SERMON OUTLINE:
Job is humbled by God (38:1-42:6)
Job is questioned by God #1: Can you explain my creation? (38:1-38).
Job is questioned by God #2: Can you oversea my creation? (38:39-39:30).
Job is questioned by God #3: Can you subdue my creation? (40:6-41:34)
Job replies to God (42: 1-6)
Job is rewarded by God (42: 10-16)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• Prof Stephen Hawking, was the eminent Cambridge scientist and cosmologist,
• Was, to put it simply a very clever man!
• But he was an ardent atheist, who once said:
• "Heaven is a fairy story created for people who are afraid of the dark"
• In response Prof John Lennox (Christian apologist) said this:
• "Atheism is a fairy story for those who are afraid of the light."
• TRANSITION:
• Two very clever men who hold two very different views regarding life & God.
• Quote: Frederick Langbridge (1849-1922) British Clergyman and author.
• “Two men looked out from prison bars, one saw mud, the other stars"
• We are often blinded by what we are looking for!
Ill:
• Prof Stephen Hawking had ALS Syndrome (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis),
• Which is a form of motor neurone disease,
• In 1963, when Hawking was 21, he was diagnosed with this crippling disease.
• And at the time, Hawking’s doctors told him that he would only live for two years.
• Well, he beat those odds and dies aged 76
• But his life was spent life in a wheelchair,
• Paralysed and able to communicate only via a computer speech synthesiser.
• Hawking said that before he became ill, he had very little interest in life.
• He called it a "…pointless existence" resulting from sheer boredom.
• He drank too much and did very little work.
• Then he learned he had ALS Syndrome,
• And given only two years to live.
• The news though shocking actually had a positive effect on him.
• He claimed to have been happier after he was afflicted than before.
• How can that be understood?
• Hawking himself provided the answer.
"When one's expectations are reduced to zero," he said, "one really appreciates everything that one does have."
• Stated another way:
• Contentment in life is determined in part by what a person anticipates from it.
• To a man like Hawking who thought he would soon die quickly,
• Everything takes on meaning;
• e.g. A sunrise or a walk in a park or the laughter of children.
• e.g. Suddenly, each small pleasure becomes precious.
• By contrast, those who believe life owes them a free ride,
• Are often discontent with its finest gifts.
• TRANSITION: When we experience suffering and loss,
• We either become bitter or better!
• And there is only one letter that separates those two words;
• And it is the letter, ‘I’
• And it all depends how I respond when difficulties and tragedies hit me.
• The choice for the Christian is simple;
• We either look within ourselves and wallow in self-pity, and resentment,
• Or we can look up ‘in faith’ to God to find the comfort, courage, the strength to go on.
Job experienced pain in all its fulness:
• Physical pain as he lost his health and suffered greatly;
• He was afflicted with sores from his head to his toes.
• Remember he lived in an age without pain relief,
• Or the many pills and potions available to you and me today.
• Emotional pain:
• As he experienced depression and anguish and despair.
• Intellectual pain as he struggled with the question of ‘Why?’
• Why did God allow all this suffering to take place to him?
• When he saw himself as a righteous person?
• Spiritual pain:
• How could the God he followed and was obedient to?
• Allow these things to happen to him?
• And why didn’t God intervene and answer his prayers.
Ill:
• Tulip Scott was a man with a strange name,
• Not many men are named after a flower,
• (But I am told he was no pansy, no weakling, no push over!)
• He reflects on when he was a child.
• And he recants how his mother used to take his hands and tie them together,
• Then she would tie them to his legs.
• He would struggle and scream and fighting as she did it,
• And being a child with limited understanding;
• He was convinced his mother was being cruel.
• It wasn’t until he was older when he had the capacity to understand,
• That his mother was able to explain to him what she was doing.
• He had smallpox and to stop him scratching away,
• And permanently marking and scaring his face for life,
• She tied his hands together to prevent him causing damage.
• He resented it at the time,
• But later, he realised she had done it because she loved him!
• TRANSITION: We will not always know why we suffer,
• But we can all be assured that there is a God of love,
• And he is loving and wise not cold-hearted and distant.
• In this final talk based on the book of Job,
• Job may not get all his questions answered, or even the answers he wants…
• But he will get an answer!
Ill:
• A number of years ago in the 1940’s;
• The English philosopher and broadcasting personality C. E. M. Joad.
• Was at his Oxford College enjoying dinner at a posh function.
• He was sitting at the top table and near to him was a very arrogant, pompous lady,
• Who wanted to show off to the other guests also seated on that table?
• She turned to professor Joad and in a very loud voice she said;
• “We would like to know, your opinion of God!”
• Joad thought for a moment, and with his dry sense of humour replied;
• “Madam, I should think it a great impertinence to express my opinion of God,
• The unconceasing concern of my life is to discover God’s opinion of me”
• TRANSITION: That self-important lady got a rebuke she was not expecting,
• And when we question God, we need to remember who it is we are questioning!
• Job was about to find out that God is bigger than he could ever imagine!
Note:
• A simple outline to these final four chapters is:
• God humbles Job (chapter 38 verse 1 to chapter 42 verse 6).
• God honours Job (chapter 42 verse 7-14).
(1). Job is humbled by God (38:1-42:6)
• Chapter 38 starts in a remarkable way (vs 1):
• “Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm.”
• Many of us were taught,
• That God speaks to us in a still small voice to our inner being,
• Whispering to us in a calm peaceful setting
• But here in this chapter, God uses a storm to get Job’s attention,
• He does not so much whisper,
• But this is a shout at Job and his friends!
Notice:
• God does not give Job any answers to his questions
• God does not apologise for being silent for so long
• He didn’t offer a hint of information as to how this situation all started.
• And instead of a heavenly pat on the back for Job,
• God starts off with a rebuke!
• God is going to ask Job some questions;
• In fact, he is going to ask him 77 questions,
• Yep, you heard me correct, 77 questions!
• It is as if God is saying,
• “Job you have some questions for me, well I have a few for you!”
These questions group together under three groupings:
(2). Job is questioned by God
Question #1: Can you explain my creation? (38:1-38).
“‘Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone –
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?
8 ‘Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
9 when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,
11 when I said, “This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt”?”
• This first question;
• Deals with God’s power and wisdom in bringing the universe into being.
• The poetry in this section is magnificent,
• It is great language.
• Notice how simply he puts the questions.
• These are junior school questions.
• They come in terms of "Where?" and "Who?" and "What?"
• And "When?" did these things happen.
Remember this type of literature is poetry not scientific,
• The earth does not have foundations, God is using a metaphor here.
• There are no ‘foundations’ to the globe.
• Job has already said (chapter 29 verse 6):
• N.I.V.: “God…hangs the earth on nothing.”
• C.E.V. translates: “suspended the earth on empty space.”
• The verse is just a simple description of the creation of the world
• Comprising the earth hanging in space, surrounded by the stars, which God created.
Now in this chapter (38) God takes Job on a tour of his creation:
• He does that by asking Job some questions,
• In fact, there are questions eleven found in this chapter,
• Each question refers to the vast dimensions of creation.
• The most prominent questions focus on the earth, the sea.
Ill:
• If you look at the pictures of the earth as it is seen from space,
• You will see that three-quarters of the globe is covered with water.
• Water dominates our planet.
• e.g. The deepest ocean in the world is the Pacific Ocean,
• With an average depth of just over 7 miles or 13,740 feet (11503.152 meters)
• e.g. As far as the earth is concerned,
• We are a small planet, in a very big universe.
• The size of the universe is 46 billion light years.
• Apparently, this is the distance from planet Earth to the edge of the known universe.
• 1 light year is equal to 9.46 trillion km or 5.88 trillion miles.
• The visible universe has a diameter of 93 billion light years.
So, God asked Job the question:
• "Where were you when I founded the earth?"
• Where was mankind?
• And the answer of course is simple:
• There were no Human beings, they were not even in existence!
Ill:
• And here we are centuries later, we still can’t settle the question of origin.
• Where did the universe come from? How did it originate?
• Who brought it into being? What process was followed?
• The world is still debating that question today,
• But mankind has never been able to answer the question of the origin of the earth,
• Because human beings were not there to observe it.
Question #2: Can you oversea my creation? (38:39-39:30).
“‘Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
and satisfy the hunger of the lions
40 when they crouch in their dens
or lie in wait in a thicket?
41 Who provides food for the raven
when its young cry out to God
and wander about for lack of food?”
• In these last three verses of chapter 38, really belong with Chapter 39,
• In these three verses,
• God turns Job’s attention to his providential care of the animal world.
• God brings before Job a display of six animals,
• The lioness, goat, deer, wild donkey, wild ass, and a horse,
• As well as five birds:
• The raven, the ostrich, the stork, the hawk and the eagle.
And God says to Job:
• What do you think we would happen;
• If he suddenly said to mankind, “You feed them!”
• From now on all creatures on earth and not just your pets are your responsibility.
• I guess we all know what the answer would be:
• We can’t do that!
• We even struggle to even feed ourselves.
• Over the last few years we have witnessed the rise of food banks in our own country.
• So, we are struggling to even feed ourselves, never mind the animals as well!
• Yet the animals exist and have existed for centuries.
• They prosper and increase when man is out of the picture.
• God preserves the species; it is man who wipes them out.
So, in this section God puts the question to Job - could you do this?
• You question my wisdom in dealing with you,
• But do you have the wisdom to deal with any of this!
Question #3: Can you subdue my creation? (40:6-41:34)
This third section centres on two creatures called, Behemoth, and Leviathan.
• The first animal is described in ten verses (40:15–24)
• And the second in no less than 34 verses (41:1–34).
• Many English translations of the Bible give them their Hebrew names;
• Behemoth and Leviathan rather than try to translate them.
• In some Bible translations these creatures’ names are paraphrased;
• They are often called, the “crocodile” and the “hippopotamus”,
• But neither of those creatures are native to Palestine,
• The word ‘Behemoth’ simply means ‘large beast’
• (see Genesis chapter 2 verse 20).
• The word ‘Leviathan’ is mentioned once as denoting a normal sea creature,
• The root word means, “To twist” or “To writhe”
• (see Psalm 104 verse 26)
• Whatever these creatures are,
• From their descriptions they may even be dinosaurs!
• The description does not focus so much on the appearance of the animal,
• But focuses on the power, strength and invincibility of the creature.
• It is as if God is saying:
• “My whole universe is too much for you to handle,
• So, let’s just focus on two of my best products!”
• Job was unable to subdue such a large beast,
• And he was unable to fish out and capture the other creature mentioned.
• He was unable to domesticate these beasts never mind create them,
• So, God’s point is simple:
• I have the power and wisdom to control these two magnificent animals.
• But you Job don’t! They do you they listen to you and you are unable to control them?
(3). Job REPLIES TO God (42:1-6)
• Job last response to God is found in chapter 42 verses 3-4.
• In fact, in his answer he quotes God’s own words:
“You asked, “Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?”
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 ‘You said, “Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.””
• Job admits that he cannot answer God’s questions,
• All he can do is confess his pride, humble himself before God and repent.
• We would say today, “He made his God, Lord!”
• The one who has the right to rule and do what he likes!
Ill:
• If the distance between the earth and the sun,
• 93 million miles was the thickness of a piece of paper,
• Then the distance between the earth and the nearest star,
• Would be a stack of papers 70 feet high.
• And the distance between earth and the end of just our galaxy,
• Would be a stack of papers 310 miles high.
• And our galaxy is just a little speck of dust in the universe.
• And if God created all of that!
• And if God upholds it all 'by the word of his power' (Hebrews chapter 1),
• Question: Do you ask a God like that into your life to be your assistant?
• Question: Do you connect with a God like that in order to get him to do what you need?
• Question: Do you ask a God like that into your life to be your consultant?
• Answer: Is an obvious, NO! No! NO!
• We are not his assistants!
• Rather we are his subjects, we are his servants. We are his creation!
• A God that great must be King! Must be Lord!
• Not someone we call on now and again when we are in trouble!
Job is rewarded by God (42: 10-16)
“After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver[a] and a gold ring.
12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.”
Ill:
• Gavin Reed was at one time the Bishop of Maidstone from 1992 until 2001.
• He was also an author of many good Christian books.
• He tells the story of a boy in his congregation,
• Who when he was one year old, fells down some stairs and shattered his back!
• And this boy had spent long periods in hospital ever since the accident.
• One-time Gavin interviewed him at Church,
• And asked him; “How old are you?”
• The boy replied; “Seventeen”
• Gavin then asked him; “How many years have you spent in hospital?”
• The teenager replied: “Over thirteen years”
• Gavin then asked him; “Do you think that is fair?”
• The teenager replied: “Well, God has got all eternity to make it up to me!”
• TRANSITION: That boy lived looking at life through the big picture,
• For the believer there is more to life than this life!
Quote:
“Our faith will not save us from suffering, it is not an insurance against us suffering, but it will sustain us during our suffering and God will fulfil his purpose through our suffering”
IN CONCUSION:
• Please don’t get distracted with the rewards,
• That is not where the emphasis is in this final chapter.
• They only take up five verses of the chapter.
• They happened, they blessed Job,
• But they were part of the ending, not all of the ending!
• For me the emphasis is that Job chooses to live again.
• Verses 16-17 conclude with that fact.
“After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.”
Ill:
• I like the illustration one person used that related Job here at the end of the book;
• Like a Holocaust survivor who has suffered greatly,
• Their greatest act of courage is to live again,
• To bear children after the cataclysm of their traumatic events,
• And to enjoy life once again!
• TRANSITION: Job too is able to live again!
• Job (and his wife) choose to bring children into a world;
• That contains incredible beauty but also heart-breaking pain.
• Job chooses to love again, even when he knows the cost of such love.
So, in the final chapter we read about God Restoring Job,
• All the experiences we have in life are to shape us,
• The theological words are to ‘sanctify’ and to ‘Consecrate’ us.
• In simple terms they should make us more like Jesus!
• And as I try to summarise Job at the end of the book,
• The terms used reflect Jesus,
• Job finishes his story with Christ-like characteristics.
CHARECTERISTIC #1: Servant.
• Four times in two verses (7-9) God calls him, “My servant”
• The Bible has a great deal to say about servanthood,
• It is one of the great themes of the Bible.
• LINK TO JESUS:
• We know of course that greatest Servant of all was Jesus Christ.
• (Mark chapter 10 verse 45).
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many”
CHARECTERISTIC #2: Mediator.
• Job the servant also became Job the mediator/intercessor (vs 10);
• He forgave and prayed for his friends, “After Job had prayed for his friends”
• LINK TO JESUS:
• With the greatest intercessor of all being Jesus Christ.
• Three times the New testament calls Jesus a mediator/intercessor.
• (1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 5, Hebrews chapter 9 verse 15 & Hebrews chapter 12 verse 24).
"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
CHARECTERISTIC #3: Blessed.
• Job the cursed man became Job the blessed man!
• As God restored Job’s health, his friendships, his property, and his children
• e.g. Job receives twice the wealth he had before (vs 10).
• e.g. Plus, a new brood of seven sons and three daughters (vs 13).
• LINK TO JESUS:
• The verses that came to mind was Hebrews chapter 2 verse 10;
• And Isaiah chapter 53 verse 11.
• Job had physical wealth and a new brood of seven sons and three daughters.
• Jesus has spiritual wealth;
• As well as a family of sons and daughters from every tribe and nation!
Quote: Isaiah chapter 53 verse 11.
“After he has suffered, he will see the light of life (KJB: “the travail of his soul,”) and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.”
• One thing money does not do is satisfy! We always want a little bit more,
• But the treasure Jesus has won through his death on the cross,
• Satisfies him!
Quote: Hebrews chapter 2 verse 10;
“In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.”
• Enjoy that verse because it is talking about you and me
• It is referring to every born-again believer who has trusted Christ for salvation.
• Believers “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages”
• (Revelation chapter 7 verse 9).
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=26XGSEEr1EDFnnfjSxuVma7L3GxG4A39
