Job 38:1-41, God Speaks To Job

when chris tomlin read job chapter 38 and job chapter 39 he wrote that song indescribable uncontainable and i'm hoping you'll do yourself a favor and take some time sometime this week and read all of job chapter 38 39 40 41 and 42 we are going to begin to scratch the surface in job chapter 38 this evening and then we will fly forward in our study in the book of Job turn in your Bibles to job chapter 38 God speaks finally to Jo let's pray Heavenly Father Lord we're so grateful that you spoke in many different ways and in many different times in the past through the prophets but that you have spoken to us in these last days by your own dear son and Heavenly Father again we pray that as we consider what we've read in the book of Job and when we consider this final section that Lord you would stir our hearts that Lord we would be able to see with a renewed confidence that you are awesome that you're powerful that Lord you are the creator and that you are the sovereign Lord who superintends and oversees creation and that Lord only you can subdue the galaxies and the solar system and only you can take a hold of the human heart and change it and direct it save it and sanctify it and so Lord again we pray that you would awaken within us a profound respect and a deep understanding or at least a deeper understanding of just how glorious you are in Jesus name Amen job chapter 38 we're gonna read down to the first 24 verses the chapter as you can see is 41 verses and there's no way I can do 41 verses you're gonna see why in just a moment job chapter 38 verse 1 it says then the Lord answered job out of the world wind and said who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge now prepare yourself like a man I will question you and you shall answer me where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth tell me if you have understanding who determined its measurements surely you know or who stretched the line upon it - what were its foundations fastened or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the Bonello heem the sons of God shouted for joy or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst forth and issued from the womb when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band when I fixed my limit for it and set bars and doors when I said this far you may come but no farther and here your proud waves must stop have you commanded the morning since your days begin and caused the dawn to know its place that it might take hold of the ends of the earth and the wicked be shaken out of it it takes on form like clay under a seal and stands out like a garment from the wicked their light is withheld and the upraised arm is broken have you entered the springs of the sea or have you walked in search of the depths have the gates of death been revealed to you or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death have you comprehended the breadth of the earth tell me if you know all this where is the way to the dwelling of light and darkness where is the place that you may take it to its territory that you may know the paths to its home do you know it because you were born then or because the number of your days is great have you entered the treasury of snow or have you seen the Treasury of hail which I have reserved for the time of trouble for the day of battle and war by what way is light diffused or the east wind scattered over the earth chapter 38 39 40 41 and 42 this is the final section and God thankfully wonderfully shows up god will humble joe by asking a series of questions you should count them because I'm fairly certain it's at least 40 in the course of the questions he will humble Joe and then he will honor Jobe and restore Jobe Christopher Morley wrote quote I had a million questions to ask God but when I met him they all fled my mind and it didn't seem to matter unquote for some of you you thought if I ever have a chance to talk to God boy am I gonna give him a piece of my mind I doubt it very seriously the storm that elihue described in the previous chapter you'll remember it was oft in the distance the clouds had gathered and the storm began to rumble and clearly when the storm finally shows up God speaks Weir's be rightly points out quote the answer to job's problems was not an explanation about God such as the three friends and Ally who had given but a revelation of God unquote and that's what we're going to discover in chapter 38 in chapter 39 in chapter 40 all of the questions swirling around the problem of pain and the problem of suffering it's not going to be so much an explanation but rather a revelation of who he really is you know the Bible speaks about general revelation a mentor and theologian dr. Gordon Lewis and Bruce Demarest write quote general revelation refers to the disclosure of God in nature in providential history and in the moral law of the heart whereby all people at all times and places gain a rudimentary understanding of the creator and his moral demand unquote the Bible's reoccurring message is that the creation in which we live has something to say about the moral majesty the awesome glory of God sometimes we want answers from God and when we least expect it God offers his very presence is the explanation and job will be asked a series of questions about God's creation and creatures the questions can really be boiled down to three questions number one can you explain my creation that's what he's going to talk about in chapter 38 verses 1 through 38 the second is can you oversee my creation that's job chapter 38 verse 39 and then all the way through chapter 39 to verse 30 and at the end we have job's first response in chapter 40 verses 1 through 5 and then he'll ask the third question can you subdue my creation do you get to be in charge in chapter 40 verses 6 through 41 chapter 41 verse 34 and then we we see job's final response or second response in job chapter 42 verses 1 through 6 the first series of questions will deal with the power and the wisdom of God in bringing the universe into existence the second his care of that universe and the third will then focus on two mysterious creatures who will look at in some detail the hail moth and Leviathan he's going to talk about how they're not able to be detained or subdued in this first chapter of the final section chapter 38 God will speak about the earth and verses 1 through 7 and then again in verses 17 through 18 the oceans in verses 8 through 11 and then again and verse 16 light in verses 12 through 15 and then again in verses 19 through 21 snow and rain verses 22 through 30 and 34 through 38 and then he's gonna speak about the Stars Orion the bare Pleiades in verses 31 through 33 and it's a poetic language and the poetic language rises to what I consider to be an insurmountable high that you read poetry in the Bible you'll read the Book of Psalms you'll read all of these wonderful wonderful messages but here you have something almost inexplicable a combination of the intensity of emotion the appreciation of the visible universe and the invisible world and then matchless insight into the human condition and the nature of God perhaps the most amazing thing about the passage isn't simply what's said but it's what remains unsaid God doesn't answer the question of job suffering he doesn't give us a treatise on the meaning of suffering he he doesn't refer to the opening drama that you're all aware of in the first two chapters where there is this convocation that takes place in heaven and God and Satan are face to face over the issue of this person job he doesn't address droves dream of death or an afterlife he doesn't even speak about the future Messiah he doesn't reveal deep secrets that unravel the mystery of the identity of God and his ways in the world in fact on its face some people unbelievers superficially read this chapter and they think it's irrelevant to the rest of the book and that's because they don't understand part of the point that is being made we're left with a strange suspicion that our answers don't come by knowing more about God you see sometimes we'll come to church and we'll read the books and we'll read the chapters and we'll read the verses and we go wow I've read this and now I know more I know more about the Bible I've read Genesis Exodus Leviticus numbers Deuteronomy I'm familiar with Matthew Mark Luke and John I understand the chronology of Jesus's life but it isn't just simply knowing knowing knowing more about God it it it seems to invite you to know him personally relationally fundamentally he invites us to know him and to trust him and to love him he invites us to consider his glory in his majesty and his authority and his wisdom and his power and his strength his perfection his holiness as Dominion his rule his mercy his love and what's really interesting to me is for some people that's unacceptable that's not what they want they want answers to life's problems they want answers to life's pain they want answers to their circumstances and they say that they don't that they want to hear from God but then when God shows up they don't want to really listen to what he has to say they have ears to hear but they're full of wax the wax of sin they have a heart of stone but the person who wants to hear from God the one who wants the gates of Pride and rebellion to come crashing down the person who in humility will acknowledge their sin and allow their brokenness to bring them to a place of humility and prayer and restoration God will speak and that's where it begins look what it says in verse 1 the Lord speaks then the Lord answered job out of the world wind and said now remember what we've all learned for those of you who've started off in the first chapter of job the second chapter of job the tenth chapter of job the fifteenth chapter of Joe the twentieth chapter of Joe the thirtieth chapter of Joe 35 and 36 and 37 and now all of a sudden God is ready to speak job has waited a long time for God to speak it says then the Lord and by the way the Hebrew word here is not ell or even Aloha the Hebrew word is the Covenant name of God Yahweh Jehovah the Hebrew people the Jewish people refer to this name as the unpronounceable name the one that you don't speak they they even use the term Hashem the name this is the name that you don't want to take upon your mouth foolishly or provocatively I think it's interesting that the text says the Lord Yahweh answers job not the friends now again I'm gonna suggest to you that they can hear do you think that the friends and young Elihu really expected do they after all of the conversations that have taken place out of out of all of the speeches that have been made and all of the statements that have made I'm gonna suggest to you that they really didn't think that God was gonna show up they really didn't think that God was gonna have something to say because they had said everything that they thought was worth speaking about and it's a shock job is repeatedly mentioned if only God were here he would vindicate me and tell me why this evil has come job 1315 I will defend my ways to his face job cried behold I prepared my case than call I will answer let me speak and do thou reply to me why have you hid my face job chapter 13 verse 18 verse 22 verse 24 from the deepest part of his grief and anguish job has said oh that I knew where I might find you that I might come to this seat I would lay my case before you I would fill my mouth with arguments I would lean and you would answer me and I would understand what you have to say would you contend with me in the greatness of your power no you would give heed to me there an upright man could reason with him and I would be acquitted before my judge and now God is gonna say you want to talk to me you want to become sation with me and the storm arrives and he speaks in the storm this in and of itself is kind of interesting to me because most of us don't want to listen to God in the storm it's terrifying we want to hear God when it's sunshine lollipops and rainbows everything that's wonderful is what I'm feeling when a together bride earth in a Lucky Penny you know the song it's when everything's coming up roses when everything is going great that's when I want to hear from God when I've won the lotto when the mortgage is paid off when all of the bills have paid it isn't from the storm but the storm has arrived and sometimes God speaks in the storm and that can be frightening Joe felt confident that his speeches were filled with passion and pity and wisdom and knowledge but look what God has to say who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge the Lord bursts jobs bubble with his opening statement who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge and rare accuracy the Living Bible paraphrases this statement why are you using your ignorant to deny my Providence pouch the New Living Translation says who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words the first words out of God's mouth make it clear job you don't really know everything that you think that you know you are ignorant of God's counsel you are oblivious to his plans you are unfamiliar with his works and now think about that for just a moment particularly those of you who have grown up in the church those of you who consider yourself quite the scholar those of you who consider yourself fairly well versed in the thing of God and the nature of God and the attributes of God and the word darken here means to obfuscate it means to distort it means to place something in a wrong light of false light a bad light council means design or plan without knowledge as a reference to the fact that job is completely oblivious to chapter 1 chapter 2 to the plan of God and to what God's going to do in the future the Lord isn't questioning job's integrity or his sincerity but simply job's ability to explain the ways of God in this world and by the way those of you who are familiar with the book of Job and those of you have actually followed along in the earlier chapters did job have a right relationship with God the answer's yes remember God has said who's like my servant job there's none like him he's a person who's upright he cares about his children he cares about his employees he cares about his community he worships and sacrifices and has a lot of great things and wonderful things and truthful things to say about God but then something happened I think that job began to filter his circumstances through the pain and through the suffering and sometimes that's what we do we we think about God we think we know him we we think we we have a good understanding but we begin to filter our imagination about God rather than what God has to say about himself or the revelation that is given in the person of Jesus and we begin to think that this is the God who allowed me to be raised in the home that I was raised or with the family that I had or experiencing the abuses that I did or the government whose situation or whatever it was that you grew up at with whatever brokens circumstance that brought you to a place of sinful rebellion and disobedience did job know everything about God the answer is he knew a lot about God but he didn't know everything about God knowledge of the limits of our wisdom is the first step towards wisdom and humility and the moment the moment that you're willing to say it guess what I don't think I knew as much about God as I thought I did or what I thought I knew about God doesn't seem to be consistent with what the Bible says or what the New Testament reveals and so in verse 3 it says now prepare yourself like a man I'm going to question you and you shall answer me the Lord invites job to man up and I got to tell you something if in pain and in suffering all of a sudden God speaks and he says you want to talk to me I want to talk to you you have questions for me I have questions for you brace yourself he says in the old King James I think it says gird up your loins we don't talk like that anymore but I guess in an age of same-sex marriage and gender obfuscation Warren more guys are gonna be girding up their loins remember what it is it actually is remember guys in the old days they used to wear a kind of a dress and when you're preparing for battle when you're preparing for it's hard ladies know this it's hard to get into a fight when you're wearing a dress it can just be really embarrassing so what the guys would do when they would wear this dress like outfit they would sort of hike up their skirt and then they would tie it between their legs and then they would tie a rope because they're gonna be they're prepared for battle they're prepared to fight and that's exactly what the Lord is saying here prepare yourself like a man prepare for a confrontation it was an expression that you would use for battle have you ever gotten a call from a phone solicitor and they wanted to do some research they call you who's this is this a bad time of course it is anytime you call is a bad time hey I'm doing a research project and I would just like to ask you a few questions the Lord isn't calling jobe up on the hotline and going hi this is the king of heaven and the creator of heaven and earth and hey I'm just wondering could I interrupt your your circumstances just to ask you a few questions that's not what's happening here imagine God shows up in your life with a series of questions but remember the questions have eternal weight and they will have huge consequences and this is why when the Lord shows up and he asks questions for many people this is really really uncomfortable God will ply job with 40 questions questions which an army of seasoned scientists working over the last 2,000 years have not fully been able to come to grips with and sometimes we go astray and sometimes we need discipline and sometime god demands an answer from from us and this is part of what I think we need to come to grips with this isn't gentle Jesus meek and mild look upon this lowly child this is the Lord showing up and he is showing up to discipline to correct and instruct and by the way does that shock you does that shock you and surprise you that sometimes sometimes the Lord will show up and he'll quietly whisper in your ear or he'll open up your Bible or you will be looking around you and you'll hear the voice of God and the Lord says I need to have your attention real quick we need to talk about some things we need to talk about some things that are going wrong that where things have not gone exactly right God's discipline will sometimes come to us when we fail to listen carefully or to correct and redirect us it's wonderful to see my children growing up with their children and to hear my say to their daughters you're not listening you need to listen to your mother you need to listen to your father and sometimes God will redirect us he will get our attention and remember he's doing it to keep us from hurting ourselves or hurting each other from dishonouring his name it's to keep us from completely undermining or bringing shame to the gospel Jacob wrestled with an angel in Genesis chapter 32 Moses meets Yahweh in the burning bush in Exodus chapter 3 Saul meets Jesus and a blinding light on the road to Damascus in Acts chapter 9 the Bible says that Peter sees a satanic sushi sheet come from heaven and say rise up and eat it's interesting to me that when God speaks it isn't always the same a burning bush a towering inferno the Bible speaks of a wheel within a wheel and sometime a trumpet blows throughout the text of the Bible God is speaking God is speaking God God is speaking and now God speaks in the longest confrontation in the whole Bible longer than anywhere else five whole chapters and when he shows up and he speaks to Jobe there's a sense in which he's speaking to me and he's speaking to you you remember what we've already done we take our lives and we evaluate our lives in light of Jobe perfect and in his generation and then there's me and you go wow I don't even deserve any kind of conversation by the way imagine you said lord I need you to show up we need to have to talk and he does what do you suppose he'd say to you what would he say to you what if I told you that God has spoken and continues to speak in the person of Jesus he's spoken and the reoccurring speech that he seems to be giving over and over again as I know you and I love you and I'm I'm I'm looking for you to come to me and walk with me would you be filled with terror or fear do you remember the story of the soft-spoken Quaker who tamed his stubborn mule by hitting him over the head with a 25 to buy for this there's this nice Quaker and he hits his mule over the top of the head and somebody comes up and says good Quaker I thought you people were nonviolent I thought you expressed a philosophy of non-violence and what you seem to be doing to the mule seems awfully violent and the Quaker explained he said in Auto to speak to the mule they must first get the Mules attention and sometimes God will get your attention boom and you go was that you Lord you've got my attention when the Lord speaks look at verse 4 where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth tell me if you have understanding the Lord begins with a discussion about creation where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth this is again bound to make all my creation science friends very very happy and I know that dr. Gary Parker was here last week and we've of course had people like Ken Ham from Answers in Genesis and again they're fond of saying my friend Ken Ham is fond of saying where were you and God laid the foundations of the earth ken ham's fond of saying you went there and he's right this is the same statement that the Lord makes to job where when I created the heavens and the earth again where's B says knowledge of our own ignorance is the first step toward true wisdom and we might be tempted to answer the question well where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth well what in fact is the question we might say well really where was I - the Mormon you might be in a preexistent condition as a spirit being in in some sort of heavenly warehouse but the Bible doesn't give us the answer where were you I think we sometimes misunderstand the question we might say what God is in effect saying is what holds up the world we might phrase the question even differently why does the law of gravity keep the earth in its present orbit you might be thinking I know about the law of gravity and I know about its present orbit around the Sun and I know about the Suns present orbit in the in the center of the Milky Way galaxy I understand that the universe is expanding at a rapid rate the Lord's language is full of indignation tell me if you have understanding verse 6 surely you know now I'm hoping that you're getting what I'm getting here just for a moment hopefully you're going wow why is God so rough on Joe the guy's in a trash heap he's lost everything his wife has already said curse God and die his friends don't like him why are you being so mean God we seem to expect a much more gentle and sympathetic God I think that's the culture in the world in which we live we want a much more gentle and sympathetic God so why do you suppose God's doing this to our friend Joe he continues to ask the question in verse 5 who determined its measurements surely you know who stretched the line upon it who determines the Earth's dimension in size verse 5 who supports the earth and holds it in orbit and verse 6 who causes the Stars and the angels to sing at creation in verse 7 who decides how big the earth should be why is it in its present proportion who determines where the sea stops and the land begins why do we have the ration of sea and land in the current composition job can you make the morning come when you're ready job do you know how the Sun generates its energy and produces its light job can you make thunder and lightning or cause the wind to blow in whatever direction you want job are you able to bring the dew and the frost job are you able to solve the budget crisis no that's not in the text the budget crisis is not in the text but job is being asked whether or not human beings can control the climate can all of humanity can the summon the substance of all human beings on the planet make the temperatures rise or make the temperatures lower job do you understand the life cycles of the life-forms on this planet question does God really expect an answer from job does he really expect well did I see that on the animal planet did I did I catch that on the cosmology creation show does God desire job to take up cosmology in geology and a Tirana me is this an invitation to get advanced degrees as you make inquiry into the physical dynamics of the universe I hope you understand what's going on here remember job is complained he's hinted that maybe God is unkind or unfair or unjust to what were the foundations fastened or who laid its cornerstone remember job in the book of Job the Lord is using poetic language he compares himself to a master builder who surveys a site he makes he lays off the cound Ruiz he he lays a cornerstone he he builds the structure that seems to be what's happening imagine you're creating a universe you're creating the universe and you're gonna suspend the earth around the Sun and you're gonna suspend the Sun in the middle of the solar system in the galaxy and the galaxy is going to recede and it's going to be a particular distance across you decide where you're going to put the earth you're gonna put it exactly 93 million miles from the Sun you are going to make the Sun exactly 1 million times larger than the earth you are going to create a mechanism so that you can have a perfect environment where human beings can survive and all life-forms are on the planet now can you imagine can you imagine can you imagine creating your own world with all of the complexities and the dynamic ecosystems that are in our universe and on this planet in verse 7 it says when the morning stars sang together and all of the sons of God shouted for joy you have to understand something in the ancient world it was believed that the stars and the planets were living beings imagine you're you're living in 1800 BC there is Abraham Isaac and Jacob they're living in the Middle East they're looking up at the stars they see these bright twinkling objects suspended in the sky they see the solar system moving across the face of the sky and if something is bright and if some thing is moving you think it's alive and in that particular world and in that particular culture they believe that the stars and the planets were living beings the bright blazing light indicating life the movement indicating life because living things move and dead things do not move and so when again in poetic language when you'll be saying when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy I suspect here the morning stars are a poetic reference to the astronomical bodies in the solar system in the galaxy but it is also the belief it is the belief it is the belief that these are supernatural beings that occupy our universe who were present at the at the dawning of the universe the Bible teaches that there were supernatural beings alive at the beginning of the universe and again remember in the opening chapter of Genesis it says in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and here when it says and all the sons of God shouted for joy it's an idiomatic expression the word that is used in the Hebrew the sons of God is banette elohim bene the sons of Elohim there's only three different groups that I've been able to discover in the Bible that that fits this category the angels in heaven are called banette eloheem because they don't have moms and dads they were a part of a special creation by God Adam is called bene Elohim he is the son of God he doesn't have a mom or a dad God is the creator of Adam the Bible says that angels are called been eloheem human beings are called banette eloheem at least Adam and then Jesus and people who are born again the Bible says that you're born from on high people who are lost and trespass and sin the Bible says that God shows up a supernatural something takes place the Holy Spirit overshadows you and you are born again according to the Gospel of John it says amazingly in John chapter 1 and I'm gonna have to turn there it says but as many as received him that's Jesus to them he gave the right to become children of God to those who believed in his name who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God banila him angels Bonello him Adam Bonet eloheem every man and woman who's ever been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit these are supernatural beings the Bible seems to suggest that there's a hierarchy of created beings I don't think it would be safe to say that these are just simply angels who are the messengers of God but the hierarchy of created beings who accompany God at the creation of the universe and the formation of the planet the Lord is in effect saying it's remarkable by two things who wasn't there Jobe who wasn't there you who was there Bonello heme supernatural beings were present and in verse eight he says consider the sea or who shut up the sea with the doors when it bursts forth and issued from the womb he's in effect asking the question job where do the oceans come from who made them do you realize that scientists are still struggling with that question where did the oceans come from how did they form and by the way it's even using the expression when it bursts forth and from the womb who gave birth to the Seas when I made the clouds at Scarman and thick darkness its swaddling band the Lord clothes the Seas with clouds and and there's light and there's darkness when I fixed my limit for it and set bars and doors the Lord establishes the size the shape the dimensions when he's talking about I fixed my limit for it it's talking about that God knows exactly where the beach ends and the water begins it's it's it's a it's an idiomatic in a poetic expression that God establishes the size the shape the dimensions of the shorelines on the surface of the entire planet when I said this far you may come but no farther and here your proud waves must stop in other words remember the ancient people are looking and they're looking at the water and they're seeing the water coming in and they're seeing the water recede and they understand that when they pour a glass of water out on their table or at their home the water seems to go it finds the lowest place but why does the water stop where the water stops he's asking the Lord tells job consider the earth and verses 1 through 7 consider the sea in verses 8 through 11 consider the days in verses 12 through 15 consider the vast dimensions of the of the universe in verses 16 through 24 consider the rain in the ice in verses 25 through 30 when he talks about consider the days he says in verse 12 have you commanded the morning since your days began and caused the dawn to know its place let me help you understand the question job is being asked have you ever woken up one morning and said I did that see you're laughing at the absurdity can you imagine being a little child you go you wake up your child and you go Jonathan Jonathan come out here look look the Sun is up you did that you've made the morning finally come job is being asked have you ever caused the under-eyes have you ever directed the morning to appear now I know some of you have tried I don't want it to be Monday Lord make it Sunday and verse 13 he says that it might take hold of the ends of the earth and the wicked be shaken out of it it takes on the form of clay under a seal and stands out like a garment from the wicked their light is withheld and the upraised arm is broken you may not understand what you're reading but let me help you understand it he's in effect saying have you ever spread daylight over the earth in other words if you've ever seen the Sun come up and you see the Sun and the light begin to attack the darkness and the darkness runs away he's in effect we might say have you ever made the Sun come up in order to make the darkness disappear have you ever made the Sun come up or the light and then place the light in motion because when the Sun comes up have you ever seen a beautiful dawn where the Sun comes up and all of a sudden it reflects on on the side of a beautiful lake or an incredible mountain or this majestic view the idea is that the light sets in motion a series where you're looking at the incredible splendors of this incredible world the beautiful features of the natural world you see the nooks and crannies and it begins to shine as the Sun reflects off the surface of the amazing things that are on the face of the planet to show off the beautiful features in verse 14 have you ever set the light in motion that would expose not only the beautiful things that are on the earth but also the wicked people who for them darkness is their light because what they want to do is live in a place where their deeds are not known and so now we understand a little bit better about the New Testament when it says that men love darkness rather than light because their words are evil but God is in effect saying I am in control of when the Sun is going up and when the Sun is going down and when the when the light reflects off the beautiful features of the real world in which we live but all so for those people who are running away running and hiding in the darkness and some of you might say no I can't make the Sun go up and I can't make the Sun go down but I posted some pictures on Facebook we can take a picture of the Sun coming up we can take a picture of the Sun going down part of the point of the passage is that as we continue our study it's going to invite us to make an inquiry not just about the mysteries of the universe but it's going to invite us to place God in the place that he desires that he is the Creator that he is the majestic Creator that he is in control of creation I want you to it seems absurd to say that the Creator creates the creation that makes sense to most of you but the Bible teaches that not only does God create the creation but he controls the creation and determines the course of creation we're given the slightest glimpse into something that's that's talked about in Isaiah 55 verse 8 where in Isaiah it says my thoughts are not your thoughts my ways are not your ways God is inviting us to glimpse his greatness his mystery his authority his wonder his majesty to provide a foundation of his greatness and wisdom and glory why is all of this going to become important because that is going to be the the mechanism the lens in order for you to see your own circumstance whether it's pain or suffering or setback God is going to invite you and me to see him do you remember in the New Testament where Philip says to Jesus in John chapter fourteen verse eight Lord show us the father and we'll be satisfied and do you remember Jesus's answer have I been so long with you and you don't recognize me he who has seen me has seen the father you see what what the Bible teaches and what the New Testament suggests is everything that you ever wanted to know about God if you're willing to look at Jesus if you're willing to listen to Jesus if you're willing to look at Jesus and listen to Jesus that you will find the answer to the questions about what kind of God God is we want answers and so God invites us to say you want answers receive me if your vision is blurred if you're finding it harder and harder to see God because you're looking at a world and you see a world that's marred by sin and and broken by rebellion you're looking at the world and you see the brokenness and you see the emptiness and you see the hurt and you see the difficulty and you see the setback and you see all of those things and you look less and less at God and more and more at the problem and you become confused and angry sometimes bitter but then the Bible is going to invite you to look at him and this is only the first part of chapter 38 it's gonna get so much better let's pray Heavenly Father Lord for those of us whose vision is blurred we're seeing the world through the lens of emptiness or hurt or pain or bitterness or suffering or accusation Lord we pray that we would come to see what Jesus invites us to see when Jesus says he who has ears to hear let him hear and if you have eyes to take a good hard look at what God has done and continues to do in your life and Heavenly Father again I pray I pray I pray that part of the point of this passage will cause us to lift up our eyes and to understand where our help comes from an almighty all-powerful wise creator who not only makes everything that exists but sustains everything that exists and incorporates everything in a way that he is causing all of the things that he has done to work together for our good for those of us who love Him and so Lord again we pray that you would open up our minds and our hearts and our eyes because we would see Jesus and again father we thank you for the great privilege that we have to listen to what God has to say and then to respond to those words in Jesus name Amen

Channel: Calvary South Denver

Views: 21,940

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Keywords: Calvary Chapel, Gino Geraci, Christianity, Bible Study, The Book Of Job (Religious Text)

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Length: 52min 19sec (3139 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 17 2014