Let's bow our heads for prayer.
00:00:36.09\00:00:38.03
Father in heaven, what a joy
it is to be in Your presence,
00:00:38.06\00:00:41.79
and we ask that as we open Your
Holy Word today that Your Holy
00:00:41.82\00:00:46.15
Spirit will be with us.
00:00:46.18\00:00:47.67
Help us to understand the
great things from Your Word.
00:00:47.70\00:00:51.83
Help us to apply them to
our own person experience.
00:00:51.86\00:00:55.99
And we thank You for
hearing and answering our prayer
00:00:56.02\00:00:58.83
for we ask it in
Jesus' name, Amen.
00:00:58.86\00:01:02.48
The title of our next
two studies together are:
00:01:02.51\00:01:08.00
God, Leviathan, and
Job, or God On Trial.
00:01:08.03\00:01:14.03
And before we get into a
study of the book of Job itself,
00:01:14.06\00:01:19.32
I want to share with you some
introductory matters that will
00:01:19.35\00:01:22.83
help us
understand this great book.
00:01:22.86\00:01:26.06
The first thing that I would
like to say is the book of Job
00:01:26.09\00:01:30.01
is the most ancient
book in holy scripture.
00:01:30.04\00:01:33.63
It was actually written by Moses
when he was in the desert of
00:01:33.66\00:01:40.64
Midian tending Jethro's sheep.
00:01:40.67\00:01:43.74
Actually, when the book of
Job was translated into the
00:01:43.77\00:01:49.46
Septuagint, that is
into the Greek Old Testament,
00:01:49.49\00:01:51.88
there were sections of Job
that had such an archaic Hebrew
00:01:51.91\00:01:57.92
that the Septuagint
translators had trouble
00:01:57.95\00:02:01.47
translating the Hebrew.
00:02:01.50\00:02:03.37
That's how ancient the
Hebrew of the book of Job is.
00:02:03.40\00:02:07.69
As we examine this book,
it is a literary masterpiece.
00:02:07.72\00:02:13.27
It is a fantastic book, as we'll
notice, as a work of literature
00:02:13.30\00:02:19.76
other than being an
inspired book of holy scripture.
00:02:19.79\00:02:23.55
The story of Job takes place
in the early patriarchal period,
00:02:23.58\00:02:28.52
approximately the year 2000 B.C.
00:02:28.55\00:02:33.21
This is slightly
before the time of Abraham.
00:02:33.24\00:02:37.31
Now the book of Job is organized
into three great sections.
00:02:37.34\00:02:42.75
Two of them are prose, and
the larger portion is poetry.
00:02:42.78\00:02:48.11
The first two
chapters are prose.
00:02:48.14\00:02:50.98
Then from chapter 3 through
chapter 30, actually through
00:02:51.01\00:02:56.79
chapter 41, we have poetry.
00:02:56.82\00:02:59.73
And then, finally, chapter
42, at the very end of the book,
00:02:59.76\00:03:03.77
the book ends up
once again with prose.
00:03:03.80\00:03:07.53
It's very interesting to
notice that this book describes
00:03:07.56\00:03:11.98
something that is
happening before the eyes
00:03:12.01\00:03:15.45
of the on looking universe.
00:03:15.48\00:03:17.11
In other words, the story
does not only involve Job,
00:03:17.14\00:03:20.86
it involves all of the heavenly
intelligences, as we'll notice
00:03:20.89\00:03:25.27
as we study along this book.
00:03:25.30\00:03:27.35
Another very important
thing to remember about the book
00:03:27.38\00:03:30.65
of Job is that the book of
Job actually describes a trial.
00:03:30.68\00:03:35.73
And as we get into the study
of the book, we'll notice this
00:03:35.76\00:03:39.04
a little more carefully.
00:03:39.07\00:03:40.70
But in this book we
have all of the elements
00:03:40.73\00:03:44.19
of a judgment, or a trial.
00:03:44.22\00:03:46.50
First of all we have an
accuser, and, of course,
00:03:46.53\00:03:49.98
the accuser is Satan.
00:03:50.01\00:03:52.74
Secondly, we have a
judge and a defense attorney.
00:03:52.77\00:03:55.96
By the way, in the Old
Testament the judge was
00:03:55.99\00:03:58.78
to defend the innocent.
00:03:58.81\00:04:00.29
And so you don't have a separate
judge from a defense attorney,
00:04:00.32\00:04:03.75
but you have a defense
attorney and judge, who is God.
00:04:03.78\00:04:07.01
You have the evidence
which is being examined,
00:04:07.04\00:04:09.79
which is the case of Job.
00:04:09.82\00:04:11.82
You have a jury, a
group of individuals who are
00:04:11.85\00:04:15.47
called the Sons of God.
00:04:15.50\00:04:17.48
You have One who is accused,
which we will notice is not Job.
00:04:17.51\00:04:22.69
Primarily the One
who is accused is God.
00:04:22.72\00:04:26.76
And at the end of the
book we have the pronunciation
00:04:26.79\00:04:31.19
of the verdict of the story.
00:04:31.22\00:04:33.25
In other words, in this
book we have all of the elements
00:04:33.28\00:04:36.52
of a trial, or of a judgment.
00:04:36.55\00:04:38.40
And we're going to find that
at the very center of the book
00:04:38.43\00:04:42.22
is God being judged.
00:04:42.25\00:04:45.47
One final point before we get
into a study of the book itself,
00:04:45.50\00:04:49.59
as we examine, particularly the
first two chapters of the book,
00:04:49.62\00:04:54.63
we notice that heaven is
looking at what is happening
00:04:54.66\00:05:00.61
on the earth, and is
understanding many things
00:05:00.64\00:05:04.53
about the character of God.
00:05:04.56\00:05:06.16
In the other hand, on
earth Job is going through this
00:05:06.19\00:05:10.74
experience, but he
doesn't have any idea about
00:05:10.78\00:05:14.53
what's happening in heaven.
00:05:14.56\00:05:16.20
In other words, heaven
knows what's happening on earth,
00:05:16.23\00:05:19.31
but what is transpiring on
earth, the individuals involved
00:05:19.34\00:05:23.21
are totally oblivious to
the fact that what is happening
00:05:23.24\00:05:27.05
on earth is a repercussion
of something which has
00:05:27.08\00:05:30.96
happened in heaven.
00:05:30.99\00:05:32.87
Now we want to notice also
that the book of Job fluctuates
00:05:32.90\00:05:37.63
between heaven and
earth, particularly
00:05:37.66\00:05:39.97
in its first two chapters.
00:05:40.00\00:05:41.86
Now lets go to Job 1 and we'll
notice that this chapter begins
00:05:41.89\00:05:47.98
with an earthly scene.
00:05:48.01\00:05:50.77
Let's read Job 1:1-3, and we're
going to notice here that Job
00:05:50.80\00:05:56.63
was a very prosperous, rich man.
00:05:56.66\00:06:01.07
It says there in Job 1:1...
00:06:01.10\00:06:05.45
By the way, in Old Testament
times the more children you had,
00:06:23.16\00:06:27.72
the greater the sign of
God's blessing. Verse 3:
00:06:27.75\00:06:31.19
An extremely rich man.
00:06:49.52\00:06:51.98
The greatest man in the
East, according to what we find
00:06:52.01\00:06:55.82
in these three verses.
00:06:55.85\00:06:57.65
But not only was Job a very
rich, prosperous man, but Job
00:06:57.68\00:07:04.27
was also a very spiritual man.
00:07:04.30\00:07:08.65
He was a rich,
spiritual man, which is indeed
00:07:08.68\00:07:12.58
a strange combination.
00:07:12.61\00:07:14.14
I want you to notice the
description that is given
00:07:14.17\00:07:17.01
of this man. Once again
Job 1: 1, and this is repeated
00:07:17.04\00:07:21.49
several times in
the first two chapters.
00:07:21.52\00:07:23.81
There was a man in the
land of Uz whose name was Job,
00:07:23.84\00:07:27.88
and that man was blameless,
and upright, and one who feared
00:07:27.91\00:07:33.07
God, and shunned evil.
00:07:33.10\00:07:35.38
In other words,
he rejected evil.
00:07:35.41\00:07:38.22
By the way, these are
not only the words of Moses,
00:07:38.25\00:07:41.78
God gives the same testimony.
00:07:41.81\00:07:43.89
I want you to notice Job 1:4,
and also verse 5, well actually
00:07:43.92\00:07:53.01
instead of reading verse 4
and verse 5, lets go to verse 6.
00:07:53.04\00:07:56.36
We'll come back to those verses.
00:07:56.39\00:07:57.97
Notice, this is God speaking.
00:08:04.97\00:08:06.36
Notice that not only does
Moses describe Job this way,
00:08:27.90\00:08:31.96
but God actually
speaks the same description
00:08:31.99\00:08:35.67
from His own lips.
00:08:35.70\00:08:36.77
In other words, Job was
a rich man, but he was also
00:08:36.80\00:08:41.56
a very spiritual man.
00:08:41.59\00:08:44.16
Now I'm not going
to read the passage,
00:08:44.19\00:08:46.89
but I'm going to
mention the verse.
00:08:46.92\00:08:48.21
In the verse Job
29:12-17, Job speaks about how
00:08:48.24\00:08:52.32
he used his riches.
00:08:52.35\00:08:53.74
He used his riches to help
the blind, and help the lame,
00:08:53.77\00:08:57.72
and help those who were
oppressed, and he clothed those
00:08:57.75\00:09:01.29
who were naked. In other
words, he was a very pious man,
00:09:01.32\00:09:04.30
very generous with his riches.
00:09:04.33\00:09:06.10
He tried to benefit
humanity with everything
00:09:06.13\00:09:09.45
that God had given him.
00:09:09.48\00:09:11.18
And so we have in Job
1:1-8, an earthly scene,
00:09:11.21\00:09:20.39
and then we're going to notice
that suddenly there's a meeting
00:09:20.42\00:09:24.40
that takes place in heaven.
00:09:24.43\00:09:26.67
In other words, we're going
to go from earth, where we found
00:09:26.70\00:09:29.55
a description of Job, to heaven.
00:09:29.58\00:09:31.84
Job 1:6-8, you see,
somebody was watching Job.
00:09:31.87\00:09:38.25
It says there in verse 6:
Now there was a day when the
00:09:38.28\00:09:41.89
Sons of God came to present
themselves before the Lord,
00:09:41.92\00:09:46.48
and Satan also came among them.
00:09:46.51\00:09:49.44
And now a conversation
takes place. Verse 7.
00:09:49.47\00:09:53.39
And the Lord said to
Satan, From where do you come?
00:09:53.42\00:09:57.03
So Satan answered the Lord
and said, From going to and fro
00:09:57.06\00:10:01.19
on the earth, and from
walking back and forth on it.
00:10:01.22\00:10:05.69
Then God, probably with
a certain degree of pride,
00:10:05.72\00:10:10.23
we find in verse 8 said to
Satan, Have you considered My
00:10:10.26\00:10:15.41
servant Job, that there is
none like him on the earth,
00:10:15.44\00:10:20.59
a blameless and upright man, one
who fears God, and shuns evil?
00:10:20.62\00:10:26.16
Haven't you seen my servant?
00:10:26.19\00:10:28.67
Even though he
lives in your territory,
00:10:28.70\00:10:30.90
he's actually My servant.
00:10:30.93\00:10:33.45
And then, of course
Satan has his comeback.
00:10:33.49\00:10:37.89
And here we reach the core
issue in the book. Job 1:9.
00:10:37.92\00:10:41.13
Job chapter 1,
and notice verse 9.
00:10:41.16\00:10:44.94
In other words, does Job
love God enough to serve Him
00:10:53.45\00:10:58.96
no matter what, or
does he serve God for the
00:10:58.99\00:11:01.39
loaves and the fishes?
00:11:01.42\00:11:02.94
And then Satan
continues saying, in verse 10:
00:11:02.97\00:11:07.81
In other words, the devil is
saying to God, The reason Job
00:11:22.18\00:11:26.18
serves You is because
You've given Job everything.
00:11:26.21\00:11:29.66
But does Job serve
You because he loves You?
00:11:29.69\00:11:33.23
Would he serve You if
only evil came to him?
00:11:33.26\00:11:36.67
Basically he's saying, Job
serves You out of self interest.
00:11:36.70\00:11:43.75
And then I want you to notice
what we find in Job 1:11, 12.
00:11:43.78\00:11:50.58
The devil says to God, But now
stretch out Your hand and touch
00:11:50.61\00:11:56.06
all that he has, and he will
surely curse You to Your face.
00:11:56.09\00:12:02.04
In other words, the devil
was putting God on the line.
00:12:02.07\00:12:06.18
The devil was saying, you
know, make every evil come
00:12:06.21\00:12:12.22
to his life, and You'll see that
he serves You, not out of love,
00:12:12.25\00:12:16.22
but out of self interest.
00:12:16.25\00:12:17.90
And then notice verse 12:
00:12:17.93\00:12:20.48
So the devil is given
permission, Satan is given
00:12:32.11\00:12:35.91
permission to take
everything he wishes from Job.
00:12:35.94\00:12:39.93
So you have first of
all the earthly scene.
00:12:39.96\00:12:42.93
You have Job who is this
very prosperous, rich man,
00:12:42.96\00:12:47.09
very spiritual, and then
the scene changes to heaven
00:12:47.12\00:12:51.68
and the conversation
between God and Satan.
00:12:51.71\00:12:54.41
And then God says to Satan,
Try him and you'll see that he
00:12:54.44\00:12:59.11
serves Me because he loves
Me, not out of self interest.
00:12:59.15\00:13:02.39
And so the scene now
changes again to the earth.
00:13:02.42\00:13:06.06
Notice, and we're not
going to read all of the verses,
00:13:06.09\00:13:10.41
but notice the following
verses, starting with verse 13,
00:13:10.44\00:13:13.17
a series of
calamities come to Job.
00:13:13.20\00:13:15.73
He loses first of all of his
children, all ten of them die.
00:13:15.76\00:13:21.60
He loses all of his
beasts; they're stolen.
00:13:21.63\00:13:24.69
He loses all of his servants;
his servants are killed.
00:13:24.72\00:13:28.74
He loses all of his possessions.
00:13:28.77\00:13:31.41
In other words, Satan has gone
out from the presence of God
00:13:31.44\00:13:35.59
and he's taken everything
that Job has that is valuable
00:13:35.62\00:13:39.79
in his life. I want you
to notice the response of Job
00:13:39.82\00:13:44.53
in chapter 1, and
beginning with verse 20.
00:13:44.56\00:13:48.04
He was only half right
because God didn't take away.
00:14:09.58\00:14:12.31
God did give, but
God didn't take away.
00:14:12.34\00:14:14.49
The main point here is
that we're told that Job did not
00:14:14.52\00:14:19.05
curse God; Job
actually blessed God.
00:14:19.08\00:14:22.00
Notice verse 22: In
all this Job did not sin,
00:14:22.03\00:14:27.16
nor charge God with wrong.
00:14:27.19\00:14:30.53
So the scene now switches, once
again, from the earth to heaven.
00:14:30.56\00:14:36.24
And another council meeting
takes place. Notice Job 2:1-3.
00:14:36.27\00:14:43.32
You have the same type
of conversation as we had
00:15:06.40\00:15:08.60
in chapter 1. You have another
council meeting, and God asked
00:15:08.63\00:15:12.71
the devil, Where
do you come from?
00:15:12.74\00:15:13.93
And the devil says,
Well, I come from my planet,
00:15:13.96\00:15:16.80
from planet earth, my kingdom.
00:15:16.83\00:15:19.54
Because Satan had stolen
the kingdom from the original
00:15:19.57\00:15:23.00
owner who was Adam.
00:15:23.03\00:15:25.03
And now I can imagine that God,
with a certain degree of healthy
00:15:25.06\00:15:30.92
pride, according to verse
3, says to Satan, Have you...
00:15:30.95\00:15:35.99
In other words, God is
saying, See, he passed the test.
00:15:55.36\00:15:59.13
I told you that he obeyed Me.
00:15:59.16\00:16:02.01
I told you that he's my
servant because he loves Me,
00:16:02.04\00:16:05.36
not because of
everything that I give him.
00:16:05.39\00:16:08.53
But then, of course, the
devil always has a comeback.
00:16:08.56\00:16:12.97
We notice in Job 2:4, 5:
00:16:13.00\00:16:18.92
In other words, You
didn't let me touch him.
00:16:27.58\00:16:29.50
You only let me take
everything that he had. Verse 5.
00:16:29.53\00:16:33.41
In other words, the reason
why Job was faithful to You was
00:16:42.18\00:16:45.75
because You took everything
from him, but You did not
00:16:45.78\00:16:48.54
allow me to touch him.
00:16:48.58\00:16:49.61
Let me touch him and
You'll see that he will
00:16:49.64\00:16:53.33
curse You to Your face.
00:16:53.36\00:16:54.40
And now notice how
God places Himself on the
00:16:54.43\00:16:57.62
line again; verse 6.
00:16:57.65\00:16:58.98
Now do you see how
this story is fluctuating
00:17:08.89\00:17:12.64
between heaven and earth?
00:17:12.67\00:17:13.95
It begins on earth
then goes to heaven.
00:17:13.98\00:17:16.25
Comes back to the
earth, goes back to heaven.
00:17:16.28\00:17:19.33
And according to the book of
Job, the whole heavenly universe
00:17:19.36\00:17:23.53
is observing what is
happening to see who is right.
00:17:23.56\00:17:27.02
Is Satan right that people serve
God because God is good to them,
00:17:27.05\00:17:32.13
or do they serve
God simply out of love?
00:17:32.16\00:17:35.49
You'll notice that in the
story it is God who is accused.
00:17:35.52\00:17:39.07
Primarily the
accusation is not against Job,
00:17:39.10\00:17:42.21
the accusation is against God.
00:17:42.24\00:17:44.14
You have given him
all of these things,
00:17:44.17\00:17:46.45
therefore, he serves You.
00:17:46.48\00:17:47.95
You're to blame for
everything that Job does
00:17:47.98\00:17:52.41
in harmony with Your will.
00:17:52.44\00:17:53.69
Now I want you to notice
that the scene then comes back
00:17:53.72\00:17:58.09
to the earth again.
00:17:58.12\00:17:59.15
And the devil comes
down, according to chapter 2,
00:17:59.18\00:18:02.64
and verses 7 and
8. Let's read there.
00:18:02.67\00:18:04.86
So Satan went out from
the presence of the Lord
00:18:04.89\00:18:07.62
and struck Job with painful
boils from the sole of his foot
00:18:07.65\00:18:12.39
to the crown of his head.
00:18:12.42\00:18:14.38
Verse 8: And he took
for himself a potsherd...
00:18:14.41\00:18:19.53
A piece of pottery.
00:18:19.56\00:18:20.59
...with which to
scrape himself while he sat
00:18:20.62\00:18:23.69
in the midst of the ashes.
00:18:23.72\00:18:25.48
In other words, Job
has now lost his health.
00:18:25.51\00:18:28.98
And in a moment he's
going to lose his wife,
00:18:29.01\00:18:31.83
for all practical
purposes. Notice verse 9.
00:18:31.86\00:18:34.40
By the way, she was serving
of an instrument of the devil,
00:18:45.22\00:18:48.08
because the devil had said that
Job will curse You to Your face.
00:18:48.11\00:18:52.28
She is saying,
Curse God and die.
00:18:52.31\00:18:55.54
And, of course,
Job rebukes his wife.
00:18:55.57\00:18:58.39
And then when we go down to
verse 12, we notice that the
00:18:58.42\00:19:03.19
friends of Job, three of
them, three special friends,
00:19:03.22\00:19:05.97
come to console
Job in his suffering.
00:19:06.00\00:19:09.52
In fact, let's read verse 12.
00:19:09.55\00:19:11.45
It seems like Job was
practically disfigured
00:19:11.48\00:19:16.60
at this point. It
says there in verse 12:
00:19:16.63\00:19:19.22
And when they raised their eyes
from afar and did not recognize
00:19:19.25\00:19:24.97
him, they lifted their voices
and wept, and each one tore his
00:19:25.00\00:19:30.46
robe, and sprinkled dust
on his head toward heaven.
00:19:30.49\00:19:34.30
In other words, he was so
disfigured by scratching himself
00:19:34.33\00:19:39.06
with the piece of
pottery that they did not even
00:19:39.09\00:19:41.70
recognize who he was.
00:19:41.73\00:19:43.16
And then as the story transpires
we discover that his three
00:19:43.19\00:19:47.68
friends become his enemies.
00:19:47.71\00:19:49.35
In other words, his three
friends start accusing Job,
00:19:49.38\00:19:53.90
and saying that this is
happening to Job because Job
00:19:53.93\00:19:58.04
has been unfaithful to God.
00:19:58.07\00:20:00.01
And they're actually trying
to encourage Job to forsake
00:20:00.04\00:20:04.31
his relationship with God.
00:20:04.34\00:20:05.97
In other words, in a short
period of time Job has lost
00:20:06.00\00:20:11.15
all earthly support.
00:20:11.18\00:20:13.19
He has lost his possessions.
00:20:13.22\00:20:15.06
He has lost his children.
00:20:15.09\00:20:16.61
He has lost his health.
00:20:16.64\00:20:18.23
He has lost his wife,
for all practical purposes.
00:20:18.26\00:20:21.26
He's lost his friends.
00:20:21.29\00:20:23.09
And we're going to notice in
a moment that it seems to Job
00:20:23.12\00:20:27.38
that he has also lost
his relationship with God;
00:20:27.41\00:20:31.98
that God doesn't care.
00:20:32.01\00:20:34.09
We're going to notice
that in a few moments.
00:20:34.12\00:20:35.71
Now something which has puzzled
scholars that have studied
00:20:35.74\00:20:39.31
the book of Job is that
Satan appears as the culprit
00:20:39.34\00:20:44.63
in Job chapter 1 and 2,
and then he seems to disappear
00:20:44.66\00:20:49.23
from the rest of the book.
00:20:49.26\00:20:50.43
And so they say this is
the biggest travesty in justice
00:20:50.46\00:20:55.02
that could be imagined, because
at the end of the book most of
00:20:55.05\00:20:59.19
the individuals in the story
reappear; but Satan doesn't seem
00:20:59.23\00:21:04.48
to reappear at
the end of the story.
00:21:04.51\00:21:06.64
He comes, he does the
evil things to Job in chapters
00:21:06.67\00:21:11.55
1 and 2, and then he seems
to disappear from the story.
00:21:11.58\00:21:15.81
We're going to notice in
our study that he doesn't really
00:21:15.84\00:21:18.26
disappear from the story.
00:21:18.29\00:21:19.44
He reappears at the end
of the book, but he appears
00:21:19.47\00:21:23.23
under a different name.
00:21:23.26\00:21:24.96
Now beginning with
chapter 3 you have poetry
00:21:24.99\00:21:28.79
in the story of Job, and
the poetry continues all the way
00:21:28.82\00:21:33.36
through chapter 41 of the book.
00:21:33.39\00:21:36.57
Basically from chapter 3
to chapter 37 you have Job
00:21:36.60\00:21:43.07
struggling in his
relationship with God;
00:21:43.10\00:21:46.54
to hang onto his
relationship with God.
00:21:46.57\00:21:48.94
As we read those
chapters we notice that he's
00:21:48.97\00:21:52.11
tempted to throw in the
towel, and to think God is dead.
00:21:52.14\00:21:56.31
I might as well
curse God and die.
00:21:56.34\00:21:58.92
He's plagued by
questions and by doubts.
00:21:58.95\00:22:02.84
He's looking for answers.
00:22:02.87\00:22:04.66
Everyone has forsaken him,
and it seems to him that even
00:22:04.69\00:22:08.61
God has forsaken him,
because in these chapters
00:22:08.64\00:22:12.32
he cries out to God.
00:22:12.35\00:22:13.81
He asks God for an audience.
00:22:13.84\00:22:16.05
He requests that God
give him an explanation
00:22:16.08\00:22:18.93
for what's
happening, and all he gets back
00:22:18.96\00:22:21.50
is a deafening silence.
00:22:21.53\00:22:23.26
There seems to be no rhyme or
reason to what's taking place.
00:22:23.29\00:22:27.26
He can't understand why, if
he offered sacrifices for his
00:22:27.29\00:22:32.19
children every day, if he
used his possessions to benefit
00:22:32.22\00:22:36.79
the needy, if he was an
upright and blameless man
00:22:36.82\00:22:40.28
in the sight of God,
why these things would be
00:22:40.31\00:22:43.33
happening to him; why
God has turned against him.
00:22:43.36\00:22:46.99
In fact, what I would like
to do is read a series of texts
00:22:47.02\00:22:51.53
where you find very clearly
revealed these feelings of Job,
00:22:51.56\00:22:56.05
beginning with chapter 3
all the way through chapter 37.
00:22:56.08\00:23:00.97
Notice Job 16:10, Job 16:10.
00:23:01.00\00:23:08.29
Here he's going to say,
God has turned against me,...
00:23:08.32\00:23:11.81
He says, speaking about the
wicked people who surround him.
00:23:11.84\00:23:16.95
Verse 10:
00:23:16.98\00:23:18.01
Notice verse 11:
00:23:27.78\00:23:29.24
See, he's thinking
that God is doing this.
00:23:32.60\00:23:34.72
I was at ease but
He has shattered me.
00:23:38.74\00:23:41.97
That is, God has shattered me.
00:23:42.00\00:23:44.45
He also has taken me by my
neck and shaken me to pieces.
00:23:44.48\00:23:49.86
He has set me up for His target.
00:23:49.89\00:23:52.53
He breaks me
with wound upon wound.
00:24:01.43\00:24:04.46
He runs at me like a warrior.
00:24:04.49\00:24:06.97
Quite a view of God, isn't it?
00:24:07.00\00:24:10.67
He can't understand
why God, apparently,
00:24:10.70\00:24:13.14
has turned against him.
00:24:13.17\00:24:14.21
We need to remember,
let's not be too hard on Job,
00:24:14.24\00:24:16.71
because Job had no
written scriptures like we do.
00:24:16.74\00:24:20.21
Job did not know what was
happening behind the scenes.
00:24:20.24\00:24:23.44
He had no idea that
this heavenly meeting
00:24:23.47\00:24:25.89
was taking place,
and so he's puzzled,
00:24:25.92\00:24:28.83
and he's tempted to doubt,
and he's tempted to release
00:24:28.86\00:24:32.70
his relationship
with God, but he hangs on.
00:24:32.73\00:24:36.27
Notice chapter 16, verses
16 and 17, and we'll also read
00:24:36.30\00:24:41.14
verse 20, Job 16:16, 17.
00:24:41.17\00:24:46.63
Here Job speaks about
crying out in pain, in an agony,
00:24:46.66\00:24:51.69
shedding tears. He says this:
00:24:51.72\00:24:53.87
Notice what we find in verse 20:
00:25:08.24\00:25:11.33
Let's go to Job
19:9-11, Job 19:9-11.
00:25:17.98\00:25:24.72
He's speaking once
again about God. He says:
00:25:24.75\00:25:27.76
Can you grasp the way that Job
is feeling in these chapters?
00:25:50.63\00:25:54.89
You see, he doesn't know
why this is happening to him,
00:25:54.92\00:25:57.74
and so he's saying to
God, God, please explain
00:25:57.77\00:26:01.61
what's taking place.
00:26:01.64\00:26:02.70
My friends say
that You've forsaken me.
00:26:02.73\00:26:04.63
My friends say
that I'm a great sinner.
00:26:04.66\00:26:06.57
I've lost
everything that I have.
00:26:06.60\00:26:08.45
I've lost even my health.
00:26:08.48\00:26:10.10
I'm at the point
of losing my life.
00:26:10.13\00:26:12.29
Please explain what's happening.
00:26:12.32\00:26:14.31
And he cries out to
God, and, of course,
00:26:14.34\00:26:16.56
God's answer is a
deafening silence.
00:26:16.59\00:26:19.69
Notice Job 19:6, 7.
00:26:19.72\00:26:23.38
We're only choosing some
passages so we get an idea
00:26:23.41\00:26:26.56
of what's happening in
these chapters. Job 19:6, 7:
00:26:26.59\00:26:32.46
Notice also chapter 23, and
verses 3 to 5, Job 23:3, 4, 5.
00:26:52.29\00:27:02.01
He wishes that he could find
God, and he could argue with God
00:27:02.04\00:27:06.73
face to face, and he believes
that God would understand
00:27:06.76\00:27:10.17
his case. It
says there in verse 3:
00:27:10.20\00:27:12.74
Do you see the judicial
language that is used here,
00:27:22.12\00:27:24.52
the judgment language?
00:27:24.55\00:27:25.82
If I could just find Him,
I would fill my mouth with
00:27:38.23\00:27:41.57
arguments, and I know that
He would accept and believe
00:27:41.60\00:27:45.36
my point of view.
00:27:45.39\00:27:46.89
Notice Job 30:20,
21, Job 30: 20, 21.
00:27:46.92\00:27:55.59
He's speaking to God.
00:27:55.62\00:27:58.42
In other words, instead of
answering me, You're opposed
00:28:13.33\00:28:16.62
to me. You've become my enemy.
00:28:16.65\00:28:19.17
Notice Job 30, Job
30:9-13, Job 30:9-13.
00:28:19.20\00:28:27.65
It says here, speaking about
the reaction of the people's
00:28:27.68\00:28:32.96
of the nations, he's
taunted by not only his friends,
00:28:32.99\00:28:37.87
but he's taunted by the nations
that hear about his plight.
00:28:37.90\00:28:41.65
Verse 9:
00:28:41.68\00:28:42.71
Notice the
reaction of His enemies:
00:28:54.71\00:28:57.71
And we could continue reading
about how he was treated,
00:29:22.07\00:29:26.30
not only by his friends, but
he was treated by the nations
00:29:26.33\00:29:30.52
that surrounded him.
00:29:30.55\00:29:31.87
And yet Job knows
that if God could hear him,
00:29:31.90\00:29:35.13
if he could go
before the presence of God,
00:29:35.17\00:29:38.27
that God would see
the justice of his case.
00:29:38.31\00:29:43.64
Notice Job 31:5, 6,
Job 31:5, 6. He says:
00:29:43.67\00:29:48.97
See the idea of judgment there?
00:30:01.27\00:30:03.13
Finally, Job 31:35.
00:30:09.65\00:30:13.07
See, the idea of a prosecutor,
and the idea of evidence
00:30:23.92\00:30:27.37
in a book, and
defending his case.
00:30:27.40\00:30:29.74
You have this
judgment that is taking place
00:30:29.77\00:30:32.43
before the Universe.
00:30:32.47\00:30:33.73
In other words,
God is being judged.
00:30:33.76\00:30:37.02
The devil is accusing God
saying, Your people serve you
00:30:37.05\00:30:40.66
because of the fact that you
protect them, and you pour out
00:30:40.69\00:30:44.50
every blessing upon them.
00:30:44.53\00:30:45.84
They don't serves You
because they love You.
00:30:45.87\00:30:48.11
And, of course, the whole
universe is watching the case
00:30:48.14\00:30:50.71
of Job to see if the followers
of God serve Him because they
00:30:50.74\00:30:55.36
love Him, rather than
because of self interest.
00:30:55.39\00:30:59.56
Now, I must say, that in several
passages in these chapters,
00:30:59.59\00:31:04.98
chapter 3 to 37, you
have flashes of magnificence
00:31:05.01\00:31:10.03
in the faith of Job.
00:31:10.06\00:31:11.20
In other words, even
through he's going through this
00:31:11.23\00:31:13.29
suffering, even though
he's asking God for an audience,
00:31:13.32\00:31:16.38
even though he's
saying, God, judge me correctly,
00:31:16.41\00:31:19.33
and he's saying to God,
Explain what's happening to me,
00:31:19.36\00:31:22.52
and he's saying to his friends,
It's not because I'm a great
00:31:22.55\00:31:25.21
sinner. God has not forsaken me.
00:31:25.24\00:31:27.57
Even though he feels very,
very down, there are flashes
00:31:27.60\00:31:33.40
of magnificence in Job, where
he reveals his staunch faith.
00:31:33.43\00:31:38.49
Let's notice some
of those passages.
00:31:38.52\00:31:40.27
It's kind of like a
teeter totter experience.
00:31:40.30\00:31:42.79
He's up and then when he falls,
he comes up again, and so on.
00:31:42.82\00:31:46.81
Notice Job 13:15. This is a very
well known verse, by the way.
00:31:46.84\00:31:53.32
Probably many of us could
recite it from memory. He says:
00:31:53.35\00:31:57.71
He says, I know that I
can defend my ways before Him,
00:32:08.63\00:32:11.98
and, however,
even if He slays me,
00:32:12.01\00:32:15.38
I'm still going to trust in Him.
00:32:15.41\00:32:16.83
He's revealing there that he
serves God, not because God is
00:32:16.86\00:32:21.69
good to Him, but
because he simply loves God.
00:32:21.72\00:32:26.03
Notice also Job
19:25-27, Job 19:25-27.
00:32:26.06\00:32:34.98
This is another place where
he shows his magnificent faith,
00:32:35.01\00:32:38.27
even in the midst of suffering.
00:32:38.30\00:32:39.88
You know, he feels
God has forsaken me;
00:32:39.91\00:32:42.39
God is not listening to me.
00:32:42.42\00:32:43.99
But then there's a
momentary flash where he says,
00:32:44.02\00:32:46.87
I know my Redeemer lives.
00:32:46.90\00:32:48.73
Though He slay me, yet
I'm going to trust in Him.
00:32:48.76\00:32:52.34
Notice Job 19, and
beginning with verse 25.
00:32:52.37\00:32:58.39
This is also a
very well known passage.
00:32:58.42\00:33:00.86
He says, For I know that my
Redeemer lives, and He shall
00:33:00.89\00:33:05.29
stand at the
last day on the earth.
00:33:05.32\00:33:07.48
And after my skin is destroyed,
this I know, that in my flesh
00:33:07.51\00:33:13.51
I shall see God, whom I shall
see for myself, and my eyes
00:33:13.54\00:33:19.31
shall behold and not another.
00:33:19.34\00:33:21.32
How my heart yearns within me.
00:33:21.35\00:33:25.24
So he says, I
know my Redeemer lives.
00:33:25.27\00:33:27.50
And I know that even if
this skin becomes decomposed,
00:33:27.53\00:33:30.58
in this flesh I
am going to see God.
00:33:30.61\00:33:33.81
Notice also, Job
23:8-12, Job 23:8-12.
00:33:33.84\00:33:43.66
He seems to understand that
he's going through this trial
00:33:43.69\00:33:46.74
so that his character
can be cleansed and purified.
00:33:46.77\00:33:51.00
It says there in Job 23:8:
00:33:51.03\00:33:53.60
That is God is
silent; He's gone.
00:34:01.65\00:34:04.17
See, he knows that he's
going through the furnace,
00:34:19.16\00:34:21.90
and he has this momentary
feeling that he has to hang on.
00:34:21.93\00:34:28.82
He has to preserve and
conserve his faith. Verse 11:
00:34:28.85\00:34:32.12
And so you have this ambivalent
feeling: God is absent,
00:34:46.82\00:34:51.53
God has become my enemy.
00:34:51.56\00:34:53.87
Lord explain what's happening.
00:34:53.90\00:34:56.15
He rebukes his friends: You're
wrong when you say that God is
00:34:56.18\00:34:59.74
doing this to me,
because I'm a big sinner.
00:34:59.77\00:35:02.32
You're wrong when
you say that God is dead.
00:35:02.35\00:35:04.49
You're wrong when you say that
God is not a rewarder of those
00:35:04.52\00:35:10.62
who are faithful to Him.
00:35:10.65\00:35:12.03
And yet God keeps silence.
00:35:12.06\00:35:18.66
That is until you get
to chapter 38 and verse 1.
00:35:18.69\00:35:23.13
Now, have you noticed the
amount of material where God
00:35:23.16\00:35:26.99
allows Job to
complain and to whine to Him?
00:35:27.02\00:35:30.22
All the way from
chapter 3 to chapter 37.
00:35:30.25\00:35:32.69
Finally, at the end of
chapter 37 God has heard enough.
00:35:32.72\00:35:36.61
And so now God is
going to break His silence.
00:35:36.64\00:35:40.74
He's going to tell Job
that something spectacular
00:35:40.77\00:35:44.18
is happening that
he doesn't know about.
00:35:44.21\00:35:46.32
Job 38:1. Then the Lord...
00:35:46.35\00:35:52.66
In other words, Who is this
who is speaking foolishness?
00:36:01.85\00:36:06.15
is what God is saying.
00:36:06.18\00:36:07.22
In other words, God
says, You've spoken enough.
00:36:17.34\00:36:20.49
You've demanded answers.
00:36:20.52\00:36:21.72
You want to know
what's happening.
00:36:21.75\00:36:23.46
Well, God says,
I've heard enough.
00:36:23.49\00:36:25.55
Now I'm going to
break my silence.
00:36:25.58\00:36:27.01
Now I'm going to speak.
00:36:27.04\00:36:29.30
I'm going to ask you the
questions, and you answer Me.
00:36:29.33\00:36:32.52
And then, of course, God
begins to describe creation.
00:36:32.55\00:36:37.16
And, of course, we can't study
chapter 38 and 39 where God
00:36:37.19\00:36:42.38
describes the days of
creation in their proper order.
00:36:42.41\00:36:45.41
If we had the time we
would show you that in those two
00:36:45.44\00:36:49.00
chapters God goes from
the light, to the firmament,
00:36:49.03\00:36:52.76
then to the green grass, then
to the constellations in heaven,
00:36:52.79\00:36:56.79
then He speaks about the birds,
and finally He ends up with
00:36:56.82\00:37:00.55
land animals. In other
words, He's describing creation
00:37:00.58\00:37:03.60
in the order in which it
occurred at the very beginning.
00:37:03.63\00:37:07.16
And God is saying
to Job, Where were you
00:37:07.19\00:37:10.41
when all of
these things happened?
00:37:10.44\00:37:12.01
If you know so much, tell me.
00:37:12.04\00:37:14.53
In fact, let's read verse
4, actually lets go to verse 3,
00:37:14.56\00:37:19.83
and then we'll
continue with verse 4.
00:37:19.86\00:37:21.45
Now prepare yourself like a man.
00:37:21.48\00:37:23.27
I will question you,
and you will answer Me.
00:37:23.30\00:37:25.34
Where were you when I laid
the foundations of the earth?
00:37:25.37\00:37:28.74
Tell me, if you
have understanding.
00:37:28.77\00:37:31.35
Who determined its measurements?
00:37:31.38\00:37:33.76
Surely you know. God is speaking
somewhat with sarcasm here.
00:37:33.79\00:37:37.93
Or who stretched
the line upon it?
00:37:37.96\00:37:40.66
To what were its
foundations fastened?
00:37:40.69\00:37:43.78
Or who laid its cornerstone?
00:37:43.81\00:37:46.34
In other words, Job,
where were you when I performed
00:37:46.37\00:37:49.95
all of these marvelous works?
00:37:49.98\00:37:51.44
And, of course, Job is
thinking, Hum, I wasn't anywhere
00:37:51.47\00:37:56.29
to be found at that time.
00:37:56.32\00:37:57.97
He's starting to catch
a glimpse that God is far
00:37:58.00\00:38:01.04
greater than he is.
00:38:01.07\00:38:03.87
In other words, as God
gets larger and larger,
00:38:03.90\00:38:07.27
Job gets smaller and smaller.
00:38:07.30\00:38:09.73
And finally, after
describing the days of creation
00:38:09.76\00:38:13.06
in their proper order, God ends
His speech to Job in chapter 40
00:38:13.09\00:38:20.03
and verses 1 and 2, by saying:
00:38:20.06\00:38:23.22
In other words, do you
have a right to correct God?
00:38:30.40\00:38:34.05
In other words, God is saying,
You've tried to rebuke Me.
00:38:39.47\00:38:43.04
You've tried to correct Me.
00:38:43.07\00:38:46.62
He says, Do you really
have a right to do this as,
00:38:46.65\00:38:52.63
pardon the expression,
a puny little creature?
00:38:52.66\00:38:57.01
And, of course, now Job speaks
to God, and I want you to notice
00:38:57.04\00:39:02.89
what he says in Job 40:3-5.
00:39:02.92\00:39:07.47
Hadn't Job said that if he
could appear before God and talk
00:39:19.78\00:39:24.05
to Him, he would present
his arguments before Him?
00:39:24.08\00:39:26.15
Well, there's no arguments to
be had at this point. Verse 4:
00:39:26.18\00:39:31.00
In other words, Job is
saying, Okay, Lord, You've made
00:39:42.36\00:39:45.02
Your point. I'm not
going to speak anymore.
00:39:45.05\00:39:47.09
I'm going to keep quiet.
00:39:47.12\00:39:48.29
However, we're going to find in
a few moments that Job found it
00:39:48.32\00:39:54.59
necessary to speak again.
00:39:54.62\00:39:56.37
Even though at this point Job
says, You've made Your point.
00:39:56.40\00:39:59.55
I'm a puny little creature.
00:39:59.58\00:40:01.40
You're the great universal
God who created the heavens
00:40:01.43\00:40:04.63
and the earth. Who am I to
be demanding answers from You?
00:40:04.66\00:40:08.29
But Job, even though he
says, I will not speak again,
00:40:08.32\00:40:15.41
we're going to find in
chapter 42 that he finds
00:40:15.44\00:40:19.38
the need to speak again.
00:40:19.41\00:40:20.72
So we need to look at what
happened between chapter 40
00:40:20.75\00:40:25.79
and chapter 42, to discover why
Job felt that it was necessary
00:40:25.82\00:40:31.40
to speak again after
he said, that he was not
00:40:31.43\00:40:34.27
going to speak anymore.
00:40:34.30\00:40:35.37
Now what is it that
transpires in chapter 41?
00:40:35.40\00:40:39.90
You see, folks, the
devil, Satan, does not disappear
00:40:39.93\00:40:46.40
from the story after chapter 2.
00:40:46.43\00:40:49.51
He's called Satan in chapters
1 and 2, but he reappears
00:40:49.54\00:40:56.08
at the end of the book with
a different name, and that name
00:40:56.11\00:41:00.21
at the end of the
book is Leviathan.
00:41:00.24\00:41:03.80
In other words, at the beginning
of the book he's Satan, Hasatan,
00:41:03.83\00:41:08.89
the adversary, the accuser.
00:41:08.92\00:41:11.38
At the end of the book
he doesn't appear as Satan,
00:41:11.41\00:41:15.05
he appears as Leviathan.
00:41:15.08\00:41:17.44
You say, How do we know that?
00:41:17.47\00:41:19.17
Well, let's notice some
verses from Job 41, Job 41.
00:41:19.20\00:41:23.78
You know, many scholars believe
that this beast that is being
00:41:23.81\00:41:26.33
described in Job
41, called leviathan,
00:41:26.36\00:41:29.68
was actually a crocodile.
00:41:29.71\00:41:31.46
But this can't be a crocodile.
00:41:31.49\00:41:33.99
I want you to
notice the details.
00:41:34.02\00:41:35.48
Job 41:1-4. God is going to
now ask Job some more questions.
00:41:35.51\00:41:41.46
In other words, are you able to
fish leviathan out of the sea?
00:41:50.83\00:41:54.26
In other words, are you
able to defeat leviathan?
00:42:14.03\00:42:18.58
Are you able to take
leviathan as your servant?
00:42:18.61\00:42:21.83
Now I must tell you something,
the mention of leviathan
00:42:21.86\00:42:25.53
would not have surprised
Job, because archaeologists have
00:42:25.56\00:42:29.50
done digs in the area
where this story took place,
00:42:29.53\00:42:32.66
and they have found that,
according to the culture of the
00:42:32.69\00:42:36.10
time, the people
believed that enemy of the gods
00:42:36.13\00:42:41.39
was called Leviathan.
00:42:41.42\00:42:43.54
So, in other words, Job would
have understood that Leviathan
00:42:43.57\00:42:47.76
was the great enemy of God.
00:42:47.79\00:42:50.07
Of course, he wasn't a
polytheist like the surrounding
00:42:50.10\00:42:52.45
nations, but he would understand
the code word leviathan meant
00:42:52.49\00:42:56.33
that the enemy of
God was the one who
00:42:56.37\00:42:59.34
was causing these things.
00:42:59.37\00:43:00.40
And God is saying, Can you
fish leviathan and make him
00:43:00.43\00:43:04.00
your servant? Of
course, what's the answer?
00:43:04.03\00:43:06.48
Job is saying, No way!
00:43:06.51\00:43:08.55
Now let's notice a few
details about this leviathan.
00:43:08.58\00:43:11.09
Job 41:18, Job 41:18.
00:43:11.12\00:43:17.10
Speaking about
this creature, it says:
00:43:17.13\00:43:19.09
In other words, his eyes gleam.
00:43:26.14\00:43:28.10
Have you ever seen a
fire breathing crocodile?
00:43:33.09\00:43:36.45
I haven't ever seen a fire
breathing crocodile. Verse 20:
00:43:36.48\00:43:40.58
In other words, this is
a fire breathing creature.
00:43:53.36\00:43:58.32
Let's jump down to
verses 24-27. It says:
00:43:58.35\00:44:03.12
Notice that this is a hard
hearted creature. Verse 25:
00:44:09.24\00:44:13.06
In other words, this
is an invincible creature.
00:44:31.81\00:44:35.05
He's a creature
with a stone heart.
00:44:35.08\00:44:38.22
He's a creature
that breathes fire.
00:44:38.25\00:44:41.20
Now who is this creature?
00:44:41.23\00:44:43.85
What does this
creature represent?
00:44:43.88\00:44:46.37
Let's go to the end of
the chapter, chapter 41,
00:44:46.40\00:44:49.36
and verses 33 and
34, comes the climax.
00:44:49.39\00:44:53.86
And now comes the key verse:
00:45:02.05\00:45:04.55
Let me ask you, who is the
king over the children of pride?
00:45:12.96\00:45:17.60
The first creature
who ever had pride.
00:45:17.63\00:45:21.34
His name was Lucifer,
according to scripture.
00:45:21.37\00:45:25.33
Now fortunately, in other places
of the Bible, we have references
00:45:25.36\00:45:30.95
to this same creature
leviathan, which proves that
00:45:30.98\00:45:34.99
leviathan is a symbol of Satan.
00:45:35.02\00:45:36.96
And God is telling Job, Listen
Job, My problem is much larger
00:45:36.99\00:45:41.35
than your puny little questions.
00:45:41.38\00:45:43.13
You want to know why
little old you is suffering,
00:45:43.16\00:45:46.78
and why I can't answer at this
moment what's happening to you,
00:45:46.81\00:45:51.44
and you complain, and you whine.
00:45:51.47\00:45:53.23
Don't you know that My
conflict is with Leviathan,
00:45:53.26\00:45:57.96
is with this enemy of God?
00:45:57.99\00:46:00.46
Do you think that
you can defeat him?
00:46:00.49\00:46:03.20
Do you think that you
can take him as your servant?
00:46:03.23\00:46:05.50
Do you think that you can fish
him out and cut him in pieces?
00:46:05.53\00:46:08.67
No way! Those who live on
the earth when they see him,
00:46:08.70\00:46:12.16
they're filled with fear.
00:46:12.19\00:46:13.96
No weapon can conquer him.
00:46:13.99\00:46:15.41
He has a heart of stone.
00:46:15.44\00:46:16.76
He's king over
the children of pride.
00:46:16.79\00:46:18.79
In other words, God is
saying, I'm dealing with a
00:46:18.82\00:46:21.40
cosmic problem here.
00:46:21.43\00:46:22.82
I'm dealing with Leviathan.
00:46:22.85\00:46:24.52
Leviathan is the one who is
causing all of your problems.
00:46:24.55\00:46:28.06
Now let's notice a
few other verses that
00:46:28.09\00:46:30.75
speak about Leviathan.
00:46:30.78\00:46:32.18
Go with me to Isaiah 27,
Isaiah 27 and I want to read
00:46:32.21\00:46:38.49
verse 1, Isaiah 27:1.
00:46:38.52\00:46:41.16
By the way, this is
found in what is known as
00:46:41.19\00:46:43.60
the little
Apocalypse of the Old Testament.
00:46:43.63\00:46:45.97
It's Isaiah 24 to27.
00:46:46.00\00:46:49.99
There are many elements in these
chapters that are found later on
00:46:50.02\00:46:54.77
in the book of Revelation.
00:46:54.80\00:46:56.01
Isaiah 27:1. Here it's speaking
about the day when God is going
00:46:56.04\00:47:01.73
to punish and destroy Leviathan.
00:47:01.76\00:47:05.30
It says there in Isaiah 27:1,
00:47:05.33\00:47:08.64
What is Leviathan?
00:47:25.82\00:47:27.39
Oh, Leviathan is the fleeting
serpent, according to this.
00:47:27.42\00:47:33.10
And I'm reading
from the New King James.
00:47:38.46\00:47:40.08
Actually, the King James Version
says He will slay the dragon
00:47:44.34\00:47:50.89
that is in the sea.
00:47:50.92\00:47:52.28
The word that is used in
the Greek translation of the
00:47:52.31\00:47:55.97
Old Testament is Delacon, where
we get the word dragon from.
00:47:56.00\00:48:01.74
So Leviathan is identified
as the twisted serpent,
00:48:01.77\00:48:05.67
and as the dragon
who lives in the sea.
00:48:05.70\00:48:10.28
By the way, did
you know that leviathan
00:48:10.31\00:48:13.83
is a multi-headed creature?
00:48:13.86\00:48:16.01
Notice Psalm 74, Psalm 74
and beginning with verse 13,
00:48:16.04\00:48:22.73
Psalm 74:13. Here we find
a description of leviathan.
00:48:22.76\00:48:29.45
And we're going to
find that leviathan had
00:48:29.48\00:48:32.65
more than one head.
00:48:32.68\00:48:34.73
It says there in Psalm 74:13,
speaking about God when He
00:48:34.76\00:48:40.78
defeated the
Egyptians at the Red Sea.
00:48:40.81\00:48:44.14
Notice that Leviathan is a him,
it's one, but he has many what?
00:49:07.79\00:49:12.50
He has many
heads, according to this.
00:49:12.53\00:49:15.33
Now the question is,
how many heads does he have?
00:49:15.36\00:49:19.47
Go with me to Revelation
12, Revelation 12, and I want
00:49:19.50\00:49:25.29
to read verses 7
through 9, Revelation 12:7-9.
00:49:25.32\00:49:32.01
It says there, speaking about
the origin of sin in heaven:
00:49:32.04\00:49:36.04
And war broke out in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought
00:49:36.07\00:49:41.09
with the dragon; and the
dragon and his angels fought,
00:49:41.12\00:49:44.66
but they did not prevail;
nor was a place found for them
00:49:44.69\00:49:49.03
in heaven anymore more.
00:49:49.06\00:49:50.43
And now notice the terminology.
00:49:50.46\00:49:52.36
So the great dragon...
00:49:52.39\00:49:54.30
Did you catch that?
00:50:01.51\00:50:02.54
He's called the
dragon and he's called what?
00:50:02.57\00:50:04.18
Is that name in the book
of Job, at the beginning of
00:50:10.61\00:50:13.02
the book of Job
Satan? Absolutely!
00:50:13.05\00:50:15.70
Now how many heads
does this dragon have?
00:50:25.31\00:50:28.26
Go back with me to Revelation
12:3, Revelation 12:3.
00:50:28.29\00:50:34.79
And another sign appeared
in heaven; behold a great fiery
00:50:34.82\00:50:39.76
red dragon, having
seven heads and ten horns,
00:50:39.79\00:50:44.11
and seven diadems on his heads.
00:50:44.14\00:50:47.09
So the question
is, who is Leviathan?
00:50:47.12\00:50:52.67
By the description in chapter
41, and by examining Isaiah 27,
00:50:52.70\00:50:59.12
and Psalm 74, and Revelation
12, there can be no doubt that
00:50:59.15\00:51:04.74
Leviathan is a symbol of Satan.
00:51:04.77\00:51:09.18
So does Satan reappear
at the end of the book?
00:51:09.21\00:51:13.58
He most certainly does.
00:51:13.61\00:51:14.99
And what is God saying
at the end of the book?
00:51:15.02\00:51:17.76
He's saying to Job, Job all
of your trials and tribulations
00:51:17.79\00:51:22.73
are caused by Leviathan.
00:51:22.76\00:51:25.09
And, of course, a light
goes on in the mind of Job.
00:51:25.12\00:51:28.25
He says, Oh, now I understand
where my trails are coming from.
00:51:28.28\00:51:32.24
They're not coming from God,
they're coming from Leviathan.
00:51:32.27\00:51:35.33
And God is saying in this story,
He's saying, this being is
00:51:35.36\00:51:39.56
invincible. He
has a heart of stone.
00:51:39.59\00:51:41.68
He's king over
the children of pride.
00:51:41.71\00:51:43.46
You can't take
him as your servant.
00:51:43.49\00:51:45.77
You can't defeat him
because he's invincible.
00:51:45.80\00:51:48.79
But God says, I will defeat him.
00:51:48.82\00:51:51.71
I will defeat the one who is
causing all of your problems,
00:51:51.74\00:51:56.34
because I sit on the throne,
and I am in control of history.
00:51:56.37\00:52:00.47
And so Job now, after he sees
Leviathan he feels the need to
00:52:00.50\00:52:05.66
speak again, even
though he said that he wasn't
00:52:05.69\00:52:07.83
going to speak again.
00:52:07.86\00:52:08.89
Notice Job 42:1-6, Job 42:1-6.
00:52:08.92\00:52:17.93
Here Job says, Excuse me Lord,
I need to talk to You again
00:52:17.96\00:52:21.52
now that You've shown me what's
going to happen to Leviathan.
00:52:21.55\00:52:24.55
Now that You've shown me that
the culprit is going to get his
00:52:24.58\00:52:27.67
just due. By the way, did
Job ever lose his relationship
00:52:27.70\00:52:32.33
with God? Did he ever
release the hand of God? No.
00:52:32.36\00:52:35.43
We're going to find in our next
study that he kind of felt like
00:52:35.46\00:52:38.25
Jesus when He was on the cross.
00:52:38.28\00:52:40.56
Where Jesus says, My God, My
God, Why have You forsaken Me?
00:52:40.59\00:52:46.12
But then in the next breath
almost He says, Father into Your
00:52:46.15\00:52:50.68
hands I commend My Spirit.
00:52:50.71\00:52:52.35
In other words, Job felt much
like Jesus would feel later on
00:52:52.38\00:52:56.78
in history. And in both cases,
it is the devil who is causing
00:52:56.81\00:53:01.11
the suffering. And the devil
was going to get his just due
00:53:01.14\00:53:04.92
for causing the suffering.
00:53:04.95\00:53:06.38
So could we say that the
heavenly universe gave Job
00:53:06.41\00:53:11.82
and God a great
round of applause when
00:53:11.85\00:53:14.80
this story was over?
00:53:14.83\00:53:15.96
Absolutely, because Job
did not lose his hold upon God.
00:53:15.99\00:53:21.49
Notice chapter 42 and verse 1.
00:53:21.52\00:53:24.57
Even defeat whom? Leviathan.
00:53:31.62\00:53:35.58
What was Job's big mistake?
00:53:53.81\00:53:56.51
He uttered what he
did not what? understand.
00:53:56.54\00:54:00.62
When he saw Leviathan
does he suddenly understand?
00:54:00.65\00:54:03.57
He most certainly does.
00:54:03.60\00:54:05.04
He continues saying:
00:54:05.07\00:54:07.22
In other words, when it
says, My eye sees you, He says,
00:54:27.10\00:54:31.66
Now I what? Now I
understand you. Verse 6:
00:54:31.69\00:54:36.52
I want you to notice that
Job is not repenting of sin.
00:54:42.19\00:54:45.25
Job is repenting of having
the audacity as a creature,
00:54:45.28\00:54:49.63
to demand answers from God.
00:54:49.66\00:54:52.95
And, you know, the interesting
thing is the story ends
00:54:52.98\00:54:56.51
as you read the last part of
the chapter with Job not only
00:54:56.54\00:55:02.51
receiving what he had
lost, but he received double
00:55:02.54\00:55:06.67
of what he had lost.
00:55:06.70\00:55:08.35
And he lived a very prosperous
life the rest of his days.
00:55:08.38\00:55:14.64
Now why would God
give us this story of Job?
00:55:14.67\00:55:19.30
Actually, we're going
to find in our next study,
00:55:19.33\00:55:22.41
that this story is a microcosm.
00:55:22.44\00:55:25.57
It is a miniature illustration
of what is going to happen
00:55:25.60\00:55:30.67
in the great time of trouble
such as never has existed
00:55:30.70\00:55:34.63
in the history of the world.
00:55:34.66\00:55:35.76
Once again God's
people are going to be tried
00:55:35.79\00:55:39.27
to the utmost like Job.
00:55:39.30\00:55:41.08
They are going to
lose every earthly support.
00:55:41.11\00:55:44.62
They are going to lose children.
00:55:44.65\00:55:47.22
They are going
to lose possessions.
00:55:47.25\00:55:49.20
They are going to
lose their health.
00:55:49.23\00:55:50.70
They are going to
lose their freedom.
00:55:50.73\00:55:52.07
They are going to
lose their friends.
00:55:52.10\00:55:53.64
The whole world will
turn against them, them
00:55:53.67\00:55:55.89
according to scripture.
00:55:55.92\00:55:56.97
And they will
feel like God, perhaps,
00:55:57.00\00:56:00.40
has forsaken them in this world.
00:56:00.43\00:56:02.69
And they will cry out to God
for deliverance day and night,
00:56:02.72\00:56:07.52
like the widow in the
story of Luke chapter 18,
00:56:07.55\00:56:10.99
who kept on coming to
the judge asking for the
00:56:11.02\00:56:13.68
judge to do justice.
00:56:13.71\00:56:15.43
The wonderful thing about God's
people during that period is
00:56:15.46\00:56:19.56
that we will have the
benefit of the story of Job.
00:56:19.59\00:56:21.68
God has given us this
story to know the controversy
00:56:21.71\00:56:26.85
that is going to
ensue at the end of time.
00:56:26.88\00:56:28.93
The devil says, Oh,
Your people serve You,
00:56:28.96\00:56:31.35
because You're good to them.
00:56:31.38\00:56:33.19
You prosper them.
00:56:33.22\00:56:34.99
You protect them.
00:56:35.02\00:56:36.05
But if you gave me control
of the world, and you allowed
00:56:36.08\00:56:39.69
me to take
everything from them, they would
00:56:39.72\00:56:41.94
curse You to the face.
00:56:41.97\00:56:43.08
And we're going to notice
that the end time generation
00:56:43.11\00:56:45.64
God is going to have
a whole group of people
00:56:45.67\00:56:48.19
who will prove the devil wrong.
00:56:48.22\00:56:50.35
They will prove that God
is served simply out of love,
00:56:50.38\00:56:56.73
without any self interest.
00:56:56.76\00:56:58.71
And God's people will
say, Though He slay me,
00:56:58.74\00:57:01.47
yet will I trust in Him.
00:57:01.50\00:57:03.52
They will say, I know that my
Redeemer lives, and even after
00:57:03.55\00:57:08.27
this skin falls apart,
I know that in my flesh
00:57:08.30\00:57:12.13
I shall see God.
00:57:12.16\00:57:13.31
And in this way, they will
slap the devil in the face,
00:57:13.34\00:57:17.14
and they will
vindicate the character of God
00:57:17.17\00:57:20.53
before the Universe.
00:57:20.56\00:57:21.77
And God will be proven right,
and the whole universe will
00:57:21.80\00:57:25.15
end up with a
great round of applause.
00:57:25.18\00:57:29.00