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August 12, 2018
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BIBLE PASSAGE: JOB 38: 1-41
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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
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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 2nd
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.
