Selections from Job (40:6-24, 41:1-11, 42:1-6)

Hello Project Ezra!  I pray that you are having a wonderful day in the Lord, and are excited to go out and share His gospel.  I am continually amazed, as I spend more time in God’s word and realize more fully the depths that I have been saved from, that I would have the privilege of writing this blog.  God is so good, and has been so gracious to me.  And, whether or not I have ever talked to you, each one of you who read this is truly a blessing  and an encouragement to me.  I pray that each post will be a blessing to you as well.

This week we are reading a selection of verses from the last few chapters of the book of Job.  This is the section where God speaks to Job, and challenges him to consider who he truly is, and who God truly is.  We have looked at a portion of the beginning of this section before, but this time we will be looking at the end of the section instead.  God starts this section challenging Job to compare himself to the Lord’s own glory, majesty, and power, and then reminds him of the greatness of His creation, and particularly of two of the greatest animals He created.  I will be pulling some verses from other books as well, and extending this to discuss not only the animals God created, but the forces of nature that are also under His control.  No matter how much mankind strives to understand, quantify, and control this universe, an honest look at the vastness of His creation shows us how small, weak, and dependent we really are.  By God’s grace, I am praying that is the message those who hear our preaching will understand as well.

On a side note, I wanted to address the issues of correction and accountability.  I recently had someone post some comments on the theology of one of my Facebook posts, and it made me think.  For those of you who do not know me personally (which is most of you), I am not a pastor or a trained theologian.  I have taken a few seminary courses, have been a believer for 20+ years, and strive to study the Bible carefully and present it accurately.  But, I am a fallible human being, just like everyone reading this, and I want to do all I can to faithful to God’s word.  I know I make mistakes, so if you see believe you see one in one of these posts, please send me a private note so I can consider it and, if appropriate, make any necessary changes.  I want to make sure that I am accountable for my use of God’s word, particularly in a forum like this where many people have access to it.  I cannot promise I will come to the same conclusions you do, but I can promise that I will consider all constructive criticism carefully.  

Thanks for being a part of Project Ezra.  Please post any testimonies to the blog or the Facebook page, so others can be encouraged.

All for His glory,

Dan

INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THE PROJECT

READ SELECTIONS FROM JOB

JOB 40:6-24

JOB 41:1-11

JOB 42:1-6

The power of God’s creation

The great animals God created

The power of the natural world

The weakness of human kind

If we are so easily at the mercy of God’s creation, how much more are we at His mercy?

Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong;

like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest,

like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters,

he casts down to the earth with his hand.  (Isaiah 28:2 ESV)

If the universe around us is so far beyond our comprehension, how much more the God who made it?

We all know God exists.

God’s existence is evident to all.  Just need to look.  We choose to ignore it

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.  (Romans 1:18-23 ESV)

Ecc 3:11 – God put eternity into men’s hearts

If God asked you what He asked Job, what would you say?

Will you ever put me in the wrong?

Condemn me that you may be in the right?

Do you have an arm like God?  Can you thunder with a voice like His?

Can you pour out your anger, abase the proud?

Majesty, dignity, glory and splendor – They are God’s

God is a power we must contend with, and we all know it

Bad news, because there is another power we must contend with

The power of sin and death

We know our sin by looking at ourselves in light of God’s law

Romans 3:20 -    For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin

Romans 2 says the law is written on our hearts.

We know when we break God’s law

We know that lying is wrong, and yet we all have lied

We know that stealing is wrong, but all of us have stolen, even if only small things

We all have looked with lust at those not our husband or wife

We all have used God’s name lightly, thus blasphemed His name

None of us has ever truly put God first.  Put ourselves first instead.  Idolotry

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ESV)

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8 ESV)

All subject to sin, and because of sin we are all deserving of God’s justice

Justice means judgment, and a perfect judge means perfect justice

Perfect Justice means eternity in hell.

We cannot survive God’s justice

But we can escape through God’s mercy

God’s perfect justice satisfied through Christ’s perfect sacrifice

Justice satisfied so we can go free

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 

By his wounds you have been healed.  (1 Peter 2:24 ESV)

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood (Revelation 1:5 ESV)

We were ransomed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19)

This is the gospel, the good news of Christ’s sacrifice

The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16)

Repent of your sins and believe the gospel today!

Job did not understand what God was doing

He was humbled when he came to see God’s greatness

Submitted to God’s will, and to God’s control of his fate.

We must do the same

First, you must repent

Not just feeling sorry for sin.  Not just trying to do better.

Forsaking, turning from sin, turning to Christ

Trust in Christ alone to save you

God will transform you, change who you are

Become a new creature, be born again

Born again not a cliché, but a reality.  A supernatural change by God

Come to God in humility, repent of your sins, and put your trust in Christ

Only God who can save

Only name under heaven by which we must be saved

So call upon His name today, and be saved!