God Breaks the Silence

Open your Bibles, if you would, to Job chapter 38.

Job 38 · chapter mention

If you're using the Pew Bible, don't have a Bible of your own, I would encourage you to turn there.

It's on page 443, Job 38.

We head into the homestretch, as it were, of our study in the book of Job.

And finally the moment is here.

The moment we've all been waiting for is finally come in Job 38,

where up to this point God has been audibly silent.

We've been learning about the suffering and the silence of God,

and God has been silent to Job, silent to his friends,

at least in an audible way up to this point, and finally God will speak.

We're going to hear his words.

What will he say?

How will he come and address the counsel that's been happening to Job's friends?

How will he address Job's heart and the strugglings and the wrestlings of his heart?

What will he say?

How will God set all the things back in order?

Well, of course, God has not been silent.

And we've seen that throughout the whole book.

And while his voice has not been audible,

it's clear that the truth about God has been present.

We've seen it in the address, the counsel of Job's friends.

We've seen it in Job himself,

as he addresses God and draws truth out of creation.

We've seen it from Elihu and how Elihu will state very true things about God

that he's observed in creation.

And of course, we know that this is the case.

As the psalmist says in Psalm 19, verses 1 to 4,

Psalms 19:1–4

he says,

Notice all the times where voice and speech and knowledge

and declare and proclaim all of these words that describe the voice of God

that comes through the created order,

the heavens that declare the glory of God.

God can be perceived and truth about God can be known through creation.

It's an accurate picture, an accurate representation of God.

The challenge, though, comes to how we perceive this truth

and how we interpret the truths that can be known through the universe.

So that in Romans chapter 1, we find this in 19 and 20,

Romans 1 · chapter mention

What can be known about God is plain to them,

speaking about anyone who has access to creation and the world that God made.

Because God has shown it to them for his invisible attributes,

namely, his eternal power, his divine nature,

have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world

in the things that have been made so that they are without excuse.

God has made himself known.

God has declared truth about himself through creation

that is accurate, that is clear, that can be perceived,

that is accessible to us.

The problem, however, is that it's limited by our perspective.

It's limited by the way that we interpret the truths that we perceive.

That while we see God's nature,

while we can experience God's power,

it has to run through a filter, through a grid of our interpretation,

and we make assumptions based upon the truths we see.

So that when Romans 1 goes on,

it helps us understand what the inevitable conclusion is every time without the Scripture.

For although they knew God, it says,

they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him.

But they became futile in their thinking,

and their foolish hearts were darkened.

We're going to see a measure of that as God addresses Job today.

And God says directly to Job,

who is this who darkens counsel?

That's where we're all left,

without the Scripture in front of us.

The way that we interpret the truths

is going to be polluted by our own assumptions about God.

We all know this.

There are, I'm sure, a number of times where you have observed situations,

and you thought you knew the facts,

and you thought you were able to kind of discern what was going on,

but you realize later on that your assumptions were made improperly.

This past Friday night, our family was at a sporting event.

And there was a family sitting just in front and to the left of us,

and three of the members of this family,

a little girl who was seven,

and two young women who were there.

And she was skipping on the tops of the bench that was there,

the bleachers that were there,

hopping from the top to the bottom,

and then on the way to the top.

And I turned to look at the sporting event,

and all of a sudden I hear a thud.

And then I hear a, a cry.

And I turn and look, and here's this little girl.

She's down on the floor of the bleachers,

and she's crying her eyes out.

And the young woman who's sitting next to her says,

will you stop it already?

Will you just be quiet?

That's enough.

And I thought to myself,

wow, that seems a little hard.

What should I do?

Should I intervene?

Should I help to provide some tenderness that's missing?

And what I came to discover over a little bit of time,

in talking to this little girl through the rest of the evening,

is that she is a,

she is one of ten siblings in a family.

And, and so I asked her, you know, the obvious question,

hey, so you're the youngest of ten.

Would you say that you get the most attention or the least attention?

And without hesitation, she said, the most attention.

And I thought to myself, okay, now this makes sense.

She has learned how to manipulate the situation

and to get the attention that she really, really wants.

And she was fine.

And her sister, who was sitting there, older sister,

knew that she was fine,

knew that she was a drama queen,

knew that she often does this to try to get attention.

And just to be, just be quiet.

I've had enough.

And it was a, it was a delightful interchange.

The rest of the evening as she talked our ear off

and we got to know the family a little bit better.

But God has made himself known through creation.

There are things that we can perceive,

truths that we can perceive about God,

but it's limited because we're missing the conversation.

And it wasn't until our family,

I had a conversation with this little girl

that now things began to be clear

and now I was beginning to read things in the right way.

We're going to see through the course of our time this morning

that God is going to show up

and God is going to now begin to set things straight for Job.

He's had a, he's had a lot of things right.

He's declared a lot of truths about God,

but he's come to the wrong conclusions about God.

And now God will finally break the silence

and help to establish who he really is

and help to set the grid by which his creation needs to be understood.

So open up, if you would, if you're not already there,

to Job chapter 38.

Job 38 · chapter mention

We're going to cover this morning,

the plan was to cover chapter 38 and 39,

but my plan is just to cover verses 1 to 3

and then we'll come back to the rest of it next week.

We're just going to lay the foundation for this

and help us understand the framework

for what God is doing.

Maybe review a lot of the complaints that Job had,

kind of catch us up to where we are in this study

so we can really appreciate what God is doing here.

And it's amazing.

Job 38 verses 1 to 3 says this,

Job 38:1–3

Then the Lord answered.

He answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

Who is this that darkens counsel

by words without knowledge?

Dress for action like a man

and I will question you

and you make it known to me.

Here at the very beginning,

the Lord will answer Job.

The Lord answered Job.

And in his answer,

in the way that he answers,

we're going to see three very distinct

and very significant things about God.

Things that should encourage all of us

and certainly were a blessing to Job

through the course of this conversation.

That Job answered God

meant that God was present first of all.

First, God is present.

With these opening words,

Then the Lord answered Job.

You can almost sense this sigh of relief.

God is here.

God is present.

God hasn't abandoned me.

God isn't really my enemy

like I thought he was.

God has not pushed me aside.

God has not counted me as unworthy.

God is present.

God is here and God is speaking.

He's answered me.

Almost like a child

who's kind of wandered away in the store

and maybe you've had this experience.

Maybe you've been that kid

or maybe you've been that parent

where you've told your kids

who are younger,

Hey, stay close to me.

Don't move away from where I am.

This is a big store.

There are a lot of people here.

I don't want you to get lost.

But that child,

and maybe it was you,

you saw that thing in the last aisle.

You were passing by with your mom

and it just seemed so enticing.

You know, it had the button

that said touch here

and you didn't get a chance to touch

because it was out of reach

and you just want to go back

and see what touching does.

And so mom's not looking.

She's at the shelves

and you kind of slip away

just briefly and quickly

to go do what you wanted to do

and to touch whatever it was

and to hear that sound

or to see that motion

and then you make your way back

to the first aisle

where your mother was

and now she's missing.

You've been rebellious.

You've been disobedient.

You have done what your mom

said not to do

in leaving her side

and now you know

there will be consequences

because of your disobedience

but it does not matter

because all you want

is to have the presence

of mom again.

And so what do you do?

You cry out,

Mommy, where are you?

Willing to accept

whatever consequences might come

but it doesn't matter

because you need mommy

to be there.

I'm lost.

I'm alone.

But all of that doesn't matter

as long as I have

mommy back in my presence.

And now Job

is finally experiencing

the presence of God again.

And I can,

you can better believe

that Job is feeling

a sense of relief.

Whatever my complaint was,

whatever the answer is,

it really doesn't matter

because God is here.

God is present.

And whatever consequences

will come,

whatever this darkening

of counsel means,

whatever the confrontation

or rebuke will be,

at least God is present here.

At least God has come.

And Job knows

it's going to be

a terrible encounter.

He's stated so much

through the course

of this book.

We've seen back in Job

Job 9:11

chapter 9 verse 11

and some of the complaints

of Job's heart.

Behold, he says,

he passes by me

and I see him not.

He moves on

but I do not perceive him.

Where is the Lord?

How then can I answer him?

Choosing my words with him.

Though I am in the right,

I cannot answer him.

I must appeal for mercy

to my accuser.

I don't understand

what's going on here.

I used to enjoy

such fellowship with God.

We had sweet communion together.

I worshipped him.

I pointed my family to him.

I enjoyed the blessings from him

and somehow he's distant.

Somehow I feel like

I've become his enemy

and I have no idea

what has happened.

Oh God, just come

and let me know

what's taken place.

I'll fix whatever it is

and then we can get

right on with

how things were.

In Job chapter 13,

Job 13 · chapter mention

he echoes this complaint

in verse 3,

but I would speak

to the Almighty.

I desire to argue

my case with God.

Withdraw your hand from me.

Let not dread of you

terrify me.

Then call

and I will answer

or let me speak

and you reply to me.

How many are my iniquities

and my sins?

Make me know

my transgressions

and my sins.

Why do you hide your face

and count me

as your enemy?

That's really what

this has been about.

It's not necessarily

been about

Job's complaint

about God's injustice,

but it's been about

Job understanding

the justice of God,

but also seeing

the integrity

of his own heart

and the two

he just cannot reconcile.

How can both be true?

If I just speak with God,

he can set the record straight.

He can just tell me

what's going on.

I can make this right.

We can get on

with the way things were.

In Job 23,

I don't have this

in this slide.

Oh, he says,

that I knew

where I might find him,

that I might come

even to his seat.

I would lay my case

before him

and fill my mouth

with arguments.

There an upright man

could argue with him

and I would be acquitted

forever by my judge.

Behold,

I go forward,

but he is not there,

and backward,

but I do not perceive him

on the left hand

when he is working.

I do not behold him.

He turns to the right hand,

but I do not see him,

but he knows

the way I take.

When he has tried me,

I shall come out

as gold.

Therefore,

I am terrified

of his presence

when I consider

I am in dread

of him.

Job understands

that meeting with God

is a fearful venture,

but if that's what it takes

to resolve the issue

between him and God,

it's worth the cost.

More than anything,

Job just wanted

to hear from God.

More than anything,

Job just wanted

to understand

that things were good.

They were cleared.

That he could reconcile

between God

and he could enjoy

that relationship

with him again.

But the counsel

that he was getting

throughout the course

of this book

is a counsel

that would say,

God doesn't care

about you.

God is not going

to show up

and meet with you,

Job.

Eliphaz would say

something along

those lines

in Job chapter 5 verse 1.

Job 5:1

He says,

Call now.

Is there anyone

who will answer you?

To which of the holy ones

will you turn?

Job,

God doesn't care

about your situation.

God is not going

to answer

your pleas

for meeting

with him.

The only way

that God is going

to meet with you

is if you resolve

the sin in your life

and then maybe

God will entertain

the possibility

of meeting

with you again.

Elihu will say

much the same thing

in Job chapter 35

Job 35:13

verses 13 and 14.

Surely God

does not hear

an empty cry

nor does the Almighty

regard it

how much less

when you say

that you do not

see him.

That the case

is before him

and you are

waiting for him.

I'm quoting you,

Job.

These are your words.

When you say

that God does not

hear you

and God is not there

how can you imagine

that empty kinds

of cries

are going to elicit

from a response

from God?

And here we are

in Job 38 verse 1.

Job 38:1

And the Lord answered.

The Lord answered

because

the Lord

delighted in Job.

And the Lord

delights

in answering

the cries

of those

who come to him.

Those who call

on the name

of the Lord

will be saved.

They will be delivered.

They will enjoy

his help.

You see

Eliphaz

didn't speak

for God.

Elihu

didn't speak

for God.

They were both

dead wrong.

And God

shows up

to answer

Job.

And he will hear

and answer

those who call

on him

in humility.

I want to take

just a mini

detour

so you can see

the wonder

of this God

that we serve

from Psalm 107.

It's one of my

favorites.

Who will God

answer?

Who will God

save?

Who will God

deliver?

And we get

snapshots of

four different

groups of individuals

who experience

the delivering

hand of God.

and the

one

similarity

between every

single one

of them

is they

will call

and they

will ask

for help

and God

will deliver.

Notice this

in verse 1.

Oh give thanks

to the Lord

for he is

good.

His steadfast

love endures

forever.

His love

is dependable.

His love

is steady.

His love

can be counted

on.

You can count

on the love

of God.

Here's some

examples

beginning in

verse 4.

Some have

wandered in

the desert

wastes

finding no

way to a

city to dwell

in.

Hungry and

thirsty their

soul fainted

within them.

Then they

cried to the

Lord.

in their

trouble.

And he

delivered them

from their

distress.

He led

them by a

straight way

till they

reached a

city to dwell

in.

Let them

thank the

Lord for

his steadfast

love for

his wondrous

works to the

children of

men.

Then moving

down to

verse 10.

Some sat

in darkness

in the

shadow of

death.

Prisoners

in affliction

in an iron

for they had

rebelled

against the

words of

God and

spurned the

counsel

of the

Most High.

Now do you

get that for

a second?

They're

experiencing the

devastating

consequences of

their own

actions.

They're in

prison.

They're

experiencing

difficulty and

suffering because

of their own

rebellion.

Verse 13,

then they cried

to the Lord in

their trouble.

He delivered

them from

their distress.

He brought

them out of

darkness in

the shadow

of death.

He burst

their bonds

apart.

Let them

thank the

Lord for

his steadfast

love for

his wondrous

works to

the children

of men.

And in

verse 17,

some were

fools through

their sinful

ways and

because of

their iniquities

they suffered

affliction.

They loathed

any kind

of food and

they drew

near to the

gates of

death.

Then they

cried to the

Lord in

their trouble.

He delivered

them from

their distress.

Let them

thank the

Lord for

his steadfast

love for

his wondrous

works to

the children

of men.

And in

verse 23,

some went

down to

the sea and

ships doing

business on

the great

waters.

They saw

the deeds

of the Lord,

his wondrous

works in the

deep.

For he

commanded and

raised the

stormy wind.

I've

underlined that

because that's

the same

word as

the whirlwind

that we see

in our

passage.

Which lifted

up the

waves of

the sea.

They mounted

up to the

heavens.

They went

down to

the depths.

Their

courage

melted

away.

And in

their evil

plight,

then they

cried to

the Lord

in their

trouble.

He

delivered

them from

their

distress.

Let

them

thank the

Lord for

his steadfast

love,

for his

wondrous

works to

the children

of men.

God delights

in answering

the prayers

of those who

cry.

He delights

in the

humility of

those who

will recognize

the desperation

of their need

and they turn

to God and

say,

save me,

deliver me,

help me.

And the

greatest

deliverance we

need,

of course,

is the

deliverance

from sin

and God

sent his

son Jesus

to deal

with that

on the

cross so

that those

who ask

forgiveness

for their

sin and

believe that

he died

and rose

again can

enjoy the

benefits of

forgiveness

in salvation

and deliverance.

So we find

from Romans

Romans 10:9–13

chapter 10

verses 9

to 13

where it

says,

because if

you confess

with your

mouth that

Jesus is

Lord and

believe in

your heart

that God

raised him

from the

dead,

you will

be saved.

For the

heart one

believes in

is justified

and with

the mouth

one confesses

and is saved.

For the

scripture says,

everyone who

believes in

him will

not be put

to shame.

There is no

distinction

between Jew

and Greek.

For the

same Lord

is Lord

of all,

bestowing

his riches

on all

who call

on him.

For everyone

who calls

on the

name of

the Lord

will be

saved.

Do you

need

deliverance

this morning?

The greatest

deliverance

you could

ever need

is deliverance

of the

bondage

of sin

in your

life.

It's the

forgiveness

and cleansing

that comes

from God

through

belief

in his

son Jesus

Christ.

And the

deliverance

that God

gives is

not deliverance

always from

the struggles

that you

face,

but it's

always a

struggle.

It's the

deliverance

that he

gives,

the peace

that passes

understanding

and the

strength that

God delivers

to carry us

through the

trials that

we face.

And an

awareness of

the fact that

God is

present in

our life.

Even when

he seems

so distant

that God

is there,

he delights

in answering

those who

call on

him because

he's present.

Well,

God is also

powerful,

not just

present,

that God

is powerful.

The Lord

answered Job

out of the

whirlwind and

said,

Who is this

that darkens

counsel by

words without

knowledge?

The fact that

God shows up

in this

whirlwind is

to establish

emphatically

that he is

a God that

cannot be

trifled with.

He's a God

of unstoppable

power.

He comes to

Job in this

whirlwind

to help

him

recognize

that God

is a

force.

And of

course,

Job

understood

the force

and the

power

and the

supremacy

of God.

But he's

reminded now

again of

God's

power in

the whirlwind.

We'll see

this again in

Job 40

Job 40:6

verses 6

and 7.

Next week,

the Lord

answered Job

out of a

whirlwind and

said,

Dress for

action like a

man.

I will

question you

and you

make it

known to

me.

Well,

why a

whirlwind?

It's a

way to

arrest

Job's

attention.

It's a

way for

him to

recognize

again in

a very

visual way

that God

is in

charge,

that God

is powerful.

But so

often throughout

the Old

Testament

especially,

we see that

God shows

up in this

way to

show the

unstoppable

nature of

his power.

we see it

in Isaiah

Isaiah 29:5–7

chapter 29

verses 5

to 7

where the

nation of

Israel,

Jerusalem in

particular,

they're under

siege and

these powerful

nations are

coming against

them and

from a human

standpoint,

there was no

answer,

there was no

solution,

there was no

helper,

but God shows

up through the

prophet Isaiah

to say,

I am a

helper and

I'm going to

show you how

this is going

to happen.

The multitude

of your foreign

foes shall be

like a small

dust,

the multitude

of the ruthless

like passing

chaff,

in an instant

suddenly you

will be visited

by the Lord

of hosts with

thunder and

earthquakes and

a great noise,

with a whirlwind

and a tempest

and flame and

devouring fire,

and the multitude

of all the nations

that fight against

Ariel,

that's another word

for Jerusalem,

all that fight

against her

and her stronghold

and distress her

shall be like

a dream,

like a vision

of a night,

like nothing,

nothing before

the power of

God represented

by Isaiah

as an earthquake

and a fire

and this tempest

or whirlwind,

this unstoppable

power

is a way for

God to

demonstrate through

even the

physical world

that Job and

his friends have

been drawing

from the

nature of

God that

has become

clear to

them,

is now showing

up and

represented once

again by

power in

this whirlwind.

It reminds us

as well that

grace is cheap

without a proper

understanding or

fear of God.

This tempest,

if you've ever

been in a

situation,

maybe even a

tornado,

I remember as a

young child

and just moving

to Ohio

too.

And growing

up in

Cedarville,

it had a

reputation just

a couple of

years before

of this huge

tornado that

came through

and did

massive devastation.

And as a

six-year-old

boy, I was

terrified of

the tempest.

I had a hard

time getting to

sleep at night

because of the

power of a

tornado and the

whirlwind as it

were.

And God

reminds us

through this

whirlwind that

the grace that

he offers to

us is cheap

unless we

understand his

power, unless

we stand in

reverence in

fear of him.

Job will even

say in chapter

9 verse 15,

though I am in

the right, I

cannot answer

him.

I must appeal

for mercy to

my accuser.

He recognizes

that he stands

in reverence to

God and he is

pleading for

mercy.

You see, we

must never lose

sight of the

glory of God.

We must never

make God

common and

that's what the

writer to the

Hebrews is

constantly referring

to.

How through our

sin and through

our disobedience,

we bring God

down.

We make him

common.

It's okay, I

can offend him,

he's just like

anyone else.

Maybe that's not

what we say in

our hearts, but

that's essentially

what we are

affirming through

our actions.

Job understood

the fear of

God.

He understood

the terror of

standing before

him.

He understood

the mercy and

the grace of

God's presence and

that's what he was

appealing to.

And finally here,

God is wise.

God is present.

God is powerful.

God is wise.

God is wise.

Again, in verse

1, the Lord

answered Job out

of the whirlwind

and said,

Who is this that

darkens counsel by

words without

knowledge?

Who do you think

you are, Job?

The knowledge you've

had about me is so

convoluted.

You're speaking

ignorantly.

And Job understood

the significance of

God's wisdom.

He appeals to that

in Job 28,

Job 28:28

verse 28,

when he says

this,

he said to

man,

Behold the fear

of the Lord.

That is wisdom.

And to turn away

from evil is

understanding.

He understood and

grasped some

aspects of this.

But there are also

times in Job's life

where he couldn't

compute, he couldn't

put the pieces

together and so he

made assumptions

about God that

weren't true.

There are a number

of references

throughout the

book of Job that

draw on this

illusion of light

and darkness.

Light that appeals

or refers to

clarity and truth

and darkness that

refers to ignorance

and blindness to

the truth that's in

front of them.

In Job 12,

Job 12:22

verse 22,

Job says,

He uncovers deep

things out of

darkness.

He brings the

shadow of death

to life.

Light.

He takes away the

understanding of

the chiefs, of

the people.

They grope in the

dark without light.

Job understood the

significance of

getting wisdom from

God.

He desired to have

that wisdom.

He knew there was

a difference between

light and darkness.

And while he

understood some

things about God,

there were some

gaps in his

understanding.

They've been

concealed from him.

He had spoken in

ignorance.

He tried to put the

pieces together, but

he made the wrong

assumptions.

He was limited.

He was limited

because he didn't

have access to the

special revelation,

the word of God

that we have access

to.

And so while he was

trying to reconcile

the justice of God,

he didn't have a

category for life

after death.

And so in his

mind, he thought

the justice of God

needed to be meted

out in the here

and now.

And so if wicked

people prosper and

righteous people

suffer, how can that

equate and compare

with God's justice?

He had no category

for life after death.

And interestingly,

there is no mention

by Job or even

Job's friends of

Satan.

They had no concept

of an adversary,

the devil, who is

coming against God's

plans and seeking

to undermine God's

good things.

While they knew

about angels,

they seemed to be

oblivious to Satan

and his part in

all of these things.

And so they assign

the suffering to God

instead of seeing

that it's coming

through the avenue

of Satan and

seeking to undo

God's plans.

And of course,

God is ultimately

in control.

in Job chapter 2

Job 2:3

verse 3, God in

speaking with Satan

says, Job still

holds fast his

integrity.

Although you,

Satan, have incited

me against him to

destroy him without

reason.

God is ultimately

responsible.

He's the one who

permits Satan to do

his thing.

But Satan is the one

who is coming after

Job.

Satan is the one

who is unleashing

this suffering on

Job.

But Job doesn't

understand this.

And so in Job

Job 6:4

chapter 6 verse 4,

he says,

The arrows of the

Almighty are in me.

My spirit drinks

their poison.

The terrors of God

are arrayed against

me.

In Job chapter 9

Job 9:17

verse 17, he says,

For he, speaking of

the Lord, crushes me

with a tempest and

multiplies my wounds

without cause.

In Job 19 verse 6,

Job 19:6

8 and 22, he says,

God has wronged me.

He has fenced up my

way.

He has stripped me of

glory.

He breaks me down on

every side.

He has kindled his

wrath against me.

He counts me as one of

his enemies.

The hand of God has

struck me.

And Job, of course,

was wrong.

He speaks ignorantly.

He's trying to derive

the truths that he

knows about his own

suffering and he

doesn't recognize the

parts that he's not,

that he's missing.

Of course, God has

given to us his word.

And in Psalm 19, God

has not only given us

the words of himself

through the heavens,

the heavens declaring

the glory of God, but

the rest of the Psalm

speaks about the wonder

of the scriptures that

we have.

The law of the Lord is

perfect, reviving the

soul.

The testimony of the

Lord is sure, making

wise the simple.

The precepts of the

Lord are right, rejoicing

the heart.

The commandment of the

Lord is pure, enlightening

the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is

clean, enduring forever.

The rules of the Lord are

true and righteous

altogether.

More to be desired are

they than gold, even much

fine gold.

Sweeter also than

honey and drippings of

the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them is

your servant warned.

In keeping them, there

is great reward.

The word of God now

becomes the compass that

we can understand the

revelation of God

through creation.

We can begin to

interpret it and

understand it accurately.

And God has given to us

his word.

Lord, we have the

completed revelation of

the word of God that we

have access to every day.

I trust and pray that you

are allowing your heart to

be encouraged, refined,

and directed through the

words of God day by day.

As God ministers to you and

fellowships with you through

the scriptures.

And finally, we'll come

back to this next week and

try to fill this out some

more.

Not only does the Lord

answer Job, but we see

that the Lord questions

Job.

The Lord questions Job.

We'll see that in the

remaining parts of chapter

38 and in chapter 39 and

40 and 41.

And what's fascinating

about the way that the

Lord questions Job is how

he does it.

How will God now that he

finally speaks, how will

God finally address Job's

situation?

How will God finally

resolve the conflict that

Job has in his heart?

How will God help to

clarify the confusion that

Job had?

And God says in verse 3,

dressed for action like a

man.

I will question you and you

make it known to me.

God begins by establishing

who the authority is.

God begins by helping Job to

understand his rightful place.

not as one who has the

right to challenge God, but

as the one who is a subject

of God who is over all.

And Job is referred to God

throughout this book as

Shaddai, the one who is

over all creation.

And God wants Job to be

reminded of the fact,

remember who your creator is.

Remember who the one who has

the right to ask questions is

and let that settle your own

heart.

I just want to read a few

pieces of this.

See if you can begin to hear

the answer that God gives to

Job about his situation.

Verse 4.

Where were you when I laid the

foundation of the earth?

Tell me if you have

understanding.

Who determined its

measurements?

Surely you know.

Or who stretched the line

upon it?

On what were its bases sunk?

Or who laid its cornerstone?

When the morning stars sang

together and all the sons of

God shouted for joy?

Verse 8.

Who shut in the seas with the

doors when it burst out from

the womb?

Verse 12.

Have you commanded the morning

since your days began and

caused the dawn to know its

place?

Verse 16.

Have you entered into the

springs of the sea or walked

in the recesses of the deep?

Verse 19.

Where is the way to the

dwelling of light?

Where is the place of

darkness?

Verse 22.

Have you entered the

storehouse of the snow or

have you seen the storehouse

of the hail?

Verse 25.

Who has cleft a channel for

the torrents of rain and a

way for the thunderbolt?

Verse 28.

Has the rain a father?

Or who has begotten the

drops of dew?

Verse 31.

Can you bind the chains of

the chains of Pleiades or

loose the cords of

Orion?

Can you lead forth the

mazeroth, which is another

word for constellations, in

their season?

Or can you guide the bear with

its children?

Verse 34.

Can you lift up your voice to

the clouds that a flood of

waters may cover you?

Verse 41.

Who provided for the raven its

prey when its young ones cry

to God for help and wander

about for lack of food?

What is the answer?

How does God begin to answer

Job's question?

What's fascinating about this

whole discourse that we're

going to see from chapters 38

to 41 is God will not give

Job any new revelation.

God will tell Job exactly the

things that Job has already

affirmed about who God is.

He is sovereign.

He is just.

He is benevolent.

He is over all.

He is the one who guides and

governs.

He is wise and strong.

All of these things that Job has

already given assent to, God

will confirm through this

speech.

There is nothing in this

speech from God that Job

doesn't already know.

That's really amazing to me.

You see, Job already had what

he needed.

Job had access to revelation

and Job had drawn out from

creation those truths and those

truths were enough to help Job

through this situation.

Essentially, to summarize and to

kind of pull it all together, God's

like, I am creator.

I am not destroyer.

I am a God of benevolence in care.

I take care of my creatures.

I do not crush them.

I am a God of order and design.

I'm not a God of chaos.

I'm a God of wisdom.

I'm not a God who can be trifled

with.

You can be challenged.

I am the God who is overall.

I am sovereign and ultimate.

And you can trust me, Job.

There's nothing about what God

says that Job didn't already know.

And that, by the way, is the issue

for all of us.

There are things that we know about

God and we can't accuse God of leading

us into sin when he's already revealed

himself to us through his word.

And that every disobedience of our life

is a result of a lack of faith,

not a lack of knowledge.

Let me just give you a couple examples

as I close.

To the one who struggles with lust,

God is the one who takes care of your needs.

The one who struggles with stealing,

God is the one who provides.

You can trust him to take care of your needs.

To the one who is often afraid,

God is the one who delivers.

God is the one who is in control.

God is the one who is strong.

To the one who struggles with jealousy,

God has made me in his image.

And God has made me the way he wants me to be

and he desires to use those things

according to his purpose.

And I don't need to be jealous of other

people's gifts.

For those who dishonor their parents,

we understand that we're not at the top

of the pile.

That God is the one who is ultimate.

For those who lie,

we know that God knows it all.

God is not disguised and we are exposed

to him.

He's not limited.

For those who feel at the end of themselves,

we recognize that God's yoke is easy,

his burden is light,

and he just desires for us to entrust

our anxieties and our pressures to him,

to cast all your cares upon him

because he cares for you.

We know those things to be true,

and so when we wrestle with anxiety

in fear,

in lust,

in lying,

in jealousy,

in bitterness,

in frustration,

in anger,

whatever it is,

it is not a deficiency of knowledge

but a deficiency of faith.

And that's what I believe

God is doing for Job.

You know these truths.

Put them to work.

Trust me.

I am these things.

And you can rest in those truths.

And God wants us to do the same.

And when we feel at the end of ourselves,

and I trust we feel that often,

that is a gift to us.

And so in that wrestling with God

where we feel like we're at the end of ourselves,

it is a gift to us

to point us to dependence on him.

Oh may God help us to do

what the folks in Psalm 107 did,

and that is

that we cry out to the Lord

and he delivers us

and helps to answer

those struggles that we face.

Let me pray.

Lord, thank you for your steadfast love.

That loyal, dependable love

in your presence

and your power

and for your wisdom.

And Lord, I pray that you would help us

to put our confidence in that.

Whatever the situation is

that we're facing

and that we would see

that you are

who you say you are.

You are wise.

You are sovereign.

You are strong.

You are in control.

And we can trust you.

May our lives reflect the truths

that we say we believe in.

And may they show up from day to day.

So the world around us says,

I want to know your God.

May that be true of us,

I pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

God bless you.

Have a great week.