402: Ethan Hardy – Job – My Redeemer Lives

1
00:00:03,960 –> 00:00:05,440
Welcome to Good Christophian

Talks.

2
00:00:05,920 –> 00:00:08,600
Thank you for joining us this

week on this podcast.

3
00:00:08,600 –> 00:00:11,920
We select one talk a week to

help us get the Bible in our

4
00:00:11,920 –> 00:00:16,000
Daily News feed.

Each week we post a talk that we

5
00:00:16,000 –> 00:00:19,000
previewed from suggestions sent
in by listeners from around the

6
00:00:19,000 –> 00:00:21,560
world.

Then we record a short intro

7
00:00:21,560 –> 00:00:25,040
beforehand as a personalized

recommendation to you on why we

8
00:00:25,040 –> 00:00:28,000
are sharing the talk.

And now let’s talk more about

9
00:00:28,000 –> 00:00:28,560
this.

Week’s talk.

10
00:00:33,560 –> 00:00:38,240
Hello all and welcome back.

This is brother Benji.

11
00:00:39,520 –> 00:00:43,400
This week’s talk will be a Bible

class given by Brother Ethan

12
00:00:43,400 –> 00:00:48,480
Hardy at the Mumbles Ecclesia

Mumbles, Swansea, United Kingdom

13
00:00:49,280 –> 00:00:56,280
on the 9th of October 2025 to

the theme Job, My Redeemer

14
00:00:56,440 –> 00:01:00,480
Lives.

Brother Ethan gives a thorough

15
00:01:00,640 –> 00:01:06,200
and fair exposition of the life
and record of Job, particularly

16
00:01:06,280 –> 00:01:10,240
as it relates to Job’s famous

cry for his Redeemer.

17
00:01:11,360 –> 00:01:16,280
I loved how meaning was drawn

from the text and the context to

18
00:01:16,280 –> 00:01:18,960
supply understanding and

interpretation.

19
00:01:20,320 –> 00:01:23,920
There is so much power and

encouragement to be found in

20
00:01:23,920 –> 00:01:29,760
Job’s story.

This talk may challenge you and

21
00:01:29,760 –> 00:01:33,840
hence I would commend you to

search the scriptures daily to

22
00:01:33,840 –> 00:01:37,560
see if these things are so as

did the Bereans.

23
00:01:38,560 –> 00:01:44,062
I pray this talk will uplift and

inspire you in revealing some

24
00:01:44,062 –> 00:01:47,580
of the wondrous things of His
word.

25
00:01:47,588 –> 00:01:53,681
With that said, I’ll give you
over to our brother Ethan for

26
00:01:53,689 –> 00:01:57,698
his class job.
My Redeemer lives.

27
00:01:57,706 –> 00:02:02,496
Oh, good evening everyone.
I bring with me love of your

28
00:02:02,504 –> 00:02:04,000
brethren and sisters from
Mumbles.

29
00:02:04,008 –> 00:02:05,943
It’s lovely to be back here
again.

30
00:02:05,951 –> 00:02:11,400
So I think this is my fifth talk
on the Book of Job this year,

31
00:02:11,408 –> 00:02:13,520
which is much to the the joy of
my wife.

32
00:02:13,528 –> 00:02:16,368
But this time it’s not my fault
because Brother Robin Aston

33
00:02:16,376 –> 00:02:20,640
asked me to do this tonight.
So I get an excuse there.

34
00:02:20,648 –> 00:02:25,760
But tonight we’ll be looking at
a very specific and perhaps

35
00:02:25,768 –> 00:02:28,610
slightly controversial question
in the sense that there’s lots

36
00:02:28,618 –> 00:02:33,441
of different opinions on this.
But what does Job mean in Job

37
00:02:33,449 –> 00:02:40,542
chapter 19 and verse 25 to 27
when he says, for I know my

38
00:02:40,550 –> 00:02:44,419
Redeemer lives and as the last
he will stand upon the earth.

39
00:02:44,427 –> 00:02:46,685
And after my skin has been thus
destroyed.

40
00:02:46,693 –> 00:02:51,339
Yet in my flesh I shall see God
whom I shall see for myself and

41
00:02:51,339 –> 00:02:53,585
my eyes shall behold and not
another.

42
00:02:53,593 –> 00:02:59,360
My heart faints within me and I
I want to sort of carefully and

43
00:02:59,360 –> 00:03:02,720
cautiously go through the the
relevant passages to help us

44
00:03:02,728 –> 00:03:07,029
understand why Job is saying
this and what he means by it

45
00:03:07,037 –> 00:03:08,885
within the context of his
speeches.

46
00:03:08,893 –> 00:03:13,995
And this might not be what you
initially think, but before we

47
00:03:14,003 –> 00:03:20,512
read the book of Job, I think
it’s important to look at how we

48
00:03:20,512 –> 00:03:24,240

read it.
The lens through which you look

49
00:03:24,240 –> 00:03:28,128
at the book of Job can
influence your overall

50
00:03:28,128 –> 00:03:32,958
interpretation of
it.
And I want to highlight a number

51
00:03:32,958 –> 00:03:36,738

of features and tools which
help us better read and

52
00:03:36,738 –> 00:03:39,720
understand
the book.
And the importance of these

53
00:03:39,728 –> 00:03:44,250
things will become evident as we
go through the book tonight.

54
00:03:44,258 –> 00:03:50,532
So the first thing we need to
recognise is that the book of

55
00:03:50,540 –> 00:03:53,850
Job, the Hebrew is very
challenging to translate.

56
00:03:53,858 –> 00:03:57,704
And this becomes quite evident
when you compare different

57
00:03:57,712 –> 00:04:00,225
translations.
There’s there’s quite a few

58
00:04:00,233 –> 00:04:02,615
differences and variations
between them and the reason for

59
00:04:02,615 –> 00:04:06,302
this is that the Hebrew in the
book of Job is quite unique.

60
00:04:06,310 –> 00:04:10,257
There’s 170 words in the book of
Job which are not found anywhere

61
00:04:10,257 –> 00:04:14,050

else in the Bible, and 119 of
those words are only used once

62
00:04:14,058 –> 00:04:18,584
in the book of Job.
But not only that, but the

63
00:04:18,591 –> 00:04:21,065
speeches are primarily written
in Hebrew poetry.

64
00:04:21,072 –> 00:04:24,540
And this means that context
doesn’t always help you to

65
00:04:24,548 –> 00:04:27,972
understand what these words mean
because they’re used in idioms

66
00:04:27,980 –> 00:04:31,740
or imagery and things like that.
And sometimes you get shortened

67
00:04:31,740 –> 00:04:34,300
forms of phrases or the
languages used in creative ways.

68
00:04:34,300 –> 00:04:35,760

And all these things make the

69
00:04:35,760 –> 00:04:37,640
translation of Job quite

difficult.

70
00:04:38,400 –> 00:04:41,440
And while the King James is

generally quite a good

71
00:04:41,440 –> 00:04:45,960
translation for the Book of Job,

it can be relatively poor in

72
00:04:45,960 –> 00:04:49,400
places.

And I’m not just going to assert

73
00:04:49,400 –> 00:04:50,560
that.

I’ll just give a couple of

74
00:04:50,560 –> 00:04:53,080
examples just to to to prove

this to you.

75
00:04:53,080 –> 00:04:56,960
So first one turn with me to Job

and chapter 21.

76
00:04:58,400 –> 00:05:02,120
So in the King James version, as

you’ll see on the screen, the

77
00:05:02,120 –> 00:05:05,840
King James says the wicked are

as stubble before the wind and

78
00:05:05,840 –> 00:05:08,640
as chaff that the storm carrieth

away.

79
00:05:09,360 –> 00:05:13,440
Well, in a modern version like

the NET, it asks how often are

80
00:05:13,440 –> 00:05:17,034
the wicked like straw before the

wicked and like chaff swept

81
00:05:17,034 –> 00:05:21,240
away by a whirlwind.

And the the focus is slightly

82
00:05:21,240 –> 00:05:23,000
different here in the King

James, it’s an assertion,

83
00:05:23,000 –> 00:05:26,840
whereas in the NEC it’s a

question, a rhetorical question.

84
00:05:27,160 –> 00:05:30,160
And the reason why the NET makes

sense is it seems to be a

85
00:05:30,160 –> 00:05:34,000
continuation of the how often

questions from verse 17, because

86
00:05:34,000 –> 00:05:37,680
if you look in verses 7 to 30,

Jehovah has just asserted that

87
00:05:37,680 –> 00:05:40,240
the wicked are not destroyed.

They live long and prosperous

88
00:05:40,240 –> 00:05:42,680
lives.

They’re not like chaff that is

89
00:05:42,680 –> 00:05:47,120
swept away by the whirlwind.

The second example, Job 37 and

90
00:05:47,120 –> 00:05:50,720
verse 22, the King James says

fair weather comes out of the

91
00:05:50,720 –> 00:05:53,040
north with God is terrible

majesty.

92
00:05:53,480 –> 00:05:57,120
Well, in an ESV or another

modern version, out of the north

93
00:05:57,120 –> 00:05:59,800
comes golden splendor.

God is clothed with awesome

94
00:05:59,800 –> 00:06:04,160
majesty, and the reason why the
King James has translated that

95
00:06:04,160 –> 00:06:07,440
as fair weather is the word is

literally golden splendor.

96
00:06:07,720 –> 00:06:10,160
And they’ve sort of interpreted
it as like golden light coming

97
00:06:10,160 –> 00:06:11,640
out of the north.

That’s the sun coming out,

98
00:06:11,640 –> 00:06:13,960
therefore fair weather.

But that’s not the point of

99
00:06:13,960 –> 00:06:17,080
what’s being said there, because

when you compare it to Ezekiel

100
00:06:17,080 –> 00:06:21,080
chapter 1 and verse 4, it’s a

picture of God’s glory coming

101
00:06:21,080 –> 00:06:23,080
out of the north in the shining
light.

102
00:06:23,720 –> 00:06:26,920
So it’s not quite accurate.

They’ve been interpretive there

103
00:06:26,920 –> 00:06:30,800
instead of retaining the Hebrew,

and therefore I think it’s

104
00:06:30,800 –> 00:06:35,000
generally better to use the NET
or the ESP or something like

105
00:06:35,000 –> 00:06:36,600
that when you read the Book of

Job.

106
00:06:36,880 –> 00:06:40,706
But it’s also helpful to look at

the Hebrew and then you’ll get

107
00:06:40,706 –> 00:06:44,382
a deeper understanding of the
text
and why things are what

108
00:06:44,382 –> 00:06:49,480
they are.

So when reading the Book of Job,

109
00:06:51,240 –> 00:06:55,320
because it is challenging, there

is a tendency to accidentally

110
00:06:55,320 –> 00:06:58,760
read in an external context from

somewhere else.

111
00:06:58,760 –> 00:07:01,680
So what do I mean by this?

You sort of accidentally ignore

112
00:07:01,680 –> 00:07:04,200
the immediate context of what’s
being said in the book of Job

113
00:07:04,200 –> 00:07:07,760
because that’s unfamiliar and

challenging, and shift the focus

114
00:07:07,760 –> 00:07:11,880
to more familiar, similar

language used elsewhere in the

115
00:07:11,880 –> 00:07:14,320
New Testament, which doesn’t

necessarily have the same

116
00:07:14,320 –> 00:07:17,440
context as what’s being said.

So here’s an example of what I

117
00:07:17,440 –> 00:07:19,280
mean.

Turn with me to Job 23, just a

118
00:07:19,280 –> 00:07:26,800
few pages along.

Joe says here, but he knows the

119
00:07:26,800 –> 00:07:31,080
way that I take, and when he has

tried me I shall come out as

120
00:07:31,080 –> 00:07:33,760
gold.

Well, this is often compared to

121
00:07:33,760 –> 00:07:39,560
first Peter, which says in this
you rejoice, though now for a

122
00:07:39,560 –> 00:07:42,160
little while, if necessary, you
have been grieved by various

123
00:07:42,160 –> 00:07:46,200
trials so that the tested

genuineness of your faith, more

124
00:07:46,200 –> 00:07:49,794
precious than gold that perishes

though it is tested by fire,

125
00:07:49,794 –> 00:07:53,880
may be found to result in praise
and
glory and honour at the

126
00:07:53,880 –> 00:07:57,240
revelation of Jesus Christ.

And now therefore the two

127
00:07:57,240 –> 00:08:00,800
passages compared take in the

context of first Peter, and it’s

128
00:08:00,800 –> 00:08:03,280
assumed that Job is saying the

same thing, that his faith is

129
00:08:03,280 –> 00:08:06,920
being tested like gold.

But if you look at Job chapter

130
00:08:06,920 –> 00:08:12,000
23 and verses three to seven,

what Job literally wants to do

131
00:08:12,000 –> 00:08:15,480
is to go to trial with God.

He wants to approach God’s seat

132
00:08:16,160 –> 00:08:19,640
and then in verse 10 he says

that God knows his ways and then

133
00:08:19,680 –> 00:08:23,000
he states that he shall be tried

like gold.

134
00:08:23,800 –> 00:08:27,360
And then he follows this by

saying he supports this argument

135
00:08:27,360 –> 00:08:30,840
that he shall come out as gold

because he has kept God’s ways,

136
00:08:30,840 –> 00:08:33,799
not departed from what he is

from God’s ways.

137
00:08:35,240 –> 00:08:39,440
And what Joe is actually arguing

here is that a literal trial

138
00:08:39,440 –> 00:08:43,880
with God will show that he is

already gold or he is righteous.

139
00:08:44,200 –> 00:08:47,160
That’s what he’s saying there.

He’s not saying like Peter is

140
00:08:47,160 –> 00:08:51,520
that his faith is being tested

like God, even if that is what

141
00:08:51,520 –> 00:08:54,800
God is doing with Joe.

He’s arguing that a literal

142
00:08:54,800 –> 00:08:57,600
trial or court case with God

will prove that he is righteous.

143
00:08:58,360 –> 00:09:01,660
And so I think this example sort

of illustrates that the

144
00:09:01,660 –> 00:09:04,190
concern that sometimes we can
overly
focus on what it says

145
00:09:04,190 –> 00:09:07,706
in the New Testament and sort of
ignore
what the context of the

146
00:09:07,706 –> 00:09:09,697
thing that is being actually
said is.

147
00:09:09,705 –> 00:09:13,480
So we need to focus on the
immediate context first and then

148
00:09:13,480 –> 00:09:17,705

look to these external
passages, which may help us to

149
00:09:17,705 –> 00:09:21,200
understand.

And finally, I sort of want to

150
00:09:21,200 –> 00:09:24,360
look at our overall interpretive

lens on how we we look at the

151
00:09:24,360 –> 00:09:28,600
man job.

So in Christadelphian circles, I

152
00:09:28,600 –> 00:09:31,360
think the most common way that

we read the book of Job is

153
00:09:31,360 –> 00:09:34,280
through a basic reading of the

prologue and the echo log.

154
00:09:35,240 –> 00:09:38,920
So when you do this, you get a

very simple conclusion that that

155
00:09:38,920 –> 00:09:42,920
comes about that Job was a

righteous man commended by God

156
00:09:42,920 –> 00:09:44,520
at the start and the end of the
book.

157
00:09:44,520 –> 00:09:47,960
So Job one verse one Job is

called perfect and upright.

158
00:09:48,320 –> 00:09:51,760
And then at the end of the book,

Job 42 verse seven, Job is

159
00:09:51,760 –> 00:09:54,920
described as speaking that which

is right about God.

160
00:09:56,560 –> 00:09:59,256
And then you get other passages
in the New Testament and the

161
00:09:59,256 –> 00:10:03,360
old like Ezekiel 14 verse 14.

Job is a righteous man who saved

162
00:10:03,360 –> 00:10:07,320
others and James 5 where Job is
the example of endurance.

163
00:10:08,120 –> 00:10:09,982
And then we sort of stop there.

164
00:10:09,990 –> 00:10:13,260
We we don’t need to read that
difficult bit in the middle with

165
00:10:13,260 –> 00:10:14,695

all that poetry and
complicated words.

166
00:10:14,703 –> 00:10:16,778
That’s kind of all we need to
know.

167
00:10:16,786 –> 00:10:20,052
Job is this righteous man who
endures his suffering, says the

168
00:10:20,052 –> 00:10:22,608
right things about God and the
friends are wrong.

169
00:10:22,616 –> 00:10:25,870
And we sort of leave it there
feeling like we get the gist of

170
00:10:25,870 –> 00:10:28,738
this, the story of Job.
And when I first studied the

171
00:10:28,746 –> 00:10:33,383
book of Job, I kind of did this.
But is this the the correct

172
00:10:33,391 –> 00:10:35,426
approach?
Should we use the prologue and

173
00:10:35,434 –> 00:10:39,360
the epilogue in this way?
Does it fit that long, difficult

174
00:10:39,360 –> 00:10:44,340

bit in the middle that they’re
so easy to gloss over?

175
00:10:44,348 –> 00:10:49,830
But in a 1950s article in the
Christadelphian Magazine,

176
00:10:49,838 –> 00:10:54,264
Brother Fred Pearce has this to
say about primarily the

177
00:10:54,272 –> 00:10:57,695
epilogue.
He says it’s this statement in

178
00:10:57,703 –> 00:11:01,922
Job 42, verse 7, which we just
looked at, which seems to have

179
00:11:01,930 –> 00:11:05,684
led many earnest students of the
but to reject the conception of

180
00:11:05,684 –> 00:11:10,180
Job as in some measure a rebel.
Yet a little consideration will

181
00:11:10,180 –> 00:11:14,110
show that Job cannot have
spoken the thing which is right

182
00:11:14,110 –> 00:11:17,345
in
every matter, for God
Himself condemns His attitude.

183
00:11:17,353 –> 00:11:21,480
See that the following passages
quoted in Job 38, verse 240,

184
00:11:21,488 –> 00:11:26,608
verse 2 and verse 8.
And so the book of Job is not

185
00:11:26,616 –> 00:11:29,360
nearly so simple as that.
Job is right and the friends are

186
00:11:29,360 –> 00:11:31,022

wrong.
It’s a bit more complicated and

187
00:11:31,022 –> 00:11:33,353
nuanced than that when you get
into the speeches.

188
00:11:33,361 –> 00:11:37,600
And so we we need to spend the
time to read the difficult bit

189
00:11:37,608 –> 00:11:41,608
in the middle, which is so easy
to ignore and not assume what it

190
00:11:41,608 –> 00:11:44,228

should say based on the
prologue and epilogue because it

191
00:11:44,228 –> 00:11:46,160
might
not be quite what we
think.

192
00:11:46,960 –> 00:11:50,480
And to illustrate the issue with

using the prologue and the

193
00:11:50,480 –> 00:11:53,760
epilogue, let’s look at those

verses that Brother Fred Pierce

194
00:11:54,160 –> 00:11:58,200
quoted.

Turn with me to Joe chapter 38

195
00:11:58,200 –> 00:11:59,840
and verse 2.

It’s on the screen, so it

196
00:11:59,840 –> 00:12:03,760
doesn’t matter too much.

But God says this to Joe.

197
00:12:04,040 –> 00:12:08,440
Who is this that darkens counsel

by words without knowledge.

198
00:12:09,760 –> 00:12:12,920
Here God rebukes Joe for

speaking without knowledge,

199
00:12:13,120 –> 00:12:16,520
which is a far cry from what we
read in Job 42 verse 7, where

200
00:12:16,520 –> 00:12:19,720
Job is described as speaking

what is right about God.

201
00:12:20,560 –> 00:12:23,640
Now I know there are some who

suggest this is directed

202
00:12:23,640 –> 00:12:26,640
primarily at a like you, but I

don’t think so because if you

203
00:12:26,640 –> 00:12:33,120
come with me to Job 38 and verse

four that and there’s a couple

204
00:12:33,120 –> 00:12:36,520
more verses that the point of

the speech is to demonstrate to

205
00:12:36,520 –> 00:12:39,320
Job that he has spoken without

knowledge.

206
00:12:39,320 –> 00:12:44,360
So Job 38, verse 4, where were

you when I laid the foundation

207
00:12:44,360 –> 00:12:45,880
of the world?

Tell me if you have

208
00:12:45,880 –> 00:12:50,848
understanding verse 18, have you

comprehended the expense of

209
00:12:50,848 –> 00:12:53,440
the earth?

Declare if you know all this

210
00:12:53,600 –> 00:12:57,018
verse 21 you know, for you were
born then and the number of

211
00:12:57,018 –> 00:13:01,560
your days were great.

And then verse 33, do you know

212
00:13:01,560 –> 00:13:04,960
the ordinances of the heavens,

or can you establish their rule

213
00:13:04,960 –> 00:13:07,520
on the earth?

So the point of the speech is to

214
00:13:07,520 –> 00:13:10,920
demonstrate to Joe that he has

spoken without knowledge.

215
00:13:10,920 –> 00:13:19,120
And so also Job in Job chapter

42 and verse three, Job takes

216
00:13:19,120 –> 00:13:21,520
this speech to be directed at

himself.

217
00:13:21,520 –> 00:13:25,640
He repeats the question in 42

verse 3 and then says, therefore

218
00:13:25,640 –> 00:13:28,480
I have altered what that which I

did not understand, things too

219
00:13:28,480 –> 00:13:31,440
wonderful for me to know.

So Job here is acknowledging

220
00:13:31,440 –> 00:13:34,240
that he spoke without knowledge.

221
00:13:34,248 –> 00:13:38,540
So the second quotation that
Brother Fred Pearce mentioned

222
00:13:38,548 –> 00:13:42,040
was Job chapter 40 verse 2 and
verse 8.

223
00:13:42,048 –> 00:13:47,467
So here God says to Joe, shall a
fault Finder contend with the

224
00:13:47,475 –> 00:13:50,080
Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him

225
00:13:50,080 –> 00:13:52,937
answer it.
And then Joe 40 verse 8, will

226
00:13:52,945 –> 00:13:56,646
you put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that you may

227
00:13:56,646 –> 00:14:00,484

be right?
So God here is rebuking Joe for

228
00:14:00,484 –> 00:14:04,264
going too far and defending his
own righteousness to the point

229
00:14:04,272 –> 00:14:07,094
where he seems almost willing to
condemn God.

230
00:14:07,102 –> 00:14:11,800
And this is the opposite to what
you would expect from a basic

231
00:14:11,808 –> 00:14:13,463
reading of the prologue and net
log.

232
00:14:13,471 –> 00:14:16,854
It appears as though Job is
almost tripped up on the way at

233
00:14:16,854 –> 00:14:21,042
some point.
And it’s only after God responds

234
00:14:21,042 –> 00:14:25,080

to, after Job responds to
God’s questions and his

235
00:14:25,080 –> 00:14:28,160
speeches, that
Job’s
commendation comes along, and

236
00:14:28,160 –> 00:14:31,400
after Job’s repentance.

And this tells us that Job’s

237
00:14:31,600 –> 00:14:36,440
commendation for his answer to

God, or his commendation is for

238
00:14:36,440 –> 00:14:37,680
his answer to God.

Sorry.

239
00:14:38,280 –> 00:14:41,320
So you get this sort of

progression that God states that

240
00:14:41,320 –> 00:14:43,920
Jehovah has spoken without

knowledge, and then Jehovah

241
00:14:43,920 –> 00:14:47,160
acknowledges that he has spoken
without knowledge, and now God

242
00:14:47,160 –> 00:14:49,680
states that he has spoken what

is right about him.

243
00:14:53,000 –> 00:14:57,880
So this indicates that the

prologue, and particularly the

244
00:14:57,880 –> 00:15:02,440
epilogue, are not absolute

judgements upon the truth of

245
00:15:02,440 –> 00:15:07,000
every word of each speaker.

To do so, I think oversimplifies

246
00:15:07,000 –> 00:15:10,400
the dialogues in the middle and
may make us miss the point of

247
00:15:10,400 –> 00:15:13,120
what they’re saying.

And to clarify, I’m not saying

248
00:15:13,120 –> 00:15:15,840
that the prologue and epilogue

are not relevant to your

249
00:15:15,840 –> 00:15:18,160
understanding of the book of

Job, because they are.

250
00:15:18,840 –> 00:15:21,560
I’m just pointing out that just
because Job is described as

251
00:15:21,560 –> 00:15:24,240
perfect and uprightable,

speaking right about God at the

252
00:15:24,560 –> 00:15:27,600
beginning and the end, it

doesn’t tell you what happens in

253
00:15:27,600 –> 00:15:31,000
the middle.

And just as David was described

254
00:15:31,000 –> 00:15:34,040
as a man after God’s own heart

yet fell into sin, Joe can do

255
00:15:34,040 –> 00:15:37,240
the same yet still be described
as righteous at the end.

256
00:15:38,160 –> 00:15:42,469
So I’d suggest Job’s journey is
a bit like a jade curve where

257
00:15:42,469 –> 00:15:44,524
he starts off as a righteous
man.

258
00:15:44,532 –> 00:15:48,130
He sinks into a very dark place
because of his suffering, but

259
00:15:48,138 –> 00:15:50,860
through his experience and
divine intervention, he ends up

260
00:15:50,860 –> 00:15:53,575
in a much better place,
recognizing God’s plan and that

261
00:15:53,575 –> 00:15:57,307
God can do all things and and
trusted in God’s mercy and

262
00:15:57,315 –> 00:15:59,500
compassion.
And I think this is the the

263
00:15:59,508 –> 00:16:02,462
overall framework which we need
to read the book of Job through

264
00:16:02,462 –> 00:16:06,560
to take each speech at a time
and not make an oversimplified,

265
00:16:06,560 –> 00:16:09,440
broad brush view of the
narrative.

266
00:16:09,448 –> 00:16:15,770
So now that we’ve gone through
how we read the book of Job,

267
00:16:15,778 –> 00:16:20,341
let’s get into the speeches,
turn with me to Joe chapter 5

268
00:16:20,349 –> 00:16:24,136
and I want to start here and
just briefly go through the the

269
00:16:24,136 –> 00:16:26,982
flow of the argument.
So we understand why Joe says

270
00:16:26,990 –> 00:16:32,232
for I know my Redeemer lives.
So Joe chapter 5 or 4.

271
00:16:32,240 –> 00:16:37,498
Actually, we’ll start there.
Joe chapter 4 and verse 7 and 8

272
00:16:37,498 –> 00:16:41,310
which is alive as Joe’s first
phrase where he expounds his own

273
00:16:41,310 –> 00:16:44,140

framework of how he
understands God’s justice.

274
00:16:44,148 –> 00:16:48,652
So he says, remember who that
was innocent ever perished, and

275
00:16:48,652 –> 00:16:53,030
where were the upright cut off?
As I have seen, those who plow

276
00:16:53,038 –> 00:16:55,464
iniquity and sow trouble reap
the same.

277
00:16:55,472 –> 00:17:00,125
So effectively life as is
arguing here, that it’s only the

278
00:17:00,125 –> 00:17:03,420

wicked that suffer trouble,
and therefore Job is in trouble

279
00:17:03,420 –> 00:17:06,817
because he must be wicked.
And therefore he tells him to

280
00:17:06,825 –> 00:17:08,568
set his case before God as he
says.

281
00:17:08,576 –> 00:17:12,608
Job 5 verse 8 But As for me, I
would seek God unto God.

282
00:17:12,616 –> 00:17:15,726
I would set forth my case or my
cause.

283
00:17:15,733 –> 00:17:22,180
Well in the midst of Eliphaz’s
speech, he recounts this vision

284
00:17:22,180 –> 00:17:25,541
that he’s had from God.
And the voice in the vision

285
00:17:25,550 –> 00:17:28,575
declares this can mortal man be
in the right before God?

286
00:17:28,583 –> 00:17:32,264
Can a man be pure before his
Maker, or in your King James

287
00:17:32,272 –> 00:17:37,176
more just than God?
The question enunciated here

288
00:17:37,184 –> 00:17:42,680
sort of becomes the main theme
which we see through the book of

289
00:17:42,680 –> 00:17:44,936

Job, how the characters seem
to wrestle with this question.

290
00:17:44,944 –> 00:17:47,143
How do we understand the justice
of God?

291
00:17:47,151 –> 00:17:51,562
How can man be just before God?
And therefore I think the book

292
00:17:51,570 –> 00:17:55,268
of Job is an exploration of
God’s justice from the

293
00:17:55,276 –> 00:17:59,275
perspective of men that don’t
fully understand God until God

294
00:17:59,283 –> 00:18:02,380
at the end reveals himself to
them.

295
00:18:02,388 –> 00:18:06,960
So turn with me to Job chapter
8.

296
00:18:06,968 –> 00:18:09,429
We’ll we’ll briefly cover this
and then we’ll get to Job’s

297
00:18:09,437 –> 00:18:12,940
speeches.
Bildad develops a life as his

298
00:18:12,948 –> 00:18:17,680
argument further in his speech.
And then in verse 3 to 6, Bildad

299
00:18:17,680 –> 00:18:20,792

says this, Does God pervert
justice or does the Almighty

300
00:18:20,800 –> 00:18:23,960
pervert what is right?
If your children have sinned

301
00:18:23,968 –> 00:18:26,783
against him, he has delivered
them into the hand of their

302
00:18:26,791 –> 00:18:29,339
transgression.
But if you will seek God, then

303
00:18:29,347 –> 00:18:33,049
plead to the Almighty for mercy.
And if you are pure and upright,

304
00:18:33,049 –> 00:18:36,880

surely then he will rouse
himself for you and restore your

305
00:18:36,880 –> 00:18:40,490

rightful habitation.
And so once again, Bill Dad

306
00:18:40,498 –> 00:18:43,455
reaffirms this idea of God’s
justice, that the simple

307
00:18:43,463 –> 00:18:47,040
framework of God doesn’t pervert
justice, and therefore he only

308
00:18:47,048 –> 00:18:49,380
punishes the wicked and prospers
the righteous.

309
00:18:49,388 –> 00:18:52,965
So Joe Beast repent, learn from
his children as an example, and

310
00:18:52,965 –> 00:18:56,007
be righteous again, and then
there will be restored to

311
00:18:56,015 –> 00:18:58,540
prosperity.
Fairly fairly simple solution,

312
00:18:58,548 –> 00:19:02,332
but the Friends oversimplified
understanding of God’s justice.

313
00:19:02,332 –> 00:19:05,080

I think it pushes Job in the

314
00:19:05,080 –> 00:19:07,160
other direction.

It causes him to doubt God’s

315
00:19:07,160 –> 00:19:09,840
justice because he looks at the
world around him and sees that

316
00:19:09,840 –> 00:19:11,600
God doesn’t abide by this

framework.

317
00:19:11,600 –> 00:19:15,320
There are wicked people who

prosper and innocent people who

318
00:19:15,320 –> 00:19:17,360
suffer.

But he doesn’t have an

319
00:19:17,360 –> 00:19:20,960
alternative answer yet.

And so Joe begins this

320
00:19:20,960 –> 00:19:25,014
tumultuous journey of trying to
understand God’s justice

321
00:19:25,014 –> 00:19:32,640
through apparent injustice.

So to understand what Job is

322
00:19:32,640 –> 00:19:35,920
saying in chapter 19, we’ll

we’ll go through Job’s earliest

323
00:19:35,920 –> 00:19:38,200
speeches from Job Chapter 9 to

chapter 19.

324
00:19:38,200 –> 00:19:41,560
Don’t worry we won’t be going

into too much detail, but Job

325
00:19:41,720 –> 00:19:44,960
answers his friends arguments

here and explains his

326
00:19:44,960 –> 00:19:46,520
predicament and what he wants to

do.

327
00:19:48,680 –> 00:19:52,989
So first of all Job answers Bill

that who said that Job needed

328
00:19:52,989 –> 00:19:56,560
to return to righteousness and
he
answered Bill that saying

329
00:19:56,560 –> 00:19:59,534
this.
But how can man be in the right

330
00:19:59,534 –> 00:20:02,096
before God if one wishes to
contend with him?

331
00:20:02,104 –> 00:20:04,632
One could not answer him once in
1000 times.

332
00:20:04,640 –> 00:20:08,616
He is wise in heart and mighty
in strength and who has hardened

333
00:20:08,616 –> 00:20:10,180

himself against him and
succeeded.

334
00:20:10,188 –> 00:20:14,182
And so here Joe repeats in life
as his question that we saw

335
00:20:14,190 –> 00:20:15,978
before, Can man be right before
God?

336
00:20:15,986 –> 00:20:20,128
And he uses this to demonstrate
that righteousness cannot result

337
00:20:20,128 –> 00:20:23,212

in prosperity because no one
can be considered righteous

338
00:20:23,212 –> 00:20:26,944
before
God, and God is far too
powerful and far too wise to

339
00:20:26,944 –> 00:20:29,055
contend
with.
So he can’t even convince God

340
00:20:29,063 –> 00:20:31,780
that he’s righteous.
And he develops this idea

341
00:20:31,788 –> 00:20:34,342
further.
Come down to verse 15 to 17.

342
00:20:34,350 –> 00:20:36,992
Though I am right, I cannot
answer him.

343
00:20:37,000 –> 00:20:39,772
I must appeal for mercy for my
accuser.

344
00:20:39,780 –> 00:20:42,840
If I summoned him and he
answered me, I would not believe

345
00:20:42,840 –> 00:20:46,430

he was listening to my voice.
For he crushes me with a Tempest

346
00:20:46,430 –> 00:20:48,275

and multiplies my wounds
without cause.

347
00:20:48,283 –> 00:20:53,308
And then as he continues 20 to
21, though I am right, my own

348
00:20:53,316 –> 00:20:56,534
mouth would condemn me.
Though I am blameless, he would

349
00:20:56,534 –> 00:20:58,482
prove me perverse.
I am blameless.

350
00:20:58,490 –> 00:21:01,530
I regard not myself, and I
loathe my life.

351
00:21:01,538 –> 00:21:05,480
So despite being righteous, Joe
feels that he can’t defend

352
00:21:05,488 –> 00:21:09,860
himself before God and God is is
so powerful that he must appeal

353
00:21:09,860 –> 00:21:12,515
for mercy.
Yet God is attacking him without

354
00:21:12,515 –> 00:21:14,637

cause.
So even if he is right, he feels

355
00:21:14,637 –> 00:21:16,720

like God will make him look
like a Sinner.

356
00:21:16,728 –> 00:21:20,390
So he’s sort of stuck in this
this place where he doesn’t have

357
00:21:20,390 –> 00:21:25,176

any hope of a solution.
And so he concludes this, that

358
00:21:25,184 –> 00:21:27,040
man cannot be considered
righteous.

359
00:21:27,048 –> 00:21:30,840
So it is all one.
Therefore I say, he destroys

360
00:21:30,848 –> 00:21:32,864
both the blameless and the
wicked.

361
00:21:32,872 –> 00:21:36,454
When disaster brings sudden
death, he mocks at the calamity

362
00:21:36,454 –> 00:21:39,163
of the innocent.
The earth is given into the hand

363
00:21:39,163 –> 00:21:41,844

of the wicked, and he covers
the faces of the judges.

364
00:21:41,852 –> 00:21:47,810
If it is not he, then who is it?
And so Joe here has recognised

365
00:21:47,818 –> 00:21:51,348
that the and experienced the
fates of all men under the curse

366
00:21:51,348 –> 00:21:53,955

of Adam.
Without the atoning work of God,

367
00:21:53,955 –> 00:21:58,080

no man can be considered
righteous, because all men die.

368
00:21:58,080 –> 00:22:00,480

But Joe struggles with this

369
00:22:00,480 –> 00:22:04,680
realisation because I don’t

think he sees a solution in this

370
00:22:04,800 –> 00:22:07,800
or God’s justice in this futile
existence of man.

371
00:22:08,080 –> 00:22:12,600
In his despair he’s gone so far
as to say that God mocks or

372
00:22:12,600 –> 00:22:16,160
finds humour in the suffering of

the innocent and he gives the

373
00:22:16,160 –> 00:22:19,440
world into the hand of the

wicked and covers Judges eyes so

374
00:22:19,880 –> 00:22:22,680
wickedness can take place and

justice can’t take place.

375
00:22:22,680 –> 00:22:26,880
And the implication here is that

God is not acting justly.

376
00:22:26,880 –> 00:22:31,000
Like the friends say that God

doesn’t prosper the righteous

377
00:22:31,040 –> 00:22:33,520
and punish the wicked.

It’s the opposite.

378
00:22:34,960 –> 00:22:38,247
And to strengthen this point, he

says it’s only God who could

379
00:22:38,247 –> 00:22:41,440
be liable for this.

If it is not he, then who is it?

380
00:22:41,760 –> 00:22:46,600
It couldn’t be anyone else.

And because he thinks he cannot

381
00:22:46,600 –> 00:22:49,480
find justice with God, he

laments his position, and says,

382
00:22:50,000 –> 00:22:54,560
If I say I will forget my

complaint, if I will put off my

383
00:22:54,560 –> 00:22:57,720
sad face and be of good cheer, I

become afraid of my suffering.

384
00:22:57,720 –> 00:23:00,760
Because I know that you speaking

to God, will not hold me

385
00:23:00,760 –> 00:23:02,645
innocent, I shall be condemned.

386
00:23:02,653 –> 00:23:07,655
Why then do I labour in vain?
If I wash myself with snow, and

387
00:23:07,655 –> 00:23:11,200
cleanse my hands with Lye, you
will plunge me into a pit, and

388
00:23:11,208 –> 00:23:15,519
my own clothes will affore me.
So again he thinks that God will

389
00:23:15,519 –> 00:23:18,620

condemn him no matter what.
He cannot be counted righteous

390
00:23:18,628 –> 00:23:21,565
and therefore he wonders why
he’s laboured after

391
00:23:21,573 –> 00:23:25,402
righteousness in the 1st place.
And Job’s picture of trying to

392
00:23:25,410 –> 00:23:27,150
clean his hands makes sense in
this context.

393
00:23:27,158 –> 00:23:29,915
He’s like he’s trying to clean
his hand and make himself look

394
00:23:29,923 –> 00:23:32,920
righteous, but God just makes
him look like a Sinner and makes

395
00:23:32,920 –> 00:23:36,022

him dirty.
And this makes him feel like he

396
00:23:36,022 –> 00:23:38,680
has no hope but he will be
condemned.

397
00:23:38,688 –> 00:23:44,191
And then Job laments that there
is nothing that he can do to

398
00:23:44,199 –> 00:23:45,675
defend his righteousness before
God.

399
00:23:45,683 –> 00:23:50,266
But he entertains the idea of
going to trial before God, but

400
00:23:50,274 –> 00:23:53,524
expresses some a level of
hopelessness in the solution.

401
00:23:53,532 –> 00:23:58,825
He says, for I am not a man, As
for he is not a man, sorry as I

402
00:23:58,825 –> 00:24:01,454
am, that I might answer him
that we should come to trial

403
00:24:01,462 –> 00:24:03,280
together.
There is no arbiter between us

404
00:24:03,288 –> 00:24:05,000
who might lay his hand on us
both.

405
00:24:05,008 –> 00:24:07,475
Let him take away his rod from
me.

406
00:24:07,483 –> 00:24:09,560
Let him let his dread not
terrify me.

407
00:24:09,568 –> 00:24:14,565
Then I would speak without fear,
for I am not so in myself.

408
00:24:14,573 –> 00:24:18,100
So Job is has recognised
amazingly the need for an

409
00:24:18,108 –> 00:24:22,032
arbiter for man to be considered
righteous, that the for one to

410
00:24:22,040 –> 00:24:26,492
advocate on his behalf.
But Job doesn’t think such A1

411
00:24:26,500 –> 00:24:29,488
exists.
And this is what I mean by the

412
00:24:29,496 –> 00:24:33,125
the book of Job exploring the
justice of God without a

413
00:24:33,133 –> 00:24:36,900
knowledge of the atonement.
Job explains the problems, but

414
00:24:36,908 –> 00:24:41,016
he doesn’t quite see how God
will resolve them yet.

415
00:24:41,024 –> 00:24:45,294
But unlike Joe, we know this
will be ultimately fulfilled in

416
00:24:45,294 –> 00:24:48,520
Jesus.
But interestingly, the arbiter

417
00:24:48,528 –> 00:24:52,536
or this mediator that Joe wants
is different to the one that we

418
00:24:52,536 –> 00:24:55,322
find in Jesus.
Joe wants an arbiter to stop

419
00:24:55,330 –> 00:24:59,024
God’s attacks so he can allow
him to speak without fear and

420
00:24:59,032 –> 00:25:01,424
defend himself before God that
he’s not guilty.

421
00:25:01,432 –> 00:25:05,640
He wants an arbiter to allow him
to defend his own righteousness.

422
00:25:05,640 –> 00:25:07,560

But Jesus shows us God’s

423
00:25:07,600 –> 00:25:11,280
righteousness, and through faith

we can be countering manches.

424
00:25:12,880 –> 00:25:15,720
So following this in chapter 10,

we won’t go into it.

425
00:25:15,720 –> 00:25:18,440
Job then articulates this case,
which you’ll present to God,

426
00:25:18,440 –> 00:25:20,360
which is very similar to what

we’ve seen before.

427
00:25:20,760 –> 00:25:23,480
He expanded on his earlier

complaints that God seems to be

428
00:25:23,480 –> 00:25:26,920
condemning him without reason

and laments that his only hope

429
00:25:26,920 –> 00:25:34,000
is that he is going to die.

So now that we’ve quickly gone

430
00:25:34,000 –> 00:25:36,720
through that, let’s go through

Joe’s next feature in chapters,

431
00:25:37,080 –> 00:25:40,160
what goes from 12 to 14, But

we’ll start in chapter 30.

432
00:25:42,280 –> 00:25:45,800
Joe continues to develop this

defence case, which he sort of

433
00:25:45,800 –> 00:25:49,640
brought up in Chapter 9, this

time with a bit more confidence

434
00:25:49,640 –> 00:25:53,800
and clarity.

He says this, why should I take

435
00:25:53,800 –> 00:25:56,680
my flesh in my teeth and put my
life in my hand?

436
00:25:57,320 –> 00:26:00,080
Though he slay me, I will not

wait yet.

437
00:26:00,080 –> 00:26:02,000
I will argue my ways to his

face.

438
00:26:02,480 –> 00:26:06,480
This will be my salvation, that
the godless shall not come

439
00:26:06,480 –> 00:26:09,000
before him.

Keep listening to my words.

440
00:26:09,280 –> 00:26:11,400
Let my declaration be in your

ears.

441
00:26:11,560 –> 00:26:15,920
Behold, I’ve prepared my case,

and I know that I shall be in

442
00:26:15,920 –> 00:26:19,120
the right.

Well, you’ll have noticed a

443
00:26:19,160 –> 00:26:22,800
slightly different rendering of
verse 15 to your King James.

444
00:26:23,400 –> 00:26:26,640
Well, this is because the

Masoretic Text preserves 2

445
00:26:26,640 –> 00:26:29,360
slightly different readings in

its tradition.

446
00:26:29,960 –> 00:26:32,280
So in the Masoretic Text,

there’s two traditions, the

447
00:26:32,720 –> 00:26:35,480
written tradition and the Red

tradition.

448
00:26:35,920 –> 00:26:39,280
So the written tradition

preserves the actual text, and

449
00:26:39,280 –> 00:26:43,040
then the red tradition is what

the Mazarite scribes thought

450
00:26:43,040 –> 00:26:46,080
should be read out loud, often

trying to correct perceived

451
00:26:46,200 –> 00:26:50,040
errors in the text or sometimes
softening harsh language.

452
00:26:50,840 –> 00:26:55,040
And in the actual text, the

written tradition, it reads not.

453
00:26:55,040 –> 00:26:58,160
Hence I will not wait.

As it says in the Young’s

454
00:26:58,160 –> 00:27:03,760
literal, the LSV or the RSV or

some others render I have no

455
00:27:03,760 –> 00:27:07,240
hope interpreting that waiters

as waiting in hope.

456
00:27:07,560 –> 00:27:10,960
So the ASV does this and the

NRSV does this as well.

457
00:27:11,920 –> 00:27:15,160
And then you get the second

tradition, the red tradition,

458
00:27:15,760 –> 00:27:18,640
which reads him, which is what

the King James and some other

459
00:27:18,640 –> 00:27:23,720
versions like the ESV follow.

So I will wait or hope on him.

460
00:27:24,480 –> 00:27:28,840
Well, which is more likely?

I’ll suggest that the first

461
00:27:28,840 –> 00:27:32,920
option, I will not wait is more
likely primarily based on what

462
00:27:32,920 –> 00:27:37,160
Job says later.

So Job in chapter 14 verse 19,

463
00:27:37,160 –> 00:27:40,920
it’s very same speech.

He says that God destroys the

464
00:27:40,920 –> 00:27:44,040
hope of man, so he’s clearly not

hoping in God.

465
00:27:44,800 –> 00:27:48,800
And then in his final speech in
chapter 13, verse 26, using the

466
00:27:48,800 –> 00:27:52,760
same word for waited or hoped,

when I waited for light,

467
00:27:52,800 –> 00:27:55,080
darkness came.

So he’s tried waiting and it’s

468
00:27:55,080 –> 00:28:00,160
not worked.

So Job here, I think what he’s

469
00:28:00,160 –> 00:28:05,680
saying is he’s impatient to see
God and argue his ways to his

470
00:28:05,680 –> 00:28:08,360
face.

And the second reading from the

471
00:28:08,400 –> 00:28:11,880
the Red tradition is a softening

because Job’s words seem quite

472
00:28:11,880 –> 00:28:15,600
harsh here.

There’s another subtle

473
00:28:15,600 –> 00:28:19,440
difference as well.

You’ve seen verse 16 where in

474
00:28:19,440 –> 00:28:22,160
the ESV and most of the

translations it says this will

475
00:28:22,160 –> 00:28:24,760
be my salvation.

Your King James will say he will

476
00:28:24,760 –> 00:28:28,280
be my salvation.

This is because the the Hebrew

477
00:28:28,280 –> 00:28:31,960
is somewhat ambiguous because it

can either mean he or they

478
00:28:31,960 –> 00:28:33,640
depending on what the context

is.

479
00:28:34,240 –> 00:28:37,040
But I think the the context

suggests, as most modern

480
00:28:37,040 –> 00:28:41,280
translators agree, that the

subject of Job’s salvation, this

481
00:28:41,280 –> 00:28:45,160
will be my salvation, is him

arguing his ways to God’s face,

482
00:28:45,160 –> 00:28:47,920
not that God himself will be his

salvation.

483
00:28:48,320 –> 00:28:50,640
And this is supported by the

following statement that a

484
00:28:50,640 –> 00:28:52,560
godless man shall not come

before him.

485
00:28:53,040 –> 00:28:56,840
A A godless man couldn’t argue

his ways before God, but Joe can

486
00:28:56,840 –> 00:28:59,040
because he’s righteous.

His righteousness warrants an

487
00:28:59,040 –> 00:29:03,000
audience with God and therefore
he thinks a defence of his ways

488
00:29:03,000 –> 00:29:07,320
will be his salvation.

So Joe has prepared this case

489
00:29:07,320 –> 00:29:12,520
which he is ready to present

before God and he knows he is

490
00:29:12,520 –> 00:29:14,560
righteous and wants to prove

this to God.

491
00:29:17,240 –> 00:29:20,400
And then Job opens this case

with this series of three

492
00:29:20,400 –> 00:29:23,120
questions which he then

elaborates on.

493
00:29:23,120 –> 00:29:27,560
So the first question in Job 13,

verse 23, how many are my

494
00:29:27,560 –> 00:29:30,320
inequities in my sins?

Make me known, make known to me

495
00:29:30,320 –> 00:29:33,360
my transgressions and my sin.

And he says he asked this

496
00:29:33,360 –> 00:29:35,880
question because God writes

bitter things against him and

497
00:29:35,880 –> 00:29:37,680
makes him inherit the iniquities

of his youth.

498
00:29:38,360 –> 00:29:41,160
Verse 24.

Why do you hide your face and

499
00:29:41,160 –> 00:29:43,120
count me to an enemy?

Why does Joe ask this?

500
00:29:43,120 –> 00:29:47,080
Verse 27 You put my feet in the
stocks and watch all my paths

501
00:29:47,080 –> 00:29:49,120
and you set a limit to the sores

of my feet.

502
00:29:49,560 –> 00:29:52,240
And so that’s why he thinks God
is treating him as an enemy.

503
00:29:52,240 –> 00:29:55,600
And then finally, will you

frighten a a driven leaf or

504
00:29:55,600 –> 00:29:58,320
pursue dried chaff?

Well, he asks this because he

505
00:29:58,320 –> 00:30:02,320
thinks that man is like a thing
that wastes away a rotten thing

506
00:30:02,320 –> 00:30:05,160
that it’s moth eats and man is

few of days and full of trouble.

507
00:30:05,160 –> 00:30:08,724
So so what’s the point in doing
destroying something that

508
00:30:08,724 –> 00:30:14,920
that’s so frail without hope.

But after he says this, Joe

509
00:30:14,920 –> 00:30:19,080
makes this this remarkable

request contemplating a

510
00:30:19,120 –> 00:30:21,880
potential solution to his

dilemma.

511
00:30:22,760 –> 00:30:24,800
And he puts this argument

together, as you can see in a

512
00:30:24,800 –> 00:30:28,560
chaistic form.

And he contrasts the the hope of

513
00:30:28,560 –> 00:30:33,640
man to the hope of a tree.

So he says in verse 7 to 9, For

514
00:30:33,640 –> 00:30:37,200
there is hope for a tree, if it
be cut down, that it was sprout

515
00:30:37,200 –> 00:30:40,760
again, and the tender branch

thereof will not cease, that the

516
00:30:40,760 –> 00:30:44,040
root thereof wax old, and the

stock in the ground, yet the

517
00:30:44,040 –> 00:30:47,080
scent of water, at the scent of
water it will bud and bring

518
00:30:47,080 –> 00:30:50,520
forth battles like a plant.

And then this is contrasted to

519
00:30:50,520 –> 00:30:53,257
the hope of man in verse 11:50.

520
00:30:53,265 –> 00:30:56,315
But man dieth and wasteth away,
Amen.

521
00:30:56,323 –> 00:30:58,680
Give us up the ghost, and where
is he?

522
00:30:58,688 –> 00:31:03,552
And then verse 12 So man lieth
down and riseth not, so I treat

523
00:31:03,552 –> 00:31:08,130
as a hope to come back to life,
whereas a man apparently doesn’t

524
00:31:08,130 –> 00:31:13,430

according to Joe Pip.
But then he makes this key

525
00:31:13,438 –> 00:31:16,309
central point.
He makes a remarkable request,

526
00:31:16,317 –> 00:31:20,682
Oh, that you would hide me in
the grave and that you would

527
00:31:20,690 –> 00:31:23,596
keep me secret until thy wrath
be passed.

528
00:31:23,604 –> 00:31:28,282
And now what is the pointers me
a set time and Remember Me.

529
00:31:28,290 –> 00:31:32,200
And then he asked this hopeful
question in verse 14.

530
00:31:32,208 –> 00:31:37,320
If a man die, shall I live again
all the days of my appointed

531
00:31:37,328 –> 00:31:40,274
time?
Will I wait till my change come?

532
00:31:40,274 –> 00:31:42,560

Usual call, and I will answer

533
00:31:42,560 –> 00:31:44,840
thee.

And now we’ll have desire again

534
00:31:44,840 –> 00:31:49,440
for the work of thine hands.

Now that word for change, there

535
00:31:50,240 –> 00:31:53,440
is a very similar Hebrew word

for the word for sprout again.

536
00:31:53,920 –> 00:31:58,360
And So what Job is asking here

is that Job that sorry that God

537
00:31:58,360 –> 00:32:00,880
will give him the hope of the

trait that he will allow him to

538
00:32:00,880 –> 00:32:03,760
be kept in the grave and then

raised at a later date once

539
00:32:03,760 –> 00:32:07,920
God’s wrath has passed and

therefore God would desire the

540
00:32:07,920 –> 00:32:11,560
work of his hands again.

So what Job is requesting here

541
00:32:11,920 –> 00:32:16,480
is the resurrection from the

dead, that he thinks this is his

542
00:32:16,480 –> 00:32:19,400
solution to his problem, which

is quite remarkable.

543
00:32:20,880 –> 00:32:24,327
But I think this request reveals

that Job doesn’t quite have

544
00:32:24,327 –> 00:32:27,360
that innate knowledge of the

resurrection that we do as

545
00:32:27,360 –> 00:32:30,240
believers.

In the same way, in earlier

546
00:32:30,240 –> 00:32:33,600
sections, Chapter 7, verse nine,

Job says that those who go to

547
00:32:33,600 –> 00:32:36,760
the grave do not rise.

And the fact that he’s had to

548
00:32:36,760 –> 00:32:40,680
derive this solution here

suggests that the resurrection

549
00:32:40,680 –> 00:32:43,680
was outside of his his view at

this point.

550
00:32:44,200 –> 00:32:48,040
But he’s slowly beginning to

understand how his problem can

551
00:32:48,040 –> 00:32:50,360
be resolved.

But he’s he’s not quite there

552
00:32:50,360 –> 00:32:55,720
yet.

However, despite recognising the

553
00:32:55,720 –> 00:32:59,240
need for resurrection, he

doesn’t trust that God will

554
00:32:59,240 –> 00:33:03,240
grant this request.

He says as the mountain falls

555
00:33:03,240 –> 00:33:06,760
and crumbles away, and as the

rock is removed from his place,

556
00:33:07,120 –> 00:33:10,160
the waters wear away the stones
and torrents wash away the soil

557
00:33:10,160 –> 00:33:13,680
from the earth.

So you, speaking to God, destroy

558
00:33:13,840 –> 00:33:16,560
the hope of man.

You prevail against him forever,

559
00:33:16,560 –> 00:33:19,400
and he passes.

You change his countenance and

560
00:33:19,400 –> 00:33:23,080
send him away.

So here Job says that God

561
00:33:23,080 –> 00:33:26,160
destroys his hope.

He’s he’s not sure or doesn’t

562
00:33:26,160 –> 00:33:30,280
think that God will give him

this hope of a tree and that his

563
00:33:30,280 –> 00:33:36,720
only hope is to die.

So we come to the the

564
00:33:36,720 –> 00:33:40,720
penultimate speech before

chapter 19 in chapter 16 and

565
00:33:40,760 –> 00:33:44,800
parts of 17, Joseph’s fifth

speech, our final one for our

566
00:33:44,800 –> 00:33:49,920
context.

Here he focuses in upon God’s

567
00:33:49,920 –> 00:33:53,120
attacks against him and

describes them in graphic

568
00:33:53,120 –> 00:33:56,720
detail.

He portrays this picture as you

569
00:33:56,720 –> 00:34:00,323
see at the start of God grabbing

him by the neck and smashing

570
00:34:00,323 –> 00:34:03,094
him to pieces and then getting
his
arches to surround him and

571
00:34:03,094 –> 00:34:05,462
shoot him until his guts come
out.

572
00:34:05,470 –> 00:34:09,648
It’s quite a graphic scene and
Joe mourns and cries out in pain

573
00:34:09,648 –> 00:34:12,308

and he thinks he doesn’t
diverse this because he’s done

574
00:34:12,308 –> 00:34:15,536
nothing
wrong.
As you read in the verse 17, my

575
00:34:15,536 –> 00:34:19,862
face is red with weeping and on
my eye it says deep darkness,

576
00:34:19,870 –> 00:34:24,152
though there is no violence in
my hands and my prayer is pure.

577
00:34:24,152 –> 00:34:26,199

He doesn’t see any reason for

578
00:34:26,199 –> 00:34:35,120
these attacks against him.

And so because of this, he makes

579
00:34:35,480 –> 00:34:37,184
another really fascinating plea.

580
00:34:37,192 –> 00:34:42,235
So he says in verse 18 of
chapter 16, O earth, cover not

581
00:34:42,243 –> 00:34:47,320
my blood, and let my cry find no
resting place, which is an

582
00:34:47,328 –> 00:34:52,418
obvious allusion to the murder
of Abel by Cain in Genesis 4,

583
00:34:52,426 –> 00:34:56,114
where the earth cried out
because of his blood.

584
00:34:56,121 –> 00:34:58,816
And Job wants the same thing to
happen to him because of the

585
00:34:58,824 –> 00:35:01,136
injustice done to him.
He wants the earth to cry out in

586
00:35:01,136 –> 00:35:02,920

remembrance of him so that he
is remembered.

587
00:35:02,928 –> 00:35:08,339
And then he carries on even now.
Behold, my witness is in heaven,

588
00:35:08,339 –> 00:35:12,707

and he who testifies for me is
on high, my friends, or my

589
00:35:12,715 –> 00:35:15,962
intercessors, or scorners.
My eye pours out tears to God,

590
00:35:15,970 –> 00:35:20,173
that he would argue the case of
a man with God, as a son of man

591
00:35:20,173 –> 00:35:23,940
does with his neighbor.
For when a few years have come,

592
00:35:23,940 –> 00:35:27,060
I shall go away, from which I
shall not return.

593
00:35:27,068 –> 00:35:30,838
So what does Job mean by this?
Who is this witness in heaven

594
00:35:30,846 –> 00:35:35,342
that Job is asking for?
Well, I think this witness is

595
00:35:35,350 –> 00:35:39,256
God, and God is being contrasted
to the friends.

596
00:35:39,264 –> 00:35:42,320
So that word which I’ve got on
the screen, intercessors or

597
00:35:42,328 –> 00:35:45,345
scorners, it’s the word Mel,
let’s say, which literally means

598
00:35:45,345 –> 00:35:48,463

to make mouths.
And it can either mean to scorn

599
00:35:48,463 –> 00:35:50,823
or it can also mean to
intercede for someone.

600
00:35:50,831 –> 00:35:54,659
So Job 33 is used in the
intercede type, whereas in Psalm

601
00:35:54,659 –> 00:35:58,828

119 it’s used in the term
like, like a scorn.

602
00:35:58,836 –> 00:36:02,892
And what Job is doing here, he’s
saying his friends are like

603
00:36:02,900 –> 00:36:05,320
intercessory scorners.
So they’re interceding for him.

604
00:36:05,320 –> 00:36:07,480

But actually scorning him in the

605
00:36:07,480 –> 00:36:11,360
process.

Whereas he he wants God to be

606
00:36:11,360 –> 00:36:15,680
his witness because God knows

his innocence and that there is

607
00:36:15,680 –> 00:36:17,312
no arbiter between him and God.

608
00:36:17,320 –> 00:36:21,682
So Job Chapter 9 verse 33 as we
saw and Job chapter 10 verse 7,

609
00:36:21,682 –> 00:36:26,864
God knows that I am not guilty.
So Job is calling God to be a

610
00:36:26,872 –> 00:36:30,938
witness in his case for his
righteousness, to argue Job’s

611
00:36:30,946 –> 00:36:35,345
case with himself.
And this is further supported.

612
00:36:35,353 –> 00:36:39,781
Come with me to Job chapter 17
and verse 3 where Job says I’m

613
00:36:39,789 –> 00:36:43,800
going to read from the NET, set
my pledge beside you.

614
00:36:43,808 –> 00:36:48,846
Who else will put up security,
which is literally in your King

615
00:36:48,846 –> 00:36:50,389
James?
Who else will strike hands with

616
00:36:50,389 –> 00:36:52,235
me?
It’s just an idiom that means to

617
00:36:52,235 –> 00:36:54,885

be a guarantor for someone.
We see this in the Proverbs,

618
00:36:54,893 –> 00:36:56,472
Proverbs 6 verse one, for
example.

619
00:36:56,480 –> 00:37:00,982
And so it is only God who can
redeem him because there is no

620
00:37:00,990 –> 00:37:04,060
one who could be his guarantor.
There is no arbiter.

621
00:37:04,068 –> 00:37:06,230
So it’s only God who can redeem
him.

622
00:37:06,238 –> 00:37:10,520
And so now that we have spent
the time considering that, the

623
00:37:10,528 –> 00:37:14,140
context and the flow of
arguments, this brings us to Job

624
00:37:14,140 –> 00:37:17,707

chapter 19 to to summarize
Job’s argument so far.

625
00:37:17,715 –> 00:37:22,850
We’ll now have our reading if
that’s right.

626
00:37:22,858 –> 00:37:32,541
Job Chapter 19 And Job answered
and said, How long will you vex

627
00:37:32,541 –> 00:37:36,732
my soul, and break me in pieces
with words?

628
00:37:36,740 –> 00:37:40,240
These 10 times have you
reproached me.

629
00:37:40,248 –> 00:37:44,794
You’re not ashamed that you make
yourself strange to me, and be

630
00:37:44,802 –> 00:37:49,552
it indeed that I have heard my
never remaineth with myself.

631
00:37:49,560 –> 00:37:54,478
If indeed you will magnify
yourselves against me, and plead

632
00:37:54,478 –> 00:38:00,340

against me my reproach, know
now that God hath overthrown me,

633
00:38:00,340 –> 00:38:04,120
and
have compassed me with His
net.

634
00:38:05,160 –> 00:38:10,720
Behold, I cry out of wrong, but
I am not hurt.

635
00:38:11,720 –> 00:38:14,520
I cry aloud, but there is no

judgement.

636
00:38:15,080 –> 00:38:17,760
He have fenced up my way that I
cannot pass.

637
00:38:18,200 –> 00:38:20,280
He has said darkness in my

parts.

638
00:38:20,280 –> 00:38:23,960
He has stripped me of my glory,
taken the crown from off my

639
00:38:23,960 –> 00:38:26,840
head.

He have destroyed me on every

640
00:38:26,840 –> 00:38:30,760
side, and I’m gone.

Mine hopeth he removed like a

641
00:38:30,760 –> 00:38:35,160
tree.

He hath also kindled his wrath

642
00:38:35,160 –> 00:38:39,040
against me, and he counted me

unto him as one of his enemies.

643
00:38:40,560 –> 00:38:45,080
His troops come together and

raise up their way against me,

644
00:38:45,520 –> 00:38:48,239
and encamp around my Tabernacle.

645
00:38:48,247 –> 00:38:54,640
He had put my brethren far from
me, and mine acquaintance are

646
00:38:54,648 –> 00:39:01,544
verily estranged from me.
My kinsfolk have failed and my

647
00:39:01,552 –> 00:39:04,246
familiar friends have forgotten
me.

648
00:39:04,254 –> 00:39:10,480
They that dwell in my house.
My maids can’t live with a

649
00:39:10,488 –> 00:39:14,295
stranger.
I’m an alien in their sight.

650
00:39:14,303 –> 00:39:18,162
I called my servants and he gave
me no answer.

651
00:39:18,170 –> 00:39:25,370
I entreated him with my mouth.
My breath is strange to my wife,

652
00:39:25,370 –> 00:39:30,310

the way entreated for the
children’s sake of my own body.

653
00:39:30,310 –> 00:39:32,800

Yeah, young children despise me.

654
00:39:33,760 –> 00:39:35,960
I rose, and they spake against

me.

655
00:39:36,120 –> 00:39:41,280
All my inward friends have bored

me, and they whom I loved had

656
00:39:41,280 –> 00:39:48,520
turned against me.

My bone cleaveth to my skin and

657
00:39:48,520 –> 00:39:53,800
to my flesh, and I’m escaped

with the skin of my teeth.

658
00:39:54,880 –> 00:40:00,800
Have pity upon me, Have pity

upon me, all ye friends, for the

659
00:40:00,800 –> 00:40:07,280
hand of God have touched me.

Why do ye persecute me as God?

660
00:40:07,280 –> 00:40:10,400
And I’m not satisfied with my

flesh.

661
00:40:11,760 –> 00:40:16,400
All that my words were now

written, all that they were

662
00:40:16,400 –> 00:40:21,320
printed in a book, that they

were graven with an iron tongue,

663
00:40:21,520 –> 00:40:25,040
with an iron pen and lead in the

rock forever.

664
00:40:26,280 –> 00:40:32,480
For I know that my Redeemer

liveths, and that He shall stand

665
00:40:33,360 –> 00:40:35,080
at the latter day upon the

earth.

666
00:40:35,080 –> 00:40:39,880
And though after my skin worms

destroy this body, yet in my

667
00:40:39,880 –> 00:40:46,480
flesh shall I see God, whom I

shall see for myself, and mine

668
00:40:46,480 –> 00:40:51,640
eyes shall behold, and not

another, though my reins be

669
00:40:51,640 –> 00:40:58,840
consumed within me.

But ye should say, Why persecute

670
00:40:58,960 –> 00:41:05,600
We Him, seeing the root of the

matter was found in may be

671
00:41:05,600 –> 00:41:10,280
afraid of the sword, For wrath

bringeth the punishment of the

672
00:41:10,280 –> 00:41:15,840
sword, that ye may know there is

a judgement.

673
00:41:23,160 –> 00:41:25,840
Thanks very much, John.

So I hope that made a bit more

674
00:41:25,840 –> 00:41:28,880
sense now that we’ve gone

through that, that previous

675
00:41:28,880 –> 00:41:33,240
context that Joe wants to go to
trial with God to present his

676
00:41:33,240 –> 00:41:36,200
defence case to him, thinks

there’s no arbiter to to

677
00:41:36,200 –> 00:41:39,720
advocate for him, but thinks a

defence of his righteousness

678
00:41:39,720 –> 00:41:41,040
will be the thing that saves

him.

679
00:41:42,360 –> 00:41:46,335
And that Joe proposed a solution

to be kept in the grave and

680
00:41:46,335 –> 00:41:48,920
then raised after God’s wrath
has
passed.

681
00:41:49,600 –> 00:41:52,920
But he’s not confident that God
will do this, but believes that

682
00:41:52,920 –> 00:41:56,760
God knows his innocence.

And Job wants God to witness to

683
00:41:56,760 –> 00:41:59,360
this because there’s no one else

who can.

684
00:42:00,200 –> 00:42:04,307
And this is what we need to have

in mind when we read our

685
00:42:04,307 –> 00:42:10,880
section today.

So as we read Job laments at the

686
00:42:10,880 –> 00:42:15,600
start in Job chapter 19 and

verse two to four that his

687
00:42:15,600 –> 00:42:18,400
friends have been breaking him

to pieces and reproaching him.

688
00:42:19,320 –> 00:42:23,200
And he says to them, if it be

true that I’ve heard my error

689
00:42:23,200 –> 00:42:27,000
remains with myself.

And then he continues verse 5 to

690
00:42:27,000 –> 00:42:30,280
6.

But if you must magnify

691
00:42:30,280 –> 00:42:34,200
yourselves against me and make

my disgrace and argument against

692
00:42:34,200 –> 00:42:38,080
me, know that it is God who has
put me in the wrong and closes.

693
00:42:38,080 –> 00:42:41,720
Isn’t it about me?

Now what is interesting about

694
00:42:41,720 –> 00:42:45,480
verse 6 is this is a reference

to Job chapter 8 verse three,

695
00:42:45,480 –> 00:42:47,400
that question that we saw from

Bildad.

696
00:42:47,680 –> 00:42:51,000
Does God pervert justice or does

the Almighty pervert what is

697
00:42:51,000 –> 00:42:54,600
right And Job is referencing

that here with that word wrong

698
00:42:54,600 –> 00:42:56,360
or overthrown in your King

James.

699
00:42:57,040 –> 00:43:00,840
What he’s saying is that know

that God has perverted in by

700
00:43:00,840 –> 00:43:04,840
justice with me.

Where build and ask does God do

701
00:43:04,840 –> 00:43:06,960
this?

Job is saying yes and then he

702
00:43:06,960 –> 00:43:09,320
explains how he how God has done

this.

703
00:43:09,320 –> 00:43:11,840
Behold, I cry out violence but

I’m not answered.

704
00:43:12,120 –> 00:43:14,760
I call for help but there is no
justice.

705
00:43:15,040 –> 00:43:18,920
And then as we read before, he

then describes on how how God

706
00:43:18,920 –> 00:43:23,000
has wronged him.

He says that God has walled in

707
00:43:23,000 –> 00:43:24,840
my way.

He has stripped me of my glory

708
00:43:24,840 –> 00:43:26,800
and my crown.

He breaks me on every side.

709
00:43:27,240 –> 00:43:30,160
Notice my hope.

He has pulled up like a tree,

710
00:43:30,160 –> 00:43:33,080
which we saw earlier.

So he doesn’t necessarily think

711
00:43:33,080 –> 00:43:35,080
that God will give him the hope
of a tree.

712
00:43:35,680 –> 00:43:38,240
And then he has kindled his

wrath against me, counts me as

713
00:43:38,240 –> 00:43:41,680
an enemy.

And he has put my brothers far

714
00:43:41,680 –> 00:43:44,720
from me and estranged those who
knew me far from me.

715
00:43:45,400 –> 00:43:49,560
And then he elaborates on that

last point, describing how all

716
00:43:49,560 –> 00:43:52,120
his relatives, his close

friends, his guests, his maid

717
00:43:52,120 –> 00:43:56,560
servants, his even his wife and
his brothers and all the young

718
00:43:56,560 –> 00:44:00,240
children seem to reject him

because of what God has done to

719
00:44:00,240 –> 00:44:02,880
him.

And he summarises at the end in

720
00:44:02,880 –> 00:44:06,680
verse 20, all my intimate

friends abort me and all those

721
00:44:06,680 –> 00:44:09,160
whom I loved have turned against

me.

722
00:44:09,960 –> 00:44:13,520
So Job has no one to turn to.

As he said before, there is no

723
00:44:13,520 –> 00:44:16,520
arbiter, there is no guarantor

for him.

724
00:44:16,520 –> 00:44:23,280
And then he follows this

complaint with a a complaint

725
00:44:23,280 –> 00:44:28,040
about his his ailments.

He says in verse 20, my bones

726
00:44:28,040 –> 00:44:30,840
stick to my skin and my flesh

and I have escaped by the skin

727
00:44:30,840 –> 00:44:34,400
of my teeth.

And Job laments these ailments

728
00:44:34,400 –> 00:44:36,600
that are upon his flesh.

And then he addresses his

729
00:44:36,600 –> 00:44:39,360
friends, have mercy upon me.

Have mercy upon me, O my

730
00:44:39,360 –> 00:44:43,160
friends, for the hand of God,

the hand of God has touched me.

731
00:44:43,160 –> 00:44:47,280
Why do you like God pursue me?

Why are you not satisfied with

732
00:44:47,280 –> 00:44:51,960
my flesh?

So Job argues that they have

733
00:44:51,960 –> 00:44:56,880
seen that God has attacked his

flesh, but he wants them to not

734
00:44:56,880 –> 00:44:59,720
think that his cause to attack

Job as well.

735
00:45:01,440 –> 00:45:03,920
They don’t they they think that
Job has sinned and this is

736
00:45:03,920 –> 00:45:06,800
proved by Job’s suffering.

But Job is saying that no, it’s

737
00:45:06,800 –> 00:45:09,160
not be be satisfied with what

God has done.

738
00:45:09,160 –> 00:45:15,600
Leave me alone.

And then this brings us to our

739
00:45:15,600 –> 00:45:19,720
section in question.

What does Job mean when he says,

740
00:45:19,720 –> 00:45:21,800
for I know my Redeemer lives

well?

741
00:45:23,400 –> 00:45:25,520
Again, let’s remind ourselves of

the context.

742
00:45:25,520 –> 00:45:28,400
Joe wants to go to trial with

God and present his case to

743
00:45:28,400 –> 00:45:31,320
defend himself.

And he thinks that he has been

744
00:45:31,320 –> 00:45:34,440
wronged by God and attacked

without cause and abandoned and

745
00:45:34,440 –> 00:45:36,400
rejected by all.

There’s no one on his side.

746
00:45:36,960 –> 00:45:40,160
And his only hope is for God to
recognize that he has done

747
00:45:40,160 –> 00:45:42,680
nothing wrong and witness to

this.

748
00:45:42,680 –> 00:45:46,160
This is the context of the

lament, which we’ve read a few

749
00:45:46,160 –> 00:45:52,680
Times Now, and the first clause
makes sense in this context.

750
00:45:54,040 –> 00:45:59,200
What Joe is asking for is that

his words would be recorded

751
00:45:59,640 –> 00:46:02,927
because he thinks that he cannot

get justice now, so he wants

752
00:46:02,927 –> 00:46:06,794
his words recorded so that he
can
present his case in these

753
00:46:06,794 –> 00:46:12,720
words at a later time.

And then after this, Joe

754
00:46:12,720 –> 00:46:17,240
introduces a Redeemer in that

second clause which he says

755
00:46:17,240 –> 00:46:20,480
lives and to whom can redeem

him.

756
00:46:21,600 –> 00:46:24,480
And I think Joe actually

immediately identifies this

757
00:46:24,480 –> 00:46:28,320
Redeemer within the context in

verse 27, when he says, Yet in

758
00:46:28,320 –> 00:46:32,720
my flesh I shall see God, whom I

shall see for myself, and my

759
00:46:32,720 –> 00:46:35,600
eyes will behold, and not

another.

760
00:46:36,640 –> 00:46:41,120
So Job’s Redeemer here is God,

not some future messianic

761
00:46:41,200 –> 00:46:46,200
figure, but that it is God.

God is his Redeemer whom he

762
00:46:46,200 –> 00:46:49,320
shall see and not another.

Because there is no arbiter.

763
00:46:49,840 –> 00:46:52,160
And just because the word

Redeemer is used, that doesn’t

764
00:46:52,160 –> 00:46:55,760
mean it’s a kinsman Redeemer.

It’s also used of God in other

765
00:46:55,760 –> 00:47:00,720
contexts, and I think this makes

sense in the context of his

766
00:47:00,720 –> 00:47:02,480
earlier arguments which we went
through.

767
00:47:02,840 –> 00:47:07,320
So Job 9 verse 33, there is no

arbiter and there is no one he

768
00:47:07,320 –> 00:47:09,480
can turn to in the immediate

context.

769
00:47:10,320 –> 00:47:14,000
And Job is building upon his

earliest statement in chapter 16

770
00:47:14,000 –> 00:47:17,200
that God is his witness in

heaven who contested mighty God

771
00:47:17,320 –> 00:47:22,320
of Job’s innocence and argued

Job’s case with himself, and

772
00:47:22,320 –> 00:47:25,520
that it is only God who can

redeem Job’s pledge.

773
00:47:25,520 –> 00:47:29,320
There’s no guarantor for Job.

Job 17, verse 3.

774
00:47:29,920 –> 00:47:32,440
And thus it is sort of

continuing that economic

775
00:47:32,440 –> 00:47:38,080
metaphor.

Now the translation of verse 25

776
00:47:38,080 –> 00:47:42,920
is pretty tricky.

In your King James, the Hebrew

777
00:47:42,920 –> 00:47:48,000
word there, akaran, is rendered
in the latter day where day is

778
00:47:48,000 –> 00:47:51,320
is supplied to give a bit of

context.

779
00:47:51,320 –> 00:47:53,400
But I don’t think that’s what

it’s saying.

780
00:47:53,520 –> 00:47:57,280
It’s a mistranslation of the

Hebrew word because the Hebrew

781
00:47:57,280 –> 00:48:00,200
word is an adjective.

It’s not an adverb.

782
00:48:00,240 –> 00:48:05,880
So it’s sort of a description

like my Redeemer, and it’s not a

783
00:48:06,240 –> 00:48:11,440
description of a time period.

So he’s calling God the last.

784
00:48:11,440 –> 00:48:13,702
It’s like an epithet or a title.

785
00:48:13,710 –> 00:48:19,116
And this occurs, as you’ll see
on the screen in Job 40, not Job

786
00:48:19,116 –> 00:48:23,720

Isaiah 44 and verse 6, where
once again God is called the

787
00:48:23,728 –> 00:48:27,020
Redeemer and he’s also called
the 1st and the last.

788
00:48:27,028 –> 00:48:30,456
And so Job is giving God this
title of the last.

789
00:48:30,464 –> 00:48:32,730
Here.
He’s not referring to the latter

790
00:48:32,730 –> 00:48:36,248

day necessarily, and he uses
this title because God is the

791
00:48:36,256 –> 00:48:40,360
one who will have the last say,
which is kind of the context

792
00:48:40,368 –> 00:48:44,104
that you get in Isaiah 44 and
Isaiah 41 of the way that the

793
00:48:44,112 –> 00:48:47,415
last title is used.
God is the only one who can

794
00:48:47,423 –> 00:48:50,566
redeem Joe, and he will
ultimately have the final say

795
00:48:50,574 –> 00:48:59,071
about Joe.
And as we saw earlier, Joe makes

796
00:48:59,071 –> 00:49:02,896

another reference to the
resurrection in that final

797
00:49:02,904 –> 00:49:08,742
clause in verses 26 to 27.
After my skin has thus been

798
00:49:08,750 –> 00:49:11,990
destroyed, yet in my flesh, I
shall see God.

799
00:49:11,998 –> 00:49:16,125
He’s building on that earlier
profession than we saw in

800
00:49:16,133 –> 00:49:19,844
chapter 14, the hope of a tree
that after Job has died, God

801
00:49:19,852 –> 00:49:23,650
will keep him in the grave until
his wrath has passed, and then

802
00:49:23,658 –> 00:49:26,903
renew Job.
He wants to see God after death

803
00:49:26,903 –> 00:49:30,032
so that his case, which has
been recorded forever in stone,

804
00:49:30,032 –> 00:49:33,383
can
be acknowledged so Job can
defend himself.

805
00:49:33,391 –> 00:49:39,992
Now he thinks the solution is in
a physical resurrection, which

806
00:49:40,000 –> 00:49:44,790
again is a remarkable thing.
There’s after death that God

807
00:49:44,798 –> 00:49:49,438
will redeem him, and he can.
He comes to this conclusion from

808
00:49:49,438 –> 00:49:53,092

his own reasoning, not because
he knew the the resurrection

809
00:49:53,100 –> 00:49:56,515
like we do today through Jesus
and the Gospel.

810
00:49:56,523 –> 00:50:00,472
However, I think despite the
apparent confidence of Job’s

811
00:50:00,480 –> 00:50:03,736
words, I’m not sure he’s certain
in his redemption.

812
00:50:03,744 –> 00:50:08,135
Turn with me to Job chapter 23,
which is after this speech,

813
00:50:08,143 –> 00:50:11,866
which once again he sort of
refers to this trial like

814
00:50:11,874 –> 00:50:15,436
language as we saw earlier in
the 1st 7 verses.

815
00:50:15,444 –> 00:50:20,544
And then he expresses this
uncertainty in verses 13 to 16.

816
00:50:20,544 –> 00:50:22,720

But God is unchangeable.

817
00:50:22,720 –> 00:50:26,000
Who can turn him back?

What he desires, he does for

818
00:50:26,000 –> 00:50:30,520
what he will complete that he

will appoint for He will

819
00:50:30,520 –> 00:50:32,200
complete what he appoints for

me.

820
00:50:32,560 –> 00:50:34,400
And many such things are on his
mind.

821
00:50:34,720 –> 00:50:37,680
Therefore I am terrified in His
presence and when I consider

822
00:50:37,680 –> 00:50:42,480
him, I am in dread.

God has made my heart faint and

823
00:50:42,480 –> 00:50:45,600
he repeats that phrase there.

My heart faints within me with

824
00:50:45,600 –> 00:50:50,720
with similar language that he

he’s his heart is faint because

825
00:50:50,720 –> 00:50:54,280
he’s uncertain that God will

change his mind and redeem him,

826
00:50:54,840 –> 00:50:58,640
but he’s confident in the fact

that he is righteous and God

827
00:50:58,640 –> 00:51:02,800
knows his innocence so leans

upon this Joe 23 verse 10 to 11

828
00:51:03,440 –> 00:51:06,440
but he knows the way I take and
when he has tried me I shall

829
00:51:06,440 –> 00:51:09,240
command as gold.

My foot is held fast to my

830
00:51:09,240 –> 00:51:11,480
steps.

I have kept his way and have not

831
00:51:11,480 –> 00:51:13,360
turned aside.

So he leans upon his

832
00:51:13,360 –> 00:51:16,040
righteousness as warrant for his

redemption, but he’s not

833
00:51:16,040 –> 00:51:18,960
necessarily confident that God

will change his mind about.

834
00:51:21,400 –> 00:51:24,880
So let’s summarise.

As Christadelphians, we

835
00:51:24,880 –> 00:51:29,000
encourage one another to do

careful and contextual Bible

836
00:51:29,000 –> 00:51:30,920
reading.

And when we do this, I think

837
00:51:30,920 –> 00:51:34,920
we’re forced into the following
conclusion that Job is not

838
00:51:35,000 –> 00:51:39,280
crying out for a Messiah to

redeem him at the resurrection,

839
00:51:39,840 –> 00:51:42,960
even if Job’s later.

These complaints from Job will

840
00:51:42,960 –> 00:51:47,360
later be fulfilled in Christ as
we know, and Job is not wanting

841
00:51:47,360 –> 00:51:51,160
to be accounted righteous by

faith in God’s mercy at this

842
00:51:51,160 –> 00:51:55,640
point necessarily.

Job is what he is doing is here

843
00:51:57,000 –> 00:52:00,080
we go.

Job is arguing that he wants his

844
00:52:00,080 –> 00:52:03,120
words to be recorded, his own

righteousness to be defended in

845
00:52:03,120 –> 00:52:08,720
front of God because God is the
only one who can redeem him and

846
00:52:08,720 –> 00:52:11,000
ultimately will have the final

say and Job thinks his

847
00:52:11,000 –> 00:52:13,960
righteousness will give him

warrant to be redeemed.

848
00:52:15,120 –> 00:52:18,720
So Job’s mind is clearly full of

turmoil.

849
00:52:18,720 –> 00:52:21,720
It’s almost a paradoxical

argument that he thinks that God

850
00:52:21,720 –> 00:52:25,880
hasn’t acted justly with him at
this point, but he also thinks

851
00:52:25,880 –> 00:52:29,280
that God should justify him on

account of his personal

852
00:52:29,360 –> 00:52:34,280
righteousness.

And so he’s sort of unable to

853
00:52:34,280 –> 00:52:38,280
see the justice of God, yet

thinks that God ought to justify

854
00:52:38,280 –> 00:52:39,840
him because of his

righteousness.

855
00:52:41,960 –> 00:52:46,280
And while Job is in this

difficult place in chapter 19,

856
00:52:46,280 –> 00:52:50,240
the book doesn’t end there.

This is why God later intervenes

857
00:52:50,240 –> 00:52:54,080
to show Job that he is just and
that Job should trust him.

858
00:52:54,800 –> 00:52:58,040
And he He challenges Job’s

desire to go to trial with him

859
00:52:58,400 –> 00:53:01,240
and directly confronts him about

presenting his case.

860
00:53:01,920 –> 00:53:04,600
He says, Shall a fault Finder

contend with the Almighty?

861
00:53:04,760 –> 00:53:07,200
He who argues with God?

Let him answer it.

862
00:53:08,880 –> 00:53:12,720
And then, as we saw before, he

asked Joe, will you put me in

863
00:53:12,720 –> 00:53:14,360
the wrong?

Will you condemn me that you may

864
00:53:14,360 –> 00:53:16,760
be right?

And then to illustrate this, the

865
00:53:16,760 –> 00:53:19,840
problem with this, he draws out
a few points.

866
00:53:19,920 –> 00:53:22,394
Have you an, Oh my God, can you
Thunder like him, adorn

867
00:53:22,394 –> 00:53:25,612
yourself with majesty, dignity,
and then
asks him to tread

868
00:53:25,612 –> 00:53:28,480
down the wicked like Joe wanted
God to
do.

869
00:53:28,880 –> 00:53:32,800
And then at the end then I also
will acknowledge that your own

870
00:53:32,800 –> 00:53:37,000
right hand can save you.

And these are all allusions to

871
00:53:37,080 –> 00:53:38,410
earlier statements made by Job.

872
00:53:38,418 –> 00:53:41,984
So we saw in Job 19 verse 6, God
has wronged him.

873
00:53:41,992 –> 00:53:45,216
Job, God questions this.
Job 29 verse 14.

874
00:53:45,224 –> 00:53:47,580
Job says that he clothed himself
in righteousness.

875
00:53:47,588 –> 00:53:49,543
Well, God challenges him to do
this.

876
00:53:49,551 –> 00:53:53,682
Job 29 verse 17, Job had said, I
broke the fangs of the wicked.

877
00:53:53,690 –> 00:53:57,612
I acted justly with the wicked
or God challenges Job to do this

878
00:53:57,612 –> 00:54:00,692

in God’s stead.
And then finally, Job 13, Job

879
00:54:00,700 –> 00:54:03,732
says, I will argue my ways to
his face.

880
00:54:03,740 –> 00:54:08,060
This will be my salvation.
Or God says that know your own

881
00:54:08,068 –> 00:54:12,577
right hand cannot save you.
So God rebukes to him for going

882
00:54:12,577 –> 00:54:14,956
too far and putting his
personal righteousness above

883
00:54:14,956 –> 00:54:18,440
God’s.

And that Job needs to recognize

884
00:54:18,440 –> 00:54:22,118
that he’s at God’s mercy and he
can only be saved by God’s

885
00:54:22,118 –> 00:54:27,120
grace alone.

And in the letters to the

886
00:54:27,120 –> 00:54:30,280
Romans, we’ll quickly go through

this as I’m conscious of the

887
00:54:30,280 –> 00:54:36,390
time Paul references God’s final

speech in Job chapter 41,

888
00:54:36,390 –> 00:54:40,386
where God says who has first
given to
me that I should

889
00:54:40,386 –> 00:54:43,422
repay him?
Well, Paul in Romans Chapter 11,

890
00:54:43,422 –> 00:54:47,000

the context is for God has
consigned all people to

891
00:54:47,008 –> 00:54:50,576
disobedience so that he may show
mercy to them all.

892
00:54:50,584 –> 00:54:54,462
And then he proceeds to quote
God’s words or who has first

893
00:54:54,470 –> 00:54:58,920
given to God that needs to that
God needs to repay him.

894
00:54:58,928 –> 00:55:02,555
And Paul quotes this to
illustrate that the same lesson

895
00:55:02,555 –> 00:55:06,542
that God is trying to teach Job
that Job was a righteous man.

896
00:55:06,550 –> 00:55:11,360
He was far more righteous than
any of us, but even he was

897
00:55:11,368 –> 00:55:13,848
considered disobedience.
He needed to recognize that he

898
00:55:13,856 –> 00:55:17,585
was at the mercy of God like us
all and that we cannot earn our

899
00:55:17,585 –> 00:55:19,235
own salvation by our own
righteousness.

900
00:55:19,243 –> 00:55:24,010
And Job shows that he learns the
lesson that Paul is talking

901
00:55:24,018 –> 00:55:26,289
about when Paul repeats the same
thing.

902
00:55:26,297 –> 00:55:30,000
So Job says, I know that you can
do all things, no purpose of

903
00:55:30,008 –> 00:55:33,144
yours can be thwarted after God
has challenged him.

904
00:55:33,152 –> 00:55:37,925
And Paul says for from him and
through him and to him are all

905
00:55:37,933 –> 00:55:40,280
things.
To him be the glory forever,

906
00:55:40,288 –> 00:55:43,560
Amen.
So Joe demonstrates he’s had the

907
00:55:43,560 –> 00:55:47,039

same recognition that Paul
illustrates in Romans, that God

908
00:55:47,039 –> 00:55:50,512
is all powerful and that we
need to trust him in his purpose

909
00:55:50,512 –> 00:55:54,978
and
that men can only be saved
by faith in Him, not by personal

910
00:55:54,978 –> 00:56:00,965

righteousness.
And Job follows this by

911
00:56:00,973 –> 00:56:04,682
expressing his new understanding
of God where he says, I have

912
00:56:04,690 –> 00:56:08,734
heard of you by the hearing of
the ear, and my eye has now seen

913
00:56:08,734 –> 00:56:10,880

you.
Therefore I despise myself and

914
00:56:10,888 –> 00:56:15,066
I’m comforted in dust and ashes.
And this is referenced by James

915
00:56:15,066 –> 00:56:19,219
who says, think of how we
regard as bless those who have

916
00:56:19,219 –> 00:56:21,480
endured.

You have heard of the Job’s

917
00:56:21,480 –> 00:56:25,357
endurance and you have seen the
purpose of the law that the

918
00:56:25,357 –> 00:56:28,002
Lord is full of compassion and
mercy.

919
00:56:28,010 –> 00:56:32,000
So remember that J curve analogy
that I said that start Joe

920
00:56:32,008 –> 00:56:35,129
starts off a righteous man and
sort of sinks into a dark place

921
00:56:35,129 –> 00:56:36,950
because of his suffering and
apparent injustice.

922
00:56:36,958 –> 00:56:40,430
But through his experience in
God’s intervention, he learns of

923
00:56:40,430 –> 00:56:42,240

the mercy and compassion of
God.

924
00:56:42,240 –> 00:56:45,760
That’s the lesson of Job, that

his redemption was not tied to

925
00:56:45,760 –> 00:56:49,920
his personal righteousness, but
to trust in God’s mercy and

926
00:56:50,400 –> 00:56:53,160
knowledge that and have

knowledge that God can do all

927
00:56:53,160 –> 00:56:56,000
things.

And this strengthened his faith

928
00:56:56,360 –> 00:56:59,640
and allowed him to see more

fully the nature of God.

929
00:57:00,320 –> 00:57:04,480
And so it’s only after God’s

intervention that Job’s faithful

930
00:57:04,480 –> 00:57:09,120
response is considered to be

that which is spoken right about

931
00:57:09,120 –> 00:57:12,000
God.

And James draws upon Job’s

932
00:57:12,000 –> 00:57:15,382
example to encourage us because
we have heard of Job’s

933
00:57:15,382 –> 00:57:17,000
endurance and seen God’s
purpose.

934
00:57:17,008 –> 00:57:20,860
We don’t need to suffer like Job
did to learn the lessons which

935
00:57:20,868 –> 00:57:23,820
he did.
We know God’s purpose is

936
00:57:23,828 –> 00:57:28,315
revealed through Jesus, so let’s
have faith in God and look

937
00:57:28,323 –> 00:57:31,504
forward to his promises and
embrace God’s mercy and

938
00:57:31,512 –> 00:57:35,576
compassion, which is the lesson
which he was teaching Job which

939
00:57:35,576 –> 00:57:41,956
we see in Jesus.
Thank you.

940
00:57:41,964 –> 00:57:55,940
Thank you for listening to the
good Chris Adelphian Talks

941
00:57:55,948 –> 00:57:58,525
podcast.
We hope this talk helped you in

942
00:57:58,525 –> 00:57:59,835
your walk and brightened your
day.

943
00:57:59,843 –> 00:58:03,276
If you would like to hear more,
please subscribe for new

944
00:58:03,284 –> 00:58:05,826
episodes.
We are on all major podcast

945
00:58:05,834 –> 00:58:09,640
platforms and also on YouTube.
If you enjoyed this particular

946
00:58:09,648 –> 00:58:12,161
talk, please share it with
someone else who you think might

947
00:58:12,161 –> 00:58:15,428

enjoy it too.
For show notes on the talk you

948
00:58:15,436 –> 00:58:16,955
just listened to, visit
[email protected]

949
00:58:16,955 –> 00:58:22,160

or check out the Show Notes
section of your podcast player.

950
00:58:22,160 –> 00:58:24,040

Please share your thoughts on

951
00:58:24,040 –> 00:58:27,080
the talk from this week on our

Facebook or Instagram pages

952
00:58:27,080 –> 00:58:30,000
where we are at Good

Christadelphian Talks or leave a

953
00:58:30,000 –> 00:58:32,760
comment on our YouTube channel

where these talks are posted as

954
00:58:32,760 –> 00:58:34,480
well.

If you enjoy listening to the

955
00:58:34,480 –> 00:58:37,160
talks that we post and hear one
that you think we should share,

956
00:58:37,360 –> 00:58:40,120
please tell us about it.

You can send us a suggestion

957
00:58:40,320 –> 00:58:43,720
using the Contact us tab on our
website or message us on any of

958
00:58:43,720 –> 00:58:46,440
our social media accounts.

Thank you for listening.

959
00:58:46,720 –> 00:58:48,640
God bless and talk to you next

week.