00:00 Intro

00:37 Listener Email: Transhumanism Discussion

Book Rec: Transhumanism and the Image of God

02:23 Theology of Technology

06:04 Job's Response to Zophar

08:40 Eliphaz's Accusations

12:03 Job's Final Response and Reflection

13:57 Closing Prayer and Reflections

Welcome back to another edition

of the daily Bible podcast.

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Today is January 9th, 2025.

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And today we're looking

at Job 21 through 23.

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But before we do that, I

want to go to another email.

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Actually, before I even do that, let

me interrupt myself for something else.

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I want to give a quick shout

out to a few people who recently

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cleaned up our storage unit.

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Now this thing really needed help.

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So quickly, I want to let them know.

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Let you all know who did this

Abram, Ezekiel, Steven, Jordan,

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Louis, Shea, Allie, and Jared.

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Thank you so much guys for your help.

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Really appreciate that.

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It's a huge blessing and a benefit.

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If you see them, give them a high five.

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Okay, now back to our regular programming.

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I want to go back to an email and

this next question is a doozy and

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maybe there's gonna be terms that

you don't know yet, but it's worth

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at least starting the conversation.

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Here's what it says.

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Was listening to a podcast

that talks about transhumanism.

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He asked the question, if we had the

ability to increase our cognitive

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ability, enhance our life or extend

our life through the advancement of

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some of the most recent technologies

like he highlights here, CRISPR,

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which is a gene editing tool, a brain

computing or anti aging gene editing.

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Let's back up a second here

and let's define transhumanism.

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In fact, I'm going to

suggest a resource to you.

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This is called transhumanism in

the image of God by Jacob Schatzer.

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Transhumanism in the image

of God, Jacob Schatzer.

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Here's what he says.

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Transhumanism and posthumanism are two

related philosophical movements tied

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closely to the promises of technology.

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Posthumanism argues that there is a

next stage in human evolution, which

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is to say that we are at the current

stage of our evolution as humans.

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And obviously we're going

to continue evolving if the

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Darwinian worldview is true.

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We should not expect that

we're going to stay here.

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In fact, we're going to reach a new

stage of development where we'll be

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beyond where we currently are as humans.

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We will be post human.

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And he says, Jacob Shatner says,

humans will become post human

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because of our interaction with

and connection to technology.

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So post humanism ideology says

that we're going to find some

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way to wed to our technology.

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To such a degree that we

will no longer be only human.

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We will be humans plus.

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We'll be human and technology together.

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Transhumanism, I'm continuing the

quote here, on the other hand, promotes

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values that contribute to this change.

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Jacob clarifies, transhumanism

leads to posthumanism.

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It's the foundational ideology

that leads to a reality.

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Okay.

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If some of that went over your head, let

me just cut to the quick for you here.

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Technology is increasing so

quickly and so rapidly that we now

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have to start asking questions.

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What role should technology

play in our lives?

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As Christians, we have

to ask bigger questions.

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How does God intend for us

to understand our technology?

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And to what degree does he want

us to integrate it into our lives?

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Now, some technology we

would be perfectly fine with.

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In fact, one of the

things that I often hear.

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Is we should not be trying to play

God and I get that's, man, that's a

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good instinct, but you could say that

really about almost anything that we

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presently enjoy in our technology.

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For instance, if you have a car,

maybe someone with a horse and buggy

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might say to you you're trying to play

God by getting from this place to

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another place so much more quickly than

if you just took a horse and buggy.

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Why can't you just be content

to go at a human pace?

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Maybe not realizing that to have a

horse and buggy is not a human pace.

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It's actually faster.

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If you want to do identify with your

humanity, maybe you have no horse,

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no buggy, no car, no technology.

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Maybe you don't use shoes because

shoes are a human technology that

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are meant to help us go further

and to go faster in some cases.

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So technology is an interesting thing

because we tend to only think of it

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as batteries and microprocessors and

things like that, but we have to include

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a much wider definition of technology

like glasses and shoes and sandals and.

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Plaster, and I don't know, all

sorts of things that we use

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on a day to day basis, energy,

electricity, gas to provide heating.

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These are all forms of technology.

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So the question for the Christian

is how does God want us to use it?

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What is the best most stewardly

use of the things that he gives us?

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And then this I guess that's a really good

starting place to technology is a gift.

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It is something God designed us with

the ability to produce and therefore

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on the whole we could say technology

Generally speaking is a good thing.

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So technology is a gift, but I'm not

saying that technology can't go wrong.

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So the question is, should

Christians use this?

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And I guess the short

answer is it depends.

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Christians really need to

develop a theology of technology.

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In fact, one other book that I'll

recommend to you is by Tony Reinke called

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God, Technology, and the Christian Life.

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It's a few years old now, so it

might not actually cover AI quickly.

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Look at the date that

this was written here.

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But it's a great book about how

Christians should think about technology.

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I think it's really helpful.

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It was written in 2022.

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So maybe it's actually still quite

relevant, but you need a theology of

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technology and this will help you guide

your decision making in the future.

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So I would say, it depends.

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It depends on a lot of calculations.

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And when it comes to technology, I

think Christians are a lot safer

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by playing it really conservatively.

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It's a lot like our fashion choices.

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Christians are never on the

bleeding end of fashion.

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Most Christians.

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And that's probably a good thing.

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At one point, women wearing pants was

looked down upon, wasn't considered

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feminine, wasn't considered conservative.

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And now it's not a big deal.

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Christians have become okay with that.

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We've changed as a culture to the degree

that it's no longer seen as strictly

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a masculine thing to wear pants.

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And maybe there's a time and place

where gene editing and CRISPR tools

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and cognitive enhancement through

technology That is modifying your brain

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physically with some form of device

like Elon Musk and what he's working on.

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Maybe that will be appropriate.

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Maybe, I don't know.

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And I used to joke that I would be first

in line if Apple developed something

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that would put something in my brain.

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I thought a lot more about that

since the last time I've said it

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and I'm a lot more cautious now.

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And there's a lot of good

reasons to be cautious.

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Ultimately, everything man designs

is going to be flawed and it's

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going to have a bent towards sin.

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It's going to be cursed because all

things that we experience and enjoy

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are tainted with the curse of sin.

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And that will include our technology.

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So plenty of reasons to play the slow

game here and lots of reasons to also

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refine your theology of technology.

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Great question.

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I don't have enough time to

say much more than that, but I

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can say it's worth your study.

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Okay.

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In Job chapter 21, he's

responding now to Zophar.

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He says, look, your theory isn't

true because there are exceptions

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that you just can't deal with.

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And so he says in verse 3, Bear

with me, and I will speak, and

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after I have spoken, mock on.

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That's a very ugly word to use.

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He's saying, you guys are just

mocking me this whole time.

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And you'll find out very

soon, Eliphaz agrees with him.

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He says in verse seven,

why do the wicked live?

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Why do they reach old age and grow mighty

in powers as their offspring do they

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have safe houses, their bulls breed.

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Everything goes well for these people.

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And then he says, these people,

these wicked people say to God,

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depart from us, get away from us.

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We don't desire the

knowledge of your ways.

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What is the almighty

that we should serve him?

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And so he says, look, the wicked reject

God, and yet they live a really good life.

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In fact, this is one of the reasons

why calling people to become a

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Christian because life will get

better is not a winning tactic.

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Because it's not always true.

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In fact, when you call someone to be

a Christian, you're inviting them into

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a life of warfare, spiritual warfare.

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You're inviting them

into a life of struggle.

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Struggle against sin, struggle against

the world, the flesh, the devil.

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It's a hard life.

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Jesus says so.

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This is not the way that we are to

call people to become Christians.

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We need to be honest with the fact

that if you become a Christian,

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life's going to be challenging.

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For Job, he doesn't know that.

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He doesn't know life as a Christian.

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He knows life as a God fearer.

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And here he acknowledges, look, even

though I've done the right thing,

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I'm not going Life is still hard.

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And this doesn't make sense because

for the wicked, their life is not hard.

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He continues on in verse 17.

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He says, look, they can live and

party and their lamp is not put out.

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Their calamity doesn't come upon them.

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He says, you say to his friends

in verse 19, God stores up their

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iniquity for their children.

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And then Job says why not do it now?

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Why wait until later?

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Why not just deal with him now?

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So Job's making a strong assertion here.

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He recognizes that in the world, there

are times when the wicked are prosperous.

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In fact, you might want

to jot in your Bible.

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If you're someone who's writing

in your Bible, annotating, as

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we were talking about yesterday.

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Next to this chapter, you

should write down Psalm 73.

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Psalm 73 is a Psalm of Asaph, and he

deals with some of the same feelings here.

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He says, Truly God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.

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But as for me, my feet had almost

stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped,

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for I was envious of the arrogant when

I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

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And so Psalm 73 is Asaph dealing with this

reality of saying the wicked do prosper.

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This is Job's contention.

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And then he says to Zophar, your theology

cannot adequately deal with this reality.

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And then he says in verses 27 to 34, look,

I know you're gonna ask me for proof.

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And he says, just ask anybody.

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Ask somebody if they know someone

who is wicked, who is thriving.

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And of course, the answer

is gonna be, oh yeah, sure.

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I know that one guy, Billy,

who lives in my block.

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In chapter 22, Eliphaz steps in again.

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In fact, you should know, chapter

22 through 31 is the third round.

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The third and final round between

Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, and there's

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nothing from Zophar this time around.

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So this is round 3, Eliphaz kicks it off.

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He starts in chapter 22 saying,

Can someone be profitable to God?

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Surely he who is wise is profitable to

himself, but is there any pleasure to

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the Almighty if you are in the right?

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Or is it gain to him if you

make your ways blameless?

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He's saying, effectively, your

life really doesn't matter to God.

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It's not going to affect him one way

or the other, so why would you think

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that he's going to care about you

in the way that you're suggesting?

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Eliphaz, again, calls into question

Job's fear of God, in verse 4.

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You might remember that in

chapter 4, he does this, and

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in chapter 15, he does this.

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So each time that he's spoken

to Job, he's always addressed

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Job's supposed fear of God.

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And again, the irony here is that

you and I know from Job chapter 1,

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God himself commends Job as one who

feared God and turned away from evil.

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He's blameless.

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He's upright.

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This is the testimony of the Bible, the

narrator who's conducting this book.

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And this is also a testimony of God.

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And so Eliphaz is questioning Job,

and consequently, questioning God.

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And then he says, dude, you're so evil.

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It's abundant.

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There's no end to your iniquities.

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Remember, the gloves are coming off now.

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They're going as deep as

they can to get to you.

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To get Job to respond to them.

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And then he goes through all of these

supposed things that Job has done.

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It's not too unlike Zophar.

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You've exacted pledges from

your brothers for nothing.

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You've stripped the

naked of their clothing.

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You've given no water to the weary.

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And on he goes.

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He's really trying to say, Job, look at

all the evil things that you've done.

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You've been greedy and

you've been oppressive.

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We've heard this before.

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But remember, these are guys who

are supposed to be comforting Job

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and they're doing no such thing.

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In verses 12 through 20.

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He charges Job with continued wickedness.

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In fact, once one interesting note

here is that he's using Job's words

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against him in verses 17 and 18.

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It looks like he's almost verbatim

quoting Job from chapter 21.

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He says, they say to God, depart from

us and what can the almighty do to us?

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Yet he filled their houses with

good things, but the council

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of the wicked is far from me.

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And so he says, look, Joe,

this is effectively you.

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You're talking about the

evil, the wicked people.

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This is you're doing this.

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And then he says this is outrageous.

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He says, verse 19, the righteous see it.

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That is the destruction of the

wicked and are glad the innocent one.

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Yeah.

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Mocks at them saying, surely our

adversaries are cut off and what

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they left the fire has consumed.

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I think Eliphaz is agreeing with Job.

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We are mocking you.

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Remember chapter 21, Job says,

look, Bear with me and I will speak

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and after I have spoken mock on.

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Eliphaz says, okay.

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Yes, we will because we are righteous.

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We see your destruction and we

are glad for it because you're

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getting what you deserve.

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We are applauding the justice

and the righteousness of God.

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This is so backward.

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So awful.

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Ah, it's so frustrating.

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I am frustrated on Job's behalf for

Eliphaz's smug and self assured theology,

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which I guess is a good time for us to

pause and say, man, there's something good

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about holding your theology with humility.

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So that we don't sound like

Eliphaz beating people down.

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He says in verse 21, agree with God and be

at peace, thereby good will come to you.

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Eliphaz is closing his argument by

saying, do what I'm saying, Job.

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Respond, repent, trust God the way

that I'm telling you to trust him

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and things are going to be better.

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This is the same old song sang

to a slightly different tune,

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but it's mostly the same.

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In Job 23, he responds to Eliphaz,

and it's a short response for Job.

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He's going to say a lot more in

a couple chapters, but right now

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he doesn't have much more to say.

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He says, Today also my

complaint is bitter.

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My hand is heavy on

account of my groaning.

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Life is not good for me right now.

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And so he's asking God, pay

attention to me, please.

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I would love for you to

listen to my argument.

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Listen to me.

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I would want you to pay

attention to my cries.

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In fact, , I know that there are times

and seasons in the Christian's life

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where it feels like we're calling

out to God and he doesn't respond.

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Job would know what that feels like.

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Verse 10.

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But he knows the way that I take.

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When he has tried me, I

shall come out as gold.

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This is Job's confidence that he stands

righteous before God and even though

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he's stumbling and he's struggling.

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He still trusts that at the end of the

day, he's going to be held righteous.

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He's going to be held blameless.

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Verse 12, he says, I have not departed

from the commandment of his lips.

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I have treasured the words of his

mouth more than my portion of food.

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And I think that's a really

good place for us to stop.

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It's a great place for us to end.

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In fact, this has got

to be your most basic.

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Commitment in the Christian life

that you are treasuring the words

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of God because this is the anchor

for our soul It leads us to Christ.

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It leads us to trust him.

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It leads us to follow him Such that

when the tide comes up we have an

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anchor when the waves crash on us We

are building our lives upon the rock.

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This has got to be our takeaway.

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I've got to be people of the word Man,

I'm praying for you as you go through

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this, that you are like Job, that

you could say when he has tried me,

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I shall come out as gold, that you're

standing righteous in Christ and that

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I have treasured the words of his

mouth more than any portion of my food.

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No.

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One thing that we don't talk about

a lot as Christians is fasting.

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Maybe there's a time and a day this

season in your Christian life where

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fasting to the Lord would be a good

thing for you to do to put food aside.

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If you're able to medically, I

understand that some people have health

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complications, but if you're able to, just

to give the Lord your time and prayer.

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Give time to the word to

build your life upon the rock.

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Why?

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That's the best place to be.

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That's the place of truth.

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That's the place of power.

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That is the place of progress

in the Christian life.

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Okay.

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Please pray with me as we close

out today's reading of the DBR.

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Lord, we thank you so much

that you've given us your word.

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And like Job, God, we want to

be able to say, I've treasured

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the words of your mouth.

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More.

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Then my portion of food, we want to

have such an affection for your word.

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Not because we're biblicists.

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We're not trying to be bibliologists.

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Some people call us want to be

people who love your word because

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we love the God of the word.

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And it's your word that reveals you.

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It's your word that sustains us.

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It is our bread.

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It is our drink.

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It is everything that we need to know

you and love you the way that we want to.

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So please, God, use your word

to strengthen us, to prepare us

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for anything that comes our way.

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For the good times, we want to have

so much of your word in us that

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we are able to rejoice with psalms

and hymns and spiritual songs.

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For the bad times, we want to have

so much of your word in us that it

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anchors us in the day of difficulty.

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And every day, Lord, in good times

and bad, we want your word to be

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the very source of strength for us.

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So please, let us feed

on it, let us grow in it.

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We ask all these things in Jesus name.

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Amen.

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Hey, thanks for joining me again today.

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It has been a pleasure and an honor

to serve you I'll look forward to

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seeing you tomorrow for another

edition of the daily bible podcast