Job Chapter 34: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. 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 chapter 34. Now, here's Pastor David. Pastor 34, there's some mind-blowing stuff we're going to see in the Book of Job tonight.

So, turn with me to Job 34. One of the things we've talked about is the Book of Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible. And that brings up a couple things. First of all, we've spoken how the Book of Job mentions snow, ice, and things having to do with frigid temperatures 42 different times, more than any other book in the Bible.

Why is that important? Well, this is conjecture. But it makes me wonder if there wasn't something perhaps going on with some sort of coming out of an ice age or something. Because I've been to Israel and I didn't see a lot of snow or ice over there, man. You're in the middle of a desert, although after going over there enough, one time it snowed in Jerusalem, which was interesting.

I have to wonder that. And there's something else that we're going to see tonight that is just miraculous that it's in this book, the oldest of the Hebrew scripture books. I mean, the Book of Job, we believe, is even older than the first five books of the Bible, or what we often call the Torah, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Psalm 19, 1 says this, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows as handiwork. And Genesis 1, 14 reminds us, it says, then God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night and let them be for signs and seasons and for days and years. That gives you a little hint of where we're going. So let's jump into the Book of Job, chapter 34. And again, Job's been hanging out with three people that he thought were friends who were trying to be comforters, but aren't.

And they're saying spiritually truthful things, but their sense of timing is just horrible. And in walks Elihu is really heard from God. So verse one, Elihu further answered and said, hear my words you wise men, give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. That's a neat picture. Verse four, let us choose justice for ourselves. Let us know among ourselves what is good. For Job has said, I am righteous, but God has taken away my justice.

Should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression. What man is like Job who drinks scorn like water, who goes in company with the workers of iniquity and walks with wicked men? That's a not too veiled comment on Job's friends.

I think he nails them right there. He says, verse eight, who goes in company with the workers of iniquity and walks with wicked men? Hold your finger right there in the Book of Job and let's go over just a little bit actually now to Psalms chapter one.

It's just a few pages over from actually where we are towards the back. But Elihu mentioned Job being in the company of wicked men, of workers of iniquity. And right over here, the very first Psalm is a powerful encouragement to be with people who are following the Spirit and a discouragement of hanging out with people who are catering to the flesh. Psalm one, blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord.

And in his law, he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. If we had to paraphrase that chapter, I guess we would paraphrase it by saying, doesn't really give heed to the nightly news, but listens to what the Bible says.

Amen. You don't sit in the seat of the scornful, but you're planted by the rivers of righteousness. That's a reminder to be careful who we have company with, who we hang out with. And if you think about the book of Job, one of the kind of undercurrents, I guess we could say, is that when we first meet Job in this book, even though all this bad stuff has happened, he's crushed, but spiritually in an okay place. But as he hangs out with these three guys, he starts to slip spiritually.

And because they're kind of accusing him, he feels the need to defend himself when they should be comforting him. And so being with these guys is driving Job further from the Lord. Let's go back to Job 34, verse 9. For he has said, it profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.

So we see right here that Job is starting to miss the mark in his react to all these things that happen. The New Living Translation of some of these verses, verse 5, is, for Job also said, I am innocent, but God has taken away my rights. Or verse 8, he chooses evil people as companions.

He spends his time with wicked men. In verse 9, he has even said, why waste time trying to please God? Why waste time trying to please God? You know, I've met people who have been in ministry a long time who have a very jaded view of people.

And I understand, and I'm sure some of you leaders understand, you know, they just close the doors so their feelings wouldn't get hurt. But meanwhile, when you do that, the price you pay is you have to live with a hard heart and a cynical attitude. And I decided early on in ministry that I would rather feel the pain every time than wind up cynical and bitter. Now, if you're sitting there, you go, oh, pastor, I can't believe you're saying that.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. All of us are in danger of becoming hard hearted. And if you're sitting there thinking that you're not in danger of becoming hard hearted, I wonder if it's because it's too late.

It's already happened. Now, we need to continue to pray that God keeps our hearts soft, especially in the days we live in. Let's keep reading verse 10.

Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness and from the Almighty to commit iniquity. He repays man according to his work and makes man to find a reward according to his way. Surely God will never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice.

Who gave him charge over the earth or who appointed him over the whole world? If he should set his heart on it, if he would gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together and man would return to dust. I don't know if you've considered this, but one of the things that is in our future, the next three events prophetically are the rapture, which happens before the tribulation. Then we have the seven-year tribulation.

Then we have the second coming of Christ. When Christians are raptured from the earth, we are the vessels of the Holy Spirit. We're filled with the Holy Spirit. This earth is filled with the Holy Spirit in part because we're filled with the Holy Spirit.

Are you with me? Little flames of fire everywhere. When the rapture happens, all those flames of fire are gone. And because we've been filled with the light from God, we have been a restraining device in this world.

And if you think this world has gone crazy now, wait till what you see when the restraining is taken out and the world becomes a really dark place. That's why I tell people, oh, you know, I'm thinking I'll get saved during the tribulation. If you can't get saved now, I doubt you're going to get saved when a guy is standing there with a guillotine.

It's interesting. I was talking to Pastor David Langone-Bardo, you know, 10 years ago, prophetically, we were trying to figure out what that reference in Revelation talking about beheading people was about. Surely that wasn't about actual beheading. It's some sort of symbolism.

Well, guess what? It literally meant swords beheading people. Look at verse 16. If you have understanding, hear this.

Listen to the sound of my words. Should one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is most just?

Notice the spelling. Hopefully, if you've been here a little while, I've taught you to pay attention to the pronouns and those spellings because that'll tell you sometimes if you're talking to a person or talking to God. It says, will you condemn him, and this is the New King James, it's a capital H, speaking about God who is most just. Verse 18, is it fitting to say to a king you are worthless and the nobles you are wicked? Because in essence, that's what Job is saying about God, that God is the one with the issue and Job is the innocent one. Now, as amazing as that sounds, understand, that's the argument of most people in the world today. They don't say it like that, but they'll, you know, oh, I got a problem with the Bible.

And they don't really mean they have a problem with the Bible as much as they are trying to say they think the Bible has problems. Verse 19, for he is not partial to princes, nor does he regard the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands. In the moment they die in the middle of the night, the people are shaken and pass away, the mighty are taken away without a hand. One thing you begin to realize in life and ministry is that the veil between this life and the next is really thin.

And I mean at any moment, any of us can go to be with the Lord. As we've ministered to people and done funerals for all ages, it reminds us, don't take anybody for granted. Don't take days with people that you care about for granted. Tell them, say thank you, love you, appreciate you, because you know what? Someday soon you won't be able to say it and they won't be able to hear it.

So while you can say it and they can hear it, go ahead and speak it. Amen? That should have been a life lesson. Life here is brief. The Bible tells us that.

It's like a vapor. And I know we begin to think that 70 or 80 or 90 or 100 years is a long time. But you know, a few hundred years from now when we're all fellowshiping in heaven, I doubt we think that 70 years is a long time. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 6, he says, so we are always confident knowing that while we are at home in the body, we're absent from the Lord. For we walk by fear, not by sight.

Huh? Is that not what it says? We walk by fear?

Is that not what it says? Come on now, what does it say? Faith. Faith.

Thank you. We walk by faith, not by fear, not by sight. Pastor, I watched the news and I'm just all freaked out and I'm just all troubled.

Let me point out something about the news. Everything on there is something you could see is passing away. Inside you, the things you know, believe, those are eternal.

Those aren't passing away. For we walk by faith, not by sight, we are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Meaning we're in the body, we're absent physically from the Lord. But if we're physically absent from the body, we're with the Lord. There's no in between, there's no soul sleep, there's no annihilation, there's certainly no purgatory.

You go from here to there. Praise God. The book of Hebrews reminds us in chapter 9 verse 27, this blows reincarnation out of the water. This is as it is appointed for men to die once and after this, the judgment. Doesn't say they die over and over. Doesn't say you get multiple chances or multiple joys, but after this, the judgment.

And so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. 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. I'll never forget, went to see my aunt and uncle with our kids. This is years ago. Our kids were little. And we went in to visit and Ashley was messing around and I think she was about five or six or something. And my aunt came up and said, she is so smart. I said, yeah, she's she's smart as a whip. She is so smart. She said she is so smart. She's been here before. No, we've never been to your beach house before. I think it's the first time she was saying that our daughter had been reincarnated.

That's an interesting weekend. Anyway, reincarnation is not biblical. The Bible says we go through once and that's that's our shot. Take it as it is appointed for men to die once. But after this, the judgment.

So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. Verse 21, for his eyes are on the ways of man and he sees all his steps. There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. For he need not further consider a man that he should go before God in judgment. He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry and sets others in their place. Therefore, he knows their works.

He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed. He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others because they turned back from him. They weren't faithful. They weren't loyal.

He turned back from them and would not consider any of his ways. So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him. For he hears the cry of the afflicted. When he gives quietness, who then can make trouble? The way God gives peace, who can disturb that peace he gives?

And when he hides his face, who then can see him? Whether it is against the nation or a man alone, that the hypocrite should reign lest the people be ensnared. For has anyone said to God, I have borne chastening and I will offend no more. Teach me what I do not see. If I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

Should he repay it according to your terms? Just because you disavow it, you must choose, not I. Therefore speak what you know. Men of understanding say to me, wise men who listen to me, Job speaks without knowledge, his words are without wisdom. All the Job are tried to the utmost because his answers are like those of wicked men. Now I wonder why his answers are like those of wicked men. Because he has been hanging out with wicked men who have been given answers. For he adds rebellion to his sin.

He claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God. Wow. Now I want to go over, I want to read through this and then kind of go back through it. First of all, I want to point out something that is very interesting.

I'm going to touch on something, then we'll come back to this particular thing. But one of the things that's very interesting about Job, again, oldest book in the Bible, right, is some of the things that are in it as the oldest book of the Bible. And here's what I mean. Job chapter 9 verse 8 says, He alone spreads out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He made the bear Orion and the Pleiades and the chambers of the south. He does great things past finding out.

Yes, wonders without number. I've underlined and boldened that, those three things. Those are constellations, star groups that are known constellations now, modern constellations. They've been known a while, but 4,000 years? Interesting.

And it's not just one place. Job chapter 38 verse 31 and 32. Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades or loose the belt of Orion? Can you bring out Maseroth in its season? Or can you guide the great bear with its cubs? Can you affect these constellations, Job?

Can you change them at all, Job? And can you bring out Maseroth in its season? Now, Maseroth is an interesting word. I don't believe in my horoscope. I don't look at my horoscope. My day does not depend on how my horoscope looks.

Amen? And I find it hard to believe that everybody born on that day is having the same day. But the sin in the whole horoscope thing is that you're looking to man for an answer. Then you're trying to see into the future. Trust God with your future. If you're reading your horoscope, stop, quit.

It's not good, it's bad. Now, years ago I was in Israel and whenever we do any trips I'm always before and after finding other places to go and exploring and different things. It was actually a dairy farm in Israel and it was a little bit surreal because, you know, we walk through all the cows and the cow things and then we come to this barn and right in the middle of the barn is this ancient synagogue in the middle of all the cow patties. You know, I mean here would be a whole museum and stuff but what caught my attention was there was an item at the time that I thought was a zodiac thing. Because it had 12 things and little stars and signs of the sky and whatnot. Was there a zodiac thing on the floor of the synagogue? It's not zodiac, it's Maserov. What's the difference from the other one?

Big difference. And that's when I started scratching the surface. The 12 signs of the zodiac, for the moment, tear them apart from the horoscope concept and there's a reason for those constellations. And again, you know what's interesting? It's not only in the book of Job, it's in the book of Amos. Amos chapter 5 verse 8.

He made the Pleiades and Orion. He turns the shadow of death in the morning and makes the day dark as night. He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth. The Lord is his name. I'm going to scratch the surface on the Maseroth. There's no way that I can even do a real solid job just presented.

But in scratching the surface, here's the thing. Every one of those 12 constellations has to do with the coming of Christ. It was a sign in the sky from God himself about the Messiah.

Start to think with me. There's 12 signs, right? Ram, bull, and goat are all temple sacrificial animals. Now, if you're big into the horoscope, you already know the ram is Ares, the bull is Taurus, and the goat little thing is Capricorn. By the way, that's not Leo the lion. That's actually the lion from the tribe of Judah.

Every one of these constellations. Honestly, if I had three hours, I could barely do it justice. So if that intrigues you, I'm going to bring back some stuff. But dig into the Bible. Dig into some of this stuff. It's intriguing.

Go a little deeper. Job chapter 7, verse 20, mentions another constellation, which is more of a veiled reference. Job 7, 20 says, Have I sinned? What have I done to you, O watcher of men?

Why have you set me as your target, so that I am a burden to myself? Now, there's a couple other places watches occurs. And again, that's a constellation. It's not just a reference. If you're thinking through this, you're thinking, OK, so they named these constellations. How could these things be speaking of the Messiah if the men are naming them? So I guess the Spirit comes upon them, and they name the stars just like they named the animals. No, man named the animals.

God named the stars and the constellations. If you've been here more than a week, you know that I have a verse for this, right? So Psalm 147, one through four says, Praise the Lord, for it is good to sing praises to our God, for it is pleasant and praises beautiful. The Lord builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcast of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted. He binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by name. New King James, that's close to the Hebrew.

The New Living Translation is even closer, which reads this in Psalm 147, three and four. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars.

He gives names to all of them. Have you seen those ads? It's for a website, and their mind goes, you see the little blue. Have you all seen that commercial? Please, somebody said yes.

That's getting ready to happen. It's so cool because I find this and I'm like, I can't wait to come in here and show those things. The Watcher is part of a constellation in Virgo. Now, included in the constellation of Virgo are like these several little subgroups, if you will, and there's five. There's the Watcher, and I'll explain that in just a second. There's the shepherd.

There's the branch. There's the Centaurus, which is the two natures. And there's the Virgo, or virgin. The shepherd, obviously, God is referred to as a shepherd, and Jesus as a shepherd of Israel.

The branch, the branch of David, the kingdom of David. The Centaurus is two natures, man and God coming together in the Messiah. And here's the interesting thing. The Virgo are virgin, that constellation.

I looked at it and thought, oh, there's an interesting picture. Picture of a virgin holding a baby. If she's holding a baby and it's hers, what can we all generally assume? It's not a virgin. Again, 4,000 years ago, this is the virgin who's holding a baby.

Prophetically speaking of the coming of Christ. They watched these constellations. They named them. They watched them. They recorded them, charted them out. Why? I don't think they knew. I don't see anywhere in scripture where they give any hint that they had a clue that these constellations were speaking of the Messiah. And yet, history proves they charted these things with a hunger for it almost.

Why? Here's a life lesson. The ancient people watched the stars for signs from the beginning of time. It was only through patiently watching the stars for a long time, they saw a star that was different, and that star led them to Bethlehem. 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 livestream at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, or on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. Eastern Time? Just visit crossthebridge.com and click on our livestream 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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