 Reading verses one through four and getting into our study Job chapter 18 then Bill dad the shoe height Answered and said How long till you put an end to words gain understanding and afterward will speak Why are we counted as beasts and regarded as stupid in your sight? You who tear yourself in anger shall the earth be forsaken for you Thank you, Bill dad that was very kind of you It's a nice way to begin and you shouldn't do that because after all you are the shortest man in the Bible you are shoe height But with that said I Did that on purpose I knew you've heard that before so there Okay, Job is just asked a question Job had a question in chapter 17 at verse 15 he said where then is my hope as For my hope Who can see it as for my hope? Who can see it? What hope do I have? What hope can you offer me? As for any hope offered to me The things that are being promised will never come to pass The things that you say Will never happen You see what we're seeing here at this point is In the midst of his incredible pain And in the midst of his frustration Job has now lost hope. He's despairing if you will he's despairing of hope now When we speak of hope in the hope that he's speaking about obviously, but when we speak of hope Many look at the word hope or the concept of hope as what others might just simply call wishful thinking But the Bible doesn't teach that hope is wishful thinking The bible teaches us especially in the christian understanding of hope is That hope is really what would be called confident expectation This confidence that we have is built on our relationship to jesus christ and jesus christ Is our hope Jesus christ is the foundation of our hope. He is our hope. He is what has been called our our blessed hope He's the one that we have full confidence in He's the one that we can trust So in the new testament sense of hope when we when we read of hope we see that It is really what would be called confidence It's it's not that gee i wish or somehow it could no it's a confidence that it will that god will do what god has said And jesus christ is the one who was the author of our hope He's the one that our hope is centered on and again i mentioned he is also referred to in scripture As our blessed hope i i didn't put this in my notes, so you're not going to see it on the screen But in uh the book of titus in chapter 2 Verses 11 following to verse 14 Now paul said the grace of god that brings salvation has appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts We should live soberly righteously and godly in the present age And then he said verse 13 of chapter 2 of titus Looking for the blessed hope And glories appearing of our great god and savior jesus christ who gave himself for us That he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people zealous for good works Looking for the blessed hope Jesus christ is our hope Very often when we see that term looking for the blessed hope we consider the blessed hope to be What we we have called the rapture, but the blessed hope is not simply Something that is going to take place not simply the event of but the blessed hope really is jesus himself So our hope is deposited in him because he is our hope and he is our blessed hope And because we have this hope we can have confidence Because we have this hope we know that what he has said he will do Now what doesn't always appear that he will I have to be honest with you there are times when I've wondered lord Will you do what you say you're going to do will you actually do that? Because sometimes I can lose hope and I've been walking with the lord for a long time and I can begin to wonder lord Are you really going to do what you say? I was sharing with john just the other day how that the lord began to teach me at a very early christian age That he answers prayer And I was sharing with him an illustration something that was very Foundational in my own walk with lord that had taken place when I was a young man. I was 20 years old And uh, I had gone into the military was in the army We're going through basic training and several friends of mine and I decided when we got a weekend off to go home and when we were up in uh in uh Fort ord up by monoray And one of the guys had a car. He had a night. I think it was a 1956 buick a big old car And so we were able to fill it up with several of us Or I think three guys in the front maybe four in the back seat. I forget And we started driving south Because all of us lived in the southern portion of Of california southern cal and as we're driving home We were driving from monoray, and I was telling john about this. I I shared with him now that well 50 years ago Uh, the highways and all aren't what they are now They they were they were actually like two or four lanes and that was about it And so we were coming down. It was actually two lanes. We were 10 miles north of uh, santa maria And as we were coming down Towards uh the south going towards santa maria. I was sharing with him how the car broke down And so it you know What an amazing thing in 1956 buick broke down and and so We pull over to the side of the road and as we're on the side of the road There's nothing we can do and it's starting to uh to grow dark And there's nothing there There's just at that point. It was just a two lane There's nothing there And I think oh great, you know, here we are we're stuck here. We're outside of santa maria We still have you know 100 plus miles to go over 100 miles to go to get home I was on my way to norwalk We had a friend of ours who was on his way to huntington beach and we thought how is this going to happen? There's no traffic here You know and I got concerned and so I went to the side of the road there and and two of my friends who Actually owned the car the guy who owned the car and his his best friend Were there and they were going to say and try and get the car running and the rest of us We're going to hitchhike and see if we could get home And so I went and I I remember sticking my thumb out to try and catch a ride And when I did that my friend bill said to me wait a minute. We're christians. Let's ask god. Where are his children? God answers prayer So I said well, yeah, that's cool. I'm a brand new christian. Maybe he will let's see what happens I'm willing to take a try So I remember we held hands, you know bill and I we were the only christians there all the rest of the guys were not believers And so bill and I and these guys said we're going to pray and and I remember the prayer is a real simple one Jesus, please help us. We want to go home Help us that was it And so we got all excited. What's god going to do you have to understand? There's no traffic and so We thought well, we might as well start walking towards Santa Maria until the prayers answer Let's put some feet to our prayers and so we started walking And as god is my witness, we didn't walk 40 40 meters You know 50 yards. We didn't we didn't walk that far when we we hear the sound of a car coming towards us It's a Volkswagen It's a young girl and her little brother And they pull over on the side of the road now you got to figure there's six or seven men on the side of the road 10 miles outside of Santa Maria and a young girl about 16 or 17 pulls over that's stupid So she pulls over and her her little brother rolls the window down and this is what she said I'll never forget. She says I don't know why I'm doing this I'm a Christian and god just told me to pull over and give you a ride And so we got all excited So we put our pagan friends in In the car. It's true So one sat in three sat there. There was three of us somewhere. So that's how many of them were all together And so she says I'm going to drive to Santa Maria I'm going to drop them off these guys off At uh at the bus station. I'll come back and if you're still here, I'll give the rest of you a ride to Santa Maria Now we're rejoicing in the Lord because when she said I'm a christian my friend bill and I said so are we You just answered our prayer. So, you know, you could say, oh, oh praise god I'm not pulling all pulling over for a bunch of escaped convicts. And so Now I'm excited because god just did something And as god is my witness we began to walk and a Volkswagen van a hippie limousine pulls over And when the van pulls over The guy rolls down his window and he says you guys need some help you need a ride And so we said yeah, we do So we had a friend named Mike Feeney Mike Feeney was on his way to Huntington beach Bill and I were on our way to norwalk So we told these guys again 10 10 miles outside of Santa Maria We said this is where we're going and the guy says hop in I can take you So there we go And I bill and I climb into the back and it was you know, it was a hope it was you know There was a bed there's like a bed So we were able to just kind of lay down and the guy there was a guy back there And he was a christian So this christian guy bill and I fellowship until we fell asleep My friend Mike who was a pagan the guy driving was a pagan so they talk pagan And He pulls over in norwalk a half mile from where bill and I lived Pulled over and said see you guys later. Thanks a lot. We said thanks a lot and he took Mike all the way to his doorstep because they were on their way to Huntington beach And see that's when the lord began to teach me and he has to teach me over and over It's not like I learned forever. I know no Your lessons very often are okay. I'm teaching you something now, but you're going to forget So I'm going to teach you again You're going to forget and he's been teaching me things for 50 years about how good he is so that I could one day Have confidence in my god So that I could hear his voice when he speaks And so I could know that he's moving And he's done it so many times in so many ways I'm sure that all of us have our own stories of how god met us in a special place at a special time When nothing else was going to happen that that we thought was good But god said no, I'm going to be here and I'll show you what I can do He's done that so many times with me So many times and yes my lessons have to be learned more than once like everybody else's I have to relearn and relearn. He is faithful, but he has always given me confidence He's always and that's hope confidence in god My hope is in the lord and the christian understanding of hope is that expectation And it's built on not our attempts to be good It's built on the reality that he's good and he keeps his word And so we have a strong hope because we trust in jesus and jesus does the work on our behalf Remember he has conquered death And he's the one who has brought us into his kingdom In the book of hebrus in chapter 2 verses 14 and 15 the writer says Since the children have flesh and blood He too shared in their humanity So that by his death He might destroy him who holds the power of death that is the devil And free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death God has set us free from the fear of death Oh death, where is thy sting? O grave? Where is thy victory? You see the lord has given to us this hope this knowledge and it's a continuing hope It's one that doesn't fade away Because it's rooted in jesus christ in first peter 1 verse 3 Peter wrote blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ According to his great mercy He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of jesus christ from the dead Now obviously here in the book of job as job is beginning to lose hope Job lived long before jesus came And therefore he doesn't have the kind of hope that he didn't have the kind of hope that we have For him hope was something That that he could lose easily and this is what he's doing at this point As we've been looking at this book. He's just simply losing his hope To begin to lose hope is a great loss We need to trust in the lord. We need to remain steadfast in him Because in many ways We know that hope is the only tie that keeps the heart from breaking And so we as believers need to keep our eyes firmly on the lord. Remember this he has never failed us And he never will In psalm 33 verses 16 through 21 No king is saved by the size of his army No warrior escapes by his great strength A horse is a vain hope for deliverance Despite all its great strength it cannot save But the eyes of the lord Are on those who fear him on those whose hope Is in his unfailing love To deliver them from death And keep them alive In famine We wait in hope for the lord For he is our help and our shield In him our hearts rejoice for we trust in his holy name See that's the cry of the believer Our hope is in the lord. We trust in him And so we've been looking at that and even as we had finished chapter 17 And and job had asked that question at verse 15. Where's my hope? Well, this has caused bill dad To to get a bit upset and so bill dad answers and gives job what we would see in scripture as His second speech now notice how he begins he begins with an insult How long till you put an end to words gain understanding and afterward we will speak So he begins with an insult apparently he he's tired of job's lengthy speeches He's irritated by the fact that job isn't listening And he's bothered because job is is treating their advice with contempt So he asks the question in verse two and how long will you speak these things? He's wanting to know how long you're gonna continue. How long will you you speak these things? How long till you put an end to words gain understanding afterward we will speak How long are you gonna speak like this in other words gain understanding think a little bit before you speak? Because if you think a little bit before you open your mouth, it'll it'll it'll It'll be a good thing Now when he says be slow to speak That's really not bad advice. Let's let's Let's admit to that In in the proverbs there's the book of proverbs has a lot Of exhortation concerning a learning to to hold our peace and to not be so quick to speak And proverbs 10 verse 19 when words are many sin is not absent He who holds his tongue is wise Proverbs 13 verse 3 he who guards his lips guards his life But he who speaks rashly Will come to ruin Proverbs 15 verse 2 the tongue of the wise commends knowledge But the mouth of fools gushes folly Proverbs 17 27 a man of knowledge uses words with restraint Man of understandings even tempered again. This is one of those lessons that It took a while for the lord to teach me I don't know what you were Like when you were growing up. I don't know what your home was like when you were growing up Maybe you came from a very civil home a very a home that that uh Ran in an orderly orderly fashion where nobody really ever spoke and And at the dinner table you'd say would you please pass the salt and they'd say well, of course and they would hand it Maybe that was your home. That wasn't mine We came I came from a home where My mom pretty much spoke her mind whenever she wanted to and And I never saw anything wrong with that. I thought that's the way Everybody is you just speak your mind And so I went into the army and I learned some lessons there about speaking my mind You're not supposed to I still remember I was standing in in formation um the company that I served in was uh Little over 400 strong And every morning from monday through friday. We would come out We'd have to stand in formation and we had sergeants in front of each one of the We were broken into different groups and we had sergeants and And all of that and they would kind of bellow out things to us and so there's 400 of us and and the sergeant um that was um Talking to us that day Said my name. He said rosalis You have extra duty this afternoon Which means I had done something that he didn't like And I said no, I don't Now i'm saying this in front of 400 people And the sergeant says you have extra duty and you're going to be staying afterwards and you're going to be working extra duty And I said no i'm not And he kind of looks at you and you don't do that in the army, but I didn't know you don't because i'm rosalis He said yes, you are And I said no i'm not And now he's not happy Yes, you are your state. I said no i'm not So he says go into my office So in front of all these guys I have to get out and I have to walk into his office And so I know what's going to happen He's going to come in and bluster and try and scare me And i'm not that guy you don't do that So I'm thinking oh boy here we go But the spirit I was a new christian and the spirit of the lord spoke to me And the spirit of the lord said you are out of order You should have been respectful You should never have spoken to him that way when he walks in the room apologize So he walks in and he starts hitching his pants up and he's going to go into that threatening thing And I looked at him and I said before you say anything I'm a christian The holy spirit just spoke to my heart And let me know that I was out of order And I have to ask you for forgiveness. I'm sorry for speaking the way that I just did He thought I was afraid of him But to be real with you I wasn't I was more afraid of him the lord Because the lord had spoken to my heart And had made it clear listen I was only a few months old in the lord. I came out of the world I'm not used to people telling me what to do the fact that god put me in the army He had a lot to teach me especially about following orders and disciplining And I wasn't the best soldier. I have friends that were great soldiers I wasn't I was the guy who wouldn't cut his hair I was the guy who I didn't for two years I didn't I didn't iron my my my fatigues I would ball him up and wear him all wrinkled And and and it got on the people's nerves and I liked it I wanted to I still remember walking by in the mess hall and the captain and the NCOs were all in one room and and the rest of us were in a different room And the captain captain daniels I was walking by with my tray and captain daniels said rossales And I looked at him. He said get in here So I go walking in there with my tray and he points at me in front of all the sergeants and lieutenants and he says This is what I'm talking about. I don't like this in my army He's talking about me and I'm thinking gosh. I guess he doesn't like me. I'm not the model Well, look at me. My shoes are all dirty. My fatigues are all messed up I didn't care I hadn't cut my hair and he says you have to cut your hair And he says you go and you get your hair cut today That's an order and then I pulled extra duty that time because you don't tell the captain You're not going to pull extra duty. I had a lot to learn I had a lot to learn about being polite. I had a lot to learn about about just everything related to dying to self and and I really believe very strongly that God wanted to teach me something. He wanted to teach me to shut up Which was kind of hard because like I said, it's true You know and we never even thought we were being rude. I didn't think I was being rude. You can ask my wife When we married, I thought you would just tell your wife. Hey, this is what I think. This is what you're going to do This is how it's going to be. Talk to you later. You got any questions? I'm serious. I'm not this. She's a saint. I'm serious and she would just look at me and I said, okay, then You understand, right? And she would just look at me She came from a quiet family Her family thinks for a while before they speak So I'd say, okay, it's settled, right? I'd go outside too I'd come walking in 30 minutes later. She'd say listen, mister, we got to talk and I'd look at her like I thought this is settled But it wasn't so I had a lot to learn. I still do a lot to learn So see I gave you a lot of scriptures about keeping your mouth shut because I'm talking to me I'm see these these are things that the lord taught me Keep your mouth shut when words are many sin is not absent. I don't always have to open my mouth I don't have to always give my opinion. I don't have to always be right. I don't have to It's okay if I'm not I had to learn these things. So I'm basically preaching to me and my wife is here She'll repeat this later. So what is bill dad saying? in effect When you shut up and start to listen We can talk How long Till you put an end to words gain understanding and afterward We will speak and so Verse three, why are we counted as beasts and regarded as stupid in your sight? You who tear yourself in anger Shall the earth be forsaken for you or shall the rock be removed from its place? So he's responding to the many statements job made Now remember Job had said that they were forgers of lies They were worthless physicians. He said that in chapter 13 verse 4 In chapter 16 verse 2 he had called them miserable comforters In chapter 17 verse 10 He says please come back all of you for I shall not find one wise man among you Well, because of this and other comments that he had made bill dad responds and he does it with a rebuke He wants to know Why they are counted as beasts now when you read that why do you count us as a beast that that is another way of saying? Why are you calling us ignorant? Why are you calling us stupid? That's really what he's saying in verse 4 when he asked the quest or when he makes the statement you who tear yourself in anger Shall the earth be forsaken for you? Remember in in job 16 verse 9 Job had said he tears me in his wrath and hates me. Well bill dad is saying you tear yourself in anger You're blaming god You're the one responsible for your own problems when he asked shall the earth be forsaken Shall the course of the world be altered to meet your wishes And should that which is the most firm speaking of a rock alter its very nature for you He said in verse 5 the light of the wicked indeed goes out and the flame of his fire Does not shine So the light of the wicked indeed goes out in other words what he has acquired Of honor and prosperity or or splendor Well, that will be taken from him the light of the wicked goes out The flame of his fire does not shine in other words not a single trace Will remain In proverbs 13 verse 9 the light of the righteous rejoices But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out Proverbs 24 verse 20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man the candle of the wicked Shall be put out so that's what bill dad is saying In verse 6 the light is dark in his tent And his lamp beside him is put out Well, when it says the light is dark in his tent that would mean his tent being his household His entire household is going to be affected Because the tent is a reference to his dwelling place and in other words everything that he values Will be lost in verse 7 the steps of his strength are shortened And his own counsel casts him down The steps of strength speaks of his ability to move about freely with confidence And his own counsel are his plans So his plans that he has made will lead to his downfall So he will not be able to walk around with confidence And he's actually going to see his plans fail and the plans that he's made will lead to his failure In Job 5 verse 12 remember it reads he frustrates the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot carry out their plans So he continues on in verse 8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet He walks into a snare that the net takes him by the heel A snare lays hold of him a noose is hidden for him on the ground and a trap for him in the road So this speaks of snares and traps that are encircling him and and capturing him Again a minute ago he was saying he could once at one time walk around freely he exercised control But now voluntarily he's trapped And he is unwisely walking into snares Nets and nooses were used to capture unsuspecting animals And so what's happening is he's being ensnared In Psalm 9 verse 16 it says the wicked is snared In the work of his own hands and so he's speaking about him reaping what he's been sowing in verse 11 He speaks in this way Terrors frighten him on every side Drive him to his feet His strength is starved And destruction Is ready at his side It devours patches of his skin The firstborn of death devours his limbs He's uprooted from the shelter of his tent And they parade him before the king of terrors You're going to be surrounded by vague fears These fears describe what anxiety produces in a person's life Notice in verse 11 how he says terrors frighten him on every side The word terror speaks of fear it speaks of panic Panic shall nip at his heels Panic will drive him into many anxious moments In verse 12 it says his strength is starved Destruction is ready at his side So when it says his strength is starved his strength is failing him he becomes weak Because fear can cause you to become weak He feels like he's going to die Destruction is ready at his side he fears he's going to die Notice verse 13 it devours patches of his skin Devours patches of his skin can speak of the tumors The filthy ulcers that he has When it speaks concerning the firstborn of death devouring his limbs The word limbs don't speak just of that which is has skin and sinew It actually is speaking of his skeletal or his bones It's speaking of his bones When it says it devours patches of his skin those are the tumors And his bones are becoming brittle and being devoured He speaks of the firstborn of death The firstborn of death is an interesting phrase Commentators that I use said that this may be speaking of the initial stages of dying Or when it says the firstborn of death They said or it could be speaking of the worst of all diseases But his body is growing sickly And he's wasting away slowly and and and what stood out And I want to take you to another passage in a moment But what what stood out to me and I was thinking of it just before I came out to teach tonight tonight was In verse 11 when he says terrors frighten him on every side and drive him to his feet terrors In first john and I'm going to turn my bible there for a second in first john chapter 4 Listen to this what it says in verses 17 And 18 first john 4 if you take notes verses 17 and 18 terrors terrors frighten him on every side The bible says in first john chapter 4 verses 17 and 18 love has been perfected among us in this That we may have boldness in the day of judgment because as he is So are we in the world there is no fear in love But perfect love casts out fear Because fear involves torment But he who fears Has not been made perfect in love This scripture here Verse 18 first john chapter 4 if you take notes you may want to note it and might want to memorize it I want to share with you a little bit about that because it's something practical to me And it may not come out practically to you as I think about it. I hope I can help you to see the point that I'm making because Bill dad is telling joe that he is surrounded by terror And I think about that because in a practical way many people today are surrounded by fear It's motivating people to do all kinds of things that we're sharing Just this last week how my wife marie and I marie's always trying to get me to take walks I'm that guy who doesn't want to I don't like to But marie wants to And so I always say honey Go ahead If you want to take a walk go ahead, baby, I'll be waiting for you But this last week we took a bit of a walk So she and I are walking and I'm I'm the reluctant traveler She's the you know the happy wanderer me. I'm the reluctant traveler And so we're walking down the street You know ball and chain and Miss walker And we're looking up ahead of us, you know a block or so half a block up And on the corner here. We're on one side of the street. They're on the opposite side up at the corner We see a man and his wife. I'd assume and their dog One of the little dogs is little dogs. I don't know what you call them worthless, but one of those dogs And and they're walking towards us they're about to cross the street to get on the same side of street Now marie and I aren't wearing masks. We're not wearing masks and they are I think they were wearing spacesuits I mean they're wearing masks And so they stopped It's kind of funny in some ways, but they stopped And they're looking at us and we're looking back at them Marie's smiling. I'm just looking And they go back And I turned to marie and I said I think they're afraid of us Because we're not wearing masks And now I'm tempted. I want to chase them Now this is fun And so they walk on the other side of the street And you know they're giving us this look like Don't you care? Now, of course I do, but we've already had COVID. I'm not concerned about it at all And even if I hadn't I have to be honest. I wouldn't have been concerned. Anyway, you know, because I trip Okay, that's an old word. I should I I'm really I I don't know what I don't know a good word that would I trip out I do and I I blow my mind it when people are driving by driving by With all the windows up and they've got a mask on I look at them What are you doing? But that's they they they feel safe whatever, you know feel safe. I I guess You know, I I see them do that. I see them walking by themselves. They have their mask And I think you're probably taking it further than you need to but I respect the fact that you think that you're taking care of me Or yourself. I respect that. I just don't understand it No, I don't understand it when you drive by in the car with your mask and all the windows up No, I don't I don't understand it when you have a helmet and you have all that No, I don't I don't get it Especially when I saw the same couple later on we were walking and they were coming towards us again You know and and they got a dog But he's carrying the dog and I'm thinking what's wrong with you man. That's got four legs It should be carrying you but that's another story What is I don't want to live in bondage I just don't I and I'm not going to and I haven't you see fear has torment now in context What john is talking about in first john chapter four is The recent these people have torment is because they don't know the lord That's why they have torment There's no fear in love But perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment is involved They don't know that their security in christ is solid because they're unsaved and because they're unsaved They are they are driven by their fear. Why because they don't know what their future is And so when he's speaking this way That's what he's referring to when he says love has been perfected among us in this that we may have boldness in the day of judgment Because as he is so are we in this world? That's what the clue is for what he's referring to in the next verse When he says there's no fear in love. What's he saying? He's saying that a believer knowing where you're going Knowing your final destination is to be with jesus christ When you have that confidence you don't live in fear anymore And as believers we need to understand that today because I I can't help but think that sometimes we even as believers have failed to understand that He says fear has torment Perfect love casts out fear When you when you are secure with the lord, you're wise you don't you're not presumptuous You don't make uh, you don't tempt the lord and all of the things that are quite obvious in scripture that we're not to do But you can live at peace And and that's what I didn't have when I didn't have jesus. I didn't have peace But when I came to know him I came to know what peace is Because perfect love casts out fear again Job didn't have that i'm turning back now. Job didn't have that kind of understanding And so the one who doesn't have that kind of understanding though it didn't really apply to job I have to be careful with this because What what bill that is doing is accusing job Of being a sinner which job is not But again the knowledge of our our security and that god has written our names in the book of life That comes in the new testament So bill that is just telling him that if you don't have a faith and knowledge of god Your whole life is going to be one of fear. They're going to be nooses and traps for you. You're going to be walking in terror But he's saying that to job because he believes that job Doesn't that job is sinned And that's why his life is so messed up which does not apply to job But in the new testament sense the reason I don't have to be walking in terror and being frightened on every side Be weak with fear and all of that is because I have a relationship with lord and so do you And because of that we're not concerned the way that he is saying concerning job Now notice verse 14 he is uprooted from the shelter of his tent They parade him before the king of terrors They uproot him from the shelter of his tent. His home no longer brings shelter and safety Ultimately when it says they parade him before the king of what what is referring to the uh is is that Um, he is brought to death the death he suffers is the worst that he could ever imagine for himself So that's what bill dad is saying. He goes on and says in verse 15. They dwell in his tent who are none of his Brimstone is scattered on his dwelling his roots are dried out below his branch withers above The memory of him perishes from the earth And he has no name among the renowned He's driven from light into darkness Chased out of the world He has neither sun nor posterity among his people Nor any remaining in his dwellings Those in the west are astonished at his day As those in the east are frightened surely Such are the dwellings of the wicked And this is the place of him who does not know god. So you see where he's going with all of this with job So when it says in verse 15 they dwell in his tent who are none of his people are taking his property It speaks of brimstone being scattered in his dwelling Destruction replaces his prosperity It's a picture really of destruction the way that saddam was destroyed and and gamora was destroyed it with the picture of brimstone In verse 16 when it says his roots are dried out below and his branch withers above Well It speaks of a life that is has has has no vitality The psalmist when he was speaking of the one who was blessed by god gives us some insight into this When he says in psalm one verse three about the one who's walking with the lord He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season Whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper And so bill dad is saying that job is unrighteous. So he's going to be an unwatered tree He's going to simply waste away his life is going to dry up He will produce no fruit it even speaks concerning his children dying In verse 17 the memory of him perishes from the earth He will die And no one will even know that he ever lived Now in the jewish way of thinking In the in the middle eastern as well as the jewish way of thinking There are very few things that bring you greater dishonor than to die and nobody know that you existed In proverbs 10 verse 7 it says we have happy memories of the godly But the name of the wicked person rots away So every person wanted to leave something behind to be known of we call it a legacy today But they wanted to have a legacy. He's saying you won't have a legacy the memory Your memory will perish from the earth And so in verse 18 it says he's driven from light into darkness. He's chased out of the world When it says he'll be driven from light light representing blessings and prosperity And then he says into darkness. It could be a picture of the darkness of adversity So he's going to be driven from blessing into adversity It also speaks of being driven from the light of the living to the darkness of death because darkness is south Would be the grave or it could even be speaking of something further than that He'll be driven into eternal darkness As opposed to being in god's presence remember in matthew 25 verse 30 Jesus said in one of his stories cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And so this has a variety of meanings In verse 19 it says he he has neither son nor posterity among his people nor any remaining in his dwellings His family will be cut off He'll have no children to carry on his name Or to carry on his memory That would be Taken very personally by job Who had 10 children die That's a very low blow for him very low blow Because he's inferring just like you joe by making a point You're a sinner. You're denying so many things Well, you need to remember that the wicked don't have children He has neither son or posterity amongst his people None remaining in his household Your family will be cut off And that must have cut to the heart Those in the west are astonished at its day as those in the east are frightened surely such are the dwellings of the wicked And this is the place of him who does not know god When it says those in the west are astonished is his fate will alarm all who see what is happening to him And it's going to stand out as a warning to others It's going to become a proverb It's going to be a warning Interestingly enough and we're about to close with this Job did become an example And he did become a model but not for being a sinner Job is remembered as a model of a righteous man In james chapter 5 verses 10 and 11 my brethren take the prophets who spoke in the name of the lord as an example of suffering and patience Indeed we count them blessed to endure You have heard of the perseverance of job And seen the end intended by the lord That the lord is very compassionate and merciful Where bill dad is saying that he's not going to have any legacy bill dad was wrong Because job was not in sin At least the type of sin That bill dad and his friends are accusing him of And later on he did leave a legacy Later on he was known for something. I always say this when I think of it At portions of scripture and this is this and there are those watching right now. Perhaps you can take this to heart also Live in such a way I see you for many of you heard me say this before Live in such a way That at your funeral people can speak truth about you and not have to make up stories of how good you were when in fact you weren't There's hardly anything that's more difficult Than to to give a funeral for somebody Who did not live an honorable life The very first funeral that I ever did I was I think about 27 or 28 years old The very first funeral I've said this before some of you have heard me Say it but the very first funeral I ever did was was a very difficult one because the person being buried There was nothing good to say about him There really wasn't the man Had molested his own daughter The man was an alcoholic. He was he was he was a gambler who was lost everything lost his family lost everything I have to tell you it's very difficult To give a eulogy, you know the words eulogy means good words And you eulogize the dead you give good words Concerning the dead You know how difficult it is to speak of someone who had nothing you could say that was good about them Don't live that way Don't live that way Don't live in such a way that people make up stories about you that are not true Live in such a way That when they speak of you they speak with a longing for you a wishing you were still here because you were so loved live that way That's how I try to live. I never want my children I would never want my children to have to come up and speak concerning me and make up things because dad really wasn't that way And when they were born, I made it my aim That I would be the kind of father That my children could be proud of I wanted a legacy I still do I want a legacy and so What bill dad is saying is you would you won't have one why because you're evil but that's not true because James said no you've heard of the of what job has gone through but how good god was to him at the end live in that way and finally Surely surely such are the dwellings of the wicked This is the place of him who does not know god Surely this is the general manner of those Who don't know god and job? This is you that Is going to provoke job Once again, and we'll pick that up in verse one in chapter 19 when job responds to the kind words of bill dad