Job Chapter 10

I'm gonna ask you to notice something as I asked you when we read chapter 9 how many times Job would use the term he and him as he referred to God and how the Lord really was the the Emphasis of everything that Job said and if you follow it in chapter 10 as we read through it What you're gonna find is not so often does he use he and him but he uses the word you and yours because again, he's Giving God the glory and everything.

So let's read the chapter Chapter 10 verse 1 my soul loads my life and I will give free cost to my complaint And I will speak in the bitterness of my soul and I will say to God do not condemn me Show me why you contend with me Does it seem good to you that you should oppress that you should despise the work of your hands and shine on the counsel of? the wicked Do you have eyes of flesh or do you see as man sees? Are your days like the days of a mortal man in your years like the the days of a mighty man that you should seek? My iniquity and search out my sin Although, you know, I am NOT wicked and there is no one who can deliver from your hand and your hands have made me and fashioned me an Intricate unity and yet you would destroy me.

Remember I pray that you have made me like clay You've turned me into dust again Do you not pour me out like me? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese and clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with? bones and sinews you have granted me life and favor and your care has preserved my spirit and These things you have hidden in your in your heart And I know that this was with you And if I sin you mock me and will not equip me of my iniquity if I am wicked woes me and if I'm righteous I can't lift up my head.

I'm full of disgrace See my misery if my head is exalted you hunt me like a fierce lion And again, you show yourself awesome against me and you renew your witness against me and increase your indignation towards me and Changes in war or ever with me Why then have you brought me out of the womb? Oh that I had perished and no one had seen me I have witnessed I would have been as though I had not been I would have Been carried from the womb to the grave Are not my days few? cease leave me alone that I may take a little comfort before I go to the place from which I shall not return to the land of darkness the shadow of death the land as dark as darkness itself as The shadow of death without any order where even the light is like darkness so As we consider again as Job is is continually going to defend His integrity as far as his relationship to God in the midst of The the great tragedy that has taken place to him personally as we know Very well, right at this point that his life has been turned basically upside down inside out And also the fact that his friends have come to him and his friends really His friends have really not been of any true comfort to him and so build that had in chapter 8 blasted Job Basically called Job a liar And a windbag and all those wonderful things and then in chapter 9 Job began to defend himself to build that And so he continues it in in chapter 10 So we'll just walk through it and I have a couple of remarks I want to make and then if you have anything to add To it, that's fine.

So Just let's look at it almost a verse at a time.

He says my soul is My soul loads my life and I will give free course to my complaint And here's what I thought of and again, there's many things that we could think about but here's what I thought of I thought about the fact that Job's life is Well, let me put it in a question form what's worse physical issues or issues of the soul I Agree with everything you just said Really? What's harder to deal with the things of the flesh or the things of the spirit? And even apart from the idea of the spirit but but rather Let's just divide man in two and say he's he's outside body, and he's inside spirit even apart from the reality of the Spirit of God and What Job says here is is interesting in that he says my soul Loads my life and and even though his his body has been eaten by worms and his flesh Basically is falling off and everything that he had is gone.

He looks to it more from the area of the internal and that's really what's troubling him and I wanted to show you this proverb and I wanted to ask you what your Your thoughts were on it.

So just stay right there and jump but go to Proverbs chapter 18 for a minute Because there's something unique about us that is Really only given to those who have if you will a soul Let me ask you a question first You got man and I'm just gonna put animals and Then I'm gonna put plants trees Okay, how many how many would agree that man has a soul? But anybody disagreed it man doesn't have a soul Would anybody like to truly define what that's all what that means? So not yet.

So man has a soul Okay Animals they have a soul.

Yes.

No, maybe so.

I See one no, yes And yes Pretty interesting.

Oh So you make it a distinguishing you're distinguishing the soul and an animal from the soul of man.

Okay So so you you taking David saying yes and brother Lee saying no and you came up with it, okay How about this plants and trees they have a soul No Okay, so now we made a distinction between man and animals and then we made a distinction between plants and trees and animals Let's let's well, let me show you the verse.

I want to look at first in Proverbs chapter 18 In verse 14 Look what it says It says the spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness But who can bear a broken spirit The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness But who can bear a broken spirit to me and I've looked at this before to me this makes a clear Indication that the reality is the things that go on inside of us Have a greater impact on us than the things that really go on outside of us and you would You would look to what Jesus said even what Paul and the rest of the Apostles and writers in the New Testament said But certainly what Jesus said because he said what? Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks right and from the from the heart proceeds adulteries and fornications and evils and hatings and all those things and so When you think about it, there is a distinction to be made so Would you all agree that it's easy to deal with a broken arm than a broken heart Okay, because why is that so Why is that so why is this the things that go on Inside of us.

Why do they have a greater impact on us than the things that go on outside of us? Any thoughts on that? Going once going twice sold to David well Because the broken arm I can see it Okay You know Is it because that is the center of man is it because it is that Have an impact that way because that really is where the essence of us abides right another words when It's almost like people say, you know when I'm happy nothing matters But when I'm sad everything matters, right? everything is is turned upside down when the things that are within us are churning and so you think about that and So now I'm gonna go back and I want to ask So some of you said The animals these guys these are out.

Nope What did you mean when you said that animals have souls What is a soul do? how would we would I be right if I did something like this and I said that a soul means you have Rational thoughts You have conscience Sister, I don't know if I spell that right It looks good to me, okay Our animals are they rational what does it need to be rational? What I'm trying to say is when you try to define what a soul is it's not you can't just say it's it's this And that's all it is right there are component parts of it, right one of it is that you're rational What does it mean to be rational? means you have the ability to Think right Not only do you have the ability to think when you act upon the things that you think about Great, right.

Okay.

You also have a conscience and that conscience has been Implanted in us by God, right and Paul speaks about that in Romans and he talks about how our consciences are either Constantly doing what? They're either excusing us or accusing us So when you think about it and you think about a job says my soul loads my life He's looking at his life he sees the things that are taking place and he is Making perceptions and He is seeking to work through it Do animals do that? Does it? In that sense is an animal rational That's Andy's candy Yeah, I would agree with that in the broader sense animals don't have souls that are redeemable so to speak but Dogs cats every animal has a Point of view that they're coming from and that main point of view is survival Whatever you got to do to survive.

That's what they do now that would lead to Them having a Sense of rationale a sense of reason I got to go Catch this guy and I got a bite him in the throat so I can eat today No, it's not a reaction that's survival If that's what you got to do to survive you say, okay There's one I can catch that and I can do what I got to do to stay alive Is that is that instinct? It is see I Is instinct the same as the irrational Let me ask you this And I knew I was gonna stir up some Stuff, but I like to stir a little bit when a dog looks up at the stars in heaven.

What does he think about? Well before we say he can't express it, yeah Dude, does he think of it the same way a man thinks of it? Does he have a conscience and is that conscience? towards God Or is it that God has implanted within animals and we've already excluded plants and trees, right? Although I mean and I know I'm probably Making too much out of it, but it does say that the trees clap their hands at God But I'm gonna leave that alone because I'll give herself it all out of trouble.

So When you think about it Does animals really have a are they really rational or they are? Reactive or have a instinct that's been implanted in them and I'm not disagreeing that the dog when he's hungry He's gonna bite kill Same way with any other animal, right? But does he have? Does that make someone rational? because to me When you talk about being rational, that means you look out into your world and You're able to take in that world and then you react based upon that and then you act Is that the same in animals as it is in man? I'm gonna show you some go to Ecclesiastes for a minute And again, we don't usually talk about this stuff so I think it's worthwhile to consider it Ecclesiastes and chapter 3 and if you We'll start at verse 16, please ask these 316 look at it says This is of course Solomon writing and he says moreover I saw under the Sun in the place of judgment wickedness was there and in the place of righteousness Iniquity was there and I said in my heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there shall be a time There for every purpose and for every work that just stopped there for a second to me that say that man is Rational in and he has a conscience and he thinks of it in terms of that towards God the Wouldn't you be willing to say that's the same thing about an animal does the animal who look another bigger dog steals his food? Does that animal say God will judge that dog at some point? I don't think so, but I want you to keep on reading Verse 18 I Said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men God tests them that they may see that they themselves are like beasts For what happens to the sons of men also happens to beasts? one thing before the falls them as One dies so dies the other.

Okay, so we can at least gather from that What he's saying there is that both man and animals they have a beginning and they have an end Basically, you could if you really wanted to you could include trees and plants, right? you can get into this idea of animals and Perennials and all that stuff, but my point is at some point they come into existence and then they go out of existence agree Okay, then look what he says so As One dies so the other surely they all have one breath Man has no advantage over beasts for all is vanity All go to one place all are from the dust and all Return to dust look at verse 21 Who knows the spirit of the sons of man? men which goes upward and The spirit of the beasts which goes down to the earth So I perceive there's nothing better than a man should rejoice in his own work for that as his heritage.

What is that saying? What is that saying about the immortality of the soul? He says the spirit of the man goes where upward What does it say in Hebrews? It's appointed for a man once to die and after that comes what? Okay, is it appointed once for a dog or a cat to die and after that comes the judgment? I don't know if I want to touch that answer Oh I don't think he's saying it like that brother.

I don't think he's saying he's not sure what he is saying is that Everything has a beginning everything has an end and in that sense man's no better than the beast of the field because they both gonna Die anyway, right? They're both gonna go back into the ground But he does make a statement about the spirit of a man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes downward And of course he doesn't deal with this thing so Okay, so you put in this word I'm gonna write that down sister what do you mean by discernment, okay Yeah, see so when you start to when you start to make this Try to put the component parts of this the list will grow longer and longer and longer Will the list grow longer and longer and longer for animals, I'm not saying that animals don't show affection But I'm not so sure Well, I'm gonna say I don't believe it's the same.

It's based on the same ability or reasoning as man does right because if you I'll put you this way.

You keep hitting the dog and that dog gonna hate you When it comes to man, sometimes you keep hitting them and they still love you Right.

So there is a distinction to be made You get some of you looking at me like man, where are you? They have a sense right and we're not really given everything has in nature, right? Yeah The spirit of the animal.

Yes running Buffalo over the plane But but because here's the question that people does the dog go to heaven, huh? Because the reason is that there's a distinction listen There are some things that could be considered somewhat of a similarity But there's definitely Right and that the thing that really as I read to you in primers The spirit of a man can sustain him in an infirmity He can handle sickness and and things of the flesh but a broken spirit who can bear that's and that's because Man is unique So I want to ask you this question before we move on When you think about evolution and the premise of evolution is what basically Everybody has a different start point, but basically Evolution does something like this this leads to this this Led to this over, you know trillions and trillions of years and maybe you go backwards The Bible really teaches it So, do you see what it what a tragedy is for people when people talk about evolution, they're not just talking about The Darwin and the things like that.

It's really in the front If you think about it, it's an affront against God Because God says he made man in his image and he put within man that which is not in animals And it's certainly not in plants and trees Right Yep In Yeah, and that conscience is God given and it's given only to man in other words if my dog steals Someone else's food.

My dog doesn't go home and say man.

I'm sorry.

I did that Yeah Yeah, because he's learned he's learned what's gonna happen it's a learn response Because if you come in that house and you say what a good doggie you are that dog's gonna do it again He's gonna do it.

So is it a reaction is is it an instinct and again? I'm not trying to nail this thing down in an exact science, but there is something here Would you not agree there's something And that God has made it that way and that nothing could ever take it and Make it untrue right what God has If you will what God has put together let no man tear asunder Just look at if you will just to finish the thought go back to Romans 1 and let's just look at this And again, probably won't deal with this much more as we go through the book of Job, but I do think it's worth our time and Look what Paul says That we could really Should Even if you pick it up at verse 18, which is of course so familiar to all of us The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all godliness and unrighteousness of men Not animals not plants not trees who suppress the truth and that's another part of this these things being rational and having a conscience of being able to discern is that there is in man and God laid element of what truth Now Paul says it and he says when men look up they could see what Designed and what does that design mean? Well, if there's design there has to be a designer if there's a watch there has to be a watchmaker, correct? And God has planted that That's why I asked you before does the does the let's stop picking on dogs.

There's a giraffe look up to heaven and say man God is great Okay, so when he talks about this and he says that men suppress the truth in unrighteousness because that which may Be known of God is manifest in them for God has shown it to them again.

I don't believe that the the lion the tiger and the bear just lay around at night and contemplate the things of truth Again doesn't mean that there's not a relationship with nature in between it Very Absolutely, and that's another part of this idea of the soul of man because if you think about it man was given Everything is under his domain right now Again as you think about this and let me just ask us to read a little bit further.

So it says Verse 24 since the creation of the world his God's invisible attributes are clearly seen seen by who? seen by men Being understood and there's that part about being rational being able to take things in and to if you will work through them and The things by the things that are made even his eternal power and God had so that they are without excuse now Are animals without excuse But again, this is God gonna judge the animals I Think Yeah Yeah, absolutely, so Yeah, so when job says that my soul knows life I just wanted us to begin to understand that there is a distinction and that's what really rules us and it doesn't rule Anything else like it does man.

So let me just finish the thought so they are without excuse verse 21 Romans 1 Because although they knew God Interesting right they knew something of God.

They looked up the heavens.

They saw a design.

They figured is there gotta be a designer They or I got without excuse because they would weren't thankful and they became Futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened and professing themselves to be wise they became fools Changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds of all for to be some creepy things So just stop there for a second.

Do animals have a consciousness of a God? I mean it says the Lions roar at night As they wait on God to feed them It's still not the same is it can't be Professing themselves to be wise they became fools Around Christmas time.

I'll tell you what I think about verse 23 And for you who don't here's what I think about verse 23 that Changed the glory of the incorruptible God and made an image like corruptible man a Santa Claus and birds That's Thanksgiving and Four-footed beasts, that's the bunny rabbits and creeping things.

That's Halloween.

So you do whatever you want with that So God gave them over God gave them up to uncleanness in the loss of their hearts to dishonor their bodies who've changed the truth of God for a lie Worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever For this reason God gave them up to vile of passions or even their woman and bought and we Keep on reading, but I wanted to get down to the point where? It talks about how God gave them over and they have their conscience will Either accuse them or excuse them and that that conscience is always the Prominent voice if you will and that Everyone has it and that it is distinct in man, and it's not the same as in animals.

Although again, I Don't believe animals worship other animals do they? They might be afraid of the bigger dog That that but that's different, right? thoughts any other thoughts Okay, I just wanted to at least get that Yeah, okay go back to joke then we'll see if we can just do a little bit more Because that's what he says.

He said my soul loathes my life Then he says in chapter 10 verse 1.

I'll give free course to my complaint So what he's really saying is his he's in a mess He's in a world of hurt and Yet He's going to acknowledge God as I said as we read through the chapter but at the same time he says I'm going to complain and One of the things about that is that his emotions are If you will all churned up aren't they and how many times do we say Something like this I know what I ought to do or I know what I want to do or I know what I should do But I just don't feel like it And that when you think about that and Job as he says my soul loathes my life But I'm gonna give free course to my complaint.

I'm going to speak in the bitterness of my soul Again, where does it reside in his soul? Just as that proverb says broken spirit who can handle I Will say to God Do not condemn me show me why? You contend with me And that's a that's an interesting thought to what is he asking God to do but to show him Well, let me put it this way.

Is that a good question to ask God? Why are you contented with me why are you doing this to me? How many of us would say that at some point in our life we have said that? And if not verbally at least Inside why me? Why did this have to happen to me? And in that sense we are doing what is that would that be a form of complaint Okay, so that was my question is it right to ask is it right to ask that question Why are you contending with me brother? You gonna say something? No, Lee.

I thought you Is it right to ask God why he contends with us But does God afflict willingly the psalmist says no God doesn't afflict willingly, so That's one of the themes of the book right is that Job can't figure out how the wicked And the righteous many times You can't you can't outwardly discern anything from that Right and yet what does his friends do? his friends in a sense they say that job is wicked and It's basically so read At least that's the way I understand it So they both they have a different set of perspectives Although they speak a lot of truth don't they they sure have up to this point They speak about God is sovereign and but yet they cannot get to the point where Job maintains his integrity before God and yet he's puzzled.

Isn't that again like us sometimes? We are We're troubled Sometimes about our own situations or own state of affairs.

Yes No, we wouldn't I don't think so if we didn't have and to expand it even further if we didn't have this Right, where would we be and you could see it? It's kind of splattered throughout the pages of the Bible But it's it's consolidated for us in a great example in the book of Job.

The job is really confused at this point Yeah, he remains his he can he remains with his integrity But integrity in and of itself doesn't always Cause us to rest in peace again, you have to take the Conscience the integrity piece of it if you will and then you have to match it up with what? Memoir Paul says bring every thought into what Into captivity.

Yeah obedience to Christ, right? So it's not to we are able to take the two parts and put them together and That's and if you think about it, I know we have to end but if you think about you remember what Paul said in Philippians he said I Have learned To be content.

I have learned to have everything and to have nothing To be abounding and to be a base and then he says I could do all things through Christ who what strengthens me.

So All right, I know we ran up and down some side roads this morning But we'll come back to this next week Because as he goes through he's gonna he's gonna respond to build that member build that had laid out to him about how God was The great one who made everything and he talked about the stars that God made and Job is gonna come back and say hey, dude I know exactly the same stuff that you know And Where he got it from is serving as his anchor for that said integrity Yeah I mean he got at the same place all the other saints got it before the Descriptions because if you think about it, they didn't have any they didn't have King James.

They didn't have King James The ESV didn't have the NIV didn't have nothing it was again the way God revealed himself is is distinct and yet there is The truth is always the same The manner in which just like it says God in times past in different ways in different Manners has spoken times past to the fathers by the prophets, but in his last days spoke to some we got to stop Thank you for the ability to to just think Lord to to look inside to look and outside and to be able to Put together things what some things are very hard to understand for us.

We are Confused and we are slow to learn would help us Lord help us to see you for who you are Help us to worship you for who you are and and be with us now as we continue in worship in Jesus name.