Job 42, beginning at verse one. Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that you can do everything and that no purpose of yours can be withheld. You ask, what is this? Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I've uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak. You said, I will question you and you shall answer me. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. Father, we do thank you for the privilege of beholding our God and being able to sing unto you and to pray and to have your word read. And now as you speak to us through your word, we ask that we might have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying through this word to us as a local assembly of our Lord Jesus Christ. Grant it, Father, we ask and pray for Jesus' sake. Amen. Well, in coming to chapter 42, we come to the final words of Job. As we shall see beginning next week in verse 7 to the end of the chapter, we find a historical narrative that closes the book, and we'll probably cover those in a couple weeks. But within verses 1 to 6, we have the actual final words of Job himself. And he basically does two things in these six verses. First, he justifies God, and we're going to see that's in verses 1 and 2, in particular verse 2, and he condemns himself. That's verses 3 to 6. Now, if you recall, this was expressly why Elihu was angry at Job back in chapter 32 and verse 2, and this was also God's primary complaint of Job as well in chapter 40 and verse 8. Job justified himself instead of God. That's how it's put, both by Elihu and God. And thus it's fitting, brethren, in his final statement, to basically right every wrong and to justify God and condemn himself. And then I want to add a third point where I want to suggest some applications, but these are the two main headings. Job justifies God, verses 1 and 2, and condemns himself, verses 3 to 6. Notice first, God justifies, or Job justifies God. Now, the first thing that Job does here is he makes a clear confession about God, and this confession is basically twofold. First, he is powerful, and then secondly, purposeful. Notice he is powerful. I know that you can do everything. That is, God has the power to do as he wills. Now, this doesn't deny there are things that scripture says God cannot do. For example, God cannot lie. God is not able to act contrary to his being. He is not able to act contrary to who he is. He isn't able to act contrary to who he is. By nature, he is God, and thus he's not free or able to act contrary to that. Furthermore, this doesn't deny that God can do things that he's never, it doesn't deny that God can do things that he's never eternally willed or purposed. In other words, God, when Job asserts that God can do everything, He's not denying that he cannot act contrary to his nature, nor is he denying that there are things God could do had he willed to do. But what he is basically confessing is this. God has the ability and the wisdom to do all that he wills to do or that he's purposed to do within creation. In fact, the second half of verse 2, I think, sheds light on precisely what he means. I know that you can do everything, i.e., everything that you've purposed to do. Joseph Carroll said, there is no limit to the power of God except his own will. God will not do everything that he can, but he can do everything that he wills. If God is able to do all that he's purposed, this means he not only has perfect power, but by inference, perfect wisdom and knowledge. In other words, the fact that God is able to do all that he's purposed presupposes additional truths about God. And if you remember, brethren, we distinguish God's attributes for our own benefit. but they are all actually one in God. This means there's no distinction in God between His power, wisdom, and knowledge. They are all God. It's for this reason we can say God is power, God is wisdom, God is knowledge. He isn't merely powerful, wise, or knowing. His power, wisdom, and knowledge aren't parts of Him. They are him and they are him equally so. Remember, God's attributes are merely differing ways for us to view God, and they're not differing things in God. God is one pure and simple or single being. He is neither made of parts or pieces that together comprise him. So when Job here asserts or affirms or confesses that God is all-powerful, that includes of necessity that he's all-wise and all-knowing. We distinguish the attributes of God because the Bible distinguishes them for our benefit. But remember, they are all one in God. God is all-powerful, secondly purposeful, and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. Now, by purpose here is meant God's eternal decree. You know that the Bible uses a variety of terms to describe that decree. It speaks of it as a decree. It speaks of it as His will, as His purpose. These are all basically synonymous. They're describing the same thing. Everything that comes to pass, comes to pass precisely because God willed or purposed them. Everything that comes to pass, comes to pass because God willed or purposed them. God is able, this is what Job is saying, to bring to pass that which he purposed. Is he able to bring to pass, does he have the power to bring to pass that which he hasn't purposed? Yes, we've already said that. But remember what Joseph Carroll said, the only thing that limits God's power is his will. He chose not, he purposed not, he willed not, he decreed not to bring those things to pass. Everything God purpose to happen happens. Maybe we can put it as plain as it. Everything that got purpose to happen happens. Now, let me very quickly say a few things about this purpose of God or this decree of God. One, it's eternal. This means God decreed a purpose from eternity, all things that will come to pass in time. God willed or purposed, He decreed, from everlasting all things that will come to be in time. How do we know what He decreed from everlasting? Well, it comes to pass in time. He purposed creation, the fall and redemption. These were all purposed or planned from eternity. He purposed or planned them from eternity. Now, this doesn't mean those things purposed by God are eternal, because God alone is eternal. Remember, there's only God and not God. One is the Creator, one is the creature, one is eternal, one is temporal. But He purposed them from eternity. Thus, for example, the elect did not have an actual existence from eternity, but they had a purposed existence from eternity. But this distinction between actual existence and purposed existence is a creaturely distinction, and doesn't apply to God. Because for God, those things purposed, we can say, in a qualified sense, have an actual existence, And that's how and why the Bible teaches us that while He purposed to create us and redeem us from everlasting, He loved us from everlasting, even though we had yet no actual existence. Brethren, I didn't have an actual existence until January 15, 1967. That is when what God purposed concerning me was actualized. And then I was redeemed in January of 1994, and that's when he began to love me in a way that I experienced. But his love predates January 1994, and it even predates January of 67. It goes all the way back in the purposes or counsel of God. So we just have to make distinctions, don't we? And thus, this is why God can know His people from eternity and love them even before they have an actual existence, because they had a purposed existence. And for God, that means He can and He did, from eternity past, love His people individually even before they had actual existence. All right? So the first thing about this decree is it's eternal. And I definitely don't want to spend a long time here as I'm doing, unfortunately. And so more quickly, let's move on to secondly, it's comprehensive. By this I mean God's eternal and sovereign decree concerns everything that comes to pass. This includes big things like the death of Jesus, little things like the death of a sparrow. The death of Jesus was a much bigger thing than the death of a sparrow, but both were purposed from eternity. Both were equally purposed from eternity. Big things, little things, good things, bad things. Was the death of Jesus a good or a bad thing? Well, it depends on what perspective you look at it. It was both a bad thing because wicked men killed Him. And God purposed that from everlasting. But it was also a very good thing because in His death we find redemption and God purposed that too. Big things, little things, good things, bad things. Let me just put it as plain as I can. All things. All things that come to pass, come to pass because God, who is infinite in power, purposed them. It's unchangeable, finally. This means everything God purposed from eternity will of necessity come to pass. And I think this is kind of the point of Job's confession here in verse two. I know that you can do everything and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. Who can keep God from bringing into existence that which he purposed from eternity? That's the point. Everything God purposed from eternity will come to pass. Every single detail will, of necessity, be fulfilled. For example, think of a contractor. He's hired to build a house, so he draws up plans and he begins to build. He builds the house according to the plans, so that at the end of the construction, there's harmony between the plans, his purposes, and the house. What he purposed to do, he does. The house looks like the plans. There's agreement between the two. And yet, because the contractor isn't all powerful, wise, and knowing, there's going to be some slight differences. For example, there might be delays due to unseen events. or else materials need switching, or perhaps the owner changes his or her mind. Simply put, the contractor is neither all-powerful, all-wise, and all-knowing, or all-sovereign. He isn't able to fulfill every purpose without fail in detail. So there's this illustration, there's similarity, and then there's differences between God and his purposes. Like the illustration, God has purpose. He's drawn up a plan, if you will, from everlasting, and he will bring it to pass as purposed. But unlike the contractor, God knows everything. He's all wise and he's all powerful. So everything without fail will come to pass just as he purposed. Keep in mind the illustration. Every nail will be put in every place purposed before the foundation of the world. And that's why I've said, brethren, this text, when it speaks of God's power, it presupposes all of his other attributes, and in particular, his wisdom and his knowledge. Now, before I go on and leave this first heading, I have to say something that I want to come back to in the applications. But if I don't say it here in some way, everything that I've said would be incomplete. Everything that I just said is true. But remember, Job isn't here simply writing a treatise, a theological treatise on the power and purposes of God. Everything happening to Job was included in this eternal, single, comprehensive, unchangeable, and secret decree. Put plainly, Job was basically being re-instructed in the nature of God, that is his power, and the ways of God, that is how he brings to pass in time that which he purposed from eternity. In other words, Job is affirming here that I've been reminded Because he already knew this. I've been re-instructed. I've had it underscored to me that God is powerful and he does as he wills. He does as he wills in heaven, on earth and in the sea. In other words, everything that's happening to me. See, he doesn't expressly state that, does he? But my friends, that's necessarily implied. Everything that's happened and is happening to me is included in the everything of verse 2a. Oh, God, I know that you can do everything. And that no purpose of yours will be thwarted. In other words, everything that's happening is happening in fulfillment to your purpose. Brethren, that's large to the point, isn't it? I want to come back to it in our applications and argue that it's really a main point of the book. I know I have many main points of the book, but this makes the short list. Job is here bowing before. He's making practical improvement upon the sovereignty of God. Job condemns himself, verses three to six. Having justified or vindicated God, Job then condemns himself. This is a necessary result or consequence. Now, let me quickly clarify. When I say that Job condemned himself, I don't mean that he was able to actually condemn himself or assign himself into eternal punishment. Because Job was a Christian, his hope lied in the promise of the seed of the woman. Romans 8.1 was just as true for Job as for us. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ. But when I say that Job condemned himself, I mean he judged himself guilty as opposed to innocent. And I want to suggest that this self-condemnation is seen in three related steps. First, he confesses. He spoke without knowledge, verse 3. He sees God more clearly, verses 4 and 5. And he abhors himself, repents in dust and ashes, verse 6. Notice verse 3, he spoke without knowledge. You ask, and then he quotes God, who is this who hides counsel without knowledge? And then he responds, therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, thanks to wonderful for me, which I did not know. Now, we don't know exactly what words specifically Job here refers to, he likely refers to everything that he said before that was unwise and that largely concerned God. Remember, he repeatedly accused God of being unjust and or unfair. If you notice when Mike read the chapter, twice God says that Job spoke rightly about him. But that doesn't mean that everything Job said was right about God. Because he said many things that were wrong. And this is, I think, what he's here confessing. Job is here confessing his ignorance. He confesses that God and his ways are beyond his comprehension. Having spoken of God as infinite in power, wisdom, and knowledge in the previous verse, he now acknowledges that he's finite. Again, this is the necessary consequence of having just affirmed the power of God. He admits that God and his ways are things too wonderful for me, things which I did not know. So he's specifically referring to the nature of God and the sovereignty of God and the mystery work of God in Providence. Thus Job is not saying, by way of clarification, that he had no prior knowledge of these things in any sense. Brethren, he actually affirmed all of those things a number of times throughout his discourses. He affirmed that all power belongs to God. I didn't even bother looking up the verses. A half a dozen times he's already made statements about the power of God. He's already spoken about the providence of God and the sovereignty of God. He's spoken of all these things already. Job has at present a knowledge of that in some sense. He knew already that God was infinite and his ways past finding out. In fact, he expressly stated that again a half a dozen times. Thus I think here he's simply confessing what we'll see a little bit further down in verse 5. That he's come to see afresh that God and His ways are beyond our grasp. He sees God more clearly, verses 4 and 5. Listen please and let me speak. You said I will question you and you shall answer me. He quotes God for the second time. And both of these quotations, by the way, of Job, these quotes of God are found in God's first of two speeches, and in particular, chapter 38, verse 2 and 3. This is from verse 3. Now prepare yourself like a man. I will question you, and you shall answer me. That's how it's put back in chapter 38 and 3. Thus, in verse 5, Job provides his answer. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Here, Job is contrasting two degrees of knowledge. He had heard about God, but now he sees God more clearly. Now again, this doesn't mean, brethren, that prior to this he had no knowledge of God. If you remember, the book starts by affirming that he loved God, feared God, and shunned evil. He knew God and he now knows more about God, or perhaps put another way, while he knew God previously, he now knows God more intimately. He's been afforded a clearer view of God's character. Through his experiences, discussions with his friends and Elihu, but I think especially those two discourses of God, he's come to know him better. I think that's the point, isn't it? Thus, I personally take hearing and seeing as figurative. Perhaps we could summarize it this way. I knew God, but now I really know God. Now, I have to also say that it's possible, and this is the view of Joseph Carroll. While affirming all that I've said, he suggests, by hearing of the ear, Job refers to his previous interactions with God, which would have been just audible. God spoke to him on prior occasions. But now, by seeing of the eye, he refers to what he's witnessed in the tempest. And that's very possible. God has revealed himself to me on prior occasions through visions and dreams. I've heard him, but now I've seen him, that is, in the tempest. But either way, if that's true and it's possible, the basic fundamental principle is this. He's contrasting two degrees or levels of knowledge. And that's important to keep in mind because I'm going to make much of it in a minute. He knew God and now he knows God. Or, he knew God and now he knows God better. And then notice the result, verse 6, he abhors himself. Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. This is again the result of verse 5 in particular. Because I've come to see God more clearly as a result or consequence Two things are now true. I abhor myself and I repent in dust and ashes. And let's go through those quickly in turn. First, I abhor myself. Now, this word rendered abhor literally means to reject something because it's abhorrent or repugnant. It fundamentally means to treat or view something as offensive. to loathe something because it's offensive. What Job thought was offensive or abhorrent was himself. I abhor myself because I view myself abhorrent. To put it plainly, he abhorred himself because he viewed himself as offensive. Or maybe we can reduce it down even to its smallest form. He offended himself. He offended himself. He abhorred himself. And thus he repented in dust and ashes. Now, if you recall, to repent is to change your mind about you and or your actions. It's a change of mind that results in a change of feelings or affections, which results in a change of actions. Job here was sorry or remorseful for what he thought and said about God. This is why he abhors himself. It was common in olden days, as most of you know, to symbolize grief by sitting in dust and ashes, pouring them on your head. So when Job says that he repents in dust and ashes, it can be figurative, but I think it's most likely literal. It basically communicates that we're but dust, a creature taken from the dust and soon to return to the dust. Brethren, Job is basically, again, underscoring the creature-creator distinction. God is powerful. He does as he wills. I'm but dirt. It's what he does. This is the significance behind the imagery of repenting and dust and ashes. And thus we read, for example, in Isaiah 61, verses 1 to 3, that the Messiah would come and proclaim liberty to the captives, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning. I think here it's figurative. But it's the same idea, isn't it? In other words, God saves nobody who doesn't repent. And in part of that, a part of that repentance is repenting in dust and ashes. Not literally, but figuratively. You have to own yourself as a filthy, wretched, wicked creature. This is what Job does. He abhors himself because he's offensive to himself for what he thought and said. And he acknowledges it, and he owns it, and he repents in dust and ashes. He takes his place as a creature before the Creator. Brother, nobody ever goes to heaven without taking their place as a creature before the Creator. Again, think of the text. Jesus comes to what? Give beauty in exchange for ashes. He washes us, He cleanses us, and He makes us, yes, that which He makes us, those who are by nature wretched sinners, He makes us forgiven, cleansed, and accepted sons. I think that's what it means, beauty. He takes off the old garment that's filled with ashes and dirt, and He puts upon us the merits of His Son. Beauty for ashes. And we'll see here in a moment that this too will be true of Job in a sense, because as we'll see next week, Job humbling himself in this text, God is going to lift him up and as it were, give him beauty for ashes. Well, that brings us then in the 15 or so minutes that we have to my third head, and that is three descriptions of a true knowledge of God. three descriptions of a true knowledge of God. I want to close by suggesting three descriptions of a true knowledge of God as found in Job's final words. The theme of knowledge, and in particular true knowledge, is laced throughout these verses. Look back again to verse two. I know that's knowledge. I know that you can do everything. Verse 3, I previously spoke without knowledge or understanding, i.e., I now have knowledge and understanding in part. Verse 5, I now have a better understanding. That's perhaps the best way we can simplify verse 5. Brother, knowledge is laced throughout the passage. And I want to suggest, thus I want to suggest a threefold description of true knowledge. First, description number one. A true knowledge of God trusts God. A true knowledge of God trusts God. Now, admittedly, the word trust isn't found in verse two. It's not found in these six verses. The brotherhood's at the very heart of verse two in particular. But before I come to that, let me give you another testimony of this principle taken from Psalm 9 and 10. Those who know your name will trust you. They will put their trust in your name. Those who know you will trust you. Now I want to say, as I've said before, that while the word trust isn't here found in verse 2, it's essential to verse 2. I know that you can do everything and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. That is, I know that everything that comes to pass has been purposed by you for me from eternity. Again, brother, it goes back to what I said before that Job is in here given a theological lecture. Oh, it's theological, the dense for sure. But he's improving upon it. It's a practical statement. In many ways, I perhaps can even go as far to say this. Verse 2 is at the heart of the entire book of Job. It's really a summation, or a summary, of everything that Job learned. And here it is, let me put the lesson that he learned, as found here in verse 2, in a nutshell. This is what he's learned, 42 chapters in. It's not so much about why, but who. That is, it's not so much about why I suffer, but who purposed it. Brethren, this is the lesson of Job. It's not so much why, but who. If God purposed it, I will submit to it. If God purposed it, I will trust him, even if it makes no sense." Because God doesn't give him all the particulars of everything. I mean, just go back to the four chapters of God's response to Job. What does he do but just pray before him, his sovereignty, his wisdom, his care? He's basically simply telling Job, look, I'm God, you're not. I'm good by nature, you're not. I'm powerful, wise, and benevolent, and all-knowing, and you're not. Trust me. Those who know God trust God, and the more we know God, the more we trust God. These are necessarily related. Do you want to have more trust of God, more faith in God, more confidence toward God? Then know God better. Now, I wish that we had more time for that, but we have to move on. Description two. Our true knowledge of God increases. That is, it deepens as we mature in our Christian lives. Now, there's three things here that I want to somewhat quickly examine about this increase of the knowledge of God. It's need, nature, and means. And we'll go through these somewhat quickly. It's need. And by this I mean it's not only possible, but necessary for Christians to grow in their knowledge of God. Case in point, Job. Perhaps I can put it like this. While every Christian knows God, not every Christian knows God equally. While every Christian knows God, not every Christian knows God equally. God knows us equally, because he knows us perfectly. He cannot know us more or less. But, brethren, we can know him more or less. And I'm putting it like this positively. Where there's real knowledge of God in the heart, where a man is converted, he will increasingly know God more. And there's two texts I can prove it from, and you don't have to turn there, you know both of them, and they're two New Testament texts. The first is 2 Peter 3, 18, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We're to grow in grace and knowledge. In other words, it's possible to grow, it's impossible, excuse me, to grow in grace that is love, holiness, patience, It's impossible to grow in grace without also growing in knowledge. It's true you can grow in a kind of knowledge without growing in grace, but true growth in grace and knowledge are combined. True growth in knowledge increases grace. Remember, I said that to the degree that, you know, God, your trust, God, what trusting God, faith is a grace. Knowledge is the mother. Faith is the child is the grace. A healthy Christian is a growing Christian. A person who is growing both in grace and knowledge. And this, of course, is nowhere truer than in the case of Job. Because, remember, he started out in the first chapter of the book as one who knows God and was holy. He had a lot of grace and a lot of knowledge. At the end of the book, he gets what? More knowledge and more grace. In other words, he came to see God in clear light, the knowledge that he had of God, The knowledge that he had of God previously was small in comparison. That's how he puts it, doesn't he? In other words, he came to see God in a clearer light. The knowledge that he had of God was increased. He was matured for reasons that we'll see in a moment. So that he's better at the end than he was at the beginning. Think of Pastor Barcellas' book, that the end is better than the beginning. That's talking about the fact that what we lost in the first garden, we get more in the last garden. Heaven is better than the paradise Adam lost, but it's also true, brethren, and it's equally true. Christians are better for the storms. They come out on the other side of the valley of the shadow of death, having grown in grace and knowledge. The other text is found in Philippians 3 and 8 through 10. Yet indeed, I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And then he goes on to describe three things that he now longs for. So he's come to know God, in particular Christ, or God in Christ. He views that knowledge as excellent, more important than anything else. But then he goes on to say that there's now, because I know God, three things I want or strive for. And do you know what the first of the three was? You remember? That I may know Him. Brethren, that's the first thing he puts in his list of desires as one who already knows God. If you had but one wish that could come true, what would it be? That I might know him, but you already know him. You just said that that the knowledge of Christ is the most excellent thing you have. He would say true, but I want to know him better. I want to know him more. Secondly, it's nature. Here I want to briefly examine what is meant by growing or increasing in our knowledge of God. Joseph Carroll, who I made reference to earlier, was a congregational Puritan minister in the 17th century. He preached through the book of Job for 24 years. And he had an interesting way to describe the nature of this increased knowledge. This is what he said, and I quote, the increase of knowledge is of two sorts. First, it is a knowledge of more things. And secondly, it is a knowledge of everything more. It's a knowledge of more things, and it's a knowledge of everything more. First, it's a knowledge of more things. That is, we strive to expand our understanding of Scripture, and especially of our triune God. My brethren, I trust you know that God is very vast. There's always new things to learn about God. For example, how do his attributes relate to each other? How do they relate to his essence? How do the persons relate to one another? How do they relate to the single essence? Brethren, those are big questions. And those are questions that we will be learning. Those are issues that we will be learning more and more about for all eternity. If you ever think you've learned all there is to know about the triune God, then, brethren, you're grossly mistaken. It's a very big and vast ocean. Sam Renahan said, we cannot wrap our arms around a tree completely. He's not thinking about a little dinky tree like in the backyard, like our backyard. He's talking about one of those big, massive ones. We cannot wrap our arms around a tree completely, but we can put our hand on the tree and know it sufficiently. So, too, we cannot comprehend God completely, containing Him in our thoughts or words, but we can know Him truly, sufficiently, and let me add one last word that's not in the quotation, increasingly. No man can fully comprehend God and no man shall ever fully comprehend God for all eternity. Remember our confession. None can comprehend God but God. But for all eternity, brother, we're going to be learning new things about God. And you can use all the examples you want. Drinking the ocean a thimble at a time. Relocating all the sand of all the seashores on the planet one grain at a time. They all fall very short. They all miserably fail, brethren, because they're all too small and insignificant in comparison to who God is. Remember the prophecy that foretells the new heavens and the earth. There's coming a day when knowledge shall cover the earth as waters the sea. Now, brethren, I don't know much about the oceans, but I think waters cover the sea basically pretty fully. And that's how knowledge will cover the earth in the new heavens and earth. That means that we're gonna have a perfect knowledge of God that's always expanding and increasing and it will never ever stop. Second, it's a knowledge of everything more. That is, we must strive to deepen our understanding of things already known. And this is really kind of the point here, isn't it, of Job. But it's not so much, though these go together, but it isn't so much learning new things, it's really deepening your understanding of old things. Let me illustrate it this way. When I was first converted, if not the first, one of the first Puritan volumes I bought was Stephen Sharnick's The Existence and Attributes of God. Now actually, it's his first two volumes of his works. But Baker, a few decades before I was converted, took those first two volumes and combined them into one massive volume, a separate single volume. entitled The Existence and Attributes of God. And I read that book, and it basically starts off in the first couple chapters talking about God's existence, and then it goes on about, talks about his attributes, his perfections, speaks of such things as his spirituality, eternality, immutability, omnipresence, knowledge, wisdom, power, holiness, goodness, sovereignty, and patience. Those are the actual chapters. And brother and I learned a lot from that book. In fact, I can weep just holding it because of the memories. But you know what? I took it down yesterday or the day before and reread the section on power in preparation for today. And it's as if I've never read it before. Did I have a knowledge of God's power when I became a Christian and read Sharnik for the first time? Yes. But I read it yesterday or the day before and I have a deeper and greater knowledge of the perfection of power than I had previously. Why? Because we ought to grow in our knowledge of God with respect to things previously known. It's a deep well, brethren, that will never deplete. Again, Carol, Job knew before that God was all powerful and could do all things, but now he knew it more and so much more that the knowledge which he had before might be called ignorance compared with the knowledge which he had now received. There's a sense in which every time, because Sharnak is so deep and so profound, Every time I pick up that volume, it's as if I'm reading it for the first time. And it's as if my prior knowledge was ignorance in comparison to the new. Now obviously we get all of our knowledge of God ultimately from the Bible, but why can I speak of such, why can I speak like this of his volume? Because it's an exposition of the Bible. And he's teaching me in it about God and bless him for it. its means. And here I just want to quickly suggest a few ways in which Job himself grew or increased in his knowledge. We've been walking through the book of Job together, almost all of us, for a while. This is week 42. Remember we broke it up and had some other studies in there, so it's been a couple years, but this is the 42nd sermon. And just ask yourself the question, how did Job increase his knowledge? How can he say, I have heard about you, but now I see you? Well, I suggest two ways. One, and they're also true for us in terms of the means to increase our knowledge. First, our suffering, and second, his revelation. First, our suffering. By this, I mean Job learned about God through his afflictions. His suffering was a classroom within which he learned about God. Think of how David put it in Psalm 119, 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. David, did you not know of God's statutes before you were afflicted? Like, were you totally ignorant of the Decalogue? No, David had a pretty good knowledge of the statutes of God prior to his affliction, but it was in and through his affliction that he came to learn those statutes better. And so too, brethren, isn't it that we learn of God in the school or university of suffering? Secondly, his revelation. And by this, of course, I refer to both what we call general and special revelation. How was it that Job increased his knowledge of God? He beheld his glory as displayed in his works and as displayed in his word. Well, if you think about it, it's rather simple, not easy, The two primary ways in which we increase our knowledge of God is through our suffering and by His revelation of Himself both in creation and in the world. Well, I have to move on because I have a final description that I want to close with. And that is, a true knowledge of God humbles. That is, it reminds us that we're sinful and finite in comparison. You know, oftentimes you hear people distinguish between a head and heart knowledge. And that's fine, I've done it. But the Bible doesn't so much distinguish, in fact, rarely distinguishes between a head and heart knowledge. What it does distinguish though, is between a knowledge that humbles and a knowledge that puffs up. I wish we could just do away with the sharp dichotomy between head and heart. And then instead of saying, well, we need a heart knowledge of God as much as a head knowledge of God, which isn't untrue. But why not say better, and it's more biblical, I need a knowledge of God that humbles me and not puffs me up. Because brother, you can never have too much head knowledge, and you can never have too much heart knowledge, or perhaps better said, right knowledge humbles. Now you can take that and judge your knowledge of God. There's a scripture found in 1 Corinthians 8.1, and it's one of the most misunderstood texts in the Bible. In fact, I was thinking about it this morning. It would be a fitting title of a series of messages. Most misunderstood text in the Bible. First Corinthians 8.1, now concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. Well, there you have it, Pastor Wise. You're telling us to grow in knowledge, but knowledge puffs up. We need more love, not knowledge. You can see how people can distort and frankly put, pervert that text. Well, let's back up in closing and just clear the air. The knowledge that he's talking about is a specific kind of knowledge. Look at the text. Now concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. The controversy was whether or not Christians can or should eat meat offered, once offered, to idols. And Paul speaks of some who have knowledge and some who do not. Knowledge of what? Knowledge of their liberty to eat the meat. Knowledge of their new covenant liberties. In fact, in Romans 14, he speaks of those with knowledge as the strong and those who lack it as the weak. Strong in understanding or knowledge, weak in understanding or knowledge. So his point here is this. We know, most of us know, that we can eat the meat. That's a give me. We have knowledge of that liberty. But the point is, are you willing to forgo it for the edification or the benefit of the weak? That's the specific historical meaning of that text. All right? That's what it means. Now, does it have a principle for us to close on? Yeah. Yeah, here's the principle. True knowledge. Of that particular issue, yes, but broader speaking, true knowledge, true understanding humbles and doesn't puff up. That's the point. You Corinthians, if you had it right now, you have knowledge that you can eat the meat, but you need to have an additional aspect of knowledge that allows you, if necessary, for the good of your brethren to forgo it. Brethren, you can never, ever have too much knowledge of God, never. Because true knowledge of God is always wed with love to God, and always, if it's true knowledge, results in humility. Because stop and think of Job. Here's God and here's me. God is so vast, so powerful, and so transcendent, and I'm so creaturely. So true knowledge, one, trusts God. Two, it increases. And brethren, it humbles. This is the kind of knowledge, I pray, that you and I grow in. that we grow in in leaps and bounds for the good of our souls and the glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Our Father, we do pray that you'd give us this knowledge, this knowledge that results in humility, adoration of you, love for you, love and giving preference to our neighbor. the kind of knowledge that Job had more of for having gone through the school or university of suffering, and improving upon your revelation, both in your works and word. Oh, Father, grant it, we ask. For Jesus' sake, we pray. Amen.