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The friends and now here comes Mr. Bill dad and he's going to. And just keep in mind now. They're all listening to all these conversations. It's not like he has a personal conversation. This is. I don't understand it that way.
Like LFS comes and takes job aside and talks to him and then job responds and then the next one comes in. I think this is pretty much a conversation that they continually have together. So anyway bull dad the shoe I chapter 8.
Then bill lad the shoe I'd answered and said. How long will you speak these things. The words of your mouth be like a strong wind? Does God subvert judgment? Does the Almighty perverted just in just justice if your sons have sinned against him?
He has cast them away for their transgression if you would earnestly seek God and make your supplication to the Almighty and You will pull pure and upright. Surely now he would awake for you and prosper your rightful habitation.
Though your beginning was small yet. Your latter end would be would increase abundantly for inquire please of the former age and consider the things discovered by their fathers for we are but of yesterday and know nothing.
Because our days on earth are a shadow. Will they not teach you and tell you in other words from their heart? Can it count a papyrus grow up without a mosh? Can the reeds flourish without water while it is yet green and not cut down it withers away before any other plant.
So Are the paths of all who forget God and the hope of the hypocrite shall perish. Whose confidence shall be cut off and whose trust is a spider's web. He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure.
He grows green in the Sun and his branches spread out in his garden and he His roots wrap around the rock heap and look for a place in the stones. If he is destroyed in his place Then it will deny him saying I have not seen you.
Behold, this is the joy of his way and out of the earth. Others will grow behold God will not cast away the blameless. Nor will he uphold the evildoers. He will yet fill your mouth with laughing and your lips with rejoicing.
And those who hate you will be clothed with shame in the dwelling place of the wicked Shall come to nothing. So as I said, yeah, we have bill dead who is The second of Job's friends as he comes to meet him.
And I Just ask you to think about this it's interesting to me and maybe it is to you maybe you've considered it or not, but it's interesting to me that Job received Messages about his losses. Remember while he was still speaking yet another message.
You came and while he was still speaking another message you came. And so it was a series of of these Messengers and messages that brought Job to the situation that he finds himself in and if you think about it It's the same thing here because it's the series of messages one comes and then another one comes and another one comes and with these Friends or so they take turns in there and then the first one comes back again.
So it's a continual. It's a continual slow drain if you will against Job and I and I I Think that's in part why and I've not said this before but just to stir us up. I think that's why James Mentions Job because remember he doesn't necessarily mention Job for his faith.
I'm not saying job doesn't have faith. What is the thing that that? We're told about Job No by James that he Persevered that he held up that he endured remember that's what he and he talks about the That thought of it and and again, that's in James James 5 it should be James 5 11 and just make sure that you Continually think about that.
Yeah, that's what he says. Yeah he says in 5 11 indeed we count them blessed who endure you have heard of the perseverance of Job and Seen the end intended by the Lord that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful again, not saying that job doesn't have faith, but it's just this.
If you will the slow draining of Job not not only in the in the original Messages that brought the losses because that would throw anybody any of us for a loop agree but it's also his friends who are Supposedly his comforters and I don't know about you but build that doesn't hold back here.
He just starts right away. I mean In verse 2 says how long will you speak these things in the words of your mouth be like a strong wind. Basically, he's called my windbag. He basically saying to job everything that you're saying is just a bunch of blah blah blah blah blah.
Does anybody think of it any differently than that? I mean, he's not he's not coming in and saying to job. Hey job I mean, I don't know how you're able to hold up and remain and and say you still believe and and Because remember that was the accusation not only of who?
Satan that if you took him and you destroyed him, you took the hedge from him. What would he do? Curse God and die, right? Well, that's what and his wife said that when we had some discussion about how to interpret that whether she was Saying that in malice or sarcasm or in desperation.
So If you think about it he just continually goes through this and so he says About being a strong wind then he says this and I'm gonna read a couple of verses. Does God subvert judgment what does the Almighty pervert injustice.
If your sons are sinned against him, he has cast them away for their transgression. Let's just think about that. What is he? What is he saying? Is that true? Let me put it to you that way. Is that true?
Does God subvert judgment or does the Almighty pervert justice? No, so what is his accusation to job? Yeah, and basically job you're getting because you remember that the thought and what I can't get away from.
Is that they are really just a bunch of these? This is all they think about. Right. They're basically telling job. You're getting what you deserve and you know, I Think that's something that we constantly.
Well, let me rephrase it do you think that that's something that we constantly battle even as God's children. Okay, so There's two different ways to think about that though, yeah, right. First of all, none of us get what we deserve.
Right because if we got what we deserve we'd be cast out from the presence of God forever and ever agree. Okay, but in the outworkings of our lives. Tell me that at times we don't feel as if or think.
That it's been a so and reap principle. Is that a true principle? Whatsoever man why so that he also reaps. But it also says he's their souls to the flesh show of the flesh reap corruption and he that souls of the spirit shall reap life, so If you look at it in that context.
He's really talking about something different than just me waking up and saying I shouldn't ate the hot sauce last night. That's why I got a bellyache. But but there is a there's a connection between those two, right?
So as he comes to job and he begins to blast job and just think about that if. What he said in verse 4 if your sons have sinned against them. He has cast them away for their transgression. Now, I don't know about you.
But would it not anger you if somebody started taking shots at your kids? Shots at your wife. I mean, you know how people say you say anything you want to me, but don't say nothing about my mama. Those are fighting words.
Yeah, oh. Well, you know like even it says in the scriptures. It says don't don't get in between the what the bear. And it's come and her cubs. Yeah, how else so when you think about that think about what he's doing now.
Not only is he blasting job? Now he's he's really taking him to task here and and again, I think we need to be very careful as we go through this that the Friends have a lot of truth. But truth is not always used in the right way.
Is it well truth still remains true, right? Truth the definition of truth is it's always true. Okay, so. Yeah. It is a perversion of truth so truth doesn't truth doesn't change. The person is shown to be a burden and they perverted the truth, but it's still the truth it's like saying it's like okay if I lose my son and Someone came to me and said you lost your son if Jeffrey Dahmer was my son and Someone says, you know, he got what he deserved.
That's a true statement. It may not come at a good time for the parent to bring healing or solace. Defeating if you're saying in wrath, but that doesn't change the fact that it's true is how you yield is how you yield the sword.
You can use it to cut you can use it to you know, it is but it doesn't change. We go down that rabbit hole. That truth is not true. Yeah, because you know, you'll you could you could then become Stuck in a situation like situational ethics or just being pragmatic so so I understand what you're saying that.
The wrong use of truth is a perversion and it's said right at that point when it's a perversion. The context and the usage of that if it's a perversion not the question. Then the question would have to be can't a perversion be true.
Okay, let's let's. Yeah. On a different level so. The reason that I'm the reason that I'm combating it a little bit is because the state is. Which we're in now. That's that's a dangerous prince. Because at the end of the day truth is not based on your experience.
Truth is based on the Word of God and on the concept and truth is true. Now, can I take truth and use it as a weapon my motives are in here. But that doesn't change the fact that I use a true statement to manipulate something.
But it's still a true statement. And that's why I would agree that perversion that my motives are perverted and I can use a true statement to do anything and you know what this thing about this even. If your motives aren't perverted.
Let's just think about this his friends think they're doing what. They think you're doing God a service, right? They think that they're giving wise counsel. Reality is they're not really given the wisest counsel.
Although some of the counsel that they give them are giving it contains a certain amount of truth within it, right? It's good even the overarching thing here is that Satan is using these people to try to get Joe.
To do what Joe doesn't want to do and that's curse God. Okay, so the key that we need to understand in this exchange or these exchanges is Satan does not or his motive. His position is not. His position is to.
So that you're doing it on your own and he can stand back and make a just others. Come on, somebody else say something. I would say this Job's friends think they're speaking truth to Joe and Some of the things that they say are true, right?
But some of the things that they say are false. Right, and so again, but that doesn't change the truth. I'm gonna have to just it's like One and one is always two, right? You could believe it's three and that's fine.
And actually as long as I come out on the better side of one and one is two and you give me three. Then then I'm gonna let you continue in your understanding of truth, I will trade you two for three every day.
But it still doesn't change the fact that one and one is two so his friends are coming and again and as they say this to him if in verse four if Your sons have sinned They remember they were daughters too.
He has cast them away for their transgression and then he says in verse 5 if you Job if you would earnestly seek God and You would make supplication to the Almighty. If you were pure and upright Surely now he would awake for you and prosper your rightful habitation.
And though your beginning was small yet your latter end would it increase abundantly? What is he saying? Joe it's this is all your fault he is truly just making accusation after accusation at the accusation and It's gonna have an effect.
Not question. Yeah, I mean again we and we've said this as you point out if none of this had happened to Joe with loss of kids and wealth and health job wouldn't had as The book unfolds some of the thoughts come to mind that he has right and doesn't doesn't isn't that what happens at the end of The book when God says you stand up because I'm gonna talk to you now and we're gonna get this straight.
There's a there's a place for us to think about Everything. Do you remember when? Who was it? Shimmy. I want to shimmy I who cursed David remember his friends wanted to Kill let's cut him off and know what David says leave him alone if it's on the Lord.
Then that's that's one thing if it if it's not God will take care of shimmy on right? So basically, so I think that the Lord also would be When we're when we are attacked. Maybe not attack, but when we have confronted.
What does that do to us? It could do a number of things it could cause us to be Discouraged. It can cause us to be Encouraged it can also Cause us to be thoughtful. What you're saying? I think what is that?
We're going to Lord. We say okay Lord. Why? Why am I in the situation? I should we not do that? Yes, we should all right because it says we ought to walk circumspectfully we ought to to look within ourselves and And examine ourselves and have a consideration a rightful consideration, but even in that.
What's the problem with that too? If all you do is look at yourself and seek to Examine yourself. What could be one of the? Problems that could come out of that. Yeah, well you become self-centered or you can become What I put this way, can you deceive yourself yes.
Absolutely, and so I I wonder sometimes if you and I think about it in our lives and and remember you got The evil one a whisper in our ear anything that will what drive us away from God. Great. He's sure not gonna drive us to God, right?
Okay, so we need to be in that sense I think like Joe and just Maintain our integrity because that's what he does through the book. He maintains. He's basically going to turn around and as he said to Eliphaz, he's gonna say it to build that and he's gonna continue to say your Thoughts of me are wrong because you're not you can't see what's going on inside of me.
He remains his integrity. He keeps his integrity before God. Is that not what if we were just driven by outward experience or if we were just driven by the words of others. Where would that lead us? We will all be in a ditch.
Right what maintains us in our walk before God? Is it not the witness of the spirit within us? How do we know we're the children of God? We know we're the children of God the spirit best witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
And that's a conversation that you have with people on many many levels. Because when people start to challenge Challenge not just the truth, but challenge our place in in In that truth. That's where we can only what look to God.
Right, because if not, there will just be blown back and forth by every wind and doctrine every time someone comes up, it's you know. There's many ways in which that works out in our lives. Don't you think that that you and I really have to be.
Just take it from and we'll never get through chapter 8 today. It's not my fault Tim and David. Whichever you like, but but just think about this remember the whole thing with Paul in Romans about One one person will eat meat that sacrifice to idols and the other person won't eat the meat.
What does he say? He says not what don't let him that does he judge him? That doesn't or him that doesn't judge him that does because he says what every man has to be what? Has to be convinced in his own mind.
Right. Everyone has to be persuaded of the things that they do. Or They were with him so based on. What was driving Joe to do that? And what caused Joe to want to do that in the first place, which obviously is faith because you don't do that just for cause His the time that he spent with God is the only thing that he has to hold on to the Whatever it was that gave him.
Yeah, which was had to be the movement of the Spirit of God in him, right? Well, I mean in whatever way. Yeah. Well, we could have a big conversation about that Oh spirit day, but I will I'm gonna let that.
That way I can sit on the sidelines for now. It's you know, so but what was it that was his relationship before who? Jehovah, right and we'll use it in. So they. Would we not all say that there are certain things that we do in our life that would actually that actually causes us doubt to.
Think about our position. Would you not agree that all of us do some things that we say this can't be. I can't be doing I can't be thinking this this isn't right. What what's the solution? What's the way out of that?
I'm gonna tell you what I see the place I go. That's the only place I can go. I can go to the cross because that's the that's the Undeniable irreputable truth. Correct. And what what is the witness of that in my life?
I'm gonna tell you what it is. And I believe the scriptures will support. It's the Spirit of God within me. Is it not? We know that we are the children of God and if we begin to be moved by experience.
Even whether it's external or internal. We'll be in a heap of trouble. What you mean? I mean, this is the thing about job. He's gonna persevere through it all he's gonna keep maintaining. And he actually agrees with a lot of what these So-called friends are saying.
He actually agrees with the thought of so and reap. But they they have become What you just said they don't know they don't know they know job they've had interaction with job their friends with job. Experiences, I believe they met together before all this happened at certain intervals because they seemed like is if they were In many levels on the same position and status and wealth and all that, you know.
Well, that's stuff, but they have become the judge and isn't that that go back to what Paul said in Romans? Let no man what? Judge you. Well, we all must Be judged by the Lord and again, then it goes back to what motives thoughts secret things the only one who can truly judge is God and the only reason why That's absolutely true is because God sees what?
All things all things are naked and exposed to him. So you you and I can you cannot you cannot you can I. It's a British word. No clue what it means but you can look it up to Google if you like. You and I can Can always trust?
The truth of the Word of God again not to reopen that but truth never changes. Right was if it does then then we have no salvation. We have the hope. If we can revamp reinvent retool Do anything to what is absolutely true then everything will fall apart.
Then it's just a matter of situational ethics or everything just becomes pragmatic. What was true yesterday is not true today again, there's not much of an anchor in that so. So he continues this and so he says in verse 8 now and this is still his His wisdom in in essence the job now for inquire.
Please of the former age and consider the things discovered by their fathers for we are but of yesterday and know nothing. Because our days on earth are a shadow and we learn that teach you and tell you in other words from their heart.
I think what he's saying is Okay job, so you don't want to believe us. You you think that we're off? The right path. Well, what about thinking about those that went on before us? What about the fathers that have preceded us and again?
We believe job is an early book, but there's still History right before and so when he says that he says consider consider what went on in the past and perhaps even. They might have had another conversation and maybe he pointed towards Abraham.
Maybe talk pointed towards Isaac or Jacob or whatever way you want to look at it. He's basically telling job. Okay, you don't believe us. How about them? Do you believe them? Is that a good principle by the way, should we should we Evaluate our lives in the light of other people's lives.
I think we should look and see still see how God has. How God has handled things in the past, but I think at that point we're still looking back to God. Yeah, because remember what Paul says in 1st Corinthians.
He says the things that were written before time were written for what? Our example our learning right on whom the ends of the world would come. So when you think about that and again, that's why I say his friends speak many true principles.
It's the application. That's that's questionable, isn't it again? We have this great responsibility. Not only to know the truth but to know how to apply the truth and That's where we always Will get into a mess.
Because the truth will will always do what what did you say? The truth will set us free. Jesus's wisdom Was perfect wisdom, right? So when he responded to any situation His words were absolutely true.
Therefore they accomplished it the purpose that truth has the problem with us is We are. We're all over the place. Well, maybe maybe I am and you're not but you ain't much different to me. Right now absolutely, right.
Yeah, and and isn't that why because if you think about it The the growth process in us as God's children is not just to pour facts into our brains. Right. It's to give us wisdom to apply that very knowledge not only internally.
But externally yes a great right that make that our speech would learn To be with what? Grace. Seasoned with salt that we would know how to fight the battles that come with it. Is that not true it even in life?
So You coach football, right? Do you not try to impress upon? Your players that The reason why you practice and the reason why you you continually do two drills and everything else is to gain wisdom. And you look at film to gain wisdom to know what to do in the same situation the next time and not make the same mistake.
Right. So in that sense, I mean I agree with you brother the the problem with us many times is not fact. It's it's wisdom. I mean many people have facts just like many people have a head knowledge of Christ.
They have no heart reality, right? So again Although I it would be easy to say his three friends are just trying to do their best. Is it not better sometimes not to do anything than to do something? Sometimes it's better just not to Say anything Right and that takes wisdom.
You know, it's like Remember you think of it in a lot of different applications and power it says where there is no wood the fire goes out. But I've always taken that as an understanding is when? Think when when the level is rising.
The best way to get out of it. Don't throw any more wood on that sucker With and that's the problem right because wisdom is so many times is lacking and it's almost like David says like, you know I wanted to keep quiet and I wanted to keep quiet and then he says all of a sudden basically and I think it's Psalm 132 he says I exploded I couldn't keep silent no more.
And that's that's a lot of us In our own lives. So as they make these accusations against Job and as they go through this There's a lot of truth that Job has to deal with and I agree it's causing him to be Circumspect in his own mind in his own heart and now he tells him to look To those that went behind and now let me just see if we can actually get through this.
Because again, this chapter moves rather quickly then he says in verse 11 down through Verse 16, so Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh can the reeds flourish without water while it is yet green and not cut down it with Is before any other plants or the paths of all who forget God?
Again, basically telling Job he's forgotten God and the hope of the hypocrite basically telling Job he's a hypocrite shall perish. And whose confidence shall be cut off. He's basically telling Job. He has a false confidence and Whose trust is a spider's web?
And here's the thought I think what he's getting at is this Job you have no root in yourself. You you are. In many ways if I had to look for a New Testament passage that would kind of go along with this I could almost go to to the parable of seed in the sower.
Of that seed that was on the rock and it sprung up. But it had what meant what it said had no root and it withered. And I think what he's he's made these accusations against Job and he's telling Job Job.
You've gotten away with it all this time. But again as I say that they're acting judge and jury on Job. They're based. He's basically telling Job it's gonna come crashing down on your head Joe and maybe it has already.
Because you really don't have a right relationship with God. See you have. You have a hypocrite's relationship with God and that's what he's alluring to here because the papyrus Ultimately will die if it's not connected to what the water the hope of the hypocrite shop shall perish and It just doesn't last Verse 14 whose confidence shall be cut off whose trust is in a spider's web.
I. Because there's always a spider web there, you know, it gets me I can get rid of that thing. All I do is touch the end of that web. And I hope it goes. You know what I'm talking about when you just have to touch the end and it seems like such an intricate and it is.
It's an amazing big what a spider will build. Well, I got to do is just touch the end of it. The whole thing just falls next day coming built another bridge, but you get my point and that's what he's saying to me.
St. Job you you're not gonna be able to make this he tells him. You can lean on your house and it's not gonna stand Job and and you it won't endure for it grows green in the Sun and his branches spread out in his garden and his roots wrap around the rock keep and they look for a place and If he is destroyed from his place, it will deny him saying I never saw you.
And you and I have to ask ourselves. Well, we could ask those many things about this. But how would you and I react if someone came after us like that? How would you react if someone came after you like that basically calling you out?
Basically saying you're not you're not right. You're not you don't really have a relationship with God again. It's something that and will not the evil one do it. Will you not whispering. Are you yes.
Would he not want to. Is he not the father of lies? Yes. Yes, so he would do everything he can to persuade us. So there's there's encouragement in this in the sense that this is causing job ultimately to solidify even more His integrity in that his relationship with God will still stand.
Because this is the same man job is the same man that very shortly is gonna say though. He slayed me. Yeah, well, I trust him and the same job that's gonna say that in that last day. He's gonna be standing.
He's gonna see God in his flesh. And so job retains his integrity, but he's taking some big shots friends. And don't we all take big shots? And sometimes it comes from the people we would rather Not have them come from.
Then he says this no, no, we'll just finish the chapter verse 19 behold. This is the joy of his way and out of the earth others will grow but God Will not cast away the blameless nor will he uphold the evildoers.
Is that true by the way? God will not cast away the blameless nor will he uphold the evildoers. He will fill your mouth with laughing and your lips with rejoicing. But remember. Right, that's Here, and this is that right?
This is the veil. So that principle is true, but it's only pretty true with what if we consider it the whole thing. Because there's a lot of. There's a lot of injustice here right, and we've talked about that the prosperity the wicked and and all that other stuff and and Good things don't always happen to good people.
But if you look at it from here Good things always happen to God's people. How often do we caught that all things work together good to them? I love God to them to call according to his purpose and on and on and on problem with us is we're so focused here we very often not considered in the overall thing so.
Because the reality is who could fight against God and win if God before us who could be against us. So Basically he says that and then he says those who hate you will be clothed with shame and the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.
Remember how the Bible defines wicked as we close. The Bible defines wicked as the unbelieving rebellious person. It's not just for the Saddam Husseins and the Adolf Hitler's. The wicked are those who do not know God.
So keep that let's keep that in mind. So next week Is it interesting chapter because he's gonna start talking about how he would like to have this one-on-one with God. But he can't find a mediator and we'll spend some time on that.
Okay, of course. Let's pray I follow in God so many things there are in your word that We could look at in so many ways, but the reality is even as we've said your truth doesn't change. So help us Lord help us to be steadfast and unmovable and always abounding in your work and and Lord May you Holy Spirit?
May you establish us? Round us and root us and now may we worship you in spirit and truth and may be pleasing to you in Christ's name Amen.