Can you Pass the test?

Protocol

We praise God for another opportunity to preach God’s Word to God’s people.

Prayer:

Scripture Job:23:1-10

The New International Version (Chapter 23)

Then Job replied:

2 “Even today my complaint is bitter;

his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.

3 If only I knew where to find him;

if only I could go to his dwelling!y

4 I would state my casez before him

and fill my mouth with arguments.

5 I would find out what he would answer me,

and consider what he would say to me.

6 Would he vigorously oppose me?

No, he would not press charges against me.

7 There the upright can establish their innocence before him,

and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.

8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there;

if I go to the west, I do not find him.

9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;

when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.

10 But he knows the way that I take;

when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

Background

In this passages of scriptures we find Job continues to express his anguish and desire to plead his case before God. He longs for the opportunity to present his argument directly to God and seek answers for his suffering. despite his intense suffering and the silence he perceives from God Job maintains his trust in God’s justice and integrity. He expresses his unwavering faith that if he could stand before God, he would be vindicated. This chapter of Job serves as a pivotal moment in the book of Job showcasing Job’s relentless pursuit of understanding and his unwavering trust in God’s righteousness amidst immense hardships and adversity.

Proposition: Job desires to present his case before God, expressing his longing for God’s presence and justice despite his current suffering.

Unlike the current moment, in which the existence of suffering and evil makes Christian faith vulnerable to criticism and doubt, early Christians pointed to the pain and adversity of life as one of the main reasons for embracing the faith.

Timothy Keller

Desire to be in God’s presence

We see in the text that Job expresses a deep longing to meet with God and present his case directly to him. This highlights the importance of seeking God’s presence and guidance in times of difficulty.

Psalm 42:1–2 “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?”

Psalm 27:4 “One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.”

D we have a deep longing to be in God’s presence continually emphasizing the desire to behold God’s beauty and seek God’s dwelling place.

15  Let all our employment be to know God: the more one knows Him, the more one desires to know Him.

Brother Lawrence

The Practice of the Presence of God (17th century)

Brother Lawrence

Maintain integrity -integrity is define as the quality of being honest ethical and morally upright in one’s actions, it involves consistency between one’s beliefs, values, and behavior. it means being truthful all the times, it means being fair all the time it means being righteous all the time. even when we face challenges or temptations.

Job maintain his integrity despite what his friends said, He knew that he had done nothing wrong in the sight of God.

It does not require great learning to be a Christian and be convinced of the truth of the Bible. It requires only an honest heart and a willingness to obey God.

Albert Barnes

Trust God’s justice - involves believing that God is fair, righteous, and just in all of God’s dealing. it means having confidence that God’s judgment are based on truth, wisdom, and perfect knowledge, even when circumstances seem unjust or unclear from our perspective.

Trusting God requires faith, it involves surrendering the need for immediate vindication and placing one’s hope in God’s sovereign plan and timing.

Trusting in God’s justice means aligning one’s own actions and attitudes with God’s principles of justice and mercy, seeking to live in a manner that reflects God’s character and values.

Job 23:10“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out like gold.”

Gold is usually find underground and they tell me that miners extract the ore-bearing rocks containing the gold from the earth with the techniques of open pit mining or mining.

crushing and grinding - once the gold is minded it is crushed into smaller pieces to facilitate the extraction of gold particles. this process involves using crushers and grinding mills to break down the ore.

extracting gold from the ore- the crushed ore is then processed to extract the gold. this is done through the process of cyanidation, where a cyanide solution is used to dissolve the gold from the ore.

Refining- after it is extracted from the ore it is typically not in its purest form and may contain impurities such as metal or minerals so then the gold must go through chemical treatment to make it in a purer form of gold.

further purification is a step that is necessary to achieve the desired level of purity, this calls for more refining and treatment to remove all impurities.

finally once it has been through the process and purified to desired levels it ready to be used for various purposes.

My question Can you pass the test to come out as pure gold

Abraham was tested by the sacrifice of his son Isaac -Abraham willingness to obey God even in the most difficult circumstances his trust was that God will provide symbolized a pure gold experience.

David was test when face to defeat Goliath- David faith and trust in God were evident as he went to battle with a sling and five smooth rocks and took down a giant was David’s pure gold experience

Daniel test when he would not bow down to the king Daniel in his unwavering commitment to god and his refusal to compromise his faith even in the face of severe persecution and threats to his life

Daniel story should inspire believers to trust in God’s protection and remain faithful in times of trial.

conclusion

Desiring to be in the presence of God , Job maintain his integrity, Trusted God’s Justice,