Open your Bibles, if you would, to Job chapter 38.
If you're using the Pew Bible, don't have a Bible of your own, I would encourage you to turn there.
It's on page 443, Job 38.
We head into the homestretch, as it were, of our study in the book of Job.
And finally the moment is here.
The moment we've all been waiting for is finally come in Job 38,
where up to this point God has been audibly silent.
We've been learning about the suffering and the silence of God,
and God has been silent to Job, silent to his friends,
at least in an audible way up to this point, and finally God will speak.
We're going to hear his words.
What will he say?
How will he come and address the counsel that's been happening to Job's friends?
How will he address Job's heart and the strugglings and the wrestlings of his heart?
What will he say?
How will God set all the things back in order?
Well, of course, God has not been silent.
And we've seen that throughout the whole book.
And while his voice has not been audible,
it's clear that the truth about God has been present.
We've seen it in the address, the counsel of Job's friends.
We've seen it in Job himself,
as he addresses God and draws truth out of creation.
We've seen it from Elihu and how Elihu will state very true things about God
that he's observed in creation.
And of course, we know that this is the case.
As the psalmist says in Psalm 19, verses 1 to 4,
he says,
Notice all the times where voice and speech and knowledge
and declare and proclaim all of these words that describe the voice of God
that comes through the created order,
the heavens that declare the glory of God.
God can be perceived and truth about God can be known through creation.
It's an accurate picture, an accurate representation of God.
The challenge, though, comes to how we perceive this truth
and how we interpret the truths that can be known through the universe.
So that in Romans chapter 1, we find this in 19 and 20,
What can be known about God is plain to them,
speaking about anyone who has access to creation and the world that God made.
Because God has shown it to them for his invisible attributes,
namely, his eternal power, his divine nature,
have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world
in the things that have been made so that they are without excuse.
God has made himself known.
God has declared truth about himself through creation
that is accurate, that is clear, that can be perceived,
that is accessible to us.
The problem, however, is that it's limited by our perspective.
It's limited by the way that we interpret the truths that we perceive.
That while we see God's nature,
while we can experience God's power,
it has to run through a filter, through a grid of our interpretation,
and we make assumptions based upon the truths we see.
So that when Romans 1 goes on,
it helps us understand what the inevitable conclusion is every time without the Scripture.
For although they knew God, it says,
they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him.
But they became futile in their thinking,
and their foolish hearts were darkened.
We're going to see a measure of that as God addresses Job today.
And God says directly to Job,
who is this who darkens counsel?
That's where we're all left,
without the Scripture in front of us.
The way that we interpret the truths
is going to be polluted by our own assumptions about God.
We all know this.
There are, I'm sure, a number of times where you have observed situations,
and you thought you knew the facts,
and you thought you were able to kind of discern what was going on,
but you realize later on that your assumptions were made improperly.
This past Friday night, our family was at a sporting event.
And there was a family sitting just in front and to the left of us,
and three of the members of this family,
a little girl who was seven,
and two young women who were there.
And she was skipping on the tops of the bench that was there,
the bleachers that were there,
hopping from the top to the bottom,
and then on the way to the top.
And I turned to look at the sporting event,
and all of a sudden I hear a thud.
And then I hear a, a cry.
And I turn and look, and here's this little girl.
She's down on the floor of the bleachers,
and she's crying her eyes out.
And the young woman who's sitting next to her says,
will you stop it already?
Will you just be quiet?
That's enough.
And I thought to myself,
wow, that seems a little hard.
What should I do?
Should I intervene?
Should I help to provide some tenderness that's missing?
And what I came to discover over a little bit of time,
in talking to this little girl through the rest of the evening,
is that she is a,
she is one of ten siblings in a family.
And, and so I asked her, you know, the obvious question,
hey, so you're the youngest of ten.
Would you say that you get the most attention or the least attention?
And without hesitation, she said, the most attention.
And I thought to myself, okay, now this makes sense.
She has learned how to manipulate the situation
and to get the attention that she really, really wants.
And she was fine.
And her sister, who was sitting there, older sister,
knew that she was fine,
knew that she was a drama queen,
knew that she often does this to try to get attention.
And just to be, just be quiet.
I've had enough.
And it was a, it was a delightful interchange.
The rest of the evening as she talked our ear off
and we got to know the family a little bit better.
But God has made himself known through creation.
There are things that we can perceive,
truths that we can perceive about God,
but it's limited because we're missing the conversation.
And it wasn't until our family,
I had a conversation with this little girl
that now things began to be clear
and now I was beginning to read things in the right way.
We're going to see through the course of our time this morning
that God is going to show up
and God is going to now begin to set things straight for Job.
He's had a, he's had a lot of things right.
He's declared a lot of truths about God,
but he's come to the wrong conclusions about God.
And now God will finally break the silence
and help to establish who he really is
and help to set the grid by which his creation needs to be understood.
So open up, if you would, if you're not already there,
to Job chapter 38.
We're going to cover this morning,
the plan was to cover chapter 38 and 39,
but my plan is just to cover verses 1 to 3
and then we'll come back to the rest of it next week.
We're just going to lay the foundation for this
and help us understand the framework
for what God is doing.
Maybe review a lot of the complaints that Job had,
kind of catch us up to where we are in this study
so we can really appreciate what God is doing here.
And it's amazing.
Job 38 verses 1 to 3 says this,
Then the Lord answered.
He answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
Who is this that darkens counsel
by words without knowledge?
Dress for action like a man
and I will question you
and you make it known to me.
Here at the very beginning,
the Lord will answer Job.
The Lord answered Job.
And in his answer,
in the way that he answers,
we're going to see three very distinct
and very significant things about God.
Things that should encourage all of us
and certainly were a blessing to Job
through the course of this conversation.
That Job answered God
meant that God was present first of all.
First, God is present.
With these opening words,
Then the Lord answered Job.
You can almost sense this sigh of relief.
God is here.
God is present.
God hasn't abandoned me.
God isn't really my enemy
like I thought he was.
God has not pushed me aside.
God has not counted me as unworthy.
God is present.
God is here and God is speaking.
He's answered me.
Almost like a child
who's kind of wandered away in the store
and maybe you've had this experience.
Maybe you've been that kid
or maybe you've been that parent
where you've told your kids
who are younger,
Hey, stay close to me.
Don't move away from where I am.
This is a big store.
There are a lot of people here.
I don't want you to get lost.
But that child,
and maybe it was you,
you saw that thing in the last aisle.
You were passing by with your mom
and it just seemed so enticing.
You know, it had the button
that said touch here
and you didn't get a chance to touch
because it was out of reach
and you just want to go back
and see what touching does.
And so mom's not looking.
She's at the shelves
and you kind of slip away
just briefly and quickly
to go do what you wanted to do
and to touch whatever it was
and to hear that sound
or to see that motion
and then you make your way back
to the first aisle
where your mother was
and now she's missing.
You've been rebellious.
You've been disobedient.
You have done what your mom
said not to do
in leaving her side
and now you know
there will be consequences
because of your disobedience
but it does not matter
because all you want
is to have the presence
of mom again.
And so what do you do?
You cry out,
Mommy, where are you?
Willing to accept
whatever consequences might come
but it doesn't matter
because you need mommy
to be there.
I'm lost.
I'm alone.
But all of that doesn't matter
as long as I have
mommy back in my presence.
And now Job
is finally experiencing
the presence of God again.
And I can,
you can better believe
that Job is feeling
a sense of relief.
Whatever my complaint was,
whatever the answer is,
it really doesn't matter
because God is here.
God is present.
And whatever consequences
will come,
whatever this darkening
of counsel means,
whatever the confrontation
or rebuke will be,
at least God is present here.
At least God has come.
And Job knows
it's going to be
a terrible encounter.
He's stated so much
through the course
of this book.
We've seen back in Job
chapter 9 verse 11
and some of the complaints
of Job's heart.
Behold, he says,
he passes by me
and I see him not.
He moves on
but I do not perceive him.
Where is the Lord?
How then can I answer him?
Choosing my words with him.
Though I am in the right,
I cannot answer him.
I must appeal for mercy
to my accuser.
I don't understand
what's going on here.
I used to enjoy
such fellowship with God.
We had sweet communion together.
I worshipped him.
I pointed my family to him.
I enjoyed the blessings from him
and somehow he's distant.
Somehow I feel like
I've become his enemy
and I have no idea
what has happened.
Oh God, just come
and let me know
what's taken place.
I'll fix whatever it is
and then we can get
right on with
how things were.
In Job chapter 13,
he echoes this complaint
in verse 3,
but I would speak
to the Almighty.
I desire to argue
my case with God.
Withdraw your hand from me.
Let not dread of you
terrify me.
Then call
and I will answer
or let me speak
and you reply to me.
How many are my iniquities
and my sins?
Make me know
my transgressions
and my sins.
Why do you hide your face
and count me
as your enemy?
That's really what
this has been about.
It's not necessarily
been about
Job's complaint
about God's injustice,
but it's been about
Job understanding
the justice of God,
but also seeing
the integrity
of his own heart
and the two
he just cannot reconcile.
How can both be true?
If I just speak with God,
he can set the record straight.
He can just tell me
what's going on.
I can make this right.
We can get on
with the way things were.
In Job 23,
I don't have this
in this slide.
Oh, he says,
that I knew
where I might find him,
that I might come
even to his seat.
I would lay my case
before him
and fill my mouth
with arguments.
There an upright man
could argue with him
and I would be acquitted
forever by my judge.
Behold,
I go forward,
but he is not there,
and backward,
but I do not perceive him
on the left hand
when he is working.
I do not behold him.
He turns to the right hand,
but I do not see him,
but he knows
the way I take.
When he has tried me,
I shall come out
as gold.
Therefore,
I am terrified
of his presence
when I consider
I am in dread
of him.
Job understands
that meeting with God
is a fearful venture,
but if that's what it takes
to resolve the issue
between him and God,
it's worth the cost.
More than anything,
Job just wanted
to hear from God.
More than anything,
Job just wanted
to understand
that things were good.
They were cleared.
That he could reconcile
between God
and he could enjoy
that relationship
with him again.
But the counsel
that he was getting
throughout the course
of this book
is a counsel
that would say,
God doesn't care
about you.
God is not going
to show up
and meet with you,
Job.
Eliphaz would say
something along
those lines
in Job chapter 5 verse 1.
He says,
Call now.
Is there anyone
who will answer you?
To which of the holy ones
will you turn?
Job,
God doesn't care
about your situation.
God is not going
to answer
your pleas
for meeting
with him.
The only way
that God is going
to meet with you
is if you resolve
the sin in your life
and then maybe
God will entertain
the possibility
of meeting
with you again.
Elihu will say
much the same thing
in Job chapter 35
verses 13 and 14.
Surely God
does not hear
an empty cry
nor does the Almighty
regard it
how much less
when you say
that you do not
see him.
That the case
is before him
and you are
waiting for him.
I'm quoting you,
Job.
These are your words.
When you say
that God does not
hear you
and God is not there
how can you imagine
that empty kinds
of cries
are going to elicit
from a response
from God?
And here we are
in Job 38 verse 1.
And the Lord answered.
The Lord answered
because
the Lord
delighted in Job.
And the Lord
delights
in answering
the cries
of those
who come to him.
Those who call
on the name
of the Lord
will be saved.
They will be delivered.
They will enjoy
his help.
You see
Eliphaz
didn't speak
for God.
Elihu
didn't speak
for God.
They were both
dead wrong.
And God
shows up
to answer
Job.
And he will hear
and answer
those who call
on him
in humility.
I want to take
just a mini
detour
so you can see
the wonder
of this God
that we serve
from Psalm 107.
It's one of my
favorites.
Who will God
answer?
Who will God
save?
Who will God
deliver?
And we get
snapshots of
four different
groups of individuals
who experience
the delivering
hand of God.
and the
one
similarity
between every
single one
of them
is they
will call
and they
will ask
for help
and God
will deliver.
Notice this
in verse 1.
Oh give thanks
to the Lord
for he is
good.
His steadfast
love endures
forever.
His love
is dependable.
His love
is steady.
His love
can be counted
on.
You can count
on the love
of God.
Here's some
examples
beginning in
verse 4.
Some have
wandered in
the desert
wastes
finding no
way to a
city to dwell
in.
Hungry and
thirsty their
soul fainted
within them.
Then they
cried to the
Lord.
in their
trouble.
And he
delivered them
from their
distress.
He led
them by a
straight way
till they
reached a
city to dwell
in.
Let them
thank the
Lord for
his steadfast
love for
his wondrous
works to the
children of
men.
Then moving
down to
verse 10.
Some sat
in darkness
in the
shadow of
death.
Prisoners
in affliction
in an iron
for they had
rebelled
against the
words of
God and
spurned the
counsel
of the
Most High.
Now do you
get that for
a second?
They're
experiencing the
devastating
consequences of
their own
actions.
They're in
prison.
They're
experiencing
difficulty and
suffering because
of their own
rebellion.
Verse 13,
then they cried
to the Lord in
their trouble.
He delivered
them from
their distress.
He brought
them out of
darkness in
the shadow
of death.
He burst
their bonds
apart.
Let them
thank the
Lord for
his steadfast
love for
his wondrous
works to
the children
of men.
And in
verse 17,
some were
fools through
their sinful
ways and
because of
their iniquities
they suffered
affliction.
They loathed
any kind
of food and
they drew
near to the
gates of
death.
Then they
cried to the
Lord in
their trouble.
He delivered
them from
their distress.
Let them
thank the
Lord for
his steadfast
love for
his wondrous
works to
the children
of men.
And in
verse 23,
some went
down to
the sea and
ships doing
business on
the great
waters.
They saw
the deeds
of the Lord,
his wondrous
works in the
deep.
For he
commanded and
raised the
stormy wind.
I've
underlined that
because that's
the same
word as
the whirlwind
that we see
in our
passage.
Which lifted
up the
waves of
the sea.
They mounted
up to the
heavens.
They went
down to
the depths.
Their
courage
melted
away.
And in
their evil
plight,
then they
cried to
the Lord
in their
trouble.
He
delivered
them from
their
distress.
Let
them
thank the
Lord for
his steadfast
love,
for his
wondrous
works to
the children
of men.
God delights
in answering
the prayers
of those who
cry.
He delights
in the
humility of
those who
will recognize
the desperation
of their need
and they turn
to God and
say,
save me,
deliver me,
help me.
And the
greatest
deliverance we
need,
of course,
is the
deliverance
from sin
and God
sent his
son Jesus
to deal
with that
on the
cross so
that those
who ask
forgiveness
for their
sin and
believe that
he died
and rose
again can
enjoy the
benefits of
forgiveness
in salvation
and deliverance.
So we find
from Romans
chapter 10
verses 9
to 13
where it
says,
because if
you confess
with your
mouth that
Jesus is
Lord and
believe in
your heart
that God
raised him
from the
dead,
you will
be saved.
For the
heart one
believes in
is justified
and with
the mouth
one confesses
and is saved.
For the
scripture says,
everyone who
believes in
him will
not be put
to shame.
There is no
distinction
between Jew
and Greek.
For the
same Lord
is Lord
of all,
bestowing
his riches
on all
who call
on him.
For everyone
who calls
on the
name of
the Lord
will be
saved.
Do you
need
deliverance
this morning?
The greatest
deliverance
you could
ever need
is deliverance
of the
bondage
of sin
in your
life.
It's the
forgiveness
and cleansing
that comes
from God
through
belief
in his
son Jesus
Christ.
And the
deliverance
that God
gives is
not deliverance
always from
the struggles
that you
face,
but it's
always a
struggle.
It's the
deliverance
that he
gives,
the peace
that passes
understanding
and the
strength that
God delivers
to carry us
through the
trials that
we face.
And an
awareness of
the fact that
God is
present in
our life.
Even when
he seems
so distant
that God
is there,
he delights
in answering
those who
call on
him because
he's present.
Well,
God is also
powerful,
not just
present,
that God
is powerful.
The Lord
answered Job
out of the
whirlwind and
said,
Who is this
that darkens
counsel by
words without
knowledge?
The fact that
God shows up
in this
whirlwind is
to establish
emphatically
that he is
a God that
cannot be
trifled with.
He's a God
of unstoppable
power.
He comes to
Job in this
whirlwind
to help
him
recognize
that God
is a
force.
And of
course,
Job
understood
the force
and the
power
and the
supremacy
of God.
But he's
reminded now
again of
God's
power in
the whirlwind.
We'll see
this again in
Job 40
verses 6
and 7.
Next week,
the Lord
answered Job
out of a
whirlwind and
said,
Dress for
action like a
man.
I will
question you
and you
make it
known to
me.
Well,
why a
whirlwind?
It's a
way to
arrest
Job's
attention.
It's a
way for
him to
recognize
again in
a very
visual way
that God
is in
charge,
that God
is powerful.
But so
often throughout
the Old
Testament
especially,
we see that
God shows
up in this
way to
show the
unstoppable
nature of
his power.
we see it
in Isaiah
chapter 29
verses 5
to 7
where the
nation of
Israel,
Jerusalem in
particular,
they're under
siege and
these powerful
nations are
coming against
them and
from a human
standpoint,
there was no
answer,
there was no
solution,
there was no
helper,
but God shows
up through the
prophet Isaiah
to say,
I am a
helper and
I'm going to
show you how
this is going
to happen.
The multitude
of your foreign
foes shall be
like a small
dust,
the multitude
of the ruthless
like passing
chaff,
in an instant
suddenly you
will be visited
by the Lord
of hosts with
thunder and
earthquakes and
a great noise,
with a whirlwind
and a tempest
and flame and
devouring fire,
and the multitude
of all the nations
that fight against
Ariel,
that's another word
for Jerusalem,
all that fight
against her
and her stronghold
and distress her
shall be like
a dream,
like a vision
of a night,
like nothing,
nothing before
the power of
God represented
by Isaiah
as an earthquake
and a fire
and this tempest
or whirlwind,
this unstoppable
power
is a way for
God to
demonstrate through
even the
physical world
that Job and
his friends have
been drawing
from the
nature of
God that
has become
clear to
them,
is now showing
up and
represented once
again by
power in
this whirlwind.
It reminds us
as well that
grace is cheap
without a proper
understanding or
fear of God.
This tempest,
if you've ever
been in a
situation,
maybe even a
tornado,
I remember as a
young child
and just moving
to Ohio
too.
And growing
up in
Cedarville,
it had a
reputation just
a couple of
years before
of this huge
tornado that
came through
and did
massive devastation.
And as a
six-year-old
boy, I was
terrified of
the tempest.
I had a hard
time getting to
sleep at night
because of the
power of a
tornado and the
whirlwind as it
were.
And God
reminds us
through this
whirlwind that
the grace that
he offers to
us is cheap
unless we
understand his
power, unless
we stand in
reverence in
fear of him.
Job will even
say in chapter
9 verse 15,
though I am in
the right, I
cannot answer
him.
I must appeal
for mercy to
my accuser.
He recognizes
that he stands
in reverence to
God and he is
pleading for
mercy.
You see, we
must never lose
sight of the
glory of God.
We must never
make God
common and
that's what the
writer to the
Hebrews is
constantly referring
to.
How through our
sin and through
our disobedience,
we bring God
down.
We make him
common.
It's okay, I
can offend him,
he's just like
anyone else.
Maybe that's not
what we say in
our hearts, but
that's essentially
what we are
affirming through
our actions.
Job understood
the fear of
God.
He understood
the terror of
standing before
him.
He understood
the mercy and
the grace of
God's presence and
that's what he was
appealing to.
And finally here,
God is wise.
God is present.
God is powerful.
God is wise.
Again, in verse
1, the Lord
answered Job out
of the whirlwind
and said,
Who is this that
darkens counsel by
words without
knowledge?
Who do you think
you are, Job?
The knowledge you've
had about me is so
convoluted.
You're speaking
ignorantly.
And Job understood
the significance of
God's wisdom.
He appeals to that
in Job 28,
verse 28,
when he says
this,
he said to
man,
Behold the fear
of the Lord.
That is wisdom.
And to turn away
from evil is
understanding.
He understood and
grasped some
aspects of this.
But there are also
times in Job's life
where he couldn't
compute, he couldn't
put the pieces
together and so he
made assumptions
about God that
weren't true.
There are a number
of references
throughout the
book of Job that
draw on this
illusion of light
and darkness.
Light that appeals
or refers to
clarity and truth
and darkness that
refers to ignorance
and blindness to
the truth that's in
front of them.
In Job 12,
verse 22,
Job says,
He uncovers deep
things out of
darkness.
He brings the
shadow of death
to life.
Light.
He takes away the
understanding of
the chiefs, of
the people.
They grope in the
dark without light.
Job understood the
significance of
getting wisdom from
God.
He desired to have
that wisdom.
He knew there was
a difference between
light and darkness.
And while he
understood some
things about God,
there were some
gaps in his
understanding.
They've been
concealed from him.
He had spoken in
ignorance.
He tried to put the
pieces together, but
he made the wrong
assumptions.
He was limited.
He was limited
because he didn't
have access to the
special revelation,
the word of God
that we have access
to.
And so while he was
trying to reconcile
the justice of God,
he didn't have a
category for life
after death.
And so in his
mind, he thought
the justice of God
needed to be meted
out in the here
and now.
And so if wicked
people prosper and
righteous people
suffer, how can that
equate and compare
with God's justice?
He had no category
for life after death.
And interestingly,
there is no mention
by Job or even
Job's friends of
Satan.
They had no concept
of an adversary,
the devil, who is
coming against God's
plans and seeking
to undermine God's
good things.
While they knew
about angels,
they seemed to be
oblivious to Satan
and his part in
all of these things.
And so they assign
the suffering to God
instead of seeing
that it's coming
through the avenue
of Satan and
seeking to undo
God's plans.
And of course,
God is ultimately
in control.
in Job chapter 2
verse 3, God in
speaking with Satan
says, Job still
holds fast his
integrity.
Although you,
Satan, have incited
me against him to
destroy him without
reason.
God is ultimately
responsible.
He's the one who
permits Satan to do
his thing.
But Satan is the one
who is coming after
Job.
Satan is the one
who is unleashing
this suffering on
Job.
But Job doesn't
understand this.
And so in Job
chapter 6 verse 4,
he says,
The arrows of the
Almighty are in me.
My spirit drinks
their poison.
The terrors of God
are arrayed against
me.
In Job chapter 9
verse 17, he says,
For he, speaking of
the Lord, crushes me
with a tempest and
multiplies my wounds
without cause.
In Job 19 verse 6,
8 and 22, he says,
God has wronged me.
He has fenced up my
way.
He has stripped me of
glory.
He breaks me down on
every side.
He has kindled his
wrath against me.
He counts me as one of
his enemies.
The hand of God has
struck me.
And Job, of course,
was wrong.
He speaks ignorantly.
He's trying to derive
the truths that he
knows about his own
suffering and he
doesn't recognize the
parts that he's not,
that he's missing.
Of course, God has
given to us his word.
And in Psalm 19, God
has not only given us
the words of himself
through the heavens,
the heavens declaring
the glory of God, but
the rest of the Psalm
speaks about the wonder
of the scriptures that
we have.
The law of the Lord is
perfect, reviving the
soul.
The testimony of the
Lord is sure, making
wise the simple.
The precepts of the
Lord are right, rejoicing
the heart.
The commandment of the
Lord is pure, enlightening
the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is
clean, enduring forever.
The rules of the Lord are
true and righteous
altogether.
More to be desired are
they than gold, even much
fine gold.
Sweeter also than
honey and drippings of
the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is
your servant warned.
In keeping them, there
is great reward.
The word of God now
becomes the compass that
we can understand the
revelation of God
through creation.
We can begin to
interpret it and
understand it accurately.
And God has given to us
his word.
Lord, we have the
completed revelation of
the word of God that we
have access to every day.
I trust and pray that you
are allowing your heart to
be encouraged, refined,
and directed through the
words of God day by day.
As God ministers to you and
fellowships with you through
the scriptures.
And finally, we'll come
back to this next week and
try to fill this out some
more.
Not only does the Lord
answer Job, but we see
that the Lord questions
Job.
The Lord questions Job.
We'll see that in the
remaining parts of chapter
38 and in chapter 39 and
40 and 41.
And what's fascinating
about the way that the
Lord questions Job is how
he does it.
How will God now that he
finally speaks, how will
God finally address Job's
situation?
How will God finally
resolve the conflict that
Job has in his heart?
How will God help to
clarify the confusion that
Job had?
And God says in verse 3,
dressed for action like a
man.
I will question you and you
make it known to me.
God begins by establishing
who the authority is.
God begins by helping Job to
understand his rightful place.
not as one who has the
right to challenge God, but
as the one who is a subject
of God who is over all.
And Job is referred to God
throughout this book as
Shaddai, the one who is
over all creation.
And God wants Job to be
reminded of the fact,
remember who your creator is.
Remember who the one who has
the right to ask questions is
and let that settle your own
heart.
I just want to read a few
pieces of this.
See if you can begin to hear
the answer that God gives to
Job about his situation.
Verse 4.
Where were you when I laid the
foundation of the earth?
Tell me if you have
understanding.
Who determined its
measurements?
Surely you know.
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?
Verse 8.
Who shut in the seas with the
doors when it burst out from
the womb?
Verse 12.
Have you commanded the morning
since your days began and
caused the dawn to know its
place?
Verse 16.
Have you entered into the
springs of the sea or walked
in the recesses of the deep?
Verse 19.
Where is the way to the
dwelling of light?
Where is the place of
darkness?
Verse 22.
Have you entered the
storehouse of the snow or
have you seen the storehouse
of the hail?
Verse 25.
Who has cleft a channel for
the torrents of rain and a
way for the thunderbolt?
Verse 28.
Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the
drops of dew?
Verse 31.
Can you bind the chains of
the chains of Pleiades or
loose the cords of
Orion?
Can you lead forth the
mazeroth, which is another
word for constellations, in
their season?
Or can you guide the bear with
its children?
Verse 34.
Can you lift up your voice to
the clouds that a flood of
waters may cover you?
Verse 41.
Who provided for the raven its
prey when its young ones cry
to God for help and wander
about for lack of food?
What is the answer?
How does God begin to answer
Job's question?
What's fascinating about this
whole discourse that we're
going to see from chapters 38
to 41 is God will not give
Job any new revelation.
God will tell Job exactly the
things that Job has already
affirmed about who God is.
He is sovereign.
He is just.
He is benevolent.
He is over all.
He is the one who guides and
governs.
He is wise and strong.
All of these things that Job has
already given assent to, God
will confirm through this
speech.
There is nothing in this
speech from God that Job
doesn't already know.
That's really amazing to me.
You see, Job already had what
he needed.
Job had access to revelation
and Job had drawn out from
creation those truths and those
truths were enough to help Job
through this situation.
Essentially, to summarize and to
kind of pull it all together, God's
like, I am creator.
I am not destroyer.
I am a God of benevolence in care.
I take care of my creatures.
I do not crush them.
I am a God of order and design.
I'm not a God of chaos.
I'm a God of wisdom.
I'm not a God who can be trifled
with.
You can be challenged.
I am the God who is overall.
I am sovereign and ultimate.
And you can trust me, Job.
There's nothing about what God
says that Job didn't already know.
And that, by the way, is the issue
for all of us.
There are things that we know about
God and we can't accuse God of leading
us into sin when he's already revealed
himself to us through his word.
And that every disobedience of our life
is a result of a lack of faith,
not a lack of knowledge.
Let me just give you a couple examples
as I close.
To the one who struggles with lust,
God is the one who takes care of your needs.
The one who struggles with stealing,
God is the one who provides.
You can trust him to take care of your needs.
To the one who is often afraid,
God is the one who delivers.
God is the one who is in control.
God is the one who is strong.
To the one who struggles with jealousy,
God has made me in his image.
And God has made me the way he wants me to be
and he desires to use those things
according to his purpose.
And I don't need to be jealous of other
people's gifts.
For those who dishonor their parents,
we understand that we're not at the top
of the pile.
That God is the one who is ultimate.
For those who lie,
we know that God knows it all.
God is not disguised and we are exposed
to him.
He's not limited.
For those who feel at the end of themselves,
we recognize that God's yoke is easy,
his burden is light,
and he just desires for us to entrust
our anxieties and our pressures to him,
to cast all your cares upon him
because he cares for you.
We know those things to be true,
and so when we wrestle with anxiety
in fear,
in lust,
in lying,
in jealousy,
in bitterness,
in frustration,
in anger,
whatever it is,
it is not a deficiency of knowledge
but a deficiency of faith.
And that's what I believe
God is doing for Job.
You know these truths.
Put them to work.
Trust me.
I am these things.
And you can rest in those truths.
And God wants us to do the same.
And when we feel at the end of ourselves,
and I trust we feel that often,
that is a gift to us.
And so in that wrestling with God
where we feel like we're at the end of ourselves,
it is a gift to us
to point us to dependence on him.
Oh may God help us to do
what the folks in Psalm 107 did,
and that is
that we cry out to the Lord
and he delivers us
and helps to answer
those struggles that we face.
Let me pray.
Lord, thank you for your steadfast love.
That loyal, dependable love
in your presence
and your power
and for your wisdom.
And Lord, I pray that you would help us
to put our confidence in that.
Whatever the situation is
that we're facing
and that we would see
that you are
who you say you are.
You are wise.
You are sovereign.
You are strong.
You are in control.
And we can trust you.
May our lives reflect the truths
that we say we believe in.
And may they show up from day to day.
So the world around us says,
I want to know your God.
May that be true of us,
I pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
God bless you.
Have a great week.