Warren Phillips - Hast Thou Considered My Servant Job - Class 5 - The Speeches of the Almighty (Part 2)

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

1. 0:00

   This is the 1981 Texas Christadelphian Bible School. This is the 5th class on Pastel considered my servant Joe, our speaker, brother Warren Phillips, and his session today, the second session on the speeches of the Almighty.

2. 0:27

   Good morning, everyone. We’ve been working our way through job and as we move along, of course our considerations have built up so that our introduction could become as long as the class. So we’re going to have to take it a little bit easy this morning because I would like to make sure that we do get through as much as we cost possibly can by tomorrow. It’s the end of tomorrow’s session. So very, very briefly, we have considered a man who is extremely blessed by God, very wealthy, a man who had everything this life could give, and another individual who did who felt that the only reason that Job was serving God was because it was a good business arrangement. God had blessed him, and Job was merely giving God what God had already paid for by being righteous before him. The recommendation was that if his his wealth was removed, that indeed he would curse God to his face. This having been removed, we find that Job maintained his integrity.

3. 1:25

   Therefore the enemy suggested that all that Job was interested in was his own life, suggestion that his health be removed, and then he would curse God. Therefore the Lord permitted this to be done as well, and yet Job still maintained his integrity, but was unaware of why it is that all of this had been removed from him. We have a succession of characters that come across the stage.

4. 1:46

   From that point on. We find that his wife comes and recommends that he curse God and die. Not being a wicked woman, but feeling that she’d rather see him dead and in peace than alive and suffering as he is. He very gently rebukes her, guiding her back to the type of righteousness that she’d exemplified in the earlier days of her life. Then comes along Job’s three friends. They’re not Fairweather friends.

5. 2:12

   They feel they know why Job is suffering. They believe in the doctrine of exact retribution. They felt that because Job was suffering tremendously, it must be because he’s being punished because of a particular sin. Therefore they recommend that he confess his sin, that he repent, that he seek God’s forgiveness and that God would indeed turn his captivity, that he would heal him.

6. 2:35

   We have a 28 chapter debate where we find that this doctrine of exact retribution is proven to be incorrect and yet still Job doesn’t understand why it is He’s suffering, feels that God has not treated him quite justly. He desires a days man, hoping that this go between would take his part and would prove to God that God was wrong and that Job was right. Along comes a young man on the scene by the name of Elihu, who is indeed that Daisman, that mediator, that arbitrator, or go between, and he makes a series of four very interesting speeches, being very displeased with both Job as well as his three friends, because the Job had justified himself rather than God, and his three friends had found no answer and yet had still condemned Job.

7. 3:22

   He doesn’t say too much to the three friends because Job had already put them to silence. But instead we find that he challenges Job in his unfortunate accusations against God, which we must remember was said only under extreme stress after a long period of time. And he proves categorically that God is neither hostile nor silent, that God is not unjust in his dealings, that righteousness does profit a man, and that suffering can indeed be disciplinary to bring a man to God. And so we come to have prayed before us another very good reason for suffering.

8. 4:01

   Not only can suffering be a punishment, not only is it part of our mortality, which indeed it is, but we find that it also can draw a person closer to God. We recognized how often it is that when things seem to go just right in our lives, we don’t, even though we may be interested in the things of God, attend meetings regularly, we don’t draw nearly as closely to God as when we’re confronted with a problem that we can’t handle.

9. 4:27

   Then we find that our heart turns directly to God, and we seek Him fervently in prayer. And so suffering can indeed be disciplinary. And if indeed we fail to listen to God, who has spoken to us in a variety of ways, particularly now through His Word, Sometimes God can speak up just a little louder when we’re afflicted on beds of pain.

10. 4:50

    And so we find that they can be a reason for suffering, another reason for suffering, and that is to draw us closer to God. And then we find that the end of Elihu’s speeches, he introduces the Almighty by likening God unto a storm. And then the time comes when the Almighty actually speaks to Job, as Job had earlier desired. We find that he chose a very good way in which to speak. There were two ways that was suggested. Either the Almighty would speak and then Job would answer, or Job would speak and the Almighty would answer him, and the Almighty chose the first.

11. 5:27

    Of course it would be inappropriate that Job should cross examine God. How much more appropriate is for God to speak, and then to see if Job has anything to say to what God has to say? That’s the way the speeches proceed. The Almighty makes 2 very fascinating speeches we considered just over in the first half of the first speech. Each of the speeches are divided into two parts. In the first half of the first speech of the Almighty, we found that God considered inanimate nature. He asked Job where He was when he laid the foundation of the earth.

12. 6:07

    He asked Job if he had any idea of the depth of the sea, or if Job could control the sea as God did, measuring it out in the hollow of His hand. Handling the sea as we would handle the little baby pace, placing him in a playpen, saying that’s the only area that you can go in, as God would say that the sea was placed within its bounds and that there its proud ways would be stayed. He asked Job if he had any idea of the extent of light or darkness, if he knew where the light went when the darkness came, or where the darkness went when the light came. He asked Job if he could possibly control the weather, if he had any idea of the extent of the storehouses of snow or where it was, or if he could possibly make the clouds over his head give forth rain.

13. 6:54

    After that, he drew Job’s attention to the entire universe, asking Job if he could control the constellations such as the Pleiades in Orion or stars such as Mazzaroth and Nocturus. Could he possibly do that? And Job here is reduced to a position of realizing how insignificant he is while he pointed out to Job, if he can’t even cause the rain to fall from the clouds over his head, how could he possibly contain control the entire earth or the universe which God in his infinite power is created and sustains? Job had been brought to the position of realizing how small and insignificant an individual he was, but the Almighty isn’t true with him.

14. 7:37

    Then he goes on now to turn his attention to animate nature. Up to this time he had considered inanimate nature, and that was enough perhaps to make Job realize that he had charged God foolishly. But now he finds he turns his attention to animate nature, and we left off yesterday by considering the first point that’s brought out, that of the lion going out to obtain food for her Cubs.

15. 8:07

    We drew our attention to the lioness as it attacks this lovely little farm, to kill it and to bring back food that its Cubs might have something to eat. And there we recognize that the Almighty had started with a very important subject. Right away our attention has turned to the problem of suffering.

16. 8:29

    When we look at a lioness and recognize it’s beautiful. But in order for a lioness to go on living or to supply food for its Cubs, being a carnivorous animal, they have to go out and hunt other animals. And when other animals are haunted and dropped down and killed, here we have a problem, We’ve got suffering. And here this lovely little fawn, beautiful, gentle, kind little creature is going to be cruelly put to death and to be given to the lionesses Cubs to eat. And so we have the problem.

17. 9:00

    And what would Job do about that problem? Would he indeed find a way to make more justice in nature? Would he upset the imbalance that God has in nature? What would he do about a situation such as that? And that’s where we left off yesterday afternoon, yesterday morning, to consider what we would do on similar circumstances. What about the lioness?

18. 9:27

    And not only that, we also find that after the lioness has killed this lovely little animal and given it to her Cubs to eat, and then they abandoned what is left. Along comes the Raven, and the Raven eats what’s left after that. And there is no correlation between a lion and a Raven. And yet we find that the lion has rendered a service to the Raven as well by leaving a little bit of a kill for that Raven to eat.

19. 9:57

    And it’s not the lionesses idea, but again, we recognize it’s the wisdom of God and make an arrangement in nature so that all of his creatures have an opportunity to eat. And not only that, we find that that which is left and would be left as waste. God has found a way to clean it up and use it as a blessing for his other creatures.

20. 10:18

    It’s a rather beautiful thing. And then the Almighty moves on to consider quite a variety of creatures, which we have before you on this chart, on the right side of the hall, the next thing that he considers. And now we move on to the 39th chapter. We’ve already drawn attention to the fact that the chapter division really should have been at the end of the 38th verse of the 38th chapter.

21. 10:41

    The 39th verse really should be included in the next chapter because it is part of the second-half of this first speech. There is a very distinct change at that point. Then he goes on at the beginning of this 39th chapter, the way we have our Bibles divided to consider the wild goat and the hind.

22. 10:58

    Or we could say the fawn. And he asked Job now about these victims in this process of nature. And he asked Job if he knows anything about the gestation period of these creatures. Does he have any idea how the God has made a provision for them? Without the help of man? You will notice to keep them alive. We would look at such a weak, flimsy creature as this and say, well with all these lionesses around, why is it that they don’t become extinct?

23. 11:30

    How could a creature so I’ll suited to survive? It would seem as this type of creature be able to survive, but God has made provision for it, perhaps because He’s made more of them. But more than that, perhaps he’s made them such shy creatures that they would suddenly run from any noise whatsoever to to avoid danger.

24. 11:54

    And God has arranged a beautiful balance in nature, so that even though these lions are much more ferocious, still these gentle creatures will continue to survive and to bring forth their young generation after generation after generation. How would Job arrange for this process? Would he make changes in it, suggesting that perhaps the Almighty had not been wise in the way he had arranged nature?

25. 12:21

    How would he solve this problem of suffering that’s been introduced? And then he goes on to continually pray to variety of creatures before him. The next thing he considers is the wild ass, and he draws a contrast between the wild ass and the domestic ass, and points out that here the wild ass loves his freedom.

26. 12:42

    It is virtually impossible to be able to capture and train this wild ass as you would his domestic brother. And here we find that the domestic ask can be trained and can be a very helpful animal to mankind. But the wild ass loved his freedom and would not tolerate this type of training. They both look just alike, but boy do they react differently. How come God made them both?

27. 13:10

    Why is it that they look so much alike but react so differently? And he goes on with another illustration that’s very similar, where he considers the wild ox and the domestic ox. The wild ox, which he refers to here, is the Unicorn, the domestic ox as well. And here he points out that the wild ox also loves its freedom, and there’s little or nothing you can do to capture and tame it, or you might capture it to be able to tame it, so that would be of service to you is extremely difficult. But you can have a domestic ox, and you can train that ox to work for you on your farm.

28. 13:47

    Train him to be able to plow the field so much that you hardly even have to guide him, and he’ll continually go back and forth after having been trained and do a very wonderful job for you. They both look alike, but boy do they react differently. How come God made them both? Why is it that they conduct themselves in this way?

29. 14:11

    He then draws attention to the Stark in the ostrich, pointing out that here we have creatures that are similar, at least in one way. They are both birds, aren’t they? But when it comes to the way they take care of their young, it’s very different. We find that the Stark is a very good mother, and good in the way we look at it. We find that she’ll lay her eggs and she’ll tend to those eggs and bring up the young.

30. 14:36

    But when it comes to this, the ostrich. And I’d like to bring out a point here, because I know there’s been a claim against the scriptures, a claim that there are a lot of mistakes about animals in the Bible. There are different kinds of ostriches in the world. The ostrich that’s being referred to here is an ostrich that in the past lived in the Middle East and now is extinct.

31. 14:57

    Some of the ostriches that we have in the world today do take care of the young. It’s very different. But this particular type is now an extinct creature, and when observed at that time, this particular ostrich did not take care of its young. Instead, the ostrich which lay its eggs in the sand, that would be the end of it.

32. 15:16

    Off she would go and not take care of her young whatsoever. God had arranged it so that they would be able to hatch and defend for themselves right away. So here we have a very interesting thing the the ostrich and the Stark. The Stark taking care of its young and bringing them up, the ostrich laying her eggs and then disregarding any responsibility whatsoever for care of its Young’s. They were both birds.

33. 15:42

    Why is it that they reacted so differently? In fact, when we look at the start, well, excuse me, the ostrich, we find that she’s very interested in her own personal well-being. We find that the ostrich can run very, very rapidly, and whenever there’s a commotion whatsoever, whenever there’s anything to alarm her, she’ll turn around and she’ll run in the other direction just as fast as she can go. So fast that it points out that she could actually outrun the horse.

34. 16:09

    Why is it that God has made this creature to take care of itself and totally disregard anything else? And then immediately we have the War Horse brought up, and instead of now having a comparison between the Stark and the ostrich, we now have a comparison between the warhorse and the ostrich. And here with the warhorse, we find that whenever there is a commotion of a battle, the warhorse runs directly toward that battle, totally disregarding its own safely safety, absolutely fearless.

35. 16:42

    And even though it can run almost as fast as the ostrich, we notice the ostrich is running away from harm. The War Horse is running into it without any fear whatsoever for itself. And here we find that God has given similar characteristics to two very different creatures. They both can run fast, but they make use of that ability to run in entirely different ways. How come God made them both?

36. 17:08

    And then He considers the hawk and the eagle how that. Here we have two other creatures that have a similarity between them. Again, they’re both verbs, but we find that they react somewhat differently. And he asked Job, who has taught the hawk to migrate as they do migrate South in the winter time, that is, if they’re living in the Northern Hemisphere, plus who has trained them to do so?

37. 17:36

    Who indeed has given them that ability? And when it comes to the eagle, who has given the eagle the tendency to place its nest very high up on the mountain’s crag? And then to have such an ability to be able to see, sometimes a couple of miles away? To see an animal fall in the forest, so to see its prey, and to be able to swoop down upon it and then bring it back to its young, that they might be able to suck up blood? Have you noticed something in this animate section of the Almighty’s first speech?

38. 18:16

    He starts out with a similar problem to which he ends up with. He starts out with the lioness falling upon this fawn and bringing it back that the young might have something to eat. He starts out by considering the problem of suffering. He ends up the same way with the eagle swooping down, swooping down upon its prey, and bringing it back that the young might suck up blood.

39. 18:40

    And that’s the way it’s worded in our scriptures. And we are confronted both at the beginning and the end of the speech with the problem of suffering. And we say, what is the Almighty trying to show us? And then we find we come to the end of the Almighty’s first speech and it’s up to Job to react.

40. 19:01

    And I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Job is given a period of time to think about what the Almighty has had to say, to let it sink in and to draw some conclusions. And we might wonder just what it is that the Almighty is trying to teach Job that lived well over 3500 years ago, and also all the little jobs that are here in this room this morning.

41. 19:26

    What is the Almighty trying to teach us? What did Job benefit by it? And as we move into the 40th chapter, we find that the Almighty now challenges Job and says, look, we’ve conducted this discussion. Upon your suggestion, I’ve called. Now it’s your turn to answer. What do you have to say for these things? And we find that Job doesn’t have much to say verse one. Moreover, the Lord answered Job and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him He that we prove God, let him answer it.

42. 20:01

    In other words, Job, it’s your turn to speak up. Now what do you think of what I’ve said? Have you learned what I want you to learn? Or could you possibly show me where I’m wrong? And verse three? And then Job. Job answered the Lord and said, Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth once I have spoken, but I will not answer.

43. 20:25

    Yeah, twice. But I will proceed no further. Job was ready to give up before he even started. It only took one speech of the Almighty to put Job totally the silence he would have given in then gladly, without having the Almighty say anything further. But the question first of all before us is, why? What did Job learn from this very remarkable speech of the Almighty?

44. 20:50

    Jobe? In the first part of the speech he recognized how insignificant he was. But was it possible that Job had learned something more than that from the Almighty speech? What did the Almighty mean by this array of animals that he had prayed before Job? Is it possible that he should have been gotten something from it? Well, first of all, I’d like to point out that from back before the flood, we find that God’s creatures were divided into two principal categories, both clean and unclean. Remember when Noah went into the ark, and there was two of each of the creatures that went in unto him But seven of the clean, two of the unclean, 7 of the clean. And so here we find that we have a division of clean and unclean from back before the time of the flood. Job no doubt would have been acquainted with that. And when he looks at this array of creatures, he would recognize in this array of creatures both clean and unclean creatures. And perhaps what he really should recognize is all of mankind depicted in this variety of of animate nature. He should realize in these creatures mankind themselves, where we’ll look at men and we’ll find that two men may look very much alike.

45. 22:08

    I mean, all mankind looks like mankind. And yet how differently we react one from another. Some individuals are very interested in God and His great plan of salvation. There are others that are just disinterested and others are absolutely hostile. And perhaps what Job should have recognized in this group of creatures that were prayed before him was indeed humanity itself, where the creatures that looked very much alike would react very, very differently before God, and he would have an opportunity to see, perhaps in himself and some of those around about him, both clean and unclean creatures.

46. 22:53

    We find that Job is displayed before us at the beginning of the book of Job as a clean creature, as a man that feareth God and his cheweth evil, that there is nothing like him in all the earth, that he was perfect, He was upright. He certainly could be considered as a clean creature, and we could look about him and see people such as the enemy Satan, as it’s called here, who was not interested in the things of God, who was willing to accuse both God and Job of entering into a business deal? And what is the basic principle that God has placed in nature for us to recognize that Job should have recognized that would help him understand another reason for suffering, and we must indeed recognize and understand it if we’re to understand the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It’s a very remarkable principle, and that is that very often the innocent will suffer for the benefit of the guilty. And here we find this guilty It is ferocious, cruel lioness, falling upon this shy, gentle, kind, innocent little fawn. This fawn has to suffer and die, that the guilty lioness might go on living in her Cubs as well.

47. 24:15

    And likewise with the eagle we find that she falls upon prey and brings it back, that her young might suck up blood. And here we have a principle in nature that one purpose for suffering can possibly be that the innocent might suffer for the benefit of the guilty. And when we look at Job, we find that that’s exactly the case. Job is suffering.

48. 24:40

    To try to coach a guilty individual from that way of life which is contrary to God, to bring them back to the to His Heavenly Father, we look upon the Lord Jesus Christ and we find a clean creature, if ever there was 1, suffering for the benefit of the guilty. For who? You know who suffered for you. And He suffered for me.

49. 25:06

    He suffered for all guilty creatures throughout mankind, The innocent suffering for the guilty. A very beautiful, beautiful thought that God has placed in nature. And again, we return to a verse that was brought up in one of the earlier classes that Peter had that wisdom crieth without. She uttereth her voice in the streets. And God has so arranged nature around about us that if we’re willing to take a little time and stop and look and benefit by what we see, we can learn an awful lot about the ways of God from the creation that he has around about us. It’s a rather beautiful thought.

50. 25:45

    And Job now should begin to recognize that perhaps his suffering wasn’t a punishment, as his three friends had suggested. And perhaps, even though he certainly could benefit and is now benefiting from his suffering, as Eli who had said, also his suffering can indeed be for the benefit of someone else as well. It’s a very beautiful thought, and I think that perhaps Job is beginning to recognize it, and therefore he is not going to answer the Almighty. But we find now that he’s willing to give up the debate, willing to set back and say, look, I’ve had enough, I’m going to be quiet.

51. 26:26

    But the Almighty isn’t willing to give up the debate. The Almighty isn’t finished with Job yet because he’s got a lot more to teach him. And consequently, we move into the second of the Almighty speeches here in the 40th chapter. And here we find that God proceeds in a very remarkable way. First of all, Job receives an invitation.

52. 26:49

    He has made the. Claim that he thinks he knows a little bit more about how God ought to have a creation than God has himself. He feels that he has felt by his claims that he could have done things a little better. And therefore the Almighty says, All right, Job, I’ll tell you what we do. Why don’t you come up with me into heaven and see what you would do to rule this creation that I have made? But if you’re going to come up and rule, if you want to play God, if you want to take the place of God, there’s something that you’ve got to do.

53. 27:25

    First of all, you’ve got to disregard your own righteousness. You’ve got to give up your righteousness, which the Scripture tells us is as filthy rags. And you’re going to have to adopt my righteousness. You’re going to have to accept my majesty and Excellency, my glory and beauty. In other words, you’re going to have to react with the dignity and Excellency and honor and mystery of God.

54. 27:49

    If you want to pretend that you are God, you’re going to have to come up into heaven and you’re going to have to look back at the world and see the world the way I see it. You’re going to have to look at the world through my eyes. And when you do this, you’re going to recognize that there are two things that you’re going to have to deal with, two very important things. And we find that recorded for us in the 11th through the 13th or actually 14th verses of this 40th chapter. I think we might do well to look at them together, starting with verse 11, cast abroad the rage of their wrath, and behold everyone that is proud and abase him. This is something that Job is going to have to do. He’s going to have to find a way to abase the proud because no individual can come before God in a condition of pride. They have to come before him in a humble and with a humble and contrite spirit.

55. 28:45

    Verse 12. Look on everyone that is proud and bring him love and tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust. Together and bind their faces in secret. Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. In other words, Job is admonished by God that he has to contend with two very difficult things to contend with.

56. 29:14

    He has to abase the crowd, and he has to destroy the wicked. In other words, he’s got to bring pride into subjection, and he’s got to completely put sin to death. That’s not an easy thing. And then we find that the Almighty shows Job how he looks upon the affairs of men.

57. 29:36

    We find that the. Almighty looks upon men and these two problems in a very interesting way. He likens pride and sin onto 2 huge terrible aquatic monsters. Two monsters that live in the water. Now, brothers and sisters, I know there’s been quite a variety of interpretations as to what Leviathan is, as to what Behemoth is. And I can’t satisfy everybody, and I’m not even going to try. And I’m also going to make a little confession to you. I am not totally sure in my own mind exactly what these creatures were.

58. 30:16

    I’ve suggested that Behemoth is a hippopotamus and that Leviathan is a crocodile, but whether or not they were doesn’t really matter quite that much. It’s the lessons that we get from it, and that’s what we’re trying to look at this morning. And so I think they will suffice, even though I’d like to admit I’ve got some mental reservations about it myself.

59. 30:36

    So if you look at them a little differently, so be it. It’s the lessons that we’re trying to gain from it. And the lesson we have here is that Job had a tremendous problem that he wouldn’t be able to cope with himself. God looked upon these two terrible things, pride and sin. It’s two dreadful aquatic monsters that had to be brought into control. Yes, more than that, pride had to be brought into control. Something very difficult sin had to be totally destroyed. And he goes on to consider these two creatures in this second speech.

60. 31:15

    He starts out by saying, behold now, Behemoth, which I have made with thee. In other words, what he’s saying is, look, I have made a creature that’s an awful lot like you, Job. By being made with. Thee is to say, he’s made made him like him. You’re going to be able to learn some lessons from this creature, as I hope you’ve learned lessons from many of the other creatures before with those other creatures.

61. 31:41

    One other thing that perhaps we didn’t mention was that God had to take care of His whole creation, not just little Job. God is not interested that any should perish. It’s not his will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And therefore we find an application of the reason why sometimes some must suffer.

62. 32:03

    Some of the innocent must suffer for the benefit of the guilty. The object is to bring other people to repentance. Christ died that others might have an opportunity of salvation lest he abide alone. And I’m not trying to get into an awkward subject here, I know there is one. But here we find that Job had to realize that God was interested in bringing other sons to repentance and not just saying, well, I’ve got Job here, I’m satisfied with him.

63. 32:31

    Others had to be brought to repentance, and that is going to take a little doing and a little suffering in the process. And now he says, look Job, you’ve got a problem that you can’t cope with yourself, not even for yourself can you cope with it. You’ve got to bring this behemoth into subjection. And here, Behemoth, we’ve likened unto a hippopotamus which is repulsive, self-centered and impenetrable. Did you ever think of trying to penetrate the hide of a huge hippopotamus?

64. 33:02

    It’s not an easy thing to do. And then he goes down and outlines the attributes of this creature and how difficult it is to get through to him. This could be a subject in itself. It could be a whole discourse in itself. We’re going to have to just skim through it and skim through the attributes of the Leviathan as well. First of all, we find that his strength is in his loins or in his belly, and I we find that man very often directs his efforts to satisfy his own carnal desires. That’s exactly what this behemoth does. He spends his entire time satisfying himself, eating to fill his own huge belly.

65. 33:41

    He doesn’t seem to render too much of A service to anybody else. He’s interested only in satisfying himself, And isn’t that the position that a proud man is in because of his pride? He wants to elevate himself and satisfy himself all the time. He’s not really interested in the well-being of other people. His pride makes him interested in himself and not in other people.

66. 34:05

    We find that he moves his tail like a cedar branch and here we find that man is exalted with very small or vain things, and you notice how small the tail of a hippopotamus is in relation to the rest of his body. It’s a very little thing. And yet he proudly swishes that tail back and forth as if it was really something. And how often we find that this is what men do. They are interested in such petty, unimportant things that don’t amount to anything, but because of those things, they’re puffed up and think they’re great. Well, look at a sports hero, for instance, because he can hit a ball very well, He becomes very proud of it, As if that really made any difference in regard to our eternal existence. It doesn’t.

67. 34:48

    And other men think it’s pretty good too, because they’ll pay them $1,000,000 a year to do it. I think we have a very excellent example of how men are interested in little things that don’t amount to much, instead of looking at those things that do amount to an awful lot. And then we read about how that is. Bones are strong as metal, like iron and brass. And here we find how difficult it is to reach a proud man’s heart.

68. 35:14

    If you ever try, or you can imagine how difficult it would be if you did try. I don’t think we’ve got too many hippopotamus hunters here. But if you ever tried to get through to the heart of the hippopotamus, it’s not easy. You’ve got to get through that thick hide. You’ve got to get past those enormous bones that are like iron or brass. And you’ve got to get through those sinews to finally reach his heart.

69. 35:36

    And you know, that’s just about as difficult as it is to reach the heart of a proud man. Very difficult to directly reach the heart of a proud man. Try it sometime, perhaps when you’re looking in the mirror. It’s not all that easy. And then he goes on to speak of other things as well.

70. 35:56

    He speaks of the chief of the ways of God, in other words, because of his size and power, much like man who is indeed the chief of the ways of God, And he’s the glory of God and God’s creation. And because of it, He’s extremely proud of it. And instead of giving the God the glory and realizing that after all he is quite insignificant in relation to God and the rest of his enormous creation, which Job has already had prayed before him, he becomes extremely proud of what he is feeling that he’s better than any of the other creatures, and quite often feeling he’s better than any of the other men around him.

71. 36:33

    We also find. That it says God furnished him with his sword. He has teeth for vegetation, huge teeth, which is able to cut down a great deal of education. And in a way, man also has something that’s different from any of the other of the creatures that God has created. He has received a mentality that’s far superior to any of the rest of God’s creatures. And how does he use it?

72. 36:56

    How did the hippopotamus make use of his huge teeth? Just to get himself food, to satisfy his own appetite? And how does man make use of his mentality to glorify God? I hope that occasionally some do. Certainly the Lord Jesus Christ did. But how often it is that we make use of our mentality and our talents to satisfy ourselves, to make a position in life, and to enjoy ourselves, to satisfy our own personal carnal appetites?

73. 37:26

    And it goes on, of course, to bring out a number of the other characteristics of this very remarkable creature. Job had somehow to cope with this individual, and yet he has a problem. And that problem is brought out very forcefully when we move on into the next chapter, the 41st chapter, where it says, Canst thou draw out Leviathan?

74. 37:50

    And we find the awkward position that Job is in in dealing with both of these creatures. Here is little Job standing on the side of this riverbank, and he’s got this huge hippopotamus that somehow he’s got to bring into subjection. He’s got to control his hippopotamus like we might a dog on a leash. Can you imagine doing that standing with one hand, trying to control a hippopotamus on a leash, and in the other hand you’re confronted with a dread crocodile, and you can’t control him in any way.

75. 38:21

    You’ve got to put him to death. Just picture yourself in that condition. That’s exactly what we find here in this first verse. Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook or his tongue with a cord which thou let us down his little old job. And he’s standing on the side of the river and all he’s done is a little hook in the line.

76. 38:40

    And he’s supposed to be able to bring these two huge aquatic monsters into subjection. He’s supposed to control Pride Behemoth and he’s supposed to destroy sin Leviathan. What a job he’s got on his hand. How can he possibly do it on his own. And even if he could which of course he couldn’t on his own. We know that in the tussle there’s going to be a problem. He’s probably going to be wounded somewhere along the line.

77. 39:08

    And you notice how we’ve made this individual that stands along the seashore and where the the Riverside. We’ve tried to make this chart so it can be used for other things, and I know that you all recognize the the armor here of of the spirit. You notice how that he’s got the helmet of salvation, how he’s got the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the sword of the spirit, feet short with the gospel of peace and so forth.

78. 39:31

    That we find recorded for us in the 6th chapter of Ephesians. And we find that also the wound that he has in his heel. And I’m sure that we all recognize that as the Lord Jesus Christ being wounded in the heel, that he might eventually crush the head of the serpent. And here we come to Leviathan, Leviathan, A serpent. Isn’t it interesting that a serpent or a reptile is very often used to represent sin throughout the scriptures, starting right back in the book of Genesis and working its way right through Revelation?

79. 40:07

    And therefore it’s quite appropriate that God should make use of this term, a Leviathan, to indicate a creature that represents sin. You know there are two places in the scriptures where Leviathan is a representative of various governments. In Isaiah 27 verse one, it represents the King of the North. In Psalm 7414 it represents the King of the South, Pharaoh.

80. 40:33

    It’s interesting that it is made use of that. God looks upon human governments as quite sinful, but here we’ve likened him unto a crocodile, a suggestion which many others have made. It’s not original with me. All you’re hearing this week is totally plagiarized, I can assure you. And here we find a crocodile and some interesting things that brought out in regard to a crocodile. Job was supposed to bring behemoth the hippopotamus pride into subjection and to control it and to keep it down. But when it comes to handling this crocodile, it isn’t a case of bringing it into subjection.

81. 41:09

    There is no way whatsoever that we can make a sin, a servant for ourselves. There’s only one thing that we can do with that crocodile. We’ve got to destroy it. And in this set of passages that we have before us, we find some very interesting things are brought out. One of which is, would you take this crocodile and would you bring it down into the marketplace and put it up for sale? Is there anyone that will want to buy a crocodile and take it home for a pack?

82. 41:40

    Could you imagine it? What would happen if you took a crocodile home for a pet? Why? It would end up killing you, wouldn’t it? It isn’t that what sin does, The wages of sin is death. It’s because sin that we all die. We cannot make sin our servant. We’re going to end up being the servant. Yes, the victim of sin itself.

83. 42:02

    There is no way that we can make sin our servant. In fact, it goes on and says, look, even if someone did buy it, would they take it home and would they give it to their little maidens, their little girls, two or three years of age? Would they bring it home and give it to them to play with as a pet?

84. 42:18

    Could you imagine doing? That would you bring a crocodile home and give it to your preschool age daughters to play without in the backyard? Can you imagine that? Of course not. You know that the daughter would end up dead, wouldn’t she? And that’s the same with all of the sons and daughters of God. We start to play around with sin, and it’s going to kill us any way whatsoever that we’re going to be able to control sin and make sin our servant.

85. 42:46

    It’s the other way around. We are going to become the servants of sin. There is no way whatsoever that we can make sin our servant. And then it goes down. And in the last part of the chapter it gives us a long list, just like it did with Behemoth, of the various characteristics of this crocodile. How that it has teeth and jaws.

86. 43:07

    How it has strong scales. How did about the terror of its breath, about its tremendous strength, how or the fear that it engenders to others, How that all men’s weapons fail against it? How the impression that he makes in the mud and the commotion he creates in the deep. And finally, and that I’d like to draw your attention to, because our time is very rapidly winging away in the very last verse. And I think it puts it right on the line so beautifully. In the 34th verse of this 41st chapter, it says he beholdeth all high things.

87. 43:41

    He is king over all the children of pride. And this is the point that we’re trying to bring out here. We have represented for us King Sin, and all that sin is going to do is going to kill us. And if we haven’t brought into subjection our own personal pride, sin is going to start to rule over us. Unless we can.

88. 44:05

    Possibly bring pride into subjection, which is very, very difficult. We’re going to find that we’re going to be the servants of sin. He’s the king over all the children of pride. And now we find that the Almighty cease in his speeches and he lets Job, I think, again consider what the Almighty has had to say, and after Job has considered it, we find then that the Almighty once again challenges him to answer. Remember the way the debate was supposed to go? The Almighty was supposed to call, and Job was supposed to answer him.

89. 44:44

    Job was supposed to come back and give his arguments and show where he was right and the Almighty was wrong. After all, that’s what Job thought he could do. He was willing to give up the debate at the end of the Almighty’s first speech. After that, we can imagine how we must feel now. Oh no, we don’t have to imagine, do we? We’ve got it recorded for us in the first few verses of the next chapter, verse one.

90. 45:09

    Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that thou canst do everything and that no thought can be withholding from thee. Who is he that that heideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered that I understood not things too wonderful for me, which I knew not what a confession Job is making. He’s making a confession that he really doesn’t know it all. And I hope that we.

91. 45:38

    Can come to the position in life. Well, that even as. Christadelphians, even though we feel that we’ve learned what the truth of the scripture is. We can humbly. Admit that perhaps we don’t know it all, we don’t know everything, and approach God with the humble and contrite spirit that we must approach Him with if we’re to be found acceptable and receive that wonderful crown of life. Job had finally come to that position. He realized that he didn’t know it all, that he had spoken things that were too wonderful for him. He was innocent to that degree that he is talking about something he just didn’t understand and because of it God had made allowance for it.

92. 46:19

    God wasn’t going to blame him for doing wrong and things that he didn’t understand. This whole episode of the book of Job is so that Job can benefit as well as the enemy and ourselves, so that Job could draw nearer to God than he ever was before in his mechanical righteousness. But now we would have a righteousness that was founded in understanding as well as just as men mechanics.

93. 46:45

    And so Job is sorry for what he said. And you notice what he said at the beginning. Thou canst do everything. He realized the position that he was in in trying to subdue pride and to destroy sin. He knew that as a man he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t overcome pride and destroy sin by himself.

94. 47:06

    He needed help. The weapons that were available to him were not sufficient to do the job. He had to rely on the goodness and grace of almighty God. And therefore he says, Thou canst do anything. He finally realized that he couldn’t do it, He had to rely upon God. And then he goes on in verse four, and says, Here, I beseech thee, and I will speak, I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

95. 47:32

    I have heard thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I uphold myself and repent in dust and ashes. In verse 4, all he is doing here is restating the challenge that he’s made, for which he is now repentant. He isn’t saying I’m still going to challenge you, and you better answer me.

96. 47:56

    That’s not the case. He is recalling the unfortunate claim that he made the challenge that he issued to God. And now he says, look, I’m sorry I did it. I have now heard of thee. I know that what you’re saying is right, and therefore he’s brought to the only condition and position that he could be brought to.

97. 48:16

    He therefore says I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. And here we find the result of the speeches of the Almighty, but the story really isn’t completed. We have the epilogue in the last 11 chapters, and in that epilogue we’re going to come across some very, very remarkable things that thrill me as much as some of the things that we’ve already considered. And therefore I think we’ll have to leave that for tomorrow. We’ll try to give a very brief review, particularly for those that may not have been here for the whole week. I know it’s a Saturday Also, to refresh our minds so that when we’re confronted with this epilogue, we will have an opportunity to understand why these things happen. So now we’ve gained 3 at least reasons for suffering that it can be for punishment as part of our human nature. It could indeed be to bring people to God for chastisement, or it could be for the benefit of others. Job recognized that if we can recognize that in our life, perhaps we can be found more acceptable before our maker as well.