Righteous vs. Evil

Intro

We are going through Job...

Point

How can we avoid using good for evil?

Reading

Job 10-13 a

Are there not a few days?

Leave me alone and

turn away from me, that

I might have a little light of joy

before I go. And I will not return

to the earth of darkness and

the shadow of death.

Continue...

The earth is the darkness of death

like the darkness of

the shadow of death,

with no order, and

it shines like death’s darkness.

Job 10:20-22

Job does not call out Sheol, but he describes it.

He makes a comparison of the light on earth and the deathly darkness of sheol and he CANNOT distinguish between the two.

It is as if he longs for death so that God can no longer reach him.

We will see later that he thinks this through and determines that he cannot escape God, even in death or Sheol.

How does his Friend respond...

Zophar Responds...

He (God) would tell you the

secrets of being wise (hochmah)

for there are two sides to wisdom (tushiyah).

And you know that God is doing

this to you because of your sin.

Job 11:6

Again, these friends go back to their understanding of sin, wickedness, and evil, and they equate what happens to you on earth with the will of God against you.

If you are good, then good things happen.

If you are bad, then bad things happen.

Zophar continues...

WITH A PRESCRIPTURE!

If only you would prepare your heart

and lift up your hands to him!

Get rid of your sins and

leave all wrongdoing behind you.

Then...

Your face will brighten with innocence.

You will be strong and free of fear.

You will forget your misery.

Your life will be brighter than the sun.

You will have courage.

You will be protected and safe.

You will be unafraid to sleep.

Many will seek you for help.

Job 11:13-20

Again, they are sure all of this is happening because Job is hiding sin.

They are wrong...

And Job has turned from their beliefs...

And Job is going to state it again.

Job 12:4–5 NLT

Yet my friends laugh at me, for I call on God and expect an answer. I am a just and blameless man, yet they laugh at me. People who are at ease mock those in trouble. They give a push to people who are stumbling.

Job has no fear calling on God.

But his friends, they “push people who are stumbling...”

Job is going to say something profound.

Something we don’t think about often.

But we should...

Job 13:6–9 NLT

Listen to my charge; pay attention to my arguments. “Are you defending God with lies? Do you make your dishonest arguments for his sake? Will you slant your testimony in his favor? Will you argue God’s case for him? What will happen when he finds out what you are doing? Can you fool him as easily as you fool people?

Think about this very carefully...

Zophar and others have called Job a SINNER.

They have declared that he should REPENT and ALL WILL BE FIXED BY GOD.

GOD will OWE Job RESTORATION.

This is a common belief among Christians and the Jesus profiteers.

Job 13:10–13 NLT

No, you will be in trouble with him if you secretly slant your testimony in his favor. Doesn’t his majesty terrify you? Doesn’t your fear of him overwhelm you? Your platitudes are as valuable as ashes. Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot. “Be silent now and leave me alone. Let me speak, and I will face the consequences.

I have often thought to myself....

“Will I benefit more if I stand before God and PROCLAIM

HOW I DEFENDED HIM and ACCUSED the SINNERS!”

BOTH SIDES:

Westboro Baptist

Liberal Churches

Defending or Using God, especially God’s word, is AKIN to saying, “God and scripture needs to be defended by me.”

Job 13:13 ESV

“Let me have silence, and I will speak, and let come on me what may.

So, you all can just SHUT UP!

(EXCEPT THEY WONT)

Even in the worst moment of his life, Job can distinguish between what is good and evil.

He has identified what is HAPPENING as Bad (Evil)

But he has not CALLED GOD evil.

He has not abandoned his faith...

Job 13:16 NLT

But this is what will save me—I am not godless. If I were, I could not stand before him.

Job is willing to put his case before God.

He sees God as his ONLY judge.

If you follow this logic through...

Job rejects his friends’ judgement,

because he trusts God’s judgement.

And this is where it gets hard for us.

When Jesus said, “Pray for your enemies,”

DID you TRUST his JUDGEMENT?

Do we live our lives according to that judgement?

Do we speak to one another according to that judgement?

SOAPBOX.....

And a core problem with our modernizing society is:

There is reducing belief in God

No righteous judge

There is increasing belief in POWER

Cannot judge righteously

You can buy it

People have made other people into their gods.

If you INSULT someone, they appeal to a higher power (Government)

But for Job, he places GOD as the HIGH JUDGE

And for that, he can dismiss what IS SAID ABOUT HIM.