kind of look at the whole book this morning. I promise we won't do an exposition of all 42 chapters. We'll look at it, and then if you want to continue to talk about it, we can talk about it this afternoon. But as you're flipping to Job, you can go to Job chapter 1. The book of Job really deals with some of life's toughest questions. Why do the righteous go unpunished? Why do the just and the unjust often share the same end? Why does the Lord not hear the calls of his people? Why does God remain silent? in the midst of unjust suffering. And we see even in the psalmist. The psalmist asks often these same questions. And really, as a Christian can even sometimes ask these questions, the questions rightly assume two things about God. absolutely sovereign and nothing takes place apart from his will. And on the other hand, that God is immutable in his holiness, that God always loves what is good and hates what is evil, approves what is good and just and hates what is evil. And so knowing those two things about who our God is, we can often find ourselves in the midst of a sinful world asking these very questions, genuinely asking the Lord, why are the things the way that they are. And I think there are real moments in our Christian lives that we can ask the question to God, why is he allowing bad things to happen to his people? But it's in our times of suffering and it's in our times of asking those questions that the Lord often reminds our souls of who He is and reminds us of His goodness. But I think Job gives us a real category along with the psalmist where we can really ask hard questions of God. We can go to the Lord and Say, Lord, I know that you are good, but right now I do not taste your goodness in my life. I am struggling to believe that right now with the things that are going on in my life. And so I think Job helps us to realize we can go to the Lord and be real. He already knows. Right? We'll often go to everybody else and share our doubts and share our fears and maybe even share our frustrations about the Lord. But then when we go to the Lord in prayer, we're, oh, holy and pious. We believe everything that He says. But no, we can go to the Lord and pour out our souls to Him. Job really deals with the gap between our perception of God and our circumstances, and the reality of who he is in the midst of our circumstances. Or to put it another way, he helps us to answer the question, how should the righteous conduct themselves when they suffer? Especially when that suffering is not a result of direct sin. So what I want to do this morning in our short time is I just want to kind of go through the book really with the three kind of headings, which are God's people often suffer, God's ways are often hidden, And third, God's people can always trust Him. And I really want to spend the majority of our time on that third point. We'll see in Job that God's people often suffer. We'll see in Job that often God's ways are hidden from us. But I think that the heart of Job is After Job and his three friends are saying all sorts of things, there's this man named Elihu who shows up, and he begins to speak for God, and he begins to show both Job and his friends how they were saying a lot of true things, but they weren't necessarily true about God in this situation. And then we see Job's response. So let's look, let's go now, let's see what kind of man Job was. Job 1, I'll read for us verses 1-5. There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants. so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. Thus Job did continually. The book opens up with giving us a very high report of who Job is, that he's an upright man, he's a righteous man, and a very wealthy man, but a man who feared the Lord and walked with the Lord, and a man who cared for his children. He was a spiritual leader in his home. He offered sacrifices for his children lest they curse God in their hearts. So we wouldn't expect then, if that's how Job opens up, we wouldn't expect then, and the next few verses into chapter two as well, what's about to happen to Job. We see in chapter one, verse 13, the first round of suffering comes to Job and there he loses his wealth and his family. Let's read those verses. Chapter one, verse 13, now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house. And there came a messenger to Job and said, the oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them. And the Sabians fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword. And I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, the fighter of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, the Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. This is three messengers back to back to back. There is all of Job's wealth that was just listed, taken from him. And then in verse 18, While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house. And behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they were dead. And I alone have escaped to tell you. Now look at Job's response in verse 20. Then Job arose and tore his robe, shaved his head, fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, naked I came from my mother's womb, naked shall I return, the Lord gave, the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord, and all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Let me just point out two things really quick, because we've got to cover the whole book, about Job's response. He wasn't stoic. He wasn't unmoved by the suffering that had happened in his life. He didn't just stand there with a blank face without his heart being grieved and broken over the suffering that just happened, but he tore his clothes, he shaved his head, he was broken over what had just happened, not only to his wealth, but to his children. But even in the midst of that grieving, he turns and he worships the Lord. And he says, the Lord gave and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. And I think there's legitimate times where we think in our suffering, we are supposed to be stoics and unmoved. And if we are grieving, then we are somehow sinning or in unbelief. But actually, I think Job gives us a picture of how we deal with suffering. We're creatures, and we feel that suffering, and it breaks us, and it reminds us of how feeble and frail we are. But then we turn, as Job did, and we say, Lord, I will worship you. You give, and you take away. And blessed be the name of the Lord. There's a second round of suffering that comes. In chapter 2, verses 7-8, where not only his wealth and his family, but now his own health. He has sores all from his head to his toe on his body. And his wife confronts Job in verse 9 and says, why don't you just curse God and die? And Job again there confronts his wife's poor response to the suffering. And he says this in verse 10, he says of chapter 2, And all this Job did not sin with his lips. Now you've probably noticed I've skipped kind of a key element of this story, that there's something happening behind the scenes here of why this suffering has come to Job. But I wanted to go in this direction because from what we know about the book, Job never is told about why his suffering actually came to him. We get to read chapter 1 and 2. I don't think God at the end of the story says, hey Job, read this. Maybe this will make sense. But we know in chapter one and two, Satan with the sons of God approached the Lord and the Lord says on both occasions, have you considered my servant Job? And Satan basically says, well, does he not praise you and fear you for not? You've blessed him, you've gave him wealth, you've gave him health, you've gave him a family. Does Job not bless you for those reasons? Job only follows you, God, because you've blessed him with these things. He doesn't follow you or worship you because of who you are. And so in the first series of suffering, God says, you can take whatever you want, just don't touch his head. And then Satan comes back again, and God says the same thing to Job, or says the same thing to Satan, and Satan says, well, you didn't let me touch his head. You didn't let me touch his health. If I strike his health, Job will surely curse you. And so God allows a second round of suffering to enter into Job's life. But I think it's so important. We read chapters one and two like Job gets to find that out, but he doesn't get to find that out. And there's sometimes in our suffering, we don't get to find out the why. God doesn't give us a glimpse of the why. Sometimes in His kindness, we get a glimpse of the why, but sometimes we don't always understand why is it that I am going through these things? So let's keep moving forward. So at the end of chapter two, Job's three friends come and they sit with him in silence, which was very wise of them to do. They're going to show their lack of wisdom as they open their mouths, but they come and they sit with silence with them. And then in chapter 3, Job breaks his silence. Let's look at chapter 3. I'll just read a few verses to give you a sense of what Job is saying here. Chapter 3, verses 1 through 3, Job says, After this, Job opened his mouth. He cursed the day of his birth, and Job said, Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, A man is conceived. Then look at the end of chapter three in verses 20 to 26, Job goes on to say, why is light given to him who is in misery and life to the bitter in soul? Who long for death, but it comes not. Who dig for it more than for hidden treasures. That sounds like something out of an Edgar Allan Poe poem right there, right? Who longs for death and cannot find it, like digging for hidden treasures, verse 22, who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave. Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in, for my sign comes instead of my bread? and my groanings are poured out like water. For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet. I have no rest, but trouble comes." Then from chapter 4 to chapter 41, there's a series of conversations between Job and his friends. In the first, there's really three cycles total of conversations. In the first cycle, Job's friend Eliphaz speaks. Then Job responds, then Bildad speaks, and then Job responds, and then Zophar speaks, and Job responds. But really, you could summarize all of this conversation between Job and his friends to this. Job's friends say, Job, the suffering has come upon you because you've sinned. You've sinned, and your sin is the result of this suffering. And over and over again, Job is saying, I have not. I have not sinned. I have done none of these things. And this cycle continues in their conversations. And then in the third and final cycle, Job, almost out of frustration, and almost out of just being worn out from talking to them, he begins to make his final protest. Let's skip to chapter 31. Over and over in these chapters, Job's friends have accused him of sin, and that being the result and the cause for his suffering. And Job then makes his final appeal to them in chapter 31. I'll read for us verses 1 through 8, and then we'll skip to the end of the chapter. I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze at a virgin? What would be my portion from God above? and my heritage from the Almighty on high. Is not calamity for the unrighteous and disaster for the workers of iniquity? Does not He see my ways and number all my steps? He's speaking of God there. If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit, let me be weighed in a just balance and let God know my integrity. If my step has turned aside from the way, and my heart has gone after my eyes, and if any spot has stuck to my hands, then let me sow and another eat, and let what grows from me be rooted out. And over and over again, he gives these if-then statements. If I have done these things, then let God judge me for these things, but I have not done these things. And then he concludes in verse, we'll look at verse 35. I know it goes to verse 40, but we'll just read verse 35 of chapter 31. Oh, that I had one to hear me. Here is my signature. Let the almighty answer me. Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary. So Job by the end of this is almost demanding God. Why don't you show up God? Why don't you show me my indictment? Why don't you show me the cause for my suffering? And then we're introduced in chapter 32 to this character Elihu. It seems that he's been there amongst these conversations the whole time. He has heard what Job's friends have said. He has heard what Job has said. Job is just demanded for God to show up, but instead of God showing up, this young man, Elihu, begins to speak, and he speaks from chapter 32 to chapter 37, and Elihu begins to speak for God. He says in these early verses, I wanted to withhold my counsel, my wisdom, because I was a young man, and I wanted to defer to you other men, but the Spirit of God constrained me to speak. The Creator has constrained me to speak, and I must speak, and I will not give partiality. So we see this, and we'll read 32 verses 1 through 8. So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous, in his own eyes. Then Elihu, the son of Barakel, the Bazaid of the family of Ram, burned with anger." Now notice this, we typically read the dialogue between Job and his friends and we think Job's friends are being so sinful and the counsel they are giving to Job, but here Elihu is not only burning with anger against Job's friends, But he's burning with anger against Job. Look what it says in verse 2. He burned with anger at Job. Why? Because he justified himself rather than God. He burned with anger also at Job's three friends. Why? Because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he and when Elihu had saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men he burned with anger and Elihu the son of Barakel the Buzzi answered and said, I am young in years and you are aged. Therefore, I was timid and afraid to declare my opinion to you. I said, let days speak and many years teach wisdom. But it is the spirit and man, the breath of the Almighty that makes him understand. And so Elihu is going to begin to condemn Job and condemn Job for seeking to justify himself rather than God. He's going to condemn Job's friends for casting judgment and sin upon Job that he has not done. And the way that Elihu does this is he reminds both Job and his friends in a series of speeches of who God is. He speaks for God. He reminds them of God's greatness, God's might, God's justice, and the fear that is due to God from His creatures. And there's really kind of three themes that kind of really come to the top in these speeches that Elihu makes. The first thing you would see if you read chapters 32 to 37 is you would see over and over Elihu is reminding them of the greatness of God. Let's go to one verse that shows this. Let's go to chapter 36. Job's friends are saying that God has judged Job for his sin, and Job is here seeking to justify himself rather than God, and Elihu is here in chapter 36 extolling God's greatness, and he says this, starting in verse 26. Behold, God is great, and we know Him not. The number of His years It's unsearchable. For he draws up the drops of water, they distill his mist and rain, which the skies pour down and drop on mankind abundantly. Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion? Behold, he scatters his lightning about him. He covers the roots of the sea, for by these he judges people and he gives food in abundance. He covers his hands with lightning and commands it to strike the mark. That's a good verse, parents, when your kids are afraid of thunder and lightning. That's a favorite in our house. Verse 33, it's crashing declares his presence. the cattle also declare that he rises. and giving them a little lesson from the weather, and about rain, and about who it is that controls the rain, and who spreads the clouds, and who gathers up that rain, and pours it upon the earth to declare God's greatness to these men. Then you'll see that Elihu emphasizes God's justice, that God rewards those that do what is good, and He punishes those that do evil. And we see this throughout Elihu's speech, but we could see it in one place in chapter 34 verse 10. Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong. For according to the work of a man, he will repay him. And according to his ways, he will make it befall him. Of a truth God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. Who gave him charge over the earth, and who laid on him the whole world? If he should set his heart to it, and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all men would perish together. and man would return to the dust. So here Elihu reminds him of God's justice. Job is saying, I have not sinned. Job's friends are saying, you have sinned. And Elihu says, you guys are being foolish. And let me here remind you of God's justice and God's greatness. The last thing that Elihu really emphasizes in these speeches is that creatures are to fear God. And let's go to chapter 37. This is actually how he concludes his speeches before God finally shows up and speaks for himself. Chapter 37, verses 22 to 24. Out of the north comes golden splendor. God is clothed with awesome majesty. The Almighty, we cannot find him. He is great in power, justice, and abundant righteousness. He will not violate. Therefore, men fear him. He does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit. So I would encourage you this Lord's Day, this afternoon, you could read chapters 32 to 37 and be reminded of God's greatness and God's justice and that we are to fear Him and be humble and contrite before Him. But then in chapter 38, God finally does appear. Job says, Lord, show up, speak, right? State your case. How have I been wrong? And this really is a one-way conversation from here forward. God shows up in chapter 38 all the way to the end of the book. He says this to Job as he begins in verse 1, Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge, dressed for action like a man? I will question you, and you make it known to me. So the Lord doesn't show up to answer Job's questions. The Lord shows up to ask Job some questions. And here again, in these chapters, we are destruct by our Creator, the one true and living God in His greatness, as He goes through all of these details in creation, from thunder and lightning to the weather and the wind and the ocean and the land and ostriches and weird creatures that we're not even sure what they are. And He's asking Job, have you ever controlled these things, Job? Were you there when the storehouse of snow was gathered and it's poured on the earth? And he begins to ask Job all of these questions over and over. I'll just read a few for us, just for us to get a sense of some of the things that God says to Job. Verse 28 of chapter 38, he says, Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew from the womb? Did the ice come forth? And who has given birth to the frost of heaven? The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth the Maseroth and their season? Or can you guide the bear with its children? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish the rule on earth? Can you lift up your voice to the clouds that a flood of water may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings that they may go and say to you, here we are? Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind? Who can number the clouds by wisdom or who can tilt the water skins of the heavens? when the dust runs into a mass and the cloths stick fast together. And he goes on and on and on and then the Lord pauses with his questions and he says to Job in chapter 40, shall the fault finder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer. And then Job makes a vow of silence. He says, I will not speak anymore. I will not speak anymore. And then the Lord continues in chapter 40 and chapter 41, asking more questions and showing Job his greatness, that he is the creator and Job is the creature. And the book concludes in chapter 42. Job repents, confesses his sins. The Lord then rebukes Job's friends. And then the Lord restores to Job many of his fortunes. and restores to him a family at the close of the book. But it's interesting in all of that, God never tells Job about Satan coming before the throne. God never even answers Job's questions directly. Now we might read that and think, that's pretty insensitive of the Lord to show up. Job has these burning questions in the midst of his suffering, and he doesn't even answer them. But I think the Lord did precisely what he's supposed to do, is remind Job, Job, who am I? Who am I? I'm holy. I am the greatest of all. I am the greatest being. I am the creator of all things. And you are speaking without knowledge. I think Job teaches us to beware of the poor theology of Job's friends. Job's friends believe that all suffering in this life is always a result of sin. Jesus' disciples had that poor theology as well. What did they say when they saw the man born blind? Rabbi, who sinned? This man or his parents said he was born blind. And Jesus basically says he was born blind for the glory of God. But this view of suffering is not the case with Job. Job did not suffer because of personal sin. He did not suffer because he had sinned against God. In fact, the irony of the whole book is Job actually suffered because of his virtue, right? Is that not why God says to Satan, let me commend to you my servant, Job? And that's one of the very reasons why God then turns around and says, oh, you think he'll curse me? Well, I'll allow him to suffer. We also see the poor response of Job. Job was unaware of the spiritual warfare that surrounded his suffering. And Job sought to justify himself rather than God. And so while Job in one sense never curses God in the whole book, He does seek to justify himself as if he could fully understand what the Lord was doing in his suffering. So more than anything else, Job teaches us that we often don't have all the facts of our suffering. Job is left in the dark. We're often left in the dark. And God's ways are not always revealed to us, but we can always trust in God. That is kind of the theme of the book, right? Job is suffering, Job doesn't know why, and God shows up to remind Job of who he is. And the theme is, we don't know why we suffer, we often suffer, but we can trust in our God. And that is the heart of the Christian life, isn't it? Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, I think. There's so many little verses like that in the Bible that kind of just put their arms around the whole of the Christian life, right? Wasn't that a verse that Job needed to know and believe? I don't understand. And it's easy to trust the Lord when we understand. It's easy when we can make the connection. Well, I did this and this happened or this cause and effect. That makes sense. I can trust the Lord. It's when we don't understand that our faith is really tested. Can we trust the Lord? When it makes sense, we feel in control. When it makes sense, we feel like we've got security and safety. It's when it doesn't make sense that we're reminded just how dependent we are on the Lord. And by the way, when we're not suffering, we're dependent on the Lord as well. We just fool ourselves into thinking that we're not. So we trust in God because of who he is. We worship God for who he is. We trust in God for who he is and not because of our circumstances. And as you see God reveal himself to Job, we are left with questions like, why wouldn't we trust God? Who else can we trust like that? Have we considered His greatness? Have we considered His beauty? Have we considered His goodness and His might and His holy ways? Who else is worthy to be worshipped? And then we think of Job's suffering unjustly, not as a result of his sin, but as a result of his virtue. And we think then of, as this book points us beautifully, to the suffering of the Son of God, who suffered for us. Not for sins that he did, right? But the righteous became the unrighteous, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, that we might be made the righteousness of God. So it is the good, of the gospel for sinners through Christ's suffering that gives us hope in the midst of our suffering because we know that God is loving us and sanctifying us even in the midst of our suffering. And so one passage in the New Testament that summarizes this well is 1 Peter 4.19. Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls. to a faithful creator while doing good. We often suffer. We only sometimes understand, but we can always trust the Lord. So I know if we finished a little early, that was my goal. I wanted to just maybe give us a chance for you to ask questions. You can ask questions about Joe, but also just questions for me. What do you believe, Pastor John? You know, what is your view on things like that? Review on preaching? We've had a great, this is our third weekend up here, and have had a great time of fellowship, and I've been expecting y'all to give me some good questions and things, so if you don't have any, that's fine. I would rather not be spur of the moment, but I wanna give you an opportunity in the 10 minutes that we have left if you have any questions for me. Yes? Before the interrogation, could you repeat the last reference? 1 Peter 4.19. We did not call it an interrogation, Benjamin. That is not what's happening. Because if I can't answer it on the fly, I'm just going to say, I don't know. You can't hold me here against my will. But who has any questions? So at the start of the book, it talks about him being righteous and upright, not Job. And then later, it seems to be like pride seems to be a sin, like wanting to justify yourself. Is the point, like, is it talking more about, like, hey, yes, you are righteous in your actions, but your heart still was not perfectly righteous, and that's what God has called you out here, that even if you're doing the will and you're doing the things, is it more about, he's proving the point, there's still sin in there, there's still something I have to bring out for the world to see that this isn't in the hearts of man, is that still there, or was that, right, really not there, was he really going to have righteousness before this evening? Well, I think that's a good question. So when the Bible says in Job 1 that Job was a righteous man or upright, we still need to have the category that Job sinned, certainly. Job sinned. And if Job is righteous, then he is righteous by looking forward to the Redeemer to come. And he even speaks about, I know that my Redeemer lives. So Job is justified by faith, forward-looking to Christ. But I think there is a sense Job really was a man who feared God, that pursued holiness. And God even commends Job to Satan. So then in the questioning between Job and his friends, I think what is revealed in Job's heart isn't even the struggle that Job is having, but he is seeking to justify himself to other creatures, rather than going and pleading to the Lord and saying, Lord help me in this. We get in trouble when we are speaking about, complaining about God to others, but the psalmist, the book of Psalms is so helpful, especially for, I don't know, I call it the dark night of the soul. We have those, right? There's suffering in our life and it's a dark night of the soul where we say to the psalmist, my bed is flooded with tears and I have not ceased to weep over this. But the psalmists help us because they're going to God, right? And often the psalmists you'll even see God never shows up in the psalm and gives them an answer for their suffering, but they're crying out to God, God help me, God where are you? And then the psalmist shifts in the middle and says, oh, why are you cast down on my soul? Look to God who's your helper, who's your maker. So that's what I think. I think that's certainly Job is still a sinful man. But in those dialogues, I think there is an element of pride, certainly, because he's seeking to justify himself before his friends, rather than maybe even first going to the Lord and saying, Lord, is what they're saying, is this true? Is this true? Have I sinned? Is that a result? So that's how I would, I think we'd look at it. Paul sets us up with a dilemma like that where we're called righteous but we're sinners. Is that, do you think, directly related to where Paul would say that even my righteousness is filthy rags? Is that, is there any connection between those two concepts? Is that an Isaiah that says our best deeds are as filthy rags? I think Isaiah's point there is speaking of Israel, right? They have rebelled against him, they are in judgment, and they are doing the deeds of what is required of them in the law, but there is a filthiness to it because they are stained by sin. Even the things that they do what God requires is tainted by that. Probably a better example, Dean, is Paul. Throughout the series of his letters, as he gets closer and closer to death, he says something like, I'm the least of all the apostles, I'm the least of all the saints, and I'm the chiefest of sinners. Well, was Paul really pessimistic? No, I think as he grew in knowing the Lord and communing with the Lord, and as he grew closer to the Lord, he realized just how sinful he was. So that's what I would say, or like Luther says, we're righteous wretches, right? We're justified, declared righteous already, but there's a still, there's a reality, as our confession talks about, and the chapter on sanctification, that there's still this thing called indwelling sin. And even a believer can fall into grievous sins, but we've been justified in Christ, and in union with Christ, we've been made new and given new hearts, and so that righteousness, God is sanctifying us in our lives. So, I don't know if that answers directly, brother, but. Yes, or, yes. I was just gonna say, the one thing in this book is, Everything is restored. Job's friends certainly did sin. The Lord had mercy on them through a mediator, Job. We have an adversary, and thankfully he doesn't have the final say or rule. Man can't rule. Man doesn't have the knowledge. God has demonstrated that he has the knowledge, and we ought to be able to rest in that. can't understand everything, because of just our finite being. And even when we question the Lord, he's still merciful to us. That's a tremendous point of application of how God is merciful to Job's friends, and God is merciful even when we do, in a sinful way, question him or doubt him. Absolutely. Absolutely. Samuel? I think Mike actually took care of my questions. I was going to ask you, do you think that Job talks about mercy and grace to God? And I think indirectly, he's very gracious and merciful to Job and his friends, that in spite of their bad advice, even their sinful thoughts, he didn't obliterate them. Even when they're speaking on Job, I wonder if it's showing us how much God is willing to forbear for us when we think wrongly about him, when we accuse him of stuff that aren't right. He's willing to take it because he loves us. He's not gonna blow up the first time that we assault him. Yeah, I think that's a great point. And Job, especially, I mean, God shows up in a whirlwind, right? And He says, dress like a man for action, Job. I have some questions for you. And yet we see God's grace in not dealing with Job as he ought. And this is why, I mean, I don't laugh at them, but the people who say that the Old Testament, the God of the Old Testament is all angry and wrathful, and the God of the New Testament is all love and grace, they've never read the Old Testament. Maybe they have, but I mean Genesis 3 happens, God shows up on the day of the Lord and instead of judging and bringing eternal judgment on Adam and Eve, He is He gives them the promise of the gospel. And in Job, the same way, we see God's grace. And it's in Paul in Romans 2 says, talks about God's forbearance and God's kindness that is meant to lead men and women to repentance. Now, sinful men and women presume upon that, that God will never judge them and things like that. But I think that's a great point, Samuel. Maybe one more question, and then I'll close this in prayer. Okay, all right, let's pray. Our great God, Lord, we thank you that you are our God and we are your people. You have made us yours in Christ, the one who has suffered for us, the one truly who was good, who kept your law perfectly, and yet suffered in the place for us as sinners so that we might be made the righteousness of God. Lord, as we think upon Job in the remainder of our day, and we think upon your grace and your mercy and your patience that you showed Job and his friends, may that stir our affections in our hearts as we remember the grace and the mercy that you have shown us in the gospel, and even how you are gracious and merciful to us as your children, that you are patient with us. Or as the psalmist says, you know our frame, you know that we are but dust and you deal with us as a compassionate father cares for his children. Lord, even as we struggle with sin, Lord, by your spirit, assure us of the pardon that we have in Christ and assure us of the love that you have shown us, Father, in the gospel. Lord, help us this Lord's Day. May Your Spirit work through the ordinary means of grace. May Your Spirit work through the preaching of the Word. May we see Christ in all of His beauty and glory this morning. And Lord, we pray that You would convert those who would come who do not know Christ. We pray that You would encourage those who feel discouraged by their sin or their suffering. We pray that You would exhort and and wake up those who are lazy or unruly God but we pray and all these things that this Lord's Day you would minister to us and that your name would be glorified.