Job Chapter 15-16:ALL

Welcome to Cross the Bridge But right now, open your Bible to the Old Testament Book of Job and follow along for today's teaching. In this series of special weekend edition programs, Pastor David has been teaching practical lessons from the life of Job. Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible.

We are finding out that what needed to be learned back then still needs to be learned by us today as we continue studying chapters 15 and 16. And now here's Pastor David. Open to the book of Job chapter 15. If you don't have a Bible, just raise your hand. One of the ushers will come and bring you a Bible.

We will be reading from the book. I think I've shared before I went to a church. I had a family member getting dedicated. Laura and I went to the church. After the service, we were standing outside and I had my Bible with me. And the guy came up and said, y'all are new here, aren't you? I said, yeah. And he noted that I was carrying my Bible. And he said, pretty serious about this stuff, aren't you? Did I mention this was outside of a church? I wanted to say I kept hoping he was going to read from it. It didn't happen that day.

We learned about the wetlands. Oh my. So we're reading in the book of Job. Last time we covered chapter 13 and 14 and tonight we're covering 15, 16. When we look at Job, we often assume that the books are in chronological order. Now, obviously, Genesis is in the right place. But other than that, we should not assume that the books are in the chronological order or time. So in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, they are not in chronological order. The book of Job is actually probably the oldest book written in the Old Testament.

You say, well, how can that be? Well, Moses, we believe, wrote the first five books of the Bible after the book of Job was written. And Job is actually mentioned and we believe it could be the same Job in the book of Genesis.

Now, it's interesting, while reading the oldest book in the Old Testament, probably written about 1500 to 2000 BC, maybe as late as 2000. And from time to time when I'm teaching, I want to help you get a picture of the things in front of us. Because I have spent years, and even now, I spend hours and days looking into these things, looking into the Hebrew, looking into the prophetic. And it will help you see and understand what's in front of you. Job, chapter 15.

Let's dig in. Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, answered and said, Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge and fill himself with the east wind? Should he reason with unprofitable talk or by speeches with which he can do no good? Yes, you can cast off fear and restrain prayer before God, for your iniquity teaches your mouth and you choose the tongue of the crafty. Your own mouth condemns you and not I.

Yes, your own lips testify against you. What we have in the book of Job is Job is a good man. He's an honorable man. What's interesting is in Job, chapter 1, that's proclaimed. But what's even more impressive is a few verses later, God says, Job is a good man.

So it's not just hearsay, it's God speaking. And so the enemy has been checking Job out. And God says, you know, he sees, the enemy knows this about Job, that, and so God says, Hey, you've been checking out my servant, Job. A lot of people get the mistaken impression that, you know, Job was safely hidden behind some rock and God was like, he's over here, get him. That is so far from the truth and that is so twisted. And let's understand that in the Bible, sometimes people say things that are wrong and it's still in there, but it's wrong. Or somebody does something that's wrong and it's in there. Because what happens is the enemy attacks Job, he attacks his finances, things he has and whatnot, and he doesn't fall apart. So then the enemy goes back to God and asks for a deeper attack.

Are you noticing what happens? Did you listen to what I just said? See, because some of you think that the devil has free rein. He doesn't. He's going to ask permission. And the only thing God allows are things that are going to bless you, benefit you, bless or benefit the people around you or help you grow.

Some of that may be uncomfortable. Did he just say that? He did. He did. He said that.

God is more interested in your growth than your comfort. And so important that you grow through what you go through or you got to go through it again. I hope somebody's writing this stuff down.

I don't know if you see any pens moving. Come on, gang. It's important to grow through what you go through or you got to go through it again. Praise God. I should have wrote that down. Life lesson.

You got to grow through what you go through or you go through it again. On the second attack, the enemy attacks Job's health. He gets these boils all over him. And we're not talking about little zits.

We're talking about boils. It says in one place that he was taking a broken up pot and piercing his skin to relieve the pressure and the pain. And his children, all of them, it seems to indicate possibly even grandkids wiped out. And I think it's safe to say that in that position, Job needs comfort. That's deep spiritual knowledge here that after all this, Job needs comfort. So three friends show up. I'm not sure who was supposed to bring the comfort.

That was his friends that were supposed to bring the comfort. And we've talked before about why does this book go on and on and on and on and on and on with these friends? Because almost daily, you and I are in this position to offer comfort or judgment and condemnation. And it's interesting as you read through the chapters, and I don't praise God. The Bible I'm reading from right now doesn't have those little irritating headings and subheadings.

Those things just irritate me. In John 8, just all of them say, the adulterous woman. And that just bugs me, man, because she's the forgiven woman. Amen. It's weird that Christians have labeled her the adulterous woman when after that chapter, she goes and sends no more.

Amen. Why didn't any of those headings say the missing adulterous man unless she was in adultery by herself? So these little headings, if you have them on this chapter, you got something like Eliphaz continues massacring Job or something like that. Because he's really tearing into it. It's not just him.

It's the other two guys. And he tears into it. If you look at the assumptions here, they're wrong in what he's saying about Job. If you keep your fingers in chapter 15, let's go back to chapter 1. Chapter 1, verse 1. There was a man in the land of Oz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright and one who feared God and shunned evil. And you go down to verse 8. Then the Lord said to Satan, or Satan in the Hebrew, which do you know his name actually means accuser?

That name is almost a derivative of like the Hebrew name of the district attorney that went around leveling charges on people. But in verse 8 of chapter 1, it says, 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? And yet in chapter 15, going back there, Eliphaz in his spiritual genius says, Oh, your iniquity teaches your mouth, in verse 6, and your own mouth condemns you.

Or in the New Living Translation, verses 2 and 3. A wise man wouldn't answer with such empty talk. You're nothing but a windbag. This is Eliphaz speaking to Job in language we can understand. The wise don't engage in empty chatter. What good are such words?

You know, it's interesting. I've read these words of Job that he's talking about. I don't see anything that he's talking about. I don't see Job engaging in empty chatter. I don't see Job in empty talk. And I sure don't see Job as a windbag.

This man is in deep pain and desperate for comfort. And his friend, as he's talking and pouring out his heart, his friend says, Yeah, you're a windbag. Yeah, I've mentioned before, I've got two brothers. Middle older brother has two boys, and he's, what, three years older than we're like polar opposites. And I have an older brother, seven years older than I am, which makes him old. And he had two daughters, and one died when she was 18 months old, and the other died when she was 23 years old.

So he doesn't have any children now. And you can't imagine, I can't imagine. I've learned to sometimes touch base on Father's Day, sometimes not, sometimes just pray, because he's not going to get a card. And I think if I was standing there, and one of my brother's friends started in like this, I'm more of a wordsmith, you know, a poet, songwriter, that sort of thing. But I don't think I would use my words if somebody was talking like that about my brother.

I think it would be very tempting to help them be quiet. And yet, you just never know who's gone through something like that. You never know what somebody's been through.

You never know what battles they're going through right now. We can know we're called to help people. We're called to encourage people. We're called to witness to people. And that takes a lot of sensitivity and discernment and things so deep.

We're talking about the human mind and psyche and the soul. I remember, this is years ago, we were traveling around, this was secular, rock and roll days, but there was a whole group of people that kind of hung out with that particular band. There's always that thing going on.

So there's this group that, you know, traveled where we traveled and different things. And there was one young lady that hung out for months with us. And I could never remember her name.

I mean, it was so frustrating. It's not like I remembered it part of the time. And then, man, I don't get it. It's like my mind has some sort of block about this name. I don't think I've ever known anybody by that name. It ended up that I had known somebody by that name. A little five-year-old boy that drowned. And I was 12. And I found him. And you don't forget things like that even if you want to.

And so we end up to be this complicated, dense, dense as in complicated. Now, I've never told that story in the 14 years I've been preaching here and really didn't tell it just then. There's obviously more to it, but I don't even know why I told it then. But here's an interesting thing. I tell stories. You may have noticed that if you've been here more than once. As an example, Sunday before last, I told a story about an outreach and led a Navy SEAL to the Lord. And it's interesting. Every now and again, somebody that's meaning to be helpful will say, man, you need to skip the stories and you know how to die.

It's interesting. But let me remind you that when Jesus was talking in the Bible, it wasn't the Bible yet. And what was he doing? He was telling stories. So Jesus told stories. So I tell stories.

And here's the simple thing. Here's a life lesson. God uses our stories and our testimonies to reach people. That's 94253 to receive a short, encouraging text from us each day.

And now, back to the teaching. God uses our stories and our testimonies to reach people. And sometimes you might be with a friend who's witnessing to somebody. And they tell a story maybe that you've heard before.

Watch them like you've never heard it before. You know, if I'm with a friend and he's witnessing or sharing testimonies, or maybe he's going down the Roman road, I don't go, oh, you're not going down that Roman road thing, are you? Boy, I've heard that a punch. Oh, we're trying to get him safe. Oh, that was the first time I'll see that.

No. What's wrong with a heart that would think like that? The way you hear stories has more to do with your ears and your heart than with the storyteller.

That's how somebody can roll their eyes. And yet I got email after email and Facebook message about that Sunday about people being really, really touched by that story. And yet there were other people who weren't touched. What's the difference?

The heart of the person. First, are you the first man who was born or you made before the hills? He's just brutal. Probably want to skip versus more than I ever have. So he continues.

He's just brutal. Have you heard the counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself? What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not in us?

Both the gray haired and the aged are among us much older than your father. Are the consolations of God too small for you and the word spoken gently with you? Why does your heart carry you away? And what do your eyes wink at that you turn your spirit against God and let such words go out of your mouth? What is man that he could be pure and he who is born of a woman that he could be righteous? If God puts no trust in the saints and the heavens are not pure in his sight, how much less man who is abominable and filthy who drinks iniquity like water? If you ever want to feel bad, you know, just read like part of what Eliphaz or you're trying to chop somebody up.

You can get some pointers in here. I don't think that's the intent of the scriptures. I will tell you hear me what I have seen.

I will declare any content. But here's the thing. We can take a step back from this and see that Job needed encouragement and comfort. If only we would take steps back in our own lives and relationships. God leads me sometimes to be pretty bold. I love being bold when I'm encouraging somebody or sharing the gospel. But if I'm getting ready to challenge or confront somebody, I really go to the Lord a lot and say, is this what you want me to do? And there is a time for that. There's a time for Matthew 18. And yet what I find with most of us is that we miss a lot of opportunities to encourage and we miss a lot of opportunities to comfort and to share.

Because we're too busy trying to appear spiritual that we won't hesitate to wound people or think about. Now, if I say this about him and he hears this, how will that impact him? Is this something I should even be saying? Is this dripping with grace and mercy?

Now, here's the life lesson. God rarely leads us to condemn other believers. God rarely leads us to condemn other believers. There is a time for it. I think it's an isolated time. You know, it's interesting. There's ministries out there that their whole thing is to point out what's wrong with other ministries. That's a little weird to me. One of those ministries is kind of in that vibe. And what's very curious to me is he's now become a Preterist, which is an unscriptural position, borderline heretical.

I'll say this, and this might help you. Every person in the last few years that has said anything ugly about me, every one of them thought they had a spiritual reason for being ugly. Talking about me or my family or my kids. So they thought they had a reason to be so ugly and so unloving and so unkind. And yet the Bible tells us over and over and over and over to be loving. So next time you think you have a reason to be unloving towards somebody, stop and wait and ponder and pray. Let's read on.

Verse 18. What wise men have told, not hiding anything received from their fathers, to whom alone the land was given, and no alien passed among them? UFOs? No, it's not UFOs.

That's talking about like a stranger alien. At some point I would love to talk about UFOs. There's some awesome theories out there. One of the best theories I've heard is that, excuse me, this is a rabbi trail. But one of the best theories I've heard is that they are actual spiritual manifestations of supernatural beings trying to lead people away from Christ. If you've listened to these people's thing, they talk about being rescued from the clouds. Over and over they have these prophecies coming forward that people are really confused about Jesus, that he wasn't really the Messiah.

It's just really interesting. It's not talking about that kind of alien. Let's read on. Verse 20. The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden from the oppressor. Dreadful sounds are in his ears, and prosperity, the destroyer, comes upon him. He does not believe that he will return from darkness, for a sword is waiting for him.

He wanders about for bread, saying, Where is it? He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand. Trouble and anguish make him afraid. They overpower him like a king ready for battle.

I hope it kind of shocks you how harsh this is. And he's speaking to a believer. Trouble and anguish make him afraid. They overpower him like a king ready for battle. For he stretches out his hand against God and acts defiantly against the Almighty, running stubbornly against him with a strong embossed shield.

Though he has covered his face with his fatness and made his waist heavy with fat, he dwells in desolate cities and houses which no one inhabits, which are destined to become ruins. He will not be rich, nor will his wealth continue, nor will his possessions overspread the earth. We know that Eliphaz is a false prophet because Job ends up to be twice as blessed in the end as he was in the beginning.

And remember, people quote this as if it's spiritual biblical truth. Job, in the book of Job, said the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Who had taken away from Job? Was it God?

No. Job said that, but he was wrong when he said that. The Lord gives, the enemy takes away.

Amen. Now, that's not saying God can't be God, and we came across that verse, Though he slay me, I will serve him. Reminds me of a passage in the book of Acts with Paul when he says, None of these things move me. Job said, Though he slay me, I will serve him.

That was an empty promise. Verse 30, He will not depart from darkness. The flame will dry out his branches, and by the breath of his mouth he will go away.

Let him not trust in futile things, deceiving himself, for futility will be his reward. Now, see, that's a biblical truth, but it has nothing to do with Job. Verse 32, It will be accomplished before his time, and his branch will not be green. He will shake off his unripe grape like a vine, and cast off his blossom like an olive tree. The bad things cause them to be unfruitful, for the company of hypocrites will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of robbery. They conceive trouble and bring forth futility. Their womb prepares deceit. Chapter 16, Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things.

Miserable comforters are you all. Wow. This is one of the first times Job is standing up. And it tells us, it gives us a hint about what's supposed to be going on. Job understands these people should be comforting me. Those three friends didn't have a clue. You know what's really sad, is I can almost guarantee you they had never approached Job.

A powerful man, a strong man, a popular man, a wealthy man. They had never approached him like this before, beating him up verbally. Why did they feel the freedom to do it now?

Because he was down. As humans, we know when one another are weak or vulnerable. And what's supposed to happen is when we sense somebody's hurt, or weak, or vulnerable, or troubled, we're supposed to comfort them spiritually.

But our flesh, the old selfish nature, would want to take advantage of that. Verse 3, Show words of wind have an end, or what provokes you that you answer. Since we have such a glorious opportunity out in front of us because of the times. And this is a time, gang, when, as predicted, as prophesied, there's people drawing closer to God. God's pouring out His Spirit on some people. And there is the great falling away.

It's happening now. The folks who are post-Christian, who would describe America as a post-Christian society, two years ago, it was 37%. And gang, when you see the needle move like a percentage or point in 10 years, that's a big deal.

The last two years, it went to 44. You've been listening to Pastor David McGee on Cross the Bridge, Weekend Edition. Tune in again next Saturday afternoon at 4.30 Eastern and 1.30 Pacific Time as Pastor David continues teaching lessons from the life of Job on most radio stations. Friends, God loves you and wants you to experience His peace, forgiveness, and life. The Bible says, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. How do you receive this gift of everlasting life from God? First, acknowledge you are a sinner in need of forgiveness. Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and died for you on the cross, taking your sin upon Himself to provide forgiveness for you.

Then ask for Him to enter your heart and life, turning away from your sins, that is, your own selfish desires, and then open your heart to follow God's plan for your life. You can start your new life by praying something like this from your heart. Dear Jesus, I believe that you died for me, that I could be forgiven. I believe you are resurrected, that I could have a new life. Lord, I have done wrong things and I am sorry.

Please forgive me for all of those things and please give me the power to live for you the rest of my life. In Jesus' name, Amen. My friend, if you prayed that prayer today for the first time or are coming back to God after wandering away, please let us know. Email PastorDavid at CrossTheBridge.com and share your good news. That's a great first step to growing in your new faith. We'd love to email you back some more ways to continue in this wonderful adventure of faith. Remember that you are not alone and you are loved. Also, don't forget to visit CrossTheBridge.com to discover more resources provided at no charge to help you learn more about the Bible. If you'd like to help us share God's Word with others, please click on the donate button and support this program with your regular gifts and tune in to Cross the Bridge weekend editions each Saturday and Sunday on this station or on the CrossTheBridge.com website. God bless you and have a great day.