WEBVTT - Job 4

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Job chapter four

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll be reading from the New English translation. Then

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<v Speaker 1>Elephaz the Temanite answered, if someone should attempt a word

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<v Speaker 1>with you, will you be impatient? But who can refrain

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<v Speaker 1>from speaking? Look, you have instructed many, You have strengthened

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<v Speaker 1>feeble hands. Your words have supported those who stumbled, and

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<v Speaker 1>you have strengthened the knees that gave way. But now

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<v Speaker 1>the same thing comes to you, and you are discouraged.

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<v Speaker 1>It strikes you, and you are terrified. Is not your piety,

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<v Speaker 1>your confidence, and your blameless ways your hope? Call to mine? Now,

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<v Speaker 1>Who being innocent, ever perished? And where were upright people

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<v Speaker 1>ever destroyed? Even as I have seen those who plow

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<v Speaker 1>iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same. By

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<v Speaker 1>the breath of God they perish, and by the blast

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<v Speaker 1>of His anger they are consumed. There is the roaring

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<v Speaker 1>of the lion and the growling of the young lion,

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<v Speaker 1>but the teeth of the young lions are broken, the

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<v Speaker 1>mighty lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs

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<v Speaker 1>of the lioness are scattered. Now a word was secretly

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<v Speaker 1>brought to me, and my ear caught a whisper of

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<v Speaker 1>it in the troubling thoughts of the dreams. In the night,

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<v Speaker 1>when a deep sleep falls on men, a trembling gripped

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<v Speaker 1>me and a terror and made all my bones shake.

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<v Speaker 1>Then a breath of air passes by my face. It

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<v Speaker 1>makes the hair of my flesh stand up. It stands

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<v Speaker 1>still ill, but I cannot recognize its appearance. An image

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<v Speaker 1>is before my eyes, and I hear a murmuring voice.

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<v Speaker 1>Is a mortal man righteous before God, or a man

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<v Speaker 1>pure before his creator? If God puts no trust in

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<v Speaker 1>his servants and attributes folly to his angels, how much

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<v Speaker 1>more to those who live in houses of clay, whose

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<v Speaker 1>foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like a moth,

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<v Speaker 1>They are destroyed between morning and evening. They perish forever,

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<v Speaker 1>without anyone regarding it. Is not their excess wealth taken

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<v Speaker 1>away from them. They die yet without attaining wisdom. Let's pray, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for your word, and we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for the privilege of being able to look at it

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<v Speaker 1>together today. And Lord, as we look at this portion

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<v Speaker 1>of scripture, we could see that after spending some time

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<v Speaker 1>in silence, Job's friend, Elephaz, starts to speak to him,

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<v Speaker 1>and many of the things that he says here in

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<v Speaker 1>this passage seem to ring true to our minds. And

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<v Speaker 1>certainly there are a lot of true things stated here,

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<v Speaker 1>but we also start picking up on a self righteousness

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<v Speaker 1>that Eliphaz is communicating to Job. Instead of looking at

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<v Speaker 1>Job and grieving with him and weeping with him, Elfhaz

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<v Speaker 1>seems to cast a sense of doubt on Job's innocence,

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<v Speaker 1>and he begins speaking as a know it all. Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>We know that this is something that you caution us

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<v Speaker 1>against elsewhere in scripture, as you displayed humility during the

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<v Speaker 1>course of your earthly ministry. We know, Lord, that it's

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<v Speaker 1>your desire that we mirror your humility, as you empower

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<v Speaker 1>us to do so. That just as you wept with

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<v Speaker 1>those who wept, and you mourn with those who mourn,

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<v Speaker 1>and you show compassion to those who need compassion, you

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<v Speaker 1>call us to do likewise, as men and women who

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<v Speaker 1>have been saved through Jesus Christ. We're called to recognize

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<v Speaker 1>that our righteousness does not come from ourselves. Any righteousness

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<v Speaker 1>we have comes as a gift through Jesus Christ, and

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<v Speaker 1>we should never try to hold ourselves up as righteous

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<v Speaker 1>in and of ourselves, particularly in speaking to others who

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<v Speaker 1>are in the midst of grief. Lord, thank you for

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<v Speaker 1>this portion of scripture, and thank you for revealing these

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<v Speaker 1>things to us when we look at the total council

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<v Speaker 1>of your word. And Lord, we're grateful for your presence

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<v Speaker 1>with us today. We commit this day to your care,

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<v Speaker 1>and we thank you for all of these things in

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus's name. Amen.