Job 20

Sovereign Grace Family Church

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about where we're at in the book. So remember now, the paragraphs and verses, of course, are not inspired.

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But if you think about it, the way it's broken out, there's 42 chapters.

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We're at chapter 20. So we're just about halfway through the book. And again, if you were to add the words,

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I don't know exactly where we would be exactly at half. But nevertheless, if by chapter and verse, we're just about there.

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And the reason why I mention it is I began to think about something this week. And I wanted to talk over a couple of things.

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If you would think about the book so far, would it come to your mind that it's beginning to become repetitious?

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Anybody? And I've been thinking about that.

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In other words, I started to wonder, OK, why is there so much repetition in the book?

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And as I began to think about that, I wanted to try to reason it out in my own mind to understand it.

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And I came up with a few thoughts. And so I want to just ask us to think about those things, because it's going to continue along this path.

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In other words, we're going to hear. So if you think about it, this morning, we're going to look at chapter 20, which is

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Zophar's now coming back at Job. And this is the last time that Zophar will speak.

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And then if you remember, he spoke in chapter 11, and he speaks in chapter 20.

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Then we're going to find out that Eliphaz, who has spoken twice before, he speaks again in chapter 22.

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And Bildad, who has spoken twice before, is going to come back in chapter 25 and speak again.

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And then the three of them will cease from talking. And then as we move a little further in the book,

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Elihu, who is the fourth person in the fourth character that stands out as one of the main characters, he begins to speak in chapters 32 to 37.

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And then as we know, hopefully we will see, God closes it out in chapters 38 to 42.

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And in between that, Job is answering their thoughts. But again, I started to think, if you think about it,

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Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have basically been continuing this argument with Job or continuing their words against Job.

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And so as I said, I wondered why so much repetition. So here's a few things. And maybe we can discuss it.

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Or maybe you'll agree. Or maybe you'll disagree. If you disagree, keep it to yourself. If you agree, that's fine.

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I'm only kidding. But a couple of things. Here's one thing that I began to think about.

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Is not every word in the Bible inspired by God? We would all say, amen, right?

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Is not every word according to what it says that we have the word and then doctrine is profitable for all things?

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For reproof, for instruction, for correction and righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished in every good work.

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So when I began to think about how the three friends and even

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Job's response to them, it seems to be repetitious. And if you think about it, would we be willing to say something in the realm of God?

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Why do you keep repeating the same thing over and over again? We would agree.

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Or we would say, many of us would say, it's becoming repetitious. So I guess my question is, are we willing to say,

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God, why are you being so repetitious? Anybody want to do that? If not, why not?

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Why would we not want to say something like that? He has it there for a reason. Oh. Obviously, to get our attention in different aspects.

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I agree totally with you in that one of the things I began to think about, OK, so it's repetitious. But there's a reason for it, right?

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Because we believe that it is the inspired, inerrant word of God and that it is profitable.

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Therefore, we ought to pay attention to it, even if it seems repetitious.

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Because otherwise, we are basically, I would think we're basically saying,

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God, you're wasting words. And I don't think any of us would want to say, God is wasting words.

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So again, when we think about it from that aspect, and not from what we take away, but from what

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God is seeking to do, there's a reason why this thing is repetitious. And so that was one thing that popped into my mind.

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Here's another thing. And we'll get through this, and we'll get through the whole chapter this morning.

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So we'll be moving on. But here's another thing I began to think about. Why would

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God, if we were to say that this is becoming repetitious, why would it be that way?

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Why would God do that? Why would God be repetitious and say the same thing over and over again?

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What could be something positive that is the reason for it?

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If he repeats himself, it's because it's important. We need to grasp it.

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We need to understand it. And that really is my thought, that not only is it important, and we need to grasp it, but think about this.

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If something is repeated to us over and over again, could it be that we have a tendency to do the very thing that God is telling us not to do?

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And that's why he's repeating it over and over again. Again, otherwise, we would have to say God is wasting words, and he's not.

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But I do think that there is a tendency on our part to many times misjudge things.

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Because if you think about it, that's basically what his friends are doing. They are misjudging

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Job because of the things that they see, rather than listening and putting it in a perspective of thinking through it and being comforting and compassionate.

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So I do think one of the reasons why it continually goes over the same things is because you and I have a tendency to do the very thing that his friends are doing.

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And again, I'm trying to think of it in that respect because I know that God's word is always fresh.

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Wouldn't you agree? Is not God's word alive and powerful? So when you think about it, is there a tendency, and do we need that repetition over and over and over and over again?

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I say we do. Just like learning the ABCs. One of the ways in which the

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ABCs are learned when you're young is how? Repetition. You just keep doing it over and over again.

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And so you put it to song, and sometimes songs help remember things.

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So if you begin to get bored through the book of Job, begin to think about the reasons why

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God is continually giving us similar instructions. So one, the word is inspired, and we ought to pay attention because God doesn't waste anything.

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And it's always fresh, and it's always living, and it's always powerful, and it's always instructive.

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Again, we have a tendency at times to misjudge, and so we need to pay attention.

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Then I thought about this, and I got five, and this will be the third. And I began to consider that at times, well, let me frame it as a question.

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Would you not agree with me that at times we should be able to see Job as a picture of Christ?

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Not in absolutes, right? It's not a one -on -one relationship.

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It's not apples to apples. But if we begin to consider how Job is being treated or how

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Job is being mistreated, and how Job is being misunderstood, and how

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Job is being accused falsely, you begin to think about, or we should begin to think about how that is a picture of how

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Christ was treated. And Christ was treated by that even by his own. Just as Job is being, if you will, maligned and accused and mistreated by his so -called friends, was not

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Jesus also mistreated by those who should, remember it says that he came unto his own and his own what?

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Received them not. And it says even in the Gospels that even his brothers, many of his brothers and family, they did what?

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They mistreated him. They misunderstood him and acted out against him.

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So I do think there is this picture, if you will, of Christ in the book of Job.

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And certainly at times it appears clearer and other times it might just be in a shadow or a symbol.

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So that's the third reason. And then I thought about this. One of the things that I am beginning to really understand about the book is the reality of Job's perseverance.

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And we know that because in the book of James, it says that, right? It says consider the patience and the perseverance of Job.

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But you begin to look, as you begin to follow through the book, you begin to see how this is not just an academic thing.

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This is a reality to Job. I mean, again, think of all that has been coming on him and that would be enough in many ways, just to lose your family, your wealth, your house, everything that you touch is gone.

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And that would be enough to sink many people's boat. Then you have these three friends who are continually, if you will, pounding away at him, and pounding away at him, and pounding away at him.

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And his body is rotting and his wife doesn't even want any part of him.

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And everything is being undermined. And as we see this, even as it appears sometimes repetitious of the accusations, there's a reality of Job's perseverance.

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And I think that's an important teaching for us because we would have to admit, and even if I remember right,

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Job has said that life, this life, is many times like the waves of the sea that keep crashing against the rocks and grinding it down to sand.

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And if you think about it, that's really an accurate observation, right? That those granules of sand on the shore, many of them have been there by the process of God's waves crashing against those rocks and grinding them down.

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I'm not talking about all the seashells and shark teeth and everything else. And if anybody finds one of those mega shark teeth,

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I'll buy it for $5, okay? I think Adam found one. He had it on Facebook, it was a big one.

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But anyway, my whole point is, one of the reasons for the repetition in the book is that we would really see

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Job has really persevered. Job is a man who's not gonna give up.

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And I think there's tendencies in our own lives at times, maybe not visibly, but maybe just invisibly where we almost wanna give up.

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But we get to the point where we feel like there's nothing to look forward to.

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And Job, again, stands out as an excellent example of someone who even against the worst of storms perseveres.

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And so again, I just had to think through these things because I would agree, the book is repetitious, at least in the beginning.

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We'll get to the point where it changes and I'll show it to you as we get through the book. So he stands out as a person who perseveres, presses on regardless of the outward situations and the inward battles.

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And then finally, I thought about this, that you and I would be careful about how we think about things.

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And again, this kind of relates to what I said in the beginning about Job's friends, but I began to think about it.

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If you were to read, we're gonna read chapter 20 and this is Zophaz. If you were to read chapter 11, which is the other time that you see

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Zophaz, guess what? It's almost the exact same argument that Zophaz is pushing at Job.

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And I began to think that Zophaz, no matter what

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Job says, will not accept what

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Job has set forth. And that you and I have a tendency, in other words, you ever hear people say, well,

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I've made up my mind and I'm not gonna change it, right? And I'm not saying that that's wrong in and of itself or right in and of itself, but there is a reality in our lives where we have to ask ourselves, are we listeners?

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Do we really hear? And if we hear, does it work out in our lives?

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In other words, Job has been responding to Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophaz for 20 chapters now.

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And Zophaz had, it's almost as if Job has, Zophaz has not heard a word of it.

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He's just gonna continue on the same path. Nothing's gonna change his mind. Job is a wicked man.

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Job is a hypocrite. He's getting what he deserves and that's all there is to it.

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Are we like that? Are we, I guess the word I would think about is, are we pliable?

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Are we willing to change? Are we those who understand that in and of ourselves, many of the things that we think need to be changed by the spirit of God and that we're not what we really ought to be.

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And if we ever think that we really are where we ought to be, remember what Paul says, let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

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And that you and I need to be pliable and if God repeats something and you and I resist that instruction, can it be that one of the reasons why we resist it is because we're not willing to change?

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We're not willing to be molded by the spirit of God. And again, you hear people say, well,

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I've thought this way all my life. Well, good for you. Well, what if you've thought wrong all your life?

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And that's hard for us to admit. So again, those are some of the things that I began to think about as I looked at chapter 20 and I said to myself, here comes

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Zophar and he's basically gonna say the same thing all over again than he said in chapter 11. Does anybody else have any thoughts about that or that you would think we could add to to subtract away from it?

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You think there's some validity in some of those things? Do we, again,

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I know my wife admitted that she thinks that the book is getting a little repetitious. Anybody else really think that?

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Like, when are we gonna finish this and do something exciting? And I'm not saying that there's not a reality of that, but what's behind that?

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Are we those who are quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to rap?

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Or are we just, let's just get on with it. Come on, move on. Yeah, in regards to perseverance and endurance and whenever I seem to be getting into one of my pity parties or even depressed or whatever at some point or just complaining about a lot of stuff, man,

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I gotta reflect on one of the things I do is I like, man, that dude or that individual has gone through a whole lot more than I have and it brings me back to reality.

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I'm like, okay, I ain't got it so bad, let me shut up right now, I quit complaining. Yeah, and Job certainly stands out as someone who's,

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I mean, it's funny, because I'll just mention it, I know you won't mind. Steve's been gone for a couple of weeks, had some things, got into a car accident and a couple of other things, and so we talked and he said,

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I'm having a Job event. And when you think about it, we all pretty much have

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Job events and even Job demonstrates self -pity and even to the point where he speaks rationally, right, and that's one of the things that they accuse him of, just kind of opening his mouth and saying dumb things.

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But I do think you're right in that Job stands out and that was my point, he stands out as an example of one.

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And remember what, the thing about Job, he never curses God, doesn't, I'm not saying he doesn't say things that he shouldn't say.

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And I'm not saying he doesn't even complain because he does complain, but he never denies

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God. He never denies that God is the one who sits over it all.

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And yet I agree with you, ultimately the one who should be our measuring stick would be

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Christ, wouldn't you agree? But I would also say, and ask you to just think about it, it's hard to measure yourself against Christ because he is perfect.

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And it's very difficult to measure yourself against someone who is sinless.

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And if you will, maybe I shouldn't say problem -less, but one who's absolute, perfect, never errs, never says anything he shouldn't say.

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And so I agree with you. Sometimes we have this tendency to pity party.

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Does anyone here wanna say they never have their own pity party? Come on, I know we all do. And again,

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Job stands out as someone who although he has his pity party, never loses his faith in God.

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And ultimately that's what it really breaks down to. And one last thing,

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I'll be quiet. No, go on. But even like for communion, right? God says, do this in remembrance of me, and we do it weekly to remember, to remember, right?

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Because it's hard to imagine what Christ meant if we weren't there. So remember me in the blood, the bread and those things.

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Yeah, I mean, and certainly there is a, he said as often as you do it, and so we're not gonna legislate how often to have the

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Lord's Supper, but the point of the Lord's Supper is to what? Remember, why? Because we have a tendency to forget.

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We have a tendency to get wound up and caught up in the things of this life and getting caught up in the things of this life many times distracts us, right?

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Because we are still in the flesh and there's still that, if you will, to me, it's almost like a gravitational pull that no matter how high we try to rise in our minds and in our souls, gravity has a tendency to do what?

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Suck us back down and we get stuck there. So I hope that gives us some perspective of what, one of the reasons why it is so repetitious, but having said all that, unless I start repeating myself over again, let's look at the chapter.

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So as I said, this is, we'll read the whole chapter and we'll get through a couple of different thoughts, but this is

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Zophar's and he is his second speech and so in verse one, then

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Zophar, the Nemethite answered and said, therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer because of the turmoil within me.

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I have heard the reproof that reproaches me and the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.

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Do you not know this of old, since man was placed on the earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is short?

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Remember, he's speaking directly at Joe and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment and though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens and his head reaches to the clouds, yet he will perish forever like his own refuse.

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Those who have seen him will say, where is he? He will fly away like a dream and not be found.

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He will be chased away like a vision of the night. The eye that saw him will see him no more, nor will his place behold him anymore.

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His children will seek the favor of the poor. His hands will restore his wealth.

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His bones are full of his youthful vigor, but he will lie down, it will lie down with him in the dust and though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue and though he spares it and does not forsake it, but still keeps it in his mouth, yet his food in his stomach turns sour.

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It becomes cobra venom within him. He swallows down riches and vomits them up again and God casts them out of his belly and he will suck the poison of cobras and the viper's tongue will slay him.

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He will not see the streams. I just gotta say, Job, I mean, Zophar's is really laying

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Job out, isn't he? This is not cheerful, happy, puffy news that at least he's pointing at him.

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So he will suck the, verse 16, he'll suck the poison of cobras and the viper's tongue will slay him and he will not see the streams and the rivers flowing with honey and cream.

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He will restore that which for what he labored. He will not swallow it down.

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From the proceeds of his business, he will get no enjoyment, but listen to what he says here.

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He has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has seized, he has violently seized a house which he did not build because he knows no quietness in his heart.

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He will not save anything he desires. Nothing is left for him to eat. Therefore, his wellbeing will not last.

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In his self -sufficiency, he will be in distress and every hand of misery will come against him.

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When he's about to fill his stomach, God will cast on him the fury of his wrath and will rain on him while he is eating and he will flee from the iron weapon.

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A bronze bow will pierce him through. It is drawn and it comes out of his body.

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Yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall or his bladder. Terror comes upon him.

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Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. An unfanned fire will consume him.

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It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent. Then the heavens will reveal his iniquity and the earth will rise up against him and the increase of his house will depart and his goods will flow away in the day of his wrath.

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This is the portion from God for a wicked man. The heritage appointed to him by God.

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Like I said, I don't know about you, but that would either sink my ship or get me really fired up, especially in light of my situation, if I was in the situation of Job.

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So again, all Zophaz is doing is pouring oil on the fire.

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He just keeps throwing wood in the furnace and just insult after insult and accusation after accusation.

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And so we could just go through it for a few minutes, a little bit, and kind of just look at a couple of things about it and see what we can come away with.

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Again, if you were to read chapter 11, and I don't wanna do that, but I wanna make some points.

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In chapter 11, he accused Job of secret sin. And in this chapter, again, his accusation is the same.

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Job, you think that you've been hiding your sin and God has found it out and now

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God is bringing it in judgment against you. So Zophaz has not, again, as I said, he's not made one, he's not reconsidered anything that Job has said.

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And again, in and of itself, his accusation is hurtful.

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And not only is it hurtful, but if you look at the first couple of verses, what he's saying,

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Zophaz the Naamite answered and said, my anxious thoughts make me answer because of the turmoil within me.

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I've heard the reproof that reproaches me. In other words, Job has responded to Zophaz, but he hasn't responded the way

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Zophaz wanted Job to respond. And what has it done? It's fired up Zophaz. He's frustrated.

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And again, I say to you, can you imagine this scenario? This is not just a couple of guys sitting around having this pleasant conversation.

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This is heated stuff. And we all know what it's like to get into a heated conversation.

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Not only does your mind begin to pulse, but sometimes even our whole physical body gets involved in it, right?

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And I was brought up in Italian family and my hands will start flying.

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And it's hard to try that sometime. See if you could just sit there and, but not when you're calm, because it's easy to do when you're calm.

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It's hard when you're fired up to just not move, not say anything.

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So if you think about it, Job is all fired up because again, all these things that he's saying to Job and Job will not give in.

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And that's another thing that you and I, what is behind our reason for speaking to other people?

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Is it just to make them think like us?

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Now, again, you can look in your own situation, every one of us. Is that the motivation behind us?

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To get everyone to either knuckle down, agree, put themselves under what we think and how we feel.

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And I know in and of myself, I have this tendency at times to do that, that I want people to think like me.

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Now, again, when we're saying something positive, I mean, certainly a parent raising a child, they would certainly want their children, especially when they know that they're right, to have their children listen and whether they knuckle under or just submit, that's a positive, right?

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But do we not at times have this tendency to get frustrated just because people don't agree with us?

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And again, that could be a source of contention. And again, the hands start flying, the voices start getting raised.

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And then before you know it, listen, I mean, I've seen that even among men.

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I've seen many a fight, physical fight, start with a conversation, right?

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And then the conversation gets a little more heated and then many times someone else will come into the conversation and they'll throw more wood on the fire and before you know it, what's going on?

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Now you got an all out brawl, both sidelines are in the middle fighting, right?

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The you and I, we think about it and say, so Zophaz, he's really ticked. And basically he's telling

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Job, you're not listening. And I do think also, and maybe you will agree, maybe you won't, there's a sense of arrogance in Zophaz speech to me.

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In other words, he's not really looking at his own life, but he sure is willing to look at Job's life.

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You wonder sometimes what Zophaz thinks as far as his own standing before God. And if you remember the end of chapter 19,

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I think Job brings that up. If you're still looking at the chapter, in verse 29 of chapter 19,

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Job says that, he says, be afraid of the sword for yourself, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword that you may know there is a judgment.

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So as much as Zophaz is just piling on, I think part of it is his arrogance in thinking himself almost like the

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Pharisee. I thank the God that I am not like the other sinners. And I fast and I tithe and I do this and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

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And I'm just grateful that I'm not like Job. Well, that's not a positive thing to have in our life where we're busy looking down on people.

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But anyway, that's what he does. And so then he just continues his argument. Do you not know this of all, since man was placed on the earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is short?

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There's no hesitation in his mind. Job was just a wicked man. How many of us have at times kind of chalked things up to that?

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Well, so -and -so is just an, they're just an evil person. Well, and that could very well be.

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But how about the things in our own heart, right? I mean, when you begin to think about it, somebody who's, let's just say hateful and vengeful, are we not at times like that in our hearts?

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And it might not verbalize or might not even come out of us, but do we sometimes, do we act like that?

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Are we the hypocrite? Because we desire and have thoughts in our mind.

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So he calls Job a wicked man. And in verse five, not only is he wicked, he's a hypocrite.

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And I don't know about you, but I would not like, I do not like being called a hypocrite. Probably because many times

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I act like a hypocrite. And if there's anybody here that has never been a hypocrite or doesn't think they will be a hypocrite sometime in the future,

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I assure you, you will be, because we all fight the same fights.

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But, so he calls him wicked and a hypocrite. And verse six, though his haughtiness mounts up to heaven and his head reaches the clouds, he's gonna perish forever like his own refuse.

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Like I said, there's no pity, there's no mercy, there's no compassion, there's nothing here.

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As the saying goes, with friends like these, Job don't need too many enemies, right?

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And Job has a lot of enemies and many of the things coming upon him are result of, like I said, his friends just piling on.

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So he says that and he tells them that he's gonna perish like his own dung and those who see him will say, where is he?

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And here's something I thought, it struck me. He says to him in verse seven, he will perish forever like his own refuse and those who see him will say, where is he?

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He will fly away like a dream and not be found. Here's the thought that I had. After chapter 20, basically

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Zophaz disappears and the memory of Zophaz basically is gone.

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Well, guess what? The memory of Job is still with us today.

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Isn't that interesting? That the very accusation that Zophaz makes about Job, that he will be like, it says in the

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Proverbs that the name of the wicked will rot. It's exactly what it says. And so he's making his accusation to say,

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Job, you're gonna die, you're gonna go on the ground and you're gonna be forgotten as a wicked man and hypocrite and yet here in the book of James, thousands of years, at least a thousand have passed and guess who's mentioned?

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We don't hear anything about the perseverance of Zophaz or the patience of Zophaz or the example of Zophaz but we hear it about Job.

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And so again, it highlights his integrity, highlights his perseverance and the very words that Zophaz, now there's a reality of that.

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How many times people and many of the ones that we do know, I think are the minority rather than the majority, how many people have passed through this world, lived a wicked, evil life and no one remembers them?

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You know what that's saying? It says, when all is over and time has passed, only what's done for Christ will last.

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And again, they have said to Job, God is not mocked, whatever you sow, you shall reap.

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And basically that's true, not only for Job, but for them, right?

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And again, these words that he speaks, I wouldn't wanna talk to Zophaz, I wouldn't wanna go on a long trip with Zophaz.

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I'd have to open the window, put the music on because I couldn't stand somebody like that. Anyway, tells him his name is gonna rot away and fly away like a dream and be chased away in verse eight, like a vision of the night and the eyes that saw him will see him no more, nor will his place behold him anymore.

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His children will seek the favor of the poor and his hands will restore them. He's basically saying,

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Job, not only is this, not only does your wickedness have an impact on you, but it has an impact on your family.

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Basically telling Job, neither you nor any of your family will ever become anything.

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And you know, again, many people will say that, right? You're just like your parents and you won't become anything.

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Well, again, those are not really comforting words. And you and I should be careful about just kind of throwing someone under the bus and saying that they'll, not only are they gonna suffer, but all that they have and even their household will suffer.

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And then verse 11, again, I'm just gonna walk through the rest of it and we'll close it out. He says, though evil is sweet in his mouth, verse 11, his bones are full of his youthful vinegar or vigor, but it will lie down with him in the dust.

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And then he says this in verse 12, though evil is sweet in his mouth, again, he is assuming on Job's character, isn't he?

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He's stating point blank, you're just a bad dude, Job.

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You're just an evil person. And if you think about it, these words have to have cut into Job's heart.

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How many times have we tried to do something or be something and people have twisted it and it hurts.

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And that reality is, what's the saying? What was it?

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Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me. I don't know who made that up, but they're not right.

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Good words do harm us. How many of us will say, years and years have gone past and we still remember something someone said to us and we'll even go further and say,

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I will never forget what they said to me, right? Be careful about our words.

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So though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue and though he spares it in verse 13 and he doesn't forsake it, but still keeps it in his mouth.

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He's pretty vivid here, right? His food in his stomach turns sour and it becomes cobra venom within him and he swallows down his riches and he vomits them up again and God cast them out of his belly.

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Dog face pony liar. He will suck the poison of cobras.

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He will, look in verse 17, he won't see the dream, the streams and the rivers flowing with honey and cream.

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He will restore that for what you lay. He will not swallow it down from his proceeds of his business.

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Basically, he will get no enjoyment. Again, here's another accusation against Job. You've just been trying to take care of yourself and guess what?

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You're never gonna be able to enjoy all the things that you have tried to pile up for yourself because you're just a wicked person and a hypocrite and God has found you out,

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Job, and now you're gonna pay. And I wanna just put this in your mind for next week because next week, he's gonna respond to that and he's gonna answer about the prosperity of the wicked.

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And basically, in this chapter, Zophaz is saying somewhat the same that you think you're gonna prosper and you are not.

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And I wanna show you next week and maybe we'll enhance it a little bit that in this,

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I do think Zophaz is really somewhat missing the forest for the trees because there is a reality, friends, of the prosperity of the wicked.

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And many people, and I'll show it to you exactly how it says it, but many people die with a smile on their face.

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Many people die with more than they could ever have need of. So this is not necessarily true, but anyway, he does say this to Job in verse 20 because he knows no quietness in his heart.

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Basically, he's saying that Job doesn't have no peace in his heart. And there's some indication that Job is pretty well disturbed.

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Because he has no quietness in his heart, he will not save anything he desires.

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Nothing is left for him to eat. His well -being will not be left. In his self -sufficiency, he will be in distress and every hand of misery will come against him.

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When he's about to fill his stomach, God will cast the fury of his wrath and will rain on him while he's eating.

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Basically saying, Job, God's not done with you. Remember, it was said to him in the beginning, and I think it's

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Zophaz in chapter 11, he says to Job, you're getting less than you deserve. And here, he's basically saying

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God's not done and certainly it plays out in verse 24 because he says he will flee from the iron weapon and a bronze bow will pierce him.

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It is drawn and it comes out his body and the glittering point comes out of his gall and terrors come upon him and total darkness is reserved.

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And here's a point just to think about. The reality of God's wrath,

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God's judgment, God never misses. You know, one of the definitions of sin is missing the mark and it really comes from the thought of someone who shoots an arrow at a target and it falls short and so it comes short of the mark.

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God never misses his target and that's a warning to all who rebel against Christ.

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Might live prosperity, they might enjoy things, they might skip through this world, but guess what?

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God's arrow, and it says it in the Psalms, God has appointed the means of death for everyone and God doesn't miss.

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And he's pretty much saying that you're gonna get it and God's gonna, just like we did, we looked at what

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Ahaz and when the arrow was shot in the air from a distance and where did it wind up?

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Right in between his armor. Same thing with Goliath, where did that rock hit him? In the one place he didn't have his armor.

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God never misses. Total darkness, verse 26, is reserved for his treasures and unfanned fire will consume him and choke wild with him who's left in his tent.

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The heavens will reveal his iniquity and the earth will rise up against him and the increase of his house will depart.

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Then he says, and his goods will flow away in the day of his wrath.

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This, this is Zophar's final word to Job. This is the portion from God for a wicked man, the heritage appointed to him by God.

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So, as we close, just think about how Zophar has not only been blasting

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Job, but he's gonna continue to blast Job. Now next week, we'll see Job respond. He'll talk about the prosperity of the wicked.

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And then ultimately, we're gonna come back again and Eliphaz is gonna jump in. And Eliphaz is gonna do his thing.

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And then Job's gonna respond and then Bildad's gonna, and then ultimately we'll get through the rest of the book.

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Okay, let's just close. Our Father and our God, thank you for your truth. Thank you, Lord, for repetition.

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Thank you, Lord, for reminding us of many of the things that even at times unconsciously we commit against you and against others.

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So help us, Lord. Help us to take heed to ourselves. Help us to be prepared to be comforters and compassionate and truthful and full of mercy.

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Help us now, Lord, to worship you in spirit and truth. In Christ's name, amen. Thank you,