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Did you know that Job telegraphs the way you should be reading your Old Testament? What is the literary device called, “Foreshadowing?” Who is Columbo?
Welcome to No Compromise Radio Ministry. My name is Mike Abendroth, and today is part two of Job a Roadmap to the Bible preached at Community Bible Church in Beloit, Ohio Community Bible Church. I have John Tucker's permission glad because he's a pastor and a lawyer but before we get into the message, don't forget you can get Cancer is Not Your Shepherd a 31 day guide to suffering on Amazon and You can get the 31 day guide to purity called sexual fidelity.
It's been updated and revised That's also on Amazon probably should not release two books at the same time. But that's the way it goes. I really Have gotten some good responses on Cancer's Not Your Shepherd.
By the way, if you do have it and you've read it, would you give me a review on Amazon?
I would appreciate. A I would appreciate.
Part 2 Job a Roadmap to the Bible. What does that have to do with anything? Well first we've got the sin and the guilt offering and When you sin and you're guilty There has to be something slain for that.
The penalty of the law has to be paid for but did you know also there's the burnt offering and the grain offering and The grain offering in the burnt offering you light them on fire and the aroma goes up and it talks about total consecration to God.
Positively keeping the law. You've got offerings that say sin needs to be atoned for you've got offerings that say my life is a complete sacrifice to you God. Complete consecration to you and then you've got another offering called the peace offering.
It's the only one you get to eat. Because when there's been guilt and sin offering paid for and a life of consecration unto God. Then you get to sit down and eat the meal and because you're at peace with God.
By the way, does that start reminding you of the Lord Jesus Christ where he pays the penalty of the law that's broken and He lives a life of total consecration. Somebody needs to write a book on the act of obedience of Jesus.
It'd be a big seller and then because of that confirmed by the resurrection you have peace with God. Are you sitting you could eat the meal. You think I better go read Leviticus again. That's true. Job is asking the question early on telegraphing putting a hint there putting the the ice pick if you will.
There has to be forgiveness. Does God forgive. It's one thing to suffer. It's another thing to suffer. Knowing that God forgives my my sins you begin to read things like surely he's borne our griefs and carried our sorrows that we Esteemed him stricken smitten by God and afflicted but he was pierced for our transgressions.
He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was a chastisement that brought upon us. Peace. The first thing Job wants you to do is say listen. Distill everything in the world down to three basic questions.
Does God forgive sin is question one? And by the way, you'll be tracing and looking for the Lord Jesus throughout your entire Bible because we've read the end. And we know what to look for. Question number two.
Is there a mediator. You know, I'd really know God was kind he loves me he cares for me he's merciful. I know he's holy, but I know he's these other things if he would just give me a mediator. I mean, how could I be in God's court?
How can I process prosecute? Be prosecuted by God without a helper without an advocate without a lawyer. That'd be really dumb. Job 9 please verses 29 and following there's real comfort knowing that God forgives sin and We look for that in the rest of the Bible because it's telegraphed in the first book ever written in addition.
Is there a mediator? I'd know God loves me and cares for me. Job would say if there's a mediator. Let's pick it up again in verse 29. I shall be condemned. Job said why then do I labor in vain?
I.
Wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye. That you will plunge me into a pit and my own clothes will abhor me speaking of God. For he is not a man as I am that I might answer him. That we should come to trial together.
There's no arbiter. What's he at? What's the NASA? Pardon me umpire referee mediator.
Who.
Might lay his hands on both of us. Let him take his rod away from me and let not the dread of him terrify me. Then I would speak without fear of him for I am NOT so in myself.
God is.
Great. God is big. God is transcendent. God is holy. How could I be in his presence? You know what I really need. Job says if somebody could just put their hand on God as It were and then put their hand on me and Become a mediator to enact reconciliation to make sure we're good.
I Can't do it on my own. So I need someone to step in between us. Is there anybody like that. And I know if God would provide that I know he'd care. I know he'd love me. Because he's the one that's provided the mediator.
I can't provide a mediator. The only mediators I have are my dopey friends. But if God would provide a mediator at his own expense even paying the bill of the lawyer for me as it were I would know God would care.
He wouldn't be far off and just kind of a deistic God. He'd be a hands-on God. Transcendent. Yes, but close. Yes.
And.
Then you begin to read your Bible and you hit Genesis 3 15 that early first Gospel and you're thinking I see it. I see what he's doing. He could have just crushed them Adam and Eve. But he's going to crush the serpents head instead.
Is there an arbiter? Is there a referee? My friends aren't good at this.
Does God really care?
Is he close? I mean one of the things you feel when you're going through suffering when I say feel I mean feel when I say think I Mean think it's like somebody said to me a while ago with the Sarah Young Jesus calling book when that came out.
They said Mike, how do you feel about the book? I said well, I feel like throwing up. But but I think it's really bad theology. That's why we're only on two radio stations in the country when you're suffering you feel like God's far away.
You feel like well, where are you? I'm suffering by myself. I mean God's a spirit. We can't see him and so How do I know you care? How do you know you you even bother with me? There's a lot of people in this world.
But if there's a mediator that you would provide I would know. Because you'd be mediating for me through the mediator. That's what he's after here. I can't litigate with God. I Can't take my fracture relationship and make it right.
Somebody's going to have to help me. And so Job says early on in chapter 7 make sure you look for forgiveness of sin theme. But also look for a theme of mediator. How about a priest? Do you think a priest is a good mediator all the priest language in?
The Bible yes, because a priest stands between God and man and priest main job were to sacrifice and to pray and. So you begin to read about priest in the Bible and you begin to say oh That's a foretaste of the ultimate high priest the Lord Jesus.
You begin to say what kind of person what kind of entity could put his hand on God as it were and put his hand.
On man.
What kind of what kind of person thing our entity would do that answer? Someone that would have to be truly God and someone that would have to be truly.
Man.
Someone have to be perfectly God and perfectly man. The God man could do it. And you start reading your Bible thinking I know what's coming. I can see it. If God cares for me, he's going to forgive sin through a mediator.
By the way.
When you start reading the Bible and you start looking at plural pronouns. And you start thinking about other Trinitarian concepts. The only way they could ever be a mediator is if God is triune.
Right.
The only way there could be a mediator if his God is triune father.
Son.
Spirit.
And when you read Psalm 2 for instance, you should be thinking. Yes. Job was telegraphing the past so that I might catch it. Psalm 2 I will tell of the decree the Lord said to me you are my son today I've begotten you ask of me and I'll make the nation's your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession.
Now therefore Kings be wise be warned. Oh rulers serve the Lord with fear. Rejoice with trembling kiss the Sun. Lest he be angry and you perish in the way for his wrath is quickly kindled. But my word is but Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
That's making me think mediator umpire arbiter. It's like in an MMA fight or a boxing fight and they're clenched and the referee has to come and separate them. That's exact word there for arbiter or umpire.
Or if I read Psalm 110 I'm thinking yes back to Job. The Lord says to my Lord. Yahweh says to my Adonai Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.
When you read the Bible.
Don't forget the foreshadowing of Job. Look for forgiveness. You'll know God cares if he forgives. Look for a mediator. You'll know God cares if he provides a mediator. And number three the third question.
Is there a resurrection? Is there a resurrection? Does God forgive sin? Is there a mediator? Is there a resurrection? Job 14, please is There a resurrection, I mean after all if I'm resurrected and I'm in the presence of God sin must be dealt with.
Sin must have been dealt with by God if I'm in his presence. Everything must be okay if I'm in his presence. Holy heaven only accepts holy people. How do you become holy? Job 14 13. Oh that you would hide me in shield.
That you would conceal me until your wrath be passed. That you would appoint me a set time and remember me. Here's the question. If a man dies Shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait till my renewal shall come.
I'm desperate. I'm crying out. I Need help. I need an anchor. I need stability. Would you call verse 15 and I would answer you. You would long for the works of your hands. For then you would number my steps.
You would not keep watch over my sin. My transgression would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover over my iniquity. But the mountain falls and crumbles away and the rock is removed from its place.
The waters wear away the stones and the torrents wash away the soils of the earth. So you would destroy the hope of man. Verse 20. You prevail forever against him and he passes. You change his countenance and send him away.
His sons come to honor and he does not know it. They're brought low and he perceives it not. He feels only the pain of his own body and he mourns only for himself. Verse 15. You would call. I would answer you.
You would long for the work of your hands. I Would know you love me if sin is dealt with. I think somewhere in the Bible. It says something like I know that my Redeemer lives. Never heard that song. Where is that found by the way?
Job 19 Says the same thing in Job 19. I'm longing for the resurrection. I'm longing to be in your presence. I'm longing to have a Redeemer. I know my Redeemer lives. Job 1925. After I die, can I be in your presence?
When you're reading your Bible, I want you to catch the telegraph. I should be looking for forgiveness of sins. Because that's gonna point me to the Lord Jesus. What I'm really after here is for you to look for Jesus when you're reading your.
Bible.
Pat did a great job last night talking about that. I wonder if there's a mediator. I see flashes of it and sacrifice and priests and I wonder if there's a resurrection. How many people were resurrected in the Old Testament.
Any guesses. 10 or more 20 or more or 30 or more. Which one? They're all wrong. Three.
Three.
First King 17 the widow of Zarephath. If you know the first book of the Bible Job the first one written chronologically and you see that you're like, okay I I've seen the clues. I'm catching that pass.
The Shunammite woman's son. Second Kings four and the man raised out of Elijah's grave. Second Kings 13. Not many but you're seeing this theme and even in Daniel chapter 12. It talks about resurrected eternal life all leading of course to The Lord Jesus's resurrection.
By the way, just on a side note how many resurrections in the New Testament? What's an easy one. Lazarus right there? That's one Jairus's daughter. The widow of the widow of Nain's a son. And then there's a whole bunch remember when Jesus was crucified.
He's on the cross at 9 o 'clock at noon. It goes dark. The temple curtain is torn from top to bottom. There's an earthquake and then what happens. The tombs were open up. Lots of dead people are raised from the dead.
They wait for the Sabbath to be ended and on Sunday they go into town. And they go into town. I'm certain to say Jesus is alive. Can you imagine just bury somebody? I don't think it was Moses and Elijah walking around.
I think it's people that you actually knew. Three weeks ago that were dead and now all of a sudden they're walking around by the way Jesus is alive when you're reading your Bible you're looking for the resurrection.
So putting everything together. Isn't this going to be fun? Yes, it is. Did you know that you can know? That God cares for you and your suffering. That he loves you dear Christian. He's merciful to you dear Christian.
Because there is forgiveness of sins for you through the work of a mediator through the resurrection of the dead. Sound like someone, you know. Sound like someone who knows you. You're not giving me much head now head knocking, but that's a head nodding.
That's all right. Of course, I can see it. It's so clear. You get forgiveness through a mediator via the resurrection. How should you read your Bible? It's it's a roadmap for you to say when I'm really hurting.
I ask the right questions. When I'm suffering I need to think rightly. So let me give you a few takeaways from the book of Job. And our message today number one. Don't waste your suffering. Somebody wrote a book called don't waste your cancer.
It was actually a little booklet. It was actually good. So, let me just steal that don't waste your suffering when you're suffering make sure you ask the right questions with your Bibles open. When you're suffering make sure you ask the right questions with your Bible open.
It's funny how suffering. It's not really funny, but it's interesting how suffering cuts out all the noise and. You ask the right questions and you say Lord you have my attention. I've talked to many of you because you've shared some of your experiences with suffering or your wife having cancer or your husband and other diseases death in the family, I Mean, we're always so busy all the time and listening and phones and everything else and all of a sudden when this suffering comes out.
You think okay you have my attention. God you've dealt with my most important need. Can you imagine if you had to suffer? Like some of your unbelieving friends. When there's no hope at the end. It's one thing to suffer knowing the worst thing that's gonna happen to me is glory.
It's all taken care of my sins are forgiven through a mediator through the resurrection. And by the way, those are all divine things. We could not forgive our own sin. We needed grace. We could not provide ourself a mediator.
We need a grace incarnate and we could not raise ourselves from the dead. It's all divine. Active working of the Godhead. But don't waste your cancer when you have. I just say don't waste your cancer.
Don't waste your suffering. Ask the right questions. Look for in the Bible when your Bible is open the work of the Lord Jesus. Does this sound familiar to you? For there is one God and there is one mediator between God and man.
The man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all who is the testimony given at the proper time. You read about forgiveness you read about the Lord is mediator. Does this sound familiar to you? When the perishable puts on the imperishable and the mortal puts on immortality then shall come to pass with the saying that is written.
Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death. Where's your victory? Oh death. Where is your sting? You know what Paul's doing there in first Corinthians 15. He's taunting death. He's taunting death when I was in Nebraska.
We would have these these chants and stuff for football games and they were totally Midwestern. Like kindergarten ones, you know, we've got spirit. Yes, we do. We've got spirit. How about you? I mean just awful and then I went to UCLA and they had all these things with you know.
Chance and and and acrostics and everything else. He's Tony's taunting. If you ever played baseball when you're a kid, you know, they'd say a better a better a better swing. They're just taunting. Because your sins are forgiven through a mediator via the resurrection.
You can say death I dare you. That's what Paul is actually doing there sometimes I think what happens when we suffer. We waste our suffering by doing this. I am not Trusting the Lord like I should while I'm suffering.
I'm anxious. I'm worried. I'm short with my spouse or friends and I'm sinning so much. I Don't even know if I'm a Christian. It's amazing to me when people struggle with their assurance and then they asked me.
Have you ever struggled with your assurance? And I say, of course not. I've written books on it. I don't say that. And I say I'm laying there on my deathbed thinking I'm gonna die in the hospital. And I'm thinking is my faith really enough.
Do I really trust enough? Is there enough fruit in my life? Have I been evangelizing the nurses enough? I'm not. I can't even pray now Lord, am I really saved and then by the Spirit's grace and power you think that's not even the right way to talk.
That's not the right way to think. Because it's not my faith. It's the object of my faith. It's God has shown me He loves me and it's God who's shown me that my sins have been paid for and Jesus has earned my righteousness.
And I stand before God as righteous as Jesus. I'm as righteous as John Bunyan in heaven who's righteous. Nobody's more righteous. You begin to ask yourself the right questions and you work through and you think Lord you have my attention.
I want to suffer well. And I need to make sure I keep thinking about forgiveness of sins through a mediator via the resurrection. Not how great my faith is. Is there anything even perfect in this world?
Not one thing. How can your faith be perfect and When you struggle with your faith and you struggle with your assurance, I'd kind of like to know who gave you that struggle.
Satan.
Probably CNN did. It's the Spirit of God in you crying out Abba Father. I'm hurting. My deathbed prayer was one thing because I couldn't think of anything else. Help. Help. If you have a child that's sick in our family, and this is my wife's doing she would make something.
She'd say let me make you a little nest on the couch. Special blanket special food special everything.
Doting watching praying.
Comforting rubbing. Have a hurting child. They get extra attention. I Wonder if a sinful mom and dad who does that? Could be exceeded by a God in heaven Who gives extra attention as it were to those who are suffering?
I wonder if that could be possible. Secondly second takeaway. Would you read Job this week? I want you to read job this week. And I want you to ask yourself the question. When my questions aren't answered.
What's that doing. To me intellectually it's making me say I'm looking for answers. I can't find answers. I can't get myself out of this trial. Where do I turn. And the answer is the just shall live by faith.
When you can't find answers the book of Job will drive you to the one who has all the answers and the questions. When you're hurting when you're struggling especially read Job 38 39 and 41. Because now God is asking the questions and Job has to give the answers.
And he realized he doesn't have all the answers, but he realizes who God is. Which leads me to number three. When you're suffering or when you're helping someone suffer. Don't ask why ask who? Why why why why why why why.
You know when you're a little kid and you start asking the questions. You can just keep asking why after every single question. Why because daddy told you not to why?
Why why why.
Jerry Bridges book trusting God is really good for this. Especially even in the book of Job you ask why God asked let me tell you who I am. We don't know all the answers. He's not going to give us all the answers.
Did you know Job only found out God's and Satan's? Discussion. When he went to heaven he wasn't even told he didn't even know about Satan and God one writer said. Instead of becoming forlorn regarding the inability to give your congregation Complete answers to the questions raised by the book of Job you can instead rejoice in this reality.
Because the absence of answers leads us directly to Jesus. You see ultimately the questions raised by Job regarding the mystery of evil and the cause of human suffering. Only find their answer in the cross of Christ.
The questions to the answers raised by the book of Job are answered in the question of Jesus on the cross. My God my God, why have you forsaken me. Turn to Job 42 about ready to land this plane. Job 42.
Remember early on I said, there's a lot of. The word comfort in Job. Yes, there's a lot of suffering, but there's a lot of Comfort found in Job and it's very interesting. If you look at Job 42 verses 1 through 6.
Job 42 1 to 6. Then Job answered the Lord and said I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Here now and I will speak. I will ask you and you instruct me. I've heard of you by the hearing of the ear. But now my eye sees you. Therefore I retract and I repent in dust and ashes. Good response or bad response.
Not a trick question. I'm not Pat Abenroth. I don't trick. I'm Boston. We stab people in the chest.
Not in the back.
Massachusetts where even Republicans are Democrats. Now some of you might have certain study Bibles that give you some insight on the translation. In verse 6 of chapter 42 ESV says therefore I despise myself and repentant dust and ashes.
Most translations say repent. But you know, you can translate that word repent because it's the same root word. You can translate that in English with the word comfort. Did you know that the word comfort?
One study Bible says now that God has spoken. Job can say that he is comforted in dust and ashes. When Job's relatives and friends come to comfort him in 4211 this is probably ironic. Job found the comfort he needed in the vision of God's unsearchable Wisdom, I despise myself and I'm comforted in dust And ashes.
I know who you are God. I know your wisdom is right. I know I don't have to know everything. I'm trusting you to provide everything I need from forgiveness to a mediator to a resurrection. And I'm comforted in dust and ashes.
That's a good way to translate it. Do the righteous suffer, of course. Do we have all the answers? Of course not. Final takeaway. How much joy do you think Job would have had if he had the book of Hebrews?
Can you imagine? Can you imagine if he had the book of Hebrews? He has all these questions. He doesn't know the answers. He foreshadows he's got the right questions. The Spirit of God has him ask those questions.
If only Job had Hebrews how happy would he be? He'd know that there's forgiveness of sins. Jesus purged our sins and sat down at the right hand of God chapter 1 verse 3. He would know there's a mediator because the whole book is about Jesus the high priest.
Chapter 8 verse 1 we the point of what we're saying is this that we have Jesus Christ the high priest. He would know about the resurrection because seated at the right hand of the Father is Jesus. And in chapter 13 There's a resurrection.
Job would say God cares for me. Even though I suffer God loves me. Even though I suffer God notices even though I suffer because I've got Jesus Christ the one who forgave my sins. Who's my high priest who chapter 7 says who lives to make intercession for me and chapter 13 says he's been raised from the dead.
That's my Savior if Job only had it he'd be.
Joyful.
You have the book of Job and you have the book of Hebrews if Job. Could have joy and hope. Ten children lost. I know people here have had trials and I don't want to make light of any single trial, but I can't think of a trial greater than that.
Ten. And he could have joy in the midst of trials in the midst of suffering. I wanted to step down and walk off. But like Columbo I want to say there's just one more thing. You can know God loves you and cared for you because there's forgiveness of sins in a mediator.
Confirmed by the resurrection. And that's the path. And the telegraphed paths of Job. Let's pray father. Thank you for this word in Job. We're thankful for the Lord Jesus truly God and truly man. We're thankful that we have a great high priest who's passed through the heavens Jesus the Son of God and in response help us to hold fast our confession.
Father I struggle with joy. I struggle with comfort. I struggle with anxiety. I'm sure these people do as well. What comfort do we get from knowing all this father. Give us eternal joy. Give us bliss.
Happiness and.
Mouths ready to tell people that they can have their forgiveness through a mediator who is raised from the dead in Jesus name. Well that wraps up Job a roadmap to the Bible preached at Community Bible Church, Beloit, Ohio with John Tucker.
I hope you are encouraged. I hope you go read the book of Job. Don't forget cancer is not your shepherd. Can be found on amazon .com. Our bulk Mike Avendroth Email is Mike at no compromise radio .com.