WHERE WERE YOU?

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August 12, 2018

BIBLE PASSAGE: JOB 38: 1-41

MEMORY VERSE: 1 Peter 4:12 (KJV) 12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: Explanations and some words were taken from: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/job-the-revelation-of-god-in-suffering

INTRODUCTION:

When we are asked if we’ll continue serving the Lord despite struggles, it’s easy for us to respond “YES, AMEN” but it’s easy saying it rather than doing-especially if we weren’t in that situation. How can you go on or press on if you think your sufferings are greater than you could imagine?

Have we experienced losing our love ones not just one but many? Have we experienced losing our jobs and nothing to sustain? Have we experienced losing our other sources of income like businesses? Have we experienced losing a good relationship with our spouse or any family members? Have we experienced losing our strength and now in pain because of sickness?

If we have this kind of situation is it considered okay that we utter questions to God like “Why Lord?”?  Is it normal for us to be disheartened and lose hope in a situation like this? Let’s see in our lesson for today titled, “WHERE WERE YOU?”

Our lesson is taken from Job chapters 38 -42. We know what happened to Job. Job had been lying in unrelieved misery for months with open sores all over his body. During this time, he bore the grief of seven dead sons and three dead daughters. All his wealth had vanished in one afternoon. He had become repulsive to his wife, loathsome to his brothers, and even little children despised him as he lay on the ash heap outside of town.

At first, Job bore these calamities with amazing submission: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord . . . Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil?"

But as the misery drug out over the months, Job wavered in his confidence that God was for him. In defending himself against the bad theology of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, he said things about God that was not true. He began to insist on his own righteousness at the expense of God's justice.

During our sufferings, sometimes we say, “What have I done wrong? I have served God all of my life” and you started questioning God’s ways. This is what happened to Job; pride grew in his heart.

How can we press on if we are bearing great burdens and trials? In our lessons, let’s consider what were the questions asked to Job by the Lord when he was in pain.

LESSON OUTLINE

       1.     WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH? (JOB 38:4)

In verse 3 of chapter 38 God said, “Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me”

In 38:4–7 God focuses on the earth: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding." You weren't there, Job, and you don't know how I did it.

In 38:8–11 God focuses on the sea: "Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb?" It was I, Job, I set its limits, not you. You weren't there, and you don't know how I did it.

In 38:12–15 the Lord focuses on the dawn: "Has thou commanded the morning since thy days and caused the dayspring to know his place?" You never did it. You can't do it. You don't know how to do it. I have always done it. I always will.

In 38:16–18 God focuses on the depth and breadth of the sea and land. Job, you have never even been to the bottom of the ocean or around the world. And you think you know enough to argue with God.

I remember my first time flying in an airplane, I was so amazed by the beauty above the clouds and our recent flight, our third time flying internationally, I was still amazed and thankful to God. I always have reflections every time I see the creation above. You see yourself very little compare to the hands of the Lord upon His creation. What I have seen was just a glimpse of God’s knowledge and how about if you’ll see the whole world. How all things go into place. All you could say there’s SOMEONE who controls everything. KNOWING GOD IS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING GIVES YOU THE COURAGE TO PRESS ON!

We can see in this lesson that if your situations make you doubt God’s ways and control and these hinder you from the press on just look at God's knowledge of everything.

2.    WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I CREATED THE DWELLING PLACES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS? (JOB 38:19)

Then in the last half of chapter 38 God takes his focus off the world below and turns it to the world above.

First, in verses 19–21 he queries Job about the origin of light and dark: "Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof," You don't know where it is or how to get there. But I do, Job. I made the light.

Then, in verses 22–30 (paraphrased) God asks him about snow and hail and rain and frost: Do you know anything about how to store up hail for the day of battle? Would you know how to cut a channel in the sky to make it rain on a land where no man is?

Or lift your eyes even higher, Job, (verses 31–33) and look at the constellations: Pleiades, Orion, Mazzaroth, the Bear! "Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth?"

If not, come back down then and we will just talk about the rain again (verses 34–38). (paraphrased) Can you make it rain? Do you know how to whistle for the lightning so it comes and says, "Here we are!"? Can you count the clouds with your wisdom? Or do my earthly pastimes stretch your mind a bit too far?

So, whether we focus on the earth or the sea or the dawn or the snow or hail or constellations or rain, the upshot is that Job is ignorant and impotent. He doesn't know where they came from. He doesn't know how to make them work. He is surrounded, above and below, by mysteries. And so are we, because the scientific advancements of the last two hundred years are like sand-pails of saltwater hauled from the ocean of God's wisdom and dumped in a hole on the beach while the tide is rising. God is not impressed. And we should be overwhelmed with our ignorance, not impressed with science.

Last 2016, our 2^nd trip internationally, I was sitting on a porch in my sister’s house then I heard something falling, it sounded like small stones or pebbles. I was puzzled and called my sister and she shouted “hail,” she hurriedly opened her car and parked in the garage.  Then I said to myself “oh I see, that’s hail.” Our recent trip, I was checking my mother’s garden and I noticed something on the grass; I asked my sister and she said those were frost. After a few days, my mother called us to see the snow. Those were just simple experiences, but those are learning. Another thing is their time changes every season. I think one of the reasons why they’re workaholic is there sunset and sunrise. I live in the Philippines where the sun sets early (5:00 -6:00pm) but there, it sets 9:00 – 9:30 pm in spring and summer. That’s why they can have more jobs and they can do the mowing after work because their eyes see that’s still daytime and have plenty of time to work.

Those simple experiences make me think of God’s knowledge.  I couldn’t imagine and contain in my mind the knowledge of God on how he controls the different seasons and weather in different countries. I remember the verse in Psalm 139:6 “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” YOUR REALIZATION ABOUT GOD’S KNOWLEDGE GIVES YOU THE HEART TO TRUST HIM AND PRESS ON!!!

       3.     WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I PROVIDE SHELTER AND FOOD FOR ANIMALS? (JOB 38:39)

Then come the queries about the world of animals.

In 38:39–41 God asks who Job thinks provides lions and birds with their food? "Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God and wander about for lack of food?" I do, Job—all over the world. Can you do that?

Or consider the birth of the young (39:1–4). "Do you know when the mountain goats bring forth? Do you observe the calving of the hinds?" Think of it, Job! I am on top of all these things. Every wild deer in northern Minnesota that gives birth—I am there. Every mountain goat in Switzerland and Nepal—when they bring forth, I am there; I know their months. I care for the young.

Think of it, Job! When a man sees a work of God, like your suffering, can he see its connection to ten thousand other realities in the world like I can? If not, how will he dare to judge its wisdom!

Consider the wild ass (39:5–8). "Who has let the wild ass go free?" Do you think there are wild and unpredictable creatures in the world, Job? Guess what? I set them loose. I give them a wilderness for running and the mountain for pasture. They are the work of my hands. Things are quite in order! And you have nothing to do with it.

And so, it goes. The wild ox (39:9–12): you don't know how to bind him or use him. He is mine.

The unwise ostrich (39:13–18): she walks away from her eggs; she treats her young cruelly. Who made her forget wisdom? I did, Job. Even the foolish things are by design. Ostriches and Minnesota mosquitoes and black flies. I govern them all by perfect design.

Of course, not all animals are foolish and useless. Take the war horse (39:19–25), for example. "Do you give him his might? Do you clothe his neck with strength?" You don't know how to do it, Job. I am the only one who does.

Finally, Job, (39:26–30) "Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and spreads his wings toward the south? Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high?"

No! Whether we consider the prey of lions, the birth of mountain goats, the freedom of the wild ass, the insubordination of the wild ox, the stupidity of the ostrich, the might of the warhorse, or the flight of the hawk and eagle, the upshot is the same: Job is ignorant and impotent. He did not make them. He does not know how to control them. He cannot see what they are doing. And yet this ignorant Job presumed to question the ways of God!

In my sister’s place there are animals which I can only see in pictures; there are deer, different turtles, birds, raccoons, moles, geese, squirrel, skunk, buzzard and many more. One time, we saw a dead deer along the side of the road and my sister informed us that most of the time the deer is hit by the car that’s why there are warning signs posted. I don’t usually care about deer or any animals but there’s one time our brother-in-law informed us that there was a deed fawn (young deer) in our front yard. Of course, we need to get the fawn out of there. When I saw the fawn, I felt pity for that animal; I saw many buzzards eating the fawn. We tried to sweep away the buzzards and got the fawn out of the way.  One thing that makes me realize is the buzzards, they eat dead animals. There are animals need to die for them to be fed.

I know some of us here experienced trials and problems and at first, we didn’t know the reasons why we suffered those but along the way of our journey, God allows you to see the good out of bad things. Like the animals, God can see the details in their lives. He can see everything happens in each of us therefore if something happens to you, don’t think God allows it to just hurt you; this is to make you better. Also, don’t be surprised if you face trials like what mentioned in our memory verse.

 1 Peter 4:12-13 (KJV)

¹² Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

¹³ But rejoice, since ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

KNOWING THAT YOU ARE PARTAKERS OF CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS MAKES YOU TO PRESS ON!

CONCLUSION:

Job 42:1-6 King James Version (KJV)

42 Then Job answered the Lord, and said,

² I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

³ Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

⁴ Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

⁵ I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

6       Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.

,We can see in verses 1-2 on how Job submits to God's absolute sovereignty. In verses 3-4 He submits to God's infinitely greater wisdom and knowledge: he has spoken about things of which he is very ignorant. In verse 4-6, he again quotes God and made his own response. In verse 5, the words “but now mine eye sees” caught my attention; he now saw what God wanted him to see during trials. Therefore, it’s important to have spiritual discernment. And the most important, in verse 6, Job repented.