Job's friends have made their accusations, and Job has made his defense, and so on and on we've been going. So let's just pick it up in verse 18 of chapter 36, and then we'll read to the end of the chapter, and then move on into chapter 27. So Elihu says, because there is wrath, beware lest he take you away with one blow. And he's directing it towards Job. For a large ransom would not help you avoid it. And will your riches or all the mighty forces keep you from distress? Do not desire the night when people are cut off in their place. Take heed. Do not turn to iniquity, for you have chosen this rather than affliction. Behold, God is exalted by his power. And who teaches like him? Who has assigned him his way? Or who has said, you have done wrong? Remember to magnify his work of which men have sung. Everyone has seen it. Man looks on it from afar. Behold, God is great. We do not know him, nor can the number of his years be discovered. For he draws up drops of water, which distill as rain from the mist, which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man. Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, the thunder of his canopy? Look, he scatters the light upon it and covers the depths of the sea, for by these he judges the people. He gives food in abundance, and he covers his hands with lightning. He commands it to strike. His thunder declares it, the cattle also concerning the rising storm." And so you'll see in the next chapter also that Elihu is, in a sense, just speaking of things that exalt God. And it's really good for us to meditate continually on the very character of God and what God does. I think sometimes we lose blessing, if you will, because we are not thinking of things that only pertain to God and what he does and what he doesn't do. I thought about this. We were just sitting in a parking lot yesterday eating, and I was just watching traffic go back and forth, and I said something, because it just kind of burped out of my mind. I said, imagine if you could know everyone's thoughts who's riding back and forth. And that's only on, hey Larry, only on that little road. And I thought about that. Wouldn't that not be mind-blowing? to think about it, that you could read, you know exactly what everyone's thinking. I think I said, imagine if you knew where everyone was going. But imagine if you knew what everyone was thinking at the same time. How does that, how can that be? I mean, how could you understand that and not be, you know what it's like when two or three people are talking at the same time, right? It's very confusing. Could you imagine Not only people talking, but the very thoughts of people all at once. Sounds like a Star Trek episode, if you will. But you think about that, and yet God is the one who does that. I mean, that's a fantastic thought. And so that's what I'm trying to say there. As we look at this and the words of Elihu, In between, if you will, or on top of him seeking to be the umpire between Job and his friends and speak for God, he meditates and he exalts God and in many ways that's what he's saying here. But anyway, verse 18, chapter 36, he says, Because there is wrath, beware lest he take you away with one blow, for a large ransom would not help you avoid it. And I think what he's doing is he's seeking to correct Job's thinking. What was wrong with Job's thinking? What was the thing that both his friends and Elihu noticed about the way Job spoke? You're right. Exactly so. It was that he was, in a sense, murmuring against what God was doing in his life. That he was, in a sense, that it wasn't fair that God was dealing with him in such a harsh way because Job maintained his integrity that he sought to please God. And remember, that's exactly what his friends said. His friends said the opposite, though, right? you don't fear God that's why this is coming on you so when you think about it and Eli who's trying to correct him and there are so many people that either do not meditate upon God but are active in complaining against God and like verses in the New Testament right do all things what? She's so well acquainted with that verse because she throws it at me. A lot. And rightfully so, baby. I did. I used to tell the kids that, oh, my goodness, three, four times a day. And because the kids murmured, right? Because the kids complained. And so when you think about it, what I think he's saying here is to Joe, be careful because you're complaining, will cause you to suffer even more rather than less. And I think, is there anybody here that doesn't complain? Now, I know what the silence means now. It means none of us are without blame on that. And here's the other part of that in this verse. Because there is wrath beware lest he take you away one blow and you think about it think about How the men of this world Do not have any fear of God. Just like Paul says, there is no fear of God before their eyes. And you think about how many people in their pride and in their arrogance and in their thinking do not fear God. And what does it say about fear? Fear of God is what? It's the beginning of wisdom. And as you think about this, I just want to look at one one song real quick go to Psalm 2 for a minute and hopefully by now This song is very familiar to us. But nevertheless since we're we're kind of close to it this go to Psalm 2 and and just Think of it in in a way of how this world operates, right? So it says this Why do the nation's rage and And the people plot a vain thing. And the kings of the earth set themselves against, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us. And he who sits in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall hold him in derision. Then he shall speak to them in his wrath and distrust them in his deep displeasure. Yet I have set my king on my holy hill as I am. I will declare the decree. The Lord has said unto me, you are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. And then this exhortation, if you will, in verse 10. Now therefore, be wise, O kings. Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear. Rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. And for us, I think the thing that we really need to focus on is that we have a right reverence for God. That we don't just, again, it's so annoying to me when people call God the man upstairs, the big guy, those kinds of sayings. Those don't really sound like they're filled with an awe and respect for God. It's pretty much trying, it brings God down, and you can't do that. And so when you think about it, and what Eli was saying to Job is, Job, if you would only think this out, you wouldn't have said, and you wouldn't think the word, and use the words that you're using, and yet, That is the very thing that he is seeking to correct Job from. So read a little bit further, and then he says, do not desire the night when people are cut off in their place and take heed. Do not turn to iniquity. If you remember way back in the beginning of Job, actually Job chapter three, Job wanted to die. And we can go back and read it, but I don't want to take up too much time on it. But you remember what Job said in the very beginning when all those things came upon him at first? He says, woe to the day I was born, and I should have never saw the light, and my mother should have never gave birth to me, and on and on and on. And there's a reality how many people think of death as release. And is death a release? It depends where you are, right? Death is certainly a release for the believer, right? To live is Christ, to die is gain. But is death really a release to those who have stored up wrath? When you think about it, a man or a man, and I mean it generically, a man's last breath on this world is his first breath for all eternity. When you put that into perspective, to wish for death, apart from Christ, is insanity. to think that you'll be at peace when you really don't have peace is not only delusion it's absolutely horrifying and so what i think in part we can get from this is that unless we're in a right relationship, and certainly I do think Job was in a right relationship, although he's full of issues, that there are a lot of people who do that. They desire the night when people are cut off and take heed, don't turn to iniquity, for you have chosen this rather than affliction. In other words, Job, you keep saying that it would be better for you to die And yet you have put off or pushed against the afflictions that God has brought you. And I think we all can admit that there are times when we just want things to end. In other words, when you don't feel good, there's only one thing you want to do. What is it? feel good. When you have something that's working against you, I think many times it closes us in and all we really desire is to move out of it. When will good come? When will the morning come? When will the sun shine? Just like when it rains for days and days and days, what do we all look forward to? Sunshine. Yeah, right. Oh man, the sun's out again. So when you think about these things and what he's saying, I think what he's trying to do is to get Job to think right and to stop his complaining and to just put up and endure the affliction. Now, I will say this, easier to say, harder to do, right? Like in other words, is it not easy for us to say to someone who's struggling, it'll all be okay? Right? And that's what, I mean, we should exhort and seek to comfort people. But it's much easier to say it when it's someone else that's in the valley. Right? I think, like you said, if you know the Lord, you have a relationship with him, if you're a person that's going through a lot pain and struggle and all that stuff, that death can be a release. There's a lot worse things than dying in this world. Yeah, for sure. And I do think that we should have a longing anyway to leave this world, if you think about it. And again, it could be misunderstood. But there should be a desire for us to be with the Lord and to be, in that sense, free from the entanglements of this world. Now, I'm not saying that we should just hope to all die and go home tomorrow. Although, to say that is true, because again, to live is Christ and to die is gain. It's better to be with Him than to be here. But there's so many attachments and so many things that are involved in it. And remember what Paul says. he's gonna live in the flesh because he was useful and and he sort of got out of purpose for okay so here's what i want to do now the rest of this chapter let me just read again from verse twenty four because what he's doing is he's just if you will proclaiming god's majesty he says remember to magnify his work of which men have sung and everyone's seen it men look on it from afar god is great And we do not know him, nor can the number of his years be discovered. Let me just stop there and think about that. That's pretty much what I was saying when I gave you that little example of, could you imagine being able to discern everyone's thoughts or everyone's words at the same time? And then you can extrapolate that out, right? Imagine if you knew the thoughts of every single person who's living on the earth right now. And again, to me, that's just, It just escapes. I can't even begin to found that. But what he's saying is that God is great and it's in relationship to Job because what he's trying to do is to get Job to understand that you really can't question God. And he's great and no one can number, nor can the number of his years be discovered. Then he uses a couple of examples in the remaining of this chapter. He talks about the way God uses the creation. And I wanted to ask a question, and I don't know if we've ever done this before, but I don't think so. Let me ask you a question. How many animals are in the Bible? How many times does God use animals to teach? Any idea? What do you think? Give me a number, somebody. If you go all the year, you don't win the prize. Anybody else? How about 50? Takers? OK. How about this? 120. There's 120, at least 120 different animals that are spoken of that fulfill God's purpose in this world. You were close, Barry. Well, you didn't go all of it, so. And there was no other bid, so you might win. I have no idea what you've won, Barry, but it will be coming by Amazon shortly. So what I did was I went and printed out all the animals that the Bible speaks about. So, and again, what I'm trying to do is to get us to think large this morning. Let me just go, I'll go rather quick. Here's some of the animals that God speaks about. The snake, the otter, the ant. Huh? Okay. The antelope. You get second place, brother, for that one. The ape, the ass or the donkey, the badger, the bat, bears. And I was just, the baboon is mentioned in the Bible. Birds, of course. Buffalo there's in the in the Hebrew we would come out as buffalo and I forgot what it was but the bee certainly the beetle Cows chameleons Just let me The bull the buzzard the calf the camel the canker worm the cat Cockerot Cockroaches. The Bible talks about cockroaches, man. The crane, the cricket, the crocodile, hens, dragons. I just highlighted all of these. The deer, of course, the dog, the dove, the falcon, the fish, fleas, eagles, elephants, giraffes. gnats, goats, starting to catch my drift here, flies, frogs, gazelles, that's me, I'm like a gazelle, the hawk, the hornet, the horse, the grasshopper, a hare or a rabbit, lambs, leeches, leopards, hyenas, Jackals, moles, monkeys, mosquitoes, moths, mice, mules, lions, tigers, and bears. Oh my. The porcupine, the ram, the raven, the ostrich, the osprey, the owl, peacocks, pelicans, snails, spiders, storks, swans, Scorpions, worms, on and on and on. Tigers and turtles. I mean, just think about that. Just think about how God, whose numbers can't be attained or understood, God whose ways cannot really be understood in that sense, because they're so high, How God uses everything. And when I mean everything, I mean everything. From the gnat to the elephant. Everything fulfills God's purpose. Now, if you and I were more mindful of those kinds of things, do you not think that we would be less occupied with our little issues. And they're not little, but I mean in comparison. Don't you think that if we had our mind, as the Bible so often says, to meditate on these things. If we did that, how glorious would it be? And that's why Elihu, to me, has a much better understanding of the workings of God than Job's friends. And even in this chapter, as he says, he uses the clouds, and we're going to see that in the next chapter. God uses everything, and nothing is wasted in God's world. And you could think about how many times God has used worms. to fulfill his purpose. You think about when Elijah was sitting underneath the gourd, and God sent worms to kind of eat the gourd away, and so he couldn't hide away in there. How God uses everything at his disposal, certainly in Egypt. Was that not the great manifestation, all those plagues of how God used things? And how little people really understand it. In other words, everything is related in this world to basically either father time or mother nature, right? And yet, if we were to set our minds in the right place, we would see God as the distributor of everything. and that he uses everything to accomplish a purpose. And in that sense, to behold the diversity of God. And I've said this, and I really believe God has the greatest imagination possible. Just think about it. I mean, all the creation and how everything is like an orchestra. Everything blends together. Now, can we see it? Can we understand it in that sense? No. But does that mean we should not think about it? I think we should spend time judging it and thinking about it. So that's why he says this. And he talks about, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds and the thunder of his canopy? And he scatters the light upon it. And he covers the depths of the sea. And by these, he judges the people. And you're going to see that as we read the next chapter. And he covers his hands with lightning. And he commands it to strike. His thunder declares it, the cattle also concerning the rising sun." So let this settle in our mind a little bit, that we as the people of God, with the ability to know not only the redemptive part, which is absolutely glorious, that we are saved from the rapture But not only for what is to come, but for what is here. That we would truly allow ourselves to be captivated by the truth of God and not just get caught up in, and I don't want to say small stuff, but many times, I know for myself that I'm like that at times. I focus in on the small things and I lose sight of the big things. And again, I do think the devil will whisper in your ear and tell you the small things are more important than anything else. And you and I should not allow ourselves to be trapped in that. All right, so with that, here's what I want to do. This is the last time we'll hear from Elihu in chapter 37. So I want to read the chapter and I want us to focus again simply on that, on how he puts together his thought concerning the working of God. So let's just read it. He says this, at this my heart trembles and leaps from its place. Here Alternatively, attentively, the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. He sends it forth under the whole heaven, his lightning to the ends of the earth. After it, a voice roars. He thunders with his majestic voice. He does not strain him. He does not restrain them when his voice is heard. God thunders marvelously with his voice. He does great things which we cannot comprehend. But he says to the snow, be on the earth. Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of his strength, he seals the hand of every man that all men may know his work. The animals enter dens and remain in their lairs in their layers. From the chamber of the South comes the whirlwind and cold from the scattering winds of the North. By the breath of God ice is given and the broad waters are frozen. Also with moisture he saturates the thick clouds. He scatters his bright clouds and they swirl about being turned by his guidance. And just listen to what he says now, that they may do whatever He commands them on the face of the whole earth. He causes it to come, whether for correction or for His land or for mercy. Listen to this, O Job. Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. Do you know when God dispatches them and causes the light of His cloud to shine Do you know the balance of the clouds, those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge? Why are your garments hot when He quiets the earth by the south wind? With Him have you spread out the skies, strong as a cast-metal mirror? Teach us what we should say to Him, for we can prepare nothing because of the darkness. Should He be told that I wish to speak, If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up. Even now men cannot look at the light when it's bright in the sky, when the wind has passed and cleared them. He comes from the north as gold in splendor. With God is awesome majesty. As for the Almighty, we cannot find him. He is excellent in power, in judgment, and abundant justice. He does not oppress, therefore men fear him. He shows no partiality, who are wise of heart. in the Bible just think about how he's covered in such a few words the gamut, if you will, of what God does and certainly verse 13 has tremendous thoughts behind it and he causes it to come whether for correction or for his land or for mercy and you and I we cannot tell, can we? We can perhaps, at times, think. I know when tragedies happen in Las Vegas, people will say, well, that's because it's the sin city. Well, what happens when tragedies happen in some obscure place on the Earth? Is it because of sin? You really can't tell, can you? You really don't know. It's interesting to me how, if you will, Elihu is a meteorologist He's a meteorologist of a different sort than most people in the world Especially when he says that In verse 17, why are your garments hot when he quiets the earth by the south wind? I think almost all of us realize when the wind blows from the south, what does that mean? Warmth because the warm wind comes up from the south when the wind comes When the wind comes from the north, it's usually cold And yet we look at it and people will talk about it as if it's just the workings of mother nature and that's just the way it is and and yet we've read in Job before where it says that the winds make their circular motion, whatever whichever way God sends them and usually And isn't it great that we can actually, in that way, predict certain things because God has set certain principles in place, right? Again, why does water boil at 212 degrees? Why does it boil at 211 or 213? Why does it boil one day at 212 and the other day at 180? Could you imagine the chaos in that? Could you imagine the chaos if things froze at 32 degrees one day and 48 degrees the next day? Why are those things in place? Because God in his goodness has set them in place. And if you and I were to think about those things, I think it changes our perspective. I think it causes us to rise above the the issues at times in our lives. And again, I'm not discounting those issues, because those issues are tremendously important. And if I remember, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. There's a verse, let me just see if I can get it. Yeah, in chapter 26 of this book, And after, in that sense, those very things are being spoken of, he says, indeed, these are but the mere fringes of his way. How small a whisper we hear of him, but the thunder of his power, who can understand? That's 2614. Can you imagine if we really saw God for who he really is? chapter in 32 where it says he covers his hands with lightning and commands it to strike the mark. Lightning's just not going somewhere, it's going where he wants it to go. Right. Lightning never strikes twice in the same place unless God directs it to strike twice in the same place. And ought we not to be thankful that lightning doesn't always strike twice in the same place? And yet, those things at times, they do take place. And if you and I were to think about it, and like I said, add in the creation, add in the animals, add in the weather, add in the providence of God, add in the depths of the sea, all these things. And you think about what God does that God commands, what does he say about the oceans? God says that he commands the waters to come this far, but no further. Isn't that great? I mean, now I realize in hurricanes God can do whatever he wants to do, but God has set boundaries on everything. And again, if you and I would allow ourselves to be occupied by it, Don't you think it would cause you at least to rise a little bit above the fringes of things? And again, how often it is that we get bogged down. When Jesus said, don't be anxious for tomorrow, I think it was more than just don't worry. But it was more of, set your mind on things above. Have you ever said to yourself, I'm not going to worry about this? And in a millisecond later, what are we doing? We're worried about it. And that depends, in a sense, personality-wise, because some of us might worry more than others. But here's the reality, be not anxious, tomorrow is anxious for itself. If we just didn't look at it from the negative, I shouldn't do this, to the positive, set your mind on things above, see God for who he really is, if you will catch a vision of God, it would not take the worrisome things away from us, like instantly. It would change our way of thinking and so, I just find it absolutely interesting and I just enjoy reading this chapter about the animals and who was it, wasn't it Paul Washer who said that God made some of the greatest and most beautiful flowers to grow where no man would ever see them? Let's think about that one. Let's think about how often it is that you and I um we just see but the fringes of God's ways it's like going out on a clear night and you're amazed at what you can see but too often our our minds and our eyes are full of clouds and we don't see God for who he really is and so um I just really wanted to comment on that as far as and that's what he says in verse 14 and maybe we can close it with this thought Listen to this, Job. Stand still and consider the wonderful works of God. And then to, if you will, turn complaining into praise, turning anxiety into rest, turn issues into sauces of exaltation of God, that Both the ant and the elephant are used by God to fulfill his purpose, and God even uses the works of men. I don't know about you, but we watched on the news, we saw the thing with Israel and Iran and bombing and who and that. Is it nuclear war coming? What is this? And everybody's got an opinion, and all the specialists chime in, and this is what I think, and this is what I think. And some of them have good insight. They're certainly a lot smarter in that area than I am. But at the same time, I didn't hear a single person say God was in control. God was fulfilling his purpose. God is on the throne. And it's just like God will be on the throne after November 5th, the same way he's on the throne before November 5th, when we elect the president. Although things will change. What are we resting? God will never change. He is as exalted forever as he has been since the beginning of the world. So that pretty much ends the words of Elihu. And then next week, and let me just read the first verse in chapter 38, because that's where we're going to go. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, basically, Well, let me just read it. Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Prepare yourself like a man. I will question you, and you will answer me. Can you imagine that? Is that not what's going to happen one day? That men are going to be brought before the Lord Jesus. Every eye will see him, even those that pierced him. All right. That's where we'll be next week and then probably a couple weeks in that and then we'll be done with job and then we'll go and play in brother Mike's garden for a little while.