The Bible Recap - Day 010 (Job 24-28) - Year 4

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible recap. We're so grateful to all of you who have picked up a copy of the Bible recap book. One of you, our listeners, is the one who thought of this idea, just three weeks into whom we launched this podcast back in January 2019. This has been a long time coming, which is why we're so grateful to your helmet for loving it as you follow along with the podcast and the book together. If you haven't picked up your copy yet, you can find the Bible recap book wherever books are sold or get more info at thebibelrecap.com forward slash books. Today, Joe wrapped up his response to Elifaz's third speech.

Starting point is 00:00:45 In Chapter 24, Joe continues to point out that good things happen to the wicked and also adds that bad things happen to the righteous. Surely you've seen this, too. When I first read this response from Joe, it sounded more like a complaint, like he was kind of whining about it. But the more I looked at it, the more it sounded like he was consoling himself with these details. whining about it. But the more I looked at it, the more it sounded like he was consoling himself with these details, reminding himself that his trials don't negate his status as a righteous man before God, while also trying to convince

Starting point is 00:01:12 his friends as well. Job points out some really important stuff here. We can kind of see that if you follow his friends beliefs to its logical conclusion, you'd be likely to conclude that all those who are healthy and wealthy are living righteous lives, and that those who are poor, sick, and needy are in that situation because of their sin. There is no shortage of people who even subscribe to this type of theology today. One of the dangers of this is that anytime there's a disaster, a fire, or a flood, or a terrorist attack, some very public religious people will say it's God's judgment as if they know the mind of God.

Starting point is 00:01:49 Their guilty of the same reductionism that Job's friends are. In Job's story, we're given a glimpse into God's motives because they're recorded in Scripture, but in every day, 21st century life, we don't have access to that information. People would be wise not to jump to conclusions about why hurricanes and mass murders happen when and where they do. After Job's speech, Bill Dad pushes back, saying that not only is Job unrighteous,

Starting point is 00:02:14 but that it's impossible for a man to be righteous at all. And while there's some truth to this that we can't be perfect, we can be declared righteous by God, despite our actions because of the finished work of Christ. In Scripture, righteousness is often used as a kind of legal term, more of a decision and a declaration by the judge than some accumulated overview of our actions. For every one of us who is adopted into God's family, God, the judge, has declared us righteous. Not because

Starting point is 00:02:45 we tricked him and not because we got more things right than we got wrong, but because God the son, Jesus, lived the perfect life and then granted his perfect righteousness to us. It's a legal transaction. He traded our sinfulness, which we were in full possession of, for his righteousness. He took our death penalty and granted us his kingdom. If you want to talk about what's not there, that's the best place to start. It's unfair in the most beautiful way imaginable. In chapter 26, we see that Job has a reverence for God's mystery that his friends can't seem to grasp. There's a lot to take in here. I thought it was interesting in verse 11 that he references heaven,

Starting point is 00:03:25 trembling at God's rebuke. This makes me think of the conversation we had about the sons of God rebelling against him in heaven. And in verse 12, Job even seems to prophesy about Jesus without even knowing it. Did you catch that? He said, by his power, he stills the sea. I know someone who did that. Job continues to maintain his integrity and even tells them that despite all their rebuking

Starting point is 00:03:49 of him, he feels no conviction. He says, My heart does not reproach me for any of my days. Wow. I've got some things I regret in my life for sure, so I'm not sure I could say that for myself, but Job does. His conscience is clean before God and man. He is certain that this trial is not punishment from God. I love that. That tells me so much about God and who He has revealed Himself to be in Job's life. I want to know God like that,

Starting point is 00:04:17 to such a degree that I don't doubt Him in my trials, that I can be angry and sad, yet still not mistrust Him when things are falling apart. Despite everything, Job points to God as the source of all wisdom. In 28, 28, he says, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding. Lots of Job's words and thoughts are echoed later in Scripture that was written by Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, which tells me that Job had a lot of wisdom, too. And we also saw that in chapter 1, where God said, Job fears God and turns away from evil. So we already know that Job is wise, he's just demonstrating it here through his knowledge

Starting point is 00:04:59 of God. Where did you see God today? What was your God shot? My God shot was in chapter 28, where Job points to God as the source of all wisdom. The fact that we're fixing our eyes on Him, looking for Him, reading His Word daily, you and I are tapping into that source. So even as you may be realizing how little you know of God so far, it even takes wisdom to realize that.

Starting point is 00:05:23 By putting your eyes on his word every day, you're growing in wisdom daily. He is fulfilling his promise to you, that those who seek him with all their hearts will find him. And the even better news for us all is he's not just where the wisdom is, but also he's where the joy is. The Bible recapcap is brought to you by D-group. The discipleship and Bible study groups that meet in homes and churches around the world each week. For more information on D-group, visit mydgroup.org.

The Bible Recap - Day 010 (Job 24-28) - Year 4

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