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Text: Job 40:1-14
God’s righteousness on trial
- Job goes from the greatest man in the east to the most miserable man in chapters 1-2. Satan is given permission by God to take everything from Job except his life. The reason the LORD does this is in response to Satan’s accusation that the LORD is only loved by people he bribes.
- Since God’s righteousness is the theme, cursing God and questioning his righteousness shows up immediately.
- Job is concerned that his children may have cursed God in 1:5
- Satan is the being in creation who brings into question God’s righteousness: Job 1:9-10, 2:4-5, Job’s wife questions God’s judgment in 2:9
- Satan’s purpose and scheme is to get man to question God’s righteousness and even accuse God of unrighteousness.
- So if you look around at the violence and terrible things in this world and conclude God is unrighteous and unjust in the way he handles things, Satan has done his job. You’ve been blinded.
- If you look around at the pleasures you enjoy or the sin you think you get away with and conclude God’s words aren’t practical enough for you or useful to your life, Satan has done his job.
- Satan believes his kingdoms are much more appealing to you than God’s kingdom. And ultimately he can convince anyone to fully buy into his world.
- After complete loss of everything and his body filled with boils, Job curses the day he was born in chapter 3. Then for the next 21 chapters (4-25) Job is accused by his three friends of being the cause of his own trouble because of his secret sin.
- But after defending himself to his accusers, Job understandably stumbles and proclaims his own righteousness calling into question God’s righteousness in chapters 26-31
- Notice his questions in 26:1-4 that point to his own righteousness.
- Then 27:6-7 he directly proclaims his righteousness.
- Then 29:7-14 he continues, and in chapter 31 he concludes with twenty “if” conditions showing he has been righteous.
- Elihu responds to Job and Job’s three accusers by justifying God and destroying any question about God’s righteousness in chapters 32-37.
- 32:7-10 Inspiration is understanding
- 33:6, 26-28 God renders to man his righteousness as defined in 27-28.
- 34:10-12, 17, 23, 37 God will not pervert judgment, He is righteous.
- 36:3-6 …ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
God’s questions (chapter 38-39)
- Unanswerable questions to man
- Questions that revealed more about the LORD.
- Questions that humble man.
- Questions that prove the righteousness of God.
Job is humbled (40:3-5)
- Job is brought to silence by the voice of the LORD.
- That every mouth may be stopped
- Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
- A clear vision of the Lord is how you have a clear vision of yourself.
- The answer to your sin is a revelation of God.
- The answer to your lust is a revelation of God.
- The answer to your bitterness is a revelation of God.
- The answer to your misguided ambitions is a revelation of God.
- The answer to parenting questions is a revelation of God.
- The answer to your pride is a revelation of God.
- John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
God sarcastically gives Job another “plan of salvation” (40:6-14)
- Go ahead, save yourself.
- Someone will say I’m very successful. Nothing wrong with being diligent in your business, but if that’s all your chasing how long will you be able to hold on to that success? What happens when your health fails?
- Matthew 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
- James 4:6, 10 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. … 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
- 1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
