Good Questions Job, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word, Pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. When he comes out of the whirlwind to speak, you would think that he's going to say the first thing he's going to say to Job is, Well, I'm really sorry about what you've gone through.

I really am. I mean, I can't imagine that. You've lost 10 children. You've lost everything you own.

You've lost your health. All respect. I'm sorry. None of it. Absolutely none of that.

It's almost shocking to us when we see it. This God full of mercy and compassion doesn't say that at all. Remember the whole way through the series I've said, Job keeps asking one question. Why? Just why? That's all I want to know.

Why? When God speaks, he doesn't make statements. All the way through this, God never makes a statement. God asks questions.

77 questions. Thank you for joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word with Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Fellowship in the Word is the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now as once again he shows us how God's word meets our world. The end of the Book of Job is the end of the Book of Job. And when you see this book, it's incredibly honest.

It's a really unusual book. And when you're reading it, you get this feeling that Job is fighting the battle of his life. But the truth of the matter is, he's not fighting the battle.

He's the battlefield. The battle of the Book of Job is between God and Satan. And Job is trying to find himself in the sort of the sights of Satan himself. And when you read it, you come away with the conclusion that Satan is winning. Job's friends come and they talk to him and they and they seem to be reinforcing everything.

And Job seems to be more and more falling apart. And he keeps asking the question why he keeps stating to God, Look, I've remained faithful, but I just don't understand all this enormous amount of suffering that I'm going through. The ultimate summation of the Book of Job, though, is actually found in the New Testament. It's found in the Book of James. Just one verse. Verse 11.

James says this. We count those blessed who've endured. Now, do you ever think about that when you're enduring something? The word blessed in Greek means happy.

It means joyful. We count those happy and joyful who have endured. When you're enduring something, do you think they're your happy moments? Do you think, oh, I feel really happy about this? See, we think about it differently, at least until afterwards.

But he says this. We count those blessed who have endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcomes of the Lord, Lord's dealings. You heard about Job, he said. You know that he endured.

I've said this over all these years, but the measure of how much faith you have is how much will you endure? And remember, God was the one who said of Job, he's the most righteous man on earth. And so consequently, God's view is Job can endure anything. He's the most righteous man on earth. The last part of James is a little surprising to us in that verse. He says you have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and merciful. But when you read the book of Job, you're thinking, I don't. Where's his compassion?

Where's his mercy? And it is in the outcome. It's an interesting thing. So Job agonized through this whole book, and he asked the question you and I often ask. He asked the question, why? Why?

Why? Why did I lose everything that I had? Why did my 10 children die? You see, why have I lost all respect?

I'd be in the most respected man in his village to the point where children would walk by the city dump where he was sitting and spit on them. And then he had all the health problems and then he had his marriage on the rocks. His wife told him to curse God and die. And all he wanted to know is why, because he keeps stating, I'm faithful.

I just don't understand why. And that's where we're going to pick it up. I want you to deal with how the Lord deals with him in Job 38.

Go to Job 38. Now, as I come to this passage, if you paid any attention before, I skip chapters 32 to 37. Now, I invite you to read those chapters on your own.

And when you read them, you'll be glad that I skipped them. And the reason for it is it's it's the words of another character. It's not one of his three friends.

It's not Job. It's Elihu. And Elihu is younger than any of these men. But he speaks for five chapters. And wow, he takes way too long to get started.

He spends two chapters just getting started. He's trying to get started about what he wants to say. He's condescending.

He's a little proudful. And he's not just speaking against Job. He's speaking against the three friends and Job.

But. Everything he says is true. When he talks about God. And there's no response at all to him. Job doesn't respond.

The friends don't respond. They just finish. And that's where we hit Chapter 38. And unexpectedly, unless you've read the story before, it says the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind. The Lord all of a sudden wants to speak. You get God speaks more right here in these chapters than he ever does at one time.

He's just speaking. He just comes and he speaks out of the whirlwind. Now, you see that often in the Old Testament in Nahum. You find him saying in Nahum, Chapter one, in the whirlwind and in the storm is his way. It's sort of like in Exodus 19, when he comes in Mount Sinai, God just comes out of the whirlwind and he wants to speak.

And it's an interesting thing because when he comes out of the whirlwind to speak, you would think that he's going to say the first thing he's going to say to Job is. But I'm really sorry about what you've gone through. I really am. I mean, I can imagine that you lost 10 children. You've lost everything you own.

You've lost your health. All respect. I'm sorry. None of it. Absolutely none of that.

It's almost shocking to us when we see it. This God full of mercy and compassion doesn't say that at all. I remember the whole way through this series, I've said, Job keeps asking one question. Why? Just why? That's all I want to know.

Why? When God speaks, he doesn't make statements all the way through this. God never never makes a statement. God asks questions. Seventy seven questions. He asked Job seventy seven rhetorical questions. Isn't it interesting that it's seventy seven?

Seven is a perfect number. Seventy seven questions. God wants to ask Job. Job asked one.

Why? God says, let me ask you seventy seven questions. Now, notice the tone of this. Here's God's first words out of the whirlwind. Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Gird up your loins like a man and I will ask you and you instruct me. Wow. First words.

Who is this? He said that darkens counsel and speaks words without knowledge. You see, God understands something here. When we ask questions like this. We're really making statements about God.

That's what's happening. That's why it comes out of this whirlwind and says this. King Alfonso the 10th, the king of Spain in the 13th century, said this. Had I been present at the creation, I would have given some useful hints for a better ordering of the universe. We think like that. He said, God says, look, see, at one point in chapter 12 of Job, in verse 22, Job said, God brings deep darkness into the light. He does not. But Job said, the darkness I'm in, God sovereign, he brings that in. And God says, this is out of ignorance that you say something like that. Do you ever say stuff like that?

You do you want in church, you don't say stuff like that in church. But in real life, people do. Or at least you have the thought. You sort of say it this way. If God were good. Then this wouldn't have happened. If God were good. You see, in the inference, he can do anything.

This wouldn't have happened. Now, when you say that, it's very clear what you're saying. He's not good. That's what you're saying. He's not good.

Local radio station says God is good. Right. Next part. All the time. You know what?

We got to spend more emphasis on the latter part of that. He is good all the time. Not some of the time.

Not when things have gone good for you. Oh, isn't he good? People tell me that all the time. Our life is just overflowing with blessings. Isn't God good?

But he's good all the time. And that's what God's talking about here. He says, look what you've done. He said, look at the challenge I have for you.

You've got to love what God says here. He says, gird up your loins like a man. Now, in those days, you wore long outer garment. And if you were going to fight somebody, you take the garment from the bottom, pull it all the way up and tuck it in your belt.

You have to get it up so your legs are free. That's girding up your loins. God says to him, gird up your loins like a man. What's he mean? We're going to have it out.

You and me. Gird it up. Be a man. You want to question me, gird up your loins like a man. He says, and I will ask you. And now you instruct me. You're so wise by asking what? You'll get to instruct me, Joe. This is your opportunity.

This is what you've waited for. Well, God starts out with the inanimate creation. That's where he starts the creation, the inanimate creation. Look at verse four. He says, Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me if you have understanding. Who said it's measurement since, you know, or who stretched the line on it or what words basis sunk or what? Who laid its cornerstone? He said, when the morning star sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. The angels were there. He said, when I when I created everything out of nothing, I just spoke and it was all created. Where were you, Joe?

I missed that. Where were you when I did all this? These are all rhetorical questions, by the way. He isn't explain. He isn't expecting an answer from Job in any sense.

He doesn't get any. He says, Where were you? I created it all. And then starting in verse eight, he says, not only that I created all, I maintain it all. Everything in the inanimate universe, I maintain it.

Everything. Verse 19, he says. Where is the way of the dwelling of light and darkness? Where's its place that you may take it to its territory or that you may discern the paths to its home? He said, you know, for you were born then and the number of your days is great.

Little sarcasm. He says, Joe, but explain the theory of light to me. I'd like to hear that. Like, where does light go?

Where's its home, Joe? Tell me, I'd like I'd like to hear that from you. You see, how does this all work?

So you can just imagine how job feels when all this is happening. You see, God could have made a lot of statements about himself, but he doesn't. He just asked questions and you can read them for yourselves. He asked one after the other after the other. Secondly, he moves in the inanimate creation and he moves the nature. Starting in verse 39, in verse 39 of Chapter 38, he says, can you hunt the prey for the lion or satisfy the appetite of the young lions?

He said, can you do that? Chapter 39, verse one, he said, Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer? It's like, do you understand how nature works? I mean, you're so wise. You're questioning me. Do you understand how nature nature works, Joe?

You can just imagine if you're a joke trying to figure this out. By the way, we're a lot smarter than Joe, right? I mean, in that sense, we are. See, how do we explain that? Mother nature.

That's how I see scientists. You know, you don't mess with Mother Nature. Mother Nature does that. Mother Nature. Well, who's Mother Nature? You see, we have invented Mother Nature. And Mother Nature handles everything. That's our explanation.

In fact, our belief behind it is if you had enough time and enough chance, you get Mother Nature. And that explains everything. And when I first started questioning this back when the 70s and 80s, they were talking about the whole idea of the creation being 15, 20 million years old, then 100 million years old, and then they said it might be a billion years old. And the reason is the mathematicians started figuring it out and said, you can't explain it in that much time. And so now we say it's about 15, 16 billion years old.

And I just read an article where they think it might be at least 20, 25. It just goes on. You have enough time and enough chance. And here we are.

That's all it takes. God said, look, you know why the world is the way it is? Because of me. You understand the way this works?

Because of me. Verse 26. He says, Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars stretching his wings toward the south?

Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high on the cliffs he dwells and lodges upon the rocky Craig and inaccessible place? Is that is that why that happened? Do you understand that?

Why they do that? It's interesting, isn't it? God said, that's me. So in Chapter 40, verse one, the Lord said to Job, Will the fault finder contend with the Almighty? Now, remember, in the beginning of the Book of Job, he called Job my servant. He said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job, most righteous man on earth? Now he called Job the fault finder. He said, You're a fault finder. He said, You will contend with the Almighty. Let him who reproves God answer it. You reprove me. You question me. You the fault finder. You see, where were you at the creation?

I don't remember the way all nature works. You have anything to do with this? Do you even understand it? No.

Wow. So Job answers. And it says in verse three, Then Job answered the Lord and said, Behold, I am insignificant. What can I reply to you? I lay my hand on my mouth. Once I have spoken, I will not answer even twice or add no more.

Job's response to God's questions is this. I'm not talking. I'm not saying anything more. I put my hand over my mouth. I'm not going to talk about this anymore.

He said, I just don't want to talk. And when you first read it, you think there it is. That's what God wanted from Job.

It's not. He wants more. He wants more.

So God gives another speech to Job, and it says, The Lord answered Job out of the storm and said, Gird up your loins like a man, and I'll ask you. And you instruct me. Will you really in all my judgment? Will you condemn me that you may be justified? You're questioning my judgment?

Understand my definition. I am God. Now, by definition, if you're God, who can question your judgment? See, that's God's point. No one can.

How could you question my judgment? I love verse nine. Do you have an arm like God? And can you thunder with a voice like his? This is God. Take a look at it. You got one like that. You got nothing. You see, when my voice comes out, it comes out like thunder.

Let me hear yours. You see what I mean? That's that's God talking.

It's just an amazing thing. But God does. He said in verse 11, Pour out the overflowings of your anger and look on everyone who is proud and make him low. God introduces something right here.

He said, You know what I can do in my business? I take the proud. I make them low. That's a principle, and it's going to be something he illustrates here.

Everyone. By the way, if you're finding fault with God, isn't that pride? But he says at the job, he says, I make them low. He said, verse 12, Look on everyone who is proud and humble him and tread down the wicked where they stand. Can you do that job?

No. Now, he introduces two characters that are so often, I think my opinion, not being dogmatic, but sort of with this. The first one is in verse 15. He says, Behold now behemoth. He introduces the word behemoth. And it's an interesting thing. And a lot of the commentators on this say behemoth is a hippopotamus. And the second character will be Leviathan.

And he's an alligator. I don't think so. I just don't. And I'll explain my reason. If that's what you think, that's OK. I don't really care.

You're just wrong. So. But but the point of it is this. The word behemoth is plural. We use it as a plural word. But when God describes it, he uses a personal pronoun.

It's always singular. This behemoth, this power, this plurality of power he refers to on a personal pronoun, which is interesting. He says, behold, behemoth, which I made as well as you. He said, Behemoth is my creature. I made him just like I made you. He said he eats grass like an ox and behold, his strength is in his loins and he has power and muscles in his belly. And he bends his tail like cedar and the sinews of his thighs are knit together and his bones are like tubes of bronze and his limbs are like bars of iron.

Now, please understand something here. This is poet. He is speaking poetically. He is speaking metaphorically. He's speaking picturesquely.

He's speaking this way. Then he says this in verse 19. He is the first of the ways of God. Let his maker bring near his sword.

That word first, this means first in preeminence. Behemoth is the preeminent. Notice he is the preeminent in the ways of God. Let me ask you, what was God's greatest creation? See, who's the greatest creation God ever created? Lucifer. The anointed cherub.

No one like him. God says, yeah, he was the first. He said, and I'm the only one that can bring a sword near him. I still have power over him. That's what this whole story is about.

That's what you find. But it plays on better with the second one. In the second one, he says this. He said, verse one of Chapter 41, he said, Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? He talks about Leviathan. Can you bring him out with a fishhook?

He said, first three. Will he make many supplications to you or will he speak to you in soft words? Now, if he's an alligator. When's the last time you've talked to an alligator and he's talked back to you? In cartoons.

You can get an alligator to talk. But he says he doesn't talk to you in soft words. He's referring to something bigger than Leviathan.

And as I go on, I think it'll become clear. He says. Verse 10. No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him. Who then is he that can stand before me?

No one arouses him. He is worthy. He's powerful.

Verse 15. His strong scales are his pride. He said, shut up as tight as a seal.

Notice pride is introduced again. And then he says in verse 18, his sneezes flash forth white and his eyes are like eyelids in the morning. He said, out of his mouth, go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap forth and out of his nostrils, smoke goes forth as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.

His breath kindles coals and a flame goes forth from his mouth. Now, is that something an alligator to you? I don't think he's talking about an alligator here at all. He's talking about something much, much more important than that.

He said, let me explain what I'm talking about when I deal with him. Verse 24. His heart is as hard as stone, even as hard as a lower millstone.

Does that sound like an alligator to you? He has a stone heart. No, it doesn't. He said in verse 20, 70 regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood. He has great power.

Verse 33 makes it abundantly clear. He said nothing on earth is like him. He said one made without fear. Do you realize that? Satan has no fear of anyone. Not God either.

He's not afraid. You've been listening to Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the Radio Ministry of Fellowship in the Word. If you ever miss one of our broadcasts or maybe you would just like to listen to the message one more time, remember that you can go to a great website called oneplace.com. That's oneplace.com, and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online.

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