Lord God in heaven, we have gathered here once again because you have called us, because you have given us the great honor and privilege of being called your people and being called to worship you. Therefore, O God, we gather here this morning with one request, that you would give glory to your name, not unto us but to yourself, that you would take the glory and the honor Lord, enable us this day to glorify you as we should, to listen intently to your word, to sing your praises with faith, to pray to you with sincerity. May every act of worship that we engage in this morning be done so sincerely and faithfully so that you, in fact, are honored. Lord God, this is our earnest prayer and desire that you would enable us to set aside ourselves and our own thoughts and our own ways, and to fix our minds and hearts entirely upon you. We thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we gather. We thank you that he is our King and Head and Savior, and we thank you that we have the privilege of being called his body. And now, Lord God, receive our thanksgiving and our worship, for we are grateful from the bottom of our hearts for the love and mercy and condescension that you have shown in order to save us. We know that we are not worthy. We know that we do not deserve such vast, abounding mercy that you have given us. And yet, O Lord, you have chosen to save a people for yourself, chosen to enter into a covenant with us that we might be called sons of God, that we might be united to Christ, your Son. Therefore, Lord God, we praise you. We thank you. And we ask that this day, this hour, you would truly be glorified in our midst. These things we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Please be seated. Our scripture reading will come from Job again today. And so I invite you to turn there to chapter 24 and 25. We will read. Job 24 and 25. And now hear the word of God. Since times are not hidden from the Almighty, why do those who know Him see not His days? Some remove landmarks. They seize flocks violently and feed on them. They drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They take the widow's ox as a pledge. They push the needy off the road. All the poor of the land are forced to hide. Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert, they go out to their work searching for food. The wilderness yields food for them and for their children. They gather their fodder in the field and glean in the vineyard of the wicked. They spend the night naked without clothing. They have no covering in the cold. They are wet with the showers of the mountains and huddle around the rock for want of shelter. Some snatch the fatherless from the breast and take a pledge from the poor. They cast the poor to go naked. They cause the poor to go naked. without clothing, and they take away the sheaves from the hungry. They press out oil within their walls and tread wine presses, yet suffer thirst. The dying groan in the city and the souls of the wounded cry out, yet God does not charge them with wrong. There are those who rebel against the light. They do not know its ways, nor abide in its paths. The murderer rises with the light and kills the poor and the needy. And in the night he is like a thief. The eye of the adulterer waits for twilight, saying, No eye will see me. And he disguises his face. In the dark they break into houses which they mark for themselves in the daytime. They do not know the light. For the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death. If someone recognizes them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death. They should be swept on the face of the waters. Their portion should be cursed in the earth, so that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards. As drought and heat consume the snow waters, so the grave consumes those who have sinned. The womb should forget them. The worm should feed sweetly on him. He should be remembered no more, and wickedness should be broken like a tree, where he preys on the barren who do not bear, and does no good for the widow. But God draws the mighty away with his power. He rises up that no man is sure of his life. He gives them security, and they rely on it. And yet his eyes are on their ways. They are exalted for a little while, and then they are gone. They are brought low. They are taken out of the way like all others. They dry out like the heads of grain. Now if it is not so, who will prove me a liar and make my speech worth nothing? Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said, Dominion and fear belong to him. He makes peace in his high places. Is there any number to his armies? Upon whom does his light not rise? How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? If even the moon does not shine and the stars are not pure in his sight, how much less man who is a maggot and a son of man who is a worm. We've been following this dialogue in the book of Job for over 20 chapters now, and there's no disputing that at this point, the whole argument between Job and his friends seems to be somewhat tangled and somewhat protracted. Job and his friends have been talking past each other, and they've obviously failed to convince each other of their respective arguments. Their speeches are starting to sound a little bit repetitive, and it seems like there almost has to be a breakthrough in this dialogue soon. Well, our passage today is a breakthrough of sorts. Job clinches the subject of divine justice with a very discerning argument in chapter 24. And chapter 25 is the last word that we will hear from Job's three friends. After chapter 25, Job will have a long monologue, and then a fourth friend named Elihu will speak, and then finally God himself will have the last word. But our text today concludes the exchange between Job and his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. It seems that they are silenced by the solid and sensible argument of Job in chapter 24, Bildad's short reply in chapter 25 is little more than a parting shot. But of course, it's too soon for Job to claim victory in this argument. When God finally speaks toward the end of this book, we will see that there are no winners in this debate. Nevertheless, there is much here in our text today that is very edifying and very convicting to us. And that is the amazing thing about the book of Job. Even though Job and his friends are talking past each other, we always find that the Word of God is speaking very directly to us. We'll begin with chapter 24 in Job's speech here, and if you'll look on your handout, we seek to summarize the chapter this way. Since God is all-knowing, Job wonders why those who know him have to wait for justice. Jesus turned the same question into a lesson on why men always ought to pray and not lose heart. Job takes a pensive look at the injustice of the world. It seems that for the sake of argument, Job agrees with the intuitive opinion of his friends that there should be more justice in the world. But in the final analysis, how can man tell God what he should do? God, in his wisdom, for his own sufficient reasons, chooses to reserve his judgment and often take the wicked out of this world in a quiet, unremarkable way. Job challenges his friends to prove him wrong. Now, Job begins his speech in chapter 24 with this question. I direct your attention to verse 1. Since times are not hidden from the Almighty, why do those who know him see not his days? Now, the wording of that question seems to make it a little bit obscure, but if we think about it, it's not hard to understand what Job is asking. Since times are not hidden from the Almighty, that is to say, since God is all-knowing, He sees everything, why do those who know Him see not His days? That is to say, why do those who believe in Him not see His action on their behalf or His judgment on their behalf? The day of the Lord or the days of the Lord represents the time of His action or the time of his movement and his judgment on behalf of his people. And so the question is really quite simple and it's actually rather familiar. If God sees the state of things and he knows the plight of his people, why doesn't he act? Now we can formulate a biblical answer to Job's question. We know that God acts in his own wise timing. His mercies and his judgments come at the most fitting time according to his wisdom. And in the process of it all, he is building our faith and our patience. But it is even more instructive to see how the Lord Jesus Christ treated this very question in the form of a parable. In Luke chapter 18, the parable of the persistent widow begins with the statement of its purpose. It says, he spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. That's the point of the parable that is to follow. And in the parable, there was a widow that was wronged by some adversary. And she went repeatedly to a judge in order to get justice. And she didn't get it for a long time. And finally, because of her persistence, the judge acted on her behalf. Jesus concluded the parable by saying, And shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry out day and night to him, though he bears long with them? God is bearing with his people. And when there seems to be a real need that goes unmet, it is not a cause for doubt or worry. Rather, Jesus tells us that it is an inducement to pray. Men ought to pray always and not lose heart. Now back to Job's question. Since times are not hidden from the Almighty, why do those who know him see not his days? Why, if there is a true need, does he not act? The answer is that men ought to pray always and not lose heart, because God will answer his elect, even though he bears long with them. Now, there is another way in which we can see Christ answering Job's question. God's sovereignty is an indisputable biblical fact, but it is a premise that should lead us to right conclusions and proper applications. Job began with the premise of God's sovereignty. Times are not hidden from the Almighty. That is, God knows everything, and he knows the needs of the people who love him and believe in him. But then Job poses an almost skeptical question. Why, then, do those who know him see not his day? Why doesn't he act as we expect him to? Now, bearing that in mind, think about the Sermon on the Mount. When Jesus was talking about our earthly needs, like food and clothing, he also built upon the premise of God's sovereignty. He said, your Heavenly Father knows that you need all of these things. There is the premise of God's sovereignty and his omniscience. As Job might have put it, times are not hidden. in his eyes, or times are not hidden from the Almighty. But what is Christ's conclusion? His conclusion is, therefore, do not worry about these things, but seek first the kingdom of God. You see, the premise of God's sovereignty must be put to good use. It should not lead us to doubtful questions or speculations. It should lead us into the way of greater trust and greater duty toward God. And you can hear this difference when you compare Job 24 and Christ's words in Matthew 6. Job says, God knows the needs of his people. So he asked, why doesn't he act? Christ says, God knows the needs of his people. Therefore, do not worry, but seek first the kingdom of God. God's sovereignty must be put to its right application. It must be a source of trust and not doubt. But we can understand Job's question if we bear in mind how greatly Job suffered. Job's need was obviously great. His suffering was obviously great. And God had not answered him. God had not acted on his behalf. And so because of Job's unrelieved suffering, the premise of God's sovereignty becomes a piece of a puzzle in Job's mind. Since times are not hidden from the Almighty, why do those who know him see not his days? But we do have an answer to that question, an answer that will fortify our faith in times of need. Times are not hidden from the Almighty. Therefore, we ought to pray always, not lose heart, not worry, but seek first the kingdom of God. Now, Job, in much of this chapter, chapter 24, expands upon his question in verse 1. He points out many instances where it seems that those who know him see not his day, instances where needs are not met and justice is not served. In verses 2 through 12, he says that there are many poor and many widows and orphans who are oppressed in this world. And it seems like this goes on without any notice from God. In verses 13 through 17, he talks about murderers and adulterers and how they carry on their sins in this world with impunity. This is the world as Job sees it, and we can pause here for a few observations. First of all, this is a description of Job's world, the ancient world, and there is no less evil in the world then than there is today. Fallen human nature has not changed one bit. Man has not evolved into a more noble, or more moral, or more enlightened creature. Society has changed in many ways, but the sinful passions of mankind have remained absolutely constant. The good old days were not so good, and the gospel of Jesus Christ has always been the only answer to the perennial sinful nature. of mankind. But secondly, notice how specifically the evil of this world is attributed to the acts of evil men. He talks about murderers and adulterers, and he talks about those who oppress the widows and the orphans and so on. It is interesting because the Book of Job is often perceived or represented as a treatise on the so-called problem of evil. or the problem of suffering, as if suffering and evil in this world is some abstract philosophical problem. But according to Job, evil is not some abstraction whose presence in the world needs to be explained. Evil has a very human face. The problem of evil is not some abstraction. The problem of evil is the problem of evil people and their evil deeds. Philosophers and theologians have for centuries debated the question of the problem of evil and the question of the existence of evil in this world, but perhaps they have been asking the wrong question all along. The question is not why some abstraction called evil exists in the world. The question is, why are people so evil? Why are there murderers and adulterers and thieves? And why is there sin in every man's heart? It's not an abstract problem. Job reminds us that the problem of evil is a human problem. But thirdly, notice how it is the sin of the world that occupies Job more than his own terrible suffering. Job had every reason to complain. In fact, he spent much of this book complaining in other ways and in other chapters. And in this chapter, we don't hear that. He's not talking about his own condition or his own suffering. But what truly seems to cut him to the heart in the final analysis is not his own pain, but the sin of the world around him. This illustrates a very fine quotation by Jeremiah Burroughs, in his book entitled The Evil of Evils. It's a book about sin. Burroughs said, the smallest sin is worse than the greatest suffering. The smallest sin is worse than the greatest suffering. And Burroughs is right on that point. Our suffering only has to do with our personal comfort. But sin is an offense to a holy God. And so sin should disturb us much more than suffering. We should be more willing to endure the greatest suffering rather than commit the smallest sin. And this is a point by which we should examine ourselves. We, of course, as creatures of comfort, are very concerned about our prosperity, very concerned to avoid any kind of hardship or discomfort or loss Because in our selfish minds, the greatest evil is our own discomfort. At the same time, we often think so lightly of sin, and we think so lightly of offending a holy God. On this point, we must be convicted by the example of Job. He experienced great suffering more than any of us are likely to experience, but he realized that sin was the greater evil. Now, in verses 18 through 21 of our text, we begin to see where Job is taking his argument. And let's take a moment to read those verses again, 18 through 21. They should be swift on the face of the waters. Their portions should be cursed in the earth so that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards as drought and heat consume the snow water. So the grave consumes those who have sinned. The womb should forget him. The worm should feed sweetly on him. He should be remembered no more, and wickedness should be broken like a tree. For he prays on the barren who do not bear, and does no good for the widow." Now in this version that I've read, the New King James Version, you'll notice the recurrence of the word should. The portion of the wicked should be cursed in the earth. And he should be remembered no more, and wickedness should be broken like a tree. Now, the King James Version and the New International Version and other versions all seem to have a more definite translation. They use the word will. Wickedness will be broken like a tree. There's a more definite translation there, whereas New King James translates it should. Well, the Hebrew verbs in this text are in the imperfect tense, which generally expresses a future action, but can also express the speaker's desire or the speaker's surmise. The bottom line is, the translation on purely grammatical grounds could go either way. You could translate it should or will, but the context will guide us into a proper translation. We have to realize here that Job is talking about earthly judgment here in this world, and that's especially clear in verses such as verse 18. Their portion should be cursed in the earth so that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards and It seems as he progresses through here, he's talking about the lot of the wicked in this world, in this life. Now if he were saying that the wicked are judged like this in this life, then he would seem to be contradicting what he just said earlier in this chapter. And he would seem to be agreeing with his three friends with whom he has been arguing all along in this book. It's not likely that Job is saying the wicked will be judged in this life in these various ways. Besides, in the verses that follow, we will see how Job talks about what God actually does in verses 22 through 24. And it's different from what he says here in verses 18 through 21. And so in these verses, it seems best to retain the should that we find in the New King James translation. In other words, Job is expressing the intuition of a moral man. Evil should be judged in the world. Wickedness should be broken like a tree. Now, his three friends shared the very same intuition, but they turned their intuition into a dogma. they went too far saying that the wicked are and will always be judged in this life. Job has argued with them on this point, but Job still has that moral intuition, that sensitivity to sin, that ethical outrage that says the wicked should be judged in this life, broken like a tree. Now we can identify with what Job says here. When we see some injustice in the world, when we see a lack of justice or some evil go unnoticed or unpunished, or, for example, when we see a murderer go free and beat the rap in the courtroom, we shake our heads and we say, that shouldn't be. Evil like that should be judged. And this is a good perception to have. It's a good perception on Job's part. It's a morally sensitive perception. It is a perspective that shows some measure of sanctity, or at least sensitivity to evil. But all of this must be balanced with a firm assurance that God's justice wisely comes in His own timing, no matter what justice we think there should be on earth. And this is the point of verses 22 through 24. where Job expresses faith in how God has decided to measure out His own justice. Look at verse 22. But God draws the mighty away with His power. And see, there again is another way that we can deduce that what Job is saying beforehand is what he perceives should happen. But here's what God does. But God draws the mighty away with His power. He rises up, but no man is sure of life. He gives them security, and they rely on it. Yet his eyes are on their ways. They are exalted for a little while, then they are gone. They are brought low, they are taken out of the way like all others, and they dry out like the heads of grain." So now we can sort of step back and look at Job's argument in its totality. First of all, he looks at all these instances of evil in the world. When certain people are oppressed, and the poor are naked and hungry, There's no justice for them, murderers and adulterers and so on. He looks at all of that. And then he expresses the same moral outrage that his friends expressed. Yes, the wicked should be broken like a tree or eaten like worms or cursed in all the earth. That's his moral intuition. But then Job concludes by saying, but God decides to be forbearing for a while. to let them, the wicked, be exalted for a while. And then they are gone, taken out of the world, just like everyone else. They meet a quiet, unremarkable end. Now all of this yields an important lesson for us, several, in fact. First of all, we can see how Job's friends allowed their intuitions to dictate their beliefs. They, too, thought the wicked should be judged. And therefore, that was their dogma. I've said it, absolutely, the wicked are judged in this world. That was their position. But Job had similar intuitions, intuitions of justice that are good in themselves. But he didn't turn that intuition into dogma. He came to rest in the objective fact that God chooses a wiser method of measuring out his justice, a method that proceeds in his timing and according to his good pleasure. All of this illustrates how easily our intuitions can dictate our dogma, rather than the objective truths of God's word. But secondly, we should observe that no man can suppose to assume what God should do. God has absolute sovereign freedom to do as he sees fit, when he sees fit. And in regards to justice, we can be assured that God's wisdom far surpasses our own. God is the author of justice, and he is the only one who knows how to properly execute perfect justice. And so, if there is presently a time of forbearance when we don't see God's justice fully coming upon the wicked, we know that we can rightly conclude that this is a necessary part of the plan of true justice. So it becomes almost ridiculous for us to imagine what God should do, what justice there should be in the world. Of course we can long for justice, as Job does in this chapter, but we should also rest confident in the fact that the plan of perfect justice is already in motion. In another respect, if you find yourself longing for justice at last, you should be careful what you wish for. This period of forbearance in this life in which God's justice is in waiting is the only window of opportunity for repentance. Do you really want that window to be closed just yet? You may want it to be closed on the murderer or the adulterer or the thief, but when that window closes, it closes on you as well. Everyone in this room and every man on the street would probably agree that what this world needs is more justice. But if we all got our wish and there was more justice, what would that mean for you? Do you really want more justice, or do you want more repentance and more sanctity first? Finally, Job makes the point that even if he thinks that we should be broken in this life, God chooses to let them live on and pass away quietly. What is left unsaid is what awaits them beyond. Job does not say it, but it is not hard for us to fill in the blanks. The scripture consistently teaches that eternal punishment is what comes after the easy life and the quiet death of the wicked. Everything that Job thought should happen to the wicked in this life, and everything that we might think should happen to the wicked in this life cannot even begin to compare with what actually will happen to them in the next life. Psalm 90 tells us that no one knows the power of God's anger. That is to say, the power of God's anger is beyond comparison, it is beyond description, it is beyond comprehension. Once again, our notions of justice What we think should happen in this world, don't even approach the true and awesome power of God's perfect justice. And Job ends his speech now with the challenge to prove him wrong. In verse 25, if it is not so, who will prove me a liar and make my speech worth nothing? Bildad answers him, not quite to the point, but he answers him nonetheless, and we find his answer in verse 25. Chapter 25 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said, Dominion and fear belong to him who makes peace in his high places. Is there any number to his armies? Upon whom does his light not rise? How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? If even the moon does not shine and the stars are not pure in his sight, how much less man who is a maggot and the son of man who is a worm? We summarize this chapter on your outline. Chapter 25, Bildad does not take up Job's challenge. A short reply in this chapter is off topic, and it is the last that we will hear from Job's three friends. Perhaps they began to tire of their cause, or perhaps they realized that Job was making the better case. In any case, Bildad's parting shot is an oblique accusation that Job thinks too little of God and too much of himself. Whether or not Job suffered from such pride, we can discern two important lessons from Bildad's response. We can never think too highly of God, and we can never think too lowly of ourselves. If the Son of Man is a worm, we can humbly marvel at God's condescension to save us, especially the condescension of Christ, who humbled himself so far as to say, I am a worm and no man. glance, it does not even seem that Bildad is involved in the same conversation as Job. He just makes this short comparison between God and his transcendence, and man and his lowliness, and he seems to drop the whole subject of God's justice in the world. And maybe that's because everything has already been said, or maybe because he felt that Job had argued him into a corner. Whatever the case, Bildad makes a statement contrasting the transcendence and power of God on the one hand and the lowliness and weakness of man on the other hand. And it's a very powerful statement of some very important truths, a statement that calls us to think more highly of God and more lowly of ourselves. We'll revisit those points in just a minute. But first we have to see that Bildad's intentions are not quite as good as his words. He speaks well of God's glory and man's lowliness, but his intention is, of course, to make an underhanded accusation that Job is full of pride and hiding sin. Bildad seems to use good doctrine as a cover for bad intentions, and this tactic is still in use today. Personal agendas can be masked with biblical language, and this is one way in which God's name is used in vain. But verse four is an example of a great question that just falls flat because of the spirit in which it's asked and the intentions of the questioner. The question is, how can a man be righteous before God? Now, that is a great question. It is the question. It is the most important question a man could ever ask. And we can answer it by the gift of saving faith in Christ. His righteousness is imputed to us so that in the eyes of God we may stand in the righteousness of Christ and be saved. That is how a man may appear righteous before God. But Bildad doesn't seem to have any of this in mind. His intention is still to suggest that Job is hiding some sin deep in his heart. Just as an aside, another example of an otherwise good question that falls flat because of the spirit in which it's asked is the rich young ruler that comes to Christ. He comes to the Lord Jesus and he says, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Now, at first glance, it's a good question. He's inquiring after salvation. He's on the right track. He's in the pursuit of the truth. But he called Jesus good without owning him as God. And he assumed that he could do something. in order to earn eternal life. And so what first sounds like a good question is weighed in the balance and found wanting. And so it is with Bildad's question in verse four of our text. Even though by now it is clear that we need to be a bit wary when Job's friends speak, we have also been able to discern many points of truth and many powerful exhortations from the speeches of Eliphaz and Bildad and Zophar. No matter Bildad's intentions, his question is good enough that it deserves an answer. It deserves to be asked again and again, how can a man be righteous before God? The answer, by the gift of faith in Christ, we can trust in his righteousness imputed to us to cover us in the eyes of God. Bildad makes some other good points as well, the first being the sovereignty of God. In verses one through three, Bildad simply extols God's power and his transcendence, and we are reminded of the character of the God that we worship. We cannot be reminded enough about the high and the holy character of God, and Bildad does us that service. He reminds us of the character, the transcendence, and the power of God. When we remember these things, our faith takes on its proper dimensions. We are beckoned out of that small circle of self-concern in which most men live their lives. We are beckoned out of that to think higher thoughts of a holy God, and we may live with the high purpose of serving him, not ourselves. Thinking properly about the high and holy character of God is what orients a man towards his chief end. It is what drives us to grow in our service toward God and to grow in the worship of God and to compel us to glorify Him in all ways and in all things. But you see, this begins by thinking rightly about Him, about His absolute dominion and power and glory and majesty. The character of God must fill our minds, and His absolute holiness must never be far from our thoughts. Bildad prompts us in this direction to think rightly about the glory and majesty of God. Having higher thoughts of God has a necessary correlation in thinking more humbly about ourselves. And Bildad shows how one necessarily follows from the other. In fact, these are the two great things, points that are held in balance in the six verses of Bildad's short speech, the majesty of God and the lowliness of man. And there is a necessary correlation between those two things. If God is so transcendent in his glory and in his holiness, it can only follow that men in their weakness and in their sinfulness are, according to Bildad, like maggots and worms. It's a very vivid metaphor, but the point is simply that we are nothing compared to the high and holy character of God. A maggot is the most contemptible creature, and a worm is the most filthy. And this is what our human nature appears to be in comparison to the Lord, contemptible and filthy. It seems that our society prizes and nurtures self-esteem, but God's Word tells us to think more lowly of ourselves and more highly of God. This is our great need, and this is one exhortation that you must take to heart today from God's Word. You need more God-esteem and less self-esteem. Now, if you are not humbled enough by being compared to a worm, consider this. The difference between a worm and a man is nothing compared to the difference between man and God. In that light, being compared to a worm is almost flattering. But Bildad ends with this comparison of men and worms, but our thoughts on the matter don't need to end there. For one thing, if the distance between God and man is that great, we can certainly marvel at what mercy God has shown by condescending that far to save us and to have fellowship with us. And the condescension of God is no abstract theological idea. Christ took upon himself the lowly human nature in order to be our Savior. The condescension of the Lord is a very concrete thing. He, the transcendent God, took upon himself the weakness and the lowliness of the human nature without its sin. And Christ keenly felt that humility. It is Christ speaking in Psalm 22, speaking of his humility and his condescension when he used the same metaphor that Bildad uses here. He said, I am a worm and no man. It is true. that in comparison to God, we are like worms. But Christ took on that very same lowly nature and humbled himself to be like us, so far as to say, I am a worm and not a man. And because he became like us, the Scripture says that now we may become like him, renewed according to his image, no longer filthy and contemptible, but now new creatures in Christ, being restored to reflect his character in true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. True, we will always be God's creatures, but that filthiness and contemptibleness of the human nature can be transformed by the grace of Christ so that we might bear his image as his creatures. In Job 25, therefore, we may see the Lord Jesus Christ, not only in the humility, but in the exaltation. Because dominion and fear belong to him, as verse 2 says, and there is no number to his armies, as verse 3 says. But for our sakes he also humbled himself, so far as to say, I am a worm and not a man. And so let us be humbled all the more that the Son of God has had such love for us, and let us be more resolved together this day to walk in the calling that he has given. Let us pray. Father, we do thank and praise you for your word, which is truth, and we thank you that this day we have had the blessing and the privilege of hearing your word. But we know, Lord God, that we are not to be hearers of it only, we are to be doers of it. Therefore, we pray that the Holy Spirit would work in our minds and hearts, that your word might adhere to our hearts, and that we might grasp a hold of it, that we might respond to it in faith for your glory. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Psalm 22, selection F, is the praise that we'll now sing. And you'll notice that this is the portion of the psalm in which Christ is speaking, and it's clear that he's relating his experience of humility and rejection. And this is the psalm in which he says, that I am a worm and not a man. And we can truly sing this psalm and own these words, confessing our humility. But it is even more moving, more powerful to realize that these were the words of Christ as he spoke of his own humility for our sakes. Psalm 22 F, let's stand and sing.