Calvary
Chapel Bible College
February
16, 2022
Start Recording
Homework
Memorize Job 2:10 (in NKJV)
(Job 2:10 NKJV) But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks.
Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In
all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Having chewed on this, is there something you’ve learned?
Have you thought any about your “mercy ministry” project?
Introduction
Job is going through the worst time anyone could imagine.
He’s lost all his possessions.
His children have died.
His health has failed.
What makes all this even more confusing is that Job is a good guy.
God has decided to allow Job to go through this difficulty because He is
proud of Job, not mad at him.
God wants to show the world what a godly man will do when he is going
through a difficult time.
Keep a couple of things in mind as we study Job:
Sometimes Job is wrong in his conclusions.
Sometimes Job’s friends are also wrong.
They can even say things that are true, but they are just not true about
Job.
Be careful about building doctrine upon some of the things said in the book
of Job.
Neither Job’s words nor those of his friends are meant to build doctrinal
truths on.
They simply show us how people respond to difficulty.
We pick up the story with Job’s response to one of his friends, Eliphaz.
Eliphaz has made it plain he thinks Job is the cause of his own trouble.
6:1-7 Job: Reasons to complain
:1 Then Job answered and said:
:2 “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed, And my calamity laid with it on the scales!
:3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea— Therefore my
words have been rash.
:3 Therefore my words have been rash
(Job 6:2–3 NLT) “If my
misery could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, 3 they would
outweigh all the sands of the sea. That is why I spoke impulsively.
It sounds as if Job is sorry about some of the things he was complaining
about back in chapter 3.
The point is that what has happened to him has made him very, very
sad. It’s very heavy on him.
:4 For the arrows of the Almighty are
within me; My spirit drinks in their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed
against me.
:4 the arrows of the Almighty are within me
Here’s another example of Job simply being wrong in his grief.
God hasn’t fired any arrows at Job.
The arrows have Satan’s fingerprints on them.
:5 Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass, Or does the ox low over its fodder?
:5 Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass
He’s trying to say that it’s just natural that he would be complaining.
:6 Can flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or
is there any taste in the white of an egg?
:7 My soul refuses to touch them; They are as loathsome food to me.
:6 without salt … any taste in the white of an egg
Job is so sick he’s lost his appetite.
After I had my heart attack, my doctor gave me diet restrictions, including
not eating egg yolks.
Just for Job’s sake, I once tried a scrambled egg without the yolk.
Completely tasteless.
I also have to reduce my salt content in my diet.
People (like me) complain about tasteless food, but Job’s life is way, way
worse than tasteless food.
If I have to choose between my current diet and
Job’s life, I’ll pick my diet.
6:8-13 Job: Longing to die
:8 “Oh, that I might have my request, That God would grant me the
thing that I long for!
:9 That it would please God to crush me, That He would loose His hand and cut me off!
:9 cut me off
Job wishes that God would just let loose, kill him, and be done with it.
But note, Job does not take his own life.
:10 Then I would still have comfort; Though in anguish I would exult, He
will not spare; For I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.
:10 I have not concealed the words of the Holy One
(Job 6:10 NLT) At least I
can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the
Holy One.
Job is glad that at least he has not cursed God.
:11 “What strength do I have, that I should hope? And what is my
end, that I should prolong my life?
:12 Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh bronze?
:13 Is my help not within me? And is success driven from me?
:12 Is my strength the strength of stones?
Job’s not superman. He doesn’t have
strength like stones or bronze to keep going.
6:14-21 Job: What friends are for
:14 “To him who is afflicted, kindness should be shown by his
friend, Even though he forsakes the fear of the
Almighty.
:14 To him who is afflicted, kindness should be shown
Lesson
Grace to others
(keyword!!)
kindness – checed – goodness, kindness, faithfulness
This is the word similar to the New Testament
concept of “grace”, giving others kindness even when they don’t deserve it.
(Ephesians 4:32
NKJV) And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God in Christ forgave you.
The word “forgiving” is literally “gracing”.
We need to be gracious, even forgiving, because God has
given us grace.
This is how we ought to treat those who are “afflicted”.
:15 My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook, Like the streams of
the brooks that pass away,
:15 deceitfully like a brook
In Israel there are “gullies” all over the land, known as “wadis”.
Most of the year they are dry.
When it rains, they fill up with water, but are soon dry again.
Job’s friends came to supposedly comfort him, but instead they are no help
at all.
:16 Which are dark because of the ice, And
into which the snow vanishes.
:17 When it is warm, they cease to flow; When it is hot, they vanish from
their place.
The wadis might even fill with ice or snow in the winter time, but when it warms up, the ice melts, and the
water flows away, leaving a dry gully.
:18 The paths of their way turn aside, They go
nowhere and perish.
:19 The caravans of Tema look, The travelers of Sheba hope for them.
:19 Tema
Tema was a son of Ishmael.
:19 Sheba
A nation in southern Arabia.
:19 The caravans of Tema
The picture is of foreign travelers from Arabia heading into a wadi looking
for water, and finding nothing.
This is like someone suffering looking for help from his friends.
:20 They are disappointed because they were confident; They come there and
are confused.
:21 For now you are nothing, You see terror and
are afraid.
:21 For now you are nothing
Job feels betrayed by his friends who have come to supposedly comfort him
like a brook could satisfy a thirsty traveler, yet they are only bringing pain.
Lesson
Refreshing friendship
Paul told his friend Philemon
(Philemon 7 NKJV) For we have
great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have
been refreshed by you, brother.
refreshed – anapauo – to cause
or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to
recover and collect his strength; to give rest, refresh
This is what healthy friendship does – give the other person an opportunity
to find rest, security, refreshing.
Illustration
Back in the 1970s, the Lipton company came out with a
series of commercials about their Iced Tea, called the “Nestea Plunge”. The picture is of a person who is dying of
thirst taking a sip and then falling into a swimming pool that suddenly
appears…
Video: Nestea
commercial 2002
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms7aR_9aBLQ
I liked the contrast of places that “have” Nestea with
those that don’t.
We want to be friends that provide refreshing to others.
:21 You see terror and are afraid
Job’s friends see what has happened to him, and not knowing why it has
happened, it strikes them with fear.
Lesson
Fear of the unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1194saQTa8
We’re just like those cats. It’s the
things we don’t really understand that can make us the most fearful.
Sometimes that’s why we react so poorly to people, because we are afraid.
We might be afraid that what has happened to them will happen to us.
We might be afraid that we don’t understand what’s happening.
We might be afraid we don’t know how to properly minister to them.
Don’t let fear keep you from being there, from being compassionate (even if
you don’t have answers)
6:22-30 Job: Friends like these?
:22 Did I ever say, ‘Bring something to me’? Or,
‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’?
:23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand’? Or,
‘Redeem me from the hand of oppressors’?
:22 Did I ever say, “Bring something to me”?
Job hasn’t asked them for help.
He hasn’t asked them to pay his overdue mortgage.
He hasn’t asked them to heal his boils.
:24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause me to understand wherein I
have erred.
I think Job is sincere in asking these guys where he went wrong.
Yet through the book they will have one message: Job caused this by his sin.
:25 How forceful are right words! But what does your arguing prove?
:25 How forceful are right words!
(Job 6:25 NLT) Honest words
can be painful, but what do your criticisms amount to?
Lesson
Friends do say tough things
The point of the book of Job is not about friends only saying nice, sweet,
comforting things.
True friends will speak up when they see something wrong.
(Proverbs 27:6
NKJV) Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the
kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Job is open to hearing tough things, but the problem is that there’s no
truth to what Eliphaz has been saying.
He’s just throwing stuff at Job and seeing if anything sticks.
:26 Do you intend to rebuke my words, And the speeches of a
desperate one, which are as wind?
:26 rebuke …the speeches of a desperate one
Lesson
Handle desperation carefully
I think we all can fall into the trap of thinking we need to respond to a
person’s words when we simply need to let them talk and spill their guts.
We don’t necessarily have to correct everything.
We need to learn empathy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw
The sad thing is that Job’s friends don’t show empathy or sympathy.
They just do the “judgment” thing.
:27 Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless, And you
undermine your friend.
:28 Now therefore, be pleased to look at me; For I
would never lie to your face.
Job is saying that if they just look at him in the face, they could tell
that he’s telling them the truth.
:29 Yield now, let there be no injustice! Yes, concede, my righteousness
still stands!
:30 Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my
taste discern the unsavory?
:29 concede, my righteousness still stands
They haven’t found anything wrong in Job’s life.
Break???
7:1-6 Job: My life is difficult
:1 “Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth? Are not
his days also like the days of a hired man?
:1 a time of hard service for man
To be honest, everyone goes through difficult times.
:2 Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade, And
like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,
:3 So I have been allotted months of futility, And
wearisome nights have been appointed to me.
:2 Like a servant who … a hired man who …
Most of Job (after chapter 2) is considered “Hebrew Poetry”.
In English, we are used to poetry that has words that sound the same
(rhymes) like …
Roses are red …
Or this one…
In Hebrew, it’s not the sound of the words that are similar, but the idea
of the words that are similar.
So the first line in vs.2 starts with a servant,
and the second line with a “hired man” – they are the same idea.
Do you see how vs. 3 does the same thing?
Sometimes the lines are a contrast with opposites.
Sometimes there are three lines instead of two.
Why is this important?
Because when you understand Hebrew poetry, then you don’t look at a verse
as having two lines that say different things, but two lines that elaborate on
each other – “months of futility” is like “wearisome nights” (vs.3)
:4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, And the night be ended?’
For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.
Job has had a hard time sleeping at night.
:5 My flesh is caked with worms and dust, My skin
is cracked and breaks out afresh.
:5 flesh is caked with worms and dust
A little insight into Job’s health condition.
:6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And
are spent without hope.
:6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle
While the nights seem long, the days seem to go by quick.
7:7-21 Job’s Prayer
It seems that this last part of the chapter is addressed to God as a
prayer.
Part of the difficulty in how the book is written is that we don’t always
know whether Job is addressing his friends or God.
Some suggest that the prayer starts here.
Others suggest it starts in verse 17.
:7 Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again
see good.
:8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more; While your
eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
:9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, So
he who goes down to the grave does not come up.
:10 He shall never return to his house, Nor shall
his place know him anymore.
:9 he who goes down to the grave does not come up
Job thinks that death is the final destiny and there is no coming back.
Keep in mind, don’t build doctrine on this.
The truth is, there is a resurrection.
Job himself will also hint at it later.
(John 11:25–26
NKJV) —25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who
believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever
lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
:11 “Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of
my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
:11 I will not restrain my mouth
Job feels he must complain because God won’t be able to hear him once he’s
dead.
Keep in mind that not all of Job’s ideas about death are accurate.
(Note in Hebrew poetry, this is a three line
verse)
:12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent, That You set a guard over me?
(Job 7:12 NLT) Am I a sea
monster or a dragon that you must place me under guard?
He feels that God must think that Job is something dangerous to have to
keep watching him like this.
:13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, My couch
will ease my complaint,’
:14 Then You scare me with dreams And terrify me
with visions,
:15 So that my soul chooses strangling And
death rather than my body.
:14 You
scare me with dreams
Just when Job thinks he can escape the great tragedy he’s going through by
sleeping, he gets nightmares that makes him wish he could die.
:16 I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, For my days are but a breath.
:17 “What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should
set Your heart on him,
:18 That You should visit him every morning, And
test him every moment?
:17 What is man, that You should exalt him
David uses the thought in vss. 17-18 but takes them a different direction.
(Psalm 8:3–5 NKJV)
—3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and
the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son
of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have
crowned him with glory and honor.
David takes the idea of God thinking of us, that it makes him think of
God’s grace, as in, why would God ever be so good to us?
Job takes the truth of God thinking of us, and
wishes that God would stop thinking about him so much.
:19 How long? Will You not look away from me, And
let me alone till I swallow my saliva?
:19 till I swallow my saliva
It’s an expression meant to carry the idea of “for a single moment”.
“Can’t you leave me alone for a single moment?”
:20 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?
:20 What have I done to You
Job admits that he is a sinner, but he doesn’t understand what it is that
he’s done specifically to deserve his troubles.
Job is thinking like his friends.
He thinks he’s done something bad to deserve this.
In truth, his troubles aren’t connected to him doing something bad.
God is simply proud of Job, and wants to show the
universe how a godly man will respond to difficulty.
:21 Why then do You not pardon my transgression, And
take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the
dust, And You will seek me diligently, But I will no longer be.”
:21 …I will no longer be
Job is afraid that if God doesn’t respond to his questions soon, it will be
too late because he will be dead and unable to hear.
Lesson
Talking to God
You are going to notice that Job’s friends talk a lot about God.
Job is at least talking to God.
When God does eventually speak up, God will be talking to Job, not to his
friends.
To be a good friend, we ought to spend as much time talking to God for the
one we’re concerned about as we are talking about God.
Pray for the other person.
Pray with the other person.
James gave us some ideas about how to minister to those who are “sick”.
(James 5:13–14
NKJV) —13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful?
Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the
church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord.
Break???
8:1-7 Bildad: Repent
:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
:1 Bildad the Shuhite
There is a disagreement among Bible scholars over who the shortest person
in the Bible was.
Some say it was Zacchaeus, who was so short he had to climb a tree to see
Jesus over the crowd (Luke 19:3-4)
(Luke 19:3–4 NKJV)
—3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the
crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for
He was going to pass that way.
Others say it was Nehemiah.
You know … knee-hi-miah
I’m pretty sure it was Bildad.
He was only “shoe-height”.
Lesson
Age and Grace
Even if you thought that Eliphaz was harsh with Job, Bildad will be even
worse.
The next friend, Zophar, will be even more harsh.
It is thought that they are speaking in order of age, with the oldest
speaking first.
I think that if you are trying to grow in the Lord and be
honest with God in your life, the older you get, the less harsh you will
become.
Forty years ago I knew all the
answers to everyone’s questions, and I knew what sinners most people were.
Now that I’m much older, I realize that I don’t know
nearly as much as I thought I did, and I’m finding it much easier to be
gracious and merciful to others (especially since I know what a jerk I have
been).
Peter wrote,
(2 Peter 3:18 NKJV)
but
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be
the glory both now and forever. Amen.
That’s a good goal in life – to grow in “grace”.
I think that means to grow in receiving more of God’s
grace, but also in being more gracious to others.
:2 “How long will you speak these things, And the words of your
mouth be like a strong wind?
“Job, you’re just a bunch of hot air!”
:3 Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice?
:3 Does God subvert judgment?
Bildad is saying that Job is accusing God of being unfair.
In a way, there is truth to this. God
does not subvert judgment.
This is what Job will continue to struggle with.
Yet in responding to someone struggling with this, you need to just let
them vent. You don’t always need to
defend God.
Lesson
God is fair
(keyword!!)
When the serpent tempted the woman in the Garden of Eden, he did it by
challenging God’s fairness, saying that God was holding something back from
them.
(Genesis 3:4–5
NKJV) —4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God
knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be
like God, knowing good and evil.”
When you are talking with the serpent, God is going to
seem pretty unfair
And that is usually going to get us into trouble.
Talking about unfair … there was a group of monks, friars, that were
getting a reputation for being unfair …
Illustration
Florist Friars
The friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they
opened a small florist shop to raise the funds. Since everyone liked to buy
flowers from the men of God, the rival florist nearby thought the competition
was unfair. He asked the good brothers to close down,
but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored
him. He had his mother go and plead with the friars to get out of business.
They ignored her too.
So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest
and most vicious thug in town to “persuade” them to close. Hugh beat up the
friars and trashed their store, saying he’d be back if they didn’t close shop
permanently. Terrified, they did so—thereby proving that …
Hugh, and only Hugh, can prevent florist friars.
Abraham bartering over Sodom
When Abraham found out that God was planning on destroying Sodom and
Gomorrah because of their great wickedness, he knew he had a problem. Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was living in
Sodom. Abraham decided to have a
discussion with God about this judgment thing:
(Genesis 18:25
NKJV) Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the
righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far
be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
God would end up destroying Sodom, but
getting Lot out of Sodom before He did it.
God does indeed do what is right.
Abraham found that when you talk with God, you find He is
VERY just, very fair.
:4 If your sons have sinned against Him, He has cast them away for their
transgression.
:4 If your sons have sinned
Bildad, being the sensitive compassionate man that he is, is suggesting
that Job’s kids are dead because they had it coming to them.
Eliphaz had also hinted at a reason why Job’s kids had all died. He suggested that it was because Job was such
a “fool”,
(Job 5:4 NKJV) His sons are
far from safety,
They are crushed in the gate, And there is no deliverer.
:5 If you would earnestly seek God And make your supplication to the
Almighty,
:6 If you were pure and upright, Surely now
He would awake for you, And prosper your rightful
dwelling place.
:6 Surely now He would awake for you
Bildad is hinting that God must not be answering Job because God must be
asleep.
If Job was a good, righteous man, then God would certainly wake up when Job
spoke.
The problem with this is, God doesn’t sleep.
(Psalm 121:3b–4
NKJV) …He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall
neither slumber nor sleep.
:7 Though your beginning was small, Yet your
latter end would increase abundantly.
:7 your latter end would increase
If Job was truly a good guy, his life would be getting better
and better, not worse and worse.
Lesson
Pay Day
There is some truth to what Bildad says.
And in Job’s life, he actually will be more
blessed at the end of the story.
(Job
42:12–13 NKJV) —12 Now the Lord blessed
the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen
thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one
thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters.
The problem is that Bildad thinks Job should be more “blessed” now, rather
than waiting for when God’s blessings will come.
Bildad is counting on the wrong “pay day”.
Payday comes when we go to be with Jesus.
(1 Corinthians
3:12–15 NKJV) —12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it,
because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of
what sort it is. 14
If
anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a
reward. 15 If anyone’s
work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as
through fire.
God will reward us for what we do. He will make all things right.
But we can get discouraged when we think that it’s going
to happen tomorrow and God decides that it’s going to
happen a little later down the road.
It might not even be in this life. It might be when we get to heaven.
8:8-19 Bildad: Papyrus lessons
:8 “For inquire, please, of the former age, And
consider the things discovered by their fathers;
:9 For we were born yesterday, and know nothing, Because
our days on earth are a shadow.
:10 Will they not teach you and tell you, And utter words from their heart?
:8 inquire, please, of the former age
Bildad is encouraging Job to ask their ancestors as an authority.
We have talked about Job living in the days of Abraham and his sons.
If you look at Genesis 11, you will find that Abraham was born something
like 292 years after the flood of Noah.
Noah’s son, Shem, lived for 500 years after the flood.
Shem was still alive (he actually outlived
Abraham). Someone was still alive who
had lived through the flood of Noah.
Perhaps Bildad is suggesting that Job ask even Shem for advice?
:11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish
without water?
Bildad is going to give a lesson based on papyrus reeds and bulrushes.
:12 While it is yet green and not cut down, It withers before any other plant.
:13 So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the
hypocrite shall perish,
:13 the paths of all who forget God
A papyrus reed doesn’t last very long without water.
Since Job is obviously a man who has forgotten God, he too isn’t going to
last very long.
(Question: Has Job forgotten
God? Wasn’t he just praying to God??)
Jesus said,
(John 15:5–8 NKJV)
—5 “I am the vine, you are the
branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me
you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is
withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they
are burned. 7 If you abide
in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be
done for you. 8 By this My
Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you
will be My disciples.
Bildad is correct in saying that God is our true source of life.
If we “abide” in Jesus, we find God’s life flowing through
us and we will produce fruit in our lives.
If we separate ourselves from God, we cannot bear fruit.
The problem with what Bildad is saying, is that he’s assuming that Job has
forgotten God, which he hasn’t.
:14 Whose confidence shall be cut off, And whose
trust is a spider’s web.
:15 He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it
does not endure.
:14 whose trust is a spider’s web
Bildad is accusing Job of trusting in things that are as strong as a
spider’s web.
It would seem that Bildad thought that Job was
trusting in his “house”, perhaps in his family, but it was as secure as
trusting in a spider’s web.
:16 He grows green in the sun …
Let’s read the next few verses in a different translation that’s a little
clearer…
In describing the godless…
(Job 8:16–19 The
Message) —16 Or they’re like weeds springing up in the sunshine, invading the
garden, 17 Spreading
everywhere, overtaking the flowers, getting a foothold even in the rocks. 18 But when the gardener rips them out
by the roots, the garden
doesn’t miss them one bit. 19 The sooner the godless are gone, the better; then good
plants can grow in their place.
It kind of sounds like Bildad is saying that the world isn’t going to miss
Job when he dies…
, And his branches spread out in his garden.
:17 His roots wrap around the rock heap, And
look for a place in the stones.
:18 If he is destroyed from his place, Then it
will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
:19 “Behold, this is the joy of His way, And out
of the earth others will grow.
8:20-22 Bildad: Summary
:20 Behold, God will not cast away the blameless, Nor
will He uphold the evildoers.
:20 God will not cast away the blameless
Bildad is implying that Job is obviously not “blameless”.
Yet God has already said that Job was indeed “blameless” (Job 1:8)
Yet remember what God said about Job,
(Job 1:8 NKJV) 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?”
God said that Job was indeed “blameless” (same Hebrew word).
:21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, And your lips with
rejoicing.
:22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, And the dwelling place
of the wicked will come to nothing.”
:22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame
Bildad is implying that if Job would just repent, then everyone who is
currently enjoying your trouble will be embarrassed because he will be
restored.
Lesson
Proper use of truth
Eliphaz and Bildad have some wonderful doctrines down pat. They have much that is correct in their
theology.
They have notches in their Bibles for all the times they’ve corrected
others’ bad doctrine.
Yet instead of bringing healing with God’s Word, they are hurting others.
Paul wrote,
(2 Timothy 2:24–26
NKJV) —24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all,
able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps
will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that
they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil,
having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Even if Job had been hiding some secret sin, God’s servants need to be
gentle.
(Galatians 6:1
NKJV) Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are
spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself
lest you also be tempted.
God’s Word is like a sword, like a weapon for us.
The Rifleman’s Creed is a part of being a Marine.
Video: Rifleman’s Creed
The Rifleman’s Creed
This is my rifle.
There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I master my life.
My rifle without me is useless. Without my rifle I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is
trying to kill me. I must strike him
before he shoots me.
My rifle and myself know that what counts in this war is
not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count.
My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus I will learn it
as a brother. I will learn its
weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its
barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and
ready even as I am clean and ready. We
will become part of each other.
Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are the defenders of my
country. We are the masters of our
enemy. We are the saviors of my life.
God’s Word is like our “rifle”, or our “sword”. We must master it. We are useless without it. We need to aim correctly at the enemy, Satan. We need to use God’s Word to hit the target,
not just shoot wildly in the air.
Be careful how you use your sword.
(Proverbs 12:18
NKJV) There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the
tongue of the wise promotes health.
God’s Word is a Sword.
Don’t kill people with it, use it for healing.
Use it more like a scalpel than a sword.
Pericope Project
How would you title chapter 6?
Useless friends
How would you title chapter 7?
Job prays
How would you title chapter 8?
Bildad: Job is a sinner
Mars Hill
From Episode 2 – Boomers, the Big Sort, and Really Really
Big Churches
This episode is going to lay the foundation of how Mars Hill grew to be so
big. Mark is going to sound very
interesting and positive, but you will hear little warnings.
Mark was originally critical of big churches (2001) like Rick Warren.
Eventually Mark and Rick became friends and preached at each other’s
churches.
The guy yelling “who do you think you are?” is Mark Driscoll.
The Celebrities
Robert Schuller, early “mega-church”, feel good positive thinking, Driscoll
at Crystal Cathedral
Calvary Chapel, Chuck Smith, Lonnie Frisbee, Calvary was opposite of
Schuller, verse by verse, planting thousands of churches. Wimber and Frisbee at Yorba Linda Calvary.
Vineyard leaves Calvary Chapel.
4,000 churches – Calvary and Vineyard
Gives roadmap of church planting movement (really???)
No denominational authority, accountability
Bill Hybels – businessman first, seeker sensitive, music, comedy schedules,
Son City, they get early advice from Schuller, communicating “vision” (the
world depends on us)
You get authority by communicating vision, success leads to confirmation of
the vision, leads to celebrity of pastor.
But “character” is missing.
When the pastor is a part of abuse, then God becomes tied to that abuse.
1978 – Willow Creek had problems between the two founders – Hybels and Holmbaugh (accused of sexual sin). Hybels made himself the Senior Pastor and
formed a board with the purpose of figuring out how to deal with Holmbaugh.
Is the pastor a celebrity? Is he
“essential” (and thus can’t be challenged?)
The Founders Myth
Big churches and suburbs – Schuller & OC
The Big Sort – people started to gather with others like them
Rick Warren – demographic studies, finding common traits of people you want
to reach
(Calvary Chapel didn’t do it that way – people got saved and they
influenced the ministry)
Saddleback Sam (Warren’s characterization of OC person, see picture in Powerpoint)
Chuck Smith invited hippies in, and they formed the church.
Boomers were the “me” generation, hard workers – churches like Saddleback
and CC worked for these
Gen X was different – cynics, slackers(?)
But “Boomer” churches didn’t reach Gen X (?)
Some Boomer pastors started to look for ways to reach Gen X (Leadership
Network)
These boomers helped facilitate pastors like Mark Driscoll
Leadership Network (1990s)
Doug Paget – was a youth pastor in Minneapolis
Developing young leaders
1997 – Church in the Postmodern transition (conference)
Mark Driscoll was a part of this conference
Was smart and mouthy, gifted
Boomer pastors were willing to support ministries that were doing things.
But did this allow churches to grow faster than they should (with pastors
not developing character)
(Chuck pastored for 17 years before his church grew)
Homework
For this coming week:
Think about your “mercy ministry”
Read Job 7-12 in ESV
Memorize Job 5:17 (in NKJV)
(Job 5:17 NKJV) “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not
despise the chastening of the Almighty.
Be ready to recite it in class next week.
Memorize it soon so you can chew on it during the week.
Go to our class’ “test” section
I’d like you to share a prayer request
There will be a quick quiz for you.
Listen to episode #3 of “The Rise And
Fall Of Mars Hill”
“You Read The Bible Ringo?”
Write a short paragraph summarizing the episode and how it has affected
your spiritual walk.
Keywords
What was the first “keyword” …
a.
Grace to others
b.
Counseling for others
c.
Kick others
What was the second “keyword” …
a.
God is fair
b.
God is harsh
c.
You are in trouble
Was there something from today’s lesson that you can apply to your life
TODAY?