78. When God Riseth Up (7)

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Hymns: RHC 175 For All My Sin, 178 At the Cross, 179 The Way of the Cross Leads Home

Job 31:35-40

35Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book. 36Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. 37I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him. 38If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; 39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: 40Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended. 

When God Riseth Up (7)

OUTLINE

  • Sought Preventive by Covenant (v1-2)
  • Sought Purity Understanding God’s Judgment for Sin (v3-4)
  • Sought Truthfulness and Fleeing Deceit (v5-6)
  • Sought Indictment rather than living in Hypocrisy (v7-8)
  • Sought Indictment for Adultery (v9-12)
  • Sought Indictment for Oppressing Servants (v13-15)
  • Sought Indictment for Oppressing the Poor (v16-23)
  • Sought Indictment for Trusting in Material Possessions (v24-25)
  • Sought Indictment for Idolatry (v26-28)
  • Sought Indictment for being vindictive towards enemy (v29-30)
  • Sought Indictment for not extending hospitality to strangers (v31-32)
  • Sought Indictment for hypocrisy for hiding his sins (v33-34)
  • Sought Clarification from Almighty God and Indictment from his Adversary (v35-37)
  • Sought Indictment from Creation (v38)
  • Sought Indictment for Defrauding (v39-40)

Continue…

(13) Sought Clarification from Almighty God and Indictment from his adversary (v35-37)

35Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

He appealed to the Almighty, the Ruler of the universe, God Himself, for his vindication. 

When he brought forth his grievances, he sought God’s understanding of his predicament. 

Job 31:4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

Job 31:6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

He began his appeal in this final speech in Job 29:2 Oh that I were as inmonths past, as inthe days whenGod preserved me, which now draws to a close.

Who else could he appeal to? All his friends have misunderstood and misrepresented him. All his household has deserted him. He felt himself at the end of his need for further personal appeal. This is as much as he could defend his integrity. He felt that he should rest his case. 

He challenged his accusers to write a book that would record his crime. Let it be made known – and that mine adversary had written a book.

 36Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. 

Job was not afraid that his accusers’ message would be placed as a crown upon his head for all to see. 

We are reminded of the accusers of Jesus who placed a crown of thorns upon his head to mock him – King of the Jews. 

Matthew 27:27-54 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put itupon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there; And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest itin three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This mancalleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled itwith vinegar, and put iton a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

“He Trusted in God” summarized the life of Jesus Christ on earth. Sent by the Father from heaven, He entered human history for the sole purpose of saving men and women perishing in their sins to the eternal punishment of hell fire. Jesus was unflinching in His mission. Although there will come with it, great suffering, He endured them all for our sake. What great love is demonstrated for Jesus to willingly give His life to be crucified on the cross! 

It was His love for Me that nailed Him on the tree to die such agony for all my sin. 

For my own guilt and blame the great Redeemer came willing to bear the shame of all my sin. 

O What a Savior is mine! In Him God’s mercies combine, His love can never decline. And He loves me!

To Calvary’s hill one day, The Lord was led away, None else the price could pay for all my sin.

He on the cross was slain, yielding His life in pain, He felt the bitter stain, of all my sin.

Was ever love so strong, was ever crime so wrong, When Jesus suffered long for all my sin. 

He saw my greatest need, Became my friend indeed, Thru Him I have been freed, of all my sin.

He submitted Himself fully to do the Father’s will amidst pain and suffering. What great love He manifested. How this Man Jesus  – “Trusted in God”, let God save Him from the cross, let Him save Himself from the cross.

37I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

Because Job was not culpable, he had the clear conscience to go the length, allow all the steps to be taken to trial him, if he is indeed guilty!

Recall he sought God to search him – Job 31:4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?As the psalmist said in Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be anywicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

He was not afraid to answer all that is written against him by his adversary. He was willing to go all the way, take all the steps, to prove his innocency.

(14) Sought Indictment from Creation (v38)

38If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; 

We recall the murder of Abel by his brother Cain which is an injustice that God heard as it were the voice of the blood of his dead brother crying from the ground – Genesis 4:9-11 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where isAbel thy brother? And he said, I know not: AmI my brother’s keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now artthou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.

The land has witnessed the death of his brother Abel. 

A furrow is a long, narrow trench made in the ground by a plough, especially for planting seeds or irrigation.

It was predicted that when Israel will not keep her sabbath year (7thyear) to let the land rest, God’s judgment will come upon them.

Leviticus 26:33-34 And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye bein your enemies’ land; eventhen shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.

It came true. 

For Job, as a feeble comparsion to our Lord Himself, doing good in the land. How could any accuse Him of evil!

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

(15) Sought Indictment for Defrauding (v39-40)

39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: 40Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

If he had defrauded others but taking advantage of them, if he has inadvertently cause harm so that someone has lost their life, he stands to be examined and to be proved.

He sought that he would have a poor harvest in his own field, that thistles and cockle – stink-weed or any other noxious or useless plant, would fill his land, destroying his harvest.

Job ends here his defence. Job 26-31 is Job’s final defense.

The “low level, superficial and shallow theological analysis” (Whitcomb) of his friends that were flawed, inadequate and misleading could not help us understand the purpose of suffering in the believer’s life. So, an often asked question “Why would the righteous suffer in the just government of the universe by a holy righteous God?” Job instructs his friends on the plight of truly wicked (27:11-22) as did Gamalielin Acts 5:38-39 “And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”

CONCLUSION

God’s wisdom was with Job, he had access to God’s knowledge and wisdom. Job 28:28 “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” We are taught the way with God is to adore Him, obey and trust Him. The Lord has given (29:1-25) and the Lord has taken away (30:1-31), blessed be the name of the Lord. The human mind cannot arrive at hidden wisdom and show the necessity of God’s speeches finally that follow in Job 38-41.