Sermon – Job: What Do You Know?
January 27th, 2008What Do We Know?
INTRO:
A. “Whaddaya know …”
There was a time when people would casually greet one another by saying, “Hey, Whaddaya know?” And then sometimes people would say with some surprise, whether real or feigned, “Well…, Whaddaya know?”
Sometimes the greeting included the person’s name, “Hey, Whaddaya know? It’s…Perry Hall.”
B. Yada, yada, yada became a trendy phrase due to Seinfeld – Yada is the Hebrew word for “know.”
C. Knowledge: Have you ever noticed….
· A lot of people know a lot of things that are useless?
o For example, in the 1985
Boise, Idaho Mayoral election, there were four write-in votes for…Mr. Potato Head.
· A lot of people know a lot of things that they do not know are useless?
· A lot of people know a lot of things that you couldn’t care less about?
· A lot of people know a lot of things that are useless, that they do not know are useless, and you couldn’t care less about and they keep on sharing it all with you…even after you’ve tried to change the subject?
D. Knowledge: A lot of people know what they do not need to, and do not know what they need to know.
E. Knowledge: A lot of people focus on what they do not know to the neglect of what they do know. Because let’s face it, life is filled with uncertainties. During the last hurricane season, I threatened that I was not going to take down my hurricane shutters until Jesus came back! Life is filled with uncertainties. Too often people focus more on the uncertainties of life, than on what they know. In this sermon we are going to look at Job – at what he did not know, and what he did know. His life was definitely filled with uncertainty….
1. Scriptures
· Job 3:11 – “Why did I not die at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire?· Job 3:20 – “Why is light given to him who suffers, And life to the bitter of soul,· Job 3:23 – “Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in?· Job 7:20 – “Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself?· Job 7:21 – “Why then do You not pardon my transgression And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust; And You will seek me, but I will not be.”· Job 10:2 – “I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me; Let me know why You contend with me.· Job 13:24 – “Why do You hide Your face And consider me Your enemy?· Job 21:4 – “As for me, is my complaint to man? And why should I not be impatient?· Job 21:7 – “Why do the wicked still live, Continue on, also become very powerful?
2. Summary:
· Why was I born?
· Why am I suffering?
· Why won’t God answer me?
· What have I done that is wrong?
· Why are evil people happy, healthy and prosperous?
F. Like Job,· We all have bought a ticket on life’s emotional roller coaster.· We all have thrown our own pity party.· And when life gets difficult, we all need to focus on what we do know. We need to look beyond the troubles of today and see the blessings of the future.
G. Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying, “In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes.” He was wrong. 1. In this lesson we are going to look at what Job did know, and what he did know helped bring hope and comfort in dealing with life’s uncertainties.2. Job 19:25-27 [25] “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. [26] “Even after my skin is destroyed,Yet from my flesh I shall see God; [27] Whom I myself shall behold,And whom my eyes will see and not another.My heart faints within me!
BODY:
I. v.25a – I KNOW ABOUT MY REDEEMERv.25 – “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, A. “I”; “My” – This is Personal. Notice all the personal pronouns in this text: 1. Job 19:25-27 “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. [26] “Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; [27] Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me! 2. I know my redeemer and my redeemer knows me.· Galatians 4:9 – But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?
B. “I know….”1. This personal knowledge is also powerful.2. The phraseology is intensive. Literally it is best rendered, “I myself know….” It is an assertion of something he knows without doubt.
C. Who and What is a Redeemer?1. Obviously, consider this is not speaking specifically of Jesus although Job might through inspiration be prophesying.
2. Redeemer – [or, Vindicator, defender; lit., kinsmen (goel) (1350)]
· O.T. Perspective – “a primitive root, to redeem (according to the Oriental law of kinship), i.e. to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative’s property, marry his widow, etc.):–X in any wise, X at all, avenger, deliver, (do, perform the part of near, next) kinsfolk(-man), purchase, ransom, redeem(-er), revengero From an O.T. perspective, when we consider God as our redeemer, or more specifically Jesus as our redeemer, we are considering Him as a relative. That should be a humbling thought. The “goel” is a person long recognized in Israel’s religion who will redeem the family’s property that is in danger of being sold (Lev 25:25-34); will marry a widow to provide an heir (Ruth 4:1-6); will avenge a death of a kinsman (Num. 35:17-21). Here the emphasis is on one who will make sure that Job’s case is not only pleaded but that his rights are upheld.o God is our relative in the Spirit in the original creation because we are created in His image (Gen.1:27).o God is our relative in the Spirit on the new creation because we are His offspring (Acts 17:28).o Jesus is our relative in the Flesh because became incarnated (Heb.2:11,14,17).· N.T. Perspective – “bought with a price as in a slave market”
II. v. 25b – I KNOW ABOUT HIS RETURN A. v.25 – And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. 1. Interpretations:· Could refer to Christ’s First Coming in the Incarnation· Could refer to Christ’s return in the Resurrection· Could refer to Christ’s final return in the Second Comingo This last one is the only view where in Jesus does not come and stand literally on the earth since we will meet Him in the air (1 Thess.4:17).o Then again, we do not need to understand the phrase take His stand on the earth literally as it can also mean, “give judgment on the people of the earth” which we know will be done on Judgment Day. o Ps.98:9 – Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with equity.o This final view is the one espoused in this lesson.
B. How can I know that Jesus is returning?· Because the Bible says He is! It’s that simple:Acts 1:11 – They also said, “Men of
Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
John 14:1-3 – “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in
Me. [2] “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. [3] “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
· Heaven – “A prepared place for a prepared people” We can understand the phrase “prepared people” in two different ways:o We have prepared ourselves by dying to sin.o Jesus has prepared us by dying on the cross.
C. When is Jesus returning?1. Just because we know Jesus is coming does not mean we know when He is coming.· I think we could all agree that we know and believe that
Florida will once again be hit by a hurricane. But that does not mean we know when that will be.2. Most people admit they do not know when Jesus is coming again. But too many live as if they know when He is not coming again.· How many times have we known people, even doing it ourselves, who delayed repenting?· As a parent we need to stress to our children that every day it is important to be ready to meet God. 3. Let me ask you a question: Do we spend more time thinking about and preparing for the times that Jesus is not returning or for the time that He is returning?
Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.
The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And mom in her rocker and baby on her lap
Was watching the late show while I took a nap.
When out of the East there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!
When what to my wonderful eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!
The light of His face made me cover my head.
It was Jesus! Returning like He said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In the Book of Life which He held in His hand,
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said, “It’s not here,” my head hung in shame.
The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound
While all the rest were left standing around.
I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.
In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There is only one life and when comes the last call
We’ll find the bible was true after all!
D. Why Is Jesus Returning? 1. One reason is because of Judgment Day. We’ll discuss another reason later.Hebrews 9:27-28 – And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, [28] so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
E. Are we wanting Jesus to come back soon?Hebrews 9:27-28 – And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, [28] so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
2 Tim. 4:7-8 – I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; [8] in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.· I do not know if this “appearing” is Jesus’ first or second coming, but I do know that if we loved His first appearing, we will love His second coming. And conversely, if we do not love His first coming, we will not love His second coming.· I love my life, my wife and children, and I am sure you love your families also. But I am wondering, maybe out loud, if we could trade our life here on earth for life in heaven right now, would we? Are we maybe too in love with this life?Philip. 1:21-24 – For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. [22] But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. [23] But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; [24] yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Philip. 3:20 – For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
E. Are we ready for His coming?1Jo 2:28 – Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
III. v. 26 – I KNOW ABOUT A RESURRECTIONJob 19:26 “Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
A. We are all going to die, unless Jesus comes back first. All of us, our skin will be destroyed.1. KJV – Job 19:26 – And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: a.
Worms – i.e., maggots (not in original text)· Do we spend more time on our outer self which will be destroyed or our inner self which we are trying to keep from getting destroyed?· Do we emphasize outer beauty which will fade more than inner beauty which will last an eternity?· Are we living to die?· Are we living to live again?· Are we living to live again eternally?· Are we living to die again eternally?
B. I asked earlier what the purpose of Jesus returning again was. One answer was for judgment. Here we have another reason. Jesus is coming back again to resurrect the dead.1 Thess. 4:13-18 – But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. [14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. [15] For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore comfort one another with these words. IV. I KNOW ABOUT A
REUNIONJob 19:27 Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!
A. Points Made – What Do We Know:· I have a redeemer· Jesus will return· I will be resurrected· ALL THIS SO THAT I CAN BE WITH JESUS
V. WHAT ARE THESE VERSES REALLY ABOUT?
- HOPE
- CONFIDENCE
- FAITH
- KNOWLEDGE
Ps.126:5-6 – 5Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. 6He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
B. Illustration:
Why would someone sow in tears? That is hard for us to understand in our part of the world. But in the Sahel, that vast stretch of savanna more than four thousand miles wide just under the
Sahara
Desert, with a climate much like the Bible lands, it is a yearly experience. In the
Sahel, all the moisture comes in a four-month period: May, June, July and August. After that, not a drop of rain falls for eight months. The ground cracks from dryness, and so do your hands and feet. The winds of the
Sahara pick up the dust and throw it thousands of feet into the air. It then comes slowly drifting across
West Africa as fine grit. It gets in your mouth. It gets inside your watch and stops it. It gets inside your refrigerator (if you have one).
The year’s food, of course, must all be grown in four months. People grow sorghum or milo in fields not larger than a church building. Their only tools are the strength of their backs and a short handled hoe. No Massey-Fergusons here; the average annual income is between eighty-five and one hundred dollars per person. October and November…these are beautiful months. The granaries are full – the harvest has come. People sing and dance. They eat two meals a day – one about ten in the morning, after they’ve been to the field awhile, and another just after sundown. The sorghum is ground between two stones to make flour and then a mush with the consistency of yesterday’s cream of wheat. The sticky mush is eaten hot; they roll it into little balls between their fingers, drop it into their mouths. The meals lie heavy on their stomachs so they can sleep. December comes, and the granaries start to recede. Many families omit the morning meal. Certainly by January not one family in fifty is still eating two meals a day. By February the evening meal diminishes. People feel the clutch of hunger once again. The meals shrink even more during March, and children succumb to sickness. You don’t stay well on half a meal a day. April is the month that haunts parents. The African dusk is quiet; you see…no jet engines, no traffic noises to break the stillness. The dust filters down through the air, and sounds carry for long distances. April is the month you hear babies crying in the twilight…from the village over here, from the village over there. Their mother’s milk is now stopped. Dry, just like the desert. Parent’s go at this time of the year to the bush country, where they scrape the back from certain trees. They dig up roots as well, collect leaves, and grind it all together to make a thin gruel. They may pawn a chair, a cooking pot, or bicycle tire in order to buy a little more grain from those wealthy enough to have some remaining, but most often the days are passed with only an evening cup of gruel. Then, inevitably, it happens. A six or seven-year-old boy comes running to his father one day with sudden excitement. “Daddy! Daddy! We’ve got grain!” he shouts. “Son, you know we haven’t had grain for weeks.” “Yes, we have!” the boy insists. “Out in the hut where we keep the goats – there’s a leather sack hanging up on the wall – I reached up and put my hand down in there Daddy, there’s grain in there! Give it to Mommy so she can make flour, and tonight our tummies can sleep.” The Father stands motionless. “Son, we can’t do that,” he softly explains. “That’s next year’s seed grain. It’s the only thing between us and starvation. We’re waiting for the rains, and then we must use it.”
The rains finally arrive in May, and when they do, the young boy watches as his father takes the sack from the wall…and does the most unreasonable thing imaginable. Instead of feeding his desperately weakened family, he goes to the field and with tears streaming down his face, he takes the precious seed and throws it away. He scatters it in the dirt. Why? Because he believes in the harvest.
The seed is his; he owns it. He can do anything with it he wants. The act of sowing it hurts so much that he cries. But as the African preachers say when they preach on Ps.126, “Brothers and sisters, this is God’s law of the harvest. Don’t expect to rejoice later on unless you have been willing to sow in tears.”[1]
CONCLUSION:
[27] Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!
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