|
|
Job 6 God Speaks Introduction: Our lessons have been -- God, Satan, and Man; Stewardship; Job's Three Friends; How to comfort; Elihu speaks. Each deals with different lessons we can learn. Job was determined to serve God despite what had happened to him. Stewardship and how everything we have if from God, temporary, and to be used to serve God. The dangers of impugning motives and punishment. Elihu's point about man needing to be God centered instead of self centered. We now want to see God's response to all this. I) Job 38 God Questions Job A) Who are you to question me? vv. 1-3 (If I was God I would..., or, I don't understand why God commanded...) 1. Does the clay question the potter? Romans 9.21 a. Think ceramics, or paint and the painter. b. The point in Romans 9 is God choosing to bless Jacob instead of Esau. Would the Jews think this to be unjust? Of course not. Therefore, God chose to save man through Jesus Christ.) 2. Are we really in the position to question God? B) Consider the creation of the universe, vv. 4-7 1. All we know about the creation is from God's word, Genesis 1.1ff. All of the laws of science, the order of creation, etc. 2. Can we comprehend how God spoke everything into being? a. Greeks thought a big beetle was pushing the sun across the sky. b. Atlas was hold the earth on his shoulders. 3. Can we comprehend God's order of the universe? a. Not the Big Bang. A dot containing all the elements of the universe and suddenly exploding. b. Not by billions of years. We cannot even know the age of the universe. c. Not by accident, time and chance. d. We have trouble understanding how God could do such so we come up with our theories. Day Age Theory or Time Gap Theory C) Consider the sea and its boundaries, vv. 8-11 1. Its currents and tides. 2. The importance of its water to our temperature, living creatures D) The dawn of a new day, vv. 12-15 1. Includes God's moral judgments on the evil and wicked. E) Other questions 1. The springs and paths of the sea, v. 16 (Genesis 7.11 contributes part of the flood of Noah to the fountains of the earth bursting forth water.) 2. The realm of the dead, v. 17 3. The breadth of the earth, v. 18 F) The instincts of animals, vv. 39ff; Job 39.1ff. 1. How do animals know where to live? How to survive and "instincts" given for their survival? a. The eagle can see newspaper size print 5 miles away. See its prey from that distance. It feeds its young in its nest until the right time. Too soon and the young eagle cannot fly; too late and it becomes a burden on its parents. At the right time it knows when to get its young out of the nest. b. A bird that builds its nest in the ground will fake injury to get prey away from the nest. 2. God makes the point because He created them with the instinctive knowledge to survive. a. Evolution speaks of a common ancestor b. The Bible speaks of a common creator II) Job 40 A) God rebukes Job, v. 2; Job replies, vv. 3-5 B) You tell me, vv. 7ff 1. How many times have we wondered how God could allow bad things to happen? 2. If you were God, how would you get rid to pain, suffering, and sin? a. Take away man's free will? His ability to reason for himself? b. Take away man's mortal body? His ability to grow, have babies. c. Take away all accidents d. Take away man's emotions -- love, hate, compassion, etc. See your children grow up and leave home. Fall in love but the other person does not love you. e. Destroy evil people immediately? 3. Do you (we) really think you (we) can do better than God? a. Old Testament had physical promises but they still sinned b. Old Testament had immediate punishment but they still sinned. (Nadab and Abihu, Korah, Achan) III) Job's Response, Job 42 A) Acknowledge God as God, v. 2 1. God does not lie, sin, etc. 2. God can and must do that which is consistent with His nature. B) Job acknowledges he was wrong, vv. 3ff. 1. There are things in this life we will not understand. 2. We have to leave some things up to God. 3. Job repents of what he had said, v. 6 IV) God's Final Response A) Anger at the three friends, vv. 7-8 1. Job is to offer sacrifices on their behalf. 2. God blesses Job, vv. 10ff, 16. Conclusion: We cannot control the circumstances in our life but we can control our reactions. We cannot control others but we can control ourselves. We cannot make others obey God but we can obey Him. Job 19.25 "I know that my redeemer lives." How about you? |