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The Prosperity of the Wicked 0:10 Good morning, and welcome to Stand on the Word as we continue our journey through the book of Job today, chapters 21 through 24. Does it look like the debate between Job and his friends will0:22 end anytime soon? But what we do see in this passage, we see more of Job's heart and where his confidence lies. It lies not in his own righteousness, but in the character and the mercy of0:33 God. Look at verse 6 of chapter 23. Would he contend with me in his great power? No. But he would take note of me. So Job's friends are ratcheting up their arguments determined0:45 to convince him that the suffering that he is experiencing is the result of his sin. You know, I I have to say, honestly, I would have shown these friends to the door a long time ago. Our0:57 passage begins with Job responding to Zofar's second speech where he, again, contended with Job saying that God visits evil1:08 upon the wicked, and therefore, this evil has come upon Job from the hand of God because he is evil. Now Job, his response, ends round1:20 2 of these, the debates. That's what we pick up here here in chapter 21. And then in chapter 22, the second the the third and the final round begins. So Job's response is,1:32 is very similar as as Zofar was saying, all of this evil happens to wicked people, therefore, you're wicked. Job's response is is similar to what we've seen from David and others. And what they have pointed out that in1:44 many cases in this life, the wicked, they actually prosper. Look at verse 7 of chapter 21. Why do the wicked live and become old? Yes. Become mighty in power. Their descendants are established with them1:56 in their sight and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. Their bulls breed without failure, their cows calve without miscarriage. They send forth2:07 their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. I mean, this is quite evident. And so Job is really shooting holes in the arguments of his friends that this has to be2:19 the suffering that he is experiencing has to be at the hand of God. They sing to the tambourine and harp and rejoice to the sound of the flute. They spend their days in wealth and in a moment go down to the grave.2:31 Yet they say to God, depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of your ways. Who is the almighty that we should serve him? And what profit do we have if we pray to him? Now that sounds2:43 very familiar. In fact, just recently, the world's elite gathered, once again in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum. And I asked a friend who attended.2:55 I said, you know, was there any reference to our acknowledge of the role of God in faith as they discussed these issues? And, the answer was no. In fact, they actually there is there3:07 is actually a a disdain for interjecting God and faith in in matters of policy. Who's God? We don't need him. Why should we acknowledge him? But Job understood that man3:20 is not the captain of his destiny despite what he believes or even if he identifies as a captain of his destiny. That's not the case. Look what he says in verse 16. Indeed,3:32 their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me. Alright. Moving on to chapter 22, Eliphaz gives his third speech, and he doesn't back off. He bears downEliphaz's Harsh Accusations 3:43 even harder and says that Job's judgment from God is because of his mistreatment of the poor, which I think is probably the polar opposite of the conduct of Job.3:55 Look at verse 3. Is it any pleasure to the almighty that you are righteous, or is it gain to him that you make your ways blameless? It is it because of your fear of him that he corrects4:07 you and enters into judgment with you? Is not your wickedness great and your iniquity without end? For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason and stripped the naked of their4:19 clothing. You have not given the weary water to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry. You have sent widows away empty, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed. Therefore, snares4:32 are all around you, and sudden fear troubles you. Eliphaz appears to have landed a knockout blow to Job with those allegations.4:44 I mean, Job here is on his knees, but he is not out for the count. In chapters 23 and 24, he responds to the third time to Eliphaz. NowJob's Confidence in God's Mercy 4:56 in Job's comments, we see a man with a broken but a confident heart. Confident not in himself, not in his righteousness,5:08 or his ability, but in the character and the mercy of God. I mean, he is hanging on to the ropes, and what he's hanging on to is the character and the mercy of God. Verse 1 of chapter5:20 23. Then Job answered and said, even today my complaint is bitter. My hand is listless because of my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, speaking of God,5:32 that I might come to his seat. I would present my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know the words which he would answer me and understand what he would say to5:44 me. Would he contend with me in his great power? No. But he would take note of me. You see, Job was confident that if he could just stand before God, God would not glare5:56 down at him in his power and might, but take note of him in his mercy and in his grace. Why? Because he had experienced that. He had walked with god. He knew god. I know many believe that6:08 god is against them and just waiting to step on them like a bug and crush them, but that's not god. That's not God. Look look at second Chronicles chapter 16 verse 9. For6:20 the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him. See, god6:31 is for you if your heart is for him. Does it does it say to those who were perfect and never never sinned? Because that's that's not gonna happen. All of us have sinned. Every 1 of us have sinned and fallen short of the6:43 glory of god. But if our heart is for him, God is for us. There is no question the Bible makes clear that if we are the children of God, we have made a conscious decision to6:55 to disobey God and walk away from him, then he will correct us to get our attention. Right? In Hebrews chapter 12 verse 5, it says, and you7:07 have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons. My sons, do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him. For whom the Lord loves, he chastens and scourges7:18 every son whom he receives. But God's correction for is for the purpose of restoring us, not destroying us. Right? So so, yes, god will correct us if7:30 we're a child if we're a son. That's evident. That's the evidence of actually being a child of god, but it is to correct us and to restore us. He is for you. Verse 7, chapter 23.7:43 There, the upright could reason with him, and I would be delivered forever from my judge. What Job is describing here, what he needs, what he wants cannot be done by man, but7:55 God actually did that for us through Jesus Christ. Verse 8. Look. I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive him. When he works on the left hand, I8:07 cannot behold him. When he turns to the right hand, I cannot see him. But he knows the way that I take. When he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. Job can't8:18 see it. He he's going totally by faith, not in himself, but in the character of God. God's character never changes. Verse 11, my foot has held fast to his8:30 steps. I have kept his way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.8:42 Sounds very much like the psalmist. But here again, Job is holding on to the character of God. God does not change. You know, like the psalmist, Job held on to the ways and the word of God. In fact, by the8:54 way, some scholars point to this passage as indication that the commandments or the instruction of God had been reduced to writing already at this point. And and we made reference to that earlier that Moses had9:06 may have had documents that he worked with as he wrote some of these, early books. Verse 13. But he is unique in who can make him change, and whatever his soul9:18 desires that he does. For he performs what is appointed for me, and many such things are with him. Therefore, I am terrified at his presence. When I consider this, I am afraid of him. For god9:30 made my heart weak, and the almighty terrifies me because I was not cut off from the presence of darkness, and he did not hide deep darkness from my face.9:42 We, as finite creatures created by an infinite God, cannot understand his ways nor make him change. We can't change God. We can't, hey,9:54 God. Why don't you think about this? We cannot change God. And this this understanding should put a reverence and an awe in our heart. When we hear the word fear, fear God, it's a reverence for10:06 God. And as we see here with Job during this this period of deep spiritual and emotional darkness, he held on to when he could hold on to nothing else, when he could see nothing10:18 else, he held on to the mercy mercy and the character of God, which is unchanging. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and you can10:29 hold on to that. Father, we thank you for your word, and we thank you for the Holy Spirit that is leading us on this journey, leading us into an understanding of of the truth. And so we pray that we would be10:41 able to rightfully apply your word to our lives in this world in which we live because this word is your word is living. It speaks to us. May we be listening, and may we10:53 obey. For we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning. Until next time. Keep standing on the word.11:04 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you11:16 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 The Prosperity of the Wicked3:38 Eliphaz's Harsh Accusations4:52 Job's Confidence in God's Mercy
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