for this round about through the Book of Job and for our time together tonight and that is job chapter 42 verse 7.
At the end, as God has restored job and has spoken to him and revealed himself, he speaks to the Friends of Job job.
Chapter 42, verse seven it says, and it so it was after the Lord had spoken these words to job that the Lord said to eliphaz the temanite. My wrath is aroused against you.
And your two friends.
For you have not spoken of me.
What is right as my servant job has.
At the end of the book, after these three friends have.
Gone on and on and.
On for chapter after chapter, after chapter the Lord shows up and he announces to them that they deserve wrath.
They deserve judgment because of the themes that they have spoken, and that's why I titled the message.
Tonight, consider what words may stir up God's wrath. I think it's really important to take note of jobs, friends, and the things that they share, because many of the things that they share, we might find the those same kind of kernels.
Of ideas or concepts in our own minds in our own hearts, and we definitely find those kernels.
Those ideas and concepts by which they're arguing and and discussing things with job.
Their perspective is shared by many people still today, even though their doctrine.
Is bad even though their comfort is worse and and is not comfort at all.
Even though the way that they approach things is completely not according to what is true.
There is much of job friends around us and much words that are shared along the same sentiments and with the same ideas and mindsets and doctrines as jobs, friends, shared, and so we need to remember that God pronounced wrath and judgment upon them because they had not.
Spoken what was right, but then also noticed the contrast.
God says as my servant job has.
And so God.
Makes a distinction.
In the interactions between the Friends of Job and what job shares himself, there's a lot of things that we can wrestle with with Job's own words, but jobs words did not stir up or arouse the wrath of God in the way that the friends did. And so there's something really important to take note.
As we work our way through.
The differences between the two, and so we need to understand when job friends are talking, they're stirring.
Up the wrath of God.
Whatever truths you might find in the words.
Of job friends, there's there's.
Perhaps you might say it like as a uh, nugget or a kernel of truth you know, and some of the things that they share.
But whatever truth you find there.
Can only be found to be true if you take that out of context.
And it's completely the opposite.
It's exactly opposite of how we normally approach Scripture.
Like normally you want to keep everything in context right?
And so you have to twist the scripture to make the words of job friends true and good.
And so I don't recommend doing that.
I don't recommend twisting the scripture to try to make a point if there's any point that job friends could make that would be right, then there's going to be other scriptures that would be much better suited for that.
So it's really not wise.
I would suggest to reference job friends to quote.
Job friends were to try to pull elements of.
Truth, it's much better to look at them to understand what they're saying, where they're coming from, and understand that at the end God says that deserves wrath.
You deserve judgment for thinking that way for talking that way, and for counseling that way to someone who is hurting and in need.
What's the difference between Job's words and the words?
Of his friend.
Well, although Jobe was not fully understanding the situation either, he was not attempting to speak for God.
He was not presuming that he had all of the answers and the things that he shared were from his own heart, his own perspective as he was experiencing the emotions and the feelings.
And the suffering that he was experiencing, and so there's a radical difference, even though in many ways both job and his friends were ignorant of a lot of things.
Job's words did not solicit the wrath of God because he was not presuming to speak for God. He was not declaring that he had all of the answers.
Instead, he was simply sharing his own perspective and what he was experiencing in his reasoning and and, you know, working out the situation as it unfolded.
In his own life.
Now this is really important to consider because Jesus tells us in Matthew Chapter 12 that we will give an account for every idle word and so job friends.
You can see this very practically applied to them right at the end.
Of this discourse.
God holds them to account for every.
Word that they said, and they he said that they deserve wrath.
Now that wasn't the end and God didn't just give you know all the wrath that they deserved.
And then they were lost, but he invited them to recover from that by asking job to intercede on their behalf.
And so he restored their relationship so that.
They could be forgiven and cleansed even though they had deserved the wrath of God, and so we see that very practical, you know, principle played out in.
Front of us.
To help us remember, we will give an account for every idle word and and I don't know about you, but when I read through the Book of Job and I read.
The words of job friends.
It strikes a bit of fear in my.
My heart now I want to make sure that I never convey those kinds of concepts.
I want to make sure I never behave like them, especially in the context of someone who is hurting or going through a difficulty.
I don't want to have to give account for those idle words like they did and stir up the wrath of God in the way that.
I communicate with those who are around me and so that's what I would encourage you to do this evening, consider.
What words may stir up God's wrath and we're not going to look at all of them. Obviously we're just looking at these two chapters. Chapter 22 and 20.
Three, but here in Chapter 22 we have the words of eliphaz and then in Chapter 23 we'll have a little bit of a response from job.
Eliphaz stirred up the wrath of God. Job did not, and so we're going to work our way through looking first of all, at Chapter 22 and consider how eliphaz.
Stirred up the wrath of God the 1st way that he did.
So we find in verses one through 11.
He stirred up the wrath of God by declaring that affliction must be judgment.
For sin.
Ellis has declared that the affliction job is experiencing it must be a judgment for some sin in Job's life. He was convinced.
Of this truth, let's look again verses one through 5, it says, then eliphaz the team and I answered and said, can a man be profitable to God?
Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself.
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or is it gain to him that you make your ways blameless?
Is it because of your fear of?
Him that he corrects you.
And enters into judgment with you is not your wickedness great, and your iniquity without end?
Here, Eliphaz is bringing a very strong accusation against job.
This is his third time around his third time speaking to job and the conversations with job really kind of ramp up each time around.
And so now.
This is very flat out and fierce.
He accuses job of great wickedness.
And he's really challenging job right to his face, he says, look.
Can a man be profitable to God?
You think God cares?
If you're righteous, does it matter to God if you're righteous or not?
You know it might matter to you if you're wise that it helps you, and you perhaps have a better life.
Is the idea that he's saying.
But he's suggesting here that God has no pleasure if job is righteous or not.
Now this is, you know, responding to some of the conversation that's already happened, but we can see right off the bat you go back to job chapter one and two.
God is pleased with job and and he's the one who declares that job is righteous.
And so again, we see that there's a lot of nonsense that is being shared as job friends are speaking.
He goes on into verse four to say is it because of?
Your fear of him that he corrects you.
Obviously job you're experiencing correction.
And God's not correcting you because you're so righteous 'cause you fear him so much and you're so godly that that's the statement that he is making.
He's he's judging you.
This is clear.
Eliphaz is concluded.
What job is experiencing must be the judgment of God.
He declares.
This affliction must be judgment for sin.
And with that mindset, with that understanding, it's not a surprise.
Then he says in verse 5 is not your wickedness great, because as much as you are suffering, it only makes sense.
It's only logical then, that your wickedness is as great as your suffering is great.
He goes on in the following verses to give some made up examples and these are just, in a sense, hypotheticals or perhaps accusations against job.
Verse 16 says for you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason.
And stripped the naked of their clothing.
You have not given the weary water to drink.
Speaking of which, I might take a drink.
And you've withheld bread from the hungry excuse me while I take a bite.
Of bread I'm skidding.
Versus heat, but the mighty man possessed the land and the honorable man dwelt in it.
You have sent widows away empty and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
Therefore, snares are all around you, and sudden fear troubles you or darkness, so that you cannot see, and an abundance of water covers you.
And so he just goes down a list of supposed sins. Supposed things that Job's done that would merit the kind of judgment that eliphaz is convinced that he is experiencing.
And so this idea here this concept, this mindset.
Affliction must be judgment for sin.
Is where he's coming from, this is.
Doctrinally, what he believes.
But this is not what the Bible teaches.
This is not the truth, and it's one of those interesting things we believe.
The Bible is the word of God, but but we need to understand the context. So you can't just open up to Joe Chapter 22 and find everything that God has to say, and all truth about.
A certain thing.
You need to understand the context that.
It accurately records the words of eliphaz.
Here in Chapter 22, which are false, which are nonsense.
And so we need to learn to put on our discernment caps and be able to understand against the whole Council of God's word that eliphaz is speaking falsehood.
God says so.
At the end of the Book of Job, and then of course we could look at the rest of scriptures that the the Bible will always be consistent with itself when it is declaring the actual truth of what God says.
God, nature, God, character and.
And all of that.
And so this idea that declaring affliction must be judgment for sin.
It's false.
And when we have this kind of mindset, and when we seek to communicate this kind of idea, we need to understand.
Eliphaz, later on has to give an account for this, and God says you deserve wrath.
You've stirred up.
Wrath you've made me angry by sharing these kinds of things with my servant job.
Now you can compare this of course to other prophets.
Well, maybe not other prophets 'cause elifaz clearly is not a prophet, right?
But you can look at Jeremiah.
You can look at Isaiah who pronounced judgment, which was affliction as a judgment for sin, right?
Those prophets spoke.
On behalf of God.
And so it's not that.
Affliction is never a judgment for sin.
But the the issue here is that eliphaz, presumed to speak for God, and to declare this a judgment for sin without God's authority and without God's sending him to declare this, was the issue.
That that it.
Is and and so looking at an affliction and.
Determining well this must be coming to the conclusion that it must be judgment is different than God saying.
Affliction is coming and I'm telling you in advance this is my judgment.
There's a difference there.
Coming to the conclusion about Affliction that it must be judgment for sin is not what God has called us to do now.
I think this is really important practical.
I think we see this kind of thing happen regularly in our lives.
Difficulties happen in the lives of people around us in the church, in the workplace or whatever and, and there is often still today this idea, this sentiment.
This conclusion that is drawn that it must be judgment for sin, or there is some kind of natural disaster.
Or some type of you know, really severe affliction that happens to a neighborhood or happens to a region or to a nation.
And and there is oftentimes those who will be quick to proclaim.
This must be judgment for sin, and I would suggest that we need to be very, very, very careful with that kind of approach.
As much as it might be obvious to us that this must be a judgment for sin, if we do not have God's word declaring and that can be.
The word of God in the scriptures that we have, it can be a prophetic word or a word of.
Knowledge that God.
Gives us supernaturally.
But if we don't have God's authority and and that kind of revelation.
Then we should not be declaring affliction as a judgment for sin because we don't know and we don't have God's insight, and we're presuming to speak for God, and he hasn't called us or sent us to speak in that way and and misrepresenting God in that way stirs up.
The wrath of God.
Well, continuing on with.
Elaphus discourse with Joe.
We get the 2nd.
The 2nd way he stirred up wrath here in this chapter.
In verses 12 through 20.
And that is he was announcing presumed motivations.
Verse 12 says.
Is not God in the height of heaven?
And see the highest stars how lofty they are.
And you say, what does God know?
Can he judge?
Through the deep darkness that clouds cover him.
So he cannot.
See and he walks above the circle of heaven.
Eliphaz goes on.
To now look at job and say job.
We know that God is big.
He's describing an idea here that God dwells beyond the stars of the heavens.
See the highest stars, how lofty they are, Ben.
Those stars are big.
They're we out there.
And there was the idea that God dwelt there in the heavens with the stars, or just beyond the stars.
And so here he's suggesting to job.
Here's what you said job.
Notice verse 13 and you say job.
I know what's happening in your heart I know what's going on inside of you.
You declared what does God know?
He's so far away.
He's so distant he can't see through the deep darkness job.
You've concluded that God cannot see your wickedness and so you can get away with it.
You have this mindset.
Eliphaz accuses job that he's able to do whatever he wants to do without regard for righteousness.
Because job I know your motivations, I know what's happening in your heart.
I know what's going on within you.
You think God far away?
And can't see.
What it is that you are involved with, so continuing on the theme of great wickedness, you're involved in great wickedness and the reason why you've been involved in great wickedness.
Is because you thought you could.
Get away with.
It you thought that God could not see.
What it was that you were doing?
Verse 15 will you keep the old way with which wicked men have trod?
Who were cut down before their time whose foundations were swept away by a flood.
And they said to God, depart from us.
What can the Almighty do to them?
Yeah, he filled their houses with good things.
But the Council of the Wicked is far from me.
The Righteous See it in our gladden.
The innocent laugh at them, surely.
Our adversaries are cut.
Down and the fire consumes their remnant.
Here he makes reference to perhaps.
Some of the situations and scenarios that were happening before the flood and that was the the catching up of the flood in verse 16 was perhaps a reference to the.
But recorded in the Book of Genesis and and so referring back to those things and he's saying, look, you're you're following along with that their mindsets and thinking that you can get away with stuff.
And so, again, it's not really a different accusation job you've been involved in wickedness.
But I know why.
I know what's happening in your head, I know what's.
Happening in your heart.
You think that God?
Isn't able to see.
What it is that you're doing?
And so that's why you've persisted in it.
Pastor David Guzik says the only evidence that he could offer was job condition and he could not think of another possible explanation for jobs crisis.
All of these accusations, all of this idea.
I know what's happening in your mind.
I know what's happening in your heart.
He had no evidence he had no no substantial thing to present.
To job and to really support his claims.
He just he couldn't think of any other explanation for the crisis.
It's such a dangerous thing for us to look at a person to look at their actions to look at what they're experiencing.
And then to decide you.
Know I can't think of any other reason and so to presume.
To speak for God or to.
Presume the motivations of the people.
Is really not our place and it is something that stirs.
Up the wrath.
Of God, we are not equipped.
To discern the motivations, the heart and the mind of other people, we're just not equipped.
And I know.
There is a.
Multitude of people who are convinced they have the.
Gift of discernment.
First of all, the gift of discernment.
Look, look that up, find that in the scriptures.
It's not quite worded that way, and it's not quite what it is thought to be by those who usually use that particular phrase.
Yes, God can reveal.
And give a word of knowledge.
He can give insight into someone's motivations, but.
The Lord throughout the scriptures reminds us that man looks at the outside, and we're coming to conclusions based on a bunch of different factors, some of which are physical things or things that we can perceive.
Some of it's just based on, you know how we feel and emotions that we have and what kind of sausage we had for lunch.
And you know that all.
Interacts with our so called discernment but announcing this.
Motivation this heart, this mindset within somebody else is a great big presumption.
And it is not good if it is not something that God has revealed.
And so again we need to be careful that we don't speak on behalf of God when God hasn't spoken and we need to be careful that we don't come to conclusions about the hearts and minds of other people when those are things that have not been.
Revealed to us by the Lord.
Now of course there are clear things in the scripture where you know there there's no debate.
It's not like you have to understand the motivation to understand.
You know, do not commit murder right?
Like the the motivation there is it.
It's not a it's not a factor.
The action itself is sin.
But you don't have to understand the motivation to be able to.
Determine that the action is sin because the scripture.
Is clear on that.
But there's so many things where.
Here, it's really a matter of the heart which makes something right or wrong, or something that should be corrected or discouraged, right?
And so it's the heart that really matters, and and so many times we're so careless and we are so clueless when it comes to.
The heart, and that's why it's so bad that we're careless because we are clueless.
And here having that kind of behavior towards job.
Brings God to the end of the book. Joe Chapter 42, verse 7 eliphaz, you've stirred up my wrath.
You've presumed the motivations you you thought you understood.
You came to conclusions about the situation and assigned motivations, and a heart and a mind set to job that was not actually there.
Well, finally verses 21 through 30. Finally for eliphaz anyways, we get the 3rd way that ELIPHAZ stirred up the wrath of God. And here it is promising immediate good to the righteous.
And this is another important one for us to consider.
Eliphaz promised immediate good if job would only turn around and be righteous.
Once again, check out verses 21 through.
23 it.
Says now acquaint yourself with him and be at peace.
Thereby good will come to you.
Receive please instruction from his mouth.
And lay up his words in your heart.
If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up.
You will remove iniquity far from your tents, although Eliphaz had such a low view of job.
Job you must have been exceedingly terrible, and your heart was wicked, and you had all these bad motivations and and things going on within, but.
There's hope if only you'll repent.
If you can repent.
Boy, God will do good in your life and he will bless you.
And it'll be so great for you, you'll be rebuilt.
If you return to the Almighty.
Again, the things he shares sound really great.
And you could look at an individual theme here.
And if you pull it out of context and twist it up and turn it around, it's a nice beautiful call to repentance.
That is true, but but only by twisting it out of its context.
Can you make this true?
There's elements of truth, but the the way that they're applied in the way that he brings us to job stirs up the wrath of God.
And we need to understand this so important.
How we use the word of God.
Really does matter.
So he says.
Acquaint yourself with God, God, God. You've been distant from God, job. You've been foreign to him now. Reintroduce yourself, acquaint yourself and and notice the result. They're right in verse 21. Thereby good will come to you.
It it makes sense coming from the logical framework in which Elifaz is working right.
All of this bad stuff you must be doing bad.
So start to do good and then you will start to experience good and and it kind of was as simple as that.
His mindset, his worldview.
It was on the basis of that kind of structure, which of course is not at all accurate to what God has said, but that's what he thought, and so he's like look job, just do good and you'll get good.
If you return to the Almighty.
You will be built up verse 24.
Then you will lay your gold in the dust.
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the Brooks.
Yes, the almighty.
Will be your gold and precious silver.
For then you will have your delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
You will make your prayer to him.
He will hear you and you will.
Pay your vowels.
You will also declare a thing and it will be established for you.
So light will shine on your waves.
When they cast you down.
And you say Exaltation will come, then he will save.
The humble person.
Verse 30 he will even deliver one who is not innocent.
Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.
Here he goes on with this ultra call to job who doesn't need to repent who started out righteous from the very beginning.
Chapters one and two.
But he goes on with this ultra call and he says, look.
If you will do this global, you're gonna have so much gold.
It's gonna just be like a dust on the ground.
You're just going to have so much you're going to be so wealthy again, you're going to be so blessed.
If only you will repent and do.
Good and then did you see that the source you thought Neeman and claim it was new, right?
No, it's not so new.
It goes back to the Book of Job, which is a record of probably the the oldest book in the Bible, verse 28. You also will declare a thing and it will be established for you that.
Is a popular doctrine.
Name it and claim it.
You declare it.
You believe it, you have.
Enough faith, you're righteous.
And so it will be established for you.
All throughout this, he's essentially saying if you do good, you will get good.
Good things will happen to you if you turn to God.
If you're righteous and if you.
Do good things.
And at the end of the book, God says, Eliphaz.
That makes me angry.
Don't make those kinds of promises.
Again, I think this is something.
That we should be a little bit.
Challenged by.
Promising immediate good to the righteous.
Not to take it too far right, but many times we might hear the phrase God loves you and has a plan for your life as a method of preaching the gospel of reaching someone for Christ, right?
You know, sometimes we can preach this kind of gospel message.
And and in our attempt to deliver the gospel, what we're doing instead is promising immediate good to the righteous, or to someone who's hurting someone who's suffering.
Someone who's going through a hard time and they don't know the Lord were like, OK, great.
This is a perfect opportunity look if you get.
Right with the Lord.
Then God will save your marriage.
We can make these promises.
Of good predicated on this repentance that needs to happen, and.
For job there.
Was not the repentance that needed to happen.
For situations that we face, maybe there is a situation where repentance needs to happen at the same time.
We cannot couple these things together and say if you repent then there will be this immediate good that happens in your life.
The reality is.
You might need to repent.
But then your marriage isn't saved.
Your marriage is continued to dissolved and destroyed, but but you're saved and now you know you continue on in the things that God has for you.
And that's what was necessary.
That was, you know, the events that played out.
It's not a guarantee of.
Well, I'm going to get this good thing.
If I repent from this actual sin and turn to it, that that we need to be careful that we don't live out a.
A Christian faith that is based on this idea of.
Getting good stuff right now.
Now the immediate word is in.
There is really important because the promise of good is there, but the promise of good from God is not necessarily in this life.
The promise of good for us as believers.
Is fully fleshed out in Eterniti.
We do of course love and enjoy when God blesses us immediately in this life and he does do that many times.
But but it's not promised in the same way that the promise of good for all eternity is given to us.
And so we need to be.
Very careful that we don't promise good or immediate good for righteousness, or for repentance, or to a righteous person.
I like what Pastor Warren Wiersbe said about this.
He says the highest reward for a faithful life is not what you get for it.
But what you become by it?
That's worthy of a lot of meditation.
The highest reward for a faithful life is not what you get for it.
And we need to be careful not to pursue a faithful life in order to try.
To get from it.
But but the pursuit of a faithful life and faithfulness to God in a right relationship with God.
The the benefit and the value is how that transforms us.
To be more like God.
And and what we need most is to be like God, to be transformed from the inside out by God, by seeking him and walking with him, and so promising good.
Immediate good to the righteous.
Later on job Chapter 42 for seven.
God's going to say eliphaz you did bad you made me mad.
That was not not good things.
To share with job.
Now again, there's little Nuggets or snippets.
You pull one piece out of its context, twists it around a little bit, and you can make it sound true and make it maybe fitting, but.
That is not a good way to handle the scriptures.
It's exactly the opposite of how we should approach the Scriptures, and so it's better to look at the words of eliphaz and.
Stamp the word nonsense over them and recognize this is something that God rebuked.
And said was false.
As he summarized it at the end, well, that's chapter 22. We looked at the words of eliphaz. Now let's consider the words of job for a couple minutes because job did not strubbe wrath. How do we know that? Because God says so?
Again, job 42. Seven, he tells Eliphaz my wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken to me what is right as my servant job has.
So all throughout job we see some challenging words from job for us to consider and.
We wrestle with them.
But God wasn't challenged by them and he wasn't wrestling.
With them, and he understood the context and when what you know job is saying and the things that he was going through, and so a lot of these things, we need to understand from God's perspective.
What's the difference between Job's words and his friends word? So again, job is not attempting to speak for God.
He was not presuming that he had all the answers.
He was asking questions expressing his grief, expressing the things that he was feeling and going through, which is exactly what God desires to do are desires for us to do as well to process those things to him and to to bring those things to him and walk through them with him.
Well, we want to consider a few of the things that job said here without going into too much depth.
But the first thing that job said that did not stir a breath.
As he expressed a desire for answers from God.
Let's read verses one through 7, then job answered and said.
Even today my complaint is bitter.
My hand is listless because of my groaning.
Or that I knew where I might find him, that I might come to his seat.
I would present my case.
Before him and fill my mouth with arguments, I would know the words which he would answer me and understand what he would say to me.
Would he contend with me in his?
Great power no.
But he would take note of me.
There, the upright could reason with him and I would be delivered forever from my judge.
Job doesn't really try to directly address or respond to the accusations of Elifaz previous conversations.
He would interact with them.
Now he's kind of just ignoring them and saying, look.
I'm just going through a real hard time.
Guys my complaint is bitter.
I'm restless I, I'm weak I'm I'm just groaning.
And and it's really difficult.
And and I just wish that I could.
Sit down with God and talk about what's going on and present my case before him and understand I want to understand what he would say about this.
I want to understand what his perspective is about this.
And as Joab is expressing this again at the end, God doesn't rebuke.
Him for that.
This is something.
That hopefully we can relate to not, hopefully in the sense that we have to suffer as much as job did, but.
There are many times in our lives where we're going to experience.
A situation that we just don't understand.
What what God is doing and.
Why God would allow this?
And that's OK.
To be looking for answers to be seeking out and expressing this.
This desire to meet with the Lords I hear from the Lord to.
Present the case before the Lord.
God didn't find fault here with the things that Joab is saying.
It didn't stir up the wrath of God.
It's actually what job needed to do to be seeking to meet with the Lord.
Again, when God shows up in chapter 38.
He doesn't present job with a lot of information.
He asks him.
A lot of questions.
And in the end, it's not information that actually satisfied job.
It's the presence of God.
And so we understand that it's not that we demand answers.
But it's OK to seek them.
It's OK to look for them with the understanding that ultimately what I need most is the presence of God.
And that's what will satisfy me.
None of the answers would have satisfied job at the time.
But in eternity they will satisfy him fully, but the presence of God is what satisfied him.
At the moment.
While moving on verses 8 through 14, the next thing job expressed was confusion.
He admitted confusion.
About what God?
Was doing verse 8 says look I go forward, but he's not there and backward, but I cannot perceive him when he works on the left hand, I cannot behold him when he turns to the right hand, I cannot see him.
But he knows the way.
That I take.
When he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
Joe says I have no idea what God is doing.
I can't figure it out.
I'm going forward.
I'm going backwards.
I'm looking left I'm looking right.
I'm trying to every which way, every angle and I cannot find God in this.
I can't figure out what God is doing in this.
I can't figure out how.
Any good could come from this.
I'm I'm so perplexed.
By this situation, but here's what I know he says.
I know that God knows the way that I take.
So I'm trying to find his way and I can't find it, no.
Matter which way I look.
But I know he knows the way.
That I take.
I know this is a test.
And when this test is concluded, he says I shall come forth as gold.
Working through this situation.
Now thing I shall come forth as gold job here is not proclaiming himself to be absolutely perfect.
The idea of refining gold in the furnace is the idea here that the gods processing me and throughout this process.
He is purifying me, and so he's going to bring me.
Forth as gold.
Now we know he started off righteous, but that doesn't mean that he was perfect.
And so he's going to be produced as gold coming from a righteous place, even now refined further by this fire, and he will come forth as gold.
It is absolutely true, versales.
My foot has held fast to his steps.
I have kept his way and not turned aside.
I have not departed from the commandment of his lips.
I've treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
But he is unique.
And who can make him change and whatever his?
Soul desires that he does.
For he performs what is appointed for me, and many such things are with him.
Verse 14 is very interesting.
There he performs what is appointed.
For me, God is doing in my life what is appointed for me.
It's above me.
It's beyond me.
I don't understand it.
But that's what he is doing and I trust him that in the end he'll bring me forth as.
Isaiah chapter 55. That verse we often quote God's ways are higher than our ways as high as the heavens are.
Above the earth.
It's not surprising that one would admit confusion about what God is doing.
Because we are going to be regularly confused about what God is doing.
'cause his ways are not our ways.
Well, finally, the things that job shared in Chapter 23 that did not stir up wrath, he confessed a fear and a terror of God. Verse 15 therefore.
I am terrified at his presence when I consider this.
I am afraid of him.
For God made my heart weak and the almighty terrified me because I was not cut off from the presence of darkness and he did not hide deep darkness.
From my face.
Job is trusting God.
He's recognizing that God is big.
And the thought of it.
He's holding onto his faith in God and and trust in God at the same time.
He's also acknowledging this totally terrified me.
The fact that.
God can do what else is God gonna do?
You know the whole thing here this whole situation?
He completely freaks me out, but I also trust him and I also know that he's gonna work it out, but I can't see how he's gonna work it out.
And so again, you can see job here working through.
Different emotions and and this this should be happening in our lives.
That that we're working through.
Think there are things that we know that are contrary to how we feel.
And I don't.
Know about you, maybe I'm just speaking for myself, but there are a lot.
Of times that I'm.
Having to correct how I feel because of what I know and I often feel this way, but I know it's not the truth and so even though I feel that way, I cannot live according to that truth because it's not the truth, it's just how I feel and and what we see here is job.
Kind of working through that.
He's he has a fear and a terror of God.
It freaks him out that he is this, you know, little pawn in this whole scene and has no control really of all of this.
But God is in control, and he trusts God, and he believes that he's going to be brought through and produced as gold at the end.
And so so there's this fate.
There's this emotion.
There's all of this understanding about God that's interacting together right in front of us.
And again, it's noteworthy it did.
Not stir up the wrath of God and so.
I hope as you look at these chapters this evening, it helps you kind of process the words of job's friends, the.
Words of job.
There's much more that we could get into in the surrounding chapters, but we need to allow these things to prompt us to be careful and cautious with the things that we say.
We will give an account for our idle words and so consider what words may stroke gods wrath.
Declaring that affliction must be judgment for sin.
That's a guarantee you're going to stir up gods wrath if he has not sent you with that declaration.
If you don't have that revelation from God, do not be declaring that in attributing some affliction to some kind of judgment for sin, announcing presumed motivations, what's going on internally in the heart.
We are not equipped.
To discern and know what's happening in other people's minds and hearts. And so, unless again, it's a.
Direct revelation from God.
We need to be careful that we don't claim to know what's happening.
I know what's in your mind.
I know what you're thinking.
You know we need to be very careful that we don't presume motivations, especially when we're bringing those presumptions about evil motivations and wickedness happening within.
Promising immediate good to the righteous, it's tempting. It's easy. It sounds nice, and it's great. Fluffy encouragement. But it is not the truth and we need to be very careful that we don't go beyond what God has said in his word. And we look to eternity for the fulfillment of all God's promises. Searching for answers. Being confused.
Having fear and terror and wrestling through those things.
No problem.
You can work through all those things with God anytime, any day.
All of those things God wants you to bring to him.
But when you begin to speak for God, when you begin to make declarations in the name of God, as if God was saying it, but God did.
Not send you.
Well then like job friends we will find our place ourselves in the place of wrath where we deserve judgment because we have gone forward and used our mouths to speak idle words.
That are not consistent with what God has declared, so consider.
What words may stir up God's wrath?
Lord, we pray.
That you would set a guard over our lips to help us to think twice to be able to evaluate truths by your word and not just what we think, not just what's popular.
Not just what we've always thought to be so, but Lord, may your word be the standard and the guide by which we judge our own words and all that we see.
And Lord, I pray that you would protect us from being this kind of comforter to others around it.
Lord, that we would be cautious, promising good for repentance or for the outcome of some situation.
Lord, that we have no insight in, and no word from you about Lord help us to be very careful or to not do that to not presume motivations and start judging hearts and intents and.
Things that are behind the scenes that we don't have access to.
Lord protect us, Lord help us to to catch ourselves when we're thinking that we're so discerning but Lord we are so clueless.
Is the reality.
Help us God.
Not look at.
Difficulty in pain.
And think of it as a one to one.
There must be some kind of sin to cause this kind of pain.
Sometimes there is consequences to sin and it's clear and it's obvious.
But Lord it.
It's not always the case and so protect us Lord from that mindset from that heart.
And may we never bring that kind of declaration to someone who is suffering.
For righteous cause help us God protect us.
That we would not stir up wrath like job friends did in Jesus name we pray.