So let's look at Job chapter 5 today and we'll take turns reading for whoever would like. I think we have 20 some verses. So you read until you're done, and then someone else will take it up and make marks where you'd like to discuss. And I have some notes to cover, but if you have something that speaks to you and you have a question, well, let's ask it. All right. So don't forget the background here. The book opening with Job offering sacrifices for his ten children just in case they have sinned against God secretly and haven't offered their own sacrifices. And the fact that Job is offering sacrifices for his family helps us kind of date the era in which this occurred. The day in which this occurred is called the patriarchal era, when a father would offer sacrifices for his family. So that puts us around the time frame of Abraham. And then Satan comes among other angelic beings in chapter one and gets permission to afflict Job by taking possessions and killing his children. And then in chapter two, he once again appears before the Lord and secures permission to actually afflict Job's health. Job's friends show up at the end of chapter 2 and they sit quietly with Job for about a week. Chapter 3, Job begins a nearly, basically, I wish I were dead speech. And then the first of Job's three friends takes his first of three turns at addressing Job. He takes two chapters to do this. And today is the second of two chapters in Job's first friends, first rotation of pontificating about Job's issues. So, I'll begin in verse one. Call out now, Eliphaz says to Job, is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn? For wrath kills a foolish man. And envy slays a simple one, but I've seen the foolish taking root. But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place. His sons are far from safety. They are crushed in the gate and there's no deliverer because the hungry eat up the harvest, taking it even from the thorns and a snare snatches their substance. For affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble spring from the ground, yet man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. But as for me, I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause. He does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number. He gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields. He sets on high those who are lowly and those who mourn are lifted to safety. He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans. He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them. They read the darkness in the daytime, and grope at noontime, as in the night. But he saves the needy from the sword, from the mouth of the mighty, and from their hand. So the poor have hope. and injustice shuts her mouth. Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. For he'll make it sore and bind it up. He'll wound it in his hands and make whole. He shall deliver you in six troubles. Yes, in seven, no evil shall touch you. In famine, he shall redeem you from death. And in war, from the power of the sword. You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and you will not be afraid of violence when it comes. You will laugh at violence and famine, and you will not be afraid of wild beasts. For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field should be at peace with you. You'll know that your tent is in peace. You'll visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss. I shall know also that thy seed shall be great. And thy offspring is the grass of the earth. Thou shalt come for thy grave at a full age, like as the shock of corn cometh in his season. Lo, this we have searched it, so it is. Hear it, and know that it All right, let me ask a question here. By the way, verse 1 of chapter 6, Job answers his friend and goes for a chapter or two. We'll discuss that next time I'm given the opportunity to teach here on Friday. There are some references that are hidden in his poetry towards chapter one and two. And I don't know if you noticed or not, but he is once again correct about a lot of stuff and incorrect about applying it to Job. For example, verse 17, happy is the man whom God corrects. What is the implication there of Eliphaz towards Job? that Job is not happy, or that Job is the one whom... How do we know that? Because of the word what? Yeah, sure, because God is chastising Job, therefore Job has something that needs to be corrected. And again, has Eliphaz had a messenger from the Lord that told him that Job was sinful? Yes and no. No, he hasn't, but he thinks he has. Remember chapter 4? You remember what he says in chapter 4 in verse number 13? He says, I had this visitor from another world that showed up to me in my dream. And he basically said, you get Job a message that talks about how man can't be righteous like God is. And clearly Job thinks he's righteous and he's not, so fix him up. And there are some other references in chapter 5 where Eliphaz is making reference to what has happened to Job. Can you spot them? Can you name one for me? I'll get us started. Think about verse 25 when he says, you'll know that your descendants will be many. Well, how many does Job have right now? Zero. So the idea here is that if you will respond well to the Lord's correction in your life, Job, you'll get all your kids back and then some. Well, does Job get his kids back? And is it because Job repented and got right with the Lord about whatever secret sin caused his kids to die to begin with? No, it has nothing to do with that. So here again, we're seeing that a person can be right in their belief and wrong in how they see people, even with that right belief. In other words, you can be correct in your theology and wrong in how you apply it to people. Any other references that you see that are making reference of chapter one? How about you'll go to your dwelling place and see that it's intact. What verse did you see that? That is verse 24. Yeah. You're going to go to your tent in peace. You'll visit your dwelling, and you'll know. Well, what happened in chapter 1 is that everyone's houses were smashed with a whirlwind, particularly the son's house, right? And all of his kids died in that. Verse 22, you'll laugh at destruction and famine. Job, if you were actually correct, verse 17, if God was correcting you and you were responding well, you wouldn't be sitting in an ash heap scraping your sores. You would be laughing, verse 22. So here Job is, Eliphaz is finding fault with Job's emotions. You know, Job, there's no time in the life of a righteous man to be crying. He should be laughing at real destructions coming. A real person who's right with God will be just happy and chipper all the time. You'll laugh at destruction and famine. You won't be afraid. End of verse 22. That's playing on chapter 3 where Job says, the thing that I feared most has come upon me. What did he fear the most? His children dying. Which is why the book opens with him saying, just in case they've sinned, I'm going to offer this sacrifice on their behalf. Did you see anything else in the chapter that interested you? How about chapter one? Is there anyone who will answer you and to which of the holy ones will you turn? Do you see a reflection here on chapters one and two? Holy ones can be translated saints, but it really means holy ones, people that are not from here, beings that are from another world. Job, again, the implication, contextually, is Job, in verse 17, doesn't want to deal with God. In verse number one, he wants to work around God and talk to one of God's angels in heaven. Which holy one are you turning to, Job? So there's a lot of assumptions here about Job's spirituality that Eliphaz is making. Not only does he have some kind of secret sin, but he's also trying to avoid God in the correction process. Okay, what do you see there? Yeah, if I was in your situation, if I was deep in sin like you, If I lost my kids because of my own rebellion, I'd probably go to God, verse eight, and not to an angel, verse one. How about that? Remember, these are his friends. Again, verse four, his sons are far from safety. They are crushed in the gate. Who? The foolish man, verse two. What's the implication? What is Eliphaz implying? That he let somebody in, maybe? Because, I mean, if it's at the gate, because you usually catch people before they come in. Sure. What did Job allow into the gate? Right. That's the question. Eliphaz is saying that the wrath came, verse 2, and got his sons, and he wasn't standing guard over them. Is that true? Think about what you know, come on. This is only five chapters into the book. Yeah, chapter 1. He is keeping the gate. He's doing everything right as a parent. His kids died anyway. Right? So for those of us who cannot say with Job, I've done everything right, how much more should we be relying on the mercy of the Lord to help our children? Okay, what else do you see? Thanks, Michael. Yep. Any old thing. Okay. That's great. That was one of the things I had written down to talk about. You'll find that in the book of Proverbs and in the book of Amos, this is a figure of speech. So there aren't particularly six troubles he has in mind. This is a figure of speech. Let's see if anyone in here can help me finish this verse out of Proverbs 6. These six things does the Lord hate, yea? Yea, seven are an abomination unto him. Right? So through Proverbs and Amos, this is a very common Middle Eastern figure of speech. It's another way of saying one degree past perfection. He'll deliver you in six troubles. Yes, seven, no evil shall touch you. It's another way of saying he'll do far more than what's required. Six? No, more than six, seven. So it's possible that he has six in mind, Sue, but probably more exact in ways that you and I as English-speaking people, 2,000 years after Jesus, we don't use this kind of language. Proverbs uses six and seven and three and four. Now, let's take a look. Let's take a look at Proverbs 6. I'll show you exactly what I mean. Proverbs 6. Right off the bat, what does one thing that Proverbs and Job have in common? Yeah, that's right, and there are particular kind of scripture called wisdom literature and So in chapter 6 of Proverbs that means there's a ton of Proverbs even in Job Because the common form of wisdom literature, you know one in the hands worth nine in the bush you ever heard of that Well, that's a proverb You know, I have a few that I like to quote, like, the way that you're doing it's better than the way I'm not doing it. You know, that's a proverb. That's proverbial. It's a wise saying. You know, an apple a day. Keeps the doctor away. That's a proverb. Well, that means that they are generally true and wise for one's life. And here in chapter number six, you find verse number 16. These six things the Lord hates, yea, seven, are an abomination. Well, let's list how many we have. A proud look, that's one. A lying tongue, that's two. Hands that shed innocent blood, that's three. A heart that devises wicked plans, that's four. Feet that are swift to running evil, five. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. A false witness who speaks lies, 6. And one who sows discord among the brethren. That's 7. So even so, you see what I'm saying there? He says six things God hates, but seven are an abomination. He's not disagreeing with himself. This is something we're not used to. This is a figure of speech saying, he hates six things. No, he hates perfectly. Let me give you seven things he hates. So in the book of Job, he'll deliver you from six evils. No, he's perfect. He'll deliver you from seven evils. See how that works? Then if you look at chapter 30 of Proverbs, he does the same thing, but with three and four. Proverbs chapter number 30, and yeah, over and over. Take a look at verse number 15 of Proverbs 30. What'd you say? Yeah, so look at verse 15. The leech has two daughters, give and give. There are three things that are never satisfied. Four, never say enough. Okay, and then they give them to us. The grave, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied. So notice when they list it, there's actually four listed. Fire never says enough. That's four things. The eye that mocks his father scorns obedience to his mother. The ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat. Alright, then he gets into another three and four. Look at verse 18. There are three things which are too wonderful for me. Yes, four, which I do not understand. And then he gives four things. Eagle in the air, serpent on the rock, ship in the midst of the sea. and love-making among a young couple." So he lists four things that are amazing, even though he starts out with three are too wonderful for me. Yes, four. So it's another way of saying, let's get up to the limit and then go on past the limit to perfection. Four things. Or verse 21, for three things the earth is perturbed. Yes, for four it cannot bear up. So I hope you can see this is just something we're not used to in the English language, but it definitely was common in wisdom literature of the Bible. Six and seven, three and four. And that's just something we have to get used to because we're reading someone else's mail. And okay. Well, really closer to three, right? Because we're saying that the wisdom literature was written by Solomon's time at least, which is 1,000 BC. So 3,000-year-old proverb. And if Job was written sometime around Abraham's grandkids, we're talking about 1,750 years before Jesus. So we're talking close to 4,000-year-old scripture in Job's case, 3,000-year-old scripture in Solomon's case. All right, we're back in Job 5. Oh, I didn't. So let me give you one. What'd you say? Yeah. Oh, it happens a lot in the book of Amos. Sometime when I'm really wanting people to just really love coming to church, I'll preach through the book of Amos. I'm just sort of joking there. All right, so Amos 1-3, thus says the Lord, for three transgressions of Damascus and for four I'll not turn away its punishment. Verse six, for three transgressions of Gaza and for four, so that's Amos 1.3, Amos 1.6, and this continues no less than seven or eight times in the book of Amos. Three and four, three and four, three and four. So he's taking you up to the limit and then saying, and beyond the limit, to four. We just do it differently. So Amos would be a wisdom book as well? Um, no, it's it's prophecy. It's prophecy. So I mean, it's speaking to the going beyond the normal limit three, no four, right? So sometimes wisdom literature and prophecy can you know, like a Venn diagram, sometimes prophets can speak in terms of wisdom literature. Sure. All right, now I wanted to point something out to you in Job 5. Verse number 13 in Job 5 is the only verse from Job quoted in the New Testament. I gave you a chart. Do you have that chart with you? Did anyone have that chart from last week? Judith, would you hold that up there? Is that the chart? So we gave that out last week. If you'd like a copy, I can send it to you. But that's all the times in 1st and 2nd Corinthians that Job is alluded to, or in this case, quoted. It's very clear then that Paul was influenced by the book of Job. So the only time Job is quoted in the New Testament is verse 13 of chapter 5. That's really saying something, isn't it? That means there's a lot of stuff that's not quoted in the New Testament. But if you're looking for some homework or you don't know what to read for your morning devotions tomorrow, take a look at Job 38-39 and put it right next to Isaiah 40. And it's going to be very clear to you that Isaiah was influenced by Job as well. Yeah, 38-39. Stuff like, where were you when I hung the world on nothing? Job 38-39. Whereas in Isaiah 40, a lot of it is much the same. That song we sing, Behold Our God? who has held the oceans in his hand. It's been a few, probably a couple months since we've sang it. But if you, you know, is that Job or Isaiah 40? Because it feels like it could be either. All right, so why do we point these out, these patterns that are found throughout the Bible? Because it humanizes, it humanizes the authors of scripture. When we look at a passage in the Bible, sometimes we forget we're talking about men and women who cook their own meals, wash their own laundry, their feet stunk, normal people, right? And so when we realize, well, mine don't stink, but when we realize that Isaiah, 700 years before Jesus, was influenced by Job You're like, well, yeah, yeah, they're both old guys. Well, wait a minute. There's a thousand years between them. Think about that. From the time of the Crusades till today is a thousand years or so. That's how much time is between Job and Isaiah. So, Isaiah, what do we say about him? We say he read his Bible. You see how that works? There's no shortcuts to spirituality. Not for Isaiah, not for me. Not for you. These people were influenced by the writers before them. Look at verse 27. Eliphaz closes his speech. He's about ready to drop the mic, walk off, Signed Bibles by the side of the stage. He says, behold this we have searched out. It's true. Hear it and know for yourself. Now there are a lot of clowns in your life that are gonna intimidate you into just go ahead and believe them because they've studied it. You see, that's just what he said right there, verse 27. We've searched this out. Job, you don't have to think. just do what we're saying, just take to heart what I've told you, because I've, you know, me and Bill Dadd and Zophar, we've studied this out. So twice in two chapters, Eliphaz sets him up as someone who shouldn't be, shouldn't be argued with. In chapter four, he has a messenger from heaven, shows up to him in his bedroom. How can you argue against that? I mean, do we have any proof that Eliphaz actually had this visitor? No. And that's the whole point of when people say, I know what the Bible says, but I know how I feel. Know what I mean? And that's when you just completely disregard them. They're completely incredible at that point. When they will argue a scripture in favor of their personal experiences, they haven't got the sense, as my mother-in-law would say, that God gave a goose. And then in chapter five, this is the person who doesn't want Job to think. Job, there's nothing to argue with here. We've searched this matter out. We've got wisdom. It's best that you just not think much about this. Here's how it would sound condescendingly. If you'll study such and such, you'll find out that I'm correct. Isn't that what it says in verse 27? Hear it and know for yourself. Yeah, take my word for it. Now this can go about everything, right? So think about how you're sitting and wallowing, in some cases, justifiably, in a mess, and someone who thinks they're helping you will pontificate and then cite their own credentials. Hey, look, I've been studying this for a long time. So here he is, he's looking for help, he's feeling very low, and one of his dear friends says, You're responsible for your kids dying. God is just trying to correct you, Job. I don't know why you have to be hard-headed, because if you would just get right, God would give you a ton of kids again, verse 25. You'd have a house that wouldn't fall, verse 24. You wouldn't have to worry about people coming to get your animals. The animals would come to you, verse 23. Now, by the way, you might notice verse 23, you have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field should be at peace with you. But right now they're not, Job. Everything's against you, and it's because, verse 17, God is trying to correct you, and you need to fix your attitude and deal with it. Right. Yeah. Yes. Yeah It's for your good Yeah, so once again our biggest thing is brother Tommy's hitting on it many of you have said something about it is That you can be really correct biblically and be a terrible counselor Just terrible you can have lots of verses you can read lots of books and But if you don't walk slowly through helping people, you're going to rake them over the coals. And so we'll see how Job replies in chapter 6. Any last questions?