JOB 34

Alright, so let's read the chapter, we haven't looked at it yet, we finished chapter 33 last week, so let's read it and get a sense of what's being said and then we'll go forward.

So again, it's Elihu, and Elihu further answered and said,

Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

For the ear tests words, and the palate tastes food. And let us choose justice for ourself, and let us know among ourselves what is good.

But Job has said, I am righteous, but God has taken away my justice. Should I lie concerning my right, my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.

What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water, who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men.

For he has said, it profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.

Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding, and far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the

Almighty to commit iniquity. For he repays man according to his work, and makes man to find a reward according to his way.

And surely God would never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice.

Who gave him charge over the earth? Who appointed him over the whole world? If he should set his heart on it, if he should gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, man would return to the dust.

If you have understanding, hear this, listen to the sound of my words, and should one who hates justice govern?

Will you condemn him who is most just? Is it fitting to say to a king, you are worthless, and to nobles, you are wicked?

Yet he is not partial to princes, nor does he regard the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.

In the moment they die, in the middle of the night, people are shaken and pass away, the mighty are taken away without a hand.

But his eyes are on the ways of man, and he sees all his steps, and there is no darkness nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves, for he need not further consider a man that he should go before God in judgment, he breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiring, and he sets others in their place, therefore he knows their works, he overthrows them.

In the night, and they are crushed, he strikes them as wicked men, and in the open sight of others, because they turn back from him and would not consider any of his ways.

So that they cause the cry of the poor to come to him, for he hears the cry of the afflicted.

When he gives quietness, who then can make trouble? And when he hides his face, who can see him?

Whether it is against the nation or a man alone, that the hypocrite should not reign, lest the people be ensnared.

For has anyone said to God, I am born chastening, I will offend no more? Teach me what

I do not see, and if I've done iniquity, I will do it no more. Should he repay according to your terms, just because you disavow it?

You must choose, and not I, therefore speak what you know. Men of understanding, say to me, wise men who listen to me,

Job speaks without knowledge. His words are without wisdom. All that Job would try, were tried to the uttermost, because he answers like those of wicked men.

For he adds rebellion to his sin, and he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.

And again, you know what's interesting, and I hope you picked up on this. The whole book itself, in many places, is written as poetry, if you will.

And sometimes it's hard to get a sense of what is really being said. And I know for myself what

I've done is, although I don't really use the NIV, sometimes the

NIV will give us a little clearer understanding, because they move the words around. But just remember that this whole book was set in a way, as in many parts, poetry.

But nevertheless, so we're here. And at this point,

Elihu continues to, if you will, seek to work as an umpire between Job and his friends, and for God.

So umpire, what does an umpire do, besides call balls and strikes?

What's the function of an umpire? That's what I thought.

Yeah, enforce the rules, and actually to be a mediator between two parties, right?

I mean, so you think of an umpire, and let's use baseball. And what he's doing is he's acting as the referee, and as the one who enforces the rules between two opposing teams.

And if you think about what's been going on in the book, the two opposing teams are who? Well, they're

Job and his friends. And Job and his friends have never come to a point where they understand each other, nor do they really care to understand each other in that sense.

Certainly his friends, because they have complained against Job that he is a wicked man.

And what is Job's complaint been against them? That they're worthless helpers. Remember he said that?

He said, you guys are like worthless people. And here comes Elihu, and he speaks as the mediator.

And again, he's trying to not only speak and umpire between them, but he's also seeking to umpire for God to Job.

Because remember, that's what Job has been wanting, right, all along. He's been wanting somebody to, he doesn't understand the situation.

And he wants somebody, what he really wants is God to come and explain to him what's going on.

And here's a thought I had as I was reading through this and thinking about it. Sometimes when you become a mediator or an umpire, you can make both sides mad at you.

Just think about that, right? So how many times I can remember watching my sons play baseball and whatnot, and I remember how sometimes the umpire would make a call and one side of the field would boo and the other side would cheer, and then when it went the other way and he called the ball instead of a strike, it flipped.

So sometimes, and you and I need, I think, to be aware that if we're going to act as a mediator between parties, we better be prepared, we better have a little bit of a thick skin because just like a parent trying to umpire between two kids, it usually doesn't go without some sort of,

I was going to say adjective. You guys know, anybody know what adjective means?

Yeah, I know you do, sweetie. It's an Italian word and it means you're turning your stomach over.

It's like you're just working against it. So that's my Italian lesson for this morning.

The only other Italian words I know are the ones you're not supposed to say. That was what my parents did.

Anyway, so think about that and here comes Elihu and he's coming in and he's trying to set things in order and he's trying to be objective and I think that's important too because if you think about it, when you're a mediator, if you show partiality, because isn't that, again,

I'll go back to that whole baseball thing, like how many times people have said the umpires are in with this team or the umpires are in with that team.

Again, when you're trying to be a mediator, you really have to be objective and that's why even in many situations you go and you talk and there's a mediator that tries to work things out for you and they have to be objective.

And in order to be objective, you can't have these preconceived thoughts in your mind.

You have to truly just look at it on face value and then make decisions based on that. So that's what

I believe he's trying to do here and there's a couple of key verses and that's all I really want to do is pick at this a little bit this morning.

I just want to show you what two verses that really jumped out at me and one of them is verse 12 and look what he says there and we'll go back over it as we go through the chapter, but he says,

Surely God will never do wickedly, nor will the

Almighty pervert justice. Is that true? Yeah, absolutely.

Right. God, not only does God do whatever he pleases to do, but whatever

God does is right. And to many people, that's a disturbing thought and it's a disturbing thought because you look out on the world, you look at the situations that are going on and many people would say, well,

God has done this or God has done that and that's a wicked thing and that's an evil thing, therefore

God is responsible. I mean, what happened over the weekend in Russia with all those people getting killed and whatnot and how many people would say that just doesn't seem right and we do that all the time, but that verse to me stands out that God would never do wickedly and he would never pervert justice.

The other verse that I wanted to focus in on is verse 19 where he says,

Yet he, and this is my point, he is not partial to princes, nor does he regard the rich more than the poor.

And then he gives us the reason for all the work of his hands. And again, you and I, I think at times have to reconsider this in our own lives.

Are we showing partiality where partiality shouldn't be shown? And again, we've talked about this, you know, when people say one of their kids is their favorite, that usually doesn't go over too well.

And again, the reality is God is not like that. Remember we talked about that and I asked you if God had favorites and we had some discussion about that and I think in a great sense

God doesn't have any favorites because all are in his son and so no one earns anything before God, right?

No one has any merit in and of themselves before God, so then God doesn't show any partiality except that he shows partiality to who?

Christ. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. So when you think about that, we're all on a plain even field before God and then as we read this and as Elihu goes through it, that's what

I think he's trying to do and that's why he comes closer to the truth.

But again, there's this argument that still goes back and forth between his friends and Job and they accuse him of this and he accuses them of that and again, unless you're going to be impartial, you can actually add more pain to a situation rather than less pain.

More turmoil into a relationship if you're not at sometimes at least objective and to be objective you have to listen to both sides and this is the two things that these are the things that Job's friends, they haven't listened to him, remember that they even said you think you can convince us and Job says you're not convincing me and as we go through it now, that is where it falls on Elihu and ultimately

God's going to come in towards the end of the book and God's going to set things straight.

So, in verses one through four, he's addressing both of them and that's what

I mean, he's beginning to try to be the umpire. So, Elihu further answered and said, hear my words, you wise men, and it doesn't say he was just talking to Job, but it doesn't say he was just talking to his friends.

He says, give ear to me, you who have knowledge for the ear tests words and the palate tastes food and let us choose justice for ourselves, let us know among ourselves what is good.

Remember now, Elihu has heard all the, if you will, all the discussion that's gone on.

I wonder, I wonder how many people were aware of this whole thing, you know, it doesn't really say other than the fact that it talks about his wife in one or two places and it talks about certainly the fact that Elihu says,

I've listened to all this, but I wonder, this wasn't done in isolation, this was done,

I think, somewhat publicly, where they gathered, especially if they were the high and mighty, these three friends that probably came with a bunch of people and servants and people that waited on them, and so I don't think this was done just around a campfire between the three friends and Job, and that this has been something that everybody has watched, and so now when

Elihu comes in and he, remember he's held his words, he said, oh, the wise men should speak first, and he even said that sometimes wise people are not, old people are not wise, but nevertheless, he comes in and he wants to clear the, if you will, clear the deck and get everyone to pay attention because he finds fault with both of them, and again, if you're going to be objective, isn't that, don't you have to at times do that, like in other words, you have to, well, you're not writing this, but then again, you're not writing that, and that's why

I said, because what happens when you do that, you get everybody mad at you, right, and that's why, you know, think about it, that's why a lot of people don't get involved in situations, right, because they know that ultimately it's going to do what, it's going to come back on them, they're not going to come out without getting hurt in this thing, and so there's a lot of times people will say, you know what, it's just not worth it,

I'm not going to, I'm not going to put myself in a situation where I'm going to get fired at by both sides, and so as Elihu comes and he says this, and it's interesting how he progresses, and I just, so look what he says in verse five about Job, he's addressing them all, but he says,

Job has said, I am righteous, but God takes away my justice, and so when you think about that, isn't that what

Job has been complaining, because Job's a complainer, don't get me wrong, he's said some things that he ought not to have said, and that's part of the reason why

Elihu is saying the things that he's saying, and did Job say he was righteous? He certainly did, he said he was righteous before God, matter of fact, if you think about it, what did

God say in the beginning of the book? He said to Satan, have you considered my servant

Job, that he's righteous, and that he fears God? What I think has happened in the discussions that have gone on, is they have turned

Job's words, where he says, I am righteous, into thinking that Job is saying,

I am sinless, and there's a big difference, would you not all say that you're righteous this morning?

Please answer one at a time, I just can't handle all this traffic, but just think about it, would you not say that you're righteous?

Come on, yes, and why are you righteous? Because of the righteousness of Christ, right?

It's not self -righteousness, it's not that you have anything worth presenting before God, it's the righteousness of Christ, but you can say,

I'm a righteous person, because I have the righteousness of Christ, in that whole idea of God imputing

Christ's righteousness to us, so we do have a righteousness, but that doesn't mean, and none of us in our right mind would say,

I am sinless, or I am without fault, and so as he says this, he has taken

Job's words and somewhat twisted them around, and then he says,

Job has said, I'm righteous, but God has taken away my justice. Again, Job did complain, didn't he?

He said, this is not fair, this is not equal, this is not right, I don't understand it, why should this happen to me?

I mean, if you remember what we've been looking at in the book, he does have, many times has said that, and then he even says it in verse 6, should

I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression, and that's where I don't think that Job ever said he was without transgression, but he did claim to be an upright man, he did claim to have integrity, and he did claim that in that sense,

God was not giving him a, if you will, a fair shake, and I have asked us to think about that.

I wonder if we, not so much with words, but maybe with actions, if you and I have ever done that in and of ourselves, where we've said, you know what,

God's not really giving me, God's not really being fair with me, especially when you're going through the dark times in your life, and everybody has dark times, right?

I don't think any of us could say that we have never sensed that being in the valley, but so, as he does this, and he lays this out before Job, he begins to lay his case out, and so he continues, and he says, what man is like Job, in verse 7, who drinks scorn like water, who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men, for he has said, it profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.

You can almost sense that, and Job has been frustrated, right, and frustration is real.

I could honestly say there's been times I've frustrated my wife, and please don't ask her for the stories, because there are many, but, and of course she's never frustrated me, it's never happened.

Huh? Of course not, not to what

I want to say out loud, but anyway, when you think about this, that's why it's so important for us to really seek to maintain ourselves, because you can cause harm without ever really wanting to cause harm, right?

Do you ever get into a situation where you've said something, and then just shortly after you say,

I should have never said that, right, and you almost would want to try to take it back and say, or even try to redefine it, that's not what

I really meant, and sometimes it works, and sometimes it don't. So when you think about what he's doing here, he's talking about what

Job has said, and basically that's what Job has said it many times, and he said, it profits a man nothing that he should delight in God, and so now he comes back in verse 10, and again he's trying to act as the mediator, as the one to kind of work through both sides of this, and also to speak for God, therefore listen to me, you men of understanding, and that's when he begins to talk about the character of God, far be it from God to do iniquity, far be it from him to do wickedness, from the

Almighty to commit iniquity, and he repays, for he repays man according to his work.

Is that true? Does God repay according to our works? Yes? No?

Maybe so? No? What does he repay us to? Let me ask you to look at something real quick, go in Galatians for a minute,

Galatians chapter 6, I believe that's where it is, let's just look at this for a minute, because I think we have to make sure we understand, okay, look at verse 7,

Galatians chapter 6, let's just think about it for a minute, do not be deceived, God is not mocked, whatever a man sows, that will he also reap, for he who sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life, and let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Is not what's said in verse 7 somewhat in line with that, that men are rewarded for, men are judged for their actions, aren't they?

Yes they are, of course they are, I mean in other words, just like it says in Romans, it says we shall all give account to God of ourselves, and is salvation based on works?

No, but is not the reality of God in a sense making everything known, is that not based on works?

Whatever a man sows he reaps, so there is a reality in which we're not saved by the deeds of the flesh, the works that we do, but does it mean we're not responsible for those works?

Because certainly we are, and I could, well now that we're in the

New Testament, let me just ask, go to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 a minute, just let me offer this, and again, it's a little hard sometimes taking these verses and just reading one verse, but I think it's 1

Corinthians chapter 3, and let's just think about what he says there, although this is really concerning the ministry, but I think it has an application.

So Paul's talking in verse 5 of chapter 3, he says,

Who's Paul? Who's Apollos? But ministers through whom you believe is the Lord gave to each one. I planted,

Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

Now he who plants and he who waters and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

For we are God's fellow workers, and you are God's field, and you are God's building, and according to the grace of God, which is given to me as a master builder,

I've laid the foundation, and another builds on it, but let each one take heed how he builds on it.

No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is in Christ Jesus. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, and then he gives the contrast, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become manifest for the day, will declare it because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is.

Anyone's work which he has built on it, into it, he'll receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet as to fire.

Now, we can spend a lot of time on this, but at the same time, there is a reality in which we are all going to give account of ourselves, and it's going to be based on what did you do with what you had.

Now, does everyone have the same things? No, but there's a reality that that will not be the premise for us to enter into God's presence.

The premise for entering into God's presence is the work of Christ on our behalf, but that does not eliminate us giving account of ourselves, and again, that's a very sobering thought if you think about it, because I do think sometimes people have a tendency to say, well,

I don't have anything to worry about because Christ died for me. Is that true? Yeah, it's true in one way, but that doesn't mean we can just, that's what

Paul says, right? He says, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? No, so we are responsible in many ways for the things that we do, and we will be responsible in that day, again, and he talks about it even in the sense of you'll receive a reward or you will suffer loss, but you will be saved as by fire, and again, we can spend a lot of time with that, but I did want to ask us to think about that.

So, when he says that back in Job, I do think there is that application that God won't do wickedly, but at the same time,

God's not going to pervert justice, and so he continues on, and he says, who gave him, if you're back in Job, and I think we got a couple minutes yet.

Okay, go back into Job now. So, he says in verse 10, chapter 34, he says, Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.

Far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to commit iniquity. For he repays man according to his works, and makes man to find a reward according to his way.

Surely God will never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice. And who gave him charge?

And it's interesting how this now, I think he changes his thought just a little bit, because he's almost saying to Job, do you really think that God is perverting justice?

And then he uses this as an analogy or an example. He says, who gave him charge over the earth?

Who has appointed him over the whole world? In other words, you can't charge

God with being unjust, because if God's unjust, then there is no governor, there is no ruler, there is no majesty, there is no one who does what's right.

And verse 14, if he should set his heart on it, and if he should gather together his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and a man would return to dust.

I think what he's trying to say, listen, um, you can make these accusations against God, but you better be careful, because God is the giver of life,

God's the keeper of life, and and if God were to set his heart on it, he could gather to himself his spirit, his breath, and all flesh would perish.

In other words, you think about that, um, listen, you know why we're here this morning is because God decided we should be here, because God could have very easily decided that some of us would be here or that none of us would be here.

And you think about that reality, and, um, I read something not too long ago, and it basically was trying to say that yesterday's faith will not get us through today.

We need new faith in that thought now, not saving faith. There's two different ways to apply that, right?

But we need new faith every day, and we need new courage every day, because yesterday's courage won't get us through today.

Now, I'm not saying it doesn't help, but, um, and, and who's a great example of that?

Elijah. Remember Elijah? He's up on the mountain, and he's calling fire down on the false prophets, and he kills the 400 false prophets, and then where do we find

Elijah shortly after that? He's running from Jezebel, hiding under a tree, telling

God to take his life. So what his faith, and his courage, and his boldness allowed him to do one day didn't allow him another.

And I would suggest to us that that means we should not start our days without prayer, because we have no clue, not only what will come against us, but what will come out of us in any given day.

Um, I just thought of something I want to try, try this, not try this, go, go to the

Psalms for a minute real quick. Psalm 1, I believe it's 144. I could be wrong, but let's just, let's just look at this.

Um, yeah, that's not it, but I'll find it. Just go, it's around there somewhere.

Oh, there it is. 141, Psalm 141. Look what the psalmist says.

He says, Lord, I cry out to you, make haste to me, give ear to my voice when

I cry out to you, and let my prayer be set before you as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Look at verse three, set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth, keep watch over the door of my lips, and do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work with iniquity, and do not let me eat of their delicacies.

And I've always thought about that, um, especially with verse three, set a guard,

O Lord, over my mouth, and keep back the doors of my lips. And I do think that that would be a wise prayer for us every single day.

Um, interesting that if you think about it, there's two kinds of gates that keep back our words.

One is our teeth. So if you're missing teeth, that's one thing, but your mouth, your lips.

So if you and I were to think about it, and you and I think about the issues of life from an external standpoint, we ought to pray every morning that God would watch over us and guide our steps.

But at the same time, um, should we not every day say, Lord, set a guard over my mouth, keep back the doors of my lips so that I don't say what

I shouldn't say. And then every night you find yourself saying, Lord, I said what

I shouldn't have said. I did what I shouldn't have did anyway. But, but Lord, I, you know, so if you think about it in one way in the morning, you're asking

God to guide. And at night, you're asking God to forgive because you didn't take his guidance.

The Word of God is meant to do that for us. It's meant to kind of not only guide us, but keep us in the way.

And Job has, again, in many instances, done what's right and pleasing before God.

But there are also instances that Job has said things he should have just kept his mouth shut.

You know, and there's that old saying that people always say, if you don't have nothing to say, don't say anything.

How many of us would say that? I'm guilty. But anyway, that's what

Elihu is talking about. And so he says this before Job and he tells

Job, listen, Job, you shouldn't have complained before God because God could take you out in a millisecond.

God can take us all out in a millisecond. None of us have guarantees. We are his, yes.

But at the same time, God is, remember what we read, God is free to do whatever he wills with his own.

And God is free certainly to do whatever he wills with the evil. But God is also free to do what he wills with his own.

And if God decided to take our breath, then all flesh would perish together. So then he continues on back,

I'm back in Job. And he says in verse 16, if you have understanding, hear this, listen to the sound of my words.

And should one who hates justice govern? In other words, Job is in a sense accused

God of being unjust. And Elihu is saying, do you really want to say that about God?

Do you really want to say that that God is unjust and will you condemn him who is most just?

And then he uses an analogy and he says, listen, in verse 18, is it fitting to say to a king you are worthless and to nobles you are wicked?

In other words, you wouldn't say that about, you'd be pretty careful. And I don't want to get myself in too much trouble, but especially when it comes to politics, people say a lot of things.

Depends what side of the defense you're on, all that other stuff. How many of us would say the same thing that we say privately to that person's face?

Like would we be as willing to say, Mr. Biden, you're a schmo to his face?

I knew that was coming too. I knew it. But again, or Mr.

Trump, you're a jerk to his face. Yeah. I like his attitude.

I knew I would get feedback on that. But you get the point of what

Elihu is saying. He's saying to Job, basically, Job, you wouldn't talk about a governor that way.

How could you talk about God as if God is being unjust and it's just not right? And then he says in verse 19, and that's why

I asked us to look at this early. He says, he's not partial to princes, nor does he regard the rich more than the poor, for they are all works of their hands.

In other words, he's saying you can't charge God with being unjust. And then he says, in a moment, they die.

In the middle of the night, people are shaken and pass away. And the mighty are taken away without a hand.

And you think about that, you think about how many people have surrounded themselves with bodyguards and power and money and fences and put cushions around.

And guess what? All God has to do is just say, you're gone. And nothing's going to prevent that.

So in a moment, you could be here and in a moment, you could be away. And then it says in verse 21, but his eyes are on the ways of man and he sees all his steps.

And again, the all -seeing, all -knowing, all -powerful, all -free, if you will,

God. And there is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

And that's something that many people today do not believe. They really don't believe that God sees them.

And that you can be really deceived by thinking, man, I've got away with this.

Nobody found me out. And I should be able to do this again and over and over.

But guess what? They forgot or they resisted or they rejected the fact that God sees for verse 22.

For he need not further consider a man that he should go before God in judgment.

And he breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry. He sets others in their place.

You think about that, you think about like the rulers of this world and governments and nations and has not since the beginning of time,

God raised up nations. And even in the book of Acts, it says God sets the boundaries for nations.

He raises them up and he puts them down. He raises kings up and he puts them down. And God doesn't need to explain himself.

He doesn't have to because he sees all, he knows all. And so he breaks in pieces men and he sets others in their place.

And verse 25, there it is again, he knows their works and he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.

And he strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others, because they have turned back from him and would not consider any of his ways.

So they are caused to cry. So that they cause the cry of the poor.

So in other words, God sees what other people do in seeking to raise themselves and many times in raising themselves, they hurt other people and God sees it all.

I think about, you ever see that commercial on TV with the ASPCA? Is it

ASPCA? Yeah. The animals, is that right?

Yeah. I'll tell you one thing, I hate to see cruelty to animals. I really do.

It just offends me to no end. And, you know, I could show you in the

Proverbs where it says, the righteous regards the life of his beast, but the tender mercies of the wicked is cruel.

And so when you think about it, do you not think that God holds men accountable for what they do to his creation?

He certainly does. And again, I get really offended because to me, the dog, not so much cats.

Do whatever you want with the cats. No, not really. I offend all the cat people.

But God is even concerned about his creation and he deals with people for that.

And not only just cruelty to other people, but cruelty to anything that's God's because he owns everything.

And so he says that he strikes the wicked men in the open side of others because they turn back and he wouldn't consider his ways and so that they cause the cry.

And when he gives quietness, speaking of God, who then can make trouble?

When he hides his face, who then can see him? Whether it is a nation or a man alone that the hypocrite should not reign, lest the people be ensnared.

I think there's so much to learn in the Job. And again, what I said in the beginning, some of it is hard to understand because it's written.

One of the reasons why people, some people don't like the King James Bible is because of the these and the thousand.

It almost seems as if it's a little bit antiquated, right? Other people love it because there are other people think

Jesus spoke King James, by the way. And we know that's not true. But there is a reality in which you and I can learn so much from the

Bible, not only of doctrine, but of practice in how we should live.

And so I hope this helps us as we go through the book and as we draw near towards the end of the book, and that both his friends who are worthless helpers, and Job, and Elihu, they all have been used by God to accomplish his purpose.

And you and I should remember always that the things that were written before time were written for our example.

And we have to dig it out. And if you're not willing to dig it out, um, I guess

I would say it this way, at times, no pain, no gain. Right? And then, like I said, remember that verse in Psalm 141.

Seek to implement it in our lives. Wake up every morning and say, Lord, please shut my mouth.

Or the opposite would be, please open my mouth. We're not saying we shouldn't talk.

He's just saying the words that come out of our mouth should be in line with the truth of God and not just spew stuff out.