John Piper
Job - chapters
3-31
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The Book of Job - Notes on
chapters 3 - 31
- Side Note>>>>Worship is the
ultimate goal of the church - - - not evangelism ........Evangelism and
missions is a temporary stop-gap necessary fill-in measure until worship
happens........Evangelism and missions exist because worship
doesn't.......
- These are 29 chapters of bad theology .......
Why are they here????
- Like us, Job did well at the beginning, but
then, as it continues, the battle then rages on
- Job 7:2 - "I am allotted months of
emptiness........." So, this was a long term issue.......we think - -
-he's made it through the trial in chapters 1-2, but has he???? It continued
on.........
- In the beginning - - - Job's friends were quiet
for 7 days - - - see, people don't need your answer in the time of crisis and
pain........they need your company....
- At first, the friends wept, mourned, and they
sat for 7 days with him.......Sit with people when their suffering is
great.........
- Job 39-41 - God speaks
Overview
- Job 4-14 - - Cycle 1
- Job 15-21 - Cycle 2
- Job 22- - Cycle 3 - but, Zophar does not
speak
- Job 39-41 - God speaks
Cycle 1
- Chapter 3 - Job curses the day he was
born...........why did I not die at birth?........his faith is beginning to
waiver here............
- Friends begin to respond gently, then they
become more brutal....
- Job 4:7-8 - Eliphaz says, "Those who plow
iniquity, reap the same - - - trouble comes as a result of sin",
- 4v17 - Eliphaz knows we are all
sinners...........
- 5v17 - however, some trouble comes as discipline
from God.........
- when Eliphaz comes to apply this theology (which
is all somewhat true - - sin has consequences (4:7-8) , and God does discipline
(5v17)) to Job, however, he is insensitve and superficial........
- Ch 4:5-6 - - Eliphaz says, "and now it has
come to you, and you are impatient........"
- Why does Eliphaz respond here? Why not just let
his words go and listen some more?
- Ch 5v8 - Eliphaz sayd "I would seek God and
to God I would submit my cause"
- Ch 5 v 18 - "God wounds but he binds
up."........
- Piper believes Eliphaz is criticizing Job too
simply, too quickly, too superficially (5v8, 5v18)
- Job claims in ch 6v10 - "I have not denied
the words of the Holy One" 6v24 - Teach me...show me where I've sinned
!
- Ch 8v3-4 - Bildad says - does God pevert
justice........then he talks about his children - - right after they
died!!!!..........he applies a principle with such pastoral cruelty....when
Bildad doesnt know the situation of the 10 kids - - - saying, they must have
committed a huge transgression to receive this awful consequence....
- Then he goes after Job - - - Ch 8v6-7 - -
"If you seek God.....are pure and upright.....surely the he'll rouse
himself for you ........." see Job - you must have some hidden sin in your
life - If you'd repent, God will rise up and deliver you.........
- Job believes this simple way of viewing life is
far to simple and naieve...(big sin - big suffering) Ch 9v22-24 - - Job says,
"God destroys the blameless and the wicked...." The wicked prosper
and the innocent get killed - - -and God's behind it all" I don't buy your
simple theory!)
- Ch 10 v6-7 - - Job says Lord "you know I am
not guilty"...........Piper believes Job will begin to overstate his own
position......maybe not here......because Piper believes he's not wrong to say
this here...........later, he is not rebuked for his sin by God, but he is
rebuked by the Lord! ......
- Zophar speaks - - Ch 11v14-15 - - he's even more
harsh - - "If iniquity is in your hands - put it away" - - he
challenges Job - - If youre not guilty than lift it up and you will be
vindicated...
- Job becomes sarcastic - ch12v3 - -
"everyone's heard this"........13v4 - worthless physicians.......13v3
- I want to argue my case with God.......
As they go forward, the words become harsher and
less credible.......
Cycle 2
- Eliphaz - 15v20 - "the wicked man writhes
in pain"
- Bildad - 18v5 - "the light of the wicked is
being put out
- Zophar - 20v5 "the joy of the wicked is
short
Cycle 3
- Eliphaz - 22v5+ - totally brutal -most brutal
speech of all - - "is not your wickedness great? there is no end to your
inequities.....you have stripped the naked of their clothing........no water to
the weary....not given bread to the hungry......sent widows away
empty......."
- there's not a shred of truth in this at all!!!!
Since his theology can't handle Job, so he distorts Job.......when you have a
distorted theology, you're going to hurt people.........the only way you can
handle reality to fit your bad theology is to distort reality to fit it in
there.....
- Bildad - 6 verses........probably thinking what
eliphaz said is a little much....
- Zophar - says nothing...........
The Pattern
- Cycle 1 is real long - - everyone's getting
there theology out on the table
- Cycle 2 is shorter - - much of the same,
BUT..... it getting more harsh and less credible
- Cycle 3 is real short - - and the 1 sppech is
the most brutal...and untrue...the other says a few things and the third says
nothing.....
What's happening?
- the structure breaks down - - - which is a
poetic way saying the theology is breaking down.........at first, Eliphaz's
speech had symmetry to it, sensitivity, gentleness, some querying to it, .. and
then it gets more brittle, more wooden, less in touch with reality.....
- the theology of big sin corresponding to big
suffering / big righteousness corresponding to big prosperity does not
work!
Job's Faith
- Does his faith increase or decrease during these
chapters?
- ch7v9 - No future after the grave
- Ch 10v20-22 - land of gloom and deep darkness is
death
- Ch14v14 - he raises a question - if a man dies,
shall he live again?
- Ch19v25-27 - I know that my redeemer lives - and
at last he will stand upon the earth, and after my skin has been destroyed,
then, from my flesh, I shall see God......
- Ch 26v14 - his way are above understanding - the
thunder of his power - who can understand?
- Ch28v12 - man does not know the way to wisdom -
God understands the way to it...
- Ch26v6 - I hold fast to my righteousness......my
heart does not reproach me for any of my days....I'm not going to agree with my
accusers and demeaning God's sanctifying work in my life.
Applications
- true theological statements can be false - you
read these 3 guys and you agree with them, but its the balance and
sensitivity......they hold so tight to their principle, but it's just not true
in this case..Job is agood man and righteous....theology can hurt people as
well as help them....you can use true statements so badly.......poeple get a
little truth and they wreck lives with it......
- suffering and prosperity are not distributed in
the world in proportion to evil and good they do (ch 21v30 - the wicked are
spared in the day of calamity)......what the 3 friends theology just doesn't
work in the real world
- Nevertheless, God reigns over the affairs of men
from the greatest to the smallest ....the sovereignty of God is never
questioned by any of the 4 men in this book........
- there is wisdom behind the arbitrariness of the
world - and it is hidden from man (deut 29:29)
- therefore, hold fast to God !
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