Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications

An Astounding Fact And Realization

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2022-01-17

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver explores the book of Job, focusing on Job's realization that God is absolutely sovereign and has the right to do as He pleases with His creation. He examines the perspectives of Job's three friends—Eliphaz (experience), Bildad (tradition), and Zophar (dogmatism)—who condemned Job as a sinner to protect themselves from the terrifying truth that God can allow suffering even for the righteous. The message emphasizes that God does not owe us explanations, that suffering can be a gift, and that the wicked are often God's sword of correction, calling for genuine repentance.

[John Weaver] Job chapter 16 and verse 11, and keep your fingers limber, because we're going to be turning to a lot of scriptures. But look at Job 16 and verse 11. Job chapter 16 and verse 11, and keep your fingers limber, because we're going to be turning to a lot of scriptures. But look at Job 16 and verse 11. The title of the message is, An Astounding Fact and Realization. An Astounding Fact and realization. Job 16 verse 11, Job says, God had delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over unto the hands of the wicked. Look at it. God has delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

[John Weaver] Facts have a way of distorting and correcting our fantasy views. Realization sometime hits home harder than a baseball bat. Do you remember how stunned you were when you realized one time, or maybe the first time in your life, that you had been conned, lied to, deceived, and defrauded, and even stolen from. In fact, the first thing that would go through your mind was, how could this be happening? How could this be happening to me? How could someone do such a thing? And how could someone do such a thing even to me?

[John Weaver] And all of a sudden you realize that you cannot correct it, you cannot change it. It has happened, and there you are, and your frazzled brain is trying to figure everything out, and there's really nothing left to figure out. Well, when you look through the book of Job and read the book of Job, the book of Job brings you to a sudden realization of certain facts. Let me just mention this. In the book of Job, we discover that God is absolutely, totally, and unequivocally sovereign. We discover that God has the absolute right to test us, try us, and afflict us. We discover the fact that God as the Creator has the absolute right to do with us as He wills.

[John Weaver] He is the potter, and we are the clay. If you would hold Job 16, but look in your Bibles very quickly to Jeremiah 18, and God gives Jeremiah a picture of this exact truth. Jeremiah 18, beginning there with verse 1, and let's read through verse 6. Look at it. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house.

[John Weaver] And there I will cause thee to hear my words. Verse 3, Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. Now watch. So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter, saith the Lord? Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, So are you in my hand, O house of Israel."

[John Weaver] So the truth of the matter is, God may do with us however He wills. He is the potter, and we are the clay, and He can make us according to His will. And oftentimes, God deals with us so that we may see the depths of our heart and the depths of our depravity, He will expose many times our wrong thinking and our wrong ways, and we discover also in the book of Job there is one answer to an age-old question, and that is, why do the righteous suffer? In fact, the book of Job opens with a scene of suffering. In fact, I would say that this suffering is basically unparalleled. If you read in Job 1 in verse 3, you'll find that in one day, Job lost 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 she-asses in one day.

[John Weaver] Not counting that great economic loss. But in the same day, he lost 10 children, 7 sons, and 3 daughters. Moreover, he also lost a number of his faithful servants, on that day. I would just simply imagine that Job was very shocked. Someone is going to say, how could such a catastrophe happen to such a godly man? Because Job was indeed a godly man. In fact, the truth is, he offered sacrifices for his children on a daily basis. Listen to this, Job 1 and verse 5, Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts, thus did Job continually." That is, day by day, he offered sacrifices for his children just in case there was a secret sin. May I point out the fact that Job was no sluggard. Job was no slacker. He was absolutely faithful, and he did this on a daily basis. So Job then was not looking for trouble. He was not expecting trouble. He was not desiring trouble. And yet the truth of the matter is, trouble came in a very unusual way.

[John Weaver] I would just imagine if something like this that happened to Job happened to the regular, ordinary, professing Christian today, the Christian would absolutely fall apart. In fact, he'd probably end up cursing God as Job's wife tried to get him to curse God and die. But if you look very quickly in the book of Job chapter 1, you'll see Job's reaction to all of this. Job chapter 1, beginning there with verse 20, after he had lost all of his possessions, lost his children, lost many of his servants, the Bible says, Then Job arose and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither.

[John Weaver] The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job said not, nor charged God foolishly." That's an astounding statement. In light of everything that happened to him, he did not sin and he did not charge God foolishly. Now, we know today that which Job did not know." We know that there was a controversy and there was a challenge to God by Satan. God knew that Satan had considered Job and desired him just like He desired Peter. In fact, our Lord said to Peter, Peter, Peter, Satan had desired thee that he may sift thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.

[John Weaver] When thou art restored, then you deal with your brethren, you witness to them, you help your brethren. But notice he said, Satan hath desired to have thee, that he may sift thee as wheat.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look in Job 1 verse 9. Here's what happens. Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Doth Job fear God for naught? This is the first challenge. Satan says, Hast thou not made a hedge about him and about his house? all that he hath on every side, and thou had blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." Now look at verse 12. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

[John Weaver] So in this, this is when Of course, he lost the children, lost his cattle, he lost everything. Well, we've already read Job 1, Job did not sin or charge God foolishly. So, obviously now, Satan comes back. And if you look in Job chapter 2, since this first attack did not succeed, there is now a second attack. Job 2 and verse 4, And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, Yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

[John Weaver] But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand, but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smoked Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot into his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal, and he sat down among the ashes. So God now has allowed Job to be attacked, but his life was to be spared. So Job now is covered with boils and sores and putrefying sores. He sits down among the ashes and takes a potsherd to scrape himself, not just from the scabs and probably the itch, but also probably from worms that were basically eating him alive. So Job now is in a very miserable state.

[John Weaver] added to his misery was that which he received from his wife and also from his servants and from his friends as well. So here's the point. You and I know what is going on and we know what is happening because we have the completed Word of God. But Job did not know what was going on. All Job knew was that God was using him for target practice. Look at it in verse 11 again of Job chapter 16. He says this, notice if you would, Job 16 verse 11, God had delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. Now if you will skip over to Job chapter 19, Job chapter 19, and look if you would please at verses 6 through 8. Again, he says this, Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

[John Weaver] Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. I cry aloud, but there is no judgment. He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths." Note he said, know now that God hath overthrown me. And what Job is saying is, I have done nothing that would be considered rebellious and wicked, but yet God has literally cast me down. Now, in light of Job's suffering, there are four friends that visit him. The youngest one, Elihu, does not even speak until you get to Job chapter 32. And the interesting thing, and you heard the old adage with friends like these, who needs enemies? But, When you read through the book of Job, you should be astonished not only at the words, but at the wisdom of Job's three friends. Now listen to me. They said an awful lot of true things and right things to Job. The only problem was what they said did not apply to Job. That doesn't mean that everything they said was wicked and wrong.

[John Weaver] It does mean, though, that they were coming from different perspectives, and they had their own perspective, and therefore, they were trying to tell Job that he was indeed a sinner, that he had sinned against God, that his children had sinned against God, and that God was giving Job his just desserts. There's a reason for this position. There's a reason why they're trying to absolutely prove that Job is a wicked, vile sinner.

[John Weaver] And I'll explain that a little bit later. But here's what I want to show you. You cannot understand the book of Job unless you understand the different perspectives from which his three friends speak. If you look around in Christianity today, if you look around the average church today, You will see many Christians speaking from the same perspectives that these three friends spoke from.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just mention this. Everyone has a perspective. Everyone has a worldview. It may not be a Christian worldview, and it may not be a Christian perspective, but everyone speaks from their own particular perspective. And so did Job's three friends.

[John Weaver] Now the first one, of course, happened to be Eliphaz the Temanite. If you look in your Bibles, first of all, to Job 22, because I'm going to show you how Eliphaz is summing up what he believes and what his friends believe is true concerning Job. In Job chapter 22, beginning there with verse 5, look at what they say. Eliphaz says, Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquities infinite? Now look what he charges him with. For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught, and stripped the naked of their clothing. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

[John Weaver] But as for the mighty man, he had the earth, and the honorable man dwelt in it. Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless, have been broken."

[John Weaver] Now, in other words, Job, you're a wicked, vile man. Your wickedness is great. Your iniquities are infinite. You've defrauded the widow. You've broken the arm of the hungry. You've withheld food from him that was hungry and water from him that was thirsty. In other words, they're coming up with this reality that Job is an awful, wicked, vile sinner.

[John Weaver] Now, what we've got to do is this. We have to look at these three friends and what they say from their own particular perspective. Eliphaz the Temanite was the first one to speak, and he's going to speak from the perspective of experience.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to think about this truth for a moment. Today, the average Christian speaks from this perspective, experience. You will hear individuals say, I know what happened to me. I know what I've been through. I've been through this and I survived it and this is what I learned. Let me tell you what happened to me. So, Eliphaz is always speaking from experience.

[John Weaver] Now, look in Job chapter 4. Let me show you this. Job chapter 4 and let's begin reading there with verse 7. Job 4, look if you would please at verse 7. Eliphaz says, Remember, I pray thee, whoever perish being innocent, or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, this is what I have observed, this is my experience, they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same.

[John Weaver] Now I'm going to come back and quote verse 7 a little bit later before we close. But look at that. Remember he said, I pray thee, whoever perish being innocent." In other words, Job, you cannot possibly be innocent. And where were the righteous cut off? You can't possibly be righteous because this is my experience that God always takes care of the wicked. Now skip down to verse 12. Watch it. Experience.

[John Weaver] Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. Then a spirit passed before my face. The hair of my flesh stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof. The image was before mine eyes.

[John Weaver] There was silence, and I heard a voice saying, Shall a mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?" You see what Eliphaz is doing? This has been my experience, and this is what happened to me. And Job, since I've been through this experience, I'm telling you, you are a wicked, vile sinner. That's all there is to it. You've heard that age-old adage, experience is the best teacher.

[John Weaver] Well, that certainly may be true in one sense of the word, but for someone to take his experience and try to apply it to someone else and demand that they have exactly the same experience is not our standard. Our standard is the Word of God. Our standard is not your experience or my experience or anyone's experience. We have to understand that the Word of God is our soul, ground, soul foundation for faith and practice. Do you understand that in some professing Christian circles. If you do not have a certain experience, you're counted as a lost man or at least a second-rate Christian, because you have not gone through this particular experience. And so experience is oftentimes elevated above the Word of God, which is fatal to truth.

[John Weaver] So anytime you read in the book of Job of Eliphaz speaking, he's always speaking from the perspective of experience. Now the second friend was Bildad the Shuhite. Unlike Eliphaz, Bildad the Shuhite speaks from the perspective of tradition. I'm going to show it to you in just a moment, but listen to me. Tradition is often the mother of error and heresy. The mentality that something must be true because it is old or has stood for ages is contrary to the Scripture. May I remind you that this was the sin and the error of the Pharisees. They wanted to follow their tradition rather than the Word of God. When you read Mark 7 and Matthew 15, our Lord said, with your tradition you make void the Word of God. And so basically they were placing their tradition above the Word of God.

[John Weaver] It's the same thing today with a lot of Christians. They believe what they believe because their parents believed it, or their grandparents believed it, or their great-grandparents believed it. I've had people tell me, well, I'm a Baptist because my parents were Baptist and my grandparents were Baptist. Really? In other words, You're not a Baptist by conviction. You haven't studied the scripture and found out that you believe that the Baptists are closer to the word of God and the principle of God. You're a Baptist because of tradition. Same thing with Presbyterianism. Same thing with any of them. I mean, most of the time we are what we are, not because of our own personal study and conviction, but because that's the way we were raised. That's the way we were taught. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. Tradition, oftentimes, is indeed the mother of heresy and error.

[John Weaver] There's nothing wrong with honoring our ancestors. There's nothing wrong with honoring tradition as long as tradition is scriptural and biblical. But we cannot take something just because it is old, or just because it's always been done like this, and elevate it above the Word of God. We have to refuse such traditions. I'll go ahead and tell you this. To me, it was the funniest thing that I'd read. And I read it a number of years ago about the little girl.

[John Weaver] She was watching her mother cook a roast. And the mother took a knife and cut off the end of the roast and laid it in the pan and then stuck the pan in the oven. And the little girl asked her mother, why did you do that? The mother said, well, I really don't know. But I saw my mother do it, so I started doing it. So let's just go ask granny. So they asked granny, why did you cut off the end of the roast and put it in the pan? And granny said, well, you know, I really don't know. I saw my mother do it. And so let's go ask great granny. She's still alive. And so they wouldn't ask great granny why she cut off the end of the roast. She said, that's simple. My pan was too small for the whole roast. And so you have a tradition going down because of a small pan. That's the way it happens.

[John Weaver] I mean, and people will all the time, a lot of times, honor tradition above the Word of God. Now, let me show you. If you look in Job chapter 8, beginning there with verse 2, you're going to find Bildad the Shuhite. Look if you would, because remember now, he's talking about tradition. We're going to read through verse 10. Job chapter 8 and verse 2. Bildad asks Job, How long wilt thou speak these things? And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice? Now watch, if thy children have sinned against him, and he hath cast them away for their transgression, so he is saying that even Job's children were sinners, if thou wouldst seek unto God, Be times, and make thy supplication to the Almighty. If thou wert pure and upright, surely now He would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

[John Weaver] For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to search of their fathers. For ye are all but of yesterday, and know nothing because our days upon earth are as a shadow. Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?" In other words, look to tradition. You see, tradition is often contrary to fact and reality, as well as contrary to scripture. Whenever you hear people say, but we've always done it like this, or our ancestors have done it like this, or it's been handed down for generations, that's nothing more than tradition. And like I said earlier, there's nothing wrong with tradition as long as it's biblical and scriptural. But if tradition is unbiblical and unscriptural, it is worthless. Unless, of course, you want to just do it out of tradition. Huh?

[John Weaver] So, you have Eliphaz speaking from experience. You have Bildad speaking from tradition. And now the third friend is Zophar the Naamathite. And he is a dogmatist. I want you to turn to Job 11. And I want you to listen very carefully for what I'm about to say. Zophar was a dogmatist. You know what a dogmatist is? He is someone that is so absolutely sure that he is right.

[John Weaver] He will force everything down your throat. So Zophar had truth. He thought he was right. He thought you should not and could not disagree with Zophar. He would not allow you to disagree because he was right. He knows everything. And he's just absolutely right. And whatever subject we're discussing, look in Job 11, beginning there with verse one. Then answered Zophar the Dammathite, and said, Should not the multitude of words be answered? Now, I'm going to read this with an attitude, because I can hear Zophar saying this. Should not the multitude of words be answered?

[John Weaver] And should a man full of talk be justified? Should thy lies make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? For thou said my doctrine is pure and I'm clean in thine eyes But oh that God would speak and open his lips against thee and that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom That they are double to that which is know therefore that God exacted of thee less than thine iniquity serveth Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty into perfection?

[John Weaver] It is high as the heaven. What canst thou do? Deeper than hell. What canst thou know? In other words, here he is. He's saying, man, you're a sinner. You're not getting half of what you deserve. You're wicked. You're vile. You're ungodly.

[John Weaver] Now skip down to verse 11. Here he is again. For he knoweth vain men. He seeth wickedness also, will he not then consider it? For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass is cold. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands toward him, if iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot. Yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and thou shalt not fear." Note if you would, he said, You need to put your iniquity away. You're a sinner.

[John Weaver] That's all there is to it. You are wicked. You are wrong.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. Have you ever known men like Zophar? I have. And a lot of them are pastors and teachers. I mean, you cannot disagree with them. I mean, they are just absolutely right. They believe they have all light and all understanding, and it is impossible to disagree with them and still remain friends. And in fact, if you do not agree with them, they are highly insulted and they are highly offended.

[John Weaver] And if you do not quickly submit to them and to their way of thinking, they're going to cut you off and kick you out. And that's all there is to it. Men like that have no understanding of the doctrine of illumination. They also have no understanding of the doctrine of God's sovereignty. God does not teach every man exactly alike. He does not reveal the same truth to all men at the same time. He doesn't. Look at the truth that Martin Luther came up with.

[John Weaver] Those truths have always been there. Look at the truth that Calvin came up with. Look at the truth that Zwingli came up with. In other words, we've had the Bible the whole time. And yet over the years, I mean, men see things that God has just allowed them to see and understand. Now, here's the point. Eliphaz came from experience, Bildad from tradition, and Zophar is a dogmatist.

[John Weaver] Each one, from his own perspective, ended up condemning Job and telling him that he was a vile, wicked sinner. I want you to look at Job 12. Job came up with a wonderful response to these three friends. In fact, I've used it before in trying to answer some critics, but Job said in verse one, watch. And Job answered and said, no doubt, but you're the people and wisdom shall die with you. You're the ones. You have understanding. And when you're dead and gone, that's it. There'll be no more wisdom. There'll be no more understanding.

[John Weaver] But let me show you. What they were doing was not just simply attacking Job. They were attacking his wisdom and his understanding. Look at verse 3. He says, But I have understanding as well as you. I'm not inferior to you. And who knoweth not such things as these? I'm as one mocked of his neighbor, who calleth upon God, and he answereth them, the just upright man is laughed to scorn." He said, you're just mocking me. You're making fun of me. He said, I'm not inferior to you. But he says, undoubtedly, you're the people and wisdom is going to die with you.

[John Weaver] Do you realize the scribes and the Pharisees in the New Testament took the position of Zophar? They were the dogmatists. Because in John 7 and verse 49, they said this, but this people that knoweth not the law is cursed." In other words, they assumed that they knew the law. They assumed that they had understanding, which they did not. They were the wicked. They were the ones who were unbiblical and unscriptural, but they were the ones that not only followed tradition, but they were the ones who were the dogmatists as well.

[John Weaver] So unhappily, there are multitudes of Christians today that usually speak from one of these three perspectives. They're either experience oriented or tradition oriented or they're just plain out dogmatist.

[John Weaver] Now Elihu was the youngest of the four friends. So he does not get to speak until Job 32. And when he does speak, he begins to set the record straight, not only for Job, but also for these three older friends. So if you will turn very quickly to Job 32, And let's read the first nine verses, Job 32, beginning there with verse 1. So these three men ceased to answer Job because he was righteous in his own eyes.

[John Weaver] In other words, he was protecting himself from their charges. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barakul, the Buzite of the kindred of Ram. Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himself rather than God. Which he did, and God straightens him out. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled. Watch, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Each one condemned him. Now there's a reason, I'm going to point it out before I close, but note if you would, each one had condemned Job. Verse 4, Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled. And Elihu, the son of Barakul, the buzz-eyed, answered and said, I am young, and you are very old.

[John Weaver] Wherefore I was afraid it durst not show you mine opinion. I said, Days should speak, and multitudes of years should teach wisdom. But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding. Great men are not always wise, Neither do the aged understand judgment. Therefore I said, hearken unto me, and I will show thee mine opinion." Now, so notice he said in verse 9, great men are not always wise. Neither do the aged understand judgment.

[John Weaver] So Elihu then immediately condemns the perspectives of Iliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. So he's showing us that experience and tradition and dogmatism are not the best teachers.

[John Weaver] Now, even God condemned these three men. If you would turn over to the book of Job chapter 42. Job 42. And notice if you would please beginning there with verse 7. Job 42 and verse 7. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for him will I accept. lest I deal with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken to me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Namathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them. The Lord also accepted Job, and the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends.

[John Weaver] Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." Now, with this background, Let me say this another way with this introduction. I want you to go back to Job 16 and look at verse 11 again. Job 16 and verse 11. I hope you're beginning to see what is being said. God had delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. Now, I want you to go back to Job 32, just for a moment. I want you to see that Elihu recognizes that it was God that had thrust Job down. Job said, God has delivered me. God had fenced me in. Now in Job 32, beginning there with verse 11, Elihu says, Behold, I waited for your words, I gave ear to your reasons, whilst you searched out what to say. Yea, I tended unto you, and behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words, lest you should say, We have found out wisdom." Here's what he says, God thrusteth him down, not man.

[John Weaver] So Elihu recognized that whatever was happening to Job, it was because of God. You remember back in Job 32, Elihu pointed out the fact that his three friends had not found an answer, but they had condemned Job. I showed you where each one of them said that Job was a filthy, rotten, dirty sinner. He was a wicked, vile man. So let me ask you this question. Why did Job's three friends tried to refute the statement of Job when he said, God has delivered me over into the ungodly and turned me over in the hands of the wicked. Why did they want to refute when he said, God has fenced me in and hedged me up? God is doing this to me.

[John Weaver] Why were they so persistent? and claiming that Job was wicked and vile and wrong. Why were they so intent on saying to Job that he was getting less than he deserved and he better be thankful it was not any worse than it really was? Eliphaz could say the same thing from experience because that's what he did say. Bildad could say the same thing from tradition And so far the dogmatist just simply said you're wicked. You're vile. You're wrong. That's all there is to it You remember that I said I was going to come back to it uh, it was uh It was iliphaz in job 4 and verse 7 who said this remember I pray you Whoever perished being innocent and where were the righteous cut off? In other words, that question was designed to prove to Job that he was an exceedingly vile sinner. Remember, he said, whoever perished being innocent, Job, if you were innocent, you would not be going through this.

[John Weaver] You would not be suffering this. They needed Job to be guilty and vile. They wanted Job to be guilty and vile. Why? Well, here's the answer. If God could deliver an innocent and righteous man to such suffering and deprivation, He could do also the same to them. In other words, they were seeking to protect themselves against God's sovereignty. They did not want for themselves what God had given to Job. So in order to protect themselves, they had to prove that Job was a sinner. I want you to remember Philippians 1 verse 29. Listen carefully. For unto you it is given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake. Now listen, for unto you it is given.

[John Weaver] That is, it's a gift. Not only to believe on him, faith is the gift of God. Not only believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Suffering is the gift of God. Just like God does not give every man the gift of faith, God does not give every man the gift of suffering. But when God gives the gift of suffering, he gives the grace to go along with that as well.

[John Weaver] And so these men did not want in their lives what Job was experiencing. Now, I'm going to repeat again what I said at the beginning of this message. I want you to listen. Here's what I said. The book of Job brings one to a sudden realization of certain facts. We discover that God is absolutely, totally, unequivocally sovereign. We discover that God has the absolute right to test us, try us, afflict us. We discover the fact that God as Creator has the absolute right to do with us as He wills.

[John Weaver] He is the potter and we are the clay. Now Job passed his test with flying colors. He learned that God had the absolute right to do as He pleased with whom he pleased." Job had been crying to have an audience with God. And God finally granted him his request. And if you look in Job chapter 40, beginning there with verse 1, you will find out how Job handled himself when God began speaking to him. Look in Job 40, beginning with verse 1,"...Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? Job, are you going to teach me? He that repudeth God, let him answer it. Then Job answered the Lord and said, Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer thee?

[John Weaver] I will lay my hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer, yea, twice, but I will proceed no further. Job said, I've learned my lesson. I'm not going to criticize God. I am not going to attack him for whatever he does is absolutely right.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to listen carefully because I'm going to say that which no one wishes to say or even wishes to think. Here's the truth of the book of Job. God is God. He is the sovereign Almighty, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Immutable, Eternal God of the universe. He is the Creator, the Provider, the Sustainer of all. He has the absolute right to do with us as He pleases. He is God. He is just. He is holy. He is righteous.

[John Weaver] And whatever He does is ultimately for our good and for His glory. So then, God does as he pleases, whenever he pleases, wherever he pleases, with whomever he pleases and however he pleases. Because God is God, you remember that passage in Psalm 115 in verse three, but our God is in the heavens. He had done whatsoever he had pleased. Do you realize that God is the only one that can do that?

[John Weaver] You and I can't do as we please. We have to do what we have to do. Only God can do as He pleases. What does the Bible say in Revelation 4 and verse 11? Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. Why did God create the world? Because it pleased God to create the world. Why did God create you? Because it pleased God to create you. Why did God allow certain things to happen in your life? Because it pleased God to allow those things to happen.

[John Weaver] I want to show you something else. You may not like it, but here it is. I want you to turn in your Bible to Job 33. Are you listening? Job 33. Listen carefully. God has the absolute right to do with each one of us as He pleases. Moreover, You may not like this, but this is the absolute truth. Job 33 and verse 13 is what Elihu says to Job. Look at it.

[John Weaver] Why does thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters. Are you listening? God does not owe you an explanation. He doesn't have to give you an answer. Now, many times he graciously does give us answers, but he doesn't owe us an answer. He doesn't owe us an explanation. We are accountable to him. He is not accountable to us. He is God. And this is what Job's three friends did not want to realize, that God could just as easily do with them as what he did with Job.

[John Weaver] Now let me try to tie some things together. When you think about the book of Job, there should be a number of things that come to your mind. I remember a statement that I heard Lester Roloff make many, many years ago. I've never forgotten it. He said, in the time of need and distress, think of how many that can come and how few that can comfort. Whether it's a sick bed, whether it's a funeral, whatever it is, you'll always have friends and neighbors coming. How many can come, but how few can really, really comfort. If you look at Job chapter 16, look what Job said to his three friends. Job 16, beginning there with verse 1. Look what he said. Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things.

[John Weaver] Miserable comforters are you all. Shall vain words have an end? Or what in bold of thee that thou answerest? I could also speak as you do, if your soul were in my soul's stead. I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you." What did Job just get out of his mouth? He said, I could say the same thing that you're saying, if I were in your shoes and you were in my shoes.

[John Weaver] We need to understand something. It's easy to criticize when we're not in someone else's shoes. I've heard people say, boy, let me tell you right now, if that happened to me, I'd do such and such. No, you don't know what you would do. You have no earthly idea. Here's something else. We should learn from this, and we should teach, and we should receive teaching of true compassion toward those who are genuinely suffering. And Job was genuinely suffering, and all they were doing were adding misery to his suffering.

[John Weaver] Miserable comforters are you all. Now we should listen carefully. because here's why I'm preaching this message. Job said in Job 16 verse 11, God had delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over to the hands of the wicked. God had indeed delivered Job over to Satan as well as to the harassment of his friends. Thankfully, whenever Satan is involved, He must have God's permission to touch one of his own. You remember at first, he said, does Job serve God for naught? God said, you can take everything he has, but you can't touch his body.

[John Weaver] And when he came back the second time and said, yea, skin for skin, all that a man hath, will he give for his life? God said, you may touch his body, but you cannot take his life. So with every permission, there's always a limitation. Here is an untouched truth. Job understood this. He may not have understood the total and full implications of it, but at least he understood this principle when he said that God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. It is this truth that the wicked are oftentimes God's Sword of punishment for the righteous I Want you to turn in your Bibles first of all to the book of Leviticus chapter 26 then secondly We're going to turn to Deuteronomy 28 But I want you to watch this Leviticus 26 Is a chapter that's dealing with the blessings and the curses and so is Deuteronomy 28 But in Leviticus chapter 26 and verse 25, God says this, if Israel rebelled, if we rebelled, it's the same principle.

[John Weaver] Look in Leviticus 26 verse 25, God said, and I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant. And when you are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you And you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. But notice, if you would, God says, it's my sword. What is his sword being delivered into the hand of the enemy? Look in Deuteronomy chapter 28. And let's begin reading there, verse 45, Deuteronomy 28 and verse 45. We're dealing once again with the curses for failing to obey God. He says, moreover, all these curses shall come upon thee and shall pursue thee and overtake thee till thou be destroyed, because thou hearkenest not unto the voice of the Lord thy God to keep his commandments and his statutes, which he commanded thee. And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder and upon thy seed forever. Now watch carefully. because thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things.

[John Weaver] Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies, which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in one of all things, and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy necks until he have destroyed thee. The Lord shall also bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flyeth, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand, a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor unto the young. And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the root of thy land, until thou be destroyed, which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kind, or flocks of thy sheep, until it be destroyed thee."

[John Weaver] Now, these two passages, should be exceedingly clear. God said, I'm going to bring the enemy upon you. If that's not clear enough, I want you to look in Psalm 17. Psalm 17. I would think that it does not need to be any plainer, but I think Psalm 17 makes it exceedingly plain. Let's begin reading there with verse 8. David is praying, and he says this. Look at it.

[John Weaver] Keep me as the apple of thine eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, from the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies who compass me about. They are enclosed in their own fat, with their mouth they speak proudly. They have now compassed us in our steps, and have set their eyes bowing down to the earth. Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. Now watch. Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down, deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword, from men which are thy hand. That is the wicked are the hand of the Lord. O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasures, they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. But note if he said in verse 13, Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down, deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword.

[John Weaver] Remember that God is immutable. He is unchangeable. The wicked are still his sword. You remember it was the Assyrians that he brought against Israel. It was the Babylonians that he brought against Judah and Jerusalem. He brings the wicked upon a disobedient and rebellious people. You know, it may be time for you and I to begin paying attention as to who is ruling over our land and why. they are ruling over our land. Is God's sword being displayed against us? If God is unsheathed his sword, listen carefully, it will not be sheathed until he finishes the job.

[John Weaver] That's what he said in the book of Isaiah. Sword of the Lord, sword of the Lord. His sword is designed to bring his people to their knees in repentance and faith. I believe that we're probably headed for some real suffering in the future and a not too distant future at that. If God has withdrawn his sword, and obviously it is withdrawn. Because the wicked are ruling and greatness of power.

[John Weaver] And they appear unstoppable, which is not true. They just appear that way. They are stoppable. And as quickly as you and I. Learn to repent. And crying to God. He'll hear us. Everyone can quote Second Chronicles 714. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, then while I hear from heaven. And heal their land, forgive their sins and heal their land. Land will not be healed without repentance. The wicked will not go down without repentance. Job said.

[John Weaver] Now it's turned me over to the ungodly. and He was suffering and suffered greatly. If we want to be delivered, we must demonstrate real, genuine repentance. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to You today. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You for an astounding fact and realization that Thou art God and Thou mayest do whatsoever thou hast pleased, and whatsoever you do please. We pray, Father, that you will turn us, and we will be turned quick in this, O Lord, and we shall call upon thy name. Grant us repentance and grant us faith, but help us, Lord, to never, never criticize thee or condemn thee Because, Lord, Thou art not accountable to us, we are accountable unto Thee. Give us grace, I pray, that we may serve Thee acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

[John Weaver] so so

An Astounding Fact And Realization

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	7RuguDNL7Nk
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-01-17
Dictation Name
Book	Book 141: Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications — Chapter 21
Source Timed Segments	79

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Shock of Realization

Weaver opens with Job 16:11 and compares the shock of Job's suffering to the feeling of being conned, highlighting how facts correct our fantasies.

Job chapter 16 and verse 11, and keep your fingers limber, because we're going to be turning to a lot of scriptures. But look at Job 16 and verse 11. The title of the message is, "An Astounding Fact and Realization." Job 16 verse 11, Job says,

Scripture Reading — Job 16:11

"God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over unto the hands of the wicked."

Look at it.

Scripture Reading — Job 16:11

"God has delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked."

Facts have a way of distorting and correcting our fantasy views. Realization sometimes hits home harder than a baseball bat. Do you remember how stunned you were when you realized one time, or maybe the first time in your life, that you had been conned, lied to, deceived, and defrauded, and even stolen from? In fact, the first thing that would go through your mind was, "How could this be happening? How could this be happening to me? How could someone do such a thing? And how could someone do such a thing even to me?"

God's Absolute Sovereignty in Job

The book of Job reveals God's total sovereignty, His right to test and afflict, and His role as the potter with us as clay, as illustrated in Jeremiah 18.

And all of a sudden you realize that you cannot correct it, you cannot change it. It has happened, and there you are, and your frazzled brain is trying to figure everything out, and there's really nothing left to figure out. Well, when you look through the book of Job and read the book of Job, the book of Job brings you to a sudden realization of certain facts. Let me just mention this. In the book of Job, we discover that God is absolutely, totally, and unequivocally sovereign. We discover that God has the absolute right to test us, try us, and afflict us. We discover the fact that God as the Creator has the absolute right to do with us as He wills.

He is the potter, and we are the clay. If you would hold Job 16, but look in your Bibles very quickly to Jeremiah 18, and God gives Jeremiah a picture of this exact truth. Jeremiah 18, beginning there with verse 1, and let's read through verse 6. Look at it.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 18:1-6

"The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house." "And there I will cause thee to hear my words."

Verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 18:1-6

"Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter."

Now watch.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 18:1-6

"So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter, saith the Lord? Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."

So the truth of the matter is, God may do with us however He wills. He is the potter, and we are the clay, and He can make us according to His will. And oftentimes, God deals with us so that we may see the depths of our heart and the depths of our depravity. He will expose many times our wrong thinking and our wrong ways, and we discover also in the book of Job there is one answer to an age-old question, and that is, why do the righteous suffer? In fact, the book of Job opens with a scene of suffering. In fact, I would say that this suffering is basically unparalleled. If you read in Job 1 in verse 3, you'll find that in one day, Job lost 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 she-asses in one day.

Job's Unparalleled Suffering and Righteous Response

Job lost his wealth, children, and health in one day, yet he worshipped God and did not sin, demonstrating his godly character.

Scripture Reading — Job 1:3

Not counting that great economic loss. But in the same day, he lost 10 children, 7 sons, and 3 daughters. Moreover, he also lost a number of his faithful servants on that day. I would just simply imagine that Job was very shocked. Someone is going to say, "How could such a catastrophe happen to such a godly man?" Because Job was indeed a godly man. In fact, the truth is, he offered sacrifices for his children on a daily basis. Listen to this, Job 1 and verse 5, "Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts, thus did Job continually." That is, day by day, he offered sacrifices for his children just in case there was a secret sin. May I point out the fact that Job was no sluggard. Job was no slacker. He was absolutely faithful, and he did this on a daily basis. So Job then was not looking for trouble. He was not expecting trouble. He was not desiring trouble. And yet the truth of the matter is, trouble came in a very unusual way.

Scripture Reading — Job 1:5

I would just imagine if something like this that happened to Job happened to the regular, ordinary, professing Christian today, the Christian would absolutely fall apart. In fact, he'd probably end up cursing God as Job's wife tried to get him to curse God and die. But if you look very quickly in the book of Job chapter 1, you'll see Job's reaction to all of this. Job chapter 1, beginning there with verse 20, after he had lost all of his possessions, lost his children, lost many of his servants, the Bible says, "Then Job arose and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither." "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." That's an astounding statement. In light of everything that happened to him, he did not sin and he did not charge God foolishly. Now, we know today that which Job did not know. We know that there was a controversy and there was a challenge to God by Satan. God knew that Satan had considered Job and desired him just like He desired Peter. In fact, our Lord said to Peter, "Peter, Peter, Satan hath desired thee that he may sift thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not."

The Heavenly Controversy and Satan's Challenges

Weaver explains the unseen drama where Satan challenges Job's integrity, and God permits the attacks within set limits, showing divine permission and limitation.

"When thou art restored, then you deal with your brethren, you witness to them, you help your brethren." But notice he said, "Satan hath desired to have thee, that he may sift thee as wheat." Now, I want you to look in Job 1 verse 9. Here's what happens.

Scripture Reading — Job 1:9-12

"Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Doth Job fear God for naught?"

This is the first challenge. Satan says,

Scripture Reading — Job 1:9-12

"Hast thou not made a hedge about him and about his house, and all that he hath on every side, and thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face."

Now look at verse 12.

Scripture Reading — Job 1:9-12

"And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."

So in this, this is when, of course, he lost the children, lost his cattle, he lost everything. Well, we've already read Job 1, Job did not sin or charge God foolishly. So, obviously now, Satan comes back. And if you look in Job chapter 2, since this first attack did not succeed, there is now a second attack. Job 2 and verse 4,

Scripture Reading — Job 2:4-8

"And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life." "But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand, but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal, and he sat down among the ashes."

So God now has allowed Job to be attacked, but his life was to be spared. So Job now is covered with boils and sores and putrefying sores. He sits down among the ashes and takes a potsherd to scrape himself, not just from the scabs and probably the itch, but also probably from worms that were basically eating him alive. So Job now is in a very miserable state.

Job's Perspective: God as the Source of His Affliction

Job acknowledges that God has delivered him to the ungodly and overthrown him, seeing God as the ultimate cause of his suffering.

Added to his misery was that which he received from his wife and also from his servants and from his friends as well. So here's the point. You and I know what is going on and we know what is happening because we have the completed Word of God. But Job did not know what was going on. All Job knew was that God was using him for target practice. Look at it in verse 11 again of Job chapter 16. He says this, notice if you would, Job 16 verse 11, "God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked." Now if you will skip over to Job chapter 19, Job chapter 19, and look if you would please at verses 6 through 8. Again, he says this, "Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net."

"Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. I cry aloud, but there is no judgment. He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths." Note he said, "Know now that God hath overthrown me." And what Job is saying is, "I have done nothing that would be considered rebellious and wicked, but yet God has literally cast me down." Now, in light of Job's suffering, there are four friends that visit him. The youngest one, Elihu, does not even speak until you get to Job chapter 32. And the interesting thing, and you heard the old adage, "With friends like these, who needs enemies?" But when you read through the book of Job, you should be astonished not only at the words, but at the wisdom of Job's three friends. Now listen to me. They said an awful lot of true things and right things to Job. The only problem was what they said did not apply to Job. That doesn't mean that everything they said was wicked and wrong.

The Three Friends and Their Faulty Perspectives

Weaver analyzes Eliphaz (experience), Bildad (tradition), and Zophar (dogmatism), showing how each condemned Job from their own limited viewpoint.

It does mean, though, that they were coming from different perspectives, and they had their own perspective, and therefore, they were trying to tell Job that he was indeed a sinner, that he had sinned against God, that his children had sinned against God, and that God was giving Job his just desserts. There's a reason for this position. There's a reason why they're trying to absolutely prove that Job is a wicked, vile sinner. And I'll explain that a little bit later. But here's what I want to show you. You cannot understand the book of Job unless you understand the different perspectives from which his three friends speak. If you look around in Christianity today, if you look around the average church today, you will see many Christians speaking from the same perspectives that these three friends spoke from.

Now, let me just mention this. Everyone has a perspective. Everyone has a worldview. It may not be a Christian worldview, and it may not be a Christian perspective, but everyone speaks from their own particular perspective. And so did Job's three friends.

Now the first one, of course, happened to be Eliphaz the Temanite. If you look in your Bibles, first of all, to Job 22, because I'm going to show you how Eliphaz is summing up what he believes and what his friends believe is true concerning Job. In Job chapter 22, beginning there with verse 5, look at what they say. Eliphaz says,

Scripture Reading — Job 22:5-9

"Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquities infinite?"

Now look what he charges him with.

Scripture Reading — Job 22:5-9

"For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught, and stripped the naked of their clothing. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry." "But as for the mighty man, he had the earth, and the honorable man dwelt in it. Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken."

Now, in other words, "Job, you're a wicked, vile man. Your wickedness is great. Your iniquities are infinite. You've defrauded the widow. You've broken the arm of the hungry. You've withheld food from him that was hungry and water from him that was thirsty." In other words, they're coming up with this reality that Job is an awful, wicked, vile sinner.

Now, what we've got to do is this. We have to look at these three friends and what they say from their own particular perspective. Eliphaz the Temanite was the first one to speak, and he's going to speak from the perspective of experience. Now, I want you to think about this truth for a moment. Today, the average Christian speaks from this perspective, experience. You will hear individuals say, "I know what happened to me. I know what I've been through. I've been through this and I survived it and this is what I learned. Let me tell you what happened to me." So, Eliphaz is always speaking from experience.

Now, look in Job chapter 4. Let me show you this. Job chapter 4 and let's begin reading there with verse 7. Job 4, look if you would please at verse 7. Eliphaz says,

Scripture Reading — Job 4:7-8

"Remember, I pray thee, whoever perished being innocent, or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, this is what I have observed, this is my experience, they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same."

Now I'm going to come back and quote verse 7 a little bit later before we close. But look at that. Remember he said, "I pray thee, whoever perished being innocent." In other words, "Job, you cannot possibly be innocent. And where were the righteous cut off? You can't possibly be righteous because this is my experience that God always takes care of the wicked." Now skip down to verse 12. Watch it. Experience.

"Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. Then a spirit passed before my face. The hair of my flesh stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof. The image was before mine eyes." "There was silence, and I heard a voice saying, Shall a mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?" You see what Eliphaz is doing? "This has been my experience, and this is what happened to me. And Job, since I've been through this experience, I'm telling you, you are a wicked, vile sinner. That's all there is to it." You've heard that age-old adage, "Experience is the best teacher."

Well, that certainly may be true in one sense of the word, but for someone to take his experience and try to apply it to someone else and demand that they have exactly the same experience is not our standard. Our standard is the Word of God. Our standard is not your experience or my experience or anyone's experience. We have to understand that the Word of God is our sole ground, sole foundation for faith and practice. Do you understand that in some professing Christian circles, if you do not have a certain experience, you're counted as a lost man or at least a second-rate Christian, because you have not gone through this particular experience. And so experience is oftentimes elevated above the Word of God, which is fatal to truth.

So anytime you read in the book of Job of Eliphaz speaking, he's always speaking from the perspective of experience. Now the second friend was Bildad the Shuhite. Unlike Eliphaz, Bildad the Shuhite speaks from the perspective of tradition. I'm going to show it to you in just a moment, but listen to me. Tradition is often the mother of error and heresy. The mentality that something must be true because it is old or has stood for ages is contrary to the Scripture. May I remind you that this was the sin and the error of the Pharisees. They wanted to follow their tradition rather than the Word of God. When you read Mark 7 and Matthew 15, our Lord said, "With your tradition you make void the Word of God." And so basically they were placing their tradition above the Word of God.

It's the same thing today with a lot of Christians. They believe what they believe because their parents believed it, or their grandparents believed it, or their great-grandparents believed it. I've had people tell me, "Well, I'm a Baptist because my parents were Baptist and my grandparents were Baptist." Really? In other words, you're not a Baptist by conviction. You haven't studied the scripture and found out that you believe that the Baptists are closer to the word of God and the principle of God. You're a Baptist because of tradition. Same thing with Presbyterianism. Same thing with any of them. I mean, most of the time we are what we are, not because of our own personal study and conviction, but because that's the way we were raised. That's the way we were taught. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. Tradition, oftentimes, is indeed the mother of heresy and error.

There's nothing wrong with honoring our ancestors. There's nothing wrong with honoring tradition as long as tradition is scriptural and biblical. But we cannot take something just because it is old, or just because it's always been done like this, and elevate it above the Word of God. We have to refuse such traditions. I'll go ahead and tell you this. To me, it was the funniest thing that I'd read. And I read it a number of years ago about the little girl.

She was watching her mother cook a roast. And the mother took a knife and cut off the end of the roast and laid it in the pan and then stuck the pan in the oven. And the little girl asked her mother, "Why did you do that?" The mother said, "Well, I really don't know. But I saw my mother do it, so I started doing it. So let's just go ask granny." So they asked granny, "Why did you cut off the end of the roast and put it in the pan?" And granny said, "Well, you know, I really don't know. I saw my mother do it. And so let's go ask great granny. She's still alive." And so they went and asked great granny why she cut off the end of the roast. She said, "That's simple. My pan was too small for the whole roast." And so you have a tradition going down because of a small pan. That's the way it happens.

I mean, and people will all the time, a lot of times, honor tradition above the Word of God. Now, let me show you. If you look in Job chapter 8, beginning there with verse 2, you're going to find Bildad the Shuhite. Look if you would, because remember now, he's talking about tradition. We're going to read through verse 10. Job chapter 8 and verse 2. Bildad asks Job,

Scripture Reading — Job 8:2-10

"How long wilt thou speak these things? And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?"

Now watch,

Scripture Reading — Job 8:2-10

"If thy children have sinned against him, and he hath cast them away for their transgression,"

so he is saying that even Job's children were sinners,

Scripture Reading — Job 8:2-10

"if thou wouldst seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty. If thou wert pure and upright, surely now He would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase."

"For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to search of their fathers. For ye are all but of yesterday, and know nothing because our days upon earth are as a shadow. Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?" In other words, look to tradition. You see, tradition is often contrary to fact and reality, as well as contrary to scripture. Whenever you hear people say, "But we've always done it like this," or "Our ancestors have done it like this," or "It's been handed down for generations," that's nothing more than tradition. And like I said earlier, there's nothing wrong with tradition as long as it's biblical and scriptural. But if tradition is unbiblical and unscriptural, it is worthless. Unless, of course, you want to just do it out of tradition. Huh?

So, you have Eliphaz speaking from experience. You have Bildad speaking from tradition. And now the third friend is Zophar the Naamathite. And he is a dogmatist. I want you to turn to Job 11. And I want you to listen very carefully for what I'm about to say. Zophar was a dogmatist. You know what a dogmatist is? He is someone that is so absolutely sure that he is right.

He will force everything down your throat. So Zophar had truth. He thought he was right. He thought you should not and could not disagree with Zophar. He would not allow you to disagree because he was right. He knows everything. And he's just absolutely right. And whatever subject we're discussing, look in Job 11, beginning there with verse one.

Scripture Reading — Job 11:1-6

"Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, Should not the multitude of words be answered?"

Now, I'm going to read this with an attitude, because I can hear Zophar saying this.

Scripture Reading — Job 11:1-6

"Should not the multitude of words be answered?"

"And should a man full of talk be justified? Should thy lies make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? For thou said, My doctrine is pure and I'm clean in thine eyes. But oh that God would speak and open his lips against thee; and that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is known! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth. Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?"

"It is high as the heaven. What canst thou do? Deeper than hell. What canst thou know?" In other words, here he is. He's saying, "Man, you're a sinner. You're not getting half of what you deserve. You're wicked. You're vile. You're ungodly."

Now skip down to verse 11. Here he is again. "For he knoweth vain men. He seeth wickedness also, will he not then consider it? For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands toward him; if iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot. Yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and thou shalt not fear." Note if you would, he said, "You need to put your iniquity away. You're a sinner."

"That's all there is to it. You are wicked. You are wrong." Now, let me ask you a question. Have you ever known men like Zophar? I have. And a lot of them are pastors and teachers. I mean, you cannot disagree with them. I mean, they are just absolutely right. They believe they have all light and all understanding, and it is impossible to disagree with them and still remain friends. And in fact, if you do not agree with them, they are highly insulted and they are highly offended.

And if you do not quickly submit to them and to their way of thinking, they're going to cut you off and kick you out. And that's all there is to it. Men like that have no understanding of the doctrine of illumination. They also have no understanding of the doctrine of God's sovereignty. God does not teach every man exactly alike. He does not reveal the same truth to all men at the same time. He doesn't. Look at the truth that Martin Luther came up with.

Elihu's Correction and God's Condemnation of the Friends

Elihu rebukes both Job and his friends, and God later condemns the three friends for not speaking rightly, requiring Job's intercession.

Those truths have always been there. Look at the truth that Calvin came up with. Look at the truth that Zwingli came up with. In other words, we've had the Bible the whole time. And yet over the years, I mean, men see things that God has just allowed them to see and understand. Now, here's the point. Eliphaz came from experience, Bildad from tradition, and Zophar is a dogmatist.

Each one, from his own perspective, ended up condemning Job and telling him that he was a vile, wicked sinner. I want you to look at Job 12. Job came up with a wonderful response to these three friends. In fact, I've used it before in trying to answer some critics, but Job said in verse one, watch.

Scripture Reading — Job 12:1-4

"And Job answered and said, No doubt, but ye are the people and wisdom shall die with you."

You're the ones. You have understanding. And when you're dead and gone, that's it. There'll be no more wisdom. There'll be no more understanding. But let me show you. What they were doing was not just simply attacking Job. They were attacking his wisdom and his understanding. Look at verse 3. He says,

Scripture Reading — Job 12:1-4

"But I have understanding as well as you. I'm not inferior to you. And who knoweth not such things as these? I am as one mocked of his neighbor, who calleth upon God, and he answereth them: the just upright man is laughed to scorn."

He said, "You're just mocking me. You're making fun of me." He said,

Scripture Reading — Job 12:1-4

"I'm not inferior to you."

But he says,

Scripture Reading — Job 12:1-4

"Undoubtedly, you're the people and wisdom is going to die with you."

Do you realize the scribes and the Pharisees in the New Testament took the position of Zophar? They were the dogmatists. Because in John 7 and verse 49, they said this, "But this people that knoweth not the law is cursed." In other words, they assumed that they knew the law. They assumed that they had understanding, which they did not. They were the wicked. They were the ones who were unbiblical and unscriptural, but they were the ones that not only followed tradition, but they were the ones who were the dogmatists as well.

So unhappily, there are multitudes of Christians today that usually speak from one of these three perspectives. They're either experience oriented or tradition oriented or they're just plain out dogmatist. Now Elihu was the youngest of the four friends. So he does not get to speak until Job 32. And when he does speak, he begins to set the record straight, not only for Job, but also for these three older friends. So if you will turn very quickly to Job 32, and let's read the first nine verses, Job 32, beginning there with verse 1. "So these three men ceased to answer Job because he was righteous in his own eyes."

In other words, he was protecting himself from their charges.

Scripture Reading — Job 32:1-9

"Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram. Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himself rather than God."

Which he did, and God straightens him out.

Scripture Reading — Job 32:1-9

"Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled."

Watch,

Scripture Reading — Job 32:1-9

"because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job."

Each one condemned him. Now there's a reason, I'm going to point it out before I close, but note if you would, each one had condemned Job. Verse 4,

Scripture Reading — Job 32:1-9

"Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled. And Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, answered and said, I am young, and you are very old."

"Wherefore I was afraid, and durst not show you mine opinion. I said, Days should speak, and multitudes of years should teach wisdom. But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding. Great men are not always wise, neither do the aged understand judgment. Therefore I said, Hearken unto me, and I will show thee mine opinion." Now, so notice he said in verse 9, "Great men are not always wise. Neither do the aged understand judgment."

So Elihu then immediately condemns the perspectives of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. So he's showing us that experience and tradition and dogmatism are not the best teachers. Now, even God condemned these three men. If you would turn over to the book of Job chapter 42. Job 42. And notice if you would please beginning there with verse 7. Job 42 and verse 7. "And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them. The Lord also accepted Job, and the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends."

Scripture Reading — Job 42:7-10

"Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before."

Now, with this background, let me say this another way with this introduction. I want you to go back to Job 16 and look at verse 11 again. Job 16 and verse 11. I hope you're beginning to see what is being said. "God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked." Now, I want you to go back to Job 32, just for a moment. I want you to see that Elihu recognizes that it was God that had thrust Job down. Job said, "God has delivered me. God had fenced me in." Now in Job 32, beginning there with verse 11, Elihu says, "Behold, I waited for your words, I gave ear to your reasons, whilst you searched out what to say. Yea, I attended unto you, and behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words, lest you should say, We have found out wisdom." Here's what he says, "God thrusteth him down, not man."

Why the Friends Needed Job to Be Guilty

The friends insisted Job was a sinner to protect themselves from the terrifying truth that God could allow such suffering for the innocent, revealing their fear of God's sovereignty.

So Elihu recognized that whatever was happening to Job, it was because of God. You remember back in Job 32, Elihu pointed out the fact that his three friends had not found an answer, but they had condemned Job. I showed you where each one of them said that Job was a filthy, rotten, dirty sinner. He was a wicked, vile man. So let me ask you this question. Why did Job's three friends try to refute the statement of Job when he said, "God has delivered me over into the ungodly and turned me over in the hands of the wicked"? Why did they want to refute when he said, "God has fenced me in and hedged me up. God is doing this to me"?

Why were they so persistent in claiming that Job was wicked and vile and wrong? Why were they so intent on saying to Job that he was getting less than he deserved and he better be thankful it was not any worse than it really was? Eliphaz could say the same thing from experience because that's what he did say. Bildad could say the same thing from tradition. And Zophar the dogmatist just simply said, "You're wicked. You're vile. You're wrong. That's all there is to it." You remember that I said I was going to come back to it. It was Eliphaz in Job 4 and verse 7 who said this, "Remember, I pray you, whoever perished being innocent and where were the righteous cut off?" In other words, that question was designed to prove to Job that he was an exceedingly vile sinner. Remember, he said, "Whoever perished being innocent? Job, if you were innocent, you would not be going through this."

You would not be suffering this. They needed Job to be guilty and vile. They wanted Job to be guilty and vile. Why? Well, here's the answer. If God could deliver an innocent and righteous man to such suffering and deprivation, He could do also the same to them. In other words, they were seeking to protect themselves against God's sovereignty. They did not want for themselves what God had given to Job. So in order to protect themselves, they had to prove that Job was a sinner. I want you to remember Philippians 1 verse 29. Listen carefully. "For unto you it is given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Now listen, "For unto you it is given."

That is, it's a gift. Not only to believe on him, faith is the gift of God. Not only believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Suffering is the gift of God. Just like God does not give every man the gift of faith, God does not give every man the gift of suffering. But when God gives the gift of suffering, he gives the grace to go along with that as well. And so these men did not want in their lives what Job was experiencing. Now, I'm going to repeat again what I said at the beginning of this message. I want you to listen. Here's what I said. The book of Job brings one to a sudden realization of certain facts. We discover that God is absolutely, totally, unequivocally sovereign. We discover that God has the absolute right to test us, try us, afflict us. We discover the fact that God as Creator has the absolute right to do with us as He wills.

Job's Submission and the Lesson of God's Unaccountability

When God speaks, Job humbles himself, learning that God does not owe explanations; He does as He pleases for His glory and our good.

He is the potter and we are the clay. Now Job passed his test with flying colors. He learned that God had the absolute right to do as He pleased with whom he pleased. Job had been crying to have an audience with God. And God finally granted him his request. And if you look in Job chapter 40, beginning there with verse 1, you will find out how Job handled himself when God began speaking to him. Look in Job 40, beginning with verse 1, "Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? Job, are you going to teach me? He that reproveth God, let him answer it. Then Job answered the Lord and said, Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer thee?"

"I will lay my hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer, yea, twice, but I will proceed no further." Job said, "I've learned my lesson. I'm not going to criticize God. I am not going to attack him for whatever he does is absolutely right."

Now, I want you to listen carefully because I'm going to say that which no one wishes to say or even wishes to think. Here's the truth of the book of Job. God is God. He is the sovereign Almighty, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Immutable, Eternal God of the universe. He is the Creator, the Provider, the Sustainer of all. He has the absolute right to do with us as He pleases. He is God. He is just. He is holy. He is righteous.

And whatever He does is ultimately for our good and for His glory. So then, God does as he pleases, whenever he pleases, wherever he pleases, with whomever he pleases and however he pleases. Because God is God, you remember that passage in Psalm 115 in verse three,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 115:3

"But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."

Do you realize that God is the only one that can do that? You and I can't do as we please. We have to do what we have to do. Only God can do as He pleases. What does the Bible say in Revelation 4 and verse 11? "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." Why did God create the world? Because it pleased God to create the world. Why did God create you? Because it pleased God to create you. Why did God allow certain things to happen in your life? Because it pleased God to allow those things to happen.

I want to show you something else. You may not like it, but here it is. I want you to turn in your Bible to Job 33. Are you listening? Job 33. Listen carefully. God has the absolute right to do with each one of us as He pleases. Moreover, you may not like this, but this is the absolute truth. Job 33 and verse 13 is what Elihu says to Job. Look at it.

"Why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters." Are you listening? God does not owe you an explanation. He doesn't have to give you an answer. Now, many times he graciously does give us answers, but he doesn't owe us an answer. He doesn't owe us an explanation. We are accountable to him. He is not accountable to us. He is God. And this is what Job's three friends did not want to realize, that God could just as easily do with them as what he did with Job.

The Wicked as God's Sword and the Call to Repentance

Weaver uses Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28, and Psalm 17 to show that the wicked are God's sword of correction, urging repentance for deliverance.

Now let me try to tie some things together. When you think about the book of Job, there should be a number of things that come to your mind. I remember a statement that I heard Lester Roloff make many, many years ago. I've never forgotten it. He said, "In the time of need and distress, think of how many that can come and how few that can comfort." Whether it's a sick bed, whether it's a funeral, whatever it is, you'll always have friends and neighbors coming. How many can come, but how few can really, really comfort. If you look at Job chapter 16, look what Job said to his three friends. Job 16, beginning there with verse 1. Look what he said. "Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things."

"Miserable comforters are you all. Shall vain words have an end? Or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? I could also speak as you do, if your soul were in my soul's stead. I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you." What did Job just get out of his mouth? He said, "I could say the same thing that you're saying, if I were in your shoes and you were in my shoes." We need to understand something. It's easy to criticize when we're not in someone else's shoes. I've heard people say, "Boy, let me tell you right now, if that happened to me, I'd do such and such." No, you don't know what you would do. You have no earthly idea. Here's something else. We should learn from this, and we should teach, and we should receive teaching of true compassion toward those who are genuinely suffering. And Job was genuinely suffering, and all they were doing were adding misery to his suffering.

"Miserable comforters are you all." Now we should listen carefully, because here's why I'm preaching this message. Job said in Job 16 verse 11, "God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over to the hands of the wicked." God had indeed delivered Job over to Satan as well as to the harassment of his friends. Thankfully, whenever Satan is involved, he must have God's permission to touch one of his own. You remember at first, he said, "Does Job serve God for naught?" God said, "You can take everything he has, but you can't touch his body." And when he came back the second time and said, "Yea, skin for skin, all that a man hath, will he give for his life?" God said, "You may touch his body, but you cannot take his life." So with every permission, there's always a limitation. Here is an untouched truth. Job understood this. He may not have understood the total and full implications of it, but at least he understood this principle when he said that "God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked." It is this truth that the wicked are oftentimes God's sword of punishment for the righteous. I want you to turn in your Bibles first of all to the book of Leviticus chapter 26, then secondly we're going to turn to Deuteronomy 28. But I want you to watch this. Leviticus 26 is a chapter that's dealing with the blessings and the curses and so is Deuteronomy 28. But in Leviticus chapter 26 and verse 25, God says this, if Israel rebelled, if we rebelled, it's the same principle.

Look in Leviticus 26 verse 25, God said, "And I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant. And when you are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy." But notice, if you would, God says, "It's my sword." What is his sword? Being delivered into the hand of the enemy. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 28. And let's begin reading there, verse 45, Deuteronomy 28 and verse 45. We're dealing once again with the curses for failing to obey God. He says, "Moreover, all these curses shall come upon thee and shall pursue thee and overtake thee till thou be destroyed, because thou hearkenest not unto the voice of the Lord thy God to keep his commandments and his statutes, which he commanded thee. And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder and upon thy seed forever." Now watch carefully. "Because thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things."

"Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies, which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things, and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy necks until he have destroyed thee. The Lord shall also bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flyeth, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand, a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor unto the young. And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed, which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee."

Now, these two passages should be exceedingly clear. God said, "I'm going to bring the enemy upon you." If that's not clear enough, I want you to look in Psalm 17. Psalm 17. I would think that it does not need to be any plainer, but I think Psalm 17 makes it exceedingly plain. Let's begin reading there with verse 8. David is praying, and he says this. Look at it.

"Keep me as the apple of thine eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, from the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies who compass me about. They are enclosed in their own fat, with their mouth they speak proudly. They have now compassed us in our steps, and have set their eyes bowing down to the earth. Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places." Now watch. "Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down, deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword, from men which are thy hand." That is, the wicked are the hand of the Lord. "O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasures, they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes." But note if he said in verse 13, "Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down, deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword."

Remember that God is immutable. He is unchangeable. The wicked are still his sword. You remember it was the Assyrians that he brought against Israel. It was the Babylonians that he brought against Judah and Jerusalem. He brings the wicked upon a disobedient and rebellious people. You know, it may be time for you and I to begin paying attention as to who is ruling over our land and why they are ruling over our land. Is God's sword being displayed against us? If God has unsheathed his sword, listen carefully, it will not be sheathed until he finishes the job.

That's what he said in the book of Isaiah. "Sword of the Lord, sword of the Lord." His sword is designed to bring his people to their knees in repentance and faith. I believe that we're probably headed for some real suffering in the future and a not too distant future at that. If God has withdrawn his sword, and obviously it is withdrawn, because the wicked are ruling in greatness of power. And they appear unstoppable, which is not true. They just appear that way. They are stoppable. And as quickly as you and I learn to repent and cry unto God, He'll hear us. Everyone can quote 2 Chronicles 7:14. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, then will I hear from heaven and heal their land, forgive their sins and heal their land." Land will not be healed without repentance. The wicked will not go down without repentance. Job said.

"Now it's turned me over to the ungodly," and he was suffering and suffered greatly. If we want to be delivered, we must demonstrate real, genuine repentance. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to You today. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You for an astounding fact and realization that Thou art God and Thou mayest do whatsoever thou hast pleased, and whatsoever you do please. We pray, Father, that you will turn us, and we will be turned quick in this, O Lord, and we shall call upon thy name. Grant us repentance and grant us faith, but help us, Lord, to never, never criticize thee or condemn thee. Because, Lord, Thou art not accountable to us, we are accountable unto Thee. Give us grace, I pray, that we may serve Thee acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

God's Absolute Sovereignty

Summary: God has the absolute right to do as He pleases with His creation, including testing and afflicting the righteous, without owing any explanation.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'We discover that God is absolutely, totally, and unequivocally sovereign... He is the potter, and we are the clay.'

The Danger of Faulty Perspectives

Summary: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar represent the flawed perspectives of experience, tradition, and dogmatism, which lead to misjudging others and resisting God's truth.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'Eliphaz the Temanite was the first one to speak, and he's going to speak from the perspective of experience... Bildad the Shuhite speaks from the perspective of tradition... Zophar was a dogmatist.'

Suffering as a Divine Gift

Summary: Suffering is presented as a gift from God, given along with grace, and not all believers receive it, but it serves God's purposes.

Evidence: Weaver cites Philippians 1:29, 'For unto you it is given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake... Suffering is the gift of God.'

The Wicked as Instruments of God's Judgment

Summary: God uses the wicked as His sword to bring correction and judgment upon His people, as seen in Scripture and potentially in modern times.

Evidence: Weaver references Psalm 17:13, 'deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword,' and applies it to current events.

The Necessity of Repentance

Summary: Genuine repentance is required for deliverance from suffering and judgment, as God's sword will not be sheathed until His people humble themselves.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If God has unsheathed his sword... it will not be sheathed until he finishes the job... Land will not be healed without repentance.'

Key Arguments

God's sovereignty means He can afflict the righteous without explanation.

Summary: Job's suffering was not due to his sin but to God's sovereign will, and God does not owe us an account of His actions.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'God does not owe you an explanation... He is God. And this is what Job's three friends did not want to realize.'

Experience, tradition, and dogmatism are unreliable guides to truth.

Summary: Job's friends relied on these perspectives and wrongly condemned him, showing that such approaches can lead to error and a lack of compassion.

Evidence: Weaver notes, 'Experience is oftentimes elevated above the Word of God, which is fatal to truth... Tradition is often the mother of error and heresy.'

The friends condemned Job to protect their own theological comfort.

Summary: They needed Job to be guilty because if God could allow an innocent man to suffer, He could do the same to them, which they found unacceptable.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'If God could deliver an innocent and righteous man to such suffering and deprivation, He could do also the same to them.'

Suffering is a gift that not all believers receive.

Summary: Philippians 1:29 teaches that suffering for Christ is a gift, and God gives grace to endure it, but it is not universal.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Suffering is the gift of God. Just like God does not give every man the gift of faith, God does not give every man the gift of suffering.'

The wicked are God's sword for correction, calling for repentance.

Summary: Scripture shows that God uses wicked nations and people to discipline His own, and only repentance will bring deliverance.

Evidence: Weaver cites Psalm 17:13 and says, 'If God has unsheathed his sword... it will not be sheathed until he finishes the job.'

Scripture References

Job 16:11

Context: Job declares that God has delivered him to the ungodly, which is the central verse of the message.

Jeremiah 18:1-6

Context: Illustrates God as the potter and humans as clay, emphasizing His sovereign right to shape us as He wills.

Job 1:3

Context: Describes Job's immense wealth and the catastrophic loss he suffered in one day.

Job 1:5

Context: Shows Job's daily sacrifices for his children, highlighting his godliness and faithfulness.

Job 1:20-22

Context: Job's response of worship and blessing God after losing everything, without sinning.

Job 1:9-12

Context: Satan's first challenge and God's permission to take all Job has but not touch his body.

Job 2:4-8

Context: Satan's second challenge and God's permission to afflict Job's body but spare his life.

Job 19:6-8

Context: Job acknowledges that God has overthrown him and fenced him in, reinforcing his view of God's direct involvement.

Job 22:5-9

Context: Eliphaz accuses Job of great wickedness, listing specific sins, as part of his experience-based condemnation.

Job 4:7-8

Context: Eliphaz argues from experience that the innocent do not perish, implying Job must be guilty.

Job 4:12-17

Context: Eliphaz recounts a visionary experience to bolster his argument, showing his reliance on personal experience.

Job 8:2-10

Context: Bildad appeals to tradition, urging Job to inquire of former ages and the fathers' wisdom.

Job 11:1-6

Context: Zophar dogmatically asserts Job's guilt and that he deserves worse, showing his rigid certainty.

Job 12:1-4

Context: Job sarcastically rebukes his friends, saying wisdom will die with them, and asserts his own understanding.

Job 32:1-9

Context: Elihu's anger is kindled against Job and his friends; he speaks because the older men failed to answer Job.

Job 42:7-10

Context: God condemns Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar for not speaking rightly, and commands them to offer sacrifices through Job.

Job 40:1-5

Context: Job humbles himself before God, putting his hand on his mouth and refusing to answer further.

Psalm 115:3

Context: Affirms that God does whatever He pleases, underscoring His sovereignty.

Revelation 4:11

Context: Declares that all things were created for God's pleasure, reinforcing His sovereign purpose.

Job 33:13

Context: Elihu states that God gives no account of His matters, emphasizing His unaccountability.

Historical References

Lester Roloff

Context: Weaver quotes Roloff: 'In the time of need and distress, think of how many that can come and how few that can comfort.'

Martin Luther

Context: Mentioned as an example of a man to whom God revealed truths that were always in Scripture but not previously understood.

John Calvin

Context: Listed alongside Luther and Zwingli as a figure who recovered biblical truths over time.

Ulrich Zwingli

Context: Mentioned with Luther and Calvin as a reformer who brought to light scriptural truths.

Assyrians

Context: Referenced as the nation God brought against Israel as an instrument of judgment.

Babylonians

Context: Mentioned as the nation God used to judge Judah and Jerusalem.

Important Quotes

God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over unto the hands of the wicked.

Significance: This is the central verse of the message, expressing Job's realization that God is the ultimate source of his suffering.

Facts have a way of distorting and correcting our fantasy views.

Significance: Introduces the theme that reality, especially about God's sovereignty, can shatter our comfortable assumptions.

He is the potter, and we are the clay.

Significance: Summarizes the biblical metaphor for God's absolute authority over His creation.

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Significance: Job's righteous response to catastrophic loss, demonstrating faith in God's sovereignty.

No doubt, but ye are the people and wisdom shall die with you.

Significance: Job's sarcastic rebuke of his friends' arrogance, highlighting their flawed perspectives.

Miserable comforters are you all.

Significance: Job's direct condemnation of his friends' failure to provide true compassion.

For he giveth not account of any of his matters.

Significance: Elihu's key statement that God does not owe explanations, a central lesson of the book.

deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword

Significance: Scriptural proof that God uses the wicked as instruments of His judgment.

Discussion Questions

How does the truth that God is absolutely sovereign and does as He pleases challenge or comfort you in your current circumstances?

Context: Weaver emphasizes God's sovereignty throughout, especially in Job's suffering and the potter/clay metaphor.

In what ways might you be relying on experience, tradition, or dogmatism rather than Scripture when evaluating suffering or giving counsel?

Context: The three friends represent these perspectives, and Weaver warns against elevating them above God's Word.

Why do you think Job's friends were so determined to prove Job was a sinner? How does that reflect our own fears about God's sovereignty?

Context: Weaver explains they needed Job guilty to protect themselves from the idea that God could allow innocent suffering.

How should the concept of suffering as a 'gift' from God (Philippians 1:29) change our response to trials?

Context: Weaver presents suffering as a gift that not all receive, accompanied by grace.

What does it practically mean that God does not owe us an explanation for our suffering? How can we cultivate Job's humility?

Context: Job 33:13 and Job's response in chapter 40 show submission to God's unaccountability.

In what ways might God be using 'the wicked' as His sword in our nation or personal lives today? What is the appropriate response?

Context: Weaver applies Psalm 17:13 and the covenant curses to contemporary times, calling for repentance.

Applications

Submit to God's sovereignty without demanding explanations.

Summary: Recognize that God has the right to do as He pleases with us, and we must trust Him even when we don't understand our suffering.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'God does not owe you an explanation... We are accountable to him. He is not accountable to us.'

Evaluate your counsel and beliefs against Scripture, not experience or tradition.

Summary: Avoid the errors of Job's friends by ensuring that your perspective is grounded in God's Word rather than personal experience, tradition, or dogmatic certainty.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'Experience is oftentimes elevated above the Word of God, which is fatal to truth... Tradition is often the mother of error and heresy.'

Offer genuine compassion to those who suffer.

Summary: Instead of being 'miserable comforters' like Job's friends, we should provide true comfort and avoid adding to the misery of the afflicted.

Evidence: Weaver notes Job's words, 'Miserable comforters are you all,' and emphasizes the need for true compassion.

Embrace suffering as a potential gift from God.

Summary: View trials as something God may give for His purposes, and rely on His grace to endure them, rather than assuming suffering always indicates sin.

Evidence: Weaver cites Philippians 1:29, 'For unto you it is given... to suffer for his sake,' and says suffering is a gift.

Respond to national or personal judgment with repentance.

Summary: If God is using the wicked as His sword, the proper response is humility, prayer, and genuine repentance, as 2 Chronicles 7:14 instructs.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Land will not be healed without repentance. The wicked will not go down without repentance.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:57:26Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:40:16Z

Clean Transcript

An Astounding Fact And Realization

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Job chapter 16 and verse 11, and keep your fingers limber, because we're going to be turning to a lot of scriptures. But look at Job 16 and verse 11. The title of the message is, "An Astounding Fact and Realization." Job 16 verse 11, Job says, "God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over unto the hands of the wicked." Look at it. "God has delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked."
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Facts have a way of distorting and correcting our fantasy views. Realization sometimes hits home harder than a baseball bat. Do you remember how stunned you were when you realized one time, or maybe the first time in your life, that you had been conned, lied to, deceived, and defrauded, and even stolen from? In fact, the first thing that would go through your mind was, "How could this be happening? How could this be happening to me? How could someone do such a thing? And how could someone do such a thing even to me?"
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And all of a sudden you realize that you cannot correct it, you cannot change it. It has happened, and there you are, and your frazzled brain is trying to figure everything out, and there's really nothing left to figure out. Well, when you look through the book of Job and read the book of Job, the book of Job brings you to a sudden realization of certain facts. Let me just mention this. In the book of Job, we discover that God is absolutely, totally, and unequivocally sovereign. We discover that God has the absolute right to test us, try us, and afflict us. We discover the fact that God as the Creator has the absolute right to do with us as He wills.
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He is the potter, and we are the clay. If you would hold Job 16, but look in your Bibles very quickly to Jeremiah 18, and God gives Jeremiah a picture of this exact truth. Jeremiah 18, beginning there with verse 1, and let's read through verse 6. Look at it. "The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house."
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"And there I will cause thee to hear my words." Verse 3, "Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." Now watch. "So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter, saith the Lord? Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."
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So the truth of the matter is, God may do with us however He wills. He is the potter, and we are the clay, and He can make us according to His will. And oftentimes, God deals with us so that we may see the depths of our heart and the depths of our depravity. He will expose many times our wrong thinking and our wrong ways, and we discover also in the book of Job there is one answer to an age-old question, and that is, why do the righteous suffer? In fact, the book of Job opens with a scene of suffering. In fact, I would say that this suffering is basically unparalleled. If you read in Job 1 in verse 3, you'll find that in one day, Job lost 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 she-asses in one day.
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Not counting that great economic loss. But in the same day, he lost 10 children, 7 sons, and 3 daughters. Moreover, he also lost a number of his faithful servants on that day. I would just simply imagine that Job was very shocked. Someone is going to say, "How could such a catastrophe happen to such a godly man?" Because Job was indeed a godly man. In fact, the truth is, he offered sacrifices for his children on a daily basis. Listen to this, Job 1 and verse 5, "Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts, thus did Job continually." That is, day by day, he offered sacrifices for his children just in case there was a secret sin. May I point out the fact that Job was no sluggard. Job was no slacker. He was absolutely faithful, and he did this on a daily basis. So Job then was not looking for trouble. He was not expecting trouble. He was not desiring trouble. And yet the truth of the matter is, trouble came in a very unusual way.
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I would just imagine if something like this that happened to Job happened to the regular, ordinary, professing Christian today, the Christian would absolutely fall apart. In fact, he'd probably end up cursing God as Job's wife tried to get him to curse God and die. But if you look very quickly in the book of Job chapter 1, you'll see Job's reaction to all of this. Job chapter 1, beginning there with verse 20, after he had lost all of his possessions, lost his children, lost many of his servants, the Bible says, "Then Job arose and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither."
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"The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." That's an astounding statement. In light of everything that happened to him, he did not sin and he did not charge God foolishly. Now, we know today that which Job did not know. We know that there was a controversy and there was a challenge to God by Satan. God knew that Satan had considered Job and desired him just like He desired Peter. In fact, our Lord said to Peter, "Peter, Peter, Satan hath desired thee that he may sift thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not."
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"When thou art restored, then you deal with your brethren, you witness to them, you help your brethren." But notice he said, "Satan hath desired to have thee, that he may sift thee as wheat."
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Now, I want you to look in Job 1 verse 9. Here's what happens. "Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Doth Job fear God for naught?" This is the first challenge. Satan says, "Hast thou not made a hedge about him and about his house, and all that he hath on every side, and thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." Now look at verse 12. "And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."
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So in this, this is when, of course, he lost the children, lost his cattle, he lost everything. Well, we've already read Job 1, Job did not sin or charge God foolishly. So, obviously now, Satan comes back. And if you look in Job chapter 2, since this first attack did not succeed, there is now a second attack. Job 2 and verse 4, "And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life."
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"But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand, but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal, and he sat down among the ashes." So God now has allowed Job to be attacked, but his life was to be spared. So Job now is covered with boils and sores and putrefying sores. He sits down among the ashes and takes a potsherd to scrape himself, not just from the scabs and probably the itch, but also probably from worms that were basically eating him alive. So Job now is in a very miserable state.
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Added to his misery was that which he received from his wife and also from his servants and from his friends as well. So here's the point. You and I know what is going on and we know what is happening because we have the completed Word of God. But Job did not know what was going on. All Job knew was that God was using him for target practice. Look at it in verse 11 again of Job chapter 16. He says this, notice if you would, Job 16 verse 11, "God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked." Now if you will skip over to Job chapter 19, Job chapter 19, and look if you would please at verses 6 through 8. Again, he says this, "Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net."
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"Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. I cry aloud, but there is no judgment. He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths." Note he said, "Know now that God hath overthrown me." And what Job is saying is, "I have done nothing that would be considered rebellious and wicked, but yet God has literally cast me down." Now, in light of Job's suffering, there are four friends that visit him. The youngest one, Elihu, does not even speak until you get to Job chapter 32. And the interesting thing, and you heard the old adage, "With friends like these, who needs enemies?" But when you read through the book of Job, you should be astonished not only at the words, but at the wisdom of Job's three friends. Now listen to me. They said an awful lot of true things and right things to Job. The only problem was what they said did not apply to Job. That doesn't mean that everything they said was wicked and wrong.
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It does mean, though, that they were coming from different perspectives, and they had their own perspective, and therefore, they were trying to tell Job that he was indeed a sinner, that he had sinned against God, that his children had sinned against God, and that God was giving Job his just desserts. There's a reason for this position. There's a reason why they're trying to absolutely prove that Job is a wicked, vile sinner.
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And I'll explain that a little bit later. But here's what I want to show you. You cannot understand the book of Job unless you understand the different perspectives from which his three friends speak. If you look around in Christianity today, if you look around the average church today, you will see many Christians speaking from the same perspectives that these three friends spoke from.
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Now, let me just mention this. Everyone has a perspective. Everyone has a worldview. It may not be a Christian worldview, and it may not be a Christian perspective, but everyone speaks from their own particular perspective. And so did Job's three friends.
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Now the first one, of course, happened to be Eliphaz the Temanite. If you look in your Bibles, first of all, to Job 22, because I'm going to show you how Eliphaz is summing up what he believes and what his friends believe is true concerning Job. In Job chapter 22, beginning there with verse 5, look at what they say. Eliphaz says, "Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquities infinite?" Now look what he charges him with. "For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught, and stripped the naked of their clothing. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry."
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"But as for the mighty man, he had the earth, and the honorable man dwelt in it. Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken."
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Now, in other words, "Job, you're a wicked, vile man. Your wickedness is great. Your iniquities are infinite. You've defrauded the widow. You've broken the arm of the hungry. You've withheld food from him that was hungry and water from him that was thirsty." In other words, they're coming up with this reality that Job is an awful, wicked, vile sinner.
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Now, what we've got to do is this. We have to look at these three friends and what they say from their own particular perspective. Eliphaz the Temanite was the first one to speak, and he's going to speak from the perspective of experience.
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Now, I want you to think about this truth for a moment. Today, the average Christian speaks from this perspective, experience. You will hear individuals say, "I know what happened to me. I know what I've been through. I've been through this and I survived it and this is what I learned. Let me tell you what happened to me." So, Eliphaz is always speaking from experience.
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Now, look in Job chapter 4. Let me show you this. Job chapter 4 and let's begin reading there with verse 7. Job 4, look if you would please at verse 7. Eliphaz says, "Remember, I pray thee, whoever perished being innocent, or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, this is what I have observed, this is my experience, they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same."
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Now I'm going to come back and quote verse 7 a little bit later before we close. But look at that. Remember he said, "I pray thee, whoever perished being innocent." In other words, "Job, you cannot possibly be innocent. And where were the righteous cut off? You can't possibly be righteous because this is my experience that God always takes care of the wicked." Now skip down to verse 12. Watch it. Experience.
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"Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. Then a spirit passed before my face. The hair of my flesh stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof. The image was before mine eyes."
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"There was silence, and I heard a voice saying, Shall a mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?" You see what Eliphaz is doing? "This has been my experience, and this is what happened to me. And Job, since I've been through this experience, I'm telling you, you are a wicked, vile sinner. That's all there is to it." You've heard that age-old adage, "Experience is the best teacher."
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Well, that certainly may be true in one sense of the word, but for someone to take his experience and try to apply it to someone else and demand that they have exactly the same experience is not our standard. Our standard is the Word of God. Our standard is not your experience or my experience or anyone's experience. We have to understand that the Word of God is our sole ground, sole foundation for faith and practice. Do you understand that in some professing Christian circles, if you do not have a certain experience, you're counted as a lost man or at least a second-rate Christian, because you have not gone through this particular experience. And so experience is oftentimes elevated above the Word of God, which is fatal to truth.
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So anytime you read in the book of Job of Eliphaz speaking, he's always speaking from the perspective of experience. Now the second friend was Bildad the Shuhite. Unlike Eliphaz, Bildad the Shuhite speaks from the perspective of tradition. I'm going to show it to you in just a moment, but listen to me. Tradition is often the mother of error and heresy. The mentality that something must be true because it is old or has stood for ages is contrary to the Scripture. May I remind you that this was the sin and the error of the Pharisees. They wanted to follow their tradition rather than the Word of God. When you read Mark 7 and Matthew 15, our Lord said, "With your tradition you make void the Word of God." And so basically they were placing their tradition above the Word of God.
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It's the same thing today with a lot of Christians. They believe what they believe because their parents believed it, or their grandparents believed it, or their great-grandparents believed it. I've had people tell me, "Well, I'm a Baptist because my parents were Baptist and my grandparents were Baptist." Really? In other words, you're not a Baptist by conviction. You haven't studied the scripture and found out that you believe that the Baptists are closer to the word of God and the principle of God. You're a Baptist because of tradition. Same thing with Presbyterianism. Same thing with any of them. I mean, most of the time we are what we are, not because of our own personal study and conviction, but because that's the way we were raised. That's the way we were taught. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. Tradition, oftentimes, is indeed the mother of heresy and error.
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There's nothing wrong with honoring our ancestors. There's nothing wrong with honoring tradition as long as tradition is scriptural and biblical. But we cannot take something just because it is old, or just because it's always been done like this, and elevate it above the Word of God. We have to refuse such traditions. I'll go ahead and tell you this. To me, it was the funniest thing that I'd read. And I read it a number of years ago about the little girl.
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She was watching her mother cook a roast. And the mother took a knife and cut off the end of the roast and laid it in the pan and then stuck the pan in the oven. And the little girl asked her mother, "Why did you do that?" The mother said, "Well, I really don't know. But I saw my mother do it, so I started doing it. So let's just go ask granny." So they asked granny, "Why did you cut off the end of the roast and put it in the pan?" And granny said, "Well, you know, I really don't know. I saw my mother do it. And so let's go ask great granny. She's still alive." And so they went and asked great granny why she cut off the end of the roast. She said, "That's simple. My pan was too small for the whole roast." And so you have a tradition going down because of a small pan. That's the way it happens.
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I mean, and people will all the time, a lot of times, honor tradition above the Word of God. Now, let me show you. If you look in Job chapter 8, beginning there with verse 2, you're going to find Bildad the Shuhite. Look if you would, because remember now, he's talking about tradition. We're going to read through verse 10. Job chapter 8 and verse 2. Bildad asks Job, "How long wilt thou speak these things? And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?" Now watch, "If thy children have sinned against him, and he hath cast them away for their transgression," so he is saying that even Job's children were sinners, "if thou wouldst seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty. If thou wert pure and upright, surely now He would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase."
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"For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to search of their fathers. For ye are all but of yesterday, and know nothing because our days upon earth are as a shadow. Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?" In other words, look to tradition. You see, tradition is often contrary to fact and reality, as well as contrary to scripture. Whenever you hear people say, "But we've always done it like this," or "Our ancestors have done it like this," or "It's been handed down for generations," that's nothing more than tradition. And like I said earlier, there's nothing wrong with tradition as long as it's biblical and scriptural. But if tradition is unbiblical and unscriptural, it is worthless. Unless, of course, you want to just do it out of tradition. Huh?
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So, you have Eliphaz speaking from experience. You have Bildad speaking from tradition. And now the third friend is Zophar the Naamathite. And he is a dogmatist. I want you to turn to Job 11. And I want you to listen very carefully for what I'm about to say. Zophar was a dogmatist. You know what a dogmatist is? He is someone that is so absolutely sure that he is right.
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He will force everything down your throat. So Zophar had truth. He thought he was right. He thought you should not and could not disagree with Zophar. He would not allow you to disagree because he was right. He knows everything. And he's just absolutely right. And whatever subject we're discussing, look in Job 11, beginning there with verse one. "Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, Should not the multitude of words be answered?" Now, I'm going to read this with an attitude, because I can hear Zophar saying this. "Should not the multitude of words be answered?"
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"And should a man full of talk be justified? Should thy lies make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? For thou said, My doctrine is pure and I'm clean in thine eyes. But oh that God would speak and open his lips against thee; and that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is known! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth. Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?"
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"It is high as the heaven. What canst thou do? Deeper than hell. What canst thou know?" In other words, here he is. He's saying, "Man, you're a sinner. You're not getting half of what you deserve. You're wicked. You're vile. You're ungodly."
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Now skip down to verse 11. Here he is again. "For he knoweth vain men. He seeth wickedness also, will he not then consider it? For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands toward him; if iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot. Yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and thou shalt not fear." Note if you would, he said, "You need to put your iniquity away. You're a sinner."
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"That's all there is to it. You are wicked. You are wrong."
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Now, let me ask you a question. Have you ever known men like Zophar? I have. And a lot of them are pastors and teachers. I mean, you cannot disagree with them. I mean, they are just absolutely right. They believe they have all light and all understanding, and it is impossible to disagree with them and still remain friends. And in fact, if you do not agree with them, they are highly insulted and they are highly offended.
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And if you do not quickly submit to them and to their way of thinking, they're going to cut you off and kick you out. And that's all there is to it. Men like that have no understanding of the doctrine of illumination. They also have no understanding of the doctrine of God's sovereignty. God does not teach every man exactly alike. He does not reveal the same truth to all men at the same time. He doesn't. Look at the truth that Martin Luther came up with.
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Those truths have always been there. Look at the truth that Calvin came up with. Look at the truth that Zwingli came up with. In other words, we've had the Bible the whole time. And yet over the years, I mean, men see things that God has just allowed them to see and understand. Now, here's the point. Eliphaz came from experience, Bildad from tradition, and Zophar is a dogmatist.
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Each one, from his own perspective, ended up condemning Job and telling him that he was a vile, wicked sinner. I want you to look at Job 12. Job came up with a wonderful response to these three friends. In fact, I've used it before in trying to answer some critics, but Job said in verse one, watch. "And Job answered and said, No doubt, but ye are the people and wisdom shall die with you." You're the ones. You have understanding. And when you're dead and gone, that's it. There'll be no more wisdom. There'll be no more understanding.
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But let me show you. What they were doing was not just simply attacking Job. They were attacking his wisdom and his understanding. Look at verse 3. He says, "But I have understanding as well as you. I'm not inferior to you. And who knoweth not such things as these? I am as one mocked of his neighbor, who calleth upon God, and he answereth them: the just upright man is laughed to scorn." He said, "You're just mocking me. You're making fun of me." He said, "I'm not inferior to you." But he says, "Undoubtedly, you're the people and wisdom is going to die with you."
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Do you realize the scribes and the Pharisees in the New Testament took the position of Zophar? They were the dogmatists. Because in John 7 and verse 49, they said this, "But this people that knoweth not the law is cursed." In other words, they assumed that they knew the law. They assumed that they had understanding, which they did not. They were the wicked. They were the ones who were unbiblical and unscriptural, but they were the ones that not only followed tradition, but they were the ones who were the dogmatists as well.
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So unhappily, there are multitudes of Christians today that usually speak from one of these three perspectives. They're either experience oriented or tradition oriented or they're just plain out dogmatist.
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Now Elihu was the youngest of the four friends. So he does not get to speak until Job 32. And when he does speak, he begins to set the record straight, not only for Job, but also for these three older friends. So if you will turn very quickly to Job 32, and let's read the first nine verses, Job 32, beginning there with verse 1. "So these three men ceased to answer Job because he was righteous in his own eyes."
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In other words, he was protecting himself from their charges. "Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram. Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himself rather than God." Which he did, and God straightens him out. "Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled." Watch, "because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job." Each one condemned him. Now there's a reason, I'm going to point it out before I close, but note if you would, each one had condemned Job. Verse 4, "Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled. And Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, answered and said, I am young, and you are very old."
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"Wherefore I was afraid, and durst not show you mine opinion. I said, Days should speak, and multitudes of years should teach wisdom. But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding. Great men are not always wise, neither do the aged understand judgment. Therefore I said, Hearken unto me, and I will show thee mine opinion." Now, so notice he said in verse 9, "Great men are not always wise. Neither do the aged understand judgment."
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So Elihu then immediately condemns the perspectives of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. So he's showing us that experience and tradition and dogmatism are not the best teachers.
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Now, even God condemned these three men. If you would turn over to the book of Job chapter 42. Job 42. And notice if you would please beginning there with verse 7. Job 42 and verse 7. "And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them. The Lord also accepted Job, and the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends."
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"Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." Now, with this background, let me say this another way with this introduction. I want you to go back to Job 16 and look at verse 11 again. Job 16 and verse 11. I hope you're beginning to see what is being said. "God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked." Now, I want you to go back to Job 32, just for a moment. I want you to see that Elihu recognizes that it was God that had thrust Job down. Job said, "God has delivered me. God had fenced me in." Now in Job 32, beginning there with verse 11, Elihu says, "Behold, I waited for your words, I gave ear to your reasons, whilst you searched out what to say. Yea, I attended unto you, and behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words, lest you should say, We have found out wisdom." Here's what he says, "God thrusteth him down, not man."
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So Elihu recognized that whatever was happening to Job, it was because of God. You remember back in Job 32, Elihu pointed out the fact that his three friends had not found an answer, but they had condemned Job. I showed you where each one of them said that Job was a filthy, rotten, dirty sinner. He was a wicked, vile man. So let me ask you this question. Why did Job's three friends try to refute the statement of Job when he said, "God has delivered me over into the ungodly and turned me over in the hands of the wicked"? Why did they want to refute when he said, "God has fenced me in and hedged me up. God is doing this to me"?
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Why were they so persistent in claiming that Job was wicked and vile and wrong? Why were they so intent on saying to Job that he was getting less than he deserved and he better be thankful it was not any worse than it really was? Eliphaz could say the same thing from experience because that's what he did say. Bildad could say the same thing from tradition. And Zophar the dogmatist just simply said, "You're wicked. You're vile. You're wrong. That's all there is to it." You remember that I said I was going to come back to it. It was Eliphaz in Job 4 and verse 7 who said this, "Remember, I pray you, whoever perished being innocent and where were the righteous cut off?" In other words, that question was designed to prove to Job that he was an exceedingly vile sinner. Remember, he said, "Whoever perished being innocent? Job, if you were innocent, you would not be going through this."
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You would not be suffering this. They needed Job to be guilty and vile. They wanted Job to be guilty and vile. Why? Well, here's the answer. If God could deliver an innocent and righteous man to such suffering and deprivation, He could do also the same to them. In other words, they were seeking to protect themselves against God's sovereignty. They did not want for themselves what God had given to Job. So in order to protect themselves, they had to prove that Job was a sinner. I want you to remember Philippians 1 verse 29. Listen carefully. "For unto you it is given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Now listen, "For unto you it is given."
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That is, it's a gift. Not only to believe on him, faith is the gift of God. Not only believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Suffering is the gift of God. Just like God does not give every man the gift of faith, God does not give every man the gift of suffering. But when God gives the gift of suffering, he gives the grace to go along with that as well.
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And so these men did not want in their lives what Job was experiencing. Now, I'm going to repeat again what I said at the beginning of this message. I want you to listen. Here's what I said. The book of Job brings one to a sudden realization of certain facts. We discover that God is absolutely, totally, unequivocally sovereign. We discover that God has the absolute right to test us, try us, afflict us. We discover the fact that God as Creator has the absolute right to do with us as He wills.
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He is the potter and we are the clay. Now Job passed his test with flying colors. He learned that God had the absolute right to do as He pleased with whom he pleased. Job had been crying to have an audience with God. And God finally granted him his request. And if you look in Job chapter 40, beginning there with verse 1, you will find out how Job handled himself when God began speaking to him. Look in Job 40, beginning with verse 1, "Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? Job, are you going to teach me? He that reproveth God, let him answer it. Then Job answered the Lord and said, Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer thee?"
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"I will lay my hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer, yea, twice, but I will proceed no further." Job said, "I've learned my lesson. I'm not going to criticize God. I am not going to attack him for whatever he does is absolutely right."
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Now, I want you to listen carefully because I'm going to say that which no one wishes to say or even wishes to think. Here's the truth of the book of Job. God is God. He is the sovereign Almighty, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Immutable, Eternal God of the universe. He is the Creator, the Provider, the Sustainer of all. He has the absolute right to do with us as He pleases. He is God. He is just. He is holy. He is righteous.
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And whatever He does is ultimately for our good and for His glory. So then, God does as he pleases, whenever he pleases, wherever he pleases, with whomever he pleases and however he pleases. Because God is God, you remember that passage in Psalm 115 in verse three, "But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." Do you realize that God is the only one that can do that?
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You and I can't do as we please. We have to do what we have to do. Only God can do as He pleases. What does the Bible say in Revelation 4 and verse 11? "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." Why did God create the world? Because it pleased God to create the world. Why did God create you? Because it pleased God to create you. Why did God allow certain things to happen in your life? Because it pleased God to allow those things to happen.
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I want to show you something else. You may not like it, but here it is. I want you to turn in your Bible to Job 33. Are you listening? Job 33. Listen carefully. God has the absolute right to do with each one of us as He pleases. Moreover, you may not like this, but this is the absolute truth. Job 33 and verse 13 is what Elihu says to Job. Look at it.
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"Why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters." Are you listening? God does not owe you an explanation. He doesn't have to give you an answer. Now, many times he graciously does give us answers, but he doesn't owe us an answer. He doesn't owe us an explanation. We are accountable to him. He is not accountable to us. He is God. And this is what Job's three friends did not want to realize, that God could just as easily do with them as what he did with Job.
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Now let me try to tie some things together. When you think about the book of Job, there should be a number of things that come to your mind. I remember a statement that I heard Lester Roloff make many, many years ago. I've never forgotten it. He said, "In the time of need and distress, think of how many that can come and how few that can comfort." Whether it's a sick bed, whether it's a funeral, whatever it is, you'll always have friends and neighbors coming. How many can come, but how few can really, really comfort. If you look at Job chapter 16, look what Job said to his three friends. Job 16, beginning there with verse 1. Look what he said. "Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things."
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"Miserable comforters are you all. Shall vain words have an end? Or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? I could also speak as you do, if your soul were in my soul's stead. I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you." What did Job just get out of his mouth? He said, "I could say the same thing that you're saying, if I were in your shoes and you were in my shoes."
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We need to understand something. It's easy to criticize when we're not in someone else's shoes. I've heard people say, "Boy, let me tell you right now, if that happened to me, I'd do such and such." No, you don't know what you would do. You have no earthly idea. Here's something else. We should learn from this, and we should teach, and we should receive teaching of true compassion toward those who are genuinely suffering. And Job was genuinely suffering, and all they were doing were adding misery to his suffering.
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"Miserable comforters are you all." Now we should listen carefully, because here's why I'm preaching this message. Job said in Job 16 verse 11, "God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over to the hands of the wicked." God had indeed delivered Job over to Satan as well as to the harassment of his friends. Thankfully, whenever Satan is involved, he must have God's permission to touch one of his own. You remember at first, he said, "Does Job serve God for naught?" God said, "You can take everything he has, but you can't touch his body."
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And when he came back the second time and said, "Yea, skin for skin, all that a man hath, will he give for his life?" God said, "You may touch his body, but you cannot take his life." So with every permission, there's always a limitation. Here is an untouched truth. Job understood this. He may not have understood the total and full implications of it, but at least he understood this principle when he said that "God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked." It is this truth that the wicked are oftentimes God's sword of punishment for the righteous. I want you to turn in your Bibles first of all to the book of Leviticus chapter 26, then secondly we're going to turn to Deuteronomy 28. But I want you to watch this. Leviticus 26 is a chapter that's dealing with the blessings and the curses and so is Deuteronomy 28. But in Leviticus chapter 26 and verse 25, God says this, if Israel rebelled, if we rebelled, it's the same principle.
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Look in Leviticus 26 verse 25, God said, "And I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant. And when you are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy." But notice, if you would, God says, "It's my sword." What is his sword? Being delivered into the hand of the enemy. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 28. And let's begin reading there, verse 45, Deuteronomy 28 and verse 45. We're dealing once again with the curses for failing to obey God. He says, "Moreover, all these curses shall come upon thee and shall pursue thee and overtake thee till thou be destroyed, because thou hearkenest not unto the voice of the Lord thy God to keep his commandments and his statutes, which he commanded thee. And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder and upon thy seed forever." Now watch carefully. "Because thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things."
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"Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies, which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things, and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy necks until he have destroyed thee. The Lord shall also bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flyeth, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand, a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor unto the young. And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed, which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee."
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Now, these two passages should be exceedingly clear. God said, "I'm going to bring the enemy upon you." If that's not clear enough, I want you to look in Psalm 17. Psalm 17. I would think that it does not need to be any plainer, but I think Psalm 17 makes it exceedingly plain. Let's begin reading there with verse 8. David is praying, and he says this. Look at it.
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"Keep me as the apple of thine eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, from the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies who compass me about. They are enclosed in their own fat, with their mouth they speak proudly. They have now compassed us in our steps, and have set their eyes bowing down to the earth. Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places." Now watch. "Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down, deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword, from men which are thy hand." That is, the wicked are the hand of the Lord. "O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasures, they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes." But note if he said in verse 13, "Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down, deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword."
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Remember that God is immutable. He is unchangeable. The wicked are still his sword. You remember it was the Assyrians that he brought against Israel. It was the Babylonians that he brought against Judah and Jerusalem. He brings the wicked upon a disobedient and rebellious people. You know, it may be time for you and I to begin paying attention as to who is ruling over our land and why they are ruling over our land. Is God's sword being displayed against us? If God has unsheathed his sword, listen carefully, it will not be sheathed until he finishes the job.
#75 | 54:30 to 55:25 | cleaned
That's what he said in the book of Isaiah. "Sword of the Lord, sword of the Lord." His sword is designed to bring his people to their knees in repentance and faith. I believe that we're probably headed for some real suffering in the future and a not too distant future at that. If God has withdrawn his sword, and obviously it is withdrawn, because the wicked are ruling in greatness of power.
#76 | 55:26 to 56:15 | cleaned
And they appear unstoppable, which is not true. They just appear that way. They are stoppable. And as quickly as you and I learn to repent and cry unto God, He'll hear us. Everyone can quote 2 Chronicles 7:14. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, then will I hear from heaven and heal their land, forgive their sins and heal their land." Land will not be healed without repentance. The wicked will not go down without repentance. Job said.
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"Now it's turned me over to the ungodly," and he was suffering and suffered greatly. If we want to be delivered, we must demonstrate real, genuine repentance. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to You today. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You for an astounding fact and realization that Thou art God and Thou mayest do whatsoever thou hast pleased, and whatsoever you do please. We pray, Father, that you will turn us, and we will be turned quick in this, O Lord, and we shall call upon thy name. Grant us repentance and grant us faith, but help us, Lord, to never, never criticize thee or condemn thee. Because, Lord, Thou art not accountable to us, we are accountable unto Thee. Give us grace, I pray, that we may serve Thee acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.
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so so
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:57:26Z

An Astounding Fact And Realization

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver explores the book of Job, focusing on Job's realization that God is absolutely sovereign and has the right to do as He pleases with His creation. He examines the perspectives of Job's three friends—Eliphaz (experience), Bildad (tradition), and Zophar (dogmatism)—who condemned Job as a sinner to protect themselves from the terrifying truth that God can allow suffering even for the righteous. The message emphasizes that God does not owe us explanations, that suffering can be a gift, and that the wicked are often God's sword of correction, calling for genuine repentance.

Introduction: The Shock of Realization

Weaver opens with Job 16:11 and compares the shock of Job's suffering to the feeling of being conned, highlighting how facts correct our fantasies.

Scripture Reading — Job 16:11

"God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over unto the hands of the wicked."

Look at it.

Scripture Reading — Job 16:11

"God has delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked."

God's Absolute Sovereignty in Job

The book of Job reveals God's total sovereignty, His right to test and afflict, and His role as the potter with us as clay, as illustrated in Jeremiah 18.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 18:1-6

"The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house." "And there I will cause thee to hear my words."

Verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 18:1-6

"Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter."

Now watch.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 18:1-6

"So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter, saith the Lord? Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."

Job's Unparalleled Suffering and Righteous Response

Job lost his wealth, children, and health in one day, yet he worshipped God and did not sin, demonstrating his godly character.

Scripture Reading — Job 1:3

Not counting that great economic loss. But in the same day, he lost 10 children, 7 sons, and 3 daughters. Moreover, he also lost a number of his faithful servants on that day. I would just simply imagine that Job was very shocked. Someone is going to say, "How could such a catastrophe happen to such a godly man?" Because Job was indeed a godly man. In fact, the truth is, he offered sacrifices for his children on a daily basis. Listen to this, Job 1 and verse 5, "Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts, thus did Job continually." That is, day by day, he offered sacrifices for his children just in case there was a secret sin. May I point out the fact that Job was no sluggard. Job was no slacker. He was absolutely faithful, and he did this on a daily basis. So Job then was not looking for trouble. He was not expecting trouble. He was not desiring trouble. And yet the truth of the matter is, trouble came in a very unusual way.

Scripture Reading — Job 1:5

I would just imagine if something like this that happened to Job happened to the regular, ordinary, professing Christian today, the Christian would absolutely fall apart. In fact, he'd probably end up cursing God as Job's wife tried to get him to curse God and die. But if you look very quickly in the book of Job chapter 1, you'll see Job's reaction to all of this. Job chapter 1, beginning there with verse 20, after he had lost all of his possessions, lost his children, lost many of his servants, the Bible says, "Then Job arose and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither." "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." That's an astounding statement. In light of everything that happened to him, he did not sin and he did not charge God foolishly. Now, we know today that which Job did not know. We know that there was a controversy and there was a challenge to God by Satan. God knew that Satan had considered Job and desired him just like He desired Peter. In fact, our Lord said to Peter, "Peter, Peter, Satan hath desired thee that he may sift thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not."

The Heavenly Controversy and Satan's Challenges

Weaver explains the unseen drama where Satan challenges Job's integrity, and God permits the attacks within set limits, showing divine permission and limitation.

Scripture Reading — Job 1:9-12

"Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Doth Job fear God for naught?"

This is the first challenge. Satan says,

Scripture Reading — Job 1:9-12

"Hast thou not made a hedge about him and about his house, and all that he hath on every side, and thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face."

Now look at verse 12.

Scripture Reading — Job 1:9-12

"And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."

Scripture Reading — Job 2:4-8

"And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life." "But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand, but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal, and he sat down among the ashes."

Job's Perspective: God as the Source of His Affliction

Job acknowledges that God has delivered him to the ungodly and overthrown him, seeing God as the ultimate cause of his suffering.

The Three Friends and Their Faulty Perspectives

Weaver analyzes Eliphaz (experience), Bildad (tradition), and Zophar (dogmatism), showing how each condemned Job from their own limited viewpoint.

Scripture Reading — Job 22:5-9

"Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquities infinite?"

Now look what he charges him with.

Scripture Reading — Job 22:5-9

"For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught, and stripped the naked of their clothing. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry." "But as for the mighty man, he had the earth, and the honorable man dwelt in it. Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken."

Now, look in Job chapter 4. Let me show you this. Job chapter 4 and let's begin reading there with verse 7. Job 4, look if you would please at verse 7. Eliphaz says,

Scripture Reading — Job 4:7-8

"Remember, I pray thee, whoever perished being innocent, or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, this is what I have observed, this is my experience, they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same."

Scripture Reading — Job 8:2-10

"How long wilt thou speak these things? And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?"

Now watch,

Scripture Reading — Job 8:2-10

"If thy children have sinned against him, and he hath cast them away for their transgression,"

so he is saying that even Job's children were sinners,

Scripture Reading — Job 8:2-10

"if thou wouldst seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty. If thou wert pure and upright, surely now He would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase."

Scripture Reading — Job 11:1-6

"Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, Should not the multitude of words be answered?"

Now, I'm going to read this with an attitude, because I can hear Zophar saying this.

Scripture Reading — Job 11:1-6

"Should not the multitude of words be answered?"

Elihu's Correction and God's Condemnation of the Friends

Elihu rebukes both Job and his friends, and God later condemns the three friends for not speaking rightly, requiring Job's intercession.

Scripture Reading — Job 12:1-4

"And Job answered and said, No doubt, but ye are the people and wisdom shall die with you."

Scripture Reading — Job 12:1-4

"But I have understanding as well as you. I'm not inferior to you. And who knoweth not such things as these? I am as one mocked of his neighbor, who calleth upon God, and he answereth them: the just upright man is laughed to scorn."

He said, "You're just mocking me. You're making fun of me." He said,

Scripture Reading — Job 12:1-4

"I'm not inferior to you."

But he says,

Scripture Reading — Job 12:1-4

"Undoubtedly, you're the people and wisdom is going to die with you."

In other words, he was protecting himself from their charges.

Scripture Reading — Job 32:1-9

"Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram. Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himself rather than God."

Which he did, and God straightens him out.

Scripture Reading — Job 32:1-9

"Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled."

Watch,

Scripture Reading — Job 32:1-9

"because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job."

Each one condemned him. Now there's a reason, I'm going to point it out before I close, but note if you would, each one had condemned Job. Verse 4,

Scripture Reading — Job 32:1-9

"Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled. And Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, answered and said, I am young, and you are very old."

Scripture Reading — Job 42:7-10

"Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before."

Why the Friends Needed Job to Be Guilty

The friends insisted Job was a sinner to protect themselves from the terrifying truth that God could allow such suffering for the innocent, revealing their fear of God's sovereignty.

Job's Submission and the Lesson of God's Unaccountability

When God speaks, Job humbles himself, learning that God does not owe explanations; He does as He pleases for His glory and our good.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 115:3

"But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."

The Wicked as God's Sword and the Call to Repentance

Weaver uses Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28, and Psalm 17 to show that the wicked are God's sword of correction, urging repentance for deliverance.

An Astounding Fact And Realization

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	7RuguDNL7Nk
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-01-17
Dictation Name
Book	Book 141: Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications — Chapter 21
Source Timed Segments	79

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Shock of Realization: Weaver opens with Job 16:11 and compares the shock of Job's suffering to the feeling of being conned, highlighting how facts correct our fantasies.
God's Absolute Sovereignty in Job: The book of Job reveals God's total sovereignty, His right to test and afflict, and His role as the potter with us as clay, as illustrated in Jeremiah 18.
Job's Unparalleled Suffering and Righteous Response: Job lost his wealth, children, and health in one day, yet he worshipped God and did not sin, demonstrating his godly character.
The Heavenly Controversy and Satan's Challenges: Weaver explains the unseen drama where Satan challenges Job's integrity, and God permits the attacks within set limits, showing divine permission and limitation.
Job's Perspective: God as the Source of His Affliction: Job acknowledges that God has delivered him to the ungodly and overthrown him, seeing God as the ultimate cause of his suffering.
The Three Friends and Their Faulty Perspectives: Weaver analyzes Eliphaz (experience), Bildad (tradition), and Zophar (dogmatism), showing how each condemned Job from their own limited viewpoint.
Elihu's Correction and God's Condemnation of the Friends: Elihu rebukes both Job and his friends, and God later condemns the three friends for not speaking rightly, requiring Job's intercession.
Why the Friends Needed Job to Be Guilty: The friends insisted Job was a sinner to protect themselves from the terrifying truth that God could allow such suffering for the innocent, revealing their fear of God's sovereignty.
Job's Submission and the Lesson of God's Unaccountability: When God speaks, Job humbles himself, learning that God does not owe explanations; He does as He pleases for His glory and our good.
The Wicked as God's Sword and the Call to Repentance: Weaver uses Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28, and Psalm 17 to show that the wicked are God's sword of correction, urging repentance for deliverance.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

God's sovereignty means He can afflict the righteous without explanation.

Job's suffering was not due to his sin but to God's sovereign will, and God does not owe us an account of His actions.

Weaver says, 'God does not owe you an explanation... He is God. And this is what Job's three friends did not want to realize.'

Experience, tradition, and dogmatism are unreliable guides to truth.

Job's friends relied on these perspectives and wrongly condemned him, showing that such approaches can lead to error and a lack of compassion.

Weaver notes, 'Experience is oftentimes elevated above the Word of God, which is fatal to truth... Tradition is often the mother of error and heresy.'

The friends condemned Job to protect their own theological comfort.

They needed Job to be guilty because if God could allow an innocent man to suffer, He could do the same to them, which they found unacceptable.

Weaver explains, 'If God could deliver an innocent and righteous man to such suffering and deprivation, He could do also the same to them.'

Suffering is a gift that not all believers receive.

Philippians 1:29 teaches that suffering for Christ is a gift, and God gives grace to endure it, but it is not universal.

Weaver states, 'Suffering is the gift of God. Just like God does not give every man the gift of faith, God does not give every man the gift of suffering.'

The wicked are God's sword for correction, calling for repentance.

Scripture shows that God uses wicked nations and people to discipline His own, and only repentance will bring deliverance.

Weaver cites Psalm 17:13 and says, 'If God has unsheathed his sword... it will not be sheathed until he finishes the job.'

Scripture References

Job 16:11: Job declares that God has delivered him to the ungodly, which is the central verse of the message.
Jeremiah 18:1-6: Illustrates God as the potter and humans as clay, emphasizing His sovereign right to shape us as He wills.
Job 1:3: Describes Job's immense wealth and the catastrophic loss he suffered in one day.
Job 1:5: Shows Job's daily sacrifices for his children, highlighting his godliness and faithfulness.
Job 1:20-22: Job's response of worship and blessing God after losing everything, without sinning.
Job 1:9-12: Satan's first challenge and God's permission to take all Job has but not touch his body.
Job 2:4-8: Satan's second challenge and God's permission to afflict Job's body but spare his life.
Job 19:6-8: Job acknowledges that God has overthrown him and fenced him in, reinforcing his view of God's direct involvement.
Job 22:5-9: Eliphaz accuses Job of great wickedness, listing specific sins, as part of his experience-based condemnation.
Job 4:7-8: Eliphaz argues from experience that the innocent do not perish, implying Job must be guilty.
Job 4:12-17: Eliphaz recounts a visionary experience to bolster his argument, showing his reliance on personal experience.
Job 8:2-10: Bildad appeals to tradition, urging Job to inquire of former ages and the fathers' wisdom.
Job 11:1-6: Zophar dogmatically asserts Job's guilt and that he deserves worse, showing his rigid certainty.
Job 12:1-4: Job sarcastically rebukes his friends, saying wisdom will die with them, and asserts his own understanding.
Job 32:1-9: Elihu's anger is kindled against Job and his friends; he speaks because the older men failed to answer Job.
Job 42:7-10: God condemns Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar for not speaking rightly, and commands them to offer sacrifices through Job.
Job 40:1-5: Job humbles himself before God, putting his hand on his mouth and refusing to answer further.
Psalm 115:3: Affirms that God does whatever He pleases, underscoring His sovereignty.
Revelation 4:11: Declares that all things were created for God's pleasure, reinforcing His sovereign purpose.
Job 33:13: Elihu states that God gives no account of His matters, emphasizing His unaccountability.

Historical References

Lester Roloff: Weaver quotes Roloff: 'In the time of need and distress, think of how many that can come and how few that can comfort.'
Martin Luther: Mentioned as an example of a man to whom God revealed truths that were always in Scripture but not previously understood.
John Calvin: Listed alongside Luther and Zwingli as a figure who recovered biblical truths over time.
Ulrich Zwingli: Mentioned with Luther and Calvin as a reformer who brought to light scriptural truths.
Assyrians: Referenced as the nation God brought against Israel as an instrument of judgment.
Babylonians: Mentioned as the nation God used to judge Judah and Jerusalem.

Important Quotes

God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over unto the hands of the wicked.

This is the central verse of the message, expressing Job's realization that God is the ultimate source of his suffering.

Facts have a way of distorting and correcting our fantasy views.

Introduces the theme that reality, especially about God's sovereignty, can shatter our comfortable assumptions.

He is the potter, and we are the clay.

Summarizes the biblical metaphor for God's absolute authority over His creation.

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Job's righteous response to catastrophic loss, demonstrating faith in God's sovereignty.

No doubt, but ye are the people and wisdom shall die with you.

Job's sarcastic rebuke of his friends' arrogance, highlighting their flawed perspectives.

Miserable comforters are you all.

Job's direct condemnation of his friends' failure to provide true compassion.

For he giveth not account of any of his matters.

Elihu's key statement that God does not owe explanations, a central lesson of the book.

deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword

Scriptural proof that God uses the wicked as instruments of His judgment.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the truth that God is absolutely sovereign and does as He pleases challenge or comfort you in your current circumstances?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes God's sovereignty throughout, especially in Job's suffering and the potter/clay metaphor.

[Question]

In what ways might you be relying on experience, tradition, or dogmatism rather than Scripture when evaluating suffering or giving counsel?

[Context]

The three friends represent these perspectives, and Weaver warns against elevating them above God's Word.

[Question]

Why do you think Job's friends were so determined to prove Job was a sinner? How does that reflect our own fears about God's sovereignty?

[Context]

Weaver explains they needed Job guilty to protect themselves from the idea that God could allow innocent suffering.

[Question]

How should the concept of suffering as a 'gift' from God (Philippians 1:29) change our response to trials?

[Context]

Weaver presents suffering as a gift that not all receive, accompanied by grace.

[Question]

What does it practically mean that God does not owe us an explanation for our suffering? How can we cultivate Job's humility?

[Context]

Job 33:13 and Job's response in chapter 40 show submission to God's unaccountability.

[Question]

In what ways might God be using 'the wicked' as His sword in our nation or personal lives today? What is the appropriate response?

[Context]

Weaver applies Psalm 17:13 and the covenant curses to contemporary times, calling for repentance.

Applications

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