Job’s Final Defense, Part 1 Series

Job’s Final Defense, Part 1

Job Sermon Series, Part 14

Introduction (Job Slide)

- We are continuing to examine Job’s response to his friends

-- What is important is that there are several phases to his response

-- Mike covered the first last Sunday which was identifying Job’s focus

- Job 27:11, “I will teach you about the power of God; the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal.”

-- Critical: Even though all this is happening, I will give thanks to God

-- Definition: I will still praise God; because my heart belongs to Him

- Then, we saw Job’s teaching his friends what wisdom is …

-- APP: The source for wisdom is found in God alone; only He understands it

-- God alone understands the path to gain it; we should follow Him

- Therefore, God says to man, “The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom” (c28: v28)

-- The fear (respect) of God for what He is able to do is wisdom

-- APP: Our role is not to defeat or contradict or look for loopholes in God

- Recap: How do we fear God?

1) We have a reverence for Him

2) We submit ourselves to Him (we won’t do this if we refuse the first one)

- Today we see Job continuing in his defense to these three friends

- Read Job Ch. 29

- Pray

Point 1 – Ah, the “good old days” … (Ch. 29)

- Job spends his time remembering where he used to be

-- Literally, he is longing for the time when life was good and easier

-- There was a time when he was young and so much going for him (v3)

-- Before this trouble, it was a time when God blessed his house (v4)

-- He is even longing for when he knew that God was with Him (v5)

-- APP: Job now feels that God has deserted him; God has left him in ruin

- He recounts how his reputation brought him great respect (v7-12)

-- He was a “big man in town”; people knew him and respected him

- Interesting note: Ref v12, Eliphaz accused him of not helping the poor

-- But Job remembers the things he did, the life that he once lived

- Job was a man who lived a life that honored God

-- He was a blessing to those around him; a source of help to all

-- His life … in a word … was perfect – everything was going well

- He continues by reminding himself of what he thought his future would be

-- CHALLENGE: Do we spend time reminiscing about “what could’ve been?”

• He believed he will die in his own home; at a very old age (v18)

• He pictured himself as a healthy tree; one that sustains life (v19)

• He believed he would be strong to the end (image of a bow) (v20)

- To Job … he was set for life and knew how everything would pan out

- Goes on: previously, people wanted to be around him, they listened to him (v21)

-- Job even declares that when he gave advice, people didn’t argue

-- APP: E.F. Hutton commercial … when he spoke, people listened

- People who came around Job delighted in even his smile (v24)

-- Those in the town sought his counsel; his reputation was without blemish

-- He was respected and sought after in all facets of life (advice, decision, etc.)

- Bottom line: My life was good before, and everyone in town liked me

- DON’T MISS: Job has a problem here that many of us may fight against

-- His view of God was that: “If life is good, God is happy with me…”

-- So, if all these things are gone, then somehow God is mad at me/punishing me

- FACT: God does not deal with His creation this way

-- Matthew 5:45 says, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

-- APP: Neither good times or bad times represents God’s love for us

- HUGE: Job would not have Jesus’s words, but we do … and we know this truth:

-- Good days vs. bad days are not how God treats us (re: sent Son to die for us)

- TRANS: But now, Job’s life is so much different …

- Read Job Ch.30

Point 2 – Job’s current state (Ch. 30)

- Men who are in a much less position than he is … now mock him (v1)

-- This puts Job, in society’s terms, squarely at the bottom of the barrel

- So much so, that even men who Job would not employ are ridiculing him