#Job #Wager #Heaven #Comforters #Bereavement #Family #PartOne #Study #Series #TonyWoodward #ChartridgeMissionChurch #Chesham
Tony Woodward opens our five-part series on the book of Job with a look at the wager made in heaven, as Satan seeks to prove to God that Job is not as godly as he is thought to be. And when God allows Satan to test what manner of man Job is, Job's life is instantly turned to chaos, bereavement and confusion, with many questions to answer.
Tony Woodward YouTube Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeLtfVhcCUFvylJQWetd-t8LIhWk7J_st
Chartridge Mission Church, a beacon of faith, was founded in 1844 and remains in the village of Chartridge, just outside Chesham, in the picturesque Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire, England, UK.
We are a warm and welcoming fellowship and would be delighted to have you visit us in person. Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm, followed by refreshments.
Our Church is fully accessible, with wheelchair ramps and an accessible toilet, ensuring everyone can participate in our services.
Chartridge Mission Church, Chapel Lane, Chartridge, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2TH
The village Church with an international audience.
Support our work at Chartridge Mission Church:
Donations via Stewardship.org.uk:
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20005300
Please make cheques payable to Chartridge Mission Church and send them to the address above, attention Pastor Barry Kempson.
Recorded on Sunday, 12th July 2026.
Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm.
www.Chartridge.UK
The Friendliest Fellowship.
Tony Woodward opens our five-part series on the book of Job with a look at the wager made in heaven, as Satan seeks to prove to God that Job is not as godly as he is thought to be. And when God allows Satan to test what manner of man Job is, Job's life is instantly turned to chaos, bereavement and confusion, with many questions to answer.
Tony Woodward YouTube Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeLtfVhcCUFvylJQWetd-t8LIhWk7J_st
Chartridge Mission Church, a beacon of faith, was founded in 1844 and remains in the village of Chartridge, just outside Chesham, in the picturesque Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire, England, UK.
We are a warm and welcoming fellowship and would be delighted to have you visit us in person. Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm, followed by refreshments.
Our Church is fully accessible, with wheelchair ramps and an accessible toilet, ensuring everyone can participate in our services.
Chartridge Mission Church, Chapel Lane, Chartridge, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2TH
The village Church with an international audience.
Support our work at Chartridge Mission Church:
Donations via Stewardship.org.uk:
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20005300
Please make cheques payable to Chartridge Mission Church and send them to the address above, attention Pastor Barry Kempson.
Recorded on Sunday, 12th July 2026.
Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm.
www.Chartridge.UK
The Friendliest Fellowship.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with the load of care?
00:11Precious Saviour, still our refuge, Take it to the Lord in prayer.
00:21Do thy friends despise forsake thee, Take it to the Lord in prayer.
00:33In his arms he'll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.
00:45This evening we've got three passages from Job.
00:48The first one is taken from Job 1, verses 1 to 12.
00:54The second one will be Job 2, verses 1 to 10.
00:58And the third passage is Job 3, verses 1 to 6.
01:03So the first passage is Job 1, verses 1 to 12.
01:08There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job.
01:12And that man was fameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
01:19There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
01:23He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants.
01:34So that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.
01:39His sons used to go out and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day.
01:45And they would send and invite their sisters to eat and drink with them.
01:50And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them.
01:55He would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings, according to the number of them all.
02:02For Job said, It may be that my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.
02:08Thus Job did, but continually.
02:12Now, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan was
02:19also among them.
02:20The Lord said to Satan, From where have you come?
02:24Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down
02:31on it.
02:32And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job?
02:37And there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away
02:43from evil.
02:44Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Does Job fear God for no reason?
02:49Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has on every side?
02:55You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
03:00But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse it to your face.
03:07And the Lord said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your hand.
03:12And only against him do not stretch out your hand.
03:16So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
03:20The next passage is Job 2 verses 1 to 10.
03:24Again, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord,
03:29and Satan was also there among them to present himself before the Lord.
03:33And the Lord said to Satan, From where have you come?
03:38And Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and
03:44down on it.
03:46And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job?
03:51And there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away
03:57from evil.
03:58He still holds fast his integrity, although you cited me against him to destroy him without reason.
04:06Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Skin for skin, all that a man has, he will give for his
04:14life.
04:15But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and flesh, and he will curse you to your face.
04:20And the Lord said to Satan, Behold, he is in your hand, only spare his life.
04:26So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome soles from the sole of
04:32his foot to the crown of his head.
04:34And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.
04:41Then his wife said to him, Do you still hold fast your integrity?
04:45Curse God and die.
04:47But he said to her, You speak as one of the foolish women would speak.
04:52Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?
04:57In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.
05:01And the third passage is taken from Job 3, verses 1 to 6.
05:06After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
05:10And Job said, Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said a man is
05:17conceived.
05:18Let that day be darkness, and may God above not seek it, nor light shine upon it.
05:25Let gloom and deep darkness claim it, let clouds dwell upon it.
05:29Let the blackness of the day defy it.
05:33That night, let thick darkness seize it.
05:37Let it not rejoice among the days of the year.
05:40Let it not come into the number of the months.
05:44And that concludes the reading from Job, read from the English Standard Version.
05:50I have a confession to make.
05:53I am rather fond of classical music.
05:57And among my favourites is that great British composer, Sir Edward Elgar.
06:06Elgar was the son of a piano tuner.
06:10And Elgar set up business in Worcester, selling sheet music and musical instruments.
06:18But he was a very gifted young man, as you will appreciate.
06:22And in fact, he was eventually appointed as master of the king's music.
06:30You say, Why do I mention Elgar?
06:34Well, I mention Elgar because he has some very popular compositions.
06:40Those of us who watch the last night of the proms are moved by Prom and Circumstance March.
06:46He wrote a wonderful violin concerto, but he also wrote Enigma Variations.
06:56You say, Well, what is that all about?
07:00Well, Elgar wrote a series of musical pieces in which he wove through them all a greater theme.
07:25No one has ever been able to fathom what that greater theme was.
07:33Elgar never revealed it, but it was known as Elgar's Enigma Variations.
07:43It reminds me of Job.
07:47A man whom we know so little about.
07:52We're not sure when he lived.
07:55We're not sure who wrote his biography.
07:59Most of it is in Hebrew poetry, although there are small portions of prose.
08:07It seems at times that the book of Job raises more questions than it answers.
08:14Why such abject suffering and pain and misery
08:18to a man who is described as blameless and righteousness before God?
08:29Tonight we're looking at chapters 1 to 3.
08:34I was given the title, Job's Wager in Heaven, although I've yet to find the word heaven in the text.
08:44And we'll come to that later, but that's not a criticism of dear Andy.
08:48After a brief introduction to Job and his family in the first five verses, which Anne read for us,
08:55the writer introduces us to a day when it says that Satan comes before God
09:04and where God allows Satan to test Job.
09:11Verse 6, chapter 1 says,
09:14One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came with them.
09:23And the Lord said to Satan,
09:26Where have you come from?
09:30So despite the extremes of Job's trials,
09:37here he is being accused by Satan.
09:44Whilst the physical suffering must never be minimised that we read about here in these chapters,
09:52his treatment by his relatives,
09:55his neighbours and his friends,
09:58incline us to the view
10:00that God has really forsaken Job.
10:05I want to suggest how we think about the first three chapters of Job.
10:12Easy to remember.
10:14First of all, chapter 1 is about prosperity to pain.
10:22Prosperity to pain.
10:25Chapter 2 is about pain to perseverance.
10:31In verses 13 to 22 of that chapter,
10:36tragedy strikes and Job's trials begin in earnest.
10:42Prosperity to pain.
10:44Prosperity to perseverance.
10:45Pain to perseverance.
10:48But perseverance protested.
10:52Now the first two chapters,
10:55if you have an NIV Bible,
10:59and I'm not sure
11:00whether it's the same in the ESV,
11:04are written in prose.
11:06And in the NIV,
11:09that's in normal text and font,
11:13and yet,
11:14as we go into chapter 3,
11:18apart from a few verses,
11:20just a few verses in chapter 1,
11:23if we go into chapter 3,
11:25it then changes into Hebrew poetry.
11:28And for almost 40 chapters,
11:33it's written in Hebrew poetry.
11:39So the first two chapters are written in prose,
11:42and then after a short introduction in chapter 3,
11:47it goes into italics in your Bibles,
11:52and into poetry.
11:54Now more importantly though,
11:56in chapters 1 and 2,
11:58the writer opens up the account of Job,
12:01both on earth
12:03and in heaven.
12:06And the writer weaves together
12:10the story of Job.
12:14So chapter 1,
12:16prosperity to pain.
12:19I'm not going to re-read the verses
12:21which were read to us,
12:23but verses 1 to 5
12:24tell us about Job and his family
12:28here on earth.
12:30It tells us about his seven sons
12:33and his three daughters,
12:34his wife,
12:36his wealth.
12:37I mean,
12:38it's quite obvious from reading that,
12:40that Job was a very,
12:42very wealthy man.
12:44He would be amongst the mega-rich today.
12:48He had all that this world had to offer
12:51at that particular time.
12:55Verses 6 to 12,
12:58transporters
12:58from earth to heaven.
13:02One day the angels came
13:04to present themselves
13:06before the Lord.
13:08Now I say to heaven,
13:10it doesn't say that.
13:12It says they came
13:13into the presence of the Lord.
13:15But we'll accept
13:17that he was there
13:18in heaven.
13:20And then verses 13 to 22
13:22of chapter 1,
13:24tragedy strikes
13:26and Job's trials
13:29and Job's trials
13:31Chapter 1,
13:32prosperity to pain.
13:341 to 5
13:35tell us about Job
13:37and his family.
13:38Verses 6 to 12,
13:40transporters
13:41to the events
13:42in heaven
13:43unknown to Job.
13:45And 13 to 22,
13:48tragedy strikes
13:50and Job's trials
13:51begin
13:52in earnest.
13:54other than living
13:56in the land of Oz
13:57where there's no uncertainty
13:59where Oz
14:00might have been
14:01thought to be
14:03east of Israel,
14:04possibly in what is now
14:05Jordan.
14:07The more important thing
14:09we are told
14:09and is relevant
14:11to the whole story
14:13of Job
14:13is that despite
14:15his greatness,
14:17his immense wealth
14:19and prosperity,
14:22he was blameless
14:23and he was
14:25upright
14:26before God.
14:29While Scripture
14:30does support
14:32the ideas
14:33that God blesses
14:34the upright,
14:35Psalm 1,
14:36blessed is the man
14:37who walketh
14:39in the way.
14:42it also tells us
14:44in Psalm 73
14:46that the writer
14:47there is dismayed
14:49by his misfortune
14:50and the prosperity
14:52which he sees
14:53that the wicked have.
14:55So we have both
14:56presented in Scripture
14:58that those who walk
15:00with the Lord
15:01will be blessed
15:02and we have
15:03other passages
15:04where it seems
15:05that those who
15:07do not walk
15:08with the Lord
15:09are also blessed
15:10and I think
15:12we shall see
15:13as we move on
15:14through Job
15:15that the Lord
15:17God is sovereign.
15:18It is not our job
15:20to second guess
15:21what God's purposes
15:23are.
15:24He was a wealthy man
15:26God had blessed him
15:28and he had a large family
15:30a large retinue
15:32of people
15:33who worked for him.
15:34He was a good
15:35and he was a godly man
15:36and notice verse 5
15:40it says that
15:41each morning
15:42he would spend time
15:44before the Lord.
15:47He would offer
15:48sacrifice
15:49of praise
15:50to the Lord.
15:54So his heart
15:55was right
15:56and he had a practice
15:58each morning
16:00of beginning
16:02his day
16:03early in the morning
16:05it says
16:05he would sacrifice
16:07a burnt offering
16:09for each
16:10of his family members.
16:13I wonder
16:14how we begin
16:15our day.
16:17Do we begin it
16:18by watching
16:19the news
16:20or finding out
16:21who won
16:21the men's
16:22singles finals?
16:24What do we do?
16:25Or do we turn
16:26to the Lord
16:27and open
16:28our scriptures?
16:29It's a challenge
16:30to all hearts
16:31challenge to my heart
16:32and a challenge
16:34to yours
16:35a practice
16:36we should strive for.
16:386 to 11
16:39transport us
16:41to the events
16:42in heaven
16:43unknown to Job.
16:45You know
16:46in a theatre
16:47this would be
16:48a major scene change.
16:51Verses 6
16:53chapter 1
16:55and verse 1
16:56of chapter 2
16:57they don't mention
16:58heaven
16:58but they speak
16:59about the presence
17:01of the Lord
17:02and here
17:04we're introduced
17:05to Satan
17:05and the correct
17:08definition
17:08of Satan
17:09is the adversary.
17:13Satan
17:13was opposed
17:14to all
17:16that God
17:18was
17:19and is.
17:21I say that
17:22because
17:22Satan
17:23is as active
17:24today
17:25as he's
17:26always been
17:27and we
17:28minimise
17:29the power
17:30of Satan
17:31we'll come on
17:32to see
17:32in just a few
17:33verses
17:34just how powerful
17:35Satan
17:36is.
17:38Something he
17:39continues today
17:40we must never
17:41underestimate
17:43Satan's
17:45desire
17:45to attack
17:46and to weaken
17:47and to bring
17:49down
17:49God's people.
17:51Sometimes
17:52he's described
17:53as a roaring
17:55lion
17:551 Peter
17:57chapter 4
17:57verse 8
17:58he's referred
17:59to as a
18:00roaring lion
18:02and yet
18:03when Paul
18:04writes to the
18:05church at
18:05Corinth
18:06he describes
18:07him as an
18:08angel of
18:09life
18:09just the
18:10extreme
18:11so he
18:12adapts
18:13his strategy
18:14depending on
18:16where
18:17he wishes
18:18to bring
18:19about
18:20people's
18:21destruction
18:22but the
18:23Lord says
18:24to him
18:24Satan
18:25have you
18:26considered
18:26my servant
18:28Job
18:29and this
18:30is a central
18:31issue to
18:32the understanding
18:33of the book
18:33of Job
18:34Satan
18:35cynically
18:36replies
18:37and taunts
18:38God
18:39you think
18:41Job's
18:41piety
18:42is for
18:42nothing
18:43not a bit
18:44of it
18:44he does it
18:46for what
18:46he can get
18:47out of it
18:48I mean
18:48that's a
18:49loose
18:49translation
18:50of what
18:51Satan
18:52is saying
18:53to God
18:53he's not
18:54this righteous
18:55man that
18:55you think
18:56he is
18:56he's only
18:57righteous
18:58because you
18:58bless him
18:59and that's
19:00what he's
19:00really after
19:02of course
19:03we know
19:03that's not
19:04true
19:04and God's
19:06purpose in
19:06blessing
19:07was that
19:08he might
19:09himself
19:09be glorified
19:11so
19:13verses 1 to 5
19:14tell us about
19:15Job and his
19:16family
19:176 to 12
19:19transport us
19:20into the
19:22courts of
19:22heaven
19:23and then
19:24in verses
19:2513 to 22
19:26which
19:28in fact
19:29we didn't
19:31read
19:31tragedy
19:32strikes
19:33and Job's
19:35trials
19:35begin
19:38God
19:39knows
19:39full well
19:40Job's
19:41heart
19:42and his
19:43devotion
19:44to God
19:45it is
19:47not
19:47based
19:48on a
19:48quid
19:49pro quo
19:50so the
19:51Lord
19:52allows
19:52Job
19:53to be
19:54tested
19:56this is
19:57not a
19:57courtroom
19:58of equals
19:59Satan
20:01may well
20:02have
20:02appeared
20:02in the
20:03presence
20:04of the
20:05Lord
20:05as has
20:06been said
20:07there is
20:07no equal
20:08and opposite
20:09force of
20:10evil
20:12in tension
20:13with the
20:13goodness
20:14of God
20:15Satan
20:16is on
20:17a leash
20:18we must
20:19never forget
20:20it
20:21disaster
20:22strikes
20:25the
20:25Sabaeans
20:26in verse
20:2615
20:27reported
20:28have taken
20:29your herds
20:30and killed
20:31your servants
20:34lightning
20:35has struck
20:36your flock
20:37of sheep
20:37and their
20:39shepherds
20:40interesting
20:41who allows
20:42the lightning
20:42and causes
20:44the lightning
20:46the
20:47Chaldeans
20:48raided
20:48and taken
20:49your camels
20:50and killed
20:51your servants
20:52a cyclone
20:53has struck
20:53the house
20:55and the
20:56family
20:56are all
20:57dead
20:58absolute
20:59disaster
21:01but it
21:02says Job
21:03did not
21:04curse
21:05God
21:06on the
21:07contrary
21:08he says
21:09in verse
21:1021
21:11naked
21:12I came
21:13from my
21:14mother's
21:14womb
21:14and naked
21:16I will
21:17depart
21:17in all
21:19of this
21:20Job
21:21did not
21:22sin
21:24one can't
21:25imagine
21:25all these
21:26things
21:26happening
21:26can you
21:27we have
21:29our
21:29problems
21:30with our
21:31families
21:31and
21:32our
21:33cars
21:34break down
21:35and this
21:35happens
21:36and that
21:36happens
21:37and we're
21:38challenged
21:38on every
21:39front
21:39but here
21:40was a
21:40man
21:40he lost
21:41everything
21:42he had
21:42he lost
21:43his wealth
21:44he lost
21:44his family
21:46it was a
21:47disaster
21:48but let's
21:49move on
21:49and look at
21:50chapter 2
21:51from pain
21:52to perseverance
21:54verses 1
21:56to 6
21:57tell us
21:58that Satan
22:00came yet
22:01again
22:01into the
22:03presence of
22:04God
22:04with his
22:05accusations
22:06verses 7
22:09to 10
22:09tell us
22:11that Job's
22:11perseverance
22:12in his
22:14suffering
22:14and verses
22:1511 to
22:1613
22:17tell us
22:18about the
22:19arrival
22:19of his
22:21so-called
22:22friends
22:22the
22:23counsellors
22:26Satan's
22:27further
22:27accusations
22:28once again
22:30we have
22:30a scene
22:31change
22:31and we're
22:32back
22:34from all
22:35the disasters
22:36that had
22:36happened
22:37to Job
22:38back
22:38into
22:40heaven
22:41into the
22:41presence
22:42of God
22:42and another
22:44day in the
22:45heavenly
22:45courts
22:46where Satan
22:47was there
22:49scene
22:49one
22:50is
22:51reenacted
22:52where God
22:53asks Satan
22:54what have you
22:56been up to
22:56where have you
22:57been
22:59although of course
23:00the Lord knows
23:02full well where
23:02he's been
23:03and knows what
23:04he's been doing
23:05let's not be under
23:06any illusion
23:07about that
23:07and Satan
23:09replies again
23:10he's been
23:11roaming the
23:12world
23:12there are two
23:14differences
23:15this time
23:16firstly
23:18God
23:19adds
23:20that Job
23:21has maintained
23:22his integrity
23:23verse 3
23:25and then
23:27adds
23:28though you
23:29incited me
23:30to ruin
23:31him
23:32without
23:33reason
23:34Satan
23:35doesn't come
23:36and justify
23:37his position
23:39before God
23:40all
23:42Satan's
23:43taunts
23:43come to
23:45nothing
23:46Satan
23:47replies
23:49skin
23:49for skin
23:51what is
23:52skin
23:53for skin
23:53probably
23:54a proverb
23:55meaning
23:56to give
23:57anything
23:58you would
23:59do
23:59to save
24:00your life
24:02furthermore
24:03in the first
24:03test
24:04Satan
24:05had not
24:06been allowed
24:06to hurt
24:07Job
24:07now
24:09however
24:10Satan
24:10challenges
24:11God
24:12for a
24:12deeper
24:13test
24:13namely
24:14the
24:15affliction
24:15of Job
24:16himself
24:20this is
24:21important
24:22note
24:24that it
24:25was
24:25Satan
24:26who
24:26afflicted
24:27Job
24:28not
24:28God
24:29Satan
24:30afflicted
24:32Job
24:32we must
24:34never
24:35underestimate
24:36Satan's
24:38ability
24:38to cause
24:39suffering
24:41in Luke
24:43chapter
24:4313
24:43we are
24:45reminded
24:45that
24:46Satan
24:47verse 16
24:48Luke 13
24:49we're told
24:51of the story
24:51it says
24:53that Satan
24:53kept a
24:55crippled woman
24:56bound
24:56for 18
24:58years
24:58so Satan
25:00has power
25:01over our
25:02physical
25:03bodies
25:05we're
25:06reminded
25:06that Satan
25:07kept this
25:08woman
25:09bound
25:09other
25:10instances
25:11are
25:12that
25:13we read
25:14the story
25:15of the man
25:15of the
25:15Gadarenes
25:16who was
25:18possessed
25:18of Satan's
25:19horses
25:20in whatever
25:21form
25:22on the
25:24other hand
25:24the Lord
25:25pointed out
25:25that the
25:27blind man
25:29was not
25:30blind
25:31because of
25:31him
25:32or his
25:33mother's
25:33sin
25:34Satan
25:36appears
25:37to have
25:39the ability
25:39to inflict
25:42pain
25:43and punishment
25:46verses 10
25:48tell us
25:49about
25:49Job's
25:50perseverance
25:51despite his
25:54wife's
25:54unhelpful
25:55support
25:56Job
25:56now
25:57realizes
25:58that
25:58trials
25:59can
25:59come
26:00from
26:00God
26:00verse 10
26:02tells us
26:03that
26:04shall we
26:05not accept
26:06he says
26:06to his
26:07wife
26:07shall we
26:08not accept
26:09that good
26:10comes from
26:11God
26:11and not
26:13trouble
26:13that's a
26:14funny way
26:15of putting
26:15it in a
26:16sense
26:16but he's
26:18saying
26:18look
26:19it can
26:20come
26:20God
26:21can
26:21allow
26:22these
26:23things
26:24to happen
26:25to us
26:25this
26:27then
26:27opens
26:28the box
26:29doesn't
26:29it
26:30of why
26:31God
26:31allows
26:32suffering
26:33yet
26:35throughout
26:35the
26:35New Testament
26:36we are
26:37reminded
26:38time and
26:38time again
26:39particularly
26:40that as
26:42believers in
26:42Christ
26:43we will
26:44be tried
26:44and we
26:45will be
26:46tested
26:46when Paul
26:48wrote
26:49to his
26:50friend
26:50Timothy
26:51he said
26:51all who
26:52desire
26:53to live
26:54a godly
26:55life
26:55in Christ
26:56Jesus
26:56will be
26:58persecuted
27:00James
27:01wrote
27:01he said
27:02consider it
27:03pure joy
27:04whenever you
27:06face trials
27:07of many
27:07kinds
27:08because you
27:10know that
27:10the testing
27:11of your
27:12faith
27:12produces
27:15perseverance
27:17perseverance
27:18must finish
27:19its work
27:20that you
27:21may become
27:22mature
27:24I was at a
27:26meeting recently
27:27where this was
27:28being talked
27:29about and
27:30I didn't ask
27:33the question
27:33but I felt
27:35like asking
27:36and saying
27:36shouldn't we
27:37ask that God
27:38will try us
27:40because it's
27:41for our
27:42blessing
27:43our
27:44blessing
27:46it's for
27:47our
27:47perseverance
27:49and it's
27:50for our
27:51maturity
27:51may we
27:53never forget
27:54that when
27:54the
27:56going
27:57gets tough
27:58God
27:59is teaching
28:00us
28:00through these
28:01lessons
28:03the challenge
28:04of Job
28:05now comes
28:05into play
28:06God
28:08a God
28:08of love
28:09and mercy
28:09now allows
28:10an upright
28:11and a
28:12godly
28:12man
28:13to suffer
28:13in extremis
28:15at a time
28:16with apparently
28:17no end
28:20yet Job's
28:21faith
28:23does not
28:24fail
28:25C.S.
28:26Lewis wrote
28:27on the death
28:27of his wife
28:28he said
28:29talk to me
28:30about the
28:30truth of
28:31religion
28:31and I'll
28:33listen gladly
28:34talk to me
28:35about the
28:36duty of
28:37religion
28:37and I'll
28:38listen
28:39submissively
28:40but don't
28:42come talking
28:42to me
28:43about the
28:44consolation
28:45of religion
28:47well that
28:48was Lewis
28:50verses 11
28:51to 13
28:52the arrival
28:54of the
28:55counsellors
28:57now we
28:58have been
28:59let into
28:59the divine
29:00courtroom
29:01as observers
29:03of Job's
29:04suffering
29:04and anguish
29:06and anguish
29:06we have
29:07the human
29:08counsellors
29:09and I mention
29:09this because
29:10in the coming
29:11weeks we
29:11shall be
29:12unfolding
29:12all that
29:13these people
29:15had to say
29:15Eliphaz
29:17Bilad
29:18and Zophar
29:19arrive to
29:21offer sympathy
29:22and comfort
29:24they sit
29:25there for
29:26a week
29:27before offering
29:29their thoughts
29:30and then
29:31from chapter
29:33three
29:33all the way
29:34through
29:35almost to
29:36the end
29:36of the book
29:37they're there
29:39let me read
29:41you a little
29:41story I came
29:42across when I
29:43was studying
29:44this passage
29:45John Taylor
29:46was the
29:47bishop of
29:48Winchester
29:49and he wrote
29:50a book
29:50that was
29:51called
29:52The Go
29:53Between
29:53God
29:54he says
29:55a colleague
29:56has recently
29:57described to
29:59me
29:59an occasion
30:00when a West
30:01Indian woman
30:02in a London
30:03flat was told
30:04of her husband's
30:05death
30:06in a street
30:07accident
30:08the shock
30:09of grief
30:10stunned her
30:11like a blow
30:12she sank
30:14into the
30:15corner
30:15of the
30:16sofa
30:17and sat
30:17there
30:18rigid
30:18and unhearing
30:19for a long
30:20time
30:21her terrible
30:22trance
30:23look
30:23continued
30:24to embarrass
30:25the family
30:25friends
30:26and officials
30:27who came
30:27and went
30:28then the
30:30school teacher
30:30of one
30:31of her
30:31children
30:32an English
30:33woman
30:33called
30:34and seeing
30:35how things
30:36were
30:36went
30:36and sat
30:37beside her
30:38without a
30:40word
30:40she threw
30:42an arm
30:42round
30:43the upright
30:45shoulder
30:45clasping
30:46them
30:47with her
30:48full
30:48strength
30:48the white
30:50cheek
30:50was
30:51sussed
30:52hard
30:52against
30:53the brown
30:54then
30:55as the
30:56unrelenting
30:58pain
30:59seeped
30:59through to
31:00her
31:01the newcomers
31:02tears
31:02began to
31:03flow
31:04falling on
31:05their two
31:06hands
31:06linked
31:07by the
31:07woman's
31:08lap
31:08for a
31:10long time
31:10that's all
31:12that was
31:12happening
31:12and then
31:14at last
31:15the west
31:15Indian
31:16woman
31:16started
31:18to sob
31:19still
31:20not a
31:20word
31:21was
31:21spoken
31:21and after
31:23a little
31:23while
31:24the visitor
31:24got up
31:25and went
31:26leaving her
31:26contribution
31:27to help
31:29the family
31:29meet
31:30its
31:31immediate
31:32needs
31:33this
31:36says
31:36John
31:37Taylor
31:37is the
31:38embrace
31:38of God
31:39his kiss
31:41of life
31:41that is
31:43the embrace
31:43of his
31:44mission
31:44and of
31:45our
31:46intercession
31:46and the
31:47Holy Spirit
31:48is the
31:48force
31:49in the
31:49straining
31:50muscles
31:50of an
31:51arm
31:51the
31:52film
31:53of
31:53sweat
31:53between
31:55pressed
31:55cheeks
31:56the
31:56mingled
31:57wetness
31:57on the
31:58back
31:58of
31:59clasped
31:59hands
32:00he is
32:01as close
32:02and unobtrusive
32:04as that
32:04and is
32:06irresistibly
32:07strong
32:09nothing
32:09was said
32:11nothing
32:12was said
32:13when
32:14that dear
32:15sister
32:15went to
32:16minister
32:17to that
32:18west
32:19indian
32:19lady
32:20here we
32:21have the
32:22opposite
32:22we have
32:23after this
32:24period of
32:25silence
32:25these
32:26tokoi
32:27friends
32:29and we
32:30shall be
32:30hearing all
32:31about them
32:32in the
32:33coming week
32:34and finally
32:35in chapter
32:36three
32:38we
32:38read of
32:40perseverance
32:41protesting
32:42protested
32:43verses
32:44three to
32:45ten
32:46remind us
32:47that
32:47job
32:48cursed
32:48his
32:49birth
32:50and in
32:51verses
32:51eleven
32:52to twenty
32:52six
32:53he
32:54questions
32:54his
32:55birth
32:55now we
32:55didn't
32:56read all
32:56of those
32:57verses
32:57for the
32:57sake
32:58of time
32:58so
32:59job
33:00now
33:00breaks
33:01with his
33:01silence
33:02and he
33:03speaks to
33:04his
33:04friends
33:04for the
33:05first
33:05time
33:06again
33:07as i
33:07said
33:08i
33:08prose
33:09in
33:09chapters
33:09one
33:10and two
33:11and now
33:12we start
33:13a long
33:14long
33:15poem
33:17firstly
33:17in verses
33:18three to
33:19ten
33:19he curses
33:21the day
33:21of his
33:22birth
33:22and then
33:24in verses
33:25eleven
33:25twenty
33:26six
33:26he
33:27questions
33:28his
33:28birth
33:30jove's
33:31distress
33:31is now
33:32such
33:32that he
33:33curses
33:34his birth
33:35he doesn't
33:36curse god
33:37he doesn't
33:38curse his
33:39parents
33:39he doesn't
33:40curse himself
33:40he simply
33:42questions
33:43why he
33:44has been
33:45born at
33:45all
33:46he simply
33:47wants the
33:48day
33:48blotted
33:49out
33:50it's
33:51simply like
33:52darkness
33:53to him
33:53and then
33:54in the
33:55the remainder
33:56of his
33:56verses
33:56eleven
33:57to twenty
33:57six
33:58he doesn't
33:59curse his
34:00birth
34:01he questions
34:02his birth
34:04verse eleven
34:05why did i not
34:07perish
34:08at birth
34:09verse twelve
34:11why was there
34:13someone there
34:14to nurse me
34:15rather than
34:16let me die
34:16why wasn't i
34:19stillborn
34:19he says in
34:20verse sixteen
34:21why do
34:22those who
34:23long to be
34:23delivered from
34:24life have
34:25to go on
34:26living
34:27why does
34:28life continue
34:29for those who
34:30feel trapped
34:31by god
34:32he says in
34:34verse twenty
34:34three
34:35it's a common
34:36debate isn't
34:37it
34:38these days in
34:39society
34:40so job's
34:42questions
34:43of god
34:44are why
34:45why
34:46why
34:47and we
34:49seemingly
34:49have no
34:50answer
34:51but we
34:52do
34:53we do
34:56isaiah wrote
34:58for my
34:59thoughts
35:00are not
35:01your thoughts
35:02neither
35:03are your
35:04ways
35:05my ways
35:06declares
35:07the lord
35:07as the heavens
35:09are higher
35:09than the earth
35:10so are my
35:12ways higher
35:13than your
35:13ways and
35:14my thoughts
35:15than your
35:16thoughts
35:19job's
35:20thoughts
35:20are now
35:21the very
35:22limit
35:22where his
35:24faith in
35:24god is
35:25challenged
35:25and he's
35:27on the very
35:27precipice of
35:28abandoning his
35:29confidence in
35:30god
35:32sighing
35:33comes to him
35:34instead of
35:34food it tells
35:35us in
35:36verse twenty
35:36four
35:39groans
35:40instead of
35:41water
35:41he feels
35:42abandoned
35:43by god
35:44he has
35:45no peace
35:46and quietness
35:48we're told
35:49in verse
35:50twenty six
35:53what we
35:54know of
35:55god and
35:56his goodness
35:56and what
35:58we do
35:59not know
36:00about the
36:00mystery of
36:01god's divine
36:02purposes
36:04appear in
36:06headlong
36:07collision
36:08the tension
36:09here seems
36:10unbearable
36:12this is
36:13this is the
36:13depth
36:14and the
36:15essence
36:15of
36:16job
36:17i was
36:17recently
36:18reading a
36:19series of
36:20books
36:20and the
36:22author
36:22admitted
36:23that she
36:25very often
36:26in reading
36:27a book
36:27skipped to
36:29the last
36:29pages
36:30to find
36:31out what
36:32the end
36:32of the
36:33story was
36:33before she'd
36:34actually got
36:35much into
36:35the story
36:38perhaps we
36:39could do
36:40that tonight
36:40as we
36:42just sum
36:43up
36:43what we've
36:45been thinking
36:45about
36:46the outcome
36:47of job
36:49is wonderful
36:51after all
36:52that god
36:53allowed
36:53and all
36:55that he
36:56suffered
36:57joe could
36:58say to
36:59the lord
36:59in fact
37:01let's turn
37:02to it
37:02i know it's
37:04going to
37:04come later
37:05chapter 42
37:06because i think
37:07this really
37:08i think this is
37:10the answer
37:11to joe
37:11and in
37:12verse 4
37:13this is joe
37:15speaking
37:16he says
37:16you said
37:17listen now
37:18and i will
37:20speak
37:20i will
37:22question you
37:22and you
37:24shall answer
37:24me
37:25this is it
37:26my ears
37:28have heard
37:29of you
37:31but now
37:32my eyes
37:34have seen
37:35you
37:36my ears
37:38have heard
37:38of you
37:40but my
37:41eyes
37:41have seen
37:42you
37:44isn't that
37:44the great
37:45desire of
37:46every believer
37:47we hear
37:49god's word
37:51and we
37:53ask that
37:53god will
37:54reveal himself
37:55in all
37:57his wonder
37:58in all
37:59his glory
38:00in all
38:01his wisdom
38:01he is the
38:02sovereign god
38:03he will
38:04decide
38:05not his
38:07friends
38:07not joe
38:09god will
38:11decide
38:11for his
38:13glory
38:13and his
38:15glory alone
38:16amen
38:17amen
38:18what a
38:20friend we
38:21have in
38:22jesus
38:24all our
38:26sins and
38:27griefs to
38:28bear
38:28what a
38:31privilege
38:32to carry
38:34everything
38:37to god
38:38in prayer
38:39oh
38:41what
38:42peace
38:42we
38:43often
38:43forfeit
38:45oh
38:47what
38:48needless
38:49pain
38:49we
38:49bear
38:51oh
38:52because
38:53we do
38:54not
38:54carry
38:56everything
38:59to god
39:00in prayer
39:01have we
39:04trials
39:05and
39:06temptations
39:08is there
39:10trouble
39:11anywhere
39:12we
39:14should
39:15never
39:16be
39:16discouraged
39:19take it
39:21to the
39:22lord in
39:23heaven
39:24can we
39:26find a
39:27friend so
39:28faithful
39:30who
39:31will
39:32all our
39:33sorrows
39:34share
39:36jesus
39:37knows
39:38our
39:38every
39:39weakness
39:41take it
39:43to the
39:44lord
39:45in
39:45prayer
39:46are we
39:49weak and
39:50heavy
39:51laden
39:53cumbered
39:55with the
39:56lord
39:56our
39:57care
39:58precious
40:00saviour
40:01still our
40:02refuge
40:04take it
40:06to the
40:07lord
40:08in
40:08prayer
40:09do
40:10thy
40:11friends
40:12despise
40:13forsake
40:15thee
40:15take it
40:18to the
40:18lord
40:19in
40:19prayer
40:20in
40:22his
40:23arms
40:23he'll
40:24take
40:24and
40:24shield
40:26thee
40:26thou
40:28wilt
40:29find
40:30us
40:30all
40:31us
40:31there
40:32go
40:32to the
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