Come Sojourn with Us
This is where you will find sermons and updates for our church. Our mission is to preach expository sermons focusing on the gospel of Christ. We are a church that is tied to the reformed tradition and seeks to submit to the scriptures so we walk in the Lord’s wisdom rather than our own.
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This is the conclusion to the story of Job. This is a book that has a lot of twists and turns, and we are left in the story a bit curious about the Lord’s plan for this man. Is this man just going to suffer? Is this man going to be made whole? What can such suffering teach us about the Gospel?
Job heard of the Lord, but now he sees the Lord. How is this different and what is significant about this transition?
Job has not repented in a true Godly sorrow, but instead continues to hold to his innocence. So, now the Lord is the one who continues with his speech to Job. Job is invited to hear that the Lord is good, gracious, merciful, and the Lord is perfectly just. We are invited to witness this speech, Job is invited to hear this speech, but will Job finally listen and concede the righteousness of the Lord?
Job clings and defends his innocence. He is a man who has not done anything to receive the punishment, the suffering, and the pain he has experienced. This is all out of line and how can the Lord do such a horrible thing to such a righteous man? Job fights for his day in court and now Job has his day to defend himself before the Lord. Will Job give an adequate defense? Will God concede that something has gone wrong?
Elihu is going to conclude his speech which concludes the counselors speaking. The counselors have told Job to repent of the sin that Job has committed, but Job has not committed a sin to deserve this punishment. However, Job has attached the integrity and purity of the Lord claiming that something has gone wrong in how the Lord has treated Job. Elihu has encouraged Job to drop his case. Will this man drop his case? Will Job see the goodness of the Lord?
Job is one who is suffering greatly. There is no doubt that Job has received some troubling advice from the counselors. However, is there something legitimate that needs to be called to Job’s attention?
Elihu waits for Job to answer, but Job gives no answer so Elihu continues to address his friend and the counselors. Elihu defends the justice of God and desires all to know that our God is definitely just. Has Job denied that God is just or is Elihu merely putting words in this suffering saint’s mouth? Do we really need to care so much about God’s justice?
Elihu continues to interact with Job. He is not happy with Job's attitude and Job's accusations against God. He now turns to Job and confronts his line of thinking. Will Job concede the words from this young man? Will Job continue his course claiming his own holiness and cling to his self righteousness?
Prior to Job 32 there have been a lot of words, speeches, and exchanges about suffering. The speeches are frustrating because there is no resolution on the horizon. The counselors and Job are finally finished with their bantering, but the book is not resolved. Job is the last one to speak, but his words are not all that God glorifying. Is there another man who can step up and offer some wisdom, offer some insight, or maybe a different perspective? We meet Elihu. Who is this man, and why has he been silent for so long?
Job is one who has suffered, but he is not someone that we would say is a champion. He is a man who continually rests in his righteousness while wondering how God can make such a righteous man suffer. We can chuckle and Job, judge Job, and point out Job’s problems. However, we still have not asked the deeper question: why is this book in our canon? What can Job’s suffering and self righteous speech teach us about our Christian walk, our bent, and our failure to see the gospel?
The book of Job is moving to a conclusion. Job has silences the counselors to the point where they will no longer argue or speak against him. Job is now entering into his legal proceedings with the Lord. Job wants all the understand why Job is shocked and appalled that such a thing has happened to him. Why is Job so shocked? What right does Job have to claim that the Lord should not bring such suffering and hardship against this man?
We can interview numerous people, we can comb the Scriptures, we can dig into the earth, but where is wisdom? This is a rather profound question that Job seeks to answer. The answer to the question may not be as simple as just reading some Scriptures, or interviewing some people. So, what is the answer? Is Job ready to embrace the answer as he feels it being pressed upon him?
Job is not done speaking and now he is one who affirms that God carries out His justice. Job knows that God will judge the world, but Job carries a deep frustration within himself. On the one hand Job knows the fate of the wicked, he knows that God judges the wicked, but Job’s punishment parallels the wicked’s life. Job does not see how this can be reconciled. So, how do we reconcile Job’s life with the Lord judging the wicked?
Job is getting his case ready before the Lord and he will not back down no matter what the counselors say to him. Job is one who feels the weight of this age, the pursuit of the Lord, and majesty of God. He knows that God is majestic and Job breaks forth in a wonderful declaration of the Lord’s majesty. So, why is Job so frustrated?
This is a very short speech in the book of Job. The counselors are those who are very wordy, but now we find that they are starting to fade away. Why are the counselors no longer talking? Have the counselors run out of words or is something else happening?
Job is frustrated that the counselors will not see things the way that Job sees things. Job is frustrated that God will not see things the way that Job sees them. Job thinks that if God, the counselors, and wisdom would follow his lead than all would be well. If we are honest there are times when we might have this struggle or thought as well, but is it in line with the Word of God? What could be the issue in such thinking?
Job has made the case that life does not always go as planned and the Lord does not always deal with the wicked as we would like the Lord to deal with the wicked. Eliphaz now takes another turn to persuade Job that Job is not seeing these things clearly. What does Eliphaz have to say to Job? Are these going to be encouraging words about how one finds their path to peace in the Lord?
The counselors have been very clear that you reap exactly what you sow and there is nothing more and nothing less that is present. Job wants to know if the counselors have surveyed anyone with this claim or if this is just what they believe and think. Job invites the counselors to interact with the common person on the street to see what such a person might say about the wicked receiving instant justice. What wisdom has Job gleaned through his experience?
It is time for Zophar to express his concerns regarding Job’s convictions. He is going to continue his conviction about traditional wisdom making clear that this is the wisdom that has been manifested since man walked the earth. If Zophar has surveyed human history then he has to be right in his assessment of the problem right?
Job continues to consider his life, his struggle, and what he has become. He has moved from a man who possessing great prestige in society, among the wealthiest, but has been reduced to one who hopes that there is someone who will take his case to the highest court. In chapter 19 Job moves from one who hopes there is a lawyer/advocate who can plead his case to now clinging to a redeemer. Why is this is a significant shift for Job?
We are a bible believing church in the Belgrade, MT. We are a Reformed Protestant church who desire to build one another up in love as we sojourn under the sun.
