Warren Phillips - Hast Thou Considered My Servant Job - Class 4 - The Speeches of the Almighty (Part 1)

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:00

   Our first period speaker was President Warren Phillips, who was speaking on the subject. Passed out, considered my servant Joe the subject for this, the 4th class being the voice of the Almighty. Good morning everyone. Once again, with your permission, I would like to give a very brief review of what we’ve been looking at so far this week so that we’ll be able to fit it properly into the comments that we have to make this morning.

2. 0:32

   If you remember, we started out by considering Job and how that he was a very righteous individual, highly complimented in the beginning of the book of Job. And yet we find that there was an enemy that felt that his righteousness is only a good business deal with the Almighty, That God was actually paying Job for being righteous and Job was merely selling his righteousness to God.

3. 0:54

   And consequently this an enemy, this individual that did not feel that he should emulate the life of Job because he felt that it was not based on a good premise, or probably because he wanted to do his own thing anyway, was encouraged by the Lord to emulate the life of Job, to take into consideration the way that Job lived. And he challenged that way.

4. 1:16

   And because of it we find that the Lord permitted him to remove the wealth of Job, including his children, his ten children being put to death, and then Job in a very reduced state of emotion, very saddened state of emotion, very great state of depression. Was it the place where that if anyone would curse God, he probably would under those circumstances?

5. 1:40

   And yet still he maintained his integrity. He said, The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. And at a further meeting of the ecclesia we find that this enemy is present. And once again the Lord asked him if he had considered his servant Job a man that feared God in his true evil, that there was none like him in all the earth, and he makes the charge considered that lets us consider that he felt that Job was even more wicked than he had thought him to be at the beginning.

6. 2:09

   He said skin for skin all will a man give for his own life. And he told the Lord that if indeed he was to remove the good health that Job enjoyed, that Job would then curse him to his face, because he didn’t really care too much about his wealth. He cared little to nothing about his own children.

7. 2:28

   He was only interested in his own life. And if this was placed in jeopardy, or even taken away, but certainly placed in jeopardy, his attitude toward God would certainly change. We find that the Lord permitted this enemy to reach forth and touch Job, and Job was smitten from the crown of his head to the sole of his sweet with boils. The only restriction being was that he was not to remove his life.

8. 2:54

   So we find that job is then placed in a position of agony for a long period of time and we have him here on the chart at your right in a condition of tremendous agony, suffering because of the condition that he was under. And then we have a series of very interesting events that take place. First of all, we find that his wife comes on the scene. We find that she makes a suggestion that rather amazes us, suggesting to Job that he curse God and die. Her idea was not that of a wicked woman. Job gently rebukes her and says be not as a silly woman because she was beginning to talk like a woman that was not interested in the things of God, but instead he suggests that she return to her ways of righteousness that she had always had before. Her idea was that if indeed Job could get God angry enough at him, God would kill him and then he wouldn’t be suffering anymore.

9. 3:54

   She would much rather see him in the grave in peace, sleeping in the dust of the earth, than suffering the torment that he was suffering at that time. And therefore she suggests that he cursed God and die. After this we find that his three friends come on the scene that had come from quite a distance away. They will not fair whether friends, they are willing to sit with Job for a period of seven days without saying a word. Even though Job’s condition to look at was very repulsive, and even though there was present at that time a very obnoxious stench, they still stayed with him until finally Job curses his day, feeling that it would have been better if he had never been conceived, then that he come into life to the position that he is now in this condition of suffering. He wished, if it since he had nothing to do with the night of conception, that he could at least have been stillborn and that he would not have lived and would not have come to the position of suffering that he’s in. And if that be not the case, that he could at least have died in infancy, so he wouldn’t have grown up and come to this position of suffering that he’s in. And if that still couldn’t be the case, why is it that he couldn’t die then right then, at that period of suffering, instead of having it linger on and on and on? Why not?

10. 5:12

    And so he curses his day. And this opens up the opportunity for Job’s three friends to speak their piece. And therefore we find a debate of 28 chapters ensuing, Whether Job’s three friends believing in the doctrine of exact retribution, believing that God punishes a person a little if they commit a little sin, or a lot if they commit a big sin.

11. 5:32

    Believing that that punishment is immediate. They recommend that Job confess whatever it was that he had done wrong. Because they looked upon Job and they said, now there is a great sufferer, therefore he must indeed be a great Sinner. And so they suggested that Job confess his sins and repent of them, and seek forgiveness from God. And God would heal him, and he wouldn’t be undergoing the agony that was then present.

12. 5:58

    Job answers their arguments. Of course he knew he hadn’t committed any particularly hideous sin. We know it as well because of the complimentary statements about Job at the beginning of the book. But of course, Job and his three friends and his wife, and also the young man alive who have no knowledge whatever of why it is that Job is suffering. But Job knew that he hadn’t committed any particularly terrible sin, and therefore he calls upon them to name what that sin could possibly be.

13. 6:27

    They’re not able to do so. Later on in the debate, we find they even accuse him of sins of omission, but that also he denied, and having debated throughout these 27 chapters, his three friends are put to silence. Job is left victorious in the field, having changed his view in regard to the doctrine of exact retribution, but still felt that God had not quite treated him properly.

14. 6:50

    And therefore, throughout his statements he has throughout the debate, he’s made some very awkward statements about God, feeling that God has taken away his judgment. In other words, God hasn’t treated him quite justly. He essentially is accusing God of doing wrong, and this is very, very unfortunate indeed. During that period he cries upon cries to God, asking that he might have it out with him, that he might actually be able to talk with him, have a debate with God. But of course the Almighty remains silent and therefore accused God of not answering prayer, of not answering him when he called upon him.

15. 7:31

    We find then that he had another request. He felt that if God wouldn’t have it out with him face to face, so that they could sit down and discuss the matter together, which Job felt, he would very easily be able to prove that he was right and God was wrong. He requested a dazed, someone who would be a mediator or go between an arbitrator. He called upon someone to be an arbitrator, feeling that if indeed he could have someone that would be an arbitrator right away.

16. 7:58

    This arbitrator would see that he was right, that Job was right and God was wrong, and therefore he would take up his position before God and he would be exonerated. We find that as we move a little bit further on, after Job’s three friends have been put to silence, a young man does come on the scene and this young man is Eli who who says that he’s the one that he sought for. He indeed is that Dazemith that Job was requesting. But much to Job’s surprise, instead of taking Job’s side against God, he takes God’s side against Job. And he answers a number of the very unfortunate claims that Job had made that God, pointing out in his first speech that God is neither arbitrarily hostile nor is he silent. That God wasn’t actually the enemy of Job, as Job had claimed him to be, and that God did not remain silent. That the problem wasn’t that God hadn’t spoken, but the problem was that Job wasn’t listening.

17. 8:58

    And he pointed out that there are three ways that God can speak. He can speak in a dream. He can speak in an open vision, such as an angelic visitation, or he can speak to an individual on beds of pain. And you know, there are sometimes times when we do not listen to the open visions of God that are revealed to us in the word of God. The problem isn’t that God hasn’t spoken to us. We have our Bibles before us.

18. 9:25

    We have the opportunity to read and to study it. Sometimes we don’t listen to the still small voice of the Almighty. And therefore, there are times in our life when he permits, perhaps even brings, periods of trial and tribulation upon us so that at that time we’ll sit up and take notice and how often it is when life is going just beautiful for us. But even though we may be religiously inclined and we may show up regularly to the memorial service and either other events throughout the week that perhaps we haven’t grown twice to as close to God as we do when we have a difficulty in our life.

19. 10:03

    When perhaps we may be upon beds of pain. When pain comes something. That we can’t. Cope with ourselves. Then we set up and take notice and turn our thoughts to God and seek His help and guidance fervently in prayer, much, much more fervently than when things seem to be going just fine in every aspect of our life.

20. 10:23

    And so we find that Eli, who points out that pain is not just the punishment, although sometimes it may be, but that pain can also be disciplinary. To bring an individual to God. To bring a closeness to God. To correct problems in their life. To make them listen when they might not listen nearly as attentively when things are going just fine in their life. And so we worked our way through the 1st 3 speeches, or nearly the 1st 3 speeches of Elihu yesterday. We find there’s a fourth for us to consider this morning before we move into the voice of the Almighty. The first speech of Elihu showing that God was neither hostile nor silent.

21. 11:07

    The second speech showing that the judge of all the earth will indeed do right. And we find that they were two interesting charges that Job had made against God, one of which I can find in my notes. Job had charged that God had not been judged with him, and he also had charged that it was not profitable to be righteous. And first of all, in the second speech, if I who shows that the judge of all the earth will indeed do right that God has demonstrated His goodness, his mercy, his care, his guidance, his justice, his generosity in his creation and sustaining of this entire world, and how that He’s given us, even in our mortal life, a very wonderful life that we can enjoy, He has not created us merely to torture us. This is not the purpose.

22. 12:01

    And he proves that God has demonstrated in his generosity the fact that he is a good and just God. And also points out that if we expect the rulers of this world, human beings, to govern righteously, how much more would we expect? That the Creator and Sustainer of all things would indeed govern his world in a good and righteous and just manner? That God was not Job’s enemy, that he had not taken away his his judgment, but indeed that God was still a good and a beneficent God.

23. 12:35

    And in the third speech, he goes on to answer Job’s another one of Job’s charges where that righteousness does not profit a man. And it was in this area that we quickly had to bring our class to an end. Yesterday we find that he pointed out to Joe that we can do nothing in our own righteousness to give God anything. We can do nothing in our iniquity to take away anything from God.

24. 13:01

    And since we can either give God anything or take away anything from God, therefore righteousness or iniquity must affect men and not God. Our righteousness can bring blessings upon ourselves and upon other individuals with whom we live, while our iniquity can bring undesirable things upon ourselves and upon other individuals with which we live.

25. 13:28

    A very interesting argument. And then we find that we brought our class to a stop. But there’s one other point that I would like to bring out in that third speech and would like, therefore, to do so. This morning, Job had called upon God. He certainly had prayed to God, and God hadn’t really answered his prayer.

26. 13:48

    At least he hadn’t answered him in the way that Job had hoped that he could. There is sometimes when we pray to God and we say God doesn’t answer our prayer. You know, there are three ways in which God can answer our prayer. He can say yes and grant our petition immediately, or He can say no and not grant the petition we asked for, because in His divine wisdom he realizes that perhaps it wouldn’t be good for him, for us, or in harmony with what God has in store for us, or his entire plan of salvation. And yet there’s another way that God might answer prayer, and that may be the most obvious way of all. Sometimes when we pray, he tells us to wait a while to test our faith and to see if we’ll be fervent in prayer, that we’re really interested in what we’re praying for and to test our motives.

27. 14:34

    We do find that Eli, who brings up an exception. He brings up a reason for why sometimes God might not answer or apparently answer someone’s prayer. He points out that the attitude of an individual behind that prayer is very, very important. Of course, James discusses this to a degree, doesn’t he? He says you ask and you ask him this, that you might consume it upon your own lust.

28. 15:01

    We do find that there are individuals who may not be interested in God in righteousness and God’s way of salvation and God’s way of life. In fact, they may be very obnoxious in their life toward God. We find that sometimes these individuals, however, when they come across a problem in their life that they can’t cope with themselves when they’re placed in dire straits, will all of a sudden become extremely religious and they’ll turn to God and prayer to seek His help and his guidance, asking that he might give them something. We might say that they have the gimmicks, they only pray to God because of something they may get out of him, even though they’re not really interested in God or his great plan of salvation.

29. 15:46

    Perhaps as an example of this, we may find it might be a soldier who is not a bit religiously inclined until all of a sudden he has to be set forth to battle in the front line, and he realizes that his life is at stake. He realizes that this may be a problem, that he’s not going to be able to cope with himself, and therefore before he goes into the battle, he does something that he may never have done before in his life. He suddenly turns and prays to God and seeks his help. But then when he returns from the battle, if indeed he does, he completely forgets his sudden religious inclinations and goes right back to his old way of life without any interest in God or his plan of salvation whatsoever. And God, we’re told by a lie, Who is not interested in answering the prayers of that type of an individual? How would you feel if you had a neighbor who just disliked you so intensely that they couldn’t say a nice word about you to anybody else on the block?

30. 16:47

    In fact, they spent their whole time going around trying to spread stories about you that were not true, stories that were extremely uncomplimentary. They never say a nice word to you until all of a sudden they’ve got a problem. Their hose breaks and they want to water their lawn and suddenly they come across from the other side of the fence and they come up to you and tell you what a nice fellow you are.

31. 17:09

    Say, oh, you’re a wonderful Paul fellow, can I borrow your hose? We wouldn’t be too interested in lending that individual the hose, would we? We’d feel that all they’re interested in is getting something out of us, that they’re not really interested in us. They’re not really a friend, and if an individual spends a great deal of their life cursing God and the way in which they talk, disregarding totally, God’s laws and statues and commandments have nothing to do with his plan of salvation or even reading His word. Is it possible that when they reach a point of of difficulty in their life of trial and tribulation, realizing they can’t cope with it themselves, then they turn to God and say, oh please give me your help.

32. 17:54

    Is God really going to answer that type of an individual? We find that Eli, who brings up this problem and says, now look, Job, even though you may have been a righteous individual throughout your life, even though you’ve made righteousness a way of life, you are placing yourself in company with this type of individual that disregards the things of God and continually blasphemes against the things of God.

33. 18:21

    You’re putting yourself very much in the same position that your wife did when you began to suffer when she suggested that you curse God and die. He was not that type of an individual, but she was beginning to talk as the silly women talk, as the women who aren’t interested in God’s plan of salvation. Talk and you’re doing much the same thing by claiming that God is not just that he’s unrighteous, that He’s doing that which isn’t right, that he doesn’t answer prayer, that he’s your enemy.

34. 18:49

    What you’re doing is talking about God in much the same respect as individuals who aren’t even religiously inclined at all. That’s the type of individual you sound as though you are. And while you’re talking like that, even though you may have lived a life of righteousness, why should God answer a prayer like that?

35. 19:08

    Why should he answer you when you’re taking the improper attitude and virtually challenging him? This is not the right attitude to have. You sound an awful lot like these unrighteous individuals, and God is not going to answer that type of prayer. A rather interesting argument that Eli who presents And then we find that Eli who goes into his fourth speech where he returns somewhat to the general idea that he presented in his first speech. Now I remember part of that first speech, he pointed out that God will try a person with pain for a very definite purpose so that eventually they might be saved from the pit. And we noticed as we went through that first speech how often it was that Eli who mentioned that the purpose of pain was to either bring a person back from the pit or to save them from going into the pit. And we noticed how.

36. 20:08

    What an excellent idea it is that the Almighty might chasten us now that we might avoid eternal death instead of just letting us go our own way and not having an opportunity to be in the Kingdom of God, because our way may not be the correct way. He’s outlined the truth and the Scriptures true, but there may be times when we may deviate from those things which are pleasing in His sight.

37. 20:33

    It’s much better that we be corrected now and undergo pain and difficulty now that we might be brought to a proper condition to stand before the judgment bar of Christ. And don’t we do the same with our own children? It’s not that we want to make them suffer when we correct them or punish them or spank them. It’s because we want to bring them up so that when they mature, they’ll be good, righteous men and women. That’s the purpose.

38. 21:00

    It isn’t because we delight in making them uncomfortable in our correction and punishment. And likewise, it’s not that God delights in making us uncomfortable in correcting us, but it’s much better that He correct us now in this life, then let us go our merry way and lose the opportunity for everlasting life in the Kingdom of God.

39. 21:22

    It’s better that we be corrected with pain now that we might be saved from that eternal pit. And in this 4th chapter fourth speech, He comes back to that same general idea that suffering can indeed be disciplinary. It can be for the purpose of bringing a man to God. It can be for the purpose of improving a man much more than proving him it has a definite purpose. And it starts out by saying.

40. 21:52

    That he will. Speak on God’s behalf. We find that this speech begins in the 36th chapter. We’ll notice in the second verse the latter part. It says I yet have to speak on God’s behalf. And in the third verse it goes on to say I will fetch my knowledge from afar and will ascribe righteousness unto my maker. In other words, Eli, who is telling Job that he is going to stand up for God, that he is going to show that God is righteous after all, that he’s really doing the right thing. He’s going to speak for God and show that God is. Righteous.

41. 22:29

    We find that Elihu, being a mediator, is representing God to man instead of man to God, much as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did in His ministry. Now we know that He sits on the right hand of the Father, making intercession for our sins. But during his ministry, he represented God to man, living a godly life, manifesting God in his own life so much that he could say that ye who have seen me have seen my Father.

42. 22:58

    And likewise we find that a liable, instead of representing Job to God and saying to God that he hadn’t treated Job right, represents God to Job, showing that God has indeed been righteous, that he does not delight in the destruction of the wicked. But his purpose is to bring people to God, so that eventually they’ll have an opportunity to be in the Kingdom of God.

43. 23:23

    And he brings up a rather interesting point in this speech. He points out that chastisement can work in two ways. That chastisement can bring individuals who are really interested in the things of God closer to God, and I hope that can include each and every one of us in this room. However, for an individual who is truly rebellious, it can work in exactly the opposite way.

44. 23:49

    It can make them even more rebellious. In other words, when we have a difficulty, such as an accident or a dread disease that may bring a tremendous amount of pain upon us, or some type of calamity in our life, how do we react to it? Do we say, here’s an opportunity for me to grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, God is correcting me. He’s giving me a chance to grow so that I’ll be more suited, so that I’ll be able to stand to prove when I stand before the judgment power of Christ?

45. 24:20

    Or do we say, boy, if God is going to treat me this way, I certainly don’t want anything to do with him. Indeed, chastisement can bring the righteous closer to God, and it can bring those who are naturally rebellious to further rebellion and separate them further from God. I knew many years ago. In fact, it was first, when I first came into the truth how that a man was extremely embittered. He was a brother in the truth, and he turned away from the truth.

46. 24:49

    He was still rather young and his wife had just died and he felt that if God was going to let his wife die and take his wife away from him, he didn’t want anything to do with him. Instead of saying, look, I’ll have an opportunity to be reunited with her in the Kingdom of God, here’s a chance for me to accept the chastisement of God.

47. 25:12

    Instead, he was a rebellious individual and turned and went exactly in the opposite direction. And I wonder how often it is when we have trials of tribulation. We say, why me? Why is God treating me in the way he is? And we may find that we are instead of an individual that is accepting the chastisement of the Almighty, that we’re somewhat rebellious. And it brings that rebellion out more than it ever showed in the past.

48. 25:36

    And so here we have an opportunity to separate the wheat from the chaff within ourselves. Are we going to accept the chastisement of God that we might grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Or are we going to be more rebellious than we ever were in the past and look upon these chastisements as God being mean to us, and therefore turn our back on him completely?

49. 25:56

    That’s the choice that we have. How do we respond to it? And here we find that Eli, who points out that Job has an opportunity to be purified through suffering. And he also points out that riches are not going to deliver anyone. Job had been a very rich, a very wise, a very influential man in the community, and this had all been lost. Was Job going to accept the chastisement of God and go on and say what he had said at the beginning? The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

50. 26:28

    Or is he going to rebel against God and say God really hasn’t treated me right after all? He also brings up another interesting argument. In this last speech. He gives us that it’s the only place I know in the scriptures. Perhaps others know other than just a definite commandment that we shouldn’t commit suicide or desire to be dead.

51. 26:48

    He gives us a reason as to why we shouldn’t desire death. I find it’s a very interesting reason. And it goes like this. The wages of sin is death. And if we indeed desire to be dead for any reason, what we are really desiring is the wages of sin, and therefore we’re choosing sin by implication instead of righteousness.

52. 27:15

    And he had Job that cursed his day, if we remember. And did you notice the three friends said virtually nothing about that. It’s left for the young man a lie who to speak up and to say something about it. And so he recommends that Job be willing to accept suffering instead of desiring the wages of sin.

53. 27:33

    We find this outline for us in the 20th and 21st verses of this 36th chapter of Job. You might like to see it. Let us read it together. Desire not the night when people are cut off from their place. In other words, don’t desire to be dead, Don’t desire to die and go into the grave, even though by so doing you may be freed from the pain that you’re now undergoing. Verse 21 and 10 Take heed.

54. 28:01

    Regard not iniquity for this. Hast thou chosen rather than affliction? In other words, he’s willing to choose the wages of sin, which is death, instead of to suffer the affliction that he was undergoing at that time. A rather interesting argument. And, you know, we might pause for a minute and suggest that the perhaps this is 1 very good reason why we shouldn’t be murderers, Why we shouldn’t kill. Of course we know that it isn’t nice to kill somebody. We know that it certainly would hurt them. It would deprive them of something that they have. All of this is true, and it certainly would be disregarding the commandments of God, and that’s a good reason in itself. But what’s the reason behind it?

55. 28:44

    If indeed we put somebody to death, what we’re doing is being the servants of sin. The wages of sin is death. And if we kill someone, what we’re doing is serving sin, we’re helping sin. And if we kill ourselves, if we desire to die, what we’re really desiring is iniquity or sin instead of desiring righteousness.

56. 29:05

    A very interesting argument, one that I would never have thought of if it wasn’t tucked away here in this rather obscure section of the Scriptures in the midst of this. The words of Eli, who back here in the book of Job. So we find that having presented all of these arguments, having shown that pain can be for another purpose other than just punishment, or the fact that we are mortal and therefore are capable of having pain, it’s part of our mortality.

57. 29:35

    We find that Elihu points out that it can be disciplinary, it can bring a person to God, it can be for the purpose of correcting them, that eventually they might have everlasting life in the Kingdom of God. Then we find in Elihu’s words that he goes on and makes a very interesting preparation for the Almighty, whether or not he himself realized that that’s what he was. Doing, we find that he does prepare the way for the voice of the Almighty.

58. 30:04

    In a very, very beautiful way, we notice in the chart that we have here over on the right side of the hall, how that up above the young man Elihu, we have a gathering storm. And that isn’t in there just to say, well, we want to put something up in the sky to balance off the picture.

59. 30:20

    It’s there for a purpose. We find here, in the words of Elihu, that he likens God unto a storm. And he likens many of the things in a storm to the various attributes of God, such as, for instance, the Thunder typifies the fearful voice of God. At first, when God is a long ways away, when the storm is a long way off, you can hear the Thunder rolling in the distance, it’s not really very terrifying.

60. 30:46

    It’s a noise that you can hear off on the horizon. You realize that there’s something there, there’s something coming. But when it gets close, it’s sharp, very loud, terrifying, very much like the voice of God can be sharp and terrifying when it’s very close. So much so that if we remember when the voice of God spoke to the congregation of Israel in the wilderness and gave the 10 commandments audibly so that the entire.

61. 31:11

    Congregation could hear it. They were frightened, and they asked Moses that he would if he would go and talk with God and bring the information from God, because they were afraid to hear his voice themselves. And so here we find that Eli, who likens the Thunder unto the voice of God, that can be just a gentle rumble in the distance, or can be sharp and fearful when it comes very, very close. He likens the lightning unto the unto the judgments of God, showing that God can indeed be extremely destructive. If he finds that a necessity within his wisdom also he considers the rain as one of the blessings of God. And here we can look upon the rain in two ways. We know that if the rain is a torrential rain, it can destroy, can’t it?

62. 31:57

    It can beat the crops down and destroy those crops that have been coming up upon which we depend for our own life. But on the other hand, if the rain falls gently, it can nourish those crops so that they will grow and bring us life. The very same rain can react in two different ways.

63. 32:16

    It can be either beneficial or it can be destructive and. You know what’s rather? Interesting as we look back Speaking of rain. We know in the. Days of the flood, those very same floodwaters that destroyed wicked humanity from the earth, bore up the ark that saved Noah and his family and those that were with him in the ark, the very same waters that destroyed the wicked save the righteous.

64. 32:42

    And here we find that we have a reflection here of both the goodness and the severity of God. He can be severe at times. He can also demonstrate his goodness at times. It comes from the same source, and we should recognize it as such. And so we find that a preparation is now made for the coming of the voice of the Almighty.

65. 33:06

    We have the storm clouds that are gathering. Whether or not there was actually a storm that was gathering at that time is questionable. It may very well be that these clouds that seemed to be the gathering of a thunderstorm may have been clouds that shielded the overwhelming brilliance of the Shekinah glory. We find that on many occasions in the Scriptures God’s brilliance has been secluded by clouds because it would be just too bright for men to look upon. We certainly have that brilliance at the time of the Exodus and the wandering of the wilderness. When we find that the cloud shielded that overwhelming brightness of the Shekinah glory from the children of Israel, we find that the cloud descended upon the Tabernacle of the wilderness to shield that glory.

66. 33:53

    We find that the cloud also descended to shield the glory of God when it came down upon the temple that Solomon had built. We also have a record of the departing of that glory and Ezekiel when slowly it left, first arising and going off to to the hills and then finally to the horizon and finally disappearing. We also have again that Shekinah glory. When the Lord Jesus was transfigured before his apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration, and how that his clothes were transfigured so that no fuller on earth could white them, and a voice appeared saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

67. 34:31

    Hear ye him, And we find that this Shekinah glory seems to crop up quite often throughout the scriptures. It may very well be that this apparent storm that was gathering was actually a cloud that was shielding the Almighty for as we come. Down a little bit further and we. Find, starting with the 38th chapter that we’ve read this morning, that verse one, the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said it would seem that this gathering storm was not really a natural storm, but was actually the clouds that secluded the Shekinah glory, and that the Lord was really speaking to Job out of that whirlwind, out of that cloud. Now we do find that Job in the past had made a request that he be able to have it out with God, that he have an opportunity to talk with God, feeling that he would be able to show that he was right and that the Almighty was wrong. And he suggests two ways in which this discussion might take place and that we find in the 13th chapter of Job, verse 22. In fact, both of these ways are brought out in that 22nd verse of that 13th chapter.

68. 35:50

    He suggests that either then call and I will answer, or let me speak and answer thou me. It could proceed in two ways. Either Job would address God and God answer the charges that Job would make, or else let God speak, and then Job would answer what God had to say. And here we find back in the 38th chapter of Job that God chooses the 1st way, which is the only proper way that God could choose and uphold His Majesty and holiness. Could you imagine Job little insignificant Job cross examining the Almighty like a prosecution attorney might cross examine someone on the witness stand? Would this be proper, that a man would cross examine God and God would have to answer him?

69. 36:51

    Wouldn’t it be much more fitting for the holiness and majesty of the Almighty that the Almighty speak and then see what Job had to answer in? Regard. To his cross examination it would seem much more fitting. And that’s the way that the Lord chooses. And so we read on. Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

70. 37:14

    Gird up now thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. He chooses that first way of first the Almighty speaking. And then, if Job has anything left to say, let him speak up. It’s the proper way that it should be done. And so we find that the Almighty proceeds with his first speech. Now it’s interesting to note that the Almighty makes 2 speeches.

71. 37:41

    Each of these speeches are divided into two sections. This morning, I hope. That we can consider, if not totally, at least partially, the first speech of the Almighty, certainly the first part. I hope we can get through to the second part and what I’d like to do is flip this chart and we’ll take up another chart will be interesting.

72. 38:04

    But I have some of the lend me a quick hand. We have three further charts for your consideration. It would seem most appropriate to me that we would all look upon the speeches of the Almighty is far more important than any of the other speeches that have been given by anyone in the book of Job. Certainly the words of Almighty are more important than Job’s talks.

73. 38:37

    Or his three. Friends talks, or what his wife had to say, or even what the young man alive who had to say. And here, what we’re trying to do is give you a picture of the first part of the first song of speech of the Almighty. And here we find a picture where we’ve tried to include the five different sections of the Almighty’s first speech.

74. 38:59

    The Almighty challenges Job to begin with here in the 38th chapter, and says where was thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth? And therefore what we have here, of course, is obviously the planet Earth. We’ve tried to depict it so that we depict both day and night, so that we show some of the continents.

75. 39:18

    And of course we’ve tried to take the part of the Earth that would have been a surrounding where Job would have lived at that time, which would have been up about in this area. And so here we find that the almighty challenges Job and says, look, if you really think that you know more about things than I do, where were you when I first created the earth?

76. 39:41

    Where were you? Were you the one that designed it in the 1st place? Were you the architect? Or were you possibly the Carpenter or the Mason that may have laid the foundations thereof, been built upon it until finally the earth was created? Job, if you think you’re so great and know so much more about how to run things than I do, where were you when I created the planet upon which you live?

77. 40:04

    And this very first statement, even if the Almighty hadn’t said anything else whatsoever, would have been enough for Job to realize his position of insignificance and subordinate A subordination to the Almighty. Oh. But the Almighty doesn’t stop at this. Instead, we find that the Almighty goes on. And he said, All right, Job, if you weren’t around when I created the Earth. Have you got any?

78. 40:29

    Idea of the depths of the sea or any idea of the way that I and my might and magnificence control the sea says Why I treat the oceans just like you would treat a little baby. I can measure out the seas in the hollow of my hand. I place the oceans in their limitations, much like you would take a little baby and put it in a playpen because I decreed how far the proud waves of the ocean should go.

79. 40:58

    And he says there I say that proud way should be stayed. I have placed the oceans in the ocean beds and they don’t overflow the land. Much like you would place a little child in a in a playpen and say, look, you’re going to have to stay there. I’m not going to let you run around beyond that point. And so the Lord is beginning to show his tremendous power and might before Job.

80. 41:21

    He then goes on to say, all right Job, if you weren’t around when I laid the foundations of the earth and created the earth, if you have no idea of just how deep the ocean is, let alone have the ability to say how far its waves should come, how about the light and the darkness? Job, do you have any idea where the light goes when the darkness comes, or where the darkness goes when the light comes? Do you have any idea of the extent of the light and the darkness?

81. 41:49

    Could you control it? Do you have any idea of the greatness and magnificence of the creation in which you live? And of course, Job hadn’t created the earth. He couldn’t control the sea. He had no idea of the extent or light or darkness, much less be able to control it. And then he goes on a little bit further than that and says, well, Job, how about the weather?

82. 42:11

    Could you control the weather the way I do? Do you have any idea where the rains come from? Can you make the rainfall from the clouds over your head? Do you have any idea of the storehouses of snow? Do you know where I bring the tremendous volumes of snow that fall upon the earth? Maybe not much in Texas, but in some parts of the earth. Do you have any idea where I keep that tremendous storehouse of stone?

83. 42:37

    And how about the hail? Do you have any idea of that? Where I keep all of those storehouses either? And consequently, Job is now beginning to be reduced to a position where he realizes how insignificant he is. And having been reduced to this position by considering this planet, then we find that the Almighty turns his attention to the stars that are up over his head and said, well, Job, you know, I haven’t just created this planet, I created the entire universe. Do you think you can do like I’ve done? Are you going to be able to create and to order and to establish various constellations such as? Orion and the.

84. 43:18

    Pleiades or Mazaroth and Arcturus, are you going to be able to handle these heavenly bodies as I do? You know, I haven’t only created this minor planet upon which you live and establish the things, the way you see them around about you, but I’ve created this entire vast universe, and who are you to challenge me? Why, Joe, you can’t even make the rain fall out of the clouds that pass over your head.

85. 43:47

    How are you going to take care of the whole universe the way I do? What do you think about that job? And here we find that the end of the first half of the Almighty’s first speech comes. And I would not be a bit surprised, but in this first section where God considers inanimate nature, that he has said enough to put Job in his place.

86. 44:11

    And for Job to just to begin to realize that God has a little bit more to do than take care of 1 little Job. He’s created the entire planet. He controls the entire planet, Yeah, the whole of the universe. Job is only one small part of his creation. And who is Job first of all?

87. 44:31

    To challenge God, or to think that God should only take care. Of him and completely. Forget about the rest of his creation. God has got a lot more to think about than just little old job, and it would do well for us to remember that. God has got a lot more to think about. Than all of the jobs in this room He has to take care of His entire creation, not just us.

88. 44:57

    And consequently we find that the Almighty moves on to the second-half of His first speech. Could you lend? Me, a quick hand. In the first half of his first speech, the Almighty has considered inanimate nature and Job has been reduced to the place where he realized that God has a lot more to do to take care of things in his creation than just a little old Job. But the Almighty isn’t through with Job yet. He’s got an awful lot more to say to Job, and consequently he goes on to animate nature, showing that Job isn’t the only individual, the only creature that he’s created and that he’s taken care of.

89. 45:38

    He carries Job into the animal Kingdom to recognize the various creatures that the Almighty has created and how that he takes care of them and keeps a very. Beautiful. Balance in nature. Now we find that chapter divisions, of course, have been put in by man later on. It’s rather unfortunate that the chapter division, where the 39th chapter begins, wasn’t back at the 39th verse, because really, that’s the beginning of the second-half of the first speech of the Almighty. It’s there that he brings up a very interesting thought. He takes up the question of the lioness going out to seek food for her Cubs.

90. 46:22

    And here we find a very fierce lioness going out to pounce upon this gentle little fawn and to bring back food so that their Cubs would have something to eat. And here we have the a problem that’s being introduced. Remember, Job was suffering, and he had no real idea why he should be suffering and felt that that suffering was unjust.

91. 46:49

    And now the Almighty introduces into his speech the problem of suffering. Here, this lioness is going to go out. This vicious, ferocious, guilty lioness is going to pounce upon this nice, Pretty Little fawn, and she’s going to kill it. And that’s going to introduce suffering to this innocent little fawn. And she’s going to bring back this innocent little fawn to her Cubs so that they’ll be able to eat.

92. 47:18

    Now, what would Job do? How would Job order an established nature? How would he cope with this apparent injustice in nature? Would he arrange it so that this little farm would never suffer and die? And if he did, what about those beautiful little Cubs that the lioness has? Would they therefore starve because of not having any food? It is a tremendous problem, isn’t it? And as we go on tomorrow, because our time has expired today, we’re going to consider a number of these other creatures that the Almighty brings forth to Job. We’re going to see the comparison of one creature with another.

93. 48:00

    We’re going to recognize many individuals within these, and we’re going to draw perhaps one of the most remarkable conclusions that comes from the book of Job. We’ll leave that and for your consideration for a night. And then tomorrow, we’ll take it up again and consider not only the second-half of the first almighty speech, but his second speech, and hope that we can leave the epilogue for Saturday.