Job Chapter 31:ALL

Welcome to Cross the Bridge with Pastor David. Chapter 31. We've been going through the book of Job, and for a while we've been doing two chapters an evening. With chapter 31, we found ourselves with 40 verses in the chapter, so we're going to stick with just the one chapter for tonight.

Yeah, it looks like we'll be going one chapter rather than two chapters for these last dozen or so. We've been in Job, and we realize that a lot of people have mistaken notions about what this book says and what it's about. When we see Job's comforters, they're friends of his. They're called to comfort Job.

They're able to comfort Job, but they don't comfort Job. They come off with these religious platitudes and things that might be true but aren't relevant. You need to be careful in moments like these because a lot of times people aren't even looking for words. They're not even looking for you to say anything. They just want you to be there. It's interesting that the traditions are sitting shiva, and you cover mirrors with towels or something so there's no mirror in the house so that people don't have to check to see what they look like.

Because if they've been mourning, your eyes get puffy and you don't need a mirror to remind you of that. And then people come and just sit. That's why it's called sitting shiva. You just come and you sit there. And you speak on the way in. You might not say anything the rest of the time until you are leaving and telling goodbye. Now to our mind we think, well, if we don't say anything while they're there, what's the point? Your presence. Taking the time to sit with somebody.

Taking the time to say, hey, I'm here. That's much better than trying to act like you have all the answers. Because, friend, there's going to be times in life when you don't have all the answers. There's been times like that in my life. I mean, some of the things that we've been through and triple funerals and funerals for a three-year-old and a five-year-old and a seven-year-old and we didn't have all the answers.

In some of those situations, you know, people had visited the church a couple of times in a couple of years but still when that happened we reached out and we were there. And we didn't come in going, oh, here's the answer and here's what this means and, you know, Job's comforters, their big answer was, well, it's all because you're a sinner, Job. Okay, so if Job's a sinner, why did God bless a sinner before?

So you've got these three guys sitting with Job, Bildad, Zophar, and Eliphaz. Let's notice something. In all scripture, it's for our blessing and our benefit to understand it and to apply it.

Here's what's interesting. Oh, hold your finger on chapter 31. Let's go back to Job, chapter 1, verse 1. It says, there was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job and that man was blameless and upright and one who feared God and shunned evil. Now it goes on to say he had seven sons, three daughters, had a lot of blessings, a lot of industry going on, crops and buildings and whatnot. The enemy begins to take that. But even the Lord, in verse 8, Job, chapter 1, verse 8, 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 let's go back to chapter 31 and we'll read through here, but let's understand it.

Here's the first life lesson. From the beginning of the book, the reader of Job is told that Job is good and upright and fears God and avoids evil. We're told that from the very first verse and then again, God himself in verse 8. So why are we told that? Why are we told that Job's a good guy, that shuns evil?

Well, I believe that the Lord wants to make it very plain about the character of Job. When it says shuns evil, this is an interesting thing. We're told to submit to God, resist the devil, and then you flee from him. So it says no, no, no. It says submit yourself to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Amen?

And let's understand about the enemy. James records that he's walking around looking for whom he may devour. It's a very interesting thing what happens in the lion community when the male lion, the big one with all the hat and hair, he is big and has this voice like you wouldn't believe. And so he roars. And then what happens when he roars is all the animals that were still and safe and in groups take off running like crazy. And the lionesses, who honestly do most of the work, they're sitting there, you know, four, six of them, waiting for all these animals that take off running right into their clutches. And so then they bring the animals back in and share them with the male lion. The point is the male lion roars. And if the animals didn't react to the roar, they wouldn't be hurt.

But because they take off running, when they hear the roar, they get in trouble. That'll preach, won't it? It doesn't say run from the enemy. It says submit yourself to God, resist the enemy, and he will flee from you. And understand, and we talk about this parable all the time because it's so relevant.

Parable of the sower. You start to get the word and then you are attacked because of what? Because of the word. You're persecuted because of what?

Because of the word. Enemy wants to not have you get in order. So we're immediately told that Job is a good man who shuns evil. So we need to remove the thought that Job was attacked because there was hidden sin in his life, which that's what his three friends did. Here's the next life lesson. It was the faith and goodness of Job, not hidden sin, that was the reason for the attack.

Say it again. It was the faith and goodness of Job, not hidden sin, that was the reason for the attack. When people come here and hear the word, they get born again or they come back to the Lord, then they hear me talk about stepping up and serving. Maybe they've never served, maybe they've never given. They step out to serve and immediately there's this huge just blessing of knowing you're walking in what you were created to do. Amen? And most folks haven't been invited to serve in the churches they've been in.

So it's a unique thing, of course, but then when we step out to serve, what happens after a couple of weeks? The enemy. Always, always, always.

Different forms, different words, different people. You know, maybe it's a spouse saying you spend too much time at the church or, you know, and then what you do is you stand strong. Don't cave, don't run, and there's a blessing. You grow through that, through a trial coming and you're resisting the easy way out and then you grow. And then the next test, you grow a little bit more. And then through those tests, you become very strong in your faith.

You know, the question is how do you respond to the events in your life? Let's read Job chapter 31 verse 1. I have made a covenant with my eyes.

Why then should I look upon a young woman? For what is the allotment of God from above and the inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is it not destruction for the wicked and disaster for the workers of iniquity? Does he not see my ways and count all my steps? If I have walked with falsehood, or if my foot has hastened to deceit, let me be weighed on honest scales, that God may know my integrity. If my step has turned from the way or my heart walked over my eyes, my heart walked after my eyes, or if any spot adheres to my hands, then let me sow and another eat. Yes, let my harvest be rooted out.

If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door, then let my wife grind for another or serve for another and let others bow down over her. For that would be wickedness. Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment.

For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction and would root out all my increase. Verse 13, if I have despised the cause of my male or female servants, maidservants or menservants in some translation, when they complained against me, what then shall I do when God rises up? When he punishes, how shall I answer him? Did not he who made me in the womb make them?

Did not the same one fashion us in the womb? Verse 16, if I have kept the poor from their desire, or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, or eaten my morsel by myself, so that the fatherless could not eat of it, but from my youth I reared him as a father, and from my mother's womb I guided the widow. Verse 19, if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or any poor man without covering, if his heart has not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, if I have raised my hand against the fatherless when I saw I had help in the gate, then let my arm fall from my shoulder, let my arm be torn from the socket, for destruction from God is a terror to me, and because of his magnificence I cannot endure. If I have made gold my hope, or said to find gold, you are my confidence. If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gained much, if I have observed the sun when it shines on the moon moving in brightness, so that my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand, this also would be an inquiry deserving of judgment, for I would have denied God who is above. Verse 29, if I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted myself up when evil found him, indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for a curse on his soul, if the men of my tent have not said, Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?

But no sojourner had to lodge in the street, for I have opened my doors to the traveller. Now, get a picture that Job is helping out the poor, clothing them, he's giving them food, and he's being a blessing. So we see that he was being responsible with the increase that he had been given, that he was helping to provide for others. He wasn't high and mighty, he was obviously a good guy. Let's keep reading though.

Verse 33, if I have covered my transgressions as Adam by hiding my iniquity in my bosom, talking about name dropping, he mentions Adam. 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. He mentioned Adam, and he said if I have covered my transgressions like Adam. Now let's remember Job is the oldest book of the Bible, older even than the first five books, written before. Now obviously Genesis deals with a timeframe that's before Job, talking about the beginning of the world. But Job itself was written before then, we believe.

But obviously people were already talking about how God created the earth and what happened with Adam, that he covered his transgression instead of coming to the Lord with it, instead of not eating the fruit to begin with. Verse 34, because I feared the great multitude and dreaded the contempt of families, so that I kept silence and did not go out of the door. Oh, that I had one to hear me. Here is my mark. Oh, that the Almighty would answer me, that my prosecutor had written a book. Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and bind it on me like a crown.

I would declare to him the number of my steps like a prince, I would approach him. If my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together, if I have eaten its fruits without money or caused its owners to lose their lives, then let thistles grow instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended. Now, the chapter and verse divisions came much later in time. They weren't there in the beginning.

The original writers didn't put them in there. The chapters were added before 1500, the verses about 1500. And let's read a few more verses here in chapter 32, because there are some interesting things here that we won't include in chapter 31, but let's read a few verses. Chapter 32 of Job, verse 1. So these three men ceased answering Job because he was righteous in his whole lives. Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachael, the Pazite of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job. His wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. Also against his three friends, his wrath was aroused because they had found no answer and yet had condemned Job.

Now, because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused. It's interesting he says his wrath was aroused, not just that he wanted to say something, but that his wrath, over and over, it says his wrath, his anger.

This guy's just seething with anger over what he's been hearing. So verse 6. So Elihu, the son of Barachael, the Pazite, answered and said, I am young in years and you are very old, therefore I was afraid, and dared not declare my opinion to you. I said, age should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom. So this man is respecting them. He's showing them great respect, honor to the older folks that he's sitting with, saying that age and the multitude of years should teach wisdom, but there is a spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. Now listen to this. Great men are not always wise.

Seems he's going to be coming out with a lot of on-time stuff. Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice. We went into those few verses to get a better picture of what's happening in chapter 31. Now, let me encourage you on something. Whenever you're studying the Word, and I encourage you to read and study here, but also outside of here, develop your own study time and stuff. When you first come here, if you've never been to a church where you were really fed before, it's an awesome thing. So you come in here and you get fed, and the equivalent really is of nursing. So at first you've got a bottle that you're nursing from, and then you grow to solid food, and so you're coming in here, and at first, this is probably 100% of your spiritual diet, but that's far from the goal of what we wanted to. We want you to develop your own spiritual disciplines outside of here and begin to read your Bible. So you begin to read your Bible, hopefully on a daily basis. You begin to receive from God outside of here. So just by proportion, you begin to receive more outside of here and less here. You're still getting stuff from here, but you're also getting it outside of here, and that's what the Lord would want. Don't get confused and then say, well, I'm just not getting as much out of the teaching. Praise God!

That's what's supposed to be happening to a certain degree. I'm able outside of here to engage in word studies and deep stuff and make an application, and I would encourage you guys to be doing the same thing. Here's a Bible study tip. When you were looking at verses, looking at phrases, words, let me encourage you to look at multiple translations, trusted translations. Here's the Bible study tip. Use multiple trusted translations when studying a verse.

Break the verse down into words. Look at the words in the Hebrew or the Greek and in the Strong's Concordance. The Strong's Concordance is like a dictionary for the Bible. Most of them are electronic now, and you can look in there, and it defines the word. It shows you where the word appears in other places.

It's a great thing to have. So you look at those words in there. You look at different translations. I personally start in the King James. I go to King James' Bible I've had for a long time, and I don't use it here because it's falling apart, praise God. I look into the New King James, and then if it's the Old Testament, go into the Hebrew. I don't automatically go into the Greek and the New Testament. I look into the New Living Translation, which is a very readable translation. Be careful of the footnotes. And with the New Living Translation, you want to look back at what the New King James says. So when you look at those things, there's some interesting things here, especially in chapter 32. Chapter 32, verse 1 in the New Living Translation says this, Job's three friends refused to reply further to him because he kept insisting on his innocence.

That's interesting. Insisting on his innocence. So now we're getting to see that Job's response was not what it should have been. Now, he wasn't attacked because he had done something wrong. He was attacked because he had done something right. Now that goes against human nature. The first thing when something goes wrong with a test or a trial or something bad happens, we tend to think, oh my goodness, what did I do?

And if it happens to somebody else, we immediately think, what? What did they do? What did they do that that happened? Take a story that really impacted me as a young believer was in the Gospel of John. The disciples have such an incredible display of grace because these guys bring this woman caught in adultery, amazing most of the Bibles. The title for that chapter is The Adulterous Woman. I marked through that and wrote Forgiven Woman. Amen.

That's what we call her here. It's a beautiful picture. Who will cast the first stone?

Whoever has not done anything wrong, throw the first stone. Beautiful, eloquent, amazing. The disciples, front row seats to this. Amazing, life changing.

So they continue walking. They see a blind man and, of course, they're like, oh, Jesus, we're filled with compassion. Let's heal the blind man.

No, no. I know they said, Lord, we're feeling so blessed and so generous. Let's give the blind man a gift.

No. Seeing one of the most beautiful displays of grace ever. After watching that, the disciples walk past the blind man and say, who sent him or his parents that he's like that?

This is one of those times when I think they kind of missed it. And we should remember that story because Jesus said, neither, but that the glory of God could be displayed. And this blind man ends up to get kicked out of the temple. Jesus heals him. He gets kicked out of the temple.

Leadership brings him in front of him to interrogate him, to bully him. And he makes one of the greatest theological statements of all time when they start asking him about the Messiah. He says, I was blind, but now I see. He stuck to what he knew.

But the disciples, who sent him or his parents? I loved Pastor Chuck's analogy of life. A lot of times it's like us coming to an accident scene, a car wreck. And a lot of us think, oh, we're kind of like the police. We show up and figure out who's right and wrong.

No, no, no. We're more like the EMTs that show up and heal and intervene and try to stop death and destruction and illness and disease. We show up to help, not to figure out who's to blame. God will do that. And he'll do it in a way that's far merciful, more merciful than you and I would.

Back to Job. So he was a good man, but he wasn't innocent. He couldn't say he was innocent.

Here's the lifeline. Job was a good man. He was a very, very good man. He was not an innocent man. Job was not a perfect man.

Let me say it again. Job was a good man. He was a very, very good man, but he was not an innocent man. Job was not a perfect man.

These first few verses of chapter 32 reveal chapter 31. Job 32 says, Then was kindled the wrath of Elohu, the son of Berchah, the buzzite of the kindred of Ram. Against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. The New King James Version reads similar, because he justified himself rather than God. The complete Jewish Bible in verse 2 says, But then the anger of Elohu, the son of Berchah, the buzzite from the family of Ram, blazed up against Elohu for thinking he was right and God wrong. That's an interesting translation there.

See how you go into the different translations adds your understanding. Job was presenting himself as being right and God being wrong, and he was trying to justify himself rather than God in chapter 31. Whenever you think God should be impressed with your integrity, that's not a good road to go down. 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.

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