Job 31:11 For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. 12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase. Job 31:13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; 14 What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? 15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb? 16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; 17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; 18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;) 19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; 20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; 21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate: 22 Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone. Job 31:23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure. 24 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; 25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much; 26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; 27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: 28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above. 29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him: 30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. 31 If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied. 32 The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller. 33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom: 34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door? 35 Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book. 36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. 37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him. 38 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; 39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: 40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
In verse 11 Job acknowledged that if he were guilty of committing adultery on his wife, then he deserved punishment. According to the records, the culture of that time was to punish the wife as well if her husband was caught in adultery. Apparently the husband would be greatly ashamed to witness his wife being punished for a sin he committed. Job understood that adultery was an evil crime. It always has been. God designed the man to have one wife and to be faithful to that wife for life. That has never changed. We know that there are many religions that have changed what God has decreed, and they will be held accountable for their lies. Those who believe these deceivers will also be held accountable, but God’s truth is available. We can know the truth. Job continued to talk about his relationship with his servants. If he abused them, he knew he would be guilty of a crime and would be due for punishment. He knew he would not have any defence before God if he was guilty of these things. The fact is that Job was not guilty of these things. He looked after his wife. She turned her back on him, but he remained faithful to her. We read that his relationship with his wife was restored down the road. Job’s servants were killed, but not by him. It was marauders and violent storms that destroyed what he had. Job had been a good master and husband and father. In verse 15 Job understood that God made all people. All people are descendants of Adam and Eve. There are some who become landlords and others who are servants. That is not because one is of greater value or lesser value. It is because some do not have the ability to achieve what others can, or it could be because some people just do not apply themselves. Some people squander the abilities that God has given them. Sometimes God punishes a person for not listening to Him. I Corinthians 11 tells us that there are born again Christians who are sick and others who have died due to abuse of the Lord’s Supper. Lost people are in a different category. There are many lost people who are poor. Any big city will reveal numbers of people who live on the street and run to soup kitchens for a meal or look for housing. They are often those who run away from home and get into drugs and other vices that rob them of the potential they could have. These people are of equal value to those who know the Lord and serve Him faithfully. The Bible teaches us that there are consequences for the choices we make. The Bible also teaches us that just people can suffer at the hands of those who serve the devil. That was the situation for Job. He was a just man, but he was suffering due to the devil’s attack against God. The three men that were supposed to help Job were instruments of the devil to try to discourage and turn him away from the truth. The point that Job was continuing to make here is that he was not looking for an alibi. He was not trying to evade responsibility. He was willing to accept punishment for any wrong doing he was guilty of. What he did not understand, is why was he suffering when he was not guilty of these various crimes. In verse 35 Job pleaded for someone to hear him. He felt completely defenceless. He was not defenceless, but he felt that he was. He did not understand the nature of God properly. He assumed he had no mediator. Over the past three years we have heard of many abuses of our governments and police forces at various levels. There are countless numbers of people who are suffering because they took the shots and have had adverse effects from them. There are families that lost loved ones during the lockdowns and also due to the shots. Some have gone through legal channels to try find recourse for these abuses. How do you compensate for those who have been severely injured by a poison shot that the manufacturers knew was dangerous, but they pushed it out anyway. They have been granted immunity by our governments. They cannot be held responsible. In the secular, humanistic world, we would say we have to go after them and stop this. The fact is that history shows us that wicked people multiply.
II Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
The apostle Paul faced abuses from different fronts. He never hired a lawyer to fight for his “rights”. He did use his Roman citizenship at one point to avoid being whipped unjustly. Tradition tells us that he was murdered at the command of a ruthless and wicked emperor. The fact is that Paul is resting in heaven today. The fact is also that all those who abused him and never repented, are suffering in torment today and for all eternity. There is justice. We need to appreciate the justice of God which is real and sure, over the facade of justice that our courts might grant to some. It is not always easy to suffer at the hands of wicked people. Our flesh certainly does not appreciate this. We know from the book of Job, that he did not appreciate what he was facing. He assumed he was all alone in his struggles. Everything he once held precious was taken from him, right down to his health. He did not understand how this could happen. God was there during it all and He was not enjoying the difficulties that Job faced. He could have stopped it all, but the wickedness in our world goes back to the fall of man. Satan is not credited with bringing sin into this world. Adam is. Suffering was unknown prior to the fall of man. Since then, it has been quite common. God did not create robots. There is a move toward AI in our time. God did not create AI. God created Adam with the ability to think and to understand. Adam was given clear instructions from God on how to live successfully. God also warned Adam of the consequences of rejecting His way. Adam chose to believe a lie. Every human being born through the natural process of procreation has also chosen to believe many lies. A few people get saved. Getting saved does not grant us immunity from attacks by the devil. Getting saved guarantees us a peace that passes all understanding. It also guarantees us a home in heaven when this short life is over. Those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour have no hope. They wander in darkness here and they end up in hell for all eternity. Not a good choice. Those who repent and are saved, will suffer persecution here, but we have a peace the world cannot give and we have a home in heaven.
II Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
You may think, ‘but I do not want persecution’. You may think that God should have figured things out better. It is foolish to think those and many other similar thoughts. You are not going to change the facts. You are not wiser than God. He made a beautiful world and placed man in a beautiful Garden. Man chose to reject what God had made for him and wanted to experiment. The book of Job shows us that God is in charge and He limits the devil’s power. God also provides the comfort and hope that His children need for the short time we are here. He provides a resting place that is eternal. God tells us that Satan will eventually be cast into the lake of fire and he will be there for all eternity. God will take care of things. He knows what He is doing. We cannot always understand what He is doing because we are finite beings and He is eternal. Trust Him and let Him guide you through each step you take in this life. His way will lead to a blessed future. Pastor Bartel
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