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 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible. I'm John Stangey, 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: and today we're reading Job, chapter thirty four, and we'll 5 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: be reading from the New English translation. Elihu answered, listen 6 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: to my words, you wise men. Hear me, you learned men, 7 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,480 Speaker 1: For the ear assesses words as the mouth tastes food. 8 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 1: Let us evaluate for ourselves what is right. Let us 9 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 1: come to know among ourselves what is good for Job says, 10 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: I am innocent, but God turns away my right. Concerning 11 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: my right, should I lie? My wound is incurable, although 12 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: I am without transgression. What man is like Job? Who 13 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 1: drinks like water? He goes about in company with evildoers. 14 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: He goes along with wicked men, For he says, it 15 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: does not profit a man when he makes his delight 16 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: with God. Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. 17 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: Far be it from God to do wickedness, for the 18 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: Almighty to do evil, For he repays a person for 19 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: his work, and according to the conduct of a person, 20 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 1: he causes the consequences to find him. Indeed, in truth, 21 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: God does not act wickedly, And the Almighty does not 22 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: pervert justice, who entrusted to him the earth, and who 23 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: put him over the whole world. If God were to 24 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: set his heart on it and gather in his spirit 25 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and human 26 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: beings would return to dust. If you have understanding, listen 27 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: to this, hear what I have to say. Do you 28 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: really think that one who hates justice can govern? And 29 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: will you declare guilty the supremely righteous one who says 30 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: to a king worthless man and dinobles wicked men, who 31 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: shows no partiality to princes, and does not take note 32 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: of the rich more than the poor, because all of 33 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: them are the work of his hands. In a moment, 34 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: they die in the middle of the night. People are shaken, 35 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: and they pass away. The Mighty are removed effortlessly, for 36 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 1: his eyes are on the ways of an individual. He 37 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: observes all a person's steps. There is no darkness, and 38 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: no deep darkness where evildoers can hide themselves, for he 39 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,399 Speaker 1: does not still consider a person that he should come 40 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: before God in judgment. He shatters the great without inquiry, 41 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: and sets up others in their place. Therefore, he knows 42 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: their deeds. He overthrows them in the night, and they 43 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: are crushed. He strikes them for their wickedness in a 44 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: place where people can see, because they have turned away 45 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: from following him and have not understood any of his ways, 46 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 1: so that they cause the cry of the poor to 47 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: come before him, so that he hears the cry of 48 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: the needy. But if God is quiet, who can condemn him? 49 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: If he hides his face, then who can see him? 50 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: Yet he is over the individual and the nation alike, 51 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: so that the godless man should not rule and not 52 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: lay snares for the people. Has anyone said to God, 53 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: I have endured chastisement, but I will not act wrongly anymore. 54 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: Teach me what I cannot see. If I have done evil, 55 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: I will do so. No more is it your opinion 56 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: that God should recompense it? Because you reject this. But 57 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:55,119 Speaker 1: you must choose and not I. So tell us what 58 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: you know. Men of understanding say to me. Any wise 59 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: man listening to me says that Job speaks without knowledge, 60 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: and his words are without understanding. But Job will be 61 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: tested to the end because his answers are like those 62 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: of wicked men. For he adds transgression to his sin 63 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 1: in our midst he claps his hands and multiplies his 64 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 1: words against God. Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for 65 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: your word, and we thank you for the privilege of 66 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 1: being able to look at it together today. And Lord, 67 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: it's fascinating to look at the words that you chose 68 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: to speak through Elihu in this portion of scripture. And Lord, 69 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: he confronts Job in ways that I'm sure were stinging 70 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: rebukes for Job to receive. But words of a friend, sometimes, 71 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: even when they sting, can be extremely beneficial to our 72 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: walk with you. And it seems that a lie who 73 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: is focused on the idea of Job, realizing that you 74 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: are the source of righteousnes and that Job has been 75 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: giving himself too much credit. Lord, we pray that we 76 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 1: would be mindful of that truth as well, that we 77 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: would recognize that righteousness isn't something that finds its source 78 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: in us, but that righteousness is only truly found through 79 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: faith in your son Jesus Christ, who gives us his 80 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: righteousness as a gift. So we're grateful, Lord to be 81 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 1: able to receive that gift freely. And we're grateful Lord 82 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: for your love and for your presence with us today. 83 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: We commit this day to your care, and we thank 84 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: you for all of these things in Jesus' name. Amen.