"The Book of Job (Part 1)" - Pastor Doug Batchelor

good morning again I'd like to repeat our greetings and welcome to every member and any who might be visiting today glad you're here today I'm gonna be starting a series on the book of Job and I really you know whenever we opened the Word of God were treading on holy ground but in a special sense this is a remarkable book and I've never wanted to rush through it because there's so much power in the book it's such a profound book that I thought I'm gonna take my time and we're gonna spend some time talking about the book of Job the book of Job was not written for people living long ago the book of Job was written for today and it is very much a book for every people in every age it talks about heaven and hell it talks about God and Satan talks about blessing and cursing it talks about family and friends it talks about betrayal of friends talks about patience and victory and defeat and just all of the great themes of life can be found somehow somewhere talks about the second coming of Jesus and the resurrections in the book of Job and so we're gonna give some time and attention to that and I of course appreciate your prayers as we do now in our discussion about Joe sometimes as a pastor you know I look out there and I see some of you have been Christians all of your life some of you have gray hair or no hair and you have been studying it and you know I can speak to you about the meat of the word then we have children and teenagers out there and you have never read the book of Job and you have no background in it matter of fact you thought it was the book of Job and until I said that and so you know I try to find a balance where I can see something that everybody can relate to but this is a book where I'm hoping I can get into the meat of the word and do some serious study with you because it's just so much here that we can learn from you know I do remember one time years ago I was out on the Navajo reservation and they put up a tent and I was doing mission work at the time and and I'd go visit some of the tent revivals they had out on the reservation I went and listened to this one pastor and he was preaching on the book of Job and he kept saying job he I could tell he was a self-taught pastor said today we're gonna talk about the book of Job and he said job did this and job did that and what struck me was that nobody there noticed they all thought it was job two so but you know the Lord blessed him because he was just he was I learned some things but actually it's a job an overview of the book of Job quickly we'll just give you there's 42 chapters 1070 verses ten thousand one hundred and two words in the Septuagint the book of Job is calculated to be among the books of poetry and you might even find a place between Psalms and proverbs some of the different Hebrews techs put the book of Job in different places it's one of the most mysterious books in the Bible because there's quite a bit of debate about you know who he was and where he lived and when he lived and why all this happened and was it real and we'll be getting into these things along the way I heard somebody quote Ernest Hemingway the famous author they said that Ernest Hemingway said that the book of Job is the most magnificent and sublime of any book in the Bible and when I heard them quoting Ernest Hemingway I kind of smiled because actually they didn't know Ernest Hemingway was quoting Martin Luther Martin Luther said in his commentary that's good that Hemingway was reading that Martin Luther said the book of Job is more magnificent and sublime than any other book of Scripture that you realize Martin Luther translated the whole Bible and he spoke several languages and understood the Hebrew languages and for a guy who's one of the founders of the Protestant to say that not only did he say that but you can find where Matthew Henry John Wesley and many of the great reformers say the Spurgeon they believe one of the most majestic books in the Bible is the book of Job so I hope you come to appreciate it that way I remember when I was just a baby Christian and I knew nothing about the Bible and knew very little and I just decided one day to open the book of Job and start reading it and I'll admit I didn't understand everything I read but something attracted me to it it was it was to me so deep that it was awesome and I remember reading through the whole book and just going wow this is inspired I've never heard words like this before now you hear four or five characters speaking in the book of Job you got the words of job and you got jobs three friends and this mysterious fourth friend liq appears at the 32nd chapter in the book you got God speaking you've got the devil speaking and they it's considered to be from chapter two on there's quite a bit of poetry or or just some incredible Hebrew rhythmic parallelisms that are being shared their first thing I might want to make clear is that the book of Job is a real book some people hear about you know talking about what's happening on earth and this man is blessed and the numbers that it gives got seven sons three daughters and seven thousand of this and twelve thousand it's all seems so exact and for seven days they sat down and they said it's a terrible job never lived it somebody wrote it to try to tell a story you can't take it serious mean talks about that God is in heaven and there's a meeting in heaven and God's talking to the devil Devils talking to God it's obviously a parable but I'd respectfully disagree for one thing because the other new and Old Testament writers speak of job as an actual event and Jesus addresses it that way we just read a quote from the book of James referring to job if you look in Ezekiel and we're going to look at this verse more than once and I'm gonna give you a lot of scriptures you might take notes and they won't all be on the screen ezekiel 14 14 in one of his prophecies Ezekiel says though these three men Noah Daniel and job or in it meaning in the land they will deliver neither they'll deliver but their own Souls by the righteousness says the Lord God now did Noah really live Daniel really live so when Ezekiel adds in job why would we suddenly think that he's talking about the righteousness of Daniel and Noah and then he mentions a job and job's just a parable he's a fairy tale the prophet Ezekiel speaks of him as a real character who was a righteous man who had a soul to deliver and his only his own soul would be delivered by his righteousness by the way Ezekiel says something very similar to that twice who wrote the book of Job somewhat a mystery most of the scholars that I've read believe that Moses is responsible for the book it dates as far back as we can find Hebrew literature the book of Job is there it predates the writings of David when you look at the time and I'll get to that in just a minute it seems like it was written already by the time of Moses it is possible that this fourth person you've got the three friends of Jobe and then chapter 32 this fourth person Elihu appears and he begins to speak he starts to speak for the first time in the first person saying iiiii and we've wondered if he was the one who kind of was a bystander listening to everything writing it all down and finally he thought I'm gonna speak and Moses took his writings and carta fighted or it may have been passed on orally but we believe Moses was for sponsored the language also you read the language in Genesis and the language in job and there's a lot of similarities there God is referred to more times as Shaddai you've heard of el-shaddai the almighty in the book of Job more than any other book in the Bible he's the all supplying one and it's a real story talks about the Chaldeans coming in and the Sabian's fighting I mean if it was an allegory why wouldn't you just say some robbers came and stole his stuff why would you specifically mention a real nation back then that were known for for robbing so they mentioned real places and real things tell you what what I'd like to do with you is go to the book of Job and just so you all know you know these people don't pretend you don't ever watch the clock you don't know how is he gonna go to chapter 30 today how far is he gonna go so I thought I'll just tell you I'm just doing 12 verses now that you might think does that mean 42 chapters were gonna be studying job until 2019 you know because once you get into the poetry we'll be talking about scenes it's gonna go much quicker but the introduction is very important and so we're just gonna read the first 12 verses and that's what we'll cover today God willing there was a man in the land of Oz whose name was job and that man was blameless and upright one who feared God and shunned evil your King James would say a shoe didn't same word it means to avoid and seven sons and three daughters were born to him also his possessions were seven thousand sheep three thousand camels five hundred yoke of oxen and yoke horses - so five hundred yoke is a thousand oxen five hundred female donkeys and a very large household so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east again it's giving real place and his sons would go and feast in their houses each one on his appointed day believe that means birthday and would send and invite the three sisters to eat and to drink with them and so it was when the days of feasting had run their course that job would send in sanctify them and he'd rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all for job said and maybe that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts thus the job did regularly now the scene changes starts out with a scene on and this place called us and it tells us about the faith of job tells us about the fortune of job and it tells us about the family of job it just sets the stage for this battle so you'll understand what kind of man is about to go through a trial that is hard for us to imagine now there was a day it's interesting it's not so now there was a man and verse 6 now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came among them and the Lord said to Satan from where do you come so Satan answered the Lord and said from going to and fro on the earth and for walking from walking back and forth on it and the Lord said to Satan have you considered my servant job that there's none like him on the earth a blameless and an upright man one who fears God and shuns evil so Satan answered the Lord and said does job fear God for nothing have you not made a hedge about him and about his household around all that he house on every side you've blessed the work of his hands and his possessions and in Crete have increased in the land but now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face and the Lord said to Satan behold all that he has is in your power only do not lay a hand on his person so Satan went out from the presence of the Lord all right that's what we're gonna look at well we gave you a little overview of job and I'll be sharing more as we proceed one of the first things that might talk about is when did this happen what is the time for job well is some mystery to it I'm not gonna pretend I can fix an exact date but as near as we can tell it was somewhere between jobless sometime between the age of 1700 BC and 1900 BC he lived during the time of some of the patriarchs now one of the reasons for that and I'll give you some of the evidence at the end of the book of Job after this terrible trial that he goes through it says Jobe lived a hundred and says after this after the trial job lived a hundred and forty years and he saw his children's children in grandchildren two four generations so he lived long enough to after his trials to have another seven sons and three daughters and to see their offspring to the fourth generation he must have been at least well the Septuagint says that he was 70 years old I must've been fifty you've got ten kids and back then they didn't start as early as we do today you know Isaac didn't even start looking for a wife till he was 40 Jacob got married at 70 and so because of the way they did things back then you know Septuagint probably pretty close which means he lived about 210 years and it Bible is remarking that that was old even for that era now based on the land and the names that are used these names of some of these characters do appear other places in the Bible and because of when they lived we think we know he lived during the time of the Esau's descendants you can look for instance in Genesis 22 22 passed after these it was told Abraham saying indeed Milka has also borne children to your brother Nahor Milko was the wife of nahor as his firstborn what was his name as job lived in the Land of Oz we'll get to in a minute buz his brother can you imagine having two kids as in buzz it wouldn't you get that mixed up I mean if you got a David and a Daniel you'll always mix them up can you imagine doesn't buzz and getting mad trying to call him what were they thinking and then how would they get when they get teased at school hasn't buzz it's like you know they yeah anyway all right buzz his brother can you well the father of amram so it the Land of Oz may have been partially named out of this you know they often named territories and regions out of some of them and so you've got us as a nephew of Abraham by his brother not like lot this is by his brother and Nahor and then if you look in Genesis 36 10 and 11 these are the names of Esau sons Elif as the son of ADA and you go down to verse 11 the sons of Elif as were teaming omar sofa and gatum well one of the friends of Esau was Elif as the teaming night and then it tells us the job was one of the greatest of the men of the what territory the east now when I say the east you be thinking maybe about China but here we're talking about east of the Jordan River they had the descendants of Abraham some settled on the west and that would be Abraham and Jacob some settled on the east and the children of the east were often the Arabs and the children that Abraham had by Ishmael and you know he had another litter of kids with cateura and so some of the friends of Jobe were from cateura and so you're talking about the time Jacob lived 147 years who knows how long his father lived Isaac hundred and eighty years it's quite a difference Matta fact Jacob when he meets with the Pharaoh is complaining he says the ages of my days is not equaling the age of my father's he's I've worn myself out you know when all the time he spent out in the fields and having four wives it just cut his life short but he was bemoaning that he wasn't living as long as some of the others evidently around then and so it's not unusual that Jobe would live that long who knows well who the last longest living person was Moses lived 120 years Aaron about a hundred and twenty three do you know who just broke he just broke the mold is way after King David said our days of our years will be threescore and ten which is how much 70 and if by reason of strength we make it to 80 there's you know aches and pains that's a rough paraphrase but there was a high priest who watched over King joash ninja Yoda lived a hundred and thirty years how many of you heard in the news this week that the last American as far as they know the last American who was born in the 1890s nine hundred and sixteen years old there's only one person they know of in the world today that can say that they lived over three centuries in other words their lives Tedra the 1800's 1900s and the 2000s there's very few people I used to know people a lot of people that were born in the 1800s and they're all gone and you're finding fewer and few people that can tell you about World War two that are left you know what I'm saying well now they got one lady in Italy she's a hundred and seventeen I think that's still alive and they showed a picture of her and she doesn't look like she'll be around much longer and sorry I hope that wasn't unkind this is fun the picture but every now and then someone comes along and so the Bible comments about how long Jove live based on the relatives its though it seems like that he lived during the time of Esau his descendants like I said because he lived 200 years you got to give him 200 years so from 1900 BC to 1700 BC Moses didn't come around for another hundred years so he lived back during that age range that means if Moses wrote the first book in the Bible technically what is the first book in the Bible it's a book of Joe I was reading one commentary where they were saying anybody that thinks that the book of Job is just the work of someone who wrote a parable doesn't know what they're talking about because he said the genius of insight in the statements of job could not come from one author you've got some very bright men Jobe is very successful wealthy man his friends that come are leaders and these are just the the chieftains of the region that have come and it's just incredible wisdom there so this is when we think Joe blip now where was [Music] not oz as Genesis 10 verse 22 and it's interesting again you read the commentators and says well nobody knows where it was well you can't actually know relatively close where it was it says the sons of Shem were elam ashur our facts had Lud Amram the sons of amram were as this is now the second person named us you notice I'm doing Genesis 10 now Halle ether and mash it tells us us was also a nephew of Abraham that lived in Arabia about 1900 BC Josephus says Oz was found he as the person else found a track and itis and Damascus mask is one of the oldest cities of antiquity but that's further north the Land of Oz was it tells us really in the Bible Jeremiah 25 verse 20 all the mixed people of all the kings of the land of us all the kings of the land of the Philistines namely Ashkelon Gaza Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod jeremiah is talking about the kingdoms that are neighbouring the south and the east of Israel in that statement so we're narrowing it down and then if you look in lamentations as sort of seals it lamentations 421 rejoice and be glad Oh daughter of Edom you who dwell in the land of us so I've got a little map on the screen that's too small can't see it that's useful sorry but if you look down in the lower right of the screen there you'll see that in the land that's to the east of the Jordan that territory it was a big region by the way if you've got you know 7,000 sheep and all these animals you got a big pasture land but when you're reading the book of Job you'll also see book of Job talks about when I sat in the city gates so it's not just a man who lived out in the country and it says his sons each one in their house not their tent and so there was a big civilization there to the east of the Jordan Valley the climate was very different then than it is now in the Land of Israel looks called the land flowing with milk and honey do you know if you go to the seer in Sahara Desert they've got valleys you drive for just hours maybe even days off into the Sahara and you'll find just Lake dry lakebeds full of whale bones you'll find rocks that have ancient petroglyph carvings that the tribes Joe carved in the rock and they've got hippopotamus and giraffes well you got hippos you have to have water it was a land that used to have a lot more water and so not only has there been desert if ocation of North Africa but this region changed used to have a lot more vegetation it was a lot more lush and so um there's a lot more growing going on there now you go to that desert around they call it mount seir the they were the descendants of Esau now it's just desert in that country out there so that's where us was it's probably where Joe live now who was Joe the name job signifies sorrowful or he that weeps you know one of the things that strikes me friends is just the very first words of the book there was a man the very fact he got a 42 chapter book that begins with there was a man you know why it says that because it doesn't say there were men it says there was a men meaning this is an unusual man this is a man that stands out this is a man who is just one among thousands and made me think of some other places in the Bible you know in the Book of Daniel when nobody could interpret the Kings dream Daniel 225 the area quickly brought Daniel before the king he said I found a man I found a man there is a man you go to Daniel five nobody could interpret the handwriting on the wall the Queen talks to the king she says there is a man and not that many and you find as you read the story of Joe of the job stands out there is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the holy God he can tell you what that writing says Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 728 which my stole which my soul still seeks but I cannot find one man among a thousand I have found the Gospel of John it says there was a man sent from God whose name was John every now and then it talks about a man just different from others who stands out we need more men today I like you know what I really like what Goliath said when Goliath was sort of taunting the Israelites why have you come out to line up for battle am I not a Philistine and you servants of Saul choose a man and say choose twenty men and say choose a battalion or a squad says choose a man do you have a man in your kingdom and it took 40 days before they found a man and they couldn't find him he had to volunteer but if I prevail against him and kill him then you'll be our servants and service and the Philistine said I defy the armies of Israel this day give me a man that we may fight why is he ever sorry that he said that did God produce a man he became a very unusual King something else we find out about Jobe it says in the Land of Oz was this man who was perfect and blameless well right there you can say that it's an unusual man perfect and upright now what does that mean first of all let me just make sure take a breath look at me okay we're gonna talk about how perfect a Christian is supposed to be for just a moment that makes everyone nervous including me but I just want to read you what the Bible says and we'll talk about what that means okay but God wants us to be holy you know then yes he wants to bless you and we all think about God wanting us to be happy but even more than your happiness God is interested in your holiness and is it possible let me read some verses to you Genesis 6:9 Noah was a just man perfect in his generations godly man and did God do something unusual through him Ezekiel 14 14 though these three men I told you I'd read it again Noah Daniel and jobber in the land they'll deliver their own Souls by their righteousness says Lord that tells us Noah was a righteous man Daniel was a righteous man job was a righteous man but don't forget they're human and so when you hear about Elijah being a righteous man there you got a man - boy one-on-one on the mountain against 800 I've got had a man when you read in the New Testament James says these were men speaking of Elijah subject to the same passions as you and me and yet God declares about them what he wants to declare about you that we fear God and they hate evil and that we are walking and living upright lives if Noah did it if job did it if Daniel did it if Elijah did it then God says the same way they did it you can do it God is calling this to beat and you almost never hear that in the church anymore that is not just about our getting together with our friends the whole purpose of the church is training for a holiness to have an impact of light and life in a perishing world job was that kind of person New Testament Luke 1:6 speaking of Zechariah and Elizabeth they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly doesn't mean sinless you understand the difference there is a consistency and even at the end of job job repents for his sin job is not claiming sinlessness and God is not asking us to claim that either Luke 2:25 and behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon this man was just and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him we want to be just and devout in the last days we need that experience revelation 14 for these are the ones speaking of 144,000 these are the ones that follow the lamb wherever he goes and you've heard me say if we want to follow the lamb wherever he goes there then we must first follow the lamb wherever he goes here now God's gonna have a people in the last days that are following the lamb wherever he goes and what is a Christian he's a follower of Christ Deuteronomy 18 13 now shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God how often do you hear sermons on that that's that's not politically correct is it but this is what he says he wants us to have a perfect consistent relationship with him where we don't say I'm gonna see if I can follow him for about 15 minutes and then just do our own thing but we're striving to walk in all the ways of the Lord what is it thou shalt love the Lord with the fifty percent of my heart fifty percent of my mind fifty percent of it o your heart in your mind God is calling for that what does it mean to be a Christian you are a follower of Christ Jesus said be therefore perfect even as your father in heaven who here feels like they're perfect like their father in heaven you don't see my hand going up so what does Jesus mean it's interesting there's a parallel quote there of that verse in Luke and he says be therefore merciful even as your father in him and it's Luke 636 even as your father in heaven as merciful God lets us have perfect love perfect mercy you read again going to Revelation here is the patience of the saints here are those that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus jesus said if you love me keep my Commandments it's not everyone that says Lord Lord but they that do the will of my father in heaven Ephesians 5:1 and to therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ has also loved us and given himself an example for us now you know whenever I talk about this subject always say I'm not exactly sure what Christian perfection is but I'm sure that the Lord wants us to have the relationship with him like the relationship of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego where they said we love God so much we would rather go to the fiery furnace than disobey Him the kind of love where Daniel said I'd rather go to the lion's den then disobey God why do we need that kind of faith because are we gonna be tested at some point I was talking to a friend this week about what's happened in the Middle East where sometimes Christians are being told renounce Jesus turn to Allah or we're gonna cut your head off what would you do you know always wonder what were they doing don't worry about it right now because you don't hopefully have to right now but we all hope that we're gonna have a relationship with the Lord so when that test comes if that test comes we'll do the right thing but you know that test probably comes every day in little things in little things sometimes we're challenged will we deny the Lord and a little by little through faithfulness and those little tests were preparing for the big test John 13 15 jesus said I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you Christ said you follow me on your Lord and Master I've given you an example being a Christian means trying to live like Jesus and Jesus was perfect and try and live like Jobe and Daniel and Noah first Peter 2:21 for to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow in his steps first John two five and six but whoever keeps his word truly the love of God is perfected in him and by this we know that we are in him he who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked sort of the sea water just as he walked and so this theme I'm not giving you all the verses because you've probably already had too much but it's all through the Bible that God is calling believers old and new Testament to be like job to love the Lord and to hate evil and to walk and be upright now what does that mean to fear God and to hate evil Matthew 6:13 to hate evil means to eschew evil to avoid it to run the other direction is there evil in the world Jesus in our Lord's Prayer he said we should pray lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one the the yearning desire we ought to be praying about everyday as Lord delivered me from evil we don't want to be around evil and I'm not talking about the evil that chases you down you can't always control that you know you see things or you happen to be a witness of something that you weren't planning but when we pursue it that's not good Isaiah 33 15 he who walks righteously and speaks up rightly who despises the gain of oppressors who gestures with his hand refusing bribes we know who stops his ears from hearing bloodshed this is where it gets interesting stops his ears from hearing of violence you know one of the characteristics in the days of Noah before the world was destroyed the thoughts of men's hearts were only evil continually and there was violence filled the land we have that today we may not have the kind of gore and bloodshed that you see on battle fronts instead where we have it in our countries in our entertainment kind of like the Roman Colosseum except it's called the television or computer monitor today and when it talks about stopping our ears from hearing of bloodshed and shutting our eyes on in Isaiah 33 15 in our eyes from seeing evil he will dwell on high but if we're going out of our way to behold these things and to hear these things a lot of the music today is violent a lot of the programming is violent and I'm probably like a lot of other men out there boy a good cowboy Indian fight can you say that anymore is that politically incorrect no I can't say that anymore be cowboy Native American I'm sorry I don't mean to be unkind I just tell me how crazy it is but who is a kid didn't anyone here have a cap gun when they were kid come on fess up you guys I know you're worried that's it passing us around you're gonna yeah I just there's just something about that appeals you know God makes men where you want to go out and conquer and so to be entertained by it whether it's boxing or footballs almost equally as violent you guys have to dress up like you know they're going to space if they get hit so hard not to mention all the guns and the shooting and but if we want to have the experience of job and the relationship with Joe who stops his ears from hearing bloodshed and shuts his eyes from seeing evil he will dwell on hi his place will be the defense the fortress of rocks bread will be given him and water will be sure I've heard a lot of Christian quote that verse speaking of the last days if we've got a flee for our faith God says our bread will be given to us and our water will be sure so yeah if you plug your ears from hearing of bloodshed and shut your eyes from seeing evil do we hate evil like Jobe did psalm 119 verse 37 turn away my eyes this is something make a good prayer for us all turn away from my eyes from looking at worthless things and revive me in your way how much time is spent looking at goofy worthless things Ezekiel 1213 let's hear the conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his Commandments for this is man's entire duty for God will bring every work into judgment job was a man that feared God now when we say fearing God I've often heard people say well that doesn't mean we're not supposed to be afraid of God and and I actually have caught myself saying that because some people just live in constant fear but you know as I've studied that and as I compare it with other verses in the Bible I've had to correct myself it is talking about an awesome reverence but it there's a terror connected with it when it says to fear God if we know how powerful how we can see he's your father yes he's your friend yes he loves you he loves you more than anybody but he's also a powerful God and He has eternity he has your eternity in his hands and he can be offended through sin and in that sense we should hate evil and fear God I think it was Wesley that said if I could have a hundred man who feared nothing but God I could change the world someone once said if you don't fear God you'll fear everything else if you do fear God you fear nothing else and the Lord wants us to have that kind of fear where really we live in his sight and we do everything in that perspective um what's the message for today revelation 14:6 I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven with the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth every tribe tongue in people this is last book of the Bible last message it goes revelation 14 pictures Jesus coming in the clouds what's a message that is to go to the world before the return of Christ and it says with a loud voice megaphone is what that means fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come so obviously you're fearing because it's a Judgment Day coming fear God and give glory to him the hour of his judgment has come in worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters this is not only talking about a revival of reverence and a holy fear of God because there's an impending judgment it's as an a revival of genuine worship to real worship is going to be a god-fearing worship god-fearing worship will involve reference in worship you go into a church where it just looks like a hootenanny and everyone's running around there's no respect as no reverence as no decorum that's a place that doesn't fear God if God could suddenly appear you would see a big change of attitude the Lord is in his holy temple this is a message that goes to the world it's a message of the experience of job having this holiness did job go through a great trial is there gonna be a time of trouble such as there never has been before Jesus comes it's relevant for us then to be studying job amen and you can read in job 1:3 it says this man was the greatest of all the people of the east well you know that probably segues well into the next verse job is a rich man and these he founded the computer company and the Facebook and he was the Rockefeller of his age he was not just a little rich he was the richest man some of you would like to get a blank check that said Bill Gates on it or Warren Buffett or one of these guys well back then if you had a check that said job on it yeah I don't know his last name it's just job job what's his name you'd be very happy you'd love to get a job from Joe why don't you he was a very wealthy man but what a strange combination you know Jesus said after the rich young ruler walked away it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into the kingdom do you expect job to be in the kingdom and yet he wasn't just a little rich he was fabulously wealthy someone once said in adversity job could possess his soul in patience because in prosperity he had not lost his riches he was not possessed by his riches or he possessed them bunion John Bunyan you wrote pilgrims progress he's had gold in the gospel seldom agree religion always sides with poverty it's not that it never happens but it's not frequently but it is worthy of mention that Abraham Isaac and Jacob the great part patriarchs were greatly blessed and were very prosperous now I want I want to read something to you in Deuteronomy a job is greatly blessed and he's blessed because well the Devils partly right don't quote me on that he said you put a hedge about job you protected all that he has meaning he's blessed because you kept me from cursing his stuff and you know the Lord does say I want to read Deuteronomy 28 I'll read a few verses here I won't read the whole chapter this is the chapter where God talks about the blessing and the curse see how many of you want to be blessed you want to be blessed like jobless West including the sufferings of job if that's what it takes keep in mind no I'll save that for later I don't want to say everything first date Deuteronomy 28 now what will come to pass that if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God to observe carefully all of his Commandments that I command you today that the Lord your God will set you a high above the nations of the earth and all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you because you obey the voice of the Lord your God there are certain natural blessings that seem to come in the wake of obedience you know if you disobey and you do dumb things bad things happen and here's what he said these blessings will overtake you you know what that makes it sound like they'll catch up to you you can't escape them if you obey the Lord how many of you want to be overtaken by blessings blessed you will be in the city and blessed you will be in the country the book of Job hooks it talks about both bless it will be the fruit of your body he was blessed in his family the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds all these blessings came to job the increase of your cattle the offspring of your flocks bless it will be your basket in your kneading bulb lesson you will be when you come in less will you be when you go out the Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face they will come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways the Lord will command the blessing on your storehouse to which you set your hand he'll bless you in the land which the Lord your God has given you the Lord will establish you as a holy people to himself and notice it starts out obedience established as a holy people blessing sandwiched in between that doesn't mean this is a promise that does speak in general terms here that doesn't mean that people who are obedient are always blessed in material abundance because sometimes I think the devil blesses people with abundance that makes sense I remember reading that devil will sometimes cast prosperity in a person's path to ruin them and I just Karen was telling me yesterday and the news somebody won a four hundred million dollar jackpot and they said they got a dream that they were supposed to pick the numbers I guess in this lottery I don't play so I'm not sure but I guess you pick the numbers I don't know but she was shown the numbers in a dream huh I wonder if the Lord showed her those numbers Kant said no the Lord would never do that she's probably right kind of in quiet moments you wish the Lord would show you those numbers I might go buy a ticket if four hundred million dollars don't quote me on that either probably the devil and you know it often happens in those families it's suddenly gonna come into a great sudden inheritance not everybody but many of them their wives unravel sometimes they end up in jail some have been murdered I mean it doesn't end well an inheritance hastily gotten doesn't always bring a blessing in it strain but job was able to manage it because his possessions did not possess him that's why Jesus said a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses you can become a slave to your possessions the more stuff you have the more you have to ensure the more you have to guard and pretty soon you can't go anywhere because you got to watch your stuff that's why Jesus when he called people to follow him he says you're gonna have a life of being an a tenor at preacher they walked away from the Nets they walked away from their cash registers because your stuff will tie you down all right back to Joe I don't want to overwhelm e.t.c he's a wealthy man first Timothy 6:17 the Bible tells us in the early church they had some people that were rich command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty not to trust in uncertain riches but in the Living God Bible doesn't say money is the root of all evil the love of money don't trust in it because you can lose everything all at once did you know that did Joe overnight he lost it all don't trust in uncertain riches but in the Living God who richly gives us all things to enjoy let them do good they that be rich be rich in good works willing to give willing to share he's not condemning them for riches he's condemning them for hoarding the riches now we're gonna go off the scene changes now we're talked about Joe we talked about where he was and when he was and who he was we learned something about the faith of job the fortune of job and the family of job and then suddenly it says there was a day the scene changes now we're going from the earth to heaven and it says there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came among them first of all who are these sons of God that come to present themselves before the Lord you can really enjoy 38-7 when the morning of the creation when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy well God's creating the world so they're not humans God uses the word angels for angels but it talks about the sons of God if you read in the loop in the Gospel of Luke the genealogy of Jesus it goes back to Adam and you'll notice it says in Luke chapter 3 37 which was the Son of Man schewe which was the son of Enoch which was the son of Jared which was the son of an of mahalia which was the son of cainan which was the son of eNOS which was the son of Seth which was the son of Adam which was the son of God all of us are born adam was not born he was created Adam was given dominion of the world that's what it says in Genesis Adam was the son of God who was the leader and representative of our planet but Adam lost it because whoever you obey you become the servant Roman six you're the servant to the one you obey and Adam lost his dominion and Eve of the planet and the devil claimed the planet so the sons of God are the representatives of the unfallen worlds that God has out there in space by the way there's a great quote in the book desire of Ages 834 the sons of God are the representatives of the unfallen worlds and I am tend to agree with the author there if you look you'll see that our planet it's not the only planet that God has made it says in Colossians 1:16 for by him we're all things created in heaven in an earth he's created things in heaven Hebrews 1:2 in these last days God has spoken to us by his son who he has appointed heir of all things through whom he made the plural worlds not just one he's got other unfallen worlds you know the parable of the man who's got how many sheep and he loses one 99 sheep loses one he leaves the 99 to go find the one lost sheep well the other ones aren't lost everybody in this world how many have sinned in this world everybody and so he goes then to look for that one all the unfallen world's Jesus left them safely and came to this world to get this lost sheep revelation 5:13 and every creature in heaven and on earth these days he spoken to us by his son and so in you read in revelation 4 around the throne of God were 24 seats and upon these seats I saw 24 elders sitting clothed in white raiment and on their head crowns of gold why they got crowns they're the leaders of unfallen worlds now there's probably a lot more than just 24 24 mentioned in Revelation but God has many unfallen worlds and then Satan comes to this meeting because he says I represent the world one of the things before Satan speaks God since where'd you come from so as I came from the earth you notice the devil doesn't say it came from hell he doesn't say I came from Hades he says I came from Earth he could have said I came from Sacramento yeah I could I mean it's somewhere on the planet cuz he says look you've got the representatives of the other worlds earth needs representative I have Dominion so I'm coming to represent them but God speaks first and he says to the devil have you considered my servant job now that's wonderful to me that God is bragging in heaven about someone on earth for me this is the best part of today's message that God not only God because God knows everything God knows the good and bad but the angels are hearing the name of the victorious on earth in heaven did Jesus tell us that's the case look in Matthew 10:32 therefore whoever confesses me before men I will confess before my father who is in heaven he says it a little bit differently in Luke 12 8 also I say whoever confesses me before men the son of man will confess before the angels before my father he says and before the Angels why don't you like to have your name brought up in a positive way in heaven wouldn't you like to be able to have God say have you considered my servant he's down there but he's not your servant Satan he's my servant you say that all the men belong to you not all of them job serves me I want you like the Lord to be able to point down and say Doug serves me insert your name there the whole universe is watching what's happening in this world the Bible says what's going on in our planet it's a Theatre of the universe first Corinthians four nine four I think that God has displayed us the Apostles last as men condemned to death for we've been made a spectacle to the world both to angels and to men do we have guardian angels that we can't see so our angels watching what's happening here on earth they are they said they see what what goes on that's why you know I love that verse in the Bible for a second I'm sorry second chronicles 16:9 for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him God is just scanning through the world seeing someone down there believe in me and I will show a mighty things through you that's why it says there was a man in the land of us God saw yet God doesn't say have you considered my servants isn't that sad God said have you considered my servant unfortunately those who serve God down here are not the majority don't you and I want to give God more names to sight in heaven that's my goal for my life and as a pastor for your life jesus said many will come to me in that day saying Lord Lord and he'll say I don't know you but did not know job Hebrews 4:13 there is no creature hidden from his sight but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we must give an account heavens watching it all now the final point I'm almost done after God says have you seen my servant Joel well the devil is as I've come from from Earth it's my Dominion Satan is called the Prince of this world and you look around you can just see even though there's a lot of beauty in the world but God the residue of his creation can be seen Satan has kind of claimed the world even Jesus said John 12:31 now is the judgment of this world and the ruler of this world will be cast out who's he talking about Satan is coming the ruler of this world he has nothing in me Prince of this world be kasih does the devil still have access to heaven before Jesus came the devil evidently could you know he was kicked out of heaven but he wasn't kicked out of wherever this meeting was we don't know where this meeting was it says there was a meeting you can carefully deduce the meeting is not on earth because Satan says I've come from the earth so in order for Satan to say I came from the earth the meeting isn't on the earth but I don't think the meetings in heaven either because Satan was cast out of heaven he can't go back in does the Lord go visit his different creatures did God come down to earth to walk and talk with Adam and Eve when he made them sure the Lord goes throughout his domain and so wherever this meeting was he called the representatives that they're giving reports on wonderful things happening in their various realms and Satan comes and you could just hear you can hear the murmuring among all the other sons I got the look who's here did they all know who lute Satan is yeah and he's coming and he's not doing or saying good things Satan clans that claims to be the leader and then Satan says do you know my servant our God says have you considered my servant Joe here's a question did the devil know who job was now is the devil a misson God knows all things he's omniscient no is the devil omnipresent no he's not omnipotent only God is omnipotent omniscient and omnipresent he knows everything he can be everywhere he sees everything he has all power why does the devil operate through his fallen angels so sometimes when you and I say the devil is tempting me devil doesn't even know who you are probably I mean if he's doesn't know every name of all seven billion people on the planet most of me is not worried about I mean if Jesus could say I know you not to the Lost then certainly there's some of the devil's gonna say I know you not matter of fact I got a quote proves that these seven sons were trying to cast out a devil in acts 19 15 and the devil speaks through the man they didn't know the Lord they're just claiming the name of Jesus and they said in the name of Jesus who Paul preaches come out and the devil answered listen what he said Jesus I know I remember him before I was cast out of heaven and Paul I know I know Paul I've put a thorn in his side and he is a thorn in my side I know Paul but who are you now here's the question do you want the devil to know who you are don't you want to live the kind of life where you're a thorn in the side now you don't want to raise your hand and shout and jump up and down as yes yes I want the devil to know who I am because when you do that you know the Bible says all that live godly will suffer persecution and everyone here want to suffer persecution I don't want persecution but I want to please the Lord and then I want to be godly and that may bring persecution so the question is do you want the devil to know who you are do you want to live a life so that God says how do you considered my servant and name your name this is one of the wonderful things about the book of Job there was a man and there was a man back then that went through a great trial and God ends up blessing him he brings him through his trial but God had somebody he could point to on earth that was proving the devil wrong you know why this is such an important message it's about the great controversy the devil says God cannot be obeyed God is not fair it's impossible for people to serve God he expects too much and God says job is a happy man he is a blessed man and it's possible for any man to have that relationship and job disproves the devil's claims and God wants you and I before Jesus comes back he wants a church a glorified Church with spot or wrinkle to be living the kind of lives a job lived don't you want that experience well God can help you have that experience because he is faithful and what he did for job he can do for us we just need that kind of love that's gonna be our closing hymn great is thy faithfulness I love this song and why don't you turn to 100 in your hymnals our song leaders will come out and will stand together let's sing as great as thy faithfulness [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] stay [Music] just before we have our closing prayer I want to ask how many of you are encouraged and maybe even a little intimidated by the example of job and what like are saying Lord I want to serve you I'm gonna please you like that I want you to declare my name in heaven is that your prayer father in heaven help us all to have that experience that job had to know you a Lord we pray as we continue our study through this book that we'll even see a transformation coming over our lives that in over our church that we can be the light in the world you've called us to be we know that we're living in a time where a great trouble is before us we just ask for your blessing now be with each person be with us in our homes and our hearts and help us to to love you fear you to hate evil and to be people of intercession and devotion like job we thank you and pray in Jesus name Amen you may be seated

Channel: Aaron

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Length: 65min 6sec (3906 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 11 2018