Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: Imagine you're already feeling bad, you're already going through a deep valley, and instead of somebody loving you, they're coming upon you. And they're really harassing you. You don't need friends like that.

But yet there are certain people like these three friends that do not really understand what God is doing and how God is in control of Job's life.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio. The Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Thanks for joining us today as Raul returns to the book of Job with more encouragement for those going through a season of suffering.

Like Job, you may have judgmental voices accusing you of bringing your trials upon yourself. However, we'll see today that while there can be painful consequences for sin, sometimes the hardship is simply part of living in a fallen world. Let's listen as Raul Ries begins our study in Job chapter 11.

Raul Ries: Job is going through a very hard time. Maybe there are some of you here tonight that are going through a hard time, and maybe you have friends like Job. Friends that do not really understand what you're really facing. That happens in life.

Not everybody can understand your pain, your suffering, even the trials and temptations that you face in your own personal life. It's very hard to explain to people unless they've been through it themselves. And Job started with these guys that were really his friends.

But as we began to read in the book of Job, we began to see that these guys are really condemning Job. They're not really understanding what he's going through. And in a self-righteous way, they're talking out of turn, not really recognizing that he is really suffering. And maybe tonight you feel like Job in your own personal life.

Tonight we're going to see the third friend, Zophar. And Zophar actually starts here viciously, speaking against Job and claiming to be innocent and accusing God of malpractice in the universe. Imagine somebody coming against you like that when you're already in pain and you're already having mixed emotions.

And yet this third friend of Job hardly lived up to his name "friend." He was rude, insensitive, and brash. Maybe you know people like that. That you've known a long time, but when you really are going through something, they're not really understanding what you're going through.

And that's the hard part. I think that every one of us here tonight has gone through something in our lives. Maybe some have gone more than others in deep, deep things in their lives. And we could give testimony of every situation that we have faced.

I think of parents that have faced a situation of losing a son or a daughter or losing a father, losing a mother. And it's something that nobody can really understand unless you have gone through it and you really love that person. Then you can really see in your own heart how you feel.

And Job, as we saw in the beginning of the book of Job, God loves Job. And as a matter of fact, God loved Job so much that he came to Satan and said, "Hey, there's nobody more faithful than him in the whole world."

And Satan said immediately, "How can I do that when you protect him and you love him so much? But if you allow me to touch him, I promise you that he'll curse you and deny you." And God gave him permission. After God gave permission to destroy his family, then God gave permission to Satan to go ahead and bring affliction upon Job.

And he had boils from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. He couldn't lie down. He couldn't stand. He couldn't sit. In pain and his wife said, "Job, why don't you curse God?" And he said, "Hey, you're a foolish woman. How can I do that? I can't do that."

Job lost it all except his wife. That's all he had left. He lost his riches. He lost his daughters. He lost his sons. And yet he was afflicted physically. And then his three friends come from a far country and they come and they look at his state physically and they sit down for three days and they don't even talk to Job. They're in shock. They can't believe the condition physically of Job.

After those three days, one by one begins to accuse and attack Job concerning his integrity, what he's going through. Beginning with chapter 11, we see now here Zophar's three accusations against Job.

We hear now from Job's third friend. He says, "And then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said, 'Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should not a man full of talk be vindicated or be justified, Job?'" Notice that. Here he's saying, "Job, you think you can justify yourself in what you're going through." He doesn't need to hear that. He needs compassion. He needs understanding.

And yet here his friend, supposed to be his friend, is really attacking him, accusing him, calling Job a big windbag. Imagine that. "You're just a big windbag. That's all you are, Job." And yet it's so tragic because his three friends came against Job. We thought they would be for him, but they were against him. They could not comfort him.

Verse 3, he says, "Should your lies talk make men hold their peace? And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?" He's saying here not only was Job's speech a lot of bag of wind, but it was also chatter and lies and mockery. Imagine that.

Imagine you're already feeling bad, you're already going through a deep valley, and instead of somebody loving you, they're coming upon you. And they're really harassing you. You don't need friends like that. Better that you be alone.

But yet there are certain people like these three friends that do not really understand what God is doing and how God is in control of Job's life. And then in verse 4 he says, "For you have said, 'My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in your eyes.'"

What Job said here is what we're saying about his friends or about him, his friendship here, he's actually saying that everything he does is pure before God. God knows my heart. God knows me. And yet here in mentioning his integrity, Job gives here an impression that he was sinless, which is not true. He says, "Job, you're just a self-righteous person. You think you're not a sinner." And Job never said that.

"You think you're clean in your own eyes. But oh, that God would speak and open his lips against you." Imagine that. Zophar's request here in verse 5 was that God would come along and appear and then that God would actually question Job. And yet God was in control. He's saying, "Job, you're stupid, man. You're ignorant." Man, you don't need friends like that. You're already hurting and yet he comes along.

Notice verse 7 through 12, now his praise of God's wisdom. He says, "That he would show you the secrets of wisdom, for they would double your prudence. Know therefore that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves here. Job, if God really loved that and if he really loves you, then where is he? How come he's not helping you? You're done, Job."

Verse 7: "Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?" The answer is nobody can. Nobody can. Only God. God is so amazing, man. We will never fully understand God.

We don't know the whys of God. So I always fall back on what I do understand. And what do I do understand? That God loves me, God's forgiven me, and God's cleansed me and washed me, and God's given me an okay to go to heaven. That I know.

But I don't try to figure God out. You'll go crazy. You see the wisdom of God? And yet here his friend, verse 8: "They are higher than heaven. What can you do? Deeper than hell. What can you not know?" Zophar wanted Job to grasp here the height and the depth and the breadth and the length of God's divine wisdom.

Nobody can. Only God himself. It's too bad that Zophar didn't know the vast dimensions of God himself, his love and grace and mercies here that he had toward Job. Verse 9: "Their measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.

If he passes by and imprisons and gathers to judgment, then who can hinder him? For he, God, knows deceitful men, and he, God, sees wickedness also. Will he not then consider it?" Of course. God knows everything and he sees everything. We cannot hide from God.

Notice here again what he's saying in verse 12: "For an empty-headed man will be wise when a wild donkey's colt is born." Notice "a man." Zophar here closes this little section by accusing Job by quoting a proverb here.

Verse 13 now, his plea for Job's repentance. Notice this: "If you would prepare your heart and stretch out your hand toward him. I mean Job, what are you waiting for? All you have to do is stretch out your hand. Call upon God and God will be there."

He was calling upon God. But how many times you and I go through different things and we feel like maybe we're actually alone. And God hasn't really withdrawn himself from us, but he's testing us. We're actually learning faith. That he's there all the time. He's saying, "Job, you're stubborn. You should repent."

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. We'd like to help you grow in faith and in relationship with God. For resources, visit somebodylovesyou.com.

You can also email Raul your Bible questions and prayer requests. His address is pastorraul@somebodylovesyou.com. Now back to more with Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: Verse 14: "If iniquity were in your hand and you put it far away and would not let wickedness dwell in your tents, then surely you could lift up your face without spot. Yes, you could be steadfast and not fear. Job, if you only got rid of your sin, God would forgive you."

And he wasn't really in sin. God was allowing him to be tested. Like you and me. If God allows it, God's going to not only allow it, but he's going to be right next to us. He's going to be with us in our trials.

"Because you would forget your misery and remember it as water that has passed away. And your life would be brighter than noonday. Though you were dark, you would be like the morning."

And then check this out, verse 18: "And you would be secure because there is hope. Yes, you would dig around and take your rest in safety." Now this is so true here. Zophar's encouraging words to Job that he should describe what Job could experience. He's saying, "Job, what are you really experiencing in your life?"

Can't you see Zophar what he's going through? "You would also lie down and no one would make you afraid. Yes, many seek your favor here." God's security would put an end to all your fears if you only trusted in him. Job did trust God.

"But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope, loss of life." Notice he goes right back to "Job, you are wicked. The problem with you is you're a sinner, man. You're in sin. How sad."

Chapter 12. Here we see Zophar's speech again, real brief, but Job now takes a long time to answer each one of Zophar's accusations. Job here begins with Zophar's second accusation that Job had no knowledge of God.

Imagine that. "Job, your problem is you do not have knowledge of God. You don't know God." That's not true. He knew God. We said at the beginning what he did. Chapter 12, notice verse 1: "And then Job answered and said," here's now the greatness of God.

He says again in verse 2: "No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you." He's saying there's a lot of people that think they know everything about God. About everything. And that's not true.

I mean, he's talking to his friends. And he says, "But I, Job, have understanding as well as you. I mean, hey, there's no difference between you and I. I'm not more spiritual than you are. You think you really know God?

You think that I don't know God and what I'm going through and my situation? I am one mocked by his friends, who called on God and he answered him, the just and blameless who is ridiculed. Notice I called you guys to come and comfort me and stand by me, and what are you doing?

You're bringing ridicule to my life and you're mocking me and you're coming against me. A lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease. It is made ready for those whose feet are slipping. That is, it's easy for the one that is not going through hard times to see everything and to say everything is okay with me."

You ever talk to people like that? "How you doing?" "Oh man, doing great." And you know deep inside you're going through hell. So he says, verse 6: "The tents of the robbers prosper, and those who provoke God are secure in what God provides by his hand."

These were the ones who were actually robbing the caravans. He's talking about those that were in caravans and the robbers would come and take their things. "But now ask the beasts and they will teach you. And the birds of the air, and they will tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you."

Notice that. Consult nature, see if you can learn from it. "And the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of God has done this thing?" Notice that.

God is literally here, he's saying that God is in control of my life. That's true. God is in control of my life. God will not let me go through anything I cannot bear. The Bible says that. But remember he's in the Old Testament and a lot of the literature is poetry.

They don't have the whole Bible, so they don't even know the beginning to the end. They're just writing the Bible at this particular time. And here's poor Job. He says, verse 10: "In whose hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind."

That is, the Bible teaches what? God holds the very breath of man in his own hand. Think of how many of us every night when we go home, how many of you when you go home every night have to stop and think, "Okay, now I gotta be careful. It's ten o'clock in the evening. I gotta go to sleep and I have to be careful that I do not stop breathing."

None of us do that. Unless you're on a machine. And think about that. There are people that have to worry about every breath that they take. Who keeps you breathing? It's God. So this is beautiful how he brings this out.

Verse 11 he says, "Does not the ear test words and the mouth tastes food? Wisdom is with old man or the aged man." Amazing. When you have real godly old people that you can really talk to and they can pray for you.

And it's so good to know that. That when you're young you can always go to the godly that are old. They've lived life long enough to know a lot of things. They can teach you and they can help you.

And then chapter 12 again, verse 13, now Job recounting of God's wisdom and power. Here he describes the wisdom and the power of God. With him, God, are wisdom and strength. He has counsel and understanding.

If he breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt. If he imprisons a man, there can be no release. Now notice, he's talking again in the Old Testament. If he withholds the waters, they dry up. If he sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.

With him are strength and prudence. It says the deceived and the deceiver are his. He leads counselors away plundered and makes fools of the judges. And that's true. There are godly judges and there are wicked judges.

He looses the bonds of kings and binds their waist with a belt. Who's in control? God. He leads leaders away plundered and overthrows the mighty. He deprives the trusted ones of speech and takes away the discernment of the elders.

He pours out contempt on leaders and disarms the mighty. He uncovers the deep things out of darkness and brings the shadow of death to light. He makes nations great and he destroys them, and he enlarges nations and guides them.

Isn't that interesting? The sovereignty of God over the nations. That's so true. He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.

And check this out: "And they grope in the dark without light and he makes them stagger like a drunken man." God sovereignly rules over everything, everything he's in charge of. And then here is Job's request to the three friends now.

Job once again affirmed his integrity. "Look, you guys, I'm not in sin. I guess I am a sinner, but I'm not living a life of sin. This is not why I'm going through what I'm going through."

And yet here Job, being falsely accused by his friends, he says, "Behold, my eyes have seen all this, and my ear has heard and understood it." Notice that. What he's doing here in part of his defense, as Job first expresses what?

His disappointment on his three friends. I would too. What kind of friends are you? Instead of helping me and praying for me and encouraging me, you're coming against me. And you're speaking things that you don't even understand.

And you're bumming me out. You don't need friends like that. Verse 2: "What you know I also know. I am not inferior to you. Who do you think you are? You think you're smarter than I am?

But I would speak to the Almighty and I desire to reason with God." Now notice here, warning. This is for people that speak out in their own hearts and they actually what they do is they say "Thus saith the Lord" when God hasn't spoken. Be careful.

He says be careful of that. You and I hear "Oh, the Lord told me to tell you." Oh oh, be careful. Because God can speak to you too. There are many people that take upon themselves and they say that God is speaking to them or speaking through them.

You need to be careful. Because I know that God speaks to me through his Word. And I've had people when just talking to them, God would speak through them to speak to me and they probably didn't even know it. That's how God works.

God speaks to us by looking at the heavens. It declares his glory through nature. And yet here Job gives us a great warning. "But I would speak to the Almighty and desire to reason with God.

But you forgers of lies, you are all worthless physicians." He's had it with his friends. That's it. He says, "You are worthless physicians. Oh, that you would be silent. Shut up! It would be your wisdom."

Job's had it. "Now hear my reasoning and hear the pleading of my lips. Will you speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him? Hey, what's the matter with you? Why are you saying God talked to me when God hasn't really talked to you?"

That's pretty heavy. This is done today, people, when "God spoke to me" when God hasn't even spoken. We need to be careful of that. We can really hurt and deceive a lot of people.

Guest (Male): If you're in a season of adversity, it's our prayer that your suffering won't be made worse by people falsely judging your situation. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries.

If you'd like to hear today's message in its unedited form, we'll be happy to send a copy to you for a donation of $5 or more. Just call us at 800-634-9165. We'd also like to tell you about Raul's nine-part series titled "When Trials Come."

It's available on CD and USB. Further exploring Job's life, this study examines the raw realities of suffering, including the confusion, anger, and doubt we all experience in tribulation.

You'll also discover that when you keep clinging to the Lord, he'll lead you through the valley to higher mountaintops of faith than you've ever known before. Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 to order Raul's series titled "When Trials Come."

We'll send you this nine-lesson resource on CD for $23 or if you prefer, on flash drive for just $13. That's 800-634-9165. Or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, PO Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765.

This is a listener-supported ministry and your tax-deductible gifts enable us to keep sharing hope and wisdom from the Word of God.

Next time we'll continue with more in this series in Job with guidance for responding to those who add negativity to your trials. You'll find that when you hold fast to God's mighty love and follow wherever he leads, he'll help you ignore the negative voices that could cause you to stumble.

This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.