Job 12- The Lord Has Done This!

Hello Project Ezra! This week we will be reading Job chapter 12. If you have read the book of Job (and I hope you have), you know that although Job was a godly man, he spent much of the book complaining about how God had treated him. Satan tested Job severely, so under the circumstances I’m sure many of us would have done the same. But despite that fact, Job knew and proclaimed over and over again the truth that God was in control. In a day and age when many think that if there is a God He must be either apathetic or impotent, this passage and this book demonstrates that He is neither. He has complete authority over everything, and I pray that this week’s reading will reinforce that fact and encourage people to humble themselves before God.

All for His glory,
Dan


READ JOB 12

In the book of Job, Job complained many times about those things that had happened to him, which he didn’t understand.

But he also made many true and profound statements about who God was, and is. I pray you will listen as I share with you some of those truths about who God is.

Job stated that even the birds, and the beasts knew that God had done this, that God had acted.

God is sovereign. That means He is in complete control. This is His world, and He maintains absolute power over it.

In His hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind

If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open.

He humbles and He exalts. He humbles the strong, both people and nations.

He is aware of and supreme over every event and occurrence. Some things He causes, and some He allows, but all pass through His hands. Nothing is outside His control

He is the creator of all, and He is the sustainer of all. Everything you see is here because of Him, and holds together because of Him.

God is powerful beyond our ability to comprehend. His creativity is beyond our wildest imagination. His control is absolute, and unimpeachable. His plan and His purpose are good, and just, and right.

God has a love for His creation that is amazing, and His patience is beyond measure. But He is not to be trifled with. For those who are His enemies, His justice is terrifying.

Don’t be foolish enough to fight against God. You will never win.

You may not believe in a God of justice. You may believe that God is all loving and all forgiving, and that one day, every person will enter into heaven.

You may say “My God would not send anyone to hell.” But He’s not your God, and His word says otherwise.

God is not defined by your beliefs and desires, or by mine. He has told us clearly what He is like, and what His standards of goodness are.

How does your standard of goodness compare with God’s? Know that on the Day of Judgment we will not be judged by our own standard, but by His. And His standard is absolute perfection

How have you lived up to that standard? God gave us His law to show us our true condition before Him, to show us what sin is.

Please look into God’s law, and you would into a mirror, and see how you are reflecting His goodness, and His glory.

GO THROUGH THE LAW TO BRING CONVICTION OF SIN

If you have broken God’s law, as all of us have, then you are guilty before Him and worthy of judgment and punishment.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says - 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.

Revelation 21:8 says - 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.

God is holy, and will not allow any evil in His presence

God is a God of justice, and will not leave the guilty unpunished.

If you choose to remain in rebellion against Him, you are in great danger

But God is not only your greatest danger, and He is also your greatest, and only, hope

God is not only a God of justice and righteousness, but a God of love and mercy

2000 years ago Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, humbled Himself and walked the earth, not so that He might condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

You see, a price needed to be paid. Justice needed to be satisfied, and the Bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.

So Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, walked the earth and lived a perfect life. Then He went to the cross and became the perfect sacrifice for sin.

The wrath of God was poured out on the Son so that we might be forgiven. The Bible says Christ became a curse for us, and tells us it pleased the Father to crush Him, and that by His wounds we are healed.

Jesus now sits at God the Father’s right hand as our advocate, our lawyer for the Day of Judgment.

God demonstrated His love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God

So come to God, humble yourself before Him, and cry out to Him for mercy, repenting of your sins and trusting in Him alone.

If you will turn from your sins and put your trust in Him, then He is faithful and just and will forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

So decide today who you will serve, because tomorrow is not promised to any of us.

Turn to Christ now, trust in Him, and He will change you. He will take out your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh, and you will be born again.

Just as there is no greater danger than open rebellion against God, there is no greater joy and privilege than to be His child and to serve Him with all your heart.

So turn to Christ today, and live!