Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: SUM
Program Code: SUM000016
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00:36 Let's bow our heads for prayer.
00:38 Father in heaven, what a joy it is to be in Your presence, 00:41 and we ask that as we open Your Holy Word today that Your Holy 00:46 Spirit will be with us. 00:47 Help us to understand the great things from Your Word. 00:51 Help us to apply them to our own person experience. 00:56 And we thank You for hearing and answering our prayer 00:58 for we ask it in Jesus' name, Amen. 01:02 The title of our next two studies together are: 01:08 God, Leviathan, and Job, or God On Trial. 01:14 And before we get into a study of the book of Job itself, 01:19 I want to share with you some introductory matters that will 01:22 help us understand this great book. 01:26 The first thing that I would like to say is the book of Job 01:30 is the most ancient book in holy scripture. 01:33 It was actually written by Moses when he was in the desert of 01:40 Midian tending Jethro's sheep. 01:43 Actually, when the book of Job was translated into the 01:49 Septuagint, that is into the Greek Old Testament, 01:51 there were sections of Job that had such an archaic Hebrew 01:57 that the Septuagint translators had trouble 02:01 translating the Hebrew. 02:03 That's how ancient the Hebrew of the book of Job is. 02:07 As we examine this book, it is a literary masterpiece. 02:13 It is a fantastic book, as we'll notice, as a work of literature 02:19 other than being an inspired book of holy scripture. 02:23 The story of Job takes place in the early patriarchal period, 02:28 approximately the year 2000 B.C. 02:33 This is slightly before the time of Abraham. 02:37 Now the book of Job is organized into three great sections. 02:42 Two of them are prose, and the larger portion is poetry. 02:48 The first two chapters are prose. 02:51 Then from chapter 3 through chapter 30, actually through 02:56 chapter 41, we have poetry. 02:59 And then, finally, chapter 42, at the very end of the book, 03:03 the book ends up once again with prose. 03:07 It's very interesting to notice that this book describes 03:12 something that is happening before the eyes 03:15 of the on looking universe. 03:17 In other words, the story does not only involve Job, 03:20 it involves all of the heavenly intelligences, as we'll notice 03:25 as we study along this book. 03:27 Another very important thing to remember about the book 03:30 of Job is that the book of Job actually describes a trial. 03:35 And as we get into the study of the book, we'll notice this 03:39 a little more carefully. 03:40 But in this book we have all of the elements 03:44 of a judgment, or a trial. 03:46 First of all we have an accuser, and, of course, 03:50 the accuser is Satan. 03:52 Secondly, we have a judge and a defense attorney. 03:55 By the way, in the Old Testament the judge was 03:58 to defend the innocent. 04:00 And so you don't have a separate judge from a defense attorney, 04:03 but you have a defense attorney and judge, who is God. 04:07 You have the evidence which is being examined, 04:09 which is the case of Job. 04:11 You have a jury, a group of individuals who are 04:15 called the Sons of God. 04:17 You have One who is accused, which we will notice is not Job. 04:22 Primarily the One who is accused is God. 04:26 And at the end of the book we have the pronunciation 04:31 of the verdict of the story. 04:33 In other words, in this book we have all of the elements 04:36 of a trial, or of a judgment. 04:38 And we're going to find that at the very center of the book 04:42 is God being judged. 04:45 One final point before we get into a study of the book itself, 04:49 as we examine, particularly the first two chapters of the book, 04:54 we notice that heaven is looking at what is happening 05:00 on the earth, and is understanding many things 05:04 about the character of God. 05:06 In the other hand, on earth Job is going through this 05:10 experience, but he doesn't have any idea about 05:14 what's happening in heaven. 05:16 In other words, heaven knows what's happening on earth, 05:19 but what is transpiring on earth, the individuals involved 05:23 are totally oblivious to the fact that what is happening 05:27 on earth is a repercussion of something which has 05:30 happened in heaven. 05:32 Now we want to notice also that the book of Job fluctuates 05:37 between heaven and earth, particularly 05:40 in its first two chapters. 05:41 Now lets go to Job 1 and we'll notice that this chapter begins 05:48 with an earthly scene. 05:50 Let's read Job 1:1-3, and we're going to notice here that Job 05:56 was a very prosperous, rich man. 06:01 It says there in Job 1:1... 06:23 By the way, in Old Testament times the more children you had, 06:27 the greater the sign of God's blessing. Verse 3: 06:49 An extremely rich man. 06:52 The greatest man in the East, according to what we find 06:55 in these three verses. 06:57 But not only was Job a very rich, prosperous man, but Job 07:04 was also a very spiritual man. 07:08 He was a rich, spiritual man, which is indeed 07:12 a strange combination. 07:14 I want you to notice the description that is given 07:17 of this man. Once again Job 1: 1, and this is repeated 07:21 several times in the first two chapters. 07:23 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, 07:27 and that man was blameless, and upright, and one who feared 07:33 God, and shunned evil. 07:35 In other words, he rejected evil. 07:38 By the way, these are not only the words of Moses, 07:41 God gives the same testimony. 07:43 I want you to notice Job 1:4, and also verse 5, well actually 07:53 instead of reading verse 4 and verse 5, lets go to verse 6. 07:56 We'll come back to those verses. 08:04 Notice, this is God speaking. 08:27 Notice that not only does Moses describe Job this way, 08:31 but God actually speaks the same description 08:35 from His own lips. 08:36 In other words, Job was a rich man, but he was also 08:41 a very spiritual man. 08:44 Now I'm not going to read the passage, 08:46 but I'm going to mention the verse. 08:48 In the verse Job 29:12-17, Job speaks about how 08:52 he used his riches. 08:53 He used his riches to help the blind, and help the lame, 08:57 and help those who were oppressed, and he clothed those 09:01 who were naked. In other words, he was a very pious man, 09:04 very generous with his riches. 09:06 He tried to benefit humanity with everything 09:09 that God had given him. 09:11 And so we have in Job 1:1-8, an earthly scene, 09:20 and then we're going to notice that suddenly there's a meeting 09:24 that takes place in heaven. 09:26 In other words, we're going to go from earth, where we found 09:29 a description of Job, to heaven. 09:31 Job 1:6-8, you see, somebody was watching Job. 09:38 It says there in verse 6: Now there was a day when the 09:41 Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, 09:46 and Satan also came among them. 09:49 And now a conversation takes place. Verse 7. 09:53 And the Lord said to Satan, From where do you come? 09:57 So Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro 10:01 on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it. 10:05 Then God, probably with a certain degree of pride, 10:10 we find in verse 8 said to Satan, Have you considered My 10:15 servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, 10:20 a blameless and upright man, one who fears God, and shuns evil? 10:26 Haven't you seen my servant? 10:28 Even though he lives in your territory, 10:30 he's actually My servant. 10:33 And then, of course Satan has his comeback. 10:37 And here we reach the core issue in the book. Job 1:9. 10:41 Job chapter 1, and notice verse 9. 10:53 In other words, does Job love God enough to serve Him 10:58 no matter what, or does he serve God for the 11:01 loaves and the fishes? 11:02 And then Satan continues saying, in verse 10: 11:22 In other words, the devil is saying to God, The reason Job 11:26 serves You is because You've given Job everything. 11:29 But does Job serve You because he loves You? 11:33 Would he serve You if only evil came to him? 11:36 Basically he's saying, Job serves You out of self interest. 11:43 And then I want you to notice what we find in Job 1:11, 12. 11:50 The devil says to God, But now stretch out Your hand and touch 11:56 all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face. 12:02 In other words, the devil was putting God on the line. 12:06 The devil was saying, you know, make every evil come 12:12 to his life, and You'll see that he serves You, not out of love, 12:16 but out of self interest. 12:17 And then notice verse 12: 12:32 So the devil is given permission, Satan is given 12:35 permission to take everything he wishes from Job. 12:39 So you have first of all the earthly scene. 12:42 You have Job who is this very prosperous, rich man, 12:47 very spiritual, and then the scene changes to heaven 12:51 and the conversation between God and Satan. 12:54 And then God says to Satan, Try him and you'll see that he 12:59 serves Me because he loves Me, not out of self interest. 13:02 And so the scene now changes again to the earth. 13:06 Notice, and we're not going to read all of the verses, 13:10 but notice the following verses, starting with verse 13, 13:13 a series of calamities come to Job. 13:15 He loses first of all of his children, all ten of them die. 13:21 He loses all of his beasts; they're stolen. 13:24 He loses all of his servants; his servants are killed. 13:28 He loses all of his possessions. 13:31 In other words, Satan has gone out from the presence of God 13:35 and he's taken everything that Job has that is valuable 13:39 in his life. I want you to notice the response of Job 13:44 in chapter 1, and beginning with verse 20. 14:09 He was only half right because God didn't take away. 14:12 God did give, but God didn't take away. 14:14 The main point here is that we're told that Job did not 14:19 curse God; Job actually blessed God. 14:22 Notice verse 22: In all this Job did not sin, 14:27 nor charge God with wrong. 14:30 So the scene now switches, once again, from the earth to heaven. 14:36 And another council meeting takes place. Notice Job 2:1-3. 15:06 You have the same type of conversation as we had 15:08 in chapter 1. You have another council meeting, and God asked 15:12 the devil, Where do you come from? 15:13 And the devil says, Well, I come from my planet, 15:16 from planet earth, my kingdom. 15:19 Because Satan had stolen the kingdom from the original 15:23 owner who was Adam. 15:25 And now I can imagine that God, with a certain degree of healthy 15:30 pride, according to verse 3, says to Satan, Have you... 15:55 In other words, God is saying, See, he passed the test. 15:59 I told you that he obeyed Me. 16:02 I told you that he's my servant because he loves Me, 16:05 not because of everything that I give him. 16:08 But then, of course, the devil always has a comeback. 16:13 We notice in Job 2:4, 5: 16:27 In other words, You didn't let me touch him. 16:29 You only let me take everything that he had. Verse 5. 16:42 In other words, the reason why Job was faithful to You was 16:45 because You took everything from him, but You did not 16:48 allow me to touch him. 16:49 Let me touch him and You'll see that he will 16:53 curse You to Your face. 16:54 And now notice how God places Himself on the 16:57 line again; verse 6. 17:08 Now do you see how this story is fluctuating 17:12 between heaven and earth? 17:13 It begins on earth then goes to heaven. 17:16 Comes back to the earth, goes back to heaven. 17:19 And according to the book of Job, the whole heavenly universe 17:23 is observing what is happening to see who is right. 17:27 Is Satan right that people serve God because God is good to them, 17:32 or do they serve God simply out of love? 17:35 You'll notice that in the story it is God who is accused. 17:39 Primarily the accusation is not against Job, 17:42 the accusation is against God. 17:44 You have given him all of these things, 17:46 therefore, he serves You. 17:47 You're to blame for everything that Job does 17:52 in harmony with Your will. 17:53 Now I want you to notice that the scene then comes back 17:58 to the earth again. 17:59 And the devil comes down, according to chapter 2, 18:02 and verses 7 and 8. Let's read there. 18:04 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord 18:07 and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot 18:12 to the crown of his head. 18:14 Verse 8: And he took for himself a potsherd... 18:19 A piece of pottery. 18:20 ...with which to scrape himself while he sat 18:23 in the midst of the ashes. 18:25 In other words, Job has now lost his health. 18:29 And in a moment he's going to lose his wife, 18:31 for all practical purposes. Notice verse 9. 18:45 By the way, she was serving of an instrument of the devil, 18:48 because the devil had said that Job will curse You to Your face. 18:52 She is saying, Curse God and die. 18:55 And, of course, Job rebukes his wife. 18:58 And then when we go down to verse 12, we notice that the 19:03 friends of Job, three of them, three special friends, 19:06 come to console Job in his suffering. 19:09 In fact, let's read verse 12. 19:11 It seems like Job was practically disfigured 19:16 at this point. It says there in verse 12: 19:19 And when they raised their eyes from afar and did not recognize 19:25 him, they lifted their voices and wept, and each one tore his 19:30 robe, and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. 19:34 In other words, he was so disfigured by scratching himself 19:39 with the piece of pottery that they did not even 19:41 recognize who he was. 19:43 And then as the story transpires we discover that his three 19:47 friends become his enemies. 19:49 In other words, his three friends start accusing Job, 19:53 and saying that this is happening to Job because Job 19:58 has been unfaithful to God. 20:00 And they're actually trying to encourage Job to forsake 20:04 his relationship with God. 20:06 In other words, in a short period of time Job has lost 20:11 all earthly support. 20:13 He has lost his possessions. 20:15 He has lost his children. 20:16 He has lost his health. 20:18 He has lost his wife, for all practical purposes. 20:21 He's lost his friends. 20:23 And we're going to notice in a moment that it seems to Job 20:27 that he has also lost his relationship with God; 20:32 that God doesn't care. 20:34 We're going to notice that in a few moments. 20:35 Now something which has puzzled scholars that have studied 20:39 the book of Job is that Satan appears as the culprit 20:44 in Job chapter 1 and 2, and then he seems to disappear 20:49 from the rest of the book. 20:50 And so they say this is the biggest travesty in justice 20:55 that could be imagined, because at the end of the book most of 20:59 the individuals in the story reappear; but Satan doesn't seem 21:04 to reappear at the end of the story. 21:06 He comes, he does the evil things to Job in chapters 21:11 1 and 2, and then he seems to disappear from the story. 21:15 We're going to notice in our study that he doesn't really 21:18 disappear from the story. 21:19 He reappears at the end of the book, but he appears 21:23 under a different name. 21:24 Now beginning with chapter 3 you have poetry 21:28 in the story of Job, and the poetry continues all the way 21:33 through chapter 41 of the book. 21:36 Basically from chapter 3 to chapter 37 you have Job 21:43 struggling in his relationship with God; 21:46 to hang onto his relationship with God. 21:48 As we read those chapters we notice that he's 21:52 tempted to throw in the towel, and to think God is dead. 21:56 I might as well curse God and die. 21:58 He's plagued by questions and by doubts. 22:02 He's looking for answers. 22:04 Everyone has forsaken him, and it seems to him that even 22:08 God has forsaken him, because in these chapters 22:12 he cries out to God. 22:13 He asks God for an audience. 22:16 He requests that God give him an explanation 22:18 for what's happening, and all he gets back 22:21 is a deafening silence. 22:23 There seems to be no rhyme or reason to what's taking place. 22:27 He can't understand why, if he offered sacrifices for his 22:32 children every day, if he used his possessions to benefit 22:36 the needy, if he was an upright and blameless man 22:40 in the sight of God, why these things would be 22:43 happening to him; why God has turned against him. 22:47 In fact, what I would like to do is read a series of texts 22:51 where you find very clearly revealed these feelings of Job, 22:56 beginning with chapter 3 all the way through chapter 37. 23:01 Notice Job 16:10, Job 16:10. 23:08 Here he's going to say, God has turned against me,... 23:11 He says, speaking about the wicked people who surround him. 23:16 Verse 10: 23:27 Notice verse 11: 23:32 See, he's thinking that God is doing this. 23:38 I was at ease but He has shattered me. 23:42 That is, God has shattered me. 23:44 He also has taken me by my neck and shaken me to pieces. 23:49 He has set me up for His target. 24:01 He breaks me with wound upon wound. 24:04 He runs at me like a warrior. 24:07 Quite a view of God, isn't it? 24:10 He can't understand why God, apparently, 24:13 has turned against him. 24:14 We need to remember, let's not be too hard on Job, 24:16 because Job had no written scriptures like we do. 24:20 Job did not know what was happening behind the scenes. 24:23 He had no idea that this heavenly meeting 24:25 was taking place, and so he's puzzled, 24:28 and he's tempted to doubt, and he's tempted to release 24:32 his relationship with God, but he hangs on. 24:36 Notice chapter 16, verses 16 and 17, and we'll also read 24:41 verse 20, Job 16:16, 17. 24:46 Here Job speaks about crying out in pain, in an agony, 24:51 shedding tears. He says this: 25:08 Notice what we find in verse 20: 25:17 Let's go to Job 19:9-11, Job 19:9-11. 25:24 He's speaking once again about God. He says: 25:50 Can you grasp the way that Job is feeling in these chapters? 25:54 You see, he doesn't know why this is happening to him, 25:57 and so he's saying to God, God, please explain 26:01 what's taking place. 26:02 My friends say that You've forsaken me. 26:04 My friends say that I'm a great sinner. 26:06 I've lost everything that I have. 26:08 I've lost even my health. 26:10 I'm at the point of losing my life. 26:12 Please explain what's happening. 26:14 And he cries out to God, and, of course, 26:16 God's answer is a deafening silence. 26:19 Notice Job 19:6, 7. 26:23 We're only choosing some passages so we get an idea 26:26 of what's happening in these chapters. Job 19:6, 7: 26:52 Notice also chapter 23, and verses 3 to 5, Job 23:3, 4, 5. 27:02 He wishes that he could find God, and he could argue with God 27:06 face to face, and he believes that God would understand 27:10 his case. It says there in verse 3: 27:22 Do you see the judicial language that is used here, 27:24 the judgment language? 27:38 If I could just find Him, I would fill my mouth with 27:41 arguments, and I know that He would accept and believe 27:45 my point of view. 27:46 Notice Job 30:20, 21, Job 30: 20, 21. 27:55 He's speaking to God. 28:13 In other words, instead of answering me, You're opposed 28:16 to me. You've become my enemy. 28:19 Notice Job 30, Job 30:9-13, Job 30:9-13. 28:27 It says here, speaking about the reaction of the people's 28:32 of the nations, he's taunted by not only his friends, 28:37 but he's taunted by the nations that hear about his plight. 28:41 Verse 9: 28:54 Notice the reaction of His enemies: 29:22 And we could continue reading about how he was treated, 29:26 not only by his friends, but he was treated by the nations 29:30 that surrounded him. 29:31 And yet Job knows that if God could hear him, 29:35 if he could go before the presence of God, 29:38 that God would see the justice of his case. 29:43 Notice Job 31:5, 6, Job 31:5, 6. He says: 30:01 See the idea of judgment there? 30:09 Finally, Job 31:35. 30:23 See, the idea of a prosecutor, and the idea of evidence 30:27 in a book, and defending his case. 30:29 You have this judgment that is taking place 30:32 before the Universe. 30:33 In other words, God is being judged. 30:37 The devil is accusing God saying, Your people serve you 30:40 because of the fact that you protect them, and you pour out 30:44 every blessing upon them. 30:45 They don't serves You because they love You. 30:48 And, of course, the whole universe is watching the case 30:50 of Job to see if the followers of God serve Him because they 30:55 love Him, rather than because of self interest. 30:59 Now, I must say, that in several passages in these chapters, 31:05 chapter 3 to 37, you have flashes of magnificence 31:10 in the faith of Job. 31:11 In other words, even through he's going through this 31:13 suffering, even though he's asking God for an audience, 31:16 even though he's saying, God, judge me correctly, 31:19 and he's saying to God, Explain what's happening to me, 31:22 and he's saying to his friends, It's not because I'm a great 31:25 sinner. God has not forsaken me. 31:27 Even though he feels very, very down, there are flashes 31:33 of magnificence in Job, where he reveals his staunch faith. 31:38 Let's notice some of those passages. 31:40 It's kind of like a teeter totter experience. 31:42 He's up and then when he falls, he comes up again, and so on. 31:46 Notice Job 13:15. This is a very well known verse, by the way. 31:53 Probably many of us could recite it from memory. He says: 32:08 He says, I know that I can defend my ways before Him, 32:12 and, however, even if He slays me, 32:15 I'm still going to trust in Him. 32:16 He's revealing there that he serves God, not because God is 32:21 good to Him, but because he simply loves God. 32:26 Notice also Job 19:25-27, Job 19:25-27. 32:35 This is another place where he shows his magnificent faith, 32:38 even in the midst of suffering. 32:39 You know, he feels God has forsaken me; 32:42 God is not listening to me. 32:44 But then there's a momentary flash where he says, 32:46 I know my Redeemer lives. 32:48 Though He slay me, yet I'm going to trust in Him. 32:52 Notice Job 19, and beginning with verse 25. 32:58 This is also a very well known passage. 33:00 He says, For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall 33:05 stand at the last day on the earth. 33:07 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh 33:13 I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes 33:19 shall behold and not another. 33:21 How my heart yearns within me. 33:25 So he says, I know my Redeemer lives. 33:27 And I know that even if this skin becomes decomposed, 33:30 in this flesh I am going to see God. 33:33 Notice also, Job 23:8-12, Job 23:8-12. 33:43 He seems to understand that he's going through this trial 33:46 so that his character can be cleansed and purified. 33:51 It says there in Job 23:8: 34:01 That is God is silent; He's gone. 34:19 See, he knows that he's going through the furnace, 34:21 and he has this momentary feeling that he has to hang on. 34:28 He has to preserve and conserve his faith. Verse 11: 34:46 And so you have this ambivalent feeling: God is absent, 34:51 God has become my enemy. 34:53 Lord explain what's happening. 34:56 He rebukes his friends: You're wrong when you say that God is 34:59 doing this to me, because I'm a big sinner. 35:02 You're wrong when you say that God is dead. 35:04 You're wrong when you say that God is not a rewarder of those 35:10 who are faithful to Him. 35:12 And yet God keeps silence. 35:18 That is until you get to chapter 38 and verse 1. 35:23 Now, have you noticed the amount of material where God 35:27 allows Job to complain and to whine to Him? 35:30 All the way from chapter 3 to chapter 37. 35:32 Finally, at the end of chapter 37 God has heard enough. 35:36 And so now God is going to break His silence. 35:40 He's going to tell Job that something spectacular 35:44 is happening that he doesn't know about. 35:46 Job 38:1. Then the Lord... 36:01 In other words, Who is this who is speaking foolishness? 36:06 is what God is saying. 36:17 In other words, God says, You've spoken enough. 36:20 You've demanded answers. 36:21 You want to know what's happening. 36:23 Well, God says, I've heard enough. 36:25 Now I'm going to break my silence. 36:27 Now I'm going to speak. 36:29 I'm going to ask you the questions, and you answer Me. 36:32 And then, of course, God begins to describe creation. 36:37 And, of course, we can't study chapter 38 and 39 where God 36:42 describes the days of creation in their proper order. 36:45 If we had the time we would show you that in those two 36:49 chapters God goes from the light, to the firmament, 36:52 then to the green grass, then to the constellations in heaven, 36:56 then He speaks about the birds, and finally He ends up with 37:00 land animals. In other words, He's describing creation 37:03 in the order in which it occurred at the very beginning. 37:07 And God is saying to Job, Where were you 37:10 when all of these things happened? 37:12 If you know so much, tell me. 37:14 In fact, let's read verse 4, actually lets go to verse 3, 37:19 and then we'll continue with verse 4. 37:21 Now prepare yourself like a man. 37:23 I will question you, and you will answer Me. 37:25 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? 37:28 Tell me, if you have understanding. 37:31 Who determined its measurements? 37:33 Surely you know. God is speaking somewhat with sarcasm here. 37:37 Or who stretched the line upon it? 37:40 To what were its foundations fastened? 37:43 Or who laid its cornerstone? 37:46 In other words, Job, where were you when I performed 37:49 all of these marvelous works? 37:51 And, of course, Job is thinking, Hum, I wasn't anywhere 37:56 to be found at that time. 37:58 He's starting to catch a glimpse that God is far 38:01 greater than he is. 38:03 In other words, as God gets larger and larger, 38:07 Job gets smaller and smaller. 38:09 And finally, after describing the days of creation 38:13 in their proper order, God ends His speech to Job in chapter 40 38:20 and verses 1 and 2, by saying: 38:30 In other words, do you have a right to correct God? 38:39 In other words, God is saying, You've tried to rebuke Me. 38:43 You've tried to correct Me. 38:46 He says, Do you really have a right to do this as, 38:52 pardon the expression, a puny little creature? 38:57 And, of course, now Job speaks to God, and I want you to notice 39:02 what he says in Job 40:3-5. 39:19 Hadn't Job said that if he could appear before God and talk 39:24 to Him, he would present his arguments before Him? 39:26 Well, there's no arguments to be had at this point. Verse 4: 39:42 In other words, Job is saying, Okay, Lord, You've made 39:45 Your point. I'm not going to speak anymore. 39:47 I'm going to keep quiet. 39:48 However, we're going to find in a few moments that Job found it 39:54 necessary to speak again. 39:56 Even though at this point Job says, You've made Your point. 39:59 I'm a puny little creature. 40:01 You're the great universal God who created the heavens 40:04 and the earth. Who am I to be demanding answers from You? 40:08 But Job, even though he says, I will not speak again, 40:15 we're going to find in chapter 42 that he finds 40:19 the need to speak again. 40:20 So we need to look at what happened between chapter 40 40:25 and chapter 42, to discover why Job felt that it was necessary 40:31 to speak again after he said, that he was not 40:34 going to speak anymore. 40:35 Now what is it that transpires in chapter 41? 40:39 You see, folks, the devil, Satan, does not disappear 40:46 from the story after chapter 2. 40:49 He's called Satan in chapters 1 and 2, but he reappears 40:56 at the end of the book with a different name, and that name 41:00 at the end of the book is Leviathan. 41:03 In other words, at the beginning of the book he's Satan, Hasatan, 41:08 the adversary, the accuser. 41:11 At the end of the book he doesn't appear as Satan, 41:15 he appears as Leviathan. 41:17 You say, How do we know that? 41:19 Well, let's notice some verses from Job 41, Job 41. 41:23 You know, many scholars believe that this beast that is being 41:26 described in Job 41, called leviathan, 41:29 was actually a crocodile. 41:31 But this can't be a crocodile. 41:34 I want you to notice the details. 41:35 Job 41:1-4. God is going to now ask Job some more questions. 41:50 In other words, are you able to fish leviathan out of the sea? 42:14 In other words, are you able to defeat leviathan? 42:18 Are you able to take leviathan as your servant? 42:21 Now I must tell you something, the mention of leviathan 42:25 would not have surprised Job, because archaeologists have 42:29 done digs in the area where this story took place, 42:32 and they have found that, according to the culture of the 42:36 time, the people believed that enemy of the gods 42:41 was called Leviathan. 42:43 So, in other words, Job would have understood that Leviathan 42:47 was the great enemy of God. 42:50 Of course, he wasn't a polytheist like the surrounding 42:52 nations, but he would understand the code word leviathan meant 42:56 that the enemy of God was the one who 42:59 was causing these things. 43:00 And God is saying, Can you fish leviathan and make him 43:04 your servant? Of course, what's the answer? 43:06 Job is saying, No way! 43:08 Now let's notice a few details about this leviathan. 43:11 Job 41:18, Job 41:18. 43:17 Speaking about this creature, it says: 43:26 In other words, his eyes gleam. 43:33 Have you ever seen a fire breathing crocodile? 43:36 I haven't ever seen a fire breathing crocodile. Verse 20: 43:53 In other words, this is a fire breathing creature. 43:58 Let's jump down to verses 24-27. It says: 44:09 Notice that this is a hard hearted creature. Verse 25: 44:31 In other words, this is an invincible creature. 44:35 He's a creature with a stone heart. 44:38 He's a creature that breathes fire. 44:41 Now who is this creature? 44:43 What does this creature represent? 44:46 Let's go to the end of the chapter, chapter 41, 44:49 and verses 33 and 34, comes the climax. 45:02 And now comes the key verse: 45:12 Let me ask you, who is the king over the children of pride? 45:17 The first creature who ever had pride. 45:21 His name was Lucifer, according to scripture. 45:25 Now fortunately, in other places of the Bible, we have references 45:30 to this same creature leviathan, which proves that 45:35 leviathan is a symbol of Satan. 45:36 And God is telling Job, Listen Job, My problem is much larger 45:41 than your puny little questions. 45:43 You want to know why little old you is suffering, 45:46 and why I can't answer at this moment what's happening to you, 45:51 and you complain, and you whine. 45:53 Don't you know that My conflict is with Leviathan, 45:57 is with this enemy of God? 46:00 Do you think that you can defeat him? 46:03 Do you think that you can take him as your servant? 46:05 Do you think that you can fish him out and cut him in pieces? 46:08 No way! Those who live on the earth when they see him, 46:12 they're filled with fear. 46:13 No weapon can conquer him. 46:15 He has a heart of stone. 46:16 He's king over the children of pride. 46:18 In other words, God is saying, I'm dealing with a 46:21 cosmic problem here. 46:22 I'm dealing with Leviathan. 46:24 Leviathan is the one who is causing all of your problems. 46:28 Now let's notice a few other verses that 46:30 speak about Leviathan. 46:32 Go with me to Isaiah 27, Isaiah 27 and I want to read 46:38 verse 1, Isaiah 27:1. 46:41 By the way, this is found in what is known as 46:43 the little Apocalypse of the Old Testament. 46:46 It's Isaiah 24 to27. 46:50 There are many elements in these chapters that are found later on 46:54 in the book of Revelation. 46:56 Isaiah 27:1. Here it's speaking about the day when God is going 47:01 to punish and destroy Leviathan. 47:05 It says there in Isaiah 27:1, 47:25 What is Leviathan? 47:27 Oh, Leviathan is the fleeting serpent, according to this. 47:38 And I'm reading from the New King James. 47:44 Actually, the King James Version says He will slay the dragon 47:50 that is in the sea. 47:52 The word that is used in the Greek translation of the 47:56 Old Testament is Delacon, where we get the word dragon from. 48:01 So Leviathan is identified as the twisted serpent, 48:05 and as the dragon who lives in the sea. 48:10 By the way, did you know that leviathan 48:13 is a multi-headed creature? 48:16 Notice Psalm 74, Psalm 74 and beginning with verse 13, 48:22 Psalm 74:13. Here we find a description of leviathan. 48:29 And we're going to find that leviathan had 48:32 more than one head. 48:34 It says there in Psalm 74:13, speaking about God when He 48:40 defeated the Egyptians at the Red Sea. 49:07 Notice that Leviathan is a him, it's one, but he has many what? 49:12 He has many heads, according to this. 49:15 Now the question is, how many heads does he have? 49:19 Go with me to Revelation 12, Revelation 12, and I want 49:25 to read verses 7 through 9, Revelation 12:7-9. 49:32 It says there, speaking about the origin of sin in heaven: 49:36 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought 49:41 with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 49:44 but they did not prevail; nor was a place found for them 49:49 in heaven anymore more. 49:50 And now notice the terminology. 49:52 So the great dragon... 50:01 Did you catch that? 50:02 He's called the dragon and he's called what? 50:10 Is that name in the book of Job, at the beginning of 50:13 the book of Job Satan? Absolutely! 50:25 Now how many heads does this dragon have? 50:28 Go back with me to Revelation 12:3, Revelation 12:3. 50:34 And another sign appeared in heaven; behold a great fiery 50:39 red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, 50:44 and seven diadems on his heads. 50:47 So the question is, who is Leviathan? 50:52 By the description in chapter 41, and by examining Isaiah 27, 50:59 and Psalm 74, and Revelation 12, there can be no doubt that 51:04 Leviathan is a symbol of Satan. 51:09 So does Satan reappear at the end of the book? 51:13 He most certainly does. 51:15 And what is God saying at the end of the book? 51:17 He's saying to Job, Job all of your trials and tribulations 51:22 are caused by Leviathan. 51:25 And, of course, a light goes on in the mind of Job. 51:28 He says, Oh, now I understand where my trails are coming from. 51:32 They're not coming from God, they're coming from Leviathan. 51:35 And God is saying in this story, He's saying, this being is 51:39 invincible. He has a heart of stone. 51:41 He's king over the children of pride. 51:43 You can't take him as your servant. 51:45 You can't defeat him because he's invincible. 51:48 But God says, I will defeat him. 51:51 I will defeat the one who is causing all of your problems, 51:56 because I sit on the throne, and I am in control of history. 52:00 And so Job now, after he sees Leviathan he feels the need to 52:05 speak again, even though he said that he wasn't 52:07 going to speak again. 52:08 Notice Job 42:1-6, Job 42:1-6. 52:17 Here Job says, Excuse me Lord, I need to talk to You again 52:21 now that You've shown me what's going to happen to Leviathan. 52:24 Now that You've shown me that the culprit is going to get his 52:27 just due. By the way, did Job ever lose his relationship 52:32 with God? Did he ever release the hand of God? No. 52:35 We're going to find in our next study that he kind of felt like 52:38 Jesus when He was on the cross. 52:40 Where Jesus says, My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me? 52:46 But then in the next breath almost He says, Father into Your 52:50 hands I commend My Spirit. 52:52 In other words, Job felt much like Jesus would feel later on 52:56 in history. And in both cases, it is the devil who is causing 53:01 the suffering. And the devil was going to get his just due 53:04 for causing the suffering. 53:06 So could we say that the heavenly universe gave Job 53:11 and God a great round of applause when 53:14 this story was over? 53:15 Absolutely, because Job did not lose his hold upon God. 53:21 Notice chapter 42 and verse 1. 53:31 Even defeat whom? Leviathan. 53:53 What was Job's big mistake? 53:56 He uttered what he did not what? understand. 54:00 When he saw Leviathan does he suddenly understand? 54:03 He most certainly does. 54:05 He continues saying: 54:27 In other words, when it says, My eye sees you, He says, 54:31 Now I what? Now I understand you. Verse 6: 54:42 I want you to notice that Job is not repenting of sin. 54:45 Job is repenting of having the audacity as a creature, 54:49 to demand answers from God. 54:52 And, you know, the interesting thing is the story ends 54:56 as you read the last part of the chapter with Job not only 55:02 receiving what he had lost, but he received double 55:06 of what he had lost. 55:08 And he lived a very prosperous life the rest of his days. 55:14 Now why would God give us this story of Job? 55:19 Actually, we're going to find in our next study, 55:22 that this story is a microcosm. 55:25 It is a miniature illustration of what is going to happen 55:30 in the great time of trouble such as never has existed 55:34 in the history of the world. 55:35 Once again God's people are going to be tried 55:39 to the utmost like Job. 55:41 They are going to lose every earthly support. 55:44 They are going to lose children. 55:47 They are going to lose possessions. 55:49 They are going to lose their health. 55:50 They are going to lose their freedom. 55:52 They are going to lose their friends. 55:53 The whole world will turn against them, them 55:55 according to scripture. 55:57 And they will feel like God, perhaps, 56:00 has forsaken them in this world. 56:02 And they will cry out to God for deliverance day and night, 56:07 like the widow in the story of Luke chapter 18, 56:11 who kept on coming to the judge asking for the 56:13 judge to do justice. 56:15 The wonderful thing about God's people during that period is 56:19 that we will have the benefit of the story of Job. 56:21 God has given us this story to know the controversy 56:26 that is going to ensue at the end of time. 56:28 The devil says, Oh, Your people serve You, 56:31 because You're good to them. 56:33 You prosper them. 56:35 You protect them. 56:36 But if you gave me control of the world, and you allowed 56:39 me to take everything from them, they would 56:41 curse You to the face. 56:43 And we're going to notice that the end time generation 56:45 God is going to have a whole group of people 56:48 who will prove the devil wrong. 56:50 They will prove that God is served simply out of love, 56:56 without any self interest. 56:58 And God's people will say, Though He slay me, 57:01 yet will I trust in Him. 57:03 They will say, I know that my Redeemer lives, and even after 57:08 this skin falls apart, I know that in my flesh 57:12 I shall see God. 57:13 And in this way, they will slap the devil in the face, 57:17 and they will vindicate the character of God 57:20 before the Universe. 57:21 And God will be proven right, and the whole universe will 57:25 end up with a great round of applause. |
Revised 2014-12-17