Job Chapter 21-22:ALL

Welcome to Cross the Bridge with David McGee, Weekend Edition. Pastor David McGee is internationally recognized for his unique conversational verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter teaching through the Word of God. We have hundreds of his teachings through the many books of the Bible and encourage you to visit CrossTheBridge.com to study the Scriptures along with Pastor David. But right now, open your Bible to the Old Testament Book of Job and follow along for today's teaching. In this series, Pastor David has been teaching practical lessons from the life of Job.

We are finding out that what needed to be learned back then still needs to be learned today. I think you'll find that to be true today and tomorrow as we take a closer look at chapters 21 and 22. Now, here's Pastor David. We're in chapter 21. We're going two chapters at a sitting, if you will.

Well, let's set it up. Okay, so here's Job, and God says Job's a good guy. And then Satan comes and wants to mess with Job, and God gives him permission somewhat, but says you can't touch him physically. And so the enemy does all this stuff, and the enemy says, hey, hey, still, I think I can get him to curse you.

God says, you can't. So then the enemy goes after Job himself, but God says, you can, you know, you can affect him, but you can't take his life. So in both times, God is protecting Job from the enemy, and it's the enemy who's doing these things. But see, you and I are privy to information that Job wasn't aware of, and that's the conversation in chapter one.

Before we read chapter 21, chapter 22, we're going to go back to chapter one. So turn back with me to chapter one, because I heard just in the last week or so, I've heard people say, was God tempted in the book of Job, or did God lie in the book of Job? Somebody's like, oh, it ain't God's lie. It ain't God doesn't lie. God is truth.

So Job chapter one, verse one. Somebody's thinking, you're going backwards. This isn't right. You were at 21, now we're at one again. That's not good.

We're going back to 21, just a minute. Verse one, chapter one. Right? And one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions are 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large household so that this man was the greatest of all the people of these. So wait a minute, he's got all this stuff, so we know he's materialistic and he's a sinner, right?

No. God has blessed him. It's interesting. We turn it one of two ways. Either we think that anybody who has stuff is ungodly, or we think anybody that doesn't have stuff is ungodly because God's not blessed them.

Which one is it? Neither. I've met people who had a lot who were not materialistic. We've got people who have done well and God has blessed them and they sow into the ministry. And yet I've met people who had very little and yet were very materialistic. Talking about money, talking about bills, talking about this.

So don't categorize people because there's godly and ungodly wealthy people and there's godly and ungodly people with less. Now, back to chapter 1, verse 4. This Job did regularly. In the King James it says, Thus Job did continually. Now here's an interesting thing.

I'm not saying it is considered. Did Job's fear about his children here, did his fear open the door to the enemy? Because it doesn't just say he prayed for them. It said he did this continually, regularly.

He thought that they had sinned and cursed God in their hearts. That's fear. Now, I don't know if it opened the door to this other stuff or not, but it is interesting to note. And we don't know with any certainty, but it is interesting that we're told this.

That this is included in this chapter of this confidential meeting here. Now here's the thing that we take from this as far as a life lesson. When we are fearful, we can be spiritually manipulated so we're in danger. When we're fearful, we are in danger. But here, it's interesting. Ironically, it can be our fear that puts us in danger, not the situation itself.

Let me say that again. When we are fearful, we can be spiritually manipulated so we are in danger when we're fearful. Ironically, it can be our fear that puts us in danger, not the situation itself. So when you're in a situation, don't get fearful. Because fearful, it's been proven scientifically that when you're in fear, you do not think clearly. So we get into a situation, we get fearful, and our mind paralyzes.

But if we walk not in fear, we're able to think clearly. Verse six. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, from where do you come? So God was not aware of where Job had been.

No, that's not true. God knows everything. So why'd he ask Job where he'd been? Let's follow this.

It gets interesting. The Lord said to Satan, from where do you come? So Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it. Then the Lord said to Satan, have you considered, my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? Now, here's the mistake a lot of people make.

They think Satan was completely unaware of Job, and God says, hey Satan, you're an accuser, you're a bad guy. I got somebody that you can, I just thought of somebody you can go after. Won't you go after Job? Yeah. No. Sadly, that's the way a lot of Christians interpret this chapter. And that's wrong. Let's look and see if before this conversation, if the enemy had any awareness or familiarity or knowing things about Job.

Because they're just having this conversation. So Satan shouldn't know anything about Job. If God is saying, hey, what about Job?

Go get him. But let's listen. Verse 9. So Satan answered the Lord and said, does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land.

How do you know that? Because he had already been considering Job. He'd already been looking at Job and God knew that. As a matter of fact, not only had he been looking at Job, but notice you made a hedge around him, around this household and around all that he has on every side. Sounds like somebody's been checking that hedge out, doesn't it?

On every side and there's no break in it. Now meanwhile, while we read that, does this mean that he had these beautiful shrubberies around him? That he had a hedge? No, no, no, no, no, no. Little Mickey Mouse?

No, no, no, no. It means there was a spiritual protection around him. Where?

Everywhere he went. Now that's good. Gets us excited about Job. You want to hear something better? You as a believer have a hedge. Not only do you have a hedge, you've got angels protecting you. It seems that every person has two angels assigned to them. And praise God, I've kept mine pretty busy in my lifetime. Man, what comfort to know that. That he will give his angels charge over you.

And there's a hedge. And thank you, Lord. So it's obvious the enemy has been concerned. So here's the Bible study tip. Many people that think that Satan had no knowledge or awareness of Job before the conversation with God. And God almost sold Job out to Satan saying, hey, do you know about my servant Job? Why don't you attack him?

No, no, a thousand times, no. Again, the enemy had been checking Job out. And God kind of calls him on, hey, what about Job? Man, I've been watching you. You've been checking Job out.

Been checking all those hedges. What about Job? Now keep in mind the whole time God is going to end up blessing Job more than he could imagine.

And I'm not just talking about doubling his stuff. But Job gets a deeper revelation about who God is and who he is through this. Because he kept going and he endured the trial and he didn't run from it.

Here's an interesting thing, too. If you look at kind of the partial questions in verses 8 and 9 of Stone chapter 1, verse 8. Then the Lord asked Satan, have you noticed my servant Job in one version? And Satan replied to the Lord, yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. So again, Satan had already been considering Job. It's so important because we're talking about the character of God.

And it just amazes me. This is the God that protects us, that has a hedge about us, that has angels giving charge over us. And yet people look at the first chapter of Job and think, oh, well, God was like, hey, have you thought about Job? Here he is hiding behind this rock.

Get him. No, no, no, no, no, no. Job is talking about the enemy. So here's life lesson. Remember, Satan is not God's opposite. God has no opposite. God is all-knowing or omniscient. God is everywhere at once or omnipresent.

The enemy is none of those. He does not have those powers. He is not everywhere at once.

He doesn't know everything. He is a created being. He is not the opposite of God the Father. He's not the opposite of God the Spirit. He's not the opposite of God the Son.

He would be the opposite of a Michael or a Gabriel. Now, I'm not saying we don't be careful. We don't want to assign too much power to him. So in chapter one, here's the life lesson. And remember this, maybe share it with people.

It'd be great for you all to talk to me and say, hey, what do you think about Job? And see what they say. And when they say, oh, yeah, it's a shame what God did to him, you can say, have you read chapter one? It really does matter because if you think God is waiting to sell you out and double cross you, my goodness, God is not a man that he would do something like that.

And so here's the life lesson. So Satan walks in and God knows where the enemy has been and what the enemy has been thinking. He knows. Satan walks in and God knows where the enemy has been and what the enemy has been thinking. And it's from that he says, have you considered Job?

Yeah, I happen to notice you've been camping out, checking all his hedges, making sure they're on every side. And again, let's remember, there's another life lesson. This is important.

Please remember this. There is none like God anywhere. There is none like God anywhere. And when I say God, I'm not talking about Buddha. I'm not talking about Confucius. I'm not talking about Allah. I'm talking about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

I'm talking about Jesus Christ. Amen. Praise God.

I tell you what, gang, we live in interesting times. It's interesting, the pope actually said that the Muslims do believe in the same God we do. And he actually prayed to that God with Muslims, addressed the merciful one, which is a name that is on a skiv to Allah. I'll take you through some verses.

You know, I would encourage you to take notes, jot these things down. If somebody says, hey, you know, you can say, well, no, no, no, God is like this. I'll give you the verses. Exodus 15, 11 says, who is like you, O Lord among the gods?

Who is like you? Glorious in holiness, fearful in praises and doing wonders. Psalm 35, 10, all my bones shall say, Lord, who is like you? Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him. Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him.

Or in the New Living Translation, with every bone in my body, I will praise him. Lord, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong?

Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them? Psalm 71, 19, also your righteousness, O God, is very high. You have done great things, O God, who is like you? Psalm 113, 5, who is like the Lord our God who dwells on high? Who humbles himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that he may seat him with princes, with the princes of his people.

He grants the barren woman a home like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord. Pastor David will be back in less than one minute as he continues teaching in the Book of Job. A great way to start out each day is with a practical email devotional every morning from Pastor David. Visit crossthebridge.com to start receiving yours for free. If you have a cell phone, you can also text the word ENCOURAGE to 94253 to receive a short encouraging text from us each day.

That's 94253. And now, back to the teaching. So the enemy begins to attack Job, takes his wealth, his children die, his wife is left alive, which is interesting, because the enemy's goal, let's remember, was to get Job to curse God. You know what's interesting? I started thinking about Job and what happens is, you know, it's like Job talks for one chapter and then one of his friends begins to dog him out and then another friend and then it goes back to Job and it really is very tiring when you read it. And you know what? It's meant to be. Why? Because God is, you know, read this and you know what happens?

You get really tired of it. Of course, here's the interesting thing. We all think we're Job when we look at the Book of Job. That's who we think we are in this whole story. That's convenient.

Yeah. And yet, here's Job needing compassion, needing comfort and getting none from this community that he had. There's no doubt in my mind that God intended Job to be comforted through these people. But see, Job had been doing well for a long time and these guys, not so much. And so when Job was taking down a few notches, instead of trying to pick him up, they said, oh, look, he's down, let's kick him.

Sometimes when you go through a trial, you figure out who your friends are. The enemy in Job chapter 1 verse 11, he says, but now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face. The enemy must have been whispering in the ear of Job's wife because the very next chapter, Job chapter 2 verse 9, then his wife said to him, do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die.

Thank you, honey, for that cheery thought. But look what she says, curse God. That sounds familiar. Yeah, it's exactly what the enemy says. The enemy was whispering, obviously. Tell him to curse God. Tell him to curse God. Tell him to curse God.

Tell him to curse God. It's an interesting thing to know that the enemy can use a believer sometimes in your life. You realize that? Don't be a tool of the enemy. And also, God can use an unbeliever.

You realize that? So God can use anybody. At that point, Job is down. He's lost all these things. And then his wife says curse God and die. And how easy it would have been for him to just crumple into a ball to go along with what she said. But that was not the kind of man Job was. No, he was a strong man, strong leader. The life lesson out of that, it's important for us to lead our wives and our children whenever things get difficult. As a husband, as a man of God, leading the family, it's important for us to lead our wives and our children whenever things get difficult. Now, it's easy to get people stirred up.

But a leader helps calm people down. Does, oh, did you hear about that? Did you hear about, oh, that's nothing. Did you hear about that?

No, no, no, no, no. There must be peace in the situations. Now, let's do a read through here, Job chapter 21. I just wanted to make sure we're clear on chapter 1.

I'm going to periodically go back to that chapter because honestly, so many folks don't read that chapter correctly and they get the whole book wrong. Job chapter 21, verse 1. Then Job answered, incidentally, Zophar had a chapter, just slammed him.

Job, he'll go for a little while and just kind of yank him and then he'll just be this diamond, this lightning bolt. And that happened in Job 29 when he said, oh, I wish my words were written that they were inscribed in a book. Yeah, I'm thinking God answered that one. And then Job in this place of such pain said in Job 19, 25, says, for I know that my Redeemer lives and he shall stand at last on the earth. My Redeemer lives. Man, that's faith.

That's looking not only up, that's looking out into the future because the Messiah had not yet come. And yet Job says, I know he lives. Wow.

So back to 21. Then Job answered and said, listen carefully to my speech and let this be your consolation. Bear with me that I may speak and after I've spoken, keep mocking. So they're really kind of on each other's last nerve, so to speak. As for me, is my complaint against man? And if it were, why should I not be impatient? Look at me and being astonished.

Put your hand over your mouth. Even when I remember, I'm terrified and trembling takes hold of my flesh. It goes back to the fear thing, which is interesting to consider. Verse 7, why do the wicked live and become old?

Yes, become mighty in power. Their descendants are established with them in their sight and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear and neither is the rod of God upon them. So Job here, he's looking at the wicked and he's saying, wow, they're in power, they have wealth, they have their kids and they're safe in their houses. I would encourage you to jot down Psalm 73 and maybe read it later this evening. It's when the psalmist goes in and again, the psalmist in Psalm 73, he's struggling, he's watching the wicked and it seems like they're doing pretty well and he's confused by that and he doesn't understand. And he says, you know what, I thought to understand this is too painful for me until I went into the sanctuary of God, then I understood their end. That is Psalm 73 verse 16, 17 for people taking notes. That's really interesting.

I want you to notice something. When did the psalmist get revelation about the wicked? When he went into the sanctuary. What happens when you miss church? You don't know.

That's the thing. You miss something but you don't know what you missed. And I tell you what, so often, and again, the enemy doesn't know everything but I mean, he knows where our weak spots are.

He could probably figure out what we're going to be sharing and figure out when he really needs to try to drive you out of here. The parable of the sower is so important. The seed is the word of God. The enemy wants to get you away from the seed because the seed is what Peter calls the incorruptible seed of the living God. That's how you're born again.

That gets in there and you start changing. An enemy does not want you in the word. Now, he says their houses are safe from fear. No, they're not. There's an interesting illusion a lot of people have concerning others. And, you know, I've been able to meet a lot of people and work with people that, you know, other people thought were something. And they're just people. And, you know, whether you're, whatever, a Hollywood star or a rock star or you got a really nice house, a really nice car, you supposedly got everything made.

No, you don't. Nobody's got everything made. You still have the same stuff to deal with that everybody else has to deal with. Whether you live in Hollywood or Kernsville, you still got to deal with the same stuff. Whether you got a whole lot of money or very little.

Whether you got a big house or a little bit. You still got to deal with love, life, death and illness and relationships. And before you think about the Hollywood folks having it made, think about these people going through seven, eight, nine marriages. Their kids in and out of rehabs, in and out of jail.

If you think those folks got it made, you might want to redefine got it made. Because not only that, but they go through this alone if they don't know God. No matter how much money you have, how successful you are, how many billions of dollars you have, you still have issues. You still got loved ones that get sick. You get sick. And if you're sick, it doesn't matter if you're in a nice house that much because you're sick. You're only experiencing one room in the house in the bathroom if you're ill. I mean, toilets are all kind of the same, aren't they? And so none of them matter.

We think they got, oh, you got it made. Wait a minute, no, no, no. We're all the same. And all that stuff, it doesn't matter when loved ones get sick. It doesn't matter when somebody says it's cancer. It doesn't matter if you're wealthy or not. When you hear stuff like that, or we hear, I want a divorce, whether you're wealthy or not, doesn't matter during times like, here's the important, you know what matters? Whether you know God or not. If you know God, you are truly wealthy.

If you don't know God, doesn't matter how much stuff you got. Amen. Yeah, praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord. Because again, I mean, we're talking about 70, 80, 90, 100 years, 120 years maybe that we're here. But eternity is a lot longer than that. And as I've often said, this is as close to heaven as unbelievers will ever come.

In other words, this is as good as it gets for them. And while there are nice things in this world, the best things in this world don't compare to what we will experience in heaven. Amen. Praise God.

So don't put those folks on a pedestal. And again, let's be careful of fear. Because, you know, I was terrified, he said in verse six. Don't get in the fear. Fear can be a spiritual attack.

And again, it can paralyze you if you allow it. The Bible, interestingly enough, calls it a spirit of fear. Now, we are to fear God, but that's it. And that's a reverential fear. That's not a, you know, kind of a fear. So what happens when we fear other things from God, it gets us imbalanced. And it opens us up for all kinds of attacks.

Here's a life lesson. Whatever we fear besides God opens us up to spiritual confusion, bad decisions, and spiritual attacks. Whenever we fear besides God, it opens us up to spiritual confusion, bad decisions, and spiritual attacks. Let me give you some great verses about fear.

And again, I would encourage you to jot these down. And next time somebody is afraid or nervous or anxious about something, you can share these things with them. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 6 says, So we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear.

What can man do to me? Our Deuteronomy 31 verse 6, Be strong and of good courage. Do not fear nor be afraid of them, for the Lord is your God. He is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Or 1 Kings 17 verse 13, Elijah said to her, Do not fear, go and do as you have said.

Whatever we fear besides God opens us up to spiritual confusion, bad decisions, and spiritual attacks. You've been listening to Pastor David McGee on Cross the Bridge Weekend Edition. Tune in again tomorrow afternoon as Pastor David continues teaching on most stations. If you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday, why not join us for our live stream at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, or on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Just visit crossthebridge.com and click on our live stream link. There you will experience a live service from David's home church, The Bridge in North Carolina. Again, that website is crossthebridge.com.

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