The greatness of God

[0:00] Job chapter 38, and reading the first 24 verses. To the first three verses I give the title, Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

[0:32] Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Get up your loins like a man, and I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

[0:49] And the next title, which apprised all the remainder to verse 24, the first words of verse 4, Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

[1:02] Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know.

[1:16] Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone? When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

[1:30] Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it bust forth from the womb? When I made clouds its garments, And thick darkness its swaddling band, And prescribed bounds for it, And set bars and doors, And said, Thus far you shall come, And no further, And here your proud waves be stayed.

[1:54] Have you commanded the morning, Since your days began, And caused the dawn to know its place, That it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?

[2:05] It is changed like clay under the seal, And it is dyed like a garment. From the wicked their light is withheld, And their uplifted arm is broken.

[2:18] Have you entered into the springs of the sea, Or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?

[2:31] Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare it, If you know all this. Where is the way to the dwelling of light?

[2:43] And where is the place of darkness? That you may take it to its territory, And discern the paths to its home. You know, For you were born then, And the number of your days is great.

[3:00] Have you entered the storehouses of snow? Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail? Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle and war? What is the way to the place where light is distributed?

[3:15] Or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth? Amen. May the Lord bless you. Let's start reading. May it be to his praise and to his glory. In looking at the 38th chapter of the book of Job, And carrying on this theme, If you want in a one sentence, What this is about tonight, What this is about tonight, Is the greatness of God.

[3:46] Because that's the message of these chapters, 38 to 41 and 2, Which God is seeking to give to Job. The greatness of God.

[3:59] Now, We began by looking at Job 9, Verses 1 and 2. Job answered, Truly I know that it is so, But how can a man be declared to be in the right Before God?

[4:15] It's this business of A dark experience. It is The lot Of the Christian life. That there are Dark experiences.

[4:30] And in these dark experiences, It does seem If somehow God is far away. And this book Speaks To that situation.

[4:45] Now, At the end of chapter 9, He says, There is no umpire between us Who might lay his hand upon us both.

[4:57] Now, umpire is the right English translation, But it's got absolutely nothing to do With the umpire on the cricket field. Because what the Hebrew word means there Is somebody who settles arguments.

[5:14] And Job has this argument with God. Why? Why is this Happening to me? We also saw In chapter 16 That the light Is beginning to dawn.

[5:31] Behold, my witness is in heaven And he who vouches for me Is on high. And again, in chapter 19 In that well-known verse I know that my Redeemer lives And at the last He will stand upon the earth.

[5:47] So what Job is wanting all along Is an answer. And in the first three verses We get this.

[5:58] The fact of an answer. The Lord answered Job Out of the whirlwind Who is this Who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Geared up your loins Like a man I will question you And you shall declare to me.

[6:14] Now in going to chapter 38 We seem a long way From Job's troubles.

[6:26] In chapter 1 Verses 18 and 19 We read of them While he, one of the servants Was yet speaking There came another And said Your sons and daughters Were eating and drinking wine In their eldest brother's house And behold A great wind came across The wilderness And struck the four corners Of the house And it fell upon the young people And they are dead And I alone Have escaped to tell you.

[6:56] So in other words What's happening here is That the narrative is telling us That Job's experience was dark Because He lost Everything And so the question is Why?

[7:19] Why is it happening To me? When I have walked before you In the innocence of my hands Why? Now we find that These three people One could hardly call them friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar They have an answer And this What they say is That this disaster Has been caused By the fact That Job is not as saintly As he seems to appear He has sinned Against heaven Now the first one Whose speeches You can find Eliphaz In chapter 4 And again in chapter 22 And also in another chapter In the middle of it all 15 All his reasoning Comes out Of what he's seen The way humanity works Think now Think now Who that was innocent Ever perished

[8:20] Or where Were the upright Cut off As I have seen Those who plough iniquity And sow trouble Reap the same That's their answer That's their answer Job has sinned It's clear I've seen this But Job will have none of it Chapter 6 verse 10 This would be my consolation I would even exult In pain unsparing For I have not denied The words Of the Holy One And so he turns To his friends In the same chapter And says If you've got something To say That's of profit Teach me And I will be silent Make me understand How I have erred But they have No such teaching To offer So what he wants

[9:22] Is an answer From God Now in chapter 23 He says this Oh that I knew Where I might find him That I might even Come to his seat That I would lay My case before him And fill my mouth With arguments I would learn What he would answer me And understand What he would Say to me So as far as Job is concerned He's looking For this answer The arguments Of Eliphaz And all the rest They're totally worthless They mean nothing They don't They don't minister To his present need In any way Whatsoever But he goes on In chapter 13 Call and I will answer And let me speak And you reply to me So here it is What he wants And his deepest longing

[10:24] Is that God Will speak And so at Chapter 38 The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind Who is this That darkens counsel By words without knowledge Gird of your loins Like a man And I will question you And you shall declare To me So here's the answer God is speaking What sort of answer Is it?

[10:53] It's a question Who is this That darkens counsel By words without knowledge So what God Is saying here is These things That you've been saying Are not based On any spiritual insight And because of that They've darkened The counsel Of God So the answers come But it's not the answer He thought So let's move on And consider The content Of the answer The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind Who is this That darkens counsel By words without knowledge Gird up your loins Like a man And I will question you And you shall declare To me When you look at Chapters 38 And 39 You will see They're composed Of a series Of questions All related

[11:53] Round the theme Of creation And the intent Is To show how Inferior And puny Job is When compared To the greatness And the majesty Of God Listen to this Selection Where were you When I laid The foundations Of the earth Tell me If you have Understanding Have you commanded The morning Since your days Began And caused the dawn To know its place That it might Take hold Of the skirts Of the earth And the wicked Be shaken Out of it Where is the way To the dwelling Of light Where is the place Of darkness That you take To it Its territory And you may Discern the path To its home And following that The Lord gives This sarcastic Reply

[12:54] You know For you were Born then And the number Of your days Is great And this goes on Into chapter 39 In chapter 39 It comes to a Close In verses 26 And 27 Is it By your wisdom That the hawk Soars And springs His wings Towards the south Is it At your command That the eagle Mounts up And makes His nest On high And so Job responds In chapter 40 Verse 4 I am Of small Account And I lay My hand Upon my mouth Now when we Get to Chapter 40 There's a Change Because the Questions Stop And two Beasts Are introduced Called Behemoth

[13:55] And Leviathan If you look At the notes In your English Bible They are likened To the Hepapotamus And the Crocodile Or perhaps The elephant Now when it Is the case That they are To be identified In that way And these Are beasts Which the Historical person Job Would have Been familiar Yet they Are described As being So terrible Their real Identity Must be Considered Elsewhere In the Old Testament And what I want to Say about These two Beasts Is this That they Represent The presence Of evil In the Creation Where does This description Come from When God's People under Joshua Entered the Land They were Told not To Familiarize

[14:56] Themselves with The current Inhabitants of The land But this was In fact Something they Ignored And the Description Here has Come from Some of Those Canaanite Nations Because what It is They are Beasts All right But they're There to Show a Purpose And the Purpose Is the Presence Of evil Now in Psalm 74 Verses 12 And 14 Leviathan Is referred to Again God my King is From of Old Working Salvation In the Midst of The Earth You Did Crush The Heads Of Leviathan You Gave Him As Food For The Creatures Of The Wilderness Notice It says Heads Because some Of these Texts Have Now Been Discovered From Ancient

[15:56] Canaanite Sources Describe Leviathan As a Seven Headed Cosmic Beast Who Dwelt In The Sea And Who Forced The Powers Of The Waters Against The People The People Of God Indeed It's Not Only There You Get It You Also Get It In Isaiah 27 Verse 1 This Is This Is What It Says In That Day The Lord With His Hard And Great And Strong Sword Will Punish Leviathan The Fleeing Serpent Leviathan The Twisting Serpent And He Will Slay The Dragon That Is In The Sea So What's Happening Here Is Certainly From This Old Canaanite Source This These Characters Are Being Shown To Show That

[16:56] Job Will Not Be Able To Win The Day Over Them Only God Can Do That In Chapter 41 Verses 9 And 10 We Read Behold The Hope Of Man Is Disappointed He Is Laid Low Even At The Sight Of Him He's Talking About This Leviathan No One Is So Fierce That He Dares To Stir Him Up Who Then Is He That Can Stand Before Me Only God Has The Power Over Evil That Is True Then It's True Now And What's Being Spoken About Here Is The Greatness Of God And What He Achieved Yes In The Old Testament But What He Achieved In The Cross The

[17:58] First Pistole Of John Tells Us For This Reason The Son Of God Was Revealed To Destroy The Works Of The Devil The Greatness Of God That's What's Happening Here Finally The Result The Lord Answered Job Out Of The Whirlwind Who Is This That Darkens Counsel My Words Without Knowledge Get Up Your Loins Like A Man I Will Question You And You Shall Declare To Me Now These Words Gird Up Your Loins Like A Man I Will Question You And You Shall Declare To Me Are Repeated In Chapter 40 Verse 7 And Also Briefly In Chapter 42 Verse 4 Now What Are These Words These Words Are

[18:58] The Appeal That God Makes To Job The Appeal That God Makes To You And I To Celebrate The Greatness Of God And His Omnipotent Power He Is The Almighty God Gear Up Your Loins Like A Man I Will Question You And You Shall Declare To Me Job Job Has Been Looking For An Answer From The Almighty God Now He Has One But It Is Not Quite The Answer He's Been Looking For What Is It Exactly That The Lord Considers Job To Be Saying In All Of His Statements In Chapter 40 Verse 8 He Says The Lord Speaking Will You Even Put Me In The Wrong

[19:58] Will You Condem Me That You May Be Declared To Be In The Right Now These Words Revealed That Far From An Uncaring Heaven The Lord Has Understood Very Well The Concerns Of Job In His Heart But The Analysis That God Gives Of What Job Has Said Is That He Is Attempting To Put God In The Wrong So That He Will Be Vindicated And Declared To Be Right Now Going Back To Chapter Nine Where We Started Job Answered Truly I Know It Is So But How Can A Man Be Declared To Be In The Right With God So From This Series Of Assaults That Job Makes On God We Turn To See The Result And The Results Are Found In Chapter 42

[20:58] And In The First Six Verses And These Are Job's Words They're Not God's Words He Quotes God's Words In Them The Lord That Job Answered The Lord And Said I Know You Can Do All Things And No Purpose Of Yours Can Be Thwarted You See The Greatness Of God And The Greatness Of God Is This As As Far As Job's Concerned I Have Uttered What I Do Not Understand Things Too Wonderful For Me Which I Did Not Know I Heard Of You By The Hearing Of The Ear But Now My Eye Sees You Therefore I Despise Myself And Repent In Dust And Ashes So

[22:00] What Is This That Job Is Saying In Response To These Questions And In Response To These Beasts That Have Appeared In Chapter 40 And 41 He's Saying This He Utter Things Which He Had Not Correctly Understood And He Did Not Know Second He's Saying That What He Had Said Was Based On What He Had Heard From Others But Now The Difference Is He Sees God As He Really Is So From This Experience Job Has Got To Know The God He Thought He Knew But In A Far Greater Way He Had Lost Everything While He Was Yet Speaking There Came Another And Said

[23:01] Your Sons And Daughters Were Eating And Drinking Wine In Their Eldest Brother's House And Behold A Great Wind Came Across The Wilderness And Struck The Four Corners Of The House And It Fell Upon The Young People And They Are Dead And I Alone Have Escaped To Tell You This Was A Heart A Rendering Experience It Was One That He Had Never Experienced Before According To The Book Of Job Would Never Do So Again But There Was A Purpose In It And That Purpose Was To Give Job A Greater Vision Of God Than He Previously Had And The Truth Of This Ancient Book Speaks To Us Today It

[24:02] Speaks To Us About Our Own Valley Of Suffering Our Own Dark Experience Because It Says That When We Emerge From This As We Will Our Vision Of God Will Be Far Greater Than It Is Now That Is What The Book Of Job Is All About It Seems To Go Round In Circles But There Is An Underlying Theme And A Trend That Is Giving To Job A Great Vision Of God Behold It Says James We Call Those Happy Who Are Steadfast You Have Heard Of The Steadfastness Of Job And Have Seen The Purpose Of The Lord How The Lord Is Compassionate And Merciful The Lord

[25:02] Answered Job Out Of The Whirlwind Who Is This That Darkens Counsel By Words Without Knowledge God Get Up Your Loins Like A Man I Will Question You And You Shall Be Clear To Me Amen God Bless What Is Been Said To His Own Praise And Glory