1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 1: John Stangey, and today we're in Job chapter thirty, and 5 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: we'll be reading from the New Living Translation. But now 6 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: I am mocked by people younger than I, by young 7 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: men whose fathers are not worthy to run with my 8 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: sheep dogs. A lot of good they are to me, 9 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: those worn out wretches. They are gaunt from poverty and hunger. 10 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: They claw the dry ground in desolate wastelands. They pluck 11 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: wild greens from among the bushes and eat from the 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: roots of broom trees. They are driven from human society, 13 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: and people shout at them as if they were thieves. 14 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:02,319 Speaker 1: So now they live in frightening roses, in caves and 15 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: among the rocks. They sound like animals, howling among the bushes, 16 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 1: huddled together beneath the nettles. They are nameless fools, outcasts 17 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: from society. And now they mock me with vulgar songs. 18 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: They taunt me, they despise me, and won't come near 19 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: me except to spit in my face. For God has 20 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: cut my bowstring. He has humbled me, so they have 21 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: thrown off all restraint. These outcasts oppose me to my face. 22 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:36,919 Speaker 1: They send me sprawling and lay traps in my path. 23 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: They block my road and do everything they can to 24 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: destroy me. They know I have no one to help me. 25 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: They come at me from all directions. They jump on 26 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: me when I am down. I live in terror. Now 27 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: my honor has blown away in the wind, and my 28 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: prosperity has vanished like a cloud. And now my life 29 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: seeps away. Depression haunts my days. At night, my bones 30 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly. With 31 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 1: a strong hand. God grabs my shirt. He grips me 32 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: by the collar of my coat. He has thrown me 33 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 1: into the mud. I'm nothing more than dust and ashes. 34 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: I cry to you, Oh God, but you don't answer. 35 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: I stand before you, but you don't even look. You 36 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: have become cruel toward me. You use your power to 37 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: persecute me. You throw me into the whirlwind and destroy 38 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: me in the storm. And I know you are sending 39 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 1: me to my death, the destination of all who live. 40 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: Surely no one would turn against the needy when they 41 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: cry for help in their trouble. Did I not weep 42 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: for those in trouble? Was I not deeply grieved for 43 00:02:55,520 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: the needy? So I looked for good, but evil came instead. 44 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: I waited for the light, but darkness fell. My heart 45 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: is troubled and restless. Days of suffering torment me I 46 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: walk in gloom without sunlight. I stand in the public 47 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: square and cry for help. Instead, I am considered a 48 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 1: brother to jackals and a companion to owls. My skin 49 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: is turned dark and my bones burn with fever. My 50 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:34,519 Speaker 1: heart plays sad music, and my flute accompanies those who weep. 51 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, and 52 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,119 Speaker 1: again we thank you for the privilege of being able 53 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: to look at this portion of scripture. And Lord, it's 54 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: clear that Job is in a season of great grief 55 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: and depression. And Lord, it's hard not to feel compassion 56 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: for him when we read these verses, because I think, Lord, 57 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: the majority of us looking at this can think back 58 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,119 Speaker 1: to seasons of our lives where we felt low, where 59 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: we felt depressed, where we felt like our circumstances definitely 60 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: humbled us. And that was exactly how Job was feeling 61 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: here as he felt mocked, as he felt taunted by 62 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 1: children and people that no longer respected him. But Lord, 63 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: when we look at a portion of scripture like this, 64 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: we're also reminded of the fact that your son, Jesus 65 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 1: Christ came to this earth and experienced great mockery and 66 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: taunting and even torture at the hands of humanity, and 67 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: he did that all for us because of his great love. 68 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: So now, Lord, we're grateful that the shame and the 69 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: mocking that should have come upon us has already been 70 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: taken upon Christ, has already been absorbed by Christ, so 71 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,359 Speaker 1: that we could live free and not encumbered by the 72 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: sins of our past or the old life that we've 73 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: been rescued out of. We're grateful for these things, Lord, 74 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: and we're grateful for your love. Likewise, Lord, we're grateful 75 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,719 Speaker 1: for your pre presence with us. And we commit this 76 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 1: day to your care. And we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.