Hearing Vs. Seeing
Notes
Transcript
“A picture is worth one thousand words.”
Tell of photo description. I had imagined a beautiful picture; I had listened and implemented the accurate, descriptive words. The real picture was FAR more colorful, FAR more detailed, FAR more beautiful. It was exactly what I had been told, and exponentially better than I could have possibly imagined.
Imagine a blind, previously-seeing person trying this!
Imagine an always-blind person trying this. Their imagination could not come close.
I. Context
I. Context
Job’s success - Job 1:1, 5-8
Job’s calamity - Job 1:13-19
Job’s submission and faithfulness - Job 1:20-22, 2:7-10
Job’s friends arrive, and after they showed true love for him (2:11-13), the dialogue begins.
Job’s great grief and bitterness (Job 3:1-3, 11-13)
Job’s friends’ diagnosis of what’s going on (ch. 4-25)
In the midst of this, Job puts his finger on his own need! (Job 23:8-10)
Job’s self-righteousness begins to reveal itself (Job 27:5-7, 11, Job 29:1-2, 11-17)
He bemoans great “mistreatment.” (Job 30:1-2, 10)
He pleads “unfairness.” (Job 30:25)
Job recounts his moral integrity, his faith in God, his kindness and generosity toward the needy, his personal discipline, and more. He did not deserve this calamity, because he was a Godly man. (Job 32:1)
Elihu then speaks (Job 32-37)
II. God Speaks
II. God Speaks
What a terrible and wonderful thing it is when God speaks! (Job 38:1-5)
After two chapters of “unanswerable riddles,” Job surrenders. (Job 40:1-5) But God wasn’t done. (Job 40:6-9) In descriptions of leviathan and behemoth, God thoroughly demonstrates man’s frailty and humility.
III. Job’s Lesson
III. Job’s Lesson
Job 42:1-6 - Job finally sees!
The Protests to Seeing - vs. 1-2
We know things, we’re faithful, we’re righteous, we don’t deserve this, etc. (We can create a “pretty picture” of God in our minds, much to our pride.) Knowing isn’t enough.
The Price for Seeing - vs. 3-6
What does it mean to see?
“I have heard OF thee by the hearing of the ear”
These are generic, impersonal interactions with truth. They are important, but God wants more for us!
“But”
“Now” - all is different
Amazing Grace: “I once was blind, BUT NOW I see...”
“Mine eye…seeth thee”
“Wherefore”
Self-abhorrence, and humility and repentance!
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
3. The Profit for Seeing - vs. 7-9
Helping others become right with God.
God doesn’t need our righteousness, wisdom, riches or might. He wants to show us Himself. He wants our humility and repentance, so that the world may be right with Him!
May we desire to see God clearly! Ex. 33:18
And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
IV. Our Lesson
IV. Our Lesson
Seeing God is not a formula, but the book of Job gives us some insight.
A. Be busy obeying what you know - Job 1:1, 5
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
B. Listen when God speaks - Job didn’t listen merely to formulate an answer.
He speaks through:
Our Bible reading
Prayer
Preaching
C. Accept what He says - listen to be corrected!
Job didn’t argue with God like he did with his friends. How foolish it is to push God’s correction out of our mind, or tell Him He is wrong.
When we respond like Job did, God using us in the lives of others won’t be our great righteousness and abilities at work, but simply us obeying our God. He gets ALL the credit!