The Job Syndrome

Greetings everyone! Welcome to Day 6 of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Here we're coming into the last 400 years of the Millennium, and there have been a lot of people who have qualified, who entered into the spiritual Kingdom of God, and they are called in Rev. 21, the nations that are saved, because it shows how many will be saved during this time, and it will be the majority of people.

• What is the most important thing during the Millennium
• What will be the greatest problem?

Now yesterday we saw The Solomon Syndrome of what happens when you:

• become rich/wealthy
• have everything you want
• have all the wives and concubines
• have all the things that Solomon had
• have all the wisdom that he had

Yet, he didn't succeed the way that he should have!

So, let's look and see the heart and core of real conversion, also highlighting the problem during the Millennium when everyone is keeping the commandments of God.

Remember, there's the keeping of the commandments in the letter, and there's the keeping of the commandments in the Spirit.

How deep does that go in keeping the commandments of God in the Spirit, as compared to in the letter?

So, let's start out here in Matt. 19 and let's see a situation which will be very common all during the Millennium, because Satan won't be around, evil people won't be allowed to stay in the community, and those who need to repent of sin and they're having a hard time doing it, there will be the repentance rehabilitation center so they can recover themselves, take some time in prayer and fasting and get right spiritually with God, and then they come back into the community.

If they don't, then they're exiled into Gog and Magog, and if they don't repent there, then they die accursed, as it says in Isa. 65 that we have read several times.

Matt. 19:16—here we get a glimpse of what the problem is: "Now at that time, one came to Him [Jesus] and said, 'Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?'"

Of course, that's the whole purpose of the Millennium, eternal life!

Verse 17: "And He [Jesus] said to him, 'Why do you call Me good?….'" 

Wasn't Jesus God manifested in the flesh? Yes! Well then, why could He not be called good? Well, the answer is this:

Since He was physical, born of the virgin Mary, and in order to overcome sin in the flesh, He had to have human nature, which He got from His mother Mary. So, compared to the true goodness of God, Jesus was not that pure because He had human nature in Him, though He never sinned.

So He says here, v 17: "And He said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good except one—God. But IF you desire to enter into life, keep the commandments'"

All the commandments of God will all be well known during the Millennium, just like here in the time when Jesus was in the flesh in the area of Judea and Galilee.

Here's the answer back, because this young man was really righteous compared to what we look at young people today.

Verse 18: "Then he [young man] said to Him, 'Which?' And Jesus said, 'You shall not commit murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (vs 18-19).

Now the first thing Protestants do is look at that and say, 'Well, He never said to keep the Sabbath.' Why? Because that was the law of the land! Everyone kept the Sabbath! He didn't need to mention that. 

Notice the young man's answer. And then Jesus' response.

Verse 20: "The young man said to Him, 'I have kept all these things from my youth. What do I yet lack?'"

See, he was keeping them in the letter, having a good attitude about it, doing all of them.

Verse 21: "Jesus said to him, 'If you desire to be perfect…'"

This is exactly the whole process of conversion that we are perfected. That will be the same thing during the Millennium. 'If you desire to be perfect, go and sell your property, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me.'"

We got the new book out to you here recently, The True Riches of God! That's what becomes important. Let's see what we're dealing with here. Because:

• loving God
• entering into the Kingdom of God
• keeping the commandments of God

When we come to understand how we are to live and how we are to be converted, which is going to be the whole process during the Millennium, is going to require a whole lot more than keeping the commandments in the letter of the Law.

Verse 22: "But after hearing this word, the young man went away grieving, because he had many possessions."

What are we dealing with here? He could have said, 'Oh yes, Lord, I'll sell all that I have and I'll come and follow You.' He could have, but he didn't say that!

Verse 23: "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'Truly I say to you, it is extremely difficult for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God'" (vs 23-24).

How's that going to be during the Millennium, even though human nature is not quite so evil and desperate that we have today? It's going to be rich everywhere! Everything that there is, so this will become a problem.

What was his problem? He had an idol, as we will see, in his mind: all of his wealth! Now what we're going to see with The Job Syndrome is the same thing.

• Job was rich
• he had a lot of things
• he offered sacrifices
• he kept the commandments of God
• he was righteous

Let's come to the book of Job and let's do a survey in the book of Job and see the whole lesson of the book of Job.

I can tell you this, the first time I read it, I didn't understand it. And it even occurred to me, maybe God could have been wrong. Well, He wasn't wrong! because you can't understand the book of Job by just reading the first part of it.

Job 1:1—much like the rich man in Matt. 19: "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was blameless and upright…"

We can't say that about all of us here today, can we?

"…and one who feared God and turned aside from evil. And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters. And his possessions also were seven thousand sheep and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east" (vs 1-3).

Just like the rich man of Matt. 19 had everything!

Verse 4: "And his sons went and feasted in their houses, each one on his day…. [we don't know if that was a birthday, or whatever it may have been] …And they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And when the days of feasting were concluded, 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 Job continually did so" (vs 4-5).

Is it good to pray for others who have problems? Yes! However, you cannot offer anything for the forgiveness of their sins that they have done. The sinner, as we find with the law of sacrifices and offerings, they have to come and bring their own offering. This lesson is another one along the way. You can't do the things that will forgive other people's sin.

• you can ask God for mercy
• you can ask God that He may forgive them

But that's up to God depending on what the sinner does.

• Does a sinner repent?
• Do they recognize their shortcomings and faults?
• Do they recognize their sins?

Now then, let's see what happened here. Let's see what God did and what happened to Job.

Verse 6: Now, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD…. [that's the angels] … And Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' Then Satan answered the LORD and said, 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it'" (vs 6-7).—looking for whomever he can deceive!

He's still doing that today. We need to be careful with that, as well.

Verse 8: "And the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job that there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil?'"

Now that's a rare thing; God even counted him righteous in the letter of the Law. So, keep that in mind as we go through all of this; the letter of the Law is important! But conversion for eternal life requires much more, just like it was with the man in Matt. 19.

Verse 9: "And Satan answered the LORD and said, 'Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land… [True! Even if God does all of this, is there still more required? ] …But put forth Your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face" (vs 9-11).

Verse 12: "And the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only do not lay your hand upon him.' And Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD."

Look what happens here. Here's another thing, too. Satan can only do what God commands him to do or allows him to do! Here's what happened, and this is quite a lesson. This turned out to be really a major disaster.

Verse 13: "Now, there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house. And there came a messenger to Job and said, 'The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them. And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away. Yea, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword. And I only have escaped alone to tell you'" (vs 13-15).

Now there's a lot of bloodshed in addition to the problems with his sons and daughters.

Verse 16: "While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, 'The fire of God has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and destroyed them. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.'"

So, another disaster. Notice, disaster, disaster, disaster!Complete!

Verse 17: "While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, 'The Chaldeans formed three bands and swooped down upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and have killed the servants with the edge of the sword. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.'"

Wow! That's not enough. Notice what happens here. Look at this. It tells you something very, very, very important. What you have is possessions. What you have as relatives and friends and workers and all of this, it can all go WOOSH!

And we're looking at disasters at the end-time, and we're going to see a lot of disasters and catastrophes happen. Now notice on top of this, here's the final coup de grace of everything that Job had.

Verse 18: "While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, 'Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house. And, behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead…. [All of his sons and his daughters] …And I only have escaped to tell you" (vs 18-19).

Notice what Job did! Catastrophe! Now I don't know of anyone who has gone through a personal disaster as great as Job has gone through, and as quickly as it came.

Verse 20: "And Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground and worshiped. And he said, 'Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.' In all this Job did not sin, nor charge God foolishly" (vs 20-22)—at this point!

Now what's going to happen? We're going to see that it's going to get worse. For what purpose? We will see, because this comes down to the very deep core of true conversion within the depths of our being!

• our mind
• our thoughts
• our heart
• everything that we do

Now we're going to go through and see Job's reaction to all of this here as we go along.

I might mention his three friends who came to comfort him to try and find out what the problem was and why he went through all of these things himself. All of their arguments you will find are the basis of all the religious arguments in whatever religious organization there is in all the world from that time to this time.

But we're going to focus on Job's reactions and what it was that God was going to teach him.

Job 2:1: "And again it came to pass on a day that the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD. And Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' And Satan answered the LORD and said, 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it'" (vs 1-2).

That's interesting. That's what Satan is doing all the time!

• looking for someone to cause the sin
• working out his conspiracies
• working out everything that he is doing

Verse 3: "And the LORD said unto Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth…'"—none! The most righteous man in the letter of the Law in the whole earth!

We might ask the question like the rich man did back in Matt. 19: What more do I need to receive eternal life? That's the question we'll answer!

"…a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil? And still he is holding fast to his integrity, although you moved Me against him to destroy him without cause" (v 3).

Now, very interesting, this word destroy doesn't mean to eliminate so that he no longer exists; this means to bring him to nothing!

Now notice Satan's response to God; v 4: "And Satan answered the LORD and said, 'Skin for skin, yea, all that a man has he will give for his life…. [basically true] …But indeed put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse You to Your face'" (vs 4-5).

God didn't say, 'Well now, look Satan, I don't have to do it because look at all that you have me put him through and he's still righteous.' What does he yet lack? That's the question of what we're going to find out!

Verse 6: "And the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.' And Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head" (vs 6-7).

I don't know what can be more painful than that: boils, pus, flies. Let's see what happened. He was the most miserable man on earth, coming from one of the wealthiest and righteous and blameless to naked, filled with boils, miserable. His sons gone, his daughters gone, all of his possessions gone!

Verse 7: "And Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. And he took a broken piece of pottery to scrape himself with. And he sat down among the ashes" (vs 7-8).

There he was, pitiful, sitting there, scraping the boils, plus pus and blood running, flies coming. We'll see a little later that this lasted so long that the flies laid eggs in the pus and the blood and there were maggots that were eating him.

Have any of us gone through a trial like this? Now you think about the trials you go through; none like this. We have this so we can learn the lesson. What is it that God wants from all the trials? It says, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all!

Now notice what his wife said, sometimes wives don't give the right advice. Sometimes they do. But in this case, look at what she said:

Verse 9: "And his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold to your integrity? Curse God and die!'" Go ahead, Job, and get it over with. Look, you're so miserable!

Verse 10: "But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips."

So. what was going on in his mind? We'll find out!

Verse 11: "Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, and they each one came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had met together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and did not recognize him…. [Is that Job? Look at that!] they lifted up their voices and wept. And each one tore his robe, and they threw dust upon their heads toward heaven. And they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights. And no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great" (vs 11-13).

A whole week passed by just sitting there looking at him. Job: pitiful, scraping the boils, flies coming and going, maggots beginning to develop, throwing ashes all over himself.

Job 3:1: "After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth…. [[he cursed, but not God] …And Job spoke and said, 'Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night in which it was said, "A man child is brought forth." Let that day be darkness. Let not God look upon it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it. Let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it'" (vs 1-5).

So, that was his response there. All of this Job said, 'Let the night come, let those who curse, let it curse.' Go through and you read all the chapter.

Verse 20: "Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul, who is waiting for death—but it comes not..." (vs 20-21).

He's sitting here wanting to die. But remember what God said to Satan, 'you can't take his life.' Quite a thing!

Verse 22: "They are rejoicing to exultation. They are glad when they can find the grave."

So he's hoping for relief from all of this and saying, 'maybe I'm going to find some joy in the grave.'

Verse 23: "Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and whom God has made a hedge about?" Why is that?

Verse 24: "For my sighing comes instead of my food, and my groanings are poured out like the waters. For the thing… [this becomes a very important lesson] …which I greatly feared has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of has come to me. I was not in safety, I have no rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble comes'" (vs 24-26).

So he says that 'all of this has come, and I'm not to blame?' Really? Whoa, what a thing.

So then his friends answer him. Let's see what we're dealing with. After listening to everything they had to say and all of their arguments on all why all of this is going on:

Job 6:24: "Teach me… [he's listening to them] … and I will be silent; and cause me to understand where I have gone astray." Well, they couldn't do it. Quite a thing!

Verse 29: "Relent, I pray you, let there be no iniquity; yea, acknowledge, my righteousness yet stands."

Lost everything, all the blessings of God. Here he is, covered with all these boils, scraping the pus and the scabs, the flies and the ashes. And he says:

Tell me that my righteousness still stands. I did right. Why should I suffer this?

That's easy for people to do!

Verse 30: "Is there iniquity in my tongue? Cannot my taste discern perverse things?"

I'm smart enough. I know what's good and bad and evil. I know what is perverse and good.

Quite a thing! This was really quite an argument going on! Job was holding to his righteousness. We'll see how firmly he did that.

Job 7:4: "When I lie down, I say, 'When shall I rise?' But the night is long, and I am full of tossing to and fro until the dawning of the day. My flesh is clothed with maggots and dusty scabs; my skin cracks open and runs with pus" (vs 4-5). What a miserable thing that was!

Verse 6: "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. O remember that my life is a breath; my eye shall no more see good" (vs 6-7).

Now here he is. Wondering what all of this is he's going through. So he asked the question:

Verse 17: "What is man, that You [God] should magnify him, and that You should set Your heart on him."

In other words, why do you even bother with human beings if you're going to go through and do this? Well, God has a greater spiritual lesson and greater spiritual salvation ahead!

Verse 18: "And that You should visit him every morning, and try him every moment? How long? …." (vs 18-19).

Sometimes you go through a trial and it's really, really long. You wonder, will it ever end? So we need to ask: What is it that God is going to teach us when we go through such extreme difficulties?

Verse 19: "How long? Will You not look away from me, nor let me alone until I swallow down my spittle? If I have sinned, what shall I do to You…" (vs 19-20).

So he's questioning, "If I've sinned…" Job didn't see any sin. He was righteous. He was blameless. He was good in the letter of the Law, and doing all of those things.

"…O Watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, so that I am a burden to myself?" (v 20). So, he was really going through it! 

Verse 21: And why do You not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity?…." God, why don't You just remove it? Well, Job:

• Is there something you need to repent of?
• How deep does it go?
• What kind of repentance is necessary?
• Why is God doing all of this?

You can go ahead and apply that to the same thing of the events that are coming on in the last three and a half years when all hell on earth breaks loose, wars and plagues and killing and martyrdom!

• How long will it be? God wants it to go to the nth degree so that we learn the lessons that God wants!
• Why is that? Because what God has to give in eternal life is so great, so great that there is nothing physical on the earth that can be compared to it!

There is no suffering on the earth that is worthy that you earn it because you suffer!

We'll bypass all the arguments and go to:

Job 9—let's see what happens. Let's see the progress that Job makes.

Job 9:15: "Whom, though I were righteous, yet, I could not answer; I would make supplication to My Judge. If I had called and He had answered me, yet I would not believe that He had listened to my voice; for He breaks me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause; He will not allow me to take my breath, but fills me with bitterness" (vs 15-18). Quite a thing he was going through!

Verse 20: "If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me… [but that's exactly what he was doing: What have I done to sin?] …though I am blameless, He shall declare me perverse."

• Will God do that?
• Was he really not blameless?
• What kind of blamelessness does God want?
• That which you can readily see?
• What is the heart?
• What is the mind?
• What is the free choice?
• What are the difficulties that we go through?

So that's quite a thing he's going through right here!

Verse 32: "For He [God] is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in court."

That's quite a thing there. Job is challenging God. because he's looking at what he did in the letter of the Law as good as the righteousness of God. And we will see a little later, he claimed it was even greater than the righteousness of God.

What is the lesson? Notice what Job says. He's completely frustrated and vexated trying to figure this out.

Verse 32: "For He [God] is not a man as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in court; there is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand upon us both" (vs 32-33).

Okay, God, you're over here. Job, you're over here. Now I'll figure it out and I'll let you know what I decide.

That isn't what he's saying there!

Verse 34: "Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not His fear make me afraid; then would I speak and not fear Him; but it is not so with me" (vs 34-35).

Whoa, quite a thing! Look at what he suffered. Boy, oh boy, oh boy!

(break@41:08)

Remember, Job wanted to go to court; he wanted to take God to court; he wanted there to be a judge. Let's see what he's going to do if that would happen.

Job 10:1: "My soul is weary of my life; I will give full vent to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul." Job was right there to tell God everything that it was unfair!

Verse 2: "I will say to God, 'Do not condemn me; make me know why You contend with me. Is it good to You that You [God] should oppress…?" (vs 2-3).

If you're a God of love, why are you oppressing? I mean, this is a common thing that people will say!

"…that You should despise the work of Your hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?" (v3).

In other words, he's saying, 'God, You're joining the wicked.'

Verse 4: "Have You eyes of flesh? Or do You see as a man sees? Are Your days like the days of man? Are Your years like man's days" (vs 4-5).

No! God lives forever! He has everything in there.

Verse 6: "That You seek out my iniquity, and search for my sin? Although You know that I am not wicked…" (vs 6-7).

Ah, what a thing that is! Of course. Now, don't you see how this is going to be one of the major situations we're going to face in the Millennium? That it's going to be difficult for people to see their own sins, and it's going to be difficult for them to find out how deeply buried within the heart and mind that the source of sin actually is in human nature!

Verse 7: "Although You know that I am not wicked, yet, there is none who can deliver out of Your hand."

So I'm just stuck in this thing. Let's see what we need to do with this.

Verse 14: "If I sin…" How many people really think they're perfect in the flesh?

When that happens, inwardly, they get lifted up with pride. Oh, they do good for this; they do good for that. They help them with this; they help them with that. And what is this all about that God would do this?

Verse 10. "Have You not poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese?" Quite a thing! You're making cottage cheese out of me.

Verse 11: "You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and have fenced me with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and favor, and Your providence has preserved my spirit. And these things have You hidden in Your heart; I know that this was with You. If I sin, then You mark me, and You will not acquit me from my iniquity" (vs 11-14).

• Really?
• Is it that bad?
• Has Job committed the unpardonable sin? Well, not yet!

Verse 15: "If I am wicked, woe to me…"

He's saying, 'If I were really wicked, then let me have this woe. But God, I'm not wicked, and why should I have this trouble?'

"….and if I am righteous, I will not lift up my head, being filled with confusion—therefore look upon my affliction. For if my head be lifted up, You will hunt me as a fierce lion; and again You will show Yourself awesome against me" (vs 15-16).

WOW! He's saying to God, 'this is not fair.' Quite a thing! So, he says this after all the suffering:

Job 11:5: "But oh, that God would speak, and open His lips against you." I want to hear it from God. We'll see a little later that he had that.

Verse 6: "And would tell you the secrets of His wisdom. For sound wisdom has two sides. Know therefore that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves." Quite a thing!

Job 13:3:  "Notwithstanding I would speak to the Almighty… [he's getting really bold here] …and I desire to argue my case before God." So, he's going to challenge God. That's quite a thing.

Verse 13: "Be quiet! Let me alone so that I may speak, and let come upon me what may. Why do I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hand? Though He slay me, I will trust in Him; but I will maintain my own ways before Him" (vs 13-15). See that self-will all the way through!

Verse 18: "Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I shall be justified." Yes, because I'm right! Can any man be more right than God?

This is the heavy burden that he's going through, and:

• What is this going to result in?
• What is the lesson for us?
• What is this all about?

Because this is getting deep down into the very inner parts of Job!

Verse 18: "Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I shall be justified. Can anyone bring charges against me?…." (vs 18-19).

Can anyone stand up and say, you did this Job, you did that Job, and look at all the things that you have done? No!

"…If so, I will be silent and die" (v 19).

So, he's saying, all right, go ahead. I'm ready to die, but I know I'm right, in spite of everything that has come upon me!

Verse 20: "Only do not do two things to me; then I will not hide myself from You. Withdraw Your hand far from me, and let not Your dread terrify me. Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and You answer me" (vs 20-22).

Well, God didn't do it that way. We'll see how God does it; this is getting really interesting. This is quite a thing. Then he gets all the answers from all of his three friends there, trying to figure out what is it that God has done to Job, and what is it that Job has done? They listed every crime that he did and so forth, but he was really righteous, so they couldn't figure it out.

Job 16:1: "And Job answered and said, 'I have heard many such things. Miserable comforters are you all! Is there no end to windy words?" (vs 1-2).

That's kind of funny, because they're doing all the speaking, he's doing all the answering, and he says:

Verse 3: "Is there no end to windy words? Or what provokes you that you should answer? I also could speak as you do; if your soul were in my soul's place. I could heap up words against you, and shake my head at you" (vs 3-4).

Job is saying, 'Look, I would come back on you in a way that you wouldn't like.'

Verse 20 [transcriber's correction]: "My friends scorn me; my eyes pour out tears to God. Oh, that a man might plead with God, as a man pleads with his neighbor!" (vs 20-21). Again, challenging God, wanting to come before God!

Job 17:1—he's beginning to learn a little humility: "My spirit is broken, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me." So, go ahead, let's have some more!

This is why the book of Job is so long, because it is designed to cover every argument that men have against God, every argument about self-righteousness and why it won't work.

So, two more chapters of answers from different ones telling Job how bad he was and how sinful he was, and 'we know what the problem is,' but they didn't know what the problem is because they didn't know what God was trying to do!

We'll find out what God was trying to do and how this will become a major thing during the Millennium when we're dealing with people. They come up with every excuse and everything why they're right.

Job 23:1: "And Job answered and said, 'Even today is my complaint bitter; my stroke is heavier than my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come even to His seat!…. [right up to His Throne! Where's God?] …I would lay my cause before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know the words, which He would answer me, and understand what He would say to me" (vs 1-5).

I already know what God is going to tell me! Now that's quite a thing when you look at it that way.

Verse 6: "Will He contend against me with His great power? No, surely He would give heed to me. There the righteous might reason with Him; and I would be acquitted from my Judge forever" (vs 6-7)

He says, 'I would give my argument, and God would have to believe me because I am so good.' So this goes on and on and on. That's why it's good to know and realize everything that is here.

Job 31:5: "If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot has hurried to deceit."

• What was it?
• Where was it?
• What is this? 

Ezek. 14—let's see what we're dealing with, with all that Job is saying. Let's see what God is really getting at here. This is the biggest thing that keeps us from God, even though God says:

• Job was righteous
• Daniel was righteous
• Noah was righteous

This tells us what God is looking at, and this tells us:

• why the children of Israel went into captivity
• why God would not answer them
• why the problem that it was with Job

though Job says he would come before God and prove his case! Here's why and this tells us the reason:

Ezekiel 14:1: "And some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. And the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts'" (vs 1-3).

I want you to take on that statement—because this is what we're dealing with here with Job who set himself up as an idol in his heart, and all of the things that he did in the letter of the Law, which God said he should do. It was not changing the inner part of his mind where down deep inside with all the bitterness and the accusations against God and coming against Him—though not cursing Him—comes right to the source of human nature, which is deeply engrained inside in our mind and heart. This is what God wants converted, as we will see!

So, God says here: "…and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I at all be inquired of by them? Therefore, speak to them, and say to them, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Every man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet… [or in the case of Job, comes to God] …I the LORD will answer him according to the multitude of his idols'" (vs 3-4).

This gets down to the heart and core of what conversion really is all about:

• what God is looking to
• what He wants from us
• what He wants from Job

Verse 5: "So that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart because they have deserted Me for their idols—all of them."

Now look at it today with all the children of Israel, the modern children of Israel.

• How many idols do they have?
• How many things do they have in their mind

Instead of trying to find out about God or serving God, or saying that 'we want to do the will of God.' But they still have all of these idols in their minds.

You can't have it both ways. Conversion is a complete transformation of the mind! Now this doesn't come all of a sudden. This comes:

• by work
• by prayer
• by study
• by application

Verse 6: "Therefore, say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Repent and turn yourselves from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations."'"

Inwardly, not only outwardly, but inwardly! This is what we're going to be dealing with, with people in the Millennium so that they can understand that conversion—to become a spirit being—requires a deep inner conversion and change!We will see how we do that before we get done here.

Verse 7: "For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger who lives in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to a prophet to ask of him concerning Me; I the LORD will answer him Myself."

• IF there's no repentance
• IF there's no change
• IF there's no doing what is right

Verse 8: "And I will set My face against that man, and I will make him for a sign and for a proverb. And I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and you shall know that I am the LORD. And the prophet…" (vs 8-9)—because there are a lot of those who speak in the name of God, especially today! There are so many:

• false prophets out there
• false teachers
• false interpretations of the Bible
• false things all around and put that in the realm of politics and religion and everything else

Verse 9: "And the prophet, if he is deceived, and he speaks a word, I the LORD have deceived that prophet…."

IF  you take the Word of God and you apply it wrongly, and you use it in a way that it shouldn't be used, God is going to further deceive you as a prophet or a minister.

"…And I will stretch out My hand upon him and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel" (v 9).

Now let's come back to the book of Job. So, we're dealing with great and important things here:

Job 31:5: "If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot has hurried to deceit, let me be weighed in an even balance so that God may know that I am blameless" (vs 5-6). Boy! Job is holding on to it!

Verse 7: "IFmy step has turned out of the way, or my heart has walked after my eyes, and if any spot has cleaved to my hands; THEN let me sow, and let another eat; and let my harvests be rooted out. IF my heart has been enticed by a woman, or I have laid wait at my neighbor's door, THEN let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down upon her" (vs 7-10).

He's going through all of that all through Job 31, IF this, IF that, IF the other.

Verse 12: "For it is a fire that devours to destruction, and it would root out all my increase. If I despised the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they complained against me" (vs 12-13).

No, he handled that, he didn't do that in a terrible way. This is quite a thing indeed that we're going through right here in Job 31.

Verse 14: "What then shall I do when God rises up? And when He calls me to account, what shall I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb make him also? And did not one fashion us in the womb? If I have withheld the poor…" (vs 14-16).

You go on and read everything that he said he did here in Job 31, and it's quite amazing and all of those things were what God required.

IF you do it in the letter of the Law, that's good! But is that conversion, and behavior unto spiritual salvation?

Verse 33: "If I covered my transgressions like Adam, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom."

It wasn't sin, it was idolatry of himself! And of his righteousness, he said it was as good as God's. No man can ever have righteousness as good as God!

So this goes right back to where we began in Matt. 19.

Job said that IF that happened; v 34: "Then let me tremble before a great multitude, and be terrified by the scorn of families; and I will be silent and not go out the door. Oh, that I had one to hear me!…." (vs 34-35). What a thing!

"…Behold, my desire is that the Almighty would answer me, and the indictment that my adversary had written" (v 35). He's saying he wants God to come down here and answer him personally!

Verse 36: "Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and bind it like a crown upon my head. I would declare to Him the number of my steps; like a prince I would come before Him" (vs 36-37).

I'm not going to come to You humble, God. I'm going to come as a prince. I'm going to come and show You how good I am.

Now let's see what happened, because God did answer Job.

Job 34:36: "My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end, because his answers are like those of wicked men. For he adds rebellion to his sin…" (vs 36-37).

To talk that way of God is rebellion. And his sin was the idols of himself in his mind!

"…he claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God" (v 37).

Elihu, the youngest one there—the fourth one—sitting there through all of these days that his three friends were talking back and forth and trying to analyze what it was and what Job had done. They thought of everything, but they couldn't answer him. So, here's Elihu, and he saw what the problem was:

Job 35:1: And Elihu answered and said… [he's talking to Job] … 'Do you think this to be right, you that say, "My righteousness is more than God's"? For you say, "What advantage will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?" I will answer your words, and your companions with you'" (vs 1-4).

Verse 5—here's where you start; we find this in Isa. 40: "Look to the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds; they are higher than you. If you sin, what do you do against Him? Or if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness may hurt a man like yourself; and your righteousness may profit the son of man. By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; they cry out because of the powerful arm of the mighty. But none says, 'Where is God my Maker…'" (vs 5-10).

Now, Job said that, but he challenged God in such a way that Elihu proceeded to declare to him a whole lot of things. Then Job finally got his wish that God would speak to him.

Since God had dealt all of this with him and used Satan against him, all of his three friends couldn't figure out what was wrong. Elihu talked to him and tried to give sense to him and told him, 'Look, Job, your righteousness can't be better; that They are more than God's, that's an impossibility. So, Job said he wanted to have God talk with Him. Well, since God was dealing with him directly, God did!

Job 38:1: "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 'Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?'" (vs 1-2).

Job had no true knowledge of what God was doing and no true understanding that deep down in the inner recesses of his mind he was an idolater of his own righteousness!

Verse 3: "Now gird up your loins like a man; for I will demand of you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare it IF you have understanding!" (vs 3-4). Now that's quite a thing: how the earth was made.

• you think you're smart, Job
• you think you understand things
• you think you've done a lot of things

'Well look, you've only done what I've asked you to do. If it's what I've asked you to do, then whose Law is it? Is it Mine? or Is it yours?'

It's God's!

All of the righteousness that Job had, he himself took credit for and didn't give God credit. He didn't say:

God, how wonderful are Your Laws? Oh, that I may keep them. How great is everything that it is that You do? How great is Your creation?

So, God starts out with the creation. And He said:

Verse 6: "On what are the foundations fastened to? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (vs 6-7). Where were you when I did all of this?

Now this is quite a thing! Here's a challenge! If you think you're so good Job, try this on for size:

Verse 16: "Have you entered into the springs of the sea?…."

Now the oceans have currents, they have springs, everything is there. God can go in that at any time if He wants to.

What can you do Job? The only thing you can do, Job, is you can keep My Laws and My commandments, but you better give the credit to Me and not to you, because I made you and I created the Laws. Now if you want to be like God, then try this on for size:

"…Or have you walked in search of the depths? Have the gates of death been opened to you?…." (vs 16-17).

• Do you know how to resurrect the dead?
• Do you understand what it is?
• What is it that you know, Job. that is so good?

Now this will be true all during the Millennium; people are going to have a greater and greater understanding of God.

Verse 18: "Have you surveyed the breadth of the earth? Declare it, if you know it all!"

So, if you are a 'know it all,' why don't you declare it? This is quite a thing. Job finally got it, but even God had to correct him here at the end.

Job 40:1: "And the LORD answered Job and said 'Shall he who contends with the Almighty instruct Him? He who reproves God, let him answer it.'…. [because God is perfect and in Him is no sin] …And Job answered the LORD and said, 'Behold, I am vile!….'" (vs 1-4).

Now that's quite a difference from when Job said that 'I'm going to maintain my righteousness.'

So, all during the Millennium, it will be the same thing. People will keep it by the letter, by the Spirit, and they will have to learn the depths of conversion!

"…'What shall I answer You? I will lay my hand on my mouth. Once I have spoken; but I will not answer; yea, twice, but I will proceed no further'" (vs 4-5).

So, you might say, 'Hooray! Job is finally going to shut his mouth and listen to God!' God shows:

• that he could never have any righteousness like God
• that his righteousness in the letter can never bring about a spiritual aspect
• that in the spirit he can come to please God

But you have to wait for the resurrection so that you become like a son or daughter of God!

Verse 6: "And the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 'Gird up your loins now like a man. I will demand of you, and you declare unto Me. Will you even annul My judgment?…. [If you're greater than Me? No, you can't do it!] …Will you condemn Me so that you may be righteous?'" (vs 6-8)

No, that will never work! This is telling us any condemnation against God is because you don't know God, and because you have an idol in your mind of

• how good you are
• how smart you are
• how much you know

all of these things together, which is all vanity! That goes back to The Solomon Syndrome: Vanity of vanities. All is vanity. You have to come to God!

Verse 9: "And have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? Deck yourself now with majesty and excellency, and array yourself with glory and beauty" (vs 9-10).

God is telling Job to 'make yourself as God.' Can't do it! Never happened! So, if he can't make himself like God, how can his righteousness be more than God's? It can't be!

Verse 10: "Deck yourself now with majesty and excellency, and array yourself with glory and beauty. Cast abroad the rage of your wrath; and behold everyone who is proud, and abase him. Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place" [God can do that, and He will!]…Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in darkness" (vs 10-13).

I see what it has to be to qualify in order that you may be righteous!

Verse 14: "Then I will also confess to you that your own right hand can save you."

• never happened
• you cannot save yourself

There is no salvation without God in His way!

Job 42—here is the lesson, and then we will see how that applies to us.

Job 42:1: "And Job answered the LORD and said, 'I know that You can do all things, and that no thought can be withheld from You'" (vs 1-2).

Now Job learned the lesson that the conversion for salvation must come to the very depths of our thoughts, and that "…no thought can be withheld from God." Think about how this proves everything we've gone through that men cannot come and add to the righteousness of God and:

• make it better than God
• make themselves better than God

Every pope better learn this: no man should be called 'holy father.' That is blasphemous to the nth degree.

Verse 3: "You asked, 'Who is he who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore, I have spoken that which I did not understand…"

Job didn't understand that God wanted the depth of conversion within of love, joy, truth and righteousness.

"…things too wonderful for me; yea, which I did not know" (v 3).

That's quite a thing, that's quite a statement for Job, who bragged that he knew everything and knew everything about God!

Verse 4: "Hear, I beseech You, and I will speak; You said, 'I will ask of you, and you will declare to Me.'"

Now here is the whole thing; v 5: "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You."

That is spiritual understanding, because we have blindness by humans who do not understand the Word of God, but proclaim that they do. We also have a blindness, as we'll see in just a little bit, by Satan the devil!

When you come to understand the greatness of sin vs the greatness of God!

Verse 6: "Therefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

Then what happened? God gave to Job twice of what he lost!

2-Cor. 10—let's apply this lesson to us today and what it has to do with conversion. We are told in Rom. 12 that we are to be renewed in our mind!

How are we renewed in our mind? Through the Spirit of God and through choosing:

• to believe God
• to love God
• to obey God

Now we know in 2-Cor. 4 that it talks about Satan as 'the God of this world' who blinds the minds of men and women! That's exactly what happened to Job. He couldn't see that his righteousness came from God!

Job thought it all came from him, and that's exactly what Satan wants people to believe, that it comes from their own sources, their own things, and that he can be worshiped as 'God.'

• this is the battle that's going on in the world
• this is the battle that's going on in our mind

2-Corinthians 10:1: "Now, I Paul am personally exhorting you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ…."

Can we learn this lesson without going through all of the absolutely excruciating trials that Job went through? Yes!

"…On the one hand, when present with you I am base; but on the other hand, when absent I am bold toward you. But I am beseeching you so that, when I am present, I may not have to be bold with the confidence with which I intend to show boldness toward some, who think that we are walking according to the flesh" (vs 1-2).

In other words, just like Job, looking at it in the letter of the Law and doing it physically, not deep down from the heart, not realizing that as Paul said to the Corinthians there in Athens when he went to Mars Hill: that in God, every human being on earth lives and moves and as their being in Him!

The call to salvation is so great. And the work we're going to be doing in the Millennium is so great, because that's when salvation is going out to all human beings! But they're going to have to learn this lesson: that it all comes from God!

Here is the lesson; v 3:  "For although we walk in the flesh… [like Job was fleshly, we're fleshly] …we do not war according to the flesh."

• you can't use human thought to combat human thought
• you cannot use human thought to combat Satan the devil

You've got to use:

• the Word of God
• the Spirit of God
• the Laws of God
• the Truth of God

We have the battle in our minds so that we don't have idols in our minds. We need to teach all the brethren in the Millennium: Do not have idols in your mind, because that is great sin against God, because spiritual salvation requires all of that to be changed!

Verse 4: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the overthrowing of strongholds."

What are those strongholds? This is what Job had to learn. He had:

• the stronghold of self-righteousness
• the stronghold in his mind that he was as good as God
• the stronghold in his mind that he didn't deserve any of those trials that he went through

Verse 5: "Casting down vain imaginations… [that comes from human reasoning] …and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ; and having a readiness to avenge all disobedience, whenever your obedience has been fulfilled" (vs 5-6).

Phil. 2—This is great; this is important. This is the whole thing that we need now, and the whole thing that we're going to be teaching during the Millennium, to bring in the great harvest of God, to bring in millions and millions and millions into the Kingdom of God. This is accomplished:

• by the love of God
• by the love of each other
• by serving God

the way that it should be!

• understanding the weakness of our flesh
• casting down the strongholds within us

like Paul has said!.

Philippians 2:1: "Now then, if there be any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any deep inner affections and compassions, fulfill my joy that you be of the same mind… [the mind of Christ] …having the same love… [the love of God, which comes to us] …being joined together in soul, minding the one thing" (vs 1-2).

The conversion that is in our midst right now and what we are doing, and the goal of entering the Kingdom of God! That is the one thing!

Verse 3: "Let nothing be done through contention or vainglory… [like it was with Job] …but in humility, each esteeming the others above himself. Let each one look not only after his own things, but let each one also consider the things of others" (vs 3-4).

Now then, here is the whole finality of it: Verse 5: "Let this mind…"

What did Job say? No thought can be withheld from God! Remember that? Remember what Christ said? 'Don't call Me good; there's One Who is good Who is God,' because in the flesh He was not as good as God!? That's the lesson that Job had to learn.

Verse 5: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."

Now look at what He gave up. Look at what He did to become the Savior of mankind:

Verse 6: "Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself..." (vs 6-7).

So, the very thing that Job complained about God, God did! God came in the flesh!

"…and was made in the likeness of men, and took the form of a servant; and being found in the manner of man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God has also highly exalted Him …" (vs 7-9). That's the whole goal of God!

• human thought
• human ways
• human righteousness
• even letter of the Law

will not convert the mind without the Spirit of God; without developing the mind of Christ, to have our minds renewed and converted!

This is what we're going to teach all the people in the Millennium. So, being kings and priests with God and Christ and teaching the way of God, this is going to be one of the greatest, most magnificent things that we can do. That's why we keep the Feast of Tabernacles, and that's why we're here, and that's why we're going to continue on and finish the Feast.

So, you come back tomorrow for Day 7, and we'll continue on what's going to happen at the end of the Millennium. See you tomorrow, Day 7.

Scriptural References:

• Matthew 19:16-24
• Job 1:1-22
• Job 2:1-13
• Job 3:1-5, 20-26
• Job 6:24, 29-30
• Job 7:4-7, 17-21
• Job 9:15-18, 20, 32-35
• Job 10:1-7, 14,10-16
• Job 11:5-6
• Job 13:3, 13-15, 18-22
• Job 16:1-4, 20-21
• Job 17:1
• Job 23:1-7
• Job 31:5
• Ezekiel 14:1-9
• Job 31:5-10, 12-16, 33-37
• Job 34:36-37
• Job 35:1-10
• Job 38:1-4, 6-7, 16-18
• Job 40:1-14
• Job 42:1-6
• 2-Corinthians 10:1-6
• Philippians 2:1-9

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Revelation 21
• Isaiah 65; 40
• Romans 12
• 2-Corinthians 4

Also referenced: Booklet: The True Riches of God
{truthofGod.org}

FRC:bo/po
Transcribed: 9/5/24

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