 We'll be looking today as mentioned at Job chapters 5 and 6, and so I chose to simply call this this particular portion of our study, Alaphaz argues and Job responds. And so beginning at verse 1 I'll read chapter 5 verses 1 through 7 and we'll get into our study. Job chapter 5 beginning at verse 1 reading verse 7 Alaphaz argues and Job responds. Call out now. Is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn? For wrath kills a foolish man and envy slays the simple one. I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling place. His sons are far from safety. They are crushed in the gate. There is no deliverer. Because the hungry eat up his harvest, taking it even from the thorns. And a snare snatches their substance, for affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble spring from the ground. Yet man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. Now as we've seen, Job has opened his heart and he's made it clear that he's going through tremendous pain. And as we were looking at some of the things Job said, he had said that he wished he had never been born. He went on to say, I wish I would have died at birth. His pain, his humiliation has driven him to despair. And he wants all of this to be over. In chapter 3 verses 20 through 22 it says, why is light given to him who's in misery and life to the bitter of soul who long for death, but it does not come? And search for it more than hidden treasures who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they can find the grave. In Job chapter 3 verse 26 he closed his opening complaint by saying, I am not at ease, nor am I quiet. I have no rest for trouble comes. Well, after Job openly revealed his despair, one of his friends began to correct him, Eliphaz. And Eliphaz told Job that, well, Job, you've comforted others, but you ought to take your own advice. Eliphaz seemed to be saying that Job was suffering because he deserved to suffer. In chapter 4 verse 7 he said, remember now, whoever perished being innocent. In chapter 4 verse 8 he said, even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. In other words, Job, you obviously are simply reaping what you've sown. You may think that you don't deserve what you're suffering, but you are a sinner. He said in chapter 4 verse 17, can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his maker? You are actually getting less than you deserve. Who are you, he's saying, to complain in the way that you are? And so he continues to rebuke. Job, that's what we're seeing in chapter 5. He's continuing pouring out his rebuke for Job. And that's why in verse 1 he says, call out now. Is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn? I just told you that I received a spiritual revelation concerning you. I told you that you, in comparison to God, are nothing. You're nothing like, you're nothing at all. You're like a weak moth. Can you find a righteous person, even one, who will take your side and agree with you? If you've turned away from God, what aid can you hope for? Who can help you? In verse 2, wrath kills a foolish man. Envy slays a simple one. Your insistence that you're innocent will only provoke more wrath to come upon you. You need to humble yourself under the hand of God. You need to receive your chastening. In verse 3, I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling place. His sons are far from safety. They're crushed in the gate. There is no deliverer. I've seen the unrighteous living comfortably and prospering, thinking they're secure. They thought their future was settled, but in a moment it was all taken from them. He thought it was safe. He thought it would remain rich, but I saw and said that he would lose everything. In verse 4, he lost his possessions and he lost his children, just like you have. In verse 5, he says, because the hungry eat up his harvest, taking it even from the thorns and a snare snatches their substance. He like you has lost everything. He like you has gone hungry. For affliction does not come from the dust nor does trouble spring from the ground. Bad things don't result from simple natural causes, Job. The things you're experiencing are from God and you are simply reaping the consequences of your sin. He says in verse 7, man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. It is natural for sparks to fly upward and it is also natural for man to sin and be judged. So he's saying, you've been cut off, you are now without help. In verse 2, he was saying, your way of life has led you to your own hurt and you're deserving what you get. In verse 3, I've seen people like you who at first prosper but end up losing everything. In verse 4, a wicked person can't have children who dwell in safety. That's why yours died. Verse 5, wicked people lose their wealth, which is why you lost yours. In verses 6 and 7, you're only getting what you deserve because, Job, when it's all said and done, you're just a sinner. In all of this, there is absolutely no concept of a righteous man who could suffer. He goes on in verse 8 to say, but ask for me, I would seek God and to God I would commit my cause who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number. So now he's giving his righteous advice. Seek God for forgiveness, Job. If I were you, I would confess my sin. I would humble myself before God. I would pour out my concerns to him. I would ask for relief from my pain. You see in verse 10, he gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields. God is benevolent. He provides for us. This is seen in the fact that he sends the rain. This reveals that he's good, that he cares for us and for our needs. In verse 11, he sets on high those who are lowly and those who mourn are lifted to safety. And so it continues, he cares for us. The best thing to do is humble yourself before him. If you do, God will forgive you. So his thought is this, you've lost everything because of sin. So confess it and humble yourself. In verse 12, he frustrates the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot carry out their plans. He catches the wise in their own craftiness and the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them. Evil men put great value on their plans but God keeps them from succeeding. In verse 13, when it says he catches the wise in their own craftiness, he's saying those who are worldly wise may trust in their own carnal wisdom but God frustrates them and their plans. It's like what it says in Psalm 715, they dig a deep pit to trap others and fall into it themselves. In verse 14, they meet with darkness in the daytime and grope at noontime as in the night. Because they walk in darkness, they run into obstacles that they can't avoid. In verse 15, but he saves the needy from the sword, from the mouth of the mighty and from their hand, so the poor have hope and injustice shuts her mouth. And so he's saying God reveals himself to be the protector of those who are defenseless. And when people make accusations against the needy, it's God who shields them. So humble yourself and admit you are needy. Behold, verse 17, happy is the man whom God corrects, therefore don't despise the chastening of the Almighty, for he bruises but he binds up. He wounds but his hands make hole. At this point he's beginning to soften. He's saying well perhaps this isn't just punishment. Maybe this is chastisement. At any rate, humble yourself. God will restore you. He's saying Job, God is chastening you. Repent. And he'll once again work with you. And as he's doing this and he needs to know that he has no idea really what is going on in the life of Job. He just has all of this wonderful counsel. He goes on to list various things that a righteous man will be delivered out of. In verse 19, he shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven. No evil shall touch you. In famine he shall redeem you from death. In war from the power of the sword you shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue. You shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes. You shall laugh at destruction in famine. And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth. For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. You shall know that your tent is in peace. You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss. You shall also know that your descendants shall be many in your offspring like the grass of the earth. You shall come to the grave at a full age as a chief of grain ripens in its season. Behold, this we have searched out. It's true. Hear it and know for yourself. And so he begins to speak concerning the things that are supposed to happen. This isn't a set number, by the way. It's intended to communicate that God supports us in everything. And his counsel is that God will keep you from being destroyed by troubles. Well, here we go. Thank you for your wise advice, but let's think about that for a moment. Is it true that the righteous never suffer? Is it true that all of these things are always going to take place? That the minute you gave your heart to Christ, all problems were out the door. You never had another bad day. You never had another sad moment. Is that true? Because boy, these are great promises that Alephes is making in all. And so I think about this and I thought, well, I'll share a few things about this. And the first thing is this, the righteous often suffer. And it's not always due to God chastising us. In Psalm 3419, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. We do have afflictions, but we also have one who delivers us. We are not always secured against them. We go through them. Jesus said it like this in John 1633, these things I've spoken to you that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. In 1 Peter chapter four, verses 12 and 13, the apostles said, beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you. Rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. You see, the righteous do go through chastisement. Yes, the righteous do go through pain. Yes, the righteous do have afflictions. Yes, that's all true. Our God is on our side, and the things we go through we do go through, but they're never, ever without a cause, and they're never, ever without a purpose. And I've been reading my Bible for a while, and I've discovered that the suffering that the righteous endure produces eternal benefits. In 2 Corinthians chapter four, verse 17, Paul said it like this, he said, our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. There is always a benefit that takes place. Now, suffering affects people in different ways. Some people hate it so much that they immediately blame God and turn away from him. They're the ones who get so hurt and so upset and so disappointed and they wonder, why, Lord, have you allowed this to take place in my life? I've tried so hard, I've done so much. I thought for sure you would safeguard me against this, and you haven't. Like when Job said that, which I feared Moses come upon me. And there are those who, when they go through a time of pain and affliction, that they immediately get mad at God. They begin to blame the Lord for what they're going through. And it's an interesting thing, but it's true, people can get into the habit of blaming the Lord for even the smallest thing. When I was a young believer, I got saved at the age of 20. I was still a young believer when I was 23 years old and I got out of the military, I got out of the army, and I had saved some money for the two years that I was in. And when I saved up my money, I decided I would spend it on a few things. And one of the things I spent my money on was I got a Volkswagen, I bought a car. And then the second thing that I spent my money on was a motorcycle. I bought a Harley-Davidson, a sportster, they call it a girl's bike, but I liked it. And so I enjoyed that motorcycle. And I've shared this with you before, but it comes to mind because I was very quick to blame the Lord about even the most inconsequential things. And I was going to go to school and they made me cut my hair and I had been out of the army for a while. So I'd allowed my hair to grow long again and I actually preferred my hair long. But now I have to get it cut because I was going to Biola and Biola had haircut regulations at that time, interesting, but it did. And so the university did. And so I had to get a haircut. So I went to this place that I'd gotten my haircut before, before I'd gone into the military and he'd done a good job on it. So I thought, well, I'll go and get my haircut there. And I drove my motorcycle, it was in Whittier, and I went to this, this barbershop and all, and I walked in and I said, I want me to hear short on the top, you know, trim it around the sides. You know, now I'm expecting just a basic haircut. That's what I'm expecting. And I'm just sitting there and I had shoulder length hair and now he's cutting it off. And when he turned me around and I looked at myself in the mirror, you know, how they smile and say, how's it look? I was real mad. Because, see, before I, before I became a Christian, this is, I'll take another moment to give a little more information. I was what they call the continental. And a lot of you probably don't even know, Ronnie, you're nodding your head, you know what a continental is. You know, you wore your hair kind of swoopy and back and cool and you hairspray it. So much hairspray that it's like a helmet. I didn't even, you know, it's like a helmet. Well, that was then now I became a surfer, then I became a hippie. And, and now I just want a regular haircut. But when I turned around, suddenly I was once, once again, looking like I was a lowrider. Not that that's bad, but that was in my look. And as I'm looking at myself, I had the, my hair looked like, if you know what a 53 Chevy looks like, that's what my hair looked like. It was like that. And I'm staring at myself. I was so mad, I couldn't even see straight. I gave him his money. I climbed on my motorcycle. I drove home. I went to the, the sink and I washed my hair, you know, 10 pounds of hairspray out of my hair and I combed it and it just stood straight up. And I'm looking at myself. I look like Woodstock, that little bird in Charlie Brown. And I jumped on my motorcycle and I was yelling in my heart at God. And I still remember what I was saying. I was saying, I can't even get a haircut. Not even a stinking haircut. I mean, just, why can't you let me just get a stinking haircut when I dropped my bike. I was powering around, taking a right turn. I powered from first into second. I hit some oil. The bike spun out. I went flying off the bike. It landed on top of me. And I still remember the voice of the Lord in my heart saying, don't yell at me. I had this thing about everything. Look at, I've tried hard. I'm doing my best. How come? And I would complain against God easily, all the time. Blaming God for everything. Never seen that perhaps I was reaping consequences or never seen that he was using this to teach me the lessons I've been praying for. Have you ever prayed for patience? Stop. No. Have you ever? And then what happens? Or have you ever prayed, God, help me to love people. And then what happens? Because what happens normally, at least in my life, this isn't something I'm teaching happens to all, but in my Lord, I need patience. I find myself in places or my patience is being tried. And I have to actually get stretched and broken and grow. And then I realize that's the answer to my prayer. Or Lord, I want to learn to love people. And the Lord allows people into my life that are difficult for me to love. You get married. No, you have children. And the thing that you're asking for comes in a different way. It's almost as if I thought that when I said, Lord, please help me to love that suddenly he just would pour love on me. And it didn't happen that way at all. I went through things. I went through meeting people that were difficult, that made me follow my knees to be honest with you and say, God, help me. This person is difficult for me. God, help me. I want to be more than I am. And look at how I had to learn to do that. Because when I first got saved, I'm telling you, I would blame the Lord for everything. I would get angry at God for the most simple thing, for the most simple thing, a haircut. Or when I got my car painted and I'm putting the bumper back on and it slips out of my hand and slices the new paint that I had gotten done at Earl's Shive for 1999. You know, sometimes people get upset at God and some people will turn away from him when they're going through pain. Some people will think God must not love me. I must have been bad. I'm being punished. There's a lot of people who think that way. But there are others who receive instruction from it. They actually grow. In Hebrews 12 11, it says no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who've been trained by it. Lord, I want righteousness and I want peace. And I want to be trained in whatever way is necessary. You see, through his suffering, Job is going to grow. He's going to grow in his faith. He's going to grow in his love for the Lord. Because those are areas of his life as well as areas of our own that the Lord fine tunes. What do I learn through afflictions? If you take notes, you might want to note these things. What are some of the things that we learn? One is patience. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 36, you need to persevere so that when you've done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. We grow in patience. Joy in Psalm 30 verse five, his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning. So through that patience and our waiting, we experience joy. We grow in knowledge. Psalm 94 verse 12, blessed is the man you discipline, oh Lord, the man you teach from your law. So we grow experientially. We know things of the Lord through his discipline. And then we grow in maturity. In first Peter five verse 10, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. Suffering refines our lives. We're purified through it. In Psalm 66 verses 10 through 12, for you, oh God tested us. You refined us like silver. You brought us into prison, laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads. We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. So the suffering refines us. We grow in our patience and joy, our knowledge and maturity and we're refined. And that's what's happening to Joe. His faith in the Lord has been refined. He's growing and he's suffering. And as he was suffering, remember his friends had traveled many miles to see him and Job had opened his heart and Job had spoken out his complaint, the complaint of his soul. And as we saw again, aliphaz didn't understand. We saw that aliphaz began to correct him. Aliphaz believed that Job had sin that had led to the loss of his children and the loss of his wealth. And he believed that God was correcting Job because of some hidden sin. And with all of this being said, Job now replies and he begins by giving a justification for his grief. In chapter six, verse one, Job answered and said, shut up aliphaz. No, Job answered and said, oh that my grief were fully weighed and my calamity laid with it on the scales. And then for then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea. Therefore my words have been rash. He's saying, try to understand my sorrow before you correct me. Try to understand my pain before you blame me. Balance my grief with my calamity. I'm not exaggerating. Though I have been rash, I have been hasty in my speech. But I've been weighed down with sorrow. You see Ecclesiastes five two says, do not be rash with your mouth. Let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. God is in heaven. You on earth therefore let your words be few. So he says I have been rash. I've been hasty in my speech. But it's come because I'm weighed down. He says in verse four, the arrows of the Almighty are within me. My spirit drinks in their poison. The tears of God are arrayed against me. I feel like God has used me as a target. He's shooting me with poisoned arrows. And his arrows have been dipped in the cup of his wrath. And they're torturing me not from the outside. They're torturing me from within. He says in verse five, does a wild donkey bray when it has grass? Does the ox low over its fodder? Do animals complain when they're peacefully feeding? Animals don't complain when they're in comfort. Why don't you understand my pain? Can verse six, can flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste the white of an egg? My soul refuses to touch them. There is loathsome food to me. Flavor when I read, can flavorless food be eaten without salt? How many of you have eaten beans without salt? Maybe you like them. I don't, you know, and I understand that from that perspective, flavorless food. But what is he saying? He's saying your advice is tasteless. It lacks substance. I cannot digest what you are saying. And so he says in verse eight, oh that I might have my request that God would grant me the thing that I longed for that. It would please God to crush me. That he would loose his hand and cut me off. Then I would still have comfort. Though in anguish, I would exalt. He will not spare, for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. He states that he longs for what he believes to be his impending death. Now remember in chapter four in verses eight and nine as well as verse 20, aliphaz had threatened Job with death as a punishment. It says in Job chapter four verses eight and nine, even as I have seen those who plow in equity and so trouble reap the same, by the blast of God they perish and by the breath of his anger they are consumed. Then he had gone on in verse 20 to say they are broken in pieces from morning till evening. They perish forever with no one regarding. And so aliphaz threatened Job with death as a punishment. So Job is saying this isn't a threat. It's a welcome relief to my suffering. Now I need to hasten to say Job is not what you would call suicidal. Remember he was already advised by his wife curse God and die. He never did that. But he does welcome the thought of being with the Lord. Later on we're going to see it more developed when he says in chapter 19 verses 25 through 27, I know that my redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth and after my skin has been destroyed yet in my flesh I will see God. I myself will see him with my own eyes. I and not another. How my heart yearns within me. So he was not suicidal at all. He didn't curse God. He's simply saying that death would be a relief to me because the pain I'm going through is so hard to bear. In Philippians Paul said it like this in chapter one verses 22 and 23. Paul said if I am to go on living in the body this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know. I'm torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ which is better by far. It's not hopelessness. He says I know my redeemer lives. I know that when I take off this shell I'll be with him. I will see him. I long for the release of the pain I'm going through. I need relief from this. He says in verse 10 then I would still have comfort though in anguish I would exalt. He will not spare for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. If I died I would have comfort. My pain has been ended. Notice in verse 10 how he says I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. That word concealed carries with it the connotation of disowning, rejecting. I haven't disowned the words of God. My hope is founded on the fact that I have not cursed God and I have not denied him. I have openly acknowledged him. I have not been ashamed of him. In Psalm 40 verse 9 it says I have told all your people about your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out as you oh Lord well known well known. One of the things that I think we need today I might say it like this is we need more Christian believers to be more vocal about their faith. There are quite a number of believers who do have a sincere faith in the Lord but keep it to themselves. They're not opening up their mouth to share. They're not speaking the truth to those who are in need of it. I'd encourage all of us to not be ashamed of his words. I would encourage all of us as a church and as individual believers to be open and available to be used by the Lord to speak when given opportunity to do so. Job is making it very clear that he hasn't concealed God's word. He's making it very clear that he speaks for him and he wants them to know that. He wants them to know I have been honest about my faith in the Lord. I've openly acknowledged him. I'm not ashamed of him. You know when you're in a situation when you know that the people around you may be more versed in what they believe than you are and what you believe that's a very intimidating place to be. You know as a pastor I've had an opportunity over the years to read the Bible, to teach the Bible and all of that so I have a base I'm able to work with but that doesn't mean that I don't get intimidated or can't get intimidated because I can and I do because there are times that you may be speaking to somebody who has a great knowledge of certain thing you don't know and you can feel like what have I got to say to them? They're so polished. They're so eloquent. They're so intelligent. They're so well versed. They know these things. I don't know anything about these things and over the years what I've asked the Lord to do for me and he has been faithful as I have asked him to give me words. You know Jesus at one point when he was speaking and I believe it's the gospel of Luke he said he will give you words in wisdom that none of your enemies will gain say nor resist. He speaks concerning it is the spirit of your father who speaks in you and there are times when God will give an answer the answer is prepared within you you just don't realize until you begin to open your mouth and begin to share and there have been times when I've been with people on planes or whatever and they'll ask me on occasion when I'm when I've been traveling and a stranger is seated next to me. There are times when people have asked me what do you do for a living and I always think well here we go this is going to be an interesting conversation and it's interesting it really has always turned out to be so it's always turned out to be interesting and and sometimes it's been just really a great conversation where people will ask questions at all and then sometimes people have gotten gotten upset and even without me even saying anything I remember one woman on a train my wife Marie and I were on a train we're doing ministry and in on our way to Scotland and we were on a train and and there was a young woman seated next to me and Marie was sitting across from me and I'm just sitting there and the young woman turns to me and begins to speak real friendly and we're having a friendly conversation you know and I ask her what are you doing here what are you doing she was going to London I said what are you doing in London she says oh I I'm part of a group of people that that that that perform in in bars and and the pubs and all I said oh is that right didn't say a thing just oh is that right she goes yeah she says I sing and the word that she used is is b a w d y body I I sing body body bar songs which means off-color dirty songs that's what you're saying so she says oh I sing body bar songs and what am I supposed to do so I looked at it said oh really sing one for me no I didn't say that so I didn't say a thing what am I supposed to say we're having a conversation I'm there just to go I'm just I'm so she she talks and she's telling me all about her life and she's from the east coast say massachusetts or whatever and she's just sharing and I'm interested I like to talk to people and so she went on and on and on for several minutes and then finally she looks at me what do you do oh boy all I said is I'm a pastor that's all I said I'm a pastor three words immediately she looks at me and she says I hate it when people shove their religion down my throat and I'm going so I sang a dirty song to her no I I had I looked at her I I said I'm not shoving my I'm not shoving my religion down your throat but you're shoving yours down mine she goes what do you mean I said you shove your religion down my throat every day all day long what do you mean by that I never had I said oh your religion is shoved down my throat every time I turn on a television set every time I turn on a radio your religion is shoved down my throat every time I drive by a billboard with an advertisement for your alcohol or whatever you shove your philosophy down my throat I say you shove your religion down everybody's throat constantly but I tell you I'm a pastor and I'm shoving my religion down your throat that doesn't make any sense so she sang a dirty song at me no so she just she just looks at me and I just look at her and that was the end of our conversation I was having a nice visit I I wasn't judging her I wasn't doing I wasn't I didn't pull out my Bible and slap her with it I mean I was I was just sitting there but that's the way it is in the world and I learned a long time ago be prepared be prepared because you should always be prepared to give an answer concerning in the hope that lies within you with gentleness with meekness with humility you know not in an argumentative way but be prepared I believe that right now guys and I think we'd all agree with this that it's a time for the church to be prepared to give an answer why do we believe the way that we do what is the purpose of and the benefit of being a Christian why does it matter if it doesn't matter but if it does and why does it and that's why it's a blessing that you come on Wednesday night for Bible studies so we can look at the word together and we can look at the things and the arguments that are going on with Job and this friend of his who is accusing him and you can see how Job responds to those kinds of things you see what he's saying right here is is I'm really having a very difficult time notice verse verse 11 through 13 what strength do I have that I should hope and what is my end that I should prolong my life is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh bronze is my help not within me and is success driven from me what strength do I have you see Aleph has suggested that he might have his former prosperity returned but he's saying who wants it in this condition when he says in verse 12 is my strength the strength of stones is my flesh bronze he's saying I'm not I'm not made of stone I'm not made of bronze I'm simply flesh and blood I feel pain my own strength is has proven to be not enough and he says in verse 13 is is my help not within me and is success driven from me all of my internal resources are exhausted all of my reserves have been used up I am completely drained now that's something by the way that Paul also understood trials reveal our weakness the increase I need for the help of God in 2nd Corinthians 12 9 and 10 Paul said he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me that is why for Christ's sake I delight in weaknesses in insults in hardships in persecutions in difficulties for when I am weak then I am strong he says in verse 14 to him who is afflicted kindness should be shown by his friend even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty now he begins to reproach them for lack of sympathy the one who is being melted by afflictions should be shown kindness and compassion aliphaz you have not done so for me and he goes on to say even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty you accuse me of lacking fear of God even if this were true you could be kind to me you could speak truth to me but do it with love you see I'm hurting I'm thirsty I'm in need of comfort but you've proven to be empty Proverbs 17 verse 17 says a friend loves at all time a brother is born for adversity Romans 12 15 says rejoice with them that do rejoice weep with them that weep Galatians 6 verse 2 says bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ when you're hurting sometimes you're just not ready for the advice and direction that your friends may want to give you Christians are very very quick to want to fix people without giving them time to heal I'll say this briefly we'll see this often but I say this because it's true sometimes the best comfort that I have received and I'm an old man I've gone through a lot of things in my life has been sympathy without advocacy without advice I remember going to my own pastor many years ago now many years ago now Pastor Chuck Chuck Smith Marie and I went and saw him I wanted to open my heart to him and share with him some pain that I was going through and I remember speaking to him and when I spoke to my pastor I told him what it hurt me what I was hurt over and yeah I was hurt and I was talking to him I wanted some prayer and some advice and I'll never forget when I said this is what happened Chuck I'll never forget Chuck groaning he heard me and he groaned I'll never forget him going oh oh like that that helped to heal me that helped to heal me just the fact that somebody have you been there that somebody would just cry with you would just cry with you that's all I needed I knew my god is on the throne I knew my god would see me through I knew my god is able I knew all of that I just needed someone to cry with me and I was tired of my wife having to do that and I spoke to my pastor and my pastor the pain came out of him and that helped to heal my heart sometimes guys when you have a friend who's hurting and and and even if they appear to be forsaking god and Job speaks of it that way you have to just sometimes allow them to say this is where I really am and you love them because love covers a multitude of sin really does you're not accepting their sin you're accepting them they know very often especially if they've been walking with the Lord they know if they're wrong they don't need me to quote a scripture to them saying this is wrong what they need is a word that brings healing a word of understanding and there are times when people have shared things with me that I'll be honest with you I'm thinking no no this is wrong we got to correct this I'll be honest with you but the first thing I need to do is reveal to that person that as a human being I sympathize with you I care I care I care I don't want that person to stay there I want them to find the place of relief and and and they're pain to be healed I do but sometimes just cheering up with somebody sometimes just putting your hand on the shoulder just nodding your head and just listening we're living in a time when a lot of people actually need friends like that and there are friends that are closer than a brother and we are called to bear one another's burdens and in doing so Christ is exalted and and Job is speaking to them in this way and he says again to him who's afflicted kindness should be shown by his friend even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty my brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook like the streams of the brooks that pass away which are dark because of the ice and into which the snow vanishes when it is warm they cease to flow when it is hot they vanish from their place the paths of their way turn aside they go nowhere and perish the caravans of Tema look the travelers of Sheba hope for them they are disappointed because they were confident they come there and are confused he's saying you've been like the water brooks that are mighty in winter but dry up in summer your coming was a ray of hope to me but your words have brought no comfort he's saying you are disappointing to me the way dried up brooks disappoint travelers they know where the water is but when they come to drink the brook is dried up the expected relief they expected relief but were disappointed and ashamed that they were deceived and that's what you become you know I was looking to you for water and you've turned out to be just dried up brooks with no nourishment for me at all in verse 21 for from now you are you are nothing now you're dried up you see terror and are afraid did I ever say bring something to me or offer a bribe for me from your wealth or deliver me from the enemy's hand or redeem me from the hand of oppressors look at you like that stream you see me you become afraid that you might suffer too but did I ever say bring something to me offer a bribe for me do you think I'm going to ask for financial help or any help from you at all he says in verse 24 teach me and I'll hold my tongue cause me to understand wherein I've aired how forceful are right words but what does your arguing prove do you intend to rebuke my words in the speeches of a desperate one which are as wind yes you overwhelm the fatherless and you undermine your friend now therefore be pleased to look at me for I would never lie to your face yield now let there be no injustice yes concede my righteousness still stands is there injustice on my tongue cannot my taste discern the unsavory so he's making it very clear to them that your arguments lack substance not only do their arguments lack substance but they are insensitive he's saying you use words that are impressive I'll listen to words of wisdom and I'd listen to truth but by reproaching me you have aired in verse 26 you're taking my words and not understanding the pain that produced them I'm miserable I'm helpless I'm hopeless but you see them as wind without substance in verse 27 you overwhelm the fatherless you undermine your friend was to say you lack compassion and because you do you have increased my pain you lack compassion you know one of the things that helps you to grow in compassion is simply being around people who are hurting it's a fact again I'll say this it's just a real personal and I'll say it very quickly I've prayed that the Lord would help me to have a compassion at heart for many years and and and I think to some degree that compassion has been formed in my heart but it wasn't a natural thing at all and what happened in my case is I began to experience in ministry as a young man things that were very very difficult and I don't want to say this in a light way and I hope it doesn't I hope it doesn't come off that way and it may very well forgive me if it does but I'm thinking of one of the things that the Lord used in my life to help me to understand to have to grow to have compassion because compassion is is the ability to feel the pain of somebody else alongside of them and as a young pastor in this church we had a funeral for a stillborn baby about 38 years ago and when I performed that funeral and I had small babies of my own when I performed that funeral my friend Randy who was one of my assistants came with me and after sharing and I saw the father pick up the casket of his newborn with the body of a little his little baby and he carried it just the daddy there were no pallbearers there was just his daddy carrying him little boy and I was watching this father broken carrying this little baby in this casket that hit me in such a profound way I've never forgotten I've never forgotten it hit me in such a deep way that when we walked out of this particular chapel I couldn't go outside I had to stand in the foyer I had to stand in the foyer to gather myself and my friend Randy we were young men guys in our early 30s it's not like older you know I was a younger man in my early 30s and my friend is younger than me and I looked at Randy I looked at my friend and I just shook my head because that moved me so deeply that I broke down I started to sob my friend Randy took me like I was his his son and wrapped me in his arms and held me as I sobbed it was at that point in my life that I know that God was beginning to answer a prayer that I had for many years fathered I want compassion I don't have it I want it I want it and that's that was a breaking point in my life it really was very personal story may not made sense to you but I asked the Lord help me to feel the pain of others compassion is something that some people just really need to pray that the Lord will give to them because right now there seems to be such an anger in the church towards so much that's wrong that we're losing compassion for those who are lost and anger seems to be the greater emotion and and me I get angry like anybody else when I'm asking the Lord God help me to show compassion to those they don't know you Jesus you died on a cross and you said father forgive them they know not what they do help me to not become hard towards the pain others feel never to justify it never to say it's okay never to excuse it but never to judge them for where they're at too because one of the things that went into my come to faith in Christ was was I was accepted by those who love Jesus in such a way that it made me realize that I didn't know the one that they that they knew that's what helped to open my eyes and so what what Job is simply saying is I'm miserable and I'm helpless I'm in such great pain and I'm hopeless but you're lacking compassion and because of your lack of compassion you're increasing the pain that I feel he says in verses 28 through 30 and I'll close therefore be pleased to look at me for I would never lie to your face yield now let there be no injustice concede my righteousness still stands is there injustice on my tongue cannot my taste discern the unsavory look at me consider what I've gone through and what I've been brought to you need to admit that I haven't yielded my walk with God even after going through such pain have I spoken any untruths am I not capable of discerning what is right or wrong where is your compassion and that's how he closes this portion of this chapter where is it if I haven't spoken untruth and if I'm capable of discerning what is right and wrong then you need to examine your own heart and the way that you're speaking to me you know the book of Job is one of the most raw books that you have in the bible there are so many things that you see here that you probably can identify with and we're going to have to leave this at this point we'll leave Job where he's finally saying is there injustice on my tongue we'll pick up next time in verse one in chapter seven because he's not through talking he's got a few more things to say