IN THE MIST OF
TRIALS, GOD FAVORS THE FAITHFUL
Job 24:1, 9-12,
19-25, Psalms 55:16
THE SOVERNITY OF GOD
V:1. "Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment?
Why must those who know
him look in vain
for such days? "
A. Evil is all
around us and there seems to be no end to it.
1.There are
people who seem to never learn that evil does not pay.
2. Sometimes it
does appear that there is no justice for the innocent.
B. Sometimes we may wonder why our God who has
all power does not put
an end to evil?
1. Sometimes the
righteous never see justice for the evil done to them.
2. Nothing is
hidden from God.
a. He knows
the evil in a man's heart before he puts it into practice.
b. Why does
God not stop a person before he harms another?
C. God is
longsuffering and He does allow evil to enter into our lives.
1. God wants our
hearts to be convicted so that we will not practice evil.
2. The evil of
men forces the believer to trust God for deliverance.
WHAT THE WICKED DO
AN ATTITUDE OF CORUPTION
Job 24:9-13
V:9. "The fatherless child is snatched from the breast;
the infant of the poor is seized for
a debt. "
A. In Biblical times,
it was not uncommon for a man to be forced into slavery to pay
his debts.
1. If a father
died leaving debts, his children could be forced into slavery to
pay the debt. 2
Kings 4:1
a. The rich
had no compassion for the poor.
b. They lacked
respect for their fellowmen.
2. The poor
sometimes suffer injustice at the hands of the rich.
B. Widows and orphans
are often defenseless in an evil system
because there is no one
to take up their
cause.
1. Why does an
all knowing God stand by and allow this to happen?
2. Perhaps it is
to teach the faithful compassion for each other.
3. Perhaps it is
to draw us closer to Him.
V:10. " Lacking clothes, they go about naked; they
carry the sheaves, but still go
hungry."
A. The poor were
often forced to work in fields of the rich harvesting their crops.
1. The poor
was not given enough for their labor to feed or cloth themselves.
2. Even today
the minimum wage is not enough for a mother or father to provide
for his/her family.
B. A system of
share cropping was established after the abolishment of slavery in the
US that was
designed to keep the poor in an impoverished state.
1. There is
nothing new under the sun.
2. The poor
still lack proper representation in the court system.
3. The ones
with the most money gets the most out of our systems.
4. There is a
difference in the quality of life between the rich and the poor.
a. Guess
who has the best quality of life?
V:11. " They crush olives among the terraces; they tread the winepresses, yet suffer
thirst."
A. The poor were forced
to work for the rich without adequate
compensation.
1. Oil from the crushed
olives was used for fuel in lamps.
2. The rich had
the light and the poor were left in the dark.
B. The poor was
forced to work in the vineyards of the land owner producing
wine but was not
allowed enough drink to satisfy their thirst.
1. Today major
corporations make billions of dollars off the labor of the poor.
2. The rich live
in luxury while the poor struggle to pay rent.
V:12. " The groans of the dying rise from the city, and
the souls of the wounded cry out
for help. But God charges no one with wrongdoing.
"
A. Even in the
cities where there was easy access to the courts and judges, the wicked
found the favor
of men to support their evil practices.
1. Cruel and
unjust practices prevailed over justice.
2. Evil doers
fear no punishment.
3. The rich
oppressed the poor.
4. Robbery and
murder cases go unsolved .
5. The rich buy
their justice and the poor are at the mercy of the court.
B. The wicked make it
their work to rob and steal.
1. They take
what is not theirs because it is easier than honest labor.
2. They work to
do evil and stay evil.
C. We must be careful
not to blame God for the injustice that we see.
1. God
established the law and the law givers.
2. In His time,
the wicked will receive their punishment.
HOW GOD DEALS WITH THE WICKED
Job 24:19-25:1
V:19. " As heat and drought snatch away the melted
snow, so the grave snatches away
those who have
sinned. "
A. The enemy of snow is heat.
1. God
controls the formation of snow and the heat of the day.
2. He allows
them both for His purposes.
B. The enemy of the
wicked is themselves.
1. God is not
mocked, a man will reap what he sows.
Gal 6:7
2. The
destination of the wicked is the grave.
3. The wicked
cannot escape the grave for they have no salvation.
4. Their time
on earth is short, and the grave has been prepared for them.
V:20. " The womb forgets them, the worm feasts on them;
evil men are no longer
remembered but are
broken like a tree. "
A. An evil man is
forgotten as soon as he dies and the dirt covers his body.
1. There is no
lasting memories of him.
2. His body rots
in his grave.
B. The community is
glad when the wicked perish.
1. God purposed
our lives to be role models of righteousness.
2. We were made
in the likeness and the image of the God
head.
3. Righteousness
should be stored in the hearts of men so that evil is rejected.
4. Those who make
a practice of evil, reject the righteous of God and will soon be
forgotten.
V:21. " They prey on the barren and childless woman,
and to the widow show no
kindness. "
A. During Biblical times, the weak and
defenseless class were women who could not
bare children
and widowers.
1. They had no
spouse or children to protect them.
2. Oppressing
these woman was considered extreme cruelty.
3. The wicked
showed no compassion for anyone.
B. The wicked have
no conscience of what is right.
1. They pursue
evil and live in darkness.
2. They are
destined for the darkness of hell.
3. They are
destitute of righteousness and no good will come from them.
4. They are
cowards because they prey on the weak and the defenseless.
V:22. " But God drags away the mighty by his power;
though they become established,
they have no
assurance of life."
A. The wicked
establish themselves in positions that can only be sustained by more
wickedness.
1. Their success
in wicked behavior drives them to be more wicked.
2. They can't
rest in peace because they are always looking over their shoulder
trying to
avoid justice.
B. The wicked have
no assurance of life because there is always someone more
wicked than
them who want what they have stolen.
1. Ill gotten
gain will soon be tracked and taken.
C. No matter how
strong the are wicked, they are no match for God.
1. God allows
the wicked to thrive for a season, but He will bring them down.
2. God is always
in control.
3. God's way is
always the right way.
V:23. " He may let them rest in a feeling of security,
but his eyes are on their ways."
A. The wicked gain
their confidence when there is no lasting consequences for
their evil
activities.
1. All day and
all night, their activities never cease.
2. They are the
devil's workers. They steal, kill and destroy.
3. There is no
lack of workers for the devil.
B. The Lord numbers
their transgressions.
1. At some point,
in the Lord's appointed time, they will suffer His wrath.
2. Those who fear
the Lord, may never know or see the wicked punished.
3. We can rest
assured that God will be the avenger. 2 Cor
10:6
V:24. " For a little while they are exalted, and then
they are gone; they are brought low
and gathered up like
all others; they are cut off like heads of grain."
A. According to Ecclesiastes chapter 3, there is
a season for everything.
1. The wicked
exalt themselves, but they will be brought down.
a. God hates the proud. Luke
1:51-52
b. God
exalts the humble.
2. God allows
the weeds to grow among His wheat.
1. At the
harvest time, the wheat will be gathered for His use.
2. The weeds
will be gathered and burned. Mat. 13:25 -
40
B. The Lord Jesus is
coming again to judge the living and the dead.
1. Those who
have done evil will rise to be condemned.
John 5:29
2. Those who
have done good will rise to live. John 5:29
V:25. "If this
is not so, who can prove me false and reduce my words to nothing?"
A. The Word of God
is the truth about every thing in this life.
1. The one
thing God cannot do is lie. Heb 6:18
2. Our hope is
in God's promises.
B. God has reserved
judgment for the unrighteous. 2 Peter 2:9
1. God has reserved
heaven for the righteous.
THE FAITH OF THE BELIEVER
Psalms 55:16
V:16. " But I call to God, and the Lord saves me."
A. The help of the
righteous is the Lord. Act 4:12
1. All
believers were appointed to receive the salvation
of the
Lord. 1 Thes. 5:9
2. We were
chosen before the foundation of the world to be in
Christ
Jesus. Eph 1:4
B. The wicked are not
given the ability to know the Word of God.
1 Cor 2:14
1. We should not
be dismayed at the sins of the world for
we were
chosen to suffer for Christ sake. 2 Cor 12:10 , Rom 8:17
As I view the Bible from cover to cover there is a struggle
between the rich and the poor.
There is the rich in the Spirit and the poor without the
Spirit.
There is the rich in the wisdom God and the poor in the
wisdom of the world.
There is the rich in the righteousness of God and the poor
who reject God.
There is the rich in the kingdom of heaven and the poor
destined for hell.
It is almost impossible for the rich of this world to enter
into the kingdom of heaven.
But the poor of this world have an easier access into heaven
because they trust in the Lord. The rich of this world trust in their stuff and
find it difficult to rely on God
(Mat 19:24 ).
Perhaps, God designed the life of the faithful to suffer
trials and tribulations so that
we can rely on Him and accept eternal life through our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
Rev. M. Mitchell, Asst Pastor of GMBC
No comments:
Post a Comment