230226 Job's Friends: The More Sure Prophetic Word | Beware how you listen

MP: We have the more sure prophetic word

Introduction:

2 Peter 1:16–21 | 16 For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly devised myths, but being eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have as more sure the prophetic word, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes by one’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Romans 10.17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

Romans 15.4 “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through the perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

2 Tim 3.16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Colossians 2.8 “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

John 10.16 ““And I have other sheep, which are not from this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”

John 10.27 ““My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;”

Luke 8.21 “But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.””

Luke 11.28 “But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.””

1 Tim 6.20 “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, turning aside from godless and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge—”

2 Tim 2:15-17 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid godless and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their word will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,”

2 tim 3.14-17 “But you, continue in the things you learned and became convinced of, knowing from whom you learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

He 13.7 “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

1 Tim 1.4 “nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the stewardship from God which is by faith.”

Tt 1.14 “not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.”

2 Tim 2.23 “But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.”

3 john 1.1-4 “The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

Dangers of extra biblical revelation -

Elevates mans wisdom over truth -

Combated by receiving, walking in, being rooted in Christ and established in your faith - as instructed through Scripture

Confuses and distorts truth

combatted with testing 1 John 4.1-8 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world hears them. We are from God. The one who knows God hears us; the one who is not from God does not hear us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Ep 5.6 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”

Develops into personal attacks and accusations as truth becomes founded on one’s own credibility - an argument over who is most popular

Is not loving

Truth becomes relative - my truth, your truth, their truth

No, truth is truth. There is only one truth and that is the truth that we desire

Reputation makes us think we have to give an answer for everything - not so

Eliphaz the Temanite - “My god is gold”: A dream dominates his understanding of truth - moralism - assumed gross and unknown sin in Job

Three stages -

Courteous, Cold in Job 4

According to what I have seen

Job 4.7-9 ““Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright wiped out? “According to what I have seen, those who plow wickedness And those who sow trouble harvest it. “By the breath of God they perish, And by the wind of His anger they come to an end.”

Weird experience

Job 4:12-16 ““Now a word was brought to me stealthily, And my ear received a whisper of it. “Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men, Dread came upon me, and trembling, And made the multitude of my bones shake in dread. “Then a spirit swept by my face; The hair of my flesh bristled up. “It stood still, but I could not recognize its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, then I heard a voice:”

This is what his experience revealed

Job 4.17-21 “‘Can mankind be right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? ‘He puts no trust even in His slaves; And against His angels He charges error. ‘How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before the moth! ‘Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces; Unobserved, they perish forever. ‘Is not their tent-cord pulled up within them? They die, yet without wisdom.’”

More edged in Job 15 .

Accused Job of being wicked in Job 22

Dream

Job 4.12-14 ““Now a word was brought to me stealthily, And my ear received a whisper of it. “Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men, Dread came upon me, and trembling, And made the multitude of my bones shake in dread.”

Job 4.7-8 ““Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright wiped out? “According to what I have seen, those who plow wickedness And those who sow trouble harvest it.”

Job 15.17-20 ““I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have beheld I will also recount; What wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers, To whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them. “The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless.”

Job 22 “Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, “Can a mighty man be of use to God, Or an insightful man be useful to himself? “Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect? “Is it because of your reverent fear that He reproves you, That He enters into judgment against you? “Is not your evil great, And your iniquities without end? “For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped the clothing of the naked. “To the weary you have given no water to drink, And from the hungry you have withheld bread. “But the earth belongs to the mighty man, And the highly respected man inhabits it. “You have sent widows away empty, And the might of the orphans has been crushed. “Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies you, Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And an abundance of water covers you. “Is not God in the height of heaven? Look also at the distant stars, how high they are! “You say, ‘What does God know?…”

Bildad the Shuhite - “The Lord loved” - claims Job is a wicked foolish hypocrite

Accuses Job of forgetting God - claims God does not punish the innocent

Job 8.11-13 ““Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without water? “While it is still green and not cut down, Yet it dries up before any other plant. “So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the godless will perish,”

Job 8.1-4 “Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said, “How long will you say these things, And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind? “Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right? “If your sons sinned against Him, Then He sent them into the power of their transgression.”

Bildad says Job should admit that he was suffering the just fate of the wicked (HIBD)

Job 18 “Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said, “How long until you put an end to your words? Show understanding and then we can talk. “Why are we regarded as beasts, As dense in your eyes? “O you who tear yourself in your anger— For your sake is the earth to be forsaken, Or the rock to be moved from its place? “Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out, And the flame of his fire gives no light. “The light in his tent is darkened, And his lamp goes out above him. “His vigorous stride is shortened, And his own counsel brings him down. “For he is thrown into the net by his own feet, And he steps on the netting. “A snare seizes him by the heel, And a device snaps shut on him. “A rope for him is hidden in the ground, And a trap for him on the path. “All around terrors frighten him, And harass him at every step. “His vigor is famished, And disaster is ready at his side. “The firstborn of death eats parts of his skin; It eats parts of him. “He is torn from the security of his tent, And they march …”

Bildad says no person can be righteous before God (HIBD)

Job 25 “Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said, “Rule and dread belong to Him Who makes peace in His heights. “Is there any number to His troops? And upon whom does His light not rise? “How then can mortal man be right with God? Or how can he be pure who is born of woman? “Behold even the moon has no brightness, And the stars are not pure in His sight; How much less mortal man, that maggot, And the son of man, that worm!””

Job 25.5 ““Behold even the moon has no brightness, And the stars are not pure in His sight;”

Zophar the Naamathite: Merciless, Suggests Job did not receive full punishment, insulting - speaks only twice. Has preconceived ideas and focused on common sense. Coarse Sharp dogmatic (HIBD)

Job 11.13-15 ““If you would set your heart right And spread out your hand to Him, If wickedness is in your hand, put it far away, And do not let unrighteousness dwell in your tents; Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect, And you would be steadfast and not fear.”

Job 11.6 “And tell you the secrets of wisdom! For sound wisdom has two sides. Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.”

Job 20 “Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said, “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me respond, Even because of my haste within me. “I listened to the discipline which dishonors me, And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer. “Do you know this from of old, From the establishment of man on earth, That the shouts of joy of the wicked are short, And the gladness of the godless momentary? “Though his loftiness goes up to the heavens, And his head touches the clouds, He perishes forever like his refuse; Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’ “He flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him; Even like a vision of the night he is chased away. “The eye which saw him sees him no longer, And his place no longer beholds him. “His sons seek the favor of the poor, And his hands give back his wealth. “His bones are full of his youthful vigor, But it lies down with him in the dust. “Though evil is sweet in his mouth And he hides it under his tongue, Though he desires it and w…”

There is danger in attributing hardship or trouble as directly related to an individual sin

Mt 5.45 “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

John 9.1-3 “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this was so that the works of God might be manifested in him.”

Some obviously is:

Josh 7.24-25 “Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? Yahweh will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.”

Gal 6.7-8 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

We must speak rightly of God

Job 42.8 ““So now, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.””