Word 293: Time

Pastor: Rev. Paul Becker
Passage: Job 14:5 / Psalm 90:12 / Ephesians 5:15-17
Sermon Series: Living Within the Margins

Academy of Faith 008: The Book of Job: A Study of Suffering

Presented by: Dr. Bruce Bickel

The Book of Job

Blessings through Pressure and Pain

Lesson #8

· The Book of Job – Overview and Final Insights

· Structure of the Book of Job

· Final Insights

· Job himself as a study

· The Happy ending

· The Divine rebuke of Job’s three friends

· Concerning Biblical Inspiration

Academy of Faith 007: The Book of Job: A Study of Suffering

Presented by: Dr. Bruce Bickel

The Book of Job

Blessings through Pressure and Pain

Lesson #7

· The Epilogue (42:7-17)

· Consideration from God

· Spiritual restoration (42:7–9)

· Job – his proven integrity (7)

· Friends – their rebuked perversity (8-9)

· Material restoration (42:10–17)

· Job – his ended captivity (10)

· Family – their restored society (11)

· Job – his final prosperity (12-17)

· Applications and Uses

1. Job’s saving relationship with God

2. Job’s wisdom

3. Job’s need for a sacrifice

4. The defeat of Satan

5. The coming Kingdom of God

6. The believer’s relationship to the Master

7. Job’s intercession for his friends

Academy of Faith 006: The Book of Job: A Study of Suffering

Presented by: Dr. Bruce Bickel

To view the transcript for this lesson, click the link below:

• Transcript Week 6

The Book of Job

Blessings through Pressure and Pain

Lesson #6

· The Dialogue

· Confrontation with God (38:1– 42:6)

· God’s questions for Job (38:1–40:2)

· Job’s response (40:3–5)

· Applications and Uses

1). We should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought.

2). We need to repent

3). We must learn to fear God

· More questions for Job (40:6–41:34)

· Job’s response (42:1–6)

A. Applications and Uses

1. God is powerful

2. God is great

3. God is pure

4. God is gracious

Jehovah versus Job

The infinite creative and controlling power of Jehovah versus the littleness, ignorance and impotence of Job

· IN REALTION TO THE EARTH (38 1-18)

Its creation v. 4-7

The oceans v. 8-11

The Morning v. 12-15

Hid sources v. 16-18

· IN RELATION TO HT HEAVENS (38:19-38)

Light and dark v. 19-21

The elements v. 22-30

Stars and Zodiac v. 31-32

Laws of nature v. 33-38

· IN REALTION TO LIVING BEINGS (38:39 – 39)

Beast and bird of prey v. 39-41

Beats preyed upon v. 39:1-12

Bird and beast of beauty v. 13-25

Two more fierce vultures v. 26-30

· IN RELATION TO SPECIAL CASES (40 – 42:6)

Proud wicked-doers v. 6-14

Behemoth (hippopotamus) v. 15-24

Leviathan (crocodile) c. 41

Job himself in reply c. 42:1-6

Academy of Faith 005: The Book of Job: A Study of Suffering

Presented by: Dr. Bruce Bickel

To view the transcript for this lesson, click the link below:

• Transcript Week 5

The Book of Job

Blessings through Pressure and Pain

Lesson #5

· The Dialogue

· Conversation with Elihu (32-37)

· Elihu denounces Job and his friends (32–33)

· Applications/Uses

· Counseling from an angry heart can be dangerous

· Be a good listener

· Don’t try to be the answer man

· Elihu refutes Job’s complaints (34–35)

· Elihu defends God (36–37)

· Applications/Uses

· Suffering can reveal our true character

· Suffering can teach us about the character of God

· Suffering can teach us about the nature of faith

Academy of Faith 004: The Book of Job: A Study of Suffering

Presented by: Dr. Bruce Bickel

To view the transcript for this lesson, click the link below:

• Transcript Week 4

The Book of Job

Blessings through Pressure and Pain

Lesson #4

· The Dialogue

· Conversation with Friends – Cycle #3 (22-32)

· Eliphaz speaks (22)

· Job’s response (23–24)

· Bildad speaks (25)

· Job’s response (26–31)

· Applications and Uses

· By design, all of creation is a mystery to us

· God is self sustaining, but the world is not

· The concern for the Kingdom of God should be paramount

· Cursing God’s enemies (imprecations) should never be for personal revenge

· Cursing God’s enemies must be for the conversion of our enemies

· We have a basis for understanding what will happen to the unrepentant.

· Fearing God is based upon knowing God and being in awe of His ways

· We should intentionally and continuously remember God’s blessings of His care for us, His friendship with us, His provision for us, and His presence with us.

· Positive growing in growing is impossible without negative handling of sin.

· We must deal with our sin

· We must guard the heart and mind

· We must take practical steps

· We must live in the light of God’s presence

Academy of Faith 003: The Book of Job: A Study of Suffering

Presented by: Dr. Bruce Bickel

To view the transcript for this lesson, click the link below:

• Transcript Week 3

The Book of Job

Blessings through Pressure and Pain

Lesson #3

· The Dialogue

· Conversation with Friends – Cycle #2 (15-21)

· Eliphaz speaks (15)

· Job’s response (16–17)

· Bildad speaks (18)

· Job’s response (19)

· Zophar speaks (20)

· Job’s response (21)

· Applications and Uses

· To be confused by how God deals with us is normal

· To be troubled by how God deals with us is not sinful

· A time of trouble is a time of great temptation

· A time of trouble need not defeat us entirely

Academy of Faith 002: The Book of Job: A Study of Suffering

Presented by: Dr. Bruce Bickel

To view the transcript for this lesson, click the link below:

• Transcript Lesson 2

The Book of Job

Blessings through Pressure and Pain

Lesson #2

· The Dialogue

· Conversation with Friends – Cycle #1 (3–14)

· Job’s lament (3)

· His cry of grief (3:1-10)

· His cursing turns into questioning (3:11-26)

· Applications and Uses

1). When suffering, people need sympathy not cold diagnosis

2). Asking too many questions of God is not healthy or productive

3). Questions about health and loss of loved ones challenge our faith the most

4). Christianity has always been and will always be the way of the cross

5). Suffering should prompt us to pray

· Eliphaz speaks (4–5) – The Religious Moralist

· Based upon experience

· Based upon private revelation

· Based on orthodox theology

· Job’s response (6–7)

· Anger, bitterness and complaints

· His loss of dignity

· His view of life as futile

· His being unfairly treated

· Bildad speaks (8) – The Religious Legalist

· Based on Tradition

· Based upon appearances

· Based upon cause and effect

· Job’s response (9–10)

· Has lost sense of God’s loving kindness

· Knows it is futile to argue with God because He is sovereign

1). God is incomprehensible

2). God is invisible

3). God is unaccountable

4). God is unrestrainable

6. Zophar speaks (11) – The Religious Dogmatist

· Based on Assumption

· Based on Job’s secret sin

· Based on Job’s serious sin

· Job’s response (12–14)

· God is sovereign

· He wants to talk to God not his friends

· The Three Friends compared and Contrasted

· Eliphaz is the religious moralist

· Bildad is the religious legalist

· Zophar is the religious dogmatist

· Eliphaz is the apologist – the voice of philosophy -

· Bildad is the lecturer – the voice of history

· Zophar is the bigot – the voice of orthodoxy

· Applications and Uses

· They had the view that calamity is always the direct outcome of sin

· They had a far too narrow and rigid view of Providence

· They wanted to prove that goodness and wickedness are always rewarded or punished in this present life

· They did not give a convincing answer to Job

· They all condemn Job

Academy of Faith 001: The Book of Job: A Study of Suffering

Presented by: Dr. Bruce Bickel

To view the transcript for this lesson, click the link below:

• Transcript Lesson 1

The Book of Job

Blessings through Pressure and Pain

Lesson #1

· Character of Job and Criticism of Satan

· Job – His piety (1:1-5)

1. Blameless -

2. Upright –

3. Feared God –

4. Turned away from sin (shunned evil) –

· Job – His prosperity

1. Wealth –

2. Family-

· Satan – his lie and accusation (1:6-12)

1. Sons of God (angels) -

a. Fallen Angels –

b. Faithful Angels-

c. Different Ranks of Angels -

d. Different Kinds of Angels –

e. Angels appear at different points in history

f. Angels are agents in the conflict between good and evil

· Job – his piety in adversity (1:13-22)

1. Did not sin

2. Did not charge God with wrongdoing

· Satan – his lie and accusation (2:1-6)

· Job – his piety in extremity (2:7-13)

1. Patience - (James 5:11)

2. Integrity –

· Did not sin in what he said -

· Applications and Uses

· Regarding Satan –

1. Satan is accountable to God

2. Satan’s mind is known to God

3. Satan is behind the evils that curse the earth

4. Satan is neither omnipresent nor omniscient

5. Satan can do nothing without Divine permission

6. Every permission has a definite limitation

7. God’s eyes are on His own especially in times of trial

· Regarding affliction

1. The need for perseverance affirms that the world is not our home

2. Perseverance is a recognition that everything we have belongs to God and not to us.

3. Perseverance is a determination to worship God regardless of what happens

4. Worship involves submission to God’s sovereignty