"Job's Demanding Of God"
Job 13:22-23;38:1;40:1-5;42:1-5
INTRO.Apart from the LORD Jesus Christ, Job suffered more affliction, loss, and pain, than any other man! Job had virtually lost everything. And instead of consoling him, his "friends" criticized and condemned him because of his loss! They insisted that it was all Job's fault that he was in the predicament he found himself in! In fact, his own wife told him, "curse God and die." But as we know Job had done nothing amiss! God was merely testing him!
But after much criticism, blame and severity from his friends, Job had had enough! And in Job 13:22-23, he demands of God, "Answer Thou me! How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin." Job wanted God to vindicate him, for God to come to his defense, and he wanted vindication right now! Job had made a grave mistake! Job was in essence asking, "Why me? Why are You doing this to me!?" It is wrong for us to demand an answer from God! Job wanted to appear before God to defend his case. If he could successfully defend his integrity, it would be evident, according to Job's inadequate concept of human suffering, that God had been at fault in afflicting him so severely.
And if Job is to succeed in convicting God of such a wrong, he must first demonstrate his own integrity. Imagining himself as confronting his tempter (face to face), Job now demands an explanation of God's Hostility (1). What Job did was absolutely wrong, as Job would later learn! God says in Job 40:2, "Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it!"
There is a dangerous trend in religion today among the Charismatics, Pentecostals, and Evangelicals. We will call it "Name It and Claim It" Theology. In other words, you can ask anything of God and He will Grant it to you. This is a lie straight from the pits of Hell! If you've watched much of our new cable station, TBN; you have seen great things being demanded of God! But God doesn't work that way! God is not our Divine bellboy or our slave, He is Almighty God! The Scripture most used by these groups is, "That if two of you shall agree on earth touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done of them of My Father which is in Heaven."
The problem is taking this verse out of context from Christ's other teachings on Prayer. Prayer must be in the Will of God for it to be prevailing Prayer! God will not grant us everything we demand; but those things which are in His Divine Will! I want us to see that demanding of God is in violation of the SCRIPTURE! Job had to learn that lesson, so should we!
(1)The Request Of Job
Job 13:22a-23--"Answer Thou me. How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin"
*Job had lived, no doubt, in all good conscience before God. He was set his
own way. On maintaining his integrity! But there was now a tendency to
boast of This is sin!(1 Cors. 15:9-10)
*Job had sin in his life and didn't even realize it! His arrogant demand
shows that!
1 Cors. 10:12
*Job implies by his reguest, "If I've sinned, make me to know the and nature
of my transgressions!" Job had sinned! So do all of us! We are just sinners
saved by Grace and because of that we should come before His presence in
reverence and humility!
Deut. 10:12
*Yes, the SCRIPTURE teaches us that we can “come boldly to the Throne of
Grace and obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need;" but it also
tells us, "stand in awe and sin not: Commune with your own heart upon
your bed and be still!"
*God is greatly glorified when His People ask of Him things that will glorify
His Holy Name!
John 14:13-14
*Job's arrogance led to God's Answer! The Answer God was about to give to
Job reveals something about God that Job didn't realize!
*Job stood demanding of God in arrogance. God was about to humble him!
*His self-confidence was to be rebuked and he was to be humbled!
Luke 14:11
(2) The Reply Of God
Job 38:la--"Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind..."
*God's Answer is always final! There can be no appeal, for God Almighty has spoken! God's Answer shows forth His Glorious Character!
Is. 55:8-9
*God spoke to Job out of the whirlwind. (Nah. 1:3) It shows us that God can use any vehicle to suit His Purposes. We see how mighty God's Voice is, perfectly audible, even in the whirlwind. God used this to startle Job, and to command his attention. (2)
*God's Answer also had a whirlwind effect on Job, completely lifting him out of his present way of thinking into a better way of thinking.
*Sometimes God answers His People out of the whirlwind, as in trouble, sorrow, and mourning, but always in Righteousness!
Ps. 145:17
*I'm sure Job recognized his mistake of demanding of God, by God's first guestion to him (v2)! Those who demand things of Almighty God apart from His Divine Will don't realize anything about the Character of God (Job 34:35)!
Ps. 135:6; Dan. 4:35
*God's Answer to Job comes in the form of an avalanche of questions!
There are 57 in chapters 38 and 39 alone! (3)
*All these questions are evidence to what God has done and can do!
Gen. 18:14a--"Is anything too hard for the LORD…”
*Although three of Job's friends were of little help and proved they knew
little about God, the fourth Elihu, the youngest by the way, proved he was
acquainted with God and His Ways.
*Notice Job's complaints and Elihu's answers:
1) God Is silent; He does not God does speak-through dreams and
respond (13:22;33:13). pain(chapter 33).
2) God is unjust; He does not God is just (Chapter 34).
relieve me of my suffering
(19:6-7;27:2;34:5-6).
3) God is unconcerned; He does God is Sovereign (Chapter 35).
not reward me for my innocence
(10:7;35:3).
*Elihu paved the way for God to speak; now God would show Job His
Greatness! God's response came in the form of a challenge to Job! Notice
verse 3, "Gird up now thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and
answer thou Me."
*God told Job, "Gird up now they loins like a man..." In other words, "Brace
yourself like a man...." Job was to be alert so he could answer cod
intelligently! (4)
*God's Answer to Job showed forth His Wisdom and Power to do as He Wills:
a)God's Eternity And Majesty (38:4-39:30)
b)God's Power And Man's Fraility (40:6-34)
*God's Answer to Job completely changed his perception of cod. It brought
him into a better way of thinking!
Ps. 49:3; 104:34
*For us to revere and appreciate cod and His Will as we should, our minds
must be made anew!
Roms. 12:2
*Job stood before God proclaiming his own righteousness. And demanding an
answer and vindication from God! But God showed Job that man at his best
is but a vile speck in the presence of the Glory of God! (5)
Is. 64:6
(3) The Repentance Of Job
Job 40:1-5; 42:1-6
*God's Wisdom had so impressed Job that he would no further dispute God's ways as he had before (v5).
*Neither would he approach God proudly, but in humbleness! (Job 31:37) His posture before God had entirely changed!
James 4:10
*That is the key to spiritual greatness! Seeing God’s glory and our
nothingness apart from Him (Job 40:3-5). Confession is where it starts!
V3—Before Job demanded an answer from God, now humbled before God
he cannot speak!
1 John 1:9
*Job had boasted of greatness, but God soon put him in his proper place!
As long as we compare ourselves to other men, there may be occasion for
glorying, but let God speak, then we must lay the hand upon the mouth!
Isaiah 6:1-5
*Job had been speaking God-dishonoring thoughts, but he confessed, “I
am vile!” He then bowed in silent submission to the Word and Will of
Lord God!
*Job, who at the beginning, demanded an answer and vindication of God,
now sees that God can and will do what He wills (Job 42:2-3)! Thus he
bows to God’s will!
*He now sees God for Who He is! God Almighty—Omnipotent (v5). This
personal confrontation with God silenced his argument and deepened his
awe!
*Having seen God’s ways and character—His Wisdom, Sovereignty, and
Providential care and Love—Job confessed his own unworthiness and
repented (v6). He saw himself as nothing and God as everything!
*He repented in dust in ashes. A way of showing self-depreciation! Job now
saw that no one can stand accusing against God. He realized God is not
obligated to man! (6)
*Job was now satisfied and willing to trust God's Sovereignty, because all of
God's ways are perfect, even where he could not understand!
Roms. 8:28
*When we see ourselves in the light of His Glory and Grace, we will too
repent!
Ps. 139:23-24
CLOSING:God asked Job in Job 40:8, "Wilt thou condemn Me, that thou
mayest be righteous?" Job had been guilty of condemning God in
order to etablish his own righteousness. Now, conscious of his
sinfulness and folly, he is silenced before God, and at last learns
that The God of all glory is also the God of all Grace. (7)
We gather this great lesson from Job's experience: It is not ours to
demand or question God, but while we cannot fully understand the
ways of the Infinite and Holy God, we can trust Him! He knows
what is best for us (Provs. 3:5-6)!
NOTES:1. Charles F. Pfeiffer And Everett F. Harrison. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Pg. 473.
2. Matthew Henry. Matthew Henry's Commentary. Volume 3. Pg. 207.
- James Smith. Handfuls On Purpose. Volume 3. Series 7. Pg. 65.
4. John F. walvoord And Roy B. zuck. The Bible Knowledge
Commentary. Volume 1. Pg. 767.
5. Smith. Pg. 66.
6. Walvoord and Zuck. Pg. 774.
7. Herbert Lockyer. All The Books And Chapters Of The Bible. Pg. 120.