WWUTT 834 Job Says the Beasts Will Teach You?

Do you not know that God is sovereign? Do you not know that everything that is made, everything that has a cause, is in His hand and He controls all of it? Then the beasts of the field know more about God than you do when we understand the text.

This is When We Understand the Text, a daily Bible commentary to help encourage your time in the Word. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we feature New Testament Study, an Old Testament book on Thursday, and our Q &A on Friday.

Now here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe.

Job’s Complaint and the Need for an Arbiter

Thank you, Becky. We continue with our study of the epic that is the book of Job, starting today in Chapter 10, and should be able to knock out several chapters in this particular lesson. So where Job is at the start of Chapter 10, he just finished up a response to Bildad.

And like Eliphaz, Job's friend, Bildad told Job that the reason why all this bad stuff was happening to him was because he had done something evil. And he needed to take himself before the Lord and plead his case so that God would restore to him all the things that had been taken from him.

And Job's response was basically, how? How am I going to do that? If I am guilty of some evil, as you say, first of all, rebuke you because you won't tell me what it is. But secondly, how would I be able to plead that before God?

And then he restore all those things that had been taken from me. And Job laments that there's not an arbiter who's able to stand between them, who might lay his hand on us both. Job 9, 33, let him take his rod away from me and let not dread of him terrify me that I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself.

Job is basically saying, I can't go and speak before God. There needs to be somebody who could plead my case before him who knows God's justice and knows that I have not transgressed in any way to deserve what has come upon me.

And this is foreshadowing. It's pointing toward Christ, who is our arbiter before God. And he is an advocate before the Lord is described in 1 John chapter two, meaning that he speaks favorably of us before the throne of God.

Not because of anything righteous that we have done, but because we have a righteousness that is not ours. It has been given to us by Christ. Our sins were taken by him upon himself with his death on the cross.

And he has given us his righteousness so that when God looks at us, what he sees is the righteousness of his son, not the sinful wretchedness that is deserving of his wrath, but the righteousness that is deserving of his love and mercy and grace.

So Job chapter nine is kind of pointing toward that in a certain way. Then we get to chapter 10 and Job turns from responding to his friends. Now he is responding to God. Now he's speaking to the Lord.

Job chapter 10, verse one. He says, I loathe my life. I will give free utterance to my complaint. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God, do not condemn me. Let me know why you contend against me.

Does it seem good to you to oppress, to despise the work of your hands and favor the designs of the wicked? Have you eyes of flesh? Do you see as man sees? Are your days as the days of man or your years as man's years that you seek out my iniquity and search for my sin?

Although you know that I am not guilty and there is none to deliver out of your hand, your hands fashioned and made me. And now you have destroyed me altogether. Remember that you have made me like clay and will you return me to the dust?

Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese? You clothed me with skin and flesh. You knit me together with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and steadfast love and your care has preserved my spirit.

Yet these things you hid in your heart. I know that this was your purpose. If I sin, you watch me and do not acquit me of my iniquity. If I am guilty, woe to me. If I am in the right, I cannot lift up my head for I am filled with disgrace and I look on my affliction.

And were my head lifted up, you would hunt me like a lion and again work wonders against me. You renew your witness against me and increase your vexation toward me. You bring fresh troops against me. Why did you bring me out of the womb?

Would that I had died before an eye had seen me and were as though I had not been carried from the womb to the grave. Are not my days few? Then cease and leave me alone that I may find a little cheer before I go and I shall not return to the land of darkness and deep shadow.

The land of gloom and like thick darkness, like deep shadow without any order where light is as thick as darkness. What Job has basically been saying to God in this chapter is you made me fragile and yet you have brought yourself against me.

I can't stand against that. You made me to not be able to withstand that and even though you have brought all of this against me, he says in verse 12, you have granted me life and steadfast love and your care has preserved my spirit.

So Job recognizes that even though all this affliction has come upon him, God didn't destroy him in that affliction. He's still alive. God has preserved him. So remember, Satan has done all of this. But God said to Satan in chapter two, you cannot take his life.

So Job recognizes that God has preserved his life and he has been steadfast in his love. He's shown kindness to him from the beginning and there's still a kindness that is there. But yet in his suffering, Job struggles to try to make sense of any of it.

Yet these things you hid in your heart, I know that this was your purpose. So he made Job and he made him fragile. Yet it was always God's intention that something like this was going to happen to Job later on in his life.

And if Job is indeed guilty of sin, God has watched him sin and has not rebuked him for it, has not brought attention to the sin that Job has done. So this is kind of like the response that Job gave to Eliphaz and Bildad when they told him, you've done something evil and you have to confess it before God.

Job said, what? What is it that I've done that is evil? And he rebuked his friends for being evil because they wouldn't tell him exactly what it is that he has done so that he might take it before the Lord.

But now he turns to God and says, so if I've done something evil, why don't you show me what it is? And Job doesn't just consider this introspectively, like not just about himself, but he also looks at evil men and sees how there are evil who dwell safely in their tents and God does not bring wrath or judgment upon them.

They're doing fine. Job walked in righteousness, but all of this has come upon him. Yet there are guys who do evil and God won't correct them. So he doesn't just look at this in himself. He also sees this in other people.

Why do you allow them to do evil and yet you don't punish what it is that they're doing? Just like I was allowed to do evil and and yet you didn't show me what it was that I was doing wrong before something like this great disaster would have to come upon me like I was storing up wrath.

And we know from Romans chapter two that God is storing up wrath. Peter says this in second Peter chapter three as well, waiting for the day of judgment. And in Romans two, it says, do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

The reason why you're not dead yet is because God is giving you an opportunity to repent. But that's not Job's situation here. This isn't a situation of this coming upon him because of sin that he's committed and God is giving him an opportunity to repent.

Rather, what Job is asking here in chapter 10 does not get resolved until we get to chapters 38 through 40, where God speaks to Job and essentially says to him, I test whom I want to test. It's very similar to to a statement that God made to Moses.

I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So God says to Job, if I am to test you, what is it to you? And yet Job again recognizes that God has indeed granted him life and steadfast love and has preserved his spirit.

Got to look for the glimpses in there. There are things Job does recognize, indeed, the goodness of God, even though he can't make sense of the thing that is happening to him. Chapter 11, another one of Job's friends speak up.

Aren't you looking forward to this? Then so far, the Nehemiathite answered and said, should a multitude of words go unanswered and a man full of talk be judged right? He's basically saying you speak a bunch of words, Joe, but what is it doing for you?

It isn't helping you at all. You need to be confessing yourself before God, just like Eliphaz and Bildad had said to him. Should your babble silence men? And when you mock, should no one shame you? For you say, my doctrine is pure and I am clean in God's eyes.

But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom. For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the almighty? It is higher than heaven. What can you do deeper than Sheol? What can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.

If he passes through and imprisons and summons the court, who can turn him back? For he knows worthless men. When he sees iniquity, will he not consider it? But a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey's cult is born a man.

Now, I really like this statement that that Zofar has made here. Now, granted, God is going to rebuke him a little bit later on because what he speaks is in vain. But consider what it is that he said here.

Verse 70 says, can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the almighty? And then at the end of that section, but a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey's cult is born a man.

In other words, you'll understand God when pigs fly. You know, you'll understand the ways of God. But we read in First Corinthians chapter two that we've been given the spirit of God that we may discern what is in the mind of God.

So God has given us his Holy Spirit that we might be able to discern spiritual things. The natural man cannot understand these things because they're spiritually discerned. But we who have the spirit of God can seek out spiritual things.

This is why you might have an atheist read through the Bible and see nothing but nonsense. But a Christian reads through the Bible and they see the power of God. It's because the Christian has the spirit of God to understand what has been said by God through his prophets and apostles, whereas the atheist, it does not have the spirit.

He's he's a naturally minded man. So he cannot make sense of this as as a member of my church. Wonderful guy who really helped to guide me in my first couple of years as a pastor. His name was George.

One of the things he said to me was that the Bible is a love letter. And if a person can't understand it, then it wasn't written to you. If you can understand it, then it is God's love letter to you. I really love that analogy.

I thought it was absolutely beautiful. So so far is saying to Job, it's not possible for you to seek out the ways of God. Nobody can possibly know. You can't understand it. So as you are, as you're kind of droning on about God, why have you done this to me?

Well, you're never going to get an answer to that. And then, of course, God is going to show up so far later on when he does indeed speak to Job and reveals his intentions to him. So verse 13, if you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him.

If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away and let not injustice dwell in your tents. Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish. You will be secure and will not fear. You will forget your misery.

You will remember it as waters that have passed away and your life will be brighter than the noonday. Its darkness will be like the morning. And you will feel secure because there is hope. You will look around and take your rest in security.

You will lie down and none will make you afraid. Many will court your favor. But the eyes of the wicked will fail. All way of escape will be lost to them. And their hope is to breathe their last. Now, Job responds, chapter 12.

Job’s Rebuke of His Friends and the Beasts’ Wisdom

Then Job answered and said, no doubt you are the people and wisdom will die with you. That's a rebuke of his friends. You've got nothing wise to say to me. But I have understanding as well as you. I am not inferior to you.

Who does not know things such as these? I am a laughingstock to my friends. I who called to God and he answered me a just and blameless man am a laughingstock in the thought of one who is at ease. There is contempt for misfortune.

It is ready for those whose feet slip. The tents of robbers are at peace and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their God in in their hand. And this is Job showing up so far here because recognize the last statement that so far made.

But the eyes of the wicked will fail. All way of escape will be lost to them. Their hope is to breathe their last. And Job goes, oh, yeah, well, the tents of robbers are at peace. And those who provoke God are secure, who bring their God in their hand.

Explain that to me. And so far can't. I mean, he would be caught on a statement such as that. He says, hey, those who are wicked will fall. And he's trying to equate Job with them. The reason why this has come upon you is because you've done something wicked.

And Job says, look at the wicked, look at the evil men. They dwell in peace and tense. So what you're saying, what you're saying here is not reality. Verse seven, but ask the beasts and they will teach you the birds of the heavens and they will tell you or the bushes of the earth and they will teach you and the fish of the sea will declare to you who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this in his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food? Wisdom is with the aged and understanding in length of days. So what Job is is saying to so far is you say that there are these great, high, unsearchable things that cannot be known about God, really, because the beasts of the field know more about God than you do.

They understand that everything is under the mighty control and sovereign hand of God. You don't get that, but they do. It's evident in all of creation. And indeed, it is the sovereignty of God is evident in all that has been made.

Go back to Romans chapter one, verse 18, starting in verse 18, where it says, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth for what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them for his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made.

So they are without excuse. All of creation can testify to these two characteristics of God, which are invisible but are still known in all that has been made. Namely, his eternal power and his divine nature.

Eternal power within that means that God has control over everything. He is eternal. There is nothing that is that is finite that God does not have control over because he created everything that exists that is caused.

God himself is uncaused. Everything that is caused is under God's control. There's nothing that happens that's not in his control. And Job is testifying of this from creation. He's doing this very thing here in Job, chapter 12, that all of creation testifies to his eternal power.

Furthermore, his divine nature. He's holy. We're not all of creation is corruptible. It is falling apart. It is sinful. It is it is wicked. It is temporary. God is the opposite of all of those things.

He is holy. He is eternal. He is perfect. He is righteous. He is enthroned above all and all of creation testifies to that. So rebuking so far to say, if you don't recognize that, you're no better than the beasts of the field.

Verse 13 with God, our wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding. If he tears down, none can rebuild. If he shuts a man in, none can open. If he withholds the waters, they dry up. If he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.

With him, our strength and sound wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his. You got that? The deceived and the deceiver are his. We read in Proverbs 16 for the Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble from Ligonier Ministries that Satan is a creature means he is subject to the Lord who uses him to fulfill his good purposes.

In the final analysis, the devil is God's devil to summarize Martin Luther and never operates outside the Lord's decree. John Calvin and institutes of the Christian religion said that they can they referring to the devils and the ungodly can neither conceive any mischief nor plan what they have conceived, nor how much so ever they may have planned move a single finger to perpetuate unless insofar as God permits, nay, unless insofar as he commands.

So the deceived and the deceiver are his verse 17. He leads counselors away, stripped and judges. He makes fools. He loses the bonds of kings and binds a waste cloth on their hips. He leads priests away, stripped and overthrows the mighty.

He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders. He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong. He uncovers the deeps out of darkness and brings deep darkness to light.

He makes nations great and he destroys them. He enlarges nations and leads them away. He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a trackless waste.

They grope in the dark without light and he makes them stagger like a drunken man. The Lord raises up and the Lord tears down. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Job 1 21. Let's conclude with prayer. Our heavenly father, we thank you for the mercies that you have shown us in Christ Jesus. And I pray that we would recognize your sovereignty, your holiness, so that we may also be aware of our sin and our need for repentance and a savior who is Christ the Lord, our arbiter before God, our advocate who presents us favorably before the father.

We thank you for his righteousness that has been given to us. So let us walk in righteousness and teach us these ways as we go throughout our day. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

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