00:00 Intro, "What one doctrine changes how we view suffering?"
00:11 Job's Struggle with Suffering
01:38 The Doctrine of Resurrection of Christ (1 Peter 1:3-4)
03:33 End of First Cycle of Responses
04:03 Eliphaz's Second Response
07:40 Job's Reply to Eliphaz
09:38 Conclusion and Reflections
10:42 Closing Prayer and Farewell
What one doctrine changes the way
that Christians view suffering?
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:All that and more in today's
reading of the DBR podcast.
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:So we're looking at Job
chapters 14 through 16 today.
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:And one of the features that stands
out here is in chapter 14, Job
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:appears to be wrestling with something
that you and I take for granted.
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:We assume this very doctrine, and because
of this doctrine, we're able to look
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:at suffering through a whole new light.
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:Take a look at Job chapter 14.
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:Let's first start with where he begins.
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:Job acknowledges the difficulty.
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:Now remember, we're
picking up from yesterday.
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:In chapter 12, where Job
continues to respond to Zophar.
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:Zophar in chapter 11 says something
to the effect of, you're not
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:getting what you really deserve,
that you actually are getting far
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:less than what God should give you.
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:Job picks up the response
in chapters 12 and 13.
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:And in today's reading in chapter
14, we hear the end of it.
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:So he's closing his speech
here and he says, , we're born
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:for a short period of time.
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:And that time is few of
days and full of trouble.
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:Your days are numbered.
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:He says in verse five, and that
actually is a consolation to
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:Joe, because he's again, looking
forward to the day of his demise.
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:He doesn't want to live anymore.
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:And then he starts to
tinker with this idea.
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:He says, man, it would be great if
I was a tree, because at least a
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:tree has an opportunity to re sprout
again, even after being cut down.
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:But once I get cut down, there's no hope.
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:Or is there?
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:Look at verse 10.
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:He says, But a man dies and is laid low,
man breathes his last, and where is he?
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:Verse 12.
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:So a man lies down and rises not
again till the heavens are no more.
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:He will not awake or be
roused out of his sleep.
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:And then in verse 14, he says, If
a man dies, shall he live again?
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:Now, Job's going to have a lot more to
say about this in just a few chapters,
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:but for now, it's important for us
to see as Christians, how critical
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:the doctrine of the resurrection
is to our hope in suffering.
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:In fact, I know we're cheating a
little bit here, but in first Peter
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:chapter one, Peter says this at the
opening of his letter, starting at
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:verse three, he says this, blessed be
the God and father of our Lord Jesus
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:Christ, according to his great mercy.
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:Amen.
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:Amen.
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:He has caused us to be born again to
a living hope through the resurrection
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:of Jesus Christ from the dead, to
an inheritance that is imperishable,
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:undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven
for you, who by God's power are being
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:guarded through faith for a salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time.
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:Notice that all of this hinges on
the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
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:and because of his resurrection,
we now have a living hope.
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:Christ is not dead.
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:Therefore, our hope is alive.
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:Our hope is alive insofar
as Christ is alive.
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:And because he lives
forevermore, our hope never dies.
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:This is something that if Job had
known this, I think that would have
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:changed the way that he viewed this.
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:As it is in this chapter, he
seems to be wrestling with
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:the nature of the afterlife.
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:Whether man lives or dies and whether
he's resurrected . Now, I want you to
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:appreciate this because you can look
at Christ after the fact, after all
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:that he's done, after the resurrection
and say, thank God, my Redeemer lives.
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:And again, I'm cheating because he's
going to say this job is in a few
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:chapters, but notice how that would have
changed things for him as he wrestles.
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:You don't have to wrestle with it.
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:You have the confidence and the knowledge
to know our Redeemer does in fact
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:live and consequently our hope lives.
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:Job 14, 18 through 22, Job
is talking about the erosion
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:of his hope and his life.
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:He says the mountain falls away.
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:And crumbles the rock is
removed from its place.
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:The waters wear away the stones.
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:And basically he's saying, you're
taking away my hope a little by
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:little stone by stone, drip by drip.
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:My hope is eroding.
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:He feels pain.
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:He wants to communicate it.
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:God, where are you?
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:That's the end of chapter 14.
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:And in fact, that's the end
of cycle number one of the
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:friends responding to Job.
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:So Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have
all had their chance to speak now, and
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:between each of them, Job responds.
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:In chapter 15, we begin the new cycle.
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:Of the friends talking to job.
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:This new cycle takes us from
chapters 15, all the way through 21.
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:We're going to hear from Elie Fass
again, bill dad, and so far, and
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:you'll notice this time around, there's
going to be increased hostility.
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:The gloves are coming off and
there's going to say as much.
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:So pay attention to that.
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:Job chapter 15, Eliphaz,
probably the eldest of the bunch
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:steps in and responds to Job.
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:And he says this in verse two, should
a wise man answer with windy knowledge
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:and fill his belly with the East wind.
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:In other words, Job, what
you're saying is emptiness.
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:It's nothingness.
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:And then he says this in verse four,
which is going to sound very familiar
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:to what he said in chapter four.
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:In verse four, he says, but you are
doing away with the fear of God.
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:He said something very
similar in chapter four.
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:If you have your Bible, I would invite you
just to turn back briefly and take a look
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:at what he says there in chapter four.
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:Eliphaz says, is not your
fear of God your confidence?
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:And the integrity of your ways,
your hope, he's challenging this.
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:He's not asking it as
a, an actual question.
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:He's challenging it subtly in this
place, but he's challenging that.
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:Now, if you're in Job chapter four,
let me remind you, go back to Job
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:chapter one, verse one, it says here,
Job was a man, blameless and upright.
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:One who feared God turned away from evil.
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:And so Eliphaz is challenging.
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:Something that God himself
says is true about Job.
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:And he's saying, this
is your problem, Job.
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:You're turning away from the fear of God.
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:You're hindering meditation before God.
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:You're not thinking
about this the right way.
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:Now, part of us would say, yes, that's at
least partially true, but he's meaning to
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:say more than what you and I would say.
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:He then challenges Job.
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:Are you really the paragon of virtue here?
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:Do you really have as much
knowledge as you think you do?
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:Are you as wise as we are?
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:Have you listened to the counsel of God?
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:And then he says, we have the
gray haired and the aged among us.
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:And in those days, gray hair
and age signified wisdom.
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:It still does today.
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:But it doesn't necessarily mean
it's a one to one correlation.
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:People with gray hair can have
foolish ideas and understandings all
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:the time, especially if they're not
walking in the truth of God's Word.
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:But here he means to convey the
sense of, we have wisdom on our side.
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:Job, what do you have?
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:Do you have wisdom?
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:Do you have truth?
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:From chapter four, he challenges Joe,
but something very similar in verses
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:14, 15, and 16 here, he says, well,
what man is there that can be pure.
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:Or he who is born of a woman that
he can be righteous, behold, God
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:puts no trust in his holy ones.
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:Those are his angels and the
heavens are not pure in his sight.
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:He says, even the highest of heavens
cannot be pure in God's sight.
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:He's so holy.
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:He's so righteous.
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:How can you be pure?
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:Again, this is similar to what
he argued in chapter four.
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:In verses 17 through 35, Eliphaz
rehearses the fate of the wicked.
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:And then he says to Job things
that he's already heard.
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:But essentially, let me remind you,
Job, the wicked man arise in pain all
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:his days through all the years that
are laid up for the ruthless, dreadful
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:sounds are in his ears and prosperity.
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:The destroyer will come upon him.
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:And again, you got to see
what's beyond the words here.
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:Eliphaz is trying to say, look, Job, what
happens to the wicked is happening to you.
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:Well, what therefore can we conclude?
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:What else can we think?
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:D.
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:A.
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:Carson, , again, commenting on the book
of Job says this, Job's friends have
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:a tight theology with no loose ends.
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:Suffering is understood exclusively
in terms of punishment or chastening.
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:There is no category for innocent
suffering in their understanding.
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:Such a suggestion besmirches
the integrity of the almighty.
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:And that's a great summary
of what's happening here.
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:Because Eliphaz is charging him with that.
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:There's no other explanation that's
available in their understanding of God.
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:In verse 25, Eliphaz says, Look, dude,
the reason you're suffering so much is
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:because you've stretched out your hand
against God and you defy the Almighty.
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:And verses 27 and following, he's saying,
Look, you've covered your face with
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:fat, you're indulgent, you're greedy,
you're taking more than what you're due.
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:It's no wonder you're suffering
the way that you are, Job.
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:All of this is meant to break Job down.
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:Amen.
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:And to get him to a place of repenting,
because in their understanding of
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:God's operations with humanity,
repenting will fix everything.
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:In Job chapter 16, he responds to Eliphaz
and he says something funny and memorable.
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:Well, funny to us, maybe
not so much to him.
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:He says in verse two, I've heard many
such things, miserable comforters.
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:Are you all, remember he called
them worthless physicians.
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:They're guilty of spiritual malpractice.
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:And then he says, shall
windy words have an end?
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:What provokes you that you answer?
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:Please just stop talking again.
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:That would be your wisdom.
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:If you would just not say anything
that would be so helpful, gentlemen,
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:he says, look, I could do what you do.
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:I could, I could tear you down, but if I
were in your position, I would strengthen
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:you and I would give you solace.
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:I would encourage you, which is what
he's hoping for, what he's wanting.
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:What he needs is not a beat down.
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:Now, what he needs is not
discouragement and to be held guilty.
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:What he needs is to fix his
eyes on the goodness of God,
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:the trustworthiness of God.
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:I think that's what he's begging for.
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:Because right now, what we're going
to see in the second half or second
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:two thirds of Job chapter 16.
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:Is that he understands
God as his oppressor.
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:He says in verse seven, surely
now God has worn me out.
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:He acknowledges God is at the heart of it.
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:This is not new for him.
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:It's not a new thought, but
it's a developing thought.
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:He recognizes that it is
God who's behind this.
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:And then he says in verse nine, God
has torn me in his wrath and hated me.
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:He's gnashed his teeth at me again.
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:He's struggling with why he's suffering.
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:If he's innocent, God
gives me up to the ungodly.
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:He says in verse 11.
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:And I'm sure he's thinking
about his friends here.
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:Verse 14 says, he breaks me
with breach upon breach and
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:runs upon me like a warrior.
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:And so Job was putting his hands in the
air and saying, God, what are you doing?
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:How do I respond to this?
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:Even though I know I'm innocent,
my friends won't admit to that.
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:And it seems like you're not giving
them any reason to think otherwise.
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:In verses 18 through 22, Job
closes by saying, I know that there
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:is a witness in heaven for me.
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:Defending me, someone who
testifies for me on high.
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:It's curious to know who job is
referring to, but you and I know
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:ultimately this is fulfilled in Jesus.
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:He's the one who takes on this role.
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:And job's going to develop
this thought in a few chapters.
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:He closes out saying,
look, I'm about to die.
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:Please show me mercy.
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:That's the essence of
what he's praying for.
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:Okay.
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:That's job 14 through 16.
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:I hope you found something in here.
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:Helpful, a nugget of knowledge
or a nugget of insight that
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:perhaps you didn't come in with.
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:Let's just be reminded here as we close
out these three chapters as we're reading,
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:you probably already noticed this.
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:You're looking at poetry, number one.
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:And so we're not meant to read it as a
literal wooden account of what's taking
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:place or meant to read between the lines.
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:That's part of poetry's job.
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:, they're not the gospels
is what I'm saying.
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:It's not a letter to the Ephesians.
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:It's meant to be read, , with a sense
of what's really being said with these
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:words, which takes a little more effort.
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:Maybe you've already noticed
this as you're making your
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:way through the book of Job.
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:You've learned that working
through these chapters are a bit
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:challenging because you're constantly
questioning what does he mean by that?
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:And that's good.
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:You should have a good study
Bible as you read this.
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:That'll be a tremendous help to you.
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:, I recommend several good ones.
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:If you don't have one yet, the
ESV study Bible, excellent choice.
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:, John MacArthur study Bible.
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:Also a very good one.
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:The Reformation study Bible.
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:That's from Ligonier,
RC Sproul and friends.
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:That's another great one.
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:There are several, but those
are three to start with.
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:If you don't have any of
them, I'd pick up all three.
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:They're all worth having in your library
because they all have good things to say.
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:All right.
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:That's all I've got for you.
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:Let's pray.
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:And then we'll finish up today's podcast.
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:Lord, thank you that we have a redeemer.
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:We have a savior who is alive.
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:We can have hope in our worst
sufferings because of the resurrection.
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:Jesus has risen from the dead
and because he's alive, our hope
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:is alive and it will never die.
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:We thank you that we can hang all of
our hope, all of our life, we can hang
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:all of the weight of our lives upon him.
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:And we ask God that you would teach us to
trust him more and to prepare us to trust
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:him through the highs and lows of life.
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:We need that more than we realize, Lord.
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:And perhaps we do realize that, and
it's daunting to think about it.
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:A swage, our hearts and our
consciences help us to lean into a
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:greater love and affection for you.
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:Such that we can say, with Paul, to
live is Christ and to die is gain.
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:We ask this all in Jesus name.
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:Amen.
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:Thank you again for joining us,
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:I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.
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:Bye.