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Job's friends have made their accusations and Job has made his defense and so on and on we've been going so Let's just pick it up in verse 18 of chapter 36 and then we'll Read to the end of the chapter and then move on into chapter 27.
So Elihu says because there is wrath Beware lest he take you away with one blow and he's directing it towards Job. For a large ransom would not help you avoid it. And will your riches or all the mighty forces keep you from the stress?
And do not desire the night when people are cut off in their place. Take heed do not turn to iniquity for you have chosen this rather than affliction. Behold God is exalted by his power and who teaches like him.
Who has assigned him his way or who has said you have done wrong? Remember to magnify his work of which men have sung everyone has seen it. Man looks on it from afar. Behold God is great. We do not know him nor can the number of his years be discovered for he draws up drops of water.
Which the still as rain from the mist which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man. Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds the thunder of his canopy? Look, he scatters the light upon and covers the depths of the sea by the four by these.
He judges the people in his he gives food in abundance and he covers his hands with lightning. He commands it to strike his thunder declares it the cattle also concerning the rising storm and so you'll see in the next chapter also that Elihu is In a sense just speaking of things that exalt God and He's really good for us to meditate.
Continually on the very character of God and what God does I think sometimes We lose Blessing if you will because we are not Thinking of things that only pertain to God and what he does and what he doesn't do out.
About this.
We were just sitting in a parking lot yesterday eating and I was just watching traffic go back and forth. And I said something because he just kind of burped out of burped out of my mind. I said can imagine if you could know everyone's thoughts who's riding back and forth.
And that's only on hey Larry only on that little road. And I thought about that wouldn't that not be mind-blowing to think of to think about it that you could read. You know exactly what everyone's thinking I think I said.
Imagine if you knew where everyone was going, but imagine if you knew what everyone was thinking at the same time. How does that? How can that be? I mean, how could you understand? That and not be. You know, it's like when two or three people are talking at the same time, right it's very confusing.
Could you imagine? Not only people talking but the very thoughts of people all at once. It sounds like a Star Trek episode if you will, but you think about that and yet God is the one. Who does that? I mean, that's a fantastic thought and so that's what I'm trying to say.
There's we look at this and the words of Elihu in in between if you will or on top of him seeking to be the umpire between Job and his friends and and speak for God he um He meditates in and he exalts God and in many ways.
That's what he's saying here. But anyway verse 18 chapter 36. He said because there is wrath beware lest he take you away with one blow. For a large ransom would not help you avoid it. And I think what he's doing is he's Seeking to correct Job's thinking what was what was wrong with Job's thinking was the thing that that That both his friends and Elihu noticed about the way Job spoke.
You're right exactly so. It was that he was in a sense murmuring Against what God was doing in his life that he was In a sense that it wasn't fair that God was dealing with him in such a harsh way. Because Job Maintained his integrity that he sought to please God.
And remember that's exactly what his friends said his friends said the opposite though, right? You don't fear God. That's why this is coming on you. So when you think about it and Elihu's trying to correct him and there are so many people That either Do not Meditate upon God, but are active in complaining against God and like verses in the New Testament, right?
Do all things what she's so well acquainted with that verse because she throws it at me a Lot and rightfully so baby I Did I used to tell the kids that oh my goodness three four times a day. And because the kids murmured right because kids complain and so when you think about it What I think he's saying here is to Job be careful because your complaining will cause you to suffer even more rather than less and I Think is there anybody here that doesn't complain now?
I know what the silence means now. It means you're all None of us are without blame on that and Here's the other part of that in this verse Because there is wrath beware lest he take you away one blow and you think about it think about How the men of this world Do not have any fear of God just like Paul says there is no fear of God Before their eyes and you think about how many people in their pride and in their arrogance and in their thinking do not fear God and What does it say about fear fear of God is what it's the beginning of wisdom.
And as you think about this I just want to look at one one song real quick go to Psalm 2 for a minute. Hopefully by now this song is very familiar to us, but nevertheless since we're we're kind of close to it.
Let's go to Psalm 2 and and just Think of it in in a way of how this world operates, right? So it says this Why do the nation's rage and the people plot a vain thing and the kings of the earth set themselves against and The rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointing anointed saying let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us and He who sits in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall hold them in derision then he shall speak to them in his what in his wrath and Distress them in his deep displeasure.
Yet I have set my king on my only my holy hill Zion I will declare the decree the Lord has said unto me. You are my son Today I have begotten you ask of me and I will give the nation's for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel and then this exhortation if you will in verse 10 now therefore Be wise O Kings be instructed you judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear rejoice with Trembling kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish in the way When his wrath is kindled but a little.
And blessed are all those who put their trust in him and in for us, I think the thing that We really need to focus on is That we have a right reverence for God that we don't just Again, it's so annoying to me when people call God the man upstairs the big guy those kinds of.
Sayings.
Those don't really sound like they're filled with an oar and a respect for God. It's it's pretty much Yeah trying it brings God down and you can't do that. And so when you think about it Then what he's with Eli was saying the job is job.
If you would only think this out you wouldn't have said and you wouldn't think the word and use the words that you use in and yet that is the very thing that He is seeking to correct job for from. So read a little bit further and then he says.
Do not desire the night when people are cut off from their play in their place and take heed. Do not turn to iniquity. If you remember back way back in the beginning of job. Actually job chapter 3 Job wanted to die.
And we could go back and read it, but I don't want to take up too much time in it. But you remember what job said in the very beginning when it for when all those things came upon in the first He says woe to the day I was born and and I should have never saw the light and my mother should have never gave birth to me and and on and on and on.
And you know, there's a There's a reality. How many people Think of death as release and His death or release it depends where you are. Right that is certainly a release for the believer. Right to live as Christ to die is gain.
But is death really a release to those who have stored up wrath? When you think about it a man or a Man, and I mean it generically a man's last breath on this world is his first breath for all eternity.
When you put that into perspective To wish for for death apart from Christ is insanity to. To think that you'll be at peace when you really don't have peace is not only delusion. It's absolutely Horrifying.
And so what I think in part we can get from this is that Unless we're in a right relationship.
And.
Certainly, I do think job was in a right relationship Although he full of issues that there are a lot of people who? Do that they desire tonight when people are cut off and and take heed don't turn to iniquity for you have chosen this Rather than affliction.
In other words job. You keep saying that it would be better for you to die and And yet you have put off or Pushed against the afflictions that God has brought you and I think we all can admit that there are times when We just want things to end.
Look at nowhere. It's When you don't feel good, there's only one thing you want to do. What is it?
Feel good.
Right when you get when you have something that's working against you I think it many times it closes us in and all we really desire is to move out of it. When will good come when will the morning come when will the Sun shine?
Just like when it rains for days and days and days What do we all look forward to? Sunshine. Yeah, right. Oh, man, the Sun's out again. So when you think about these things and What he's saying, I think what he's trying to do is to get Job to think right and to stop his complaining and to just put up and Endure the affliction now.
I will say this Easier to say harder to do right? Like in other words, is it not easy for us to say to someone who's Struggling it'll all be okay. Right, and that's what I mean we should exhort and seek to comfort people.
But it's much easier to say it when it's someone else that's in the valley, right? Yeah, yeah for sure and and I do think that We should have a longing anyway to leave this world, right if you think about it and again It could be misunderstood but there should be a desire for us To be with the Lord and to be in that sense Free from the entanglements of this world.
Now. I'm not saying that we should just hope to all.
To.
Die and go home tomorrow. Although to say that is True because again to live is Christ and to die is gain. It's better to be with him than to be Here, but there's so many attachments and so many things that Are involved in it.
Remember what Paul says? He's gonna live in the flesh because he was useful and and he sort of got out of purpose for him. Okay. So here's what I want to do now the rest of this chapter. Let me just read again from verse 24 because what he's doing is he's just if you will Proclaiming God's majesty.
He says remember to magnify his work of which men have sung and everyone's seen it. Men look on it from afar. God is great and we do not know him nor can the number of his years be discovered. Let me just stop there think about that.
That's pretty much what I was saying When I gave you that little example of could you imagine being able to Discern everyone's thoughts or everyone's words at the same time and then you can extrapolate that out, right?
Imagine if you knew the thoughts of every single person who's living on the earth right now and again to me, that's just It just it escapes. I can't even begin to found that but What he's saying is that God is great and he's still in it's in relationship to Joe because what he's trying to do is to Get job to understand that you really can't question God.
And he's great and no one can number the nor can the number of his years be discovered. Then he uses a couple of examples in the remaining of this chapter. He talks about the way God uses the creation.
And I wanted to ask a question and I don't know if we've ever done this before.
Let me ask you a question.
How many animals are in the Bible. How many times does God use animals. To teach any idea? What do you think? Give me a number somebody's. Ten. Okay, if you go over your you don't win the prize.
Anybody else.
How about 50?
Takers, how about this?
There's a hundred and twenty at least a hundred and twenty different animals that are spoken of that fulfill God's purpose in this world. Well, you didn't go all this so and there was no other bid so you might win.
I have no idea what you've won Barry, but it will be coming by Amazon shortly, I. Just so what I did was I went and printed out all the animals that the Bible speaks about. So and again, what I'm trying to do is to get us to think large this morning.
Let me just go. I'll go rather quick. Here's so many animals that God speaks about. The snake the otter the ant. Okay, the antelope the ape. You get second place brother for that one you the ape the the ass or the donkey.
The badger the bat bears. And I was just. The baboon is mentioned in the Bible. Birds, of course. Buffalo there's in the in the Hebrew we would come out as buffalo and I forgot where it was. But the bee certainly.
The beetle. Cows chameleons. Just let me.
The bull.
The buzzard the calf camel the canker worm the cat.
Cocorot cockroaches.
The Bible talks about cockroaches man the crane the cricket the crocodile Hens dragons. I Just highlighted all of these. The deer of course the dog the dove the falcon the fish fleas Eagles elephants giraffes gnats goats.
You starting to catch my drift. Here flies Frogs Gazelles, that's me. I'm like a gazelle. The hawk the hornet the horse the grasshopper a hare or rabbit. Lambs leeches Leopards Hyenas Jackals moles monkeys mosquitoes moths mice.
Mules.
Lions tigers and bears oh My the porcupine the ram the raven the ostrich the osprey the owl peacocks pelicans snails spiders stalks swans Scorpions worms on and on and on tigers and turtles. I mean just.
Let's think about that. Just think about how God whose numbers can't be attained or understood God whose ways cannot really be understood in that sense because this. How God uses everything and when I mean everything I mean everything.
From the.
From the gnat to the elephant Everything fulfills God's purpose.
Now.
If you and I were more mindful of those kinds of things Do you not think that we would be less occupied with? our little issues. And they're not little but I mean in comparison, don't you think that if we had our mind As the Bible so often says to meditate on these things and again if if we did that How glorious would it be?
And that's what Elihu to me has a bet much better understanding of the workings of God than his friend than Job's friends. And even in this chapter as he says He uses the clouds and we're going to see that in the next chapter.
God uses everything and Nothing is wasted in God's world. And you could think about how many times God has used worms to fulfill his purpose. You think about when Elijah was sitting underneath the.
Gourd.
God sent worms to kind of eat the gourd away. And so he couldn't hide away in there how God uses Everything at his disposal. Certainly in Egypt was that not the great manifestation all those plagues of how God used things and.
How.
Little people really understand it. In other words we.
That.
Everything is related in this world to to basically either father time or mother nature, right? And yet if we were to set our minds in the right place, we would see God is the distributor of everything and That he he uses everything to accomplish person and in that sense to behold the diversity of God.
And I've said this and I really I really believe God has the greatest imagination possible. Just think about it. I mean all the All the creation and how everything is like an orchestra. Everything blends together.
Now, can we see it? Can we understand it in that in that sense? No. But does that mean we should not think about it? I do. I think we should Spend time judging it and thinking about it. That's why he says this and he talks about can anyone understand the spreading of clouds and the Thunder of his canopy and and he scatters the light upon it and he covers the depths of the of the sea and by these He judges the people.
And you're gonna see that in the as we read the next chapter. And he covers his hands with lightning and he can and commands it to strike his thunder. Declares it the cattle also concerning the rising Sun.
So.
Let this settle in our mind a little bit that we as the people of God with the ability to know not only The redemptive part which is absolutely glorious right that we are saved from the wrath to come But not only for what is to come But for what is here?
That we would truly allow ourselves to be Captivated by the truth of God and not just Get caught up in the in. And I don't want to say small stuff But many times I know for myself That I'm like that at times.
I focus in on the small things and I lose sight of the the big things and Again, I do think the devil whisper in your ear and tell you the small things are more important than than anything else.
You and I should not be Allow ourselves to be trapped in that. All right. So with that, here's what I want to do. This is the last time we'll hear from Elihu In chapter 37 and so I want to read the chapter and I want us to focus again simply on that on how he Puts together his thought concerning the working of God.
So just let's just read. He says this. At this my heart trembles and leaps from its place here alternatively the fun attentively the thunder of his voice. And the rumbling that comes from his mouth. He sends it forth under the whole heaven his lightning to the ends of the earth.
After it a voice roars. He thunders with his majestic voice. He does not strain him. He does not restrain them when his voice is heard. God thunders marvelously with his voice. He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
But he says to the snow be on the earth. Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain on his of his strength. He seals the hand of every man that all men may know his work. The animals enter dens and Remain in their lairs.
In their lairs from the chamber of the South comes the whirlwind and cold from the scattering Winds of the north by the breath of God. Ice is given and the broad waters are frozen with also with moisture.
He saturates the thick clouds. He scatters his bright clouds and they swirl about being turned by his guidance. And just listen to what he says now that they may do whatever He commands them on the face of the whole earth.
He causes it to come whether for correction offer his land offer mercy. Listen to this old job stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. Do you know when God dispatches them and causes the light of his cloud to shine?
Do you know the balance of the clouds those wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge? Why are your garments hot when he quiets the earth by the south wind with him? Have you spread out the skies?
Strong as a cast metal mirror. Teach us what we should say to him for we can prepare nothing because of the darkness. Should he should he be told that I wish to speak. If a man were to speak? Surely he would be swallowed up.
Even now men cannot look at the light when it's bright in the sky. When the wind is passed and cleared them. He comes from the north as gold it come. He comes from the north as golden splendor. With God is awesome majesty as for the Almighty we cannot find him.
He is excellent in power in judgment and abundant justice. He does not oppress therefore men fear him. He shows no partiality. Who are wise of heart. Now I don't know about you, but this is one to me one of the most Elegant words in the Bible.
Just think about what how he's covered in such a few words the the gamut if you will of what God does and certainly verse 13 is it has Tremendous thoughts behind it and he causes it to come whether for correction or for his land over mercy.
And you and I. We cannot tell can we we we can. Perhaps at times think. Like I know. When tragedies happen in Las Vegas people will say well, that's because it's the Sin City. Well, what happens when tragedies happen in?
In.
Some obscure place in the earth. Is it because sin you really can't tell. Can you you really don't know? It's interesting to me. How? If you will. Elihu is a meteorologist. Well, he's a meteorologist of a different sort than most people in the world especially when he says that.
In verse 17, why are your garments hot when he quiets the earth by the south wind? I think almost all of us realize when the wind blows from the south. What does that mean? Warmth because the warm wind comes up from the south when the wind comes.
When the wind comes from the north, it's usually.
Cold.
Yet we look at it and people will talk about it as if it's just the workings of mother nature. And that's just the way it is. And and yet we've read in job before where it says that the the winds make their circular motion whatever whichever way God sends them and usually.
And isn't it great that we can actually in that way? predict certain things because God Has set certain principles in place.
Right.
Again Why does water boil at 212 degrees? Why doesn't it boil at 211 or 213? Why doesn't it boil one day at 212 and the other day at 180? Could you imagine the chaos in that? Could you imagine the chaos if things froze at 32 degrees one day and and 48 degrees the next day?
Why are those things in place? Because God in his goodness has set them in place. And if you and I were to think about those things, I think it changes our perspective. I think it causes us to to rise above the the issues at times in our lives.
And again, I'm not discounting those issues because those issues are tremendously important.
But.
And if I remember I think I can I think I can I think I can. There's a verse. Let me just see if I can get it. Yeah in chapter 26 of this book and After in that sense those very things are being spoken of he says indeed these are but the mere fringes of his way.
How small a whisper we hear of him but the thunder of his power. Who can understand that's 26 14. Can you imagine if we really saw? God for who he really is.
To strike the mark light is just not going somewhere. It's going where he wants it to go, right?
Lightning never strikes twice in the same place unless God directs it to strike twice in the same place. And I know ought we not to be thankful that lightning doesn't always strike twice in the same place.
Yet those things at times they do take place. And if you and I were to think about it and like I said add in creation add in the the animals add in the the the weather add in the Providence of God add in the depths of the sea all these things and and you think about what God does.
That God commands. What does he say about the oceans? God says that he commands the waters to come this far. But no further.
And that great.
I mean now I realize in hurricanes God could do whatever he wants to do. But God has set boundaries on everything. And again if you and I Would allow ourselves to be occupied by it Don't you think it would.
It would cause you at least to rise a little bit above the the fringes of things. And again, how often it is that we get bogged down. When Jesus Said don't be anxious for tomorrow I think it was more than just don't worry But it was more of set your mind on things above.
Because.
Have you ever said to yourself? I'm not going to worry about this and Like in a millisecond later, what are we doing? We're worried about it, right? And that depends in a sense personality wise because some of us might be more Might worry more than others.
But here's the reality. Be not anxious tomorrow. Tomorrow is anxious for itself. If we just didn't look at it from the negative I shouldn't do this to the positive. Set your mind on things above see God for who he really is if you will catch a vision of God.
It would.
Would not take the worrisome things Away from us like instantly it would change our way of thinking and so I just find it absolutely interesting and.
I.
Just enjoy reading this chapter this about the animals. And Who was it. Wasn't it Paul Washer who said that God made some of the greatest and most beautiful flowers to grow where no man would ever see him.
Let's think about that one. Let's think about how often it is that you and I We just see but the fringes of God's ways. It's like going out on a clear night and you're amazed at what you can see. But too often our our minds and our eyes are full of clouds when we don't see God for who he really is and so.
Just really wanted to comment on that as far as and that's what he says in verse 14. Now maybe we can close it with this thought listen to this job stand still and consider the wonderful works of God and then to If you will turn Turn complaining into praise.
Turning anxiety into rest turn issues into sauces of exaltation of God that both the ant and the elephant are used by God to fulfill his purpose and God even uses the works of men, right? I don't know about you, but we watched on the news.
We saw the thing with Israel and Iran and bombing and who and that and is it nuclear war coming? Is this what is this. And everybody's got an opinion and all the Specialists chime in and this is what I think and this is what I think.
And in and someone has good insight. I'm there's certainly a lot smarter in that area than I am. But at the same time I Didn't hear a single person say God was in control. God was fulfilling his purpose.
God is on the throne and you know. It's just like God be on the throne after November 5th. The same way he's on the throne before November 5th, right. And when we elect the president. Although things will change.
What are we rested? God will never change. He is as exalted forever as He has been since the beginning of the world. So that pretty much ends the words of Elihu and then next week. And let me just read the first verse In chapter 38 because that's where we're gonna go.
Then the Lord answered Job out of the world went and said Basically. Well, let me just read it. Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Prepare yourself like a man. I will question you and you will answer me.
You imagine that that's. Is that not what's gonna happen one day? That men are going to be Brought before the Lord Jesus. Every eye will see him even those that pierced him. So All right. Well That's where we'll be next week and then probably a couple weeks in that and then we'll be done with Job and then we'll go and Play in brother Mike's garden for a little while.