The Lord Speaks, Part 1

So let me preface what I'm going to say by saying this You will be so glad that you came tonight To be able to hear what God has to say to Job and how Job responds And then ask the question.

Why does he respond that way? I Promise you tonight will open your eyes to many truths That will draw you closer To your Lord In Job chapter 38, that's where we are. So if you got your Bible you can turn there Job chapter 38 Job finally Gets his audience with God.

God is going to speak and God's going to speak from a whirlwind and As he speaks it will be quite surprising To you, in fact, some of you will be quite puzzled by what God says Some of you won't even begin to understand what he says.

Some of you might not even care what he says But for the most part we hear what he says and we ask ourselves several questions Why doesn't Job ignore a God acknowledge Job's sorrow? Why doesn't God who is an all-compassionate merciful God say things like? Job I'm really sorry these things happened the way they did or Job I Understand your pain and I feel your pain and I have empathy for you and I have I have sympathy for your condition God never does that God doesn't even acknowledge his boils Doesn't even acknowledge his pain Doesn't even apologize for Lack of a better phrase sickened Satan on him In fact, he doesn't even explain to Job why it is he's in the situation God doesn't do anything like that Because God doesn't owe Job an explanation Job Knows or God knows how Job feels because God knows everything God knows exactly what's going on in Job's heart and mind God knows the pain he's He's feeling and facing But he never addresses that Because the physicality of Job is secondary to the spirituality of Job The same is true for you and me To us our physical conditions important how I feel why I'm sick why things are so bad Why there's so much tragedy?

Why can I feel any better? That's all secondary to the Lord your spiritual condition is the most important thing to the Lord God is not concerned about pampering us physically but perfecting us spiritually That's always number one in his heart mind.

He's gonna give you a brand new body anyway, right? He's gonna give you what is called a glorified body It's gonna be a perfect body one like our Lord's glorified body after his resurrection. So he knows he's gonna do that anyway But what's happening on the inside? your heart your character is Everything because he's conforming you to his image and So when you begin to read what God says to Job You'll be a little bit surprised About why he decides to take him through an exploratory observation of the universe and why he takes him through the animal kingdom and Explains to him six different animals and five different birds To us we'd say Lord that's just so irrelevant But it's not In fact, it's everything as you will soon see Just a cursory reading of the text will say wow.

This is so puzzling. I Can think of a lot better things to say to Job than what God says to Job. Why would God go this direction? Well, that's why he's God and you're not And so his answer is the perfect answer It's the right answer and then Job's gonna respond In Job chapter 38 and 39 two things are prominent one The powerful Control of creation by God and the providential care of that creation by God God is going to give a revelation of his powerful control and his providential care of his creation and Then Job is going to respond because God's going to have him answer him After that answer God then will pick it up again and speak again and then Job will answer but that's that's next week But in this first discussion in this first meeting with God as God speaks to him out of a whirlwind He's going to accentuate the in Ability as well as the inadequacy of Job Because you see for the most part We see ourselves as adequate and able God sees us as inadequate and unable So God has to get us to a place where we see ourselves the way he knows we are Because we tend to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think that's what Romans 12 says, right Romans 12 verse number 3 says that a man ought not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but we do We tend to think of ourselves better than we really are Even the most upright man the most God-fearing man the man turning away from evil would see himself as Self-sufficient to some degree for all practical purposes Job had no needs Everything was taken care of Life was good Health was good.

Money was good. Business was good. Kids were good. Everything was great until It wasn't any longer And Job has been demanding an audience with God and now he's going to get an audience with God and God is going to speak and As he speaks the text says these words in Job 38 verse number one, then the Lord answered If you stop right there you begin to see what is happening the word for Lord is Yahweh Jehovah Yahweh, however, you want to pronounce it?

Okay It's the first time it's used since Job 1 and 2 all of us friends refer to God as El Shaddai the Almighty one But God is going to refer to himself as Yahweh This is the memorial name of God the four Hebrew consonants that make up the the tetragrammaton that make up the name of God This is God's memorial name.

Now. God hasn't revealed this as his memorial name yet he doesn't do that to Moses in Exodus chapter 3 and Job lived long before Moses lived but yet it's important for us to realize this because God's memorial name is all about the name that God wants to be remembered for from generation to generation and That is he is a deliverer. He's a Savior. He's a Redeemer it's the name that God uses when he talks to Moses about I'm going to come down and Deliver my people When God comes down he comes down to deliver to discipline or to destroy God doesn't come down for any other reason but to discipline deliver or destroy Now he's going to deliver Job From his affliction Job does not know that We know it because we read the end of the book But Job doesn't know that But God is coming down to speak to Job and if God comes down he comes down for a purpose and So the word that's used is his memorial name That is his redeeming delivering name his saving name The name that he wants to be remembered for from generation to generation Which speaks volumes to us about how it is God is a delivering God and God is going to deliver Job Now God doesn't I mean she we joke doesn't understand any of that yet at this point He just knows he's finally glad to get in the audience with God He's been asking for this He wants to stand before God He wants to plead his case before God And so God is going to ask him 77 questions 77 questions Because if you're going to plead your case you got to answer the questions So God's going to give him the opportunity to answer questions When God asks a question, it's not because he needs information God doesn't need you to answer a question.

So he learned something God doesn't ask questions for information purposes He does it for illumination purposes In other words his questions is a process by which he illuminates our hearts and minds to the way he works in the way he acts based on who he is So God is going to not give an explanation To anything that jobs faced God's not going to do that because God is Not obliged to give you an explanation Because the questions never why the questions always who we ask the wrong question the question is who So God is going to give him a revelation not an explanation That's very important for you to understand.

Let me say it to you this way God is Not going to explain His plan Nor is he going to extinguish Job's pain He's going to exalt his person That is always the way God deals with people He's not here to explain the plan.

He's not here to extinguish your pain But he is here to exalt his person Now if the extinguishing of your pain is going to exalt his person that will happen But if it's not going to exalt this person you will remain in your pain Because everything is about the glory and honor of God and that's what the whole conversation is about the conversation is about God not about Job and Job needs to understand that everything in life is about God not about him Like you and I need to understand that But we tend to think that life's about us and we need answers and Job to some degree is in that category and He wants answers And rightly so so would you so would I?

and God does give him an answer. In fact, he gives him the only answer that Job needs Job doesn't know it But it's the only answer That he needs Excuse me and so The answer that he gives is going to be the answer you will always need So before you read chapter 38 and chapter 39 The answer that God's going to give to Job by way of questions is the only answer You will ever need That's why Job responds the way he does That's why Job will say He is a vile man He's an insignificant man And the question is how does Job come to that conclusion?

based on God asking him questions about the universe and Asking questions about the animal kingdom. How does Job get there? Because when you read it and I read it, we're not there But why is Job there? Well, if God came down and spoke to a whirlwind to us through a whirlwind, maybe we'd get there or maybe not Because you see as you read the text you're gonna have to read it as if you're Job listening to what God has to say Because what is it that brings Job to a place where he sees the true condition of his inner man He is vile He is insignificant and he is weak That's his conclusion Based on 77 not all 77 of them, but the question in 38 and 39 about the universe in the animal kingdom So what I want to do is I just want to read to you chapter 38 and 39 Why?

Because the Bible says the first time before we were to give ourselves to the reading to the teaching and to the instruction of the text I'm gonna read to you the text Because you need to hear what God has to say.

Now, maybe you've already read it. That's that's a good thing Maybe you've never read it and maybe you want to fall asleep while I do read it. Okay But the bottom line is you need to hear what God says even though you might not fully understand what God says and Then see how Job responds And once you see how Job responds You got to ask yourself the question.

How did he get there? And That's why you're gonna be so glad you came tonight Because I'm gonna show you how he got there Okay, you ready? Job 38 verse number one.

Here it goes Then the Lord answered Job out of the world went and said who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? I like with the Sorry for the comment here, but I like what the the living translation says it says these words Why? use ignorance to deny my providence That's good Why use ignorance? to deny my providence remember God is going to show through his revelation his powerful control of creation and his providential care of creation in chapter 38 and 39 That's God's revelation in chapter 40 First couple of verses you're gonna see Job's response So God says Now gird up your loins like a man and I will ask you and you instruct me This is God's way of saying Job man up Gird your loins like a man Doesn't mean to gird your loins Well, you know, they didn't wear pants in those days they were Dresses skirts, whatever, you know I'm saying and so they had to had to wrap them up and tie them between their legs So that they if they were going to work if they were going to compete in an athletic contest Or they were going to do some kind of strenuous activity.

They couldn't have things flapping all around So they had to gird up their loins And God is saying to Job get ready Gird up your loins. You got a man up Job because what I'm about to tell you is something that you need to know And the same is true for you and me So when you read the text you gotta say, okay How do I gird up my loins to be ready for what God has to say to me? Because Job does evidently Because he's got an audience with God he's demanded an audience with God and God has granted him that opportunity And that's the graciousness of God the mercy of God the compassion of God He says verse 4 Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me if you have understanding Who set its measurements since you know or who stretched the line on it? on what were its bases sunk or Who laid its cornerstone? When the morning stars sing together and all the sons of God shouted for joy Job were you there? Were you there at the beginning Job? Were you there when everything was created? Were you there when I hanged the universe on nothing but uphold it simply by the word of my power Were you there when the angels? the sons of God the angels began to sing and shout for joy and Praise my name because of what had just taken place.

Were you there Job? If you weren't there job, you really got nothing to say You weren't there for the celebration You weren't there when it began You weren't there when it all got started You didn't see how it all happened job You weren't there He says this verse 8 Our room closed to see with doors when bursting forth it went out from the womb When I made a cloud its garment and thick darkness is swaddling band and I placed boundaries on it instead of bolt and doors And I said this far you shall come but no further and here shall your proud waves Stop So can you do that?

Can you set the boundaries for the sea Can you tell the sea you can go no further You can't go beyond these boundaries. Can you do that job? I did He says in verse number 12 Have you ever in your life? Commanded the morning and caused the dawn to know its place the words. Have you ever caused the Sun to rise? I Don't think so job That it might take hold of the ends of the earth and the wicked be shaken out of it It has changed like clay under the seal and they stand forth like a garment from the wicked.

Their light is withheld and The uplifted arm is broken Have you entered into the springs of the sea or walked into the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you or have you seen the gates of deep darkness Have you understood the expanse of the earth? Tell me if you know all this and Job is slowly begin to realizing That he has asked things. He probably shouldn't have asked or bit off a little bit more than he can chew verse 19 Where was the way to the dwelling of light and darkness?

Where is this place that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home You know for you were born then and the number of your days is great. That's that's holy sarcasm. Oh Yeah, job, you know Oh because your days are great. You were born then right? That's holy sarcasm No, that's not the way it was at all Joe because you weren't there Verse 22 have you entered the storehouses of the snow? Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail which I have reserved for the times of distress for the day of war and battle Where is the way that the light is divided or the east wind scattered on the earth?

Who has a who has cleft a channel for the flood or a way for the Thunderbolt to bring rain on a land without people? on a desert without a man in it To satisfy the waste and desolate land and to make the seeds of grass to sprout Has the rain a father or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb has come the ice and the frost of heaven Who has given at birth? Water becomes hard like stone and the surface of the deep is imprisoned Can you bind the chains of? Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion?

Can you lead forth the constellation in its season and guide the bear with her satellites Do you know the ordinances of the heavens are fixed to rule over the earth? Can you lift up your voice to the clouds so that an abundance of water will cover you job? Can you control the weather? Can you control the constellations? Can you do anything like that? Can you move the stars around? Can you cause it to rain? Can you cause the dew to form? Do you know anything about snow you know anything about hail have you been to those storehouses Answer no Can you send forth lightnings that they may go and say to the say to you here?

We are who has put wisdom in the innermost being or given understanding to the mind Who can count the clouds by wisdom or tip the water jars of the heavens? when the dust hardens into a mass and the clods stick together God is outlining his powerful control of everything. He's created Because he controls it all Nothing is that of his control not one raindrop not one snowflake Not one hail dropping not one star not anything the powerful control of His creation Then he moves to the providential care of that creation verse number 39 Can you hunt the prey for the lion or satisfy the appetite of the young lions?

When the when they crouch in there in their dens and lie in wait in their lair Who prepares for the raven its nourishment when it's young cry to God and wonder about without food? Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth do you observe the calving of the deer? Can you count them months they fulfill or do you know the time they give birth? They kneel down they they bring forth their young they they get rid of their labor pains their offspring become strong They grow up in the open field They leave and do not return to them who sent out the wild donkey free and who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey To whom I gave the wilderness for home and the salt land for his dwelling place He scorns the tumult of the city the shoutings of the driver.

He does not hear he explores the mountains for his pastures He searches after every green thing with a wild ox consent to serve you or will he spend the night at your manger? Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes or will he harrow the valleys after you? Will you trust him because his strength is great and leave your labor to him? Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain and gather it from your threshing floor the ostriches wings flap? joyously with opinion and plumage of love For she abandons her eggs to the earth and worms them in the dust and she forgets That a foot may crush them or that a wild beast may trample them She treats her young cruelly as if they were not hers though her labor be in vain.

She is unconcerned Because God has made her forget wisdom and has not given her a share of understanding When she lifts herself on high she laughs at the horse and his rider Do you give the horse his might do you clothe his neck with a mane? Do you make him leap like a locust his majestic snorting is terrible. He paused in the valley He rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the weapons He laughs at fear and is not dismayed he and he does not turn back from the sword The quiver rattles against him the flashing spear and javelin was shaking and rage He races over the ground and he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet as often as a trumpet sounds He says aha And he sensed the battle from afar in the thunder of the captains and the war cry Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars Stretching his wings toward the south.

Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes this nest on high on the Clift he dwells and lodges upon the rocky crag he and inaccessible place From there, he spies out food his eye sees it from afar His young ones also suck up blood And where the slain are There is he Then the Lord said to Job Will the fault finder? contend with the Almighty Let him who he proves God Answer he calls Job the fault finder What is a fault finder Someone who finds fault with the ways of God someone who fall finds fault with the wisdom of God Someone who Has a better way than God has a way that's the fault finder So God instead of encouraging Job reproves Job and rebukes Job By asking him all these questions about the universe about the animal kingdom Animals that cannot be tamed by man, but somehow God can tame them And God can take care of them and God can nurture them Because he providentially cares for his creation because he powerfully Controls His creation So tell me fault finder What will you say to the Almighty?

What will you say you have words to say let him answer Maybe there's a pause After speaking to Job so Job's response is this Then Job answered the Lord and said behold I am insignificant or as the King James says I am vile What can I reply to you I Lay my hand on my mouth Once I have spoken and I will not answer even twice and I will add nothing more God answer Job answers God with three In three ways one with astonishment One with assessment and Three with acknowledgement First comes the astonishment he says behold Which is a word of astonishment or a word of amazement?

That's what behold means Job is answering God with astonishment this discovery For Job is Unexpected Unexpected what he has Seen Heard Through divine revelation Is his true condition when God? Exposes his virtue he exposes Your vileness when God exposes his holiness He exposes your sinfulness darkness or nothing dispels blackness better than brightness and God has spoken And that's why the Bible says thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light Unto my path God's words are bright God's words are light.

That's why the psalmist said in Psalm 119 verse number 130 the entrance of your word gives light In other words when God was speaking He was shedding light on Job's heart's condition That's Why Job says behold I? Stand in astonishment. I stand in Amazement as To what I have just heard God does this So we will not exalt ourselves above measure. This is seen in the life of John the Apostle in Revelation 1 When he falls at the feet of the Lord like a dead man Like David in Psalm 51 like Isaiah in Isaiah 6 where he says woe is me I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell amidst the people with unclean lips Like Paul in Romans 8 where he says Oh wretched man that I am Like Peter in Luke chapter 5 Depart from me Lord I'm a sinful man like Habakkuk in Habakkuk 3 verse number 16 where it says I've heard your word and now I tremble at your word like Paul again in 1st Timothy 1 when he says I am the chief of all the sinners I'm the worst of them all You see when you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ The one thing that is most evident is all of your sin That's the first thing you see It's almost as if your sin is magnified under the the majesty of God himself See we like to see ourselves better than what we really are But when we measure ourself by God's standard His holy standard his glory We realize that we've fallen so far short of the glory of God because we are sinners and We are vile This is the most upright God-fearing Turning away from evil Blameless man on the face of the planet.

So the question is when you read or when you heard what was just read What was your response? This was Job's response. I am vile Behold he didn't expect it. It was astonishment He wanted to bring his case before God he said earlier listen if I could just have an audience if I could just say I I am innocent of these charges if I could just talk to God face to face. Well now he's got his chance And what's he saying I'm insignificant I really don't matter at all You see the problem is we think we matter That's your problem, that's my problem we think we're significant we think we really matter We really think we're something else And God says oh no, I'm everything You're nothing So you go from astonishment to assessment.

Here's his assessment. I am insignificant. I am vile. I Don't measure up. I don't deserve it to have an audience with God I Shouldn't have said what I said Was Charles Spurgeon who says this concerning this phrase in Job chapter 40? Spurgeon said Self-sufficiency is Satan's net We're in it. He catches men and Doth destroy them Be not self-sufficient Think yourselves nothing for ye are Nothing and live by God's help The way to grow strong in Christ is to become weak in yourself God poureth no power into Many hearts till man's power is all poured out Live then daily a life of dependence on the grace of God The biggest problem that we have and always will have is that we think so highly of ourselves We love ourselves so much that we think we are just all that I'm not saying that's the way Job thought of himself, but evidently Job had to have a wake-up call as To how he viewed his situation He saw from his perspective about God's perspective So there's astonishment Then there's assessment and then there's acknowledgement.

What does he acknowledge he nods is this? What can I reply to you I lay my hand on my mouth Once I've spoken I will not answer even twice I will add nothing What does he acknowledge? I have nothing To say Now how did Job get there why is it when you read it you don't get there Why is it when you read it you understand what Job says, but why does he say that? Job has begged for an audience with God now.

He gets to that ends with God now. He's like I got nothing to say I'm vile. I'm insignificant. I Didn't recognize this Why is it when we read it? We don't get there. But when Job hears that he gets there same words. They're God's words, right? Granted, you know, it's just me the preacher and I'm not a whirlwind speaking to you But but but God did speak and God is speaking. This is how God speaks to us through his word So why is it? I don't respond the same way Job does What is it about? Job That he learned about God that we miss That's the question That's what you need to understand Exactly What is it that brought Job to this place and Why aren't I there?

You got to ask yourself that question So let me give it to you because this is why it's so glad you're so glad you came This is it.

Are you ready? God revealed himself The way The way he began to reveal himself when God revealed himself for the very first time He did not reveal himself as a God of love When God revealed himself at the very first time he did not reveal himself as a God of mercy or compassion or kindness or goodness or justice or grace Didn't do that But how God revealed himself for the very first time is how he wants the world to see him The question is how did God?

reveal himself to the world The very first time You know the answer In the beginning God What? Created the heavens and the earth. This is how God reveals himself to the world This is how the Bible begins. It begins with God as creator God as designer God as the great fashion designer Then say in the beginning God loved Didn't say that He is love, but didn't say that in the beginning God grace in the beginning God in His sovereignty No in the beginning God Created Once you grasp that you have the answer to all your questions Until you grasp that you're always searching for answers You must understand God as Creator This is how God introduces himself to all men in the beginning God Created the heavens and the earth In John chapter 1 verse number 3.

It says through him all things were made And without him there was nothing made That was me Speaking of the word who is Christ himself who was also involved in creation because the whole trying God was involved in the creative act Why is this important? Psalm 19 Verse number 1 the heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of his hands Day to day pours forth speech and night to night reveals knowledge The heavens are declaring the glory of God Every time there's a sunrise every time there's a sunset every time you look at the stars every time you go outside all creation shouts one thing God It shouts there is a creator and the Creator designed all this Psalm 19 tells us this is why the world hates God Because God is a creator God is a creator we know that because that's what Romans chapter 1 says, right?

It says very clearly For the wrath of God is Revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness because that which is known about God is evident within them For God made it evident to them Do you know that God Does not know Agnostics and does not believe in atheists You know that because everything about God's evident to them because he made it evident in them and then he says this for since the creation of the world his invisible attributes his eternal power and divine nature have been Vaguely seen someone says been clearly seen Being understood through that What has been made said they are without excuse For even though they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks But they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened Professing to be wise they became fools and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures Verse 28 and just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer God gave them over to reprobate minds You want to walk into a classroom and raise the level of volatility volatility talk about evolution versus creation and the level of volatility will rise to a level beyond Anything you can imagine?

Because we believe in creation Or go into a classroom and Say very clearly That you are against trans genderism because in transgender theology They believe they are God They suppress the knowledge of God Because you see they have to capitulate to a creator who made them fearfully and wonderfully in the womb and Put them together specifically Female Male you either XX or XY outside of that you ain't got no alibi It's all you got There is nothing else Transgenders hate God Because it means they capitulate to him as creator he's the designer he fashioned them the way they are and They refuse to capitulate that to that you'll raise the level of volatility if you talk about abortion Right why?

Because those who believe in abortion hate God Because God is life and God is a creator of life and God created the life within them And they say no to God I can do with this life what I want to do with it because it's really not a life It's something other than a life So they in essence play God the transgender people play God the evolutionists play God You know why they do that Because they refuse to acknowledge God any longer. That's what Romans 1 verse number 28 says so God gave them over to what a Reprobate mind what a reprobate mind is it's a non-functioning mind.

It's a non-thinking mind That's why there are no problems ever so settled in Washington DC Because God's giving them over to reprobate minds You've got a bunch of non thinkers coming around trying to think about what how to solve the political problems How to solve social problems how to solve climate problems how to solve sexual problems. They can't solve those problems They have reprobate minds. It's impossible for them to solve those problems because those aren't the problem Those are symptoms of the problem.

You see homosexuality is a symptom to a problem Transgenderism is a symptom to a problem abortion is a symptom to a problem. What's the problem? We refuse to acknowledge God as creator We refuse to acknowledge God any longer What you have done God, we don't accept Our ways better than your way They are the true fault finders. And so what is that brought Job all the way around to this situation? Is he understood? God as Creator And once you understand God as creator Everything changes and my time is gone, but I got to take it Isaiah chapter 40 So turn me to Isaiah chapter 40 very quickly Remember Psalm 104 verse number 24.

How many are your works? Oh Lord in wisdom You have made them every work of God was made from wisdom his wisdom Every child that was formed in the womb was fearfully and wonderfully made by God and formed by his wisdom So that that child would either be male or female So when Christ says in Matthew chapter 19, have you not read?

that from the beginning he created them male and Female God created in that way And when you begin to rebel against that you're saying God hey listen, you can't tell me I'm a girl or a guy I can Determine my own gender. I can turn on my own sex. No, you can't You think you can but you can't That's just a reprobate mind trying to figure out what they want to do and God has given them over to that But God is creator And so when you come to Isaiah chapter 40 listen to what is said. This is so amazing.

Listen to this 21 verse 21 of Isaiah 40. Do you not know? Have you not heard has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? In other words God says, okay I'm gonna take all the way back to the beginning just like I did Job You got to go all the way back to Genesis 1 verse number 1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Gotta go all the way back to the very beginning.

That's what he tells Israel Isaiah chapter 40 verse 22 it is he who sits above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers who stretches out the heavens like a Curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in again. God goes back to the beginning. He goes back to his power of Creation his powerful control of creation and his providential care of creation because he's in charge of everything first 23 He it is who reduces rulers to nothing who makes the judges of the earth meaningless Scarcely had they planted scarcely had they been sown scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth but he merely blows on them and they wither and The storm carries them away like stubble To whom then will you liken to me that I would be his equal says the Holy One.

Can you liken anybody to me? Can anybody do that? No Lift up your eyes on high and see who has What? Created the stars again. God goes back to what creation in the book of Isaiah nine times He's referred to as creator five to eight times. He's referred to as maker or fashion designer and God keeps going back to the same thing all the time with Israel He goes all the way back to the beginning. Have you not heard about the way it was in the very beginning? He goes all the way back to creation. Why because he's a point to prove look what he says Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars the one who leads forth their hosts by number He calls them all by name because of the greatness of his might and the strength of his power Not one of them is missing.

Can anybody do that? Does anybody know the name of every star that's ever existed? No God does Cause them above my name Verse 27. So why do you say Oh Jacob in a certain Israel? My way is hidden from the Lord and the justice do me escapes the notice of my God same questions Job asked Where is God?

Has God abandoned me Why does my justice escape my God? Because yes to all the questions we ask When we go through tragedy and affliction and the hardship and difficulty and pain and turmoil God, where are you? Did you abandon me? How come you're not here? What about my justice? How you gonna handle that one God? So God asked Israel. Why do you ask that question? No Jacob Why? Verse 28 here it is. You ready? Do you not know have you not heard? The everlasting God the Lord what's next race the creator of the ends of the earth?

Says listen God described himself in three ways everlasting Lord creator He says have you not heard Did you miss this part? You're not listening We don't listen on Sunday when you went to church or at Bible study on Wednesday. Did you not hear? what I said I Am the everlasting God which speaks to what his perpetual presence? He's always there See God is the uncreated creator Nobody created God He's the God who is who was and who is to come God always is God always was before Abraham Was I am he's the great I am God has always been there.

God was never created. He's always been God There's no beginning to God That goes beyond anything we can comprehend because there's a beginning to us right there's no beginning to God He says I'm the everlasting God I Am perpetually present in your life So why do you say my way escapes the Lord? I? am the Lord Jehovah it speaks of his perennial power Not only my perpetually present I have perennial power to do whatever I want in Your presence because I am there And they says the creator of the ends of the earth Other words that speaks of his perfect plan He is the master architect of everything that happens in your life Everything If you're fearfully and wonderfully made and all your days remember before there was everything yet one of them Psalm 139 tells us God knows the words that are gonna come out of your mouth before you even form them on your lips He knows everything Because he is the creator of the ends of the earth he is the master architect of your life He's designed everything He's the creator Job responds the way he did because he realized that God created his circumstances God created his situation God was involved in doing that's why if you go over to Isaiah chapter 45 Isaiah chapter 45 The Lord God says these words He says in verse number seven I am the one forming light and creating darkness causing well-being and creating calamity and the Lord who does all these things I'm the one who causes well-being you have well-being.

I caused that you have calamity. I created that See why that doesn't sound like a very loving kind gracious and merciful God remember God's not here to pamper you physically. He's here to perfect you spiritually and we'll stop at nothing to make you into the person He needs you to be that's who he is He says in verse number eight drip down on heavens from above and let the clouds pour down righteousness let the earth open up and salvation bear it and Righteousness spring up with it. I the Lord have created it what it got created created righteousness.

He created salvation Because he's a creator Woe to the one who quarrels with his maker and earthenware Vessel among the vessels of the earth with a clay say to the potter or the fashioner or the designer What are you doing or the thing that you are making say he has no hands Woe to him who says to a father What are you beginning or to a woman to what are you giving birth? Thus says the Lord the Holy One of Israel and his maker Asked me about the things to come concerning my sons and you will commit to me the works of my hands It is I who made the earth and created man upon it I stretched out the heavens with my hands and I ordained all their hosts he's arguing the standpoint that he is the one who 150 years before Israel would be let out captivity a hundred years before that He says I got a man that I'm gonna use to deliver you.

His name is Cyrus. He's my Messiah He's a pagan But he's my anointed one. I Have a plan. I'm the creator of the ends of the earth. It's a perfect plan. I Am the everlasting God. I've perpetually been with you for every moment of every day. I Have perennial power because I am the Lord over all things That's who I am He goes back to the fact that he's the maker. He's the designer. He's the creator Why because it must be indelibly etched in your heart and mind that God is the one who creates calamity And he is the one who causes well-being He's the one First 18 of chapter 45 for thus says the Lord who created the heavens He is the God who formed the earth and made it he established it and did not create it a waste place But formed it to be inhabited.

I am the Lord and there is no one else again He goes back to the same thing and all throughout the book of Isaiah. He goes back to the creation Have you not heard have you not read? Do you not remember? Were you not there? Don't you understand that? I am the creator of the ends of the earth I am the one who causes all these things. I am in charge of everything I am the master designer of this planet and everybody who lives on the planet. I'm it There's no one else. So he says you can trust me. You can trust me Why?

Because we are the only ones made in the image of God God doesn't desire fellowship with animals He doesn't desire communion with animals I know you have dogs. I got dogs. My dogs love me. If your dogs knew me, they'd love me, too Okay But I have a relationship with Tucker and Willow I Don't they love me because I feed him they love me because I pet him they love me because I give him treats But they just respond instinctively to those things They're not made in the image of God Just you and me are just humans And God wants a relationship with his people That's what he wants.

That's why David said Create in me a clean heart of God and Renew a right spirit within me Because you see only God can do that Only the creative ends of the earth can create a new heart in you only God can no one else can God does That the Bible says if any man be in Christ, he is a new Creation Only the Creator can do that Only the Creator of the ends of the earth can make you a new creation Can renew a right spirit within you and creating you a new heart only God can do that And my time is way gone But you need to understand that that our Lord is in the is in the business of creating you brand-new That's why salvation is a miracle of God You said if I could just see a miracle listen salvation is a miracle To make you a new creation to give you a clean new created heart That you might serve the true living God.

That's what God does Only God can do that. So here is Job Having this to be sitting in the ashes He's not even worried about his boils anymore or the pus that's oozing from his boils Anymore, he's not worried about the fact that he has no kids. You know, we're at the fact his wife's not there He's not worried about the fact that he has no home to go to He's not worried about the fact that he has no business any longer. That's not important to him anymore What's important is that he gets an audience with God God grants in the audience and the response is I'm vile I'm insignificant.

I am nothing I Shouldn't have said a word How's he get there Simply because he recognizes there is a creator There is a designer Who's done all this? And when you come to grips with that Everything in your life changes this does You look at every situation every circumstance every relationship completely different than you ever did before Because God is the creator of The ends of the earth He's in charge of everything He's always there He has the power to do whatever he wants while he's there Because he's fashioned everything according to his plan in his glory And Joe was recognizing as he relinquishes his audience or his time with God He's willing to be silent before God, but he's yet to become submissive to God What he's silent He's yet to be submissive while he relinquishes control he's yet to repent That's next week after the second conversation with God Let's pray Father thank you for tonight a chance to be in your word.

Thank you for the awesomeness of your character May we live in the light of God our creator in Jesus name