Sunday Morning Service (Mark 1:1-15)

Mark 1:1-15

Audio Access Available Above

“The Beginning Of The Gospel” •  6.6.21  •  Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro.

- The gospel that lay before us is called the "Gospel According To Mark." It was written during a particularly difficult time in church history, during the reign of Caesar Nero.

- The year is somewhere between 64 and 67 A.D. The church is just over 3 decades old and most of the first generation's leaders are about to pass from the Earth.

- In fact, it is believed that Paul is on the "chopping block" and that Peter and his wife, have just been crucified, a severe and personal blow to John Mark, our author.

- Mark has quite a storied history in scripture. He was too young to be a disciple of Jesus, but he often found himself in their presence, even at the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of betrayal!

  - Most scholars believe that Mark speaks of himself as the "streaking boy" that ran from the soldiers on that infamous night in Mark 14:51,52.

- A few years later, he joined his cousin Barnabas on a missionary journey with the Apostle Paul. When he couldn't cut it, he went home, no doubt a little dejected. Enter Peter.

- Scholars believe that Peter made Mark his personal assistant, his own disciple if you will. Mark grew under Peter's tutelage and the Apostle called Mark his son! (I Peter 5:13)

- Mark teaches us that failure in the Christian life is just God's way of getting you into the right position to serve Him! He wanted to be a disciple, a missionary, but God wanted an "Author!"

- Mark's gospel is certainly reflective of his time. It's the shortest gospel and is the most urgent. In it, Jesus is presented as God's Servant, who tirelessly works at His Father's bidding.

- It's a fitting message for a church that is serving it's Father at a time of great distress. Serving God is a matter of urgency, so who has time for details! Mark jumps right in at verse 1.

Text

• Mark 1:1-3 : "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’" : Mark begins his gospel account with events that relate to these two scriptures. This is where the good news comes from!

- To John Mark and to all that have been affected by the "gospel," it is good news indeed! It is news of victory over Satan and victory over sin by the agency of Jesus Christ!

- It is the news that the Victor, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is and will always be the unique, eternal, co-equal Son of God! But how would he or anyone else know that to be true?

- Mark's perspective begins with this verse from the section of scripture called the "Prophets." The first verse is taken from Malachi 3:1, the last book of the Old Testament.

- It is one of the final authoritative words written by a prophet of God before a stunning 400 year period of silence. No wonder the Jewish people kept it close to their hearts!

- It is a command of God. "Look carefully! I will be sending My angel, my messenger who will prepare Your way before You." God the Father is making a promise to God the Son, His Messiah.

- This messenger will "prepare" the Messiah's way which covers the idea of a person traveling in advance to a location to make sure all the details of his charge's arrival were in place.

- He was responsible to construct or erect necessary infrastructure and platforms for appearance. He would remove obstacles from the road and select locations for visitation.

- Every detail would be worked out to smooth his Lord's path. This was John's spiritual assignment! He was building a platform and clearing the road in the hearts of men!

- God promises the Son that He would not bring Him into the world without a person specifically making a people's heart ready to receive Him.

- At this point, Mark combines the first verse with the second verse, this one from Isaiah 40:3. It is a singular voice crying out like a man on a deserted island calls out for any other inhabitant.

- It is not a team of voices or a nation of voices. There is a single, solitary voice involved.

- The cry is indiscriminate. "Whoever will hear me, please respond!" The setting is in the distance. It goes out from and into wilderness.

- It is not in the cities or among the usual institutions. It is coming from an unusual place. It's content is focused and singular.

- His message is for all to make their hearts a ready place to receive the Lord. Make His path to your heart straight, level.

- These verses were the signal, the trigger to Mark that God was beginning His program! If the Messiah were to come, he'd need the right man! In His time, all of Judea saw such a man. Verse 4.

• Mark 1:4 : "John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." : Enter into time, John, otherwise known as "John the Baptist." Mark explains that he is the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3.

- Who else could he be!? Mark reports his actions of baptizing, not in the cities, but in the wilderness, a place of desolation. The man is yelling, calling out to any that would hear.

- He is "preaching." This particular word reflects what a delegated official would do on behalf of a King. He would go into a town's square, unroll a scroll and simply relay a series of commands.

- John was calling for men to be baptized as a outward symbol of their inward repentance toward God! It was repentance in anticipation of the remission of sins!

- This is such an important element to consider, when one considers the mission of the Messiah. God is not primarily concerned with societal woes or governmental structure.

- God is not dealing with the world's ills, but with His people's sin! Sin is the issue! Sin will keep men from their Messiah! Sin is what will keep men and women from eternal life!

- Of all the obstacles within a human heart, sin is the primary problem facing mankind!

- Therefore, the man that would fulfill the office of the forerunner, must call for God's people to repent from their sins. To "repent" means to "change your mind." Think differently about your sin!

- Think differently about where it is leading you. Understand your guilt and make a decision to reverse your course!

- When one changes their mind and changes their course, they are delivered from their sins! That is what it means to have them "remitted." They are no longer captives to them.

- This is again a vital understanding of the nature of sin. It seems to us, that we are AT LEAST in a mutually beneficial partnership with our sin.

- We get what we think we want and it gets to have a place in our hearts. What is really taking place is that our sin takes a foothold, an ownership over our hearts, blinding us to our true condition.

- We are not masters of our sin. It is mastering us! We are it's captives until we repent! John is not among us today, but I pray that you clearly hear his message!

- If the Messiah will take His place in your life, there can be no other master residing in your hearts! "Prepare the way! Make straight a path for Him!" How did people respond? Verse 5.

• Mark 1:5-8 : "Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, 'There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'" : Remember that John has stationed himself in the Judean wilderness. It is an imposing landscape, filled with steep canyons and harsh, seemingly endless, desert vistas.

- It is home to places like "En Gedi" and the Dead Sea. Filled with caves, it once preserved the Dead Sea scrolls and housed various revolutionary groups and fugitives, including King David.

- John is speaking there and in a nod to God's Spirit moving in the hearts of the people, men and women from cosmopolitan Jerusalem all went out to be baptized by him!

- This doesn't mean that every single person did this without EXCEPTION, but that every KIND of person came out without DISTINCTION!

- Matthew reports that "great multitudes" came out. (Matthew 4:25) Religious leaders, tax collectors, even Roman soldiers came out to examine John. (Luke 3:7-14)

- When God begins to move, distance becomes a non-issue and pride is easily moved to the side! These sophisticated city dwellers were happy to come and confess their sins!

- When one is hungry for God's presence, distance to and quality of production mean nothing! This nation was hungry for God's presence, especially in the face of a growing religious hypocrisy.

- They didn't come for a show. They came to "confess" their sins! They came to agree with God that the action that they had taken or the attitude that they had fostered, was sin.

- Call it what it it is! It is not a "white" lie. It's a plain lie. It's not an "affair." It's adultery. It is not prolonged borrowing, but thievery! It is out from that attitude that these people came!

- They were driven to John by God's Spirit! It didn't matter how far they had come or how wild John was. I mean, look at his description!

- John's entire profile reveals a man that lived out from the rest of civilation and WAY off the grid! Camel's hair, leather belt and a vegan's dream diet revealed a practical, minimalist's dream.

- Of course, there are deeper thoughts to consider here. John's vestment is very reminiscent of the prophets that preceded him. He baptized near the place where Elijah was taken to heaven!

- One commentator even mentioned that the camel's hair belonged to Elijah! His clothes and way, speak of a man that doesn't want you focused upon himself!

- John has no desire to draw these people to himself. Mark tells us that he kept announcing that there was One who was coming after Him. He is mighty and John isn't worthy of Him!

- The action that John speaks of would be performed by the lowliest slave in a household. John wasn't even worthy enough to perform that task! He saw himself as lower than low!

- This isn't false humility. He is pointing to the nature of his work. It is a baptism with water. In a way, any human being can officiate such an activity, as long as there is water.

- John's office was humble, in that he could only prepare people for what was coming!

- When the Lord comes, He will also baptize His people, not with water, but with the Holy Spirit! Truly, His church will be filled with people who are brought into the body of Christ by Spirit birth!

- John's person, position and performance all pointed to his subjection to Christ! This is the Prophet's proclamation. We'll find that he was not alone in his assessment. Verse 9.

• Mark 1:9 : "It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan." : God's people came out to see John and the Messiah Himself came and walked among them there!

- Now, if this were not the truth, one could hardly believe what was happening! God has sent a Prophet, not to the middle of Israel's capital city, but to the desolate region of the Judean desert.

- When you look at him, you see a half crazed man with locust legs for toothpicks! John doesn't even own a pair of skinny jeans! Then, God decides where His Messiah will come from.

- Once again, you forego the obvious choice of a forward thinking center of Israeli thought, to a back water truck stop! "He's not from L.A. He's from Blythe!?"

- In case you are missing it, God is not into impressing people with what impresses people!

- Nazareth is what small towns call a small town! Nazareth, in the time of our Lord's life, was home to a very small and insignificant population. This is where Jesus grew up.

- Beyond the consideration of these seeming contradictions, the next phrase has often caused me to wonder. Jesus came down to the Jordan, not to take over for John, but to submit to baptism!

- Why did Jesus submit to a baptism of repentance when He had no sin to repent from? According to Matthew's account, John registered the very same question.

• Matthew 3:13-15 : "Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?' But Jesus answered and said to him, 'Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed Him." : John in this moment is a wonderful contradiction. He is trying to prevent the Lord Jesus from being baptized. The language indicates the he kept trying to restrain Him!

- He is humbled by Christ's appearance and somehow, at the same time, emboldened to contradict Him! These characters are just like us, but, if He is the Lord, there is only one response!

- John doesn't understand but the Lord won't leave Him hanging! He explains it by saying that His baptism would be a fitting action to "fulfill all righteousness."

- The word indicates that there is a cramming in to the very top. Every bit of righteousness that is to be had must be executed to it's fullest potential.

- On the Lord's part, His action endorsed John's ministry. It fulfilled righteousness in that it opened the way for people's hearts to be readied for Christ's greater work.

- With regard to Christ, when He submitted to baptism, He entered into the symbol of what His work would accomplish in the lives of His own followers. He identified with us!

- He stood at the beginning of the road, where every sinner must stand! He meets mankind right there! After John baptized Him, an amazing moment took place. Verse 10.

• Mark 1:10,11 : "And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove." : At the very moment that Jesus emerged from the water something incredible took place.

- He saw, he had come to be aware of the heavens parting. They were being "rent apart!" Who is the "He" in this verse? The capital letters make it seem that it is the Lord. That is very likely true. 

- In this case, the Father was revealing to the Son that He was ready to begin His mission!

- God Spirit, gently as if He were a dove, descended upon the Lord! Jesus, in His humanity, was the very portrait of a life dominated by the Holy Spirit's rule.

- Jesus was born without a sinful nature and grew in "wisdom, stature and favor with men." (Luke 2:52) Even then, He could only have fulfilled God's righteousness by the Holy Spirit's power!

- From this moment on, Jesus is filled and directed by the agency of the Holy Spirit.

- Jesus is assured of the power of the Holy Spirit and John, who also witnessed this moment, is assured that Jesus is who he thought He was! Turn over to John 1. Listen to these comments.

• John 1:29-34 : "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.' And John bore witness, saying, 'I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.'" : John wasn't shy about proclaiming Jesus to be the Lamb or the Son of God! He had proof and God's own Word! ^v.11

• Mark 1:11 : "Then a voice came from heaven, 'You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'" : Please take note of the characters that are present. The Son of God is in the water with John. The Spirit of God has descended and remained upon the Son.

- Now, we have God the Father speaking His approval of the Son from heaven's throne room!

- The Trinity stands in agreement at this very moment of Christ's launching into ministry.

- The words of the Father are affirming. "You are My beloved Son!" With all that Jesus is about to face from the Jewish leaders, He will do so with this ringing endorsement!

- Before Jesus did a single thing publicly, the Father announced His endorsement and pleasure! Jesus Christ has all of God's approval forever! What an amazing picture for us!

- One can imagine the excitement of this moment, but it didn't last very long at all! Verse 12.

• Mark 1:12,13 : " Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him." : Jesus is barely dry from His baptism. He has no time to celebrate His baptism. God's Spirit drove Him straight into the wilderness!

- Jesus was "ejected," "cast out," into the wilderness and He was out there for forty days! Each of those days was a time of spiritual temptation, which Mark doesn't comment upon.

- Jesus is absolutely alone, not surrounded by friendly humans, but by the wild animals that live in the wilderness. It is there that the Devil meets Him!

- Matthew and Luke both record the details of the Lord's conflict with Satan. (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13) Jesus faced the Devil without any provision from God.

- He went without food for 40 days, a remarkable and miraculous proposition. It was in that condition that Satan sought to challenge Jesus with the same temptations he used with Adam.

- He called Jesus to give in to the lust of the flesh. "If you are the Son of God command these stones to become bread." "Give in to your body's needs. They are only natural!"

- He tempted Jesus to surrender to the lust of the eyes. "Throw yourself down from the Temple and watch the glory of God's angels as they catch you." "Give into your ego's demands for glory!"

- Finally, Satan appealed to the pride of life. "All of the Kingdoms of the Earth I will give you if you bow down and worship me." "Take what is rightfully yours! Embrace your power now!"

- This is the entirety of Satan's repetoire! He has no need for another tactic, as these work with all human beings! Unfortunately for him, Jesus wouldn't fall for it.

- Jesus passed where Adam failed by simply answering each temptation with the words "It is written!" Interestingly, He passed where Israel failed, fasting 40 days without any provision from God!

- He's the greater Adam in His obedience and the greater Israel in His unwavering loyalty to His Father. When the temptation was over, God's angels ministered to His needs. Verse 14.

• Mark 1:14,15 : "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.'" : There is an entire year that has passed between verses 13 and 14. Much had changed!

- John, the celebrated prophet that lived at the center of a national revival, has gone from the freedom of the wilderness to the bondage of a prison, courtesy of Herod Antipas.

- Mark doesn't include the details, but when a prophet confronts an insecure, self-proclaimed "King" about an immoral, adulterous, illegal marriage with his brother's wife, he's bound for trouble!

- At that time, Jesus came into the North of Israel, the region of the Galilee and began to announce the gospel of the Kingdom of God! "Time" speaks of a limited moment of opportunity.

- The NLT translates verse 15, "The time promised by God has come at last!" The Kingdom is being revealed, first by the presence of the King!

- Jesus, the Messiah that will rule over a people, has presented Himself! He will unveil the principles of the Kingdom in His teaching and pay for it's citizen's sins with His own blood!

- In so doing, He will propitiate the wrath of His Father and impute His own righteousness into all that respond to Him. What must they do? Repent, and believe in the gospel!

- The first word of the gospel message begin with repentance. You cannot go one way in life without turning from another! And why would you if you didn't believe in the gospel?

- Why not remain on the highway of your own pleasures? Forget that they are leading you to an eternity separated from God! You don't want that, you say? Repent and believe in the gospel!

- Believe in it's promise of forgiveness and cleansing. Believe in it's power to draw you toward intimacy with God.

- More than anything, believe in the sufficiency of it's central person, Jesus Christ, the One who was affirmed by the Prophets, God the Father and even the Tempter that failed to tempt Him!

Conclusion
- As we conclude this first section, allow me to expose what we have just seen. Mark affirms that his gospel presents the Victor, Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

- He has the "Right Forerunner" in John the Baptist. He has the "Right Endorsement" from the Spirit who resided upon Him and the Father, whose voice registered His pleasure with Him.

- He has the "Right Ability" facing down our enemy on his turf, defeating him without a single friend or provision from God, save His Word! Finally, Jesus has the "Right Message."

- Repent from your sinful attitudes that betray a self-sufficiency. Turn from your foolish, sinful ways and believe in the promise of forgiveness, delivered by the power of Christ's work!

 

Sunday Morning Service (Job 40:6-Job 42)

Job 40:6-Job 42

“The End Of Job” •  5.30.21  •  Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro.

- Entering into verse six of chapter 40 has already put our minds on "red alert." God has just pummeled Job with a series of unanswerable questions, all of which expose His wisdom.

- When Job resigned himself to silence, but fell short of actual repentance, God knew that Job needed the rest of the exam, this time, with the focus upon His power. Verse 6.

Text

• Job 40:6-14 : " Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 'Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and array yourself with glory and beauty. Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him. Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together, bind their faces in hidden darkness. Then I will also confess to you that your own right hand can save you." : God wants to know if Job really thinks he can criticize or condemn God in order to present himself as righteous! "Would you lower Me to your level in order that you can be exalted above Me?"

- God will not be judged by men! He is in an altogether separate category from man! Is Job able to act like Him? What can Job's arm do? Is His voice like the thunder? Is he dressed like God?

- Can Job act like Him!? When God allows His wrath to flow, the proud are brought to their knees. All of the wicked are tread down where they stand.

- When Job can reproduce that action, then God will admit that Job's right hand can save him! But be assured: God will never confess that over ANY man!

- Job has no power over wicked men, nor has he been able to save himself! He is powerless in God's world and that is good for us to realize. God will further illustrate in verse 15.

• Job 40:15-19: "Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox. See now, his strength is in his hips, and his power is in his stomach muscles. He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.  His bones are like beams of bronze, his ribs like bars of iron. He is the first of the ways of God; Only He who made him can bring near His sword." : Up

to this point, God has referred to 12 different animals, each speaking of His wisdom.

- When He wants to speak of His power, God need only refers to two, beginning with "Behemoth." The scholars are sharply divided over the identity of this animal.

- According to one commentator, the language indicates that it is the "beast of beasts!" Whether it is a hippo, a brontasaurus or an some other extinct animal, this isn't the point.

- Do I believe that dinosaurs roamed the Earth with men? Absolutely. There is plenty of archeological and anthropological evidence to support that. The point is that this animal is powerful!

- Consider what God says carefully. Job could "look upon" the Behemoth. This is an actual beast that God had made along with Job. In the creation, they are both created on the same day!

- Behemoth is a herbivore with power in it's hips and stomach. He has a long and strong tail. His tendons are woven tightly, his bones and ribs are unbreakable.

- God is proud of Behemoth's construction. He represents a "crown jewel" of the ways of God and only He, as it's Master, is a threat to it's existence! Verse 20

• Job 40:20-24: "Surely the mountains yield food for him, and all the beasts of the field play there.  He lies under the lotus trees, in a covert of reeds and marsh. The lotus trees cover him with their shade; The willows by the brook surround him. Indeed the river may rage, yet he is not disturbed; He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth, though he takes it in his eyes, or one pierces his nose with a snare." : Behemoth enjoys the higher elevations and loves to play around with those of his own kind. His life is idyllic, living under the shade of trees and by the flowing brooks.

- The images are incredibly peaceful, the scenery, serene. Then the Lord introduces this picture of chaos. Notice the circumstance. The river is raging! This word is widely translated.

- The older translations speak of the river "overflowing" (ASV) or "oppressing." (YLT) The RSV and ESV use the word "turbulent." These are common occurrences, especially with the Jordan river.

- Today, the Jordan river is hardly comparable to it's former, Biblical self. This river was virtually impassable during the springtime. Humans see this overflow as an impassable quandry.

- Behemoth though, is undisturbed. Behemoth is "secure" (NET) and hardly moved by the event. This animal lives out it's existence in perfect peace.

- He is not threatened by drowning, or bothered by getting hit in the eye or worried about being snared by a hunter. None of these things move him! He stands there completely at ease.

- What does that tell you Job? Behemoth doesn't know God like Job does, but it's demeanor is far more calm than Job's! Does Job not possess greater understanding of his own Creator?

- When the river rises in our lives, is there not a reason for and a source of peace? Chapter 41.

• Job 41:1-11 : "Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? Can you put a reed through his nose, or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you? Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you leash him for your maidens? Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants? Can you fill his skin with harpoons, or his head with fishing spears? Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle—Never do it again! Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him? No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me? Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine." : Behemoth represents the greatest beast of the land. What it is to the land, Leviathan is to the sea! Once again, Leviathan's identity is a mystery. Is it an aligator or crocodile?

- Some hold it to be a "sea serpent." One commentator shared several stories from the logs of Sea Captains regarding notable conflicts with large, menacing sea serpent creatures.

- Still others regard Leviathan as a fire breathing dragon, the sort that is found in nearly every culture's cave drawings! We'll let it suffice that this is a creature that God made.

- His name is interesting, as it is related to being "wreathed, twisted in folds." If it is indeed a fire breathing dragon, we have much to discuss. For now, let's make note of God's point.

- Leviathan cannot be hunted! He will not be reasoned with. If he grabs ahold of you, you won't be able to bargain with him or beg for your life! He's nobody's pet or showpiece.

- You'll never go to a banquet where he is the main course! You don't have enough equipment to take him down! Your first battle with him will genuinely be your last!

- If your dream is to overtake Leviathan, you are certainly fooling yourself! Even the sight of him was too much to consider! Only a fool would rouse this fierce beast. The implication is clear.

- "If Leviathan, one of my creations, is so fierce and invokes so much fear, who would dare come against Me, it's Maker!!" That "thud" you are hearing is Job's gulp!

- Who has given anything to God that He would need to pay back? He owns everything that there is! He does with it what He wants and none can argue that fact! Verse 12.

• Job 41:12-17 : "I will not conceal his limbs, his mighty power, or his graceful proportions. Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle? Who can open the doors of his face, with his terrible teeth all around? His rows of scales are his pride, shut up tightly as with a seal; One is so near another that no air can come between them; They are joined one to another, they stick together and cannot be parted." : God that revels in His own genius! "I have to tell you about Leviathan's limbs! I really outdid myself there!"

- Whatever God is speaking of is wonderfully symmetrical, a perfect balance of power and grace. His outer coat, the face of his garment, cannot be discovered.

- In other words, if you wanted to remove this protective outer layer, you wouldn't stand a chance at even finding where to begin! Even more, you couldn't hope to penetrate his double armor!

- The "doors of his face" are nothing less than the fearsome teeth of it's mouth! His scales are airtight, interlocking joints that form a single mechanism over his body. God continues in verse 18.

• Job 41:18-21 : "His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke goes out of his nostrils, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth." : There really isn't a way out of this. God tells us that this creature sneezes out light! What does that mean?

- While we aren't sure of that, it's eyes look the sun and his mouth brings out fire. The heat that emanates from him feels like a boiling pot or a wildfire.

- Whatever kind of creature this is, I'm glad that I've never encountered him! He is a deadly and fierce piece of machinery! Verse 22.

• Job 41:22-34 : "Strength dwells in his neck, and sorrow dances before him. The folds of his flesh are joined together; They are firm on him and cannot be moved. His heart is as hard as stone, even as hard as the lower millstone. When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; Because of his crashings they are beside themselves. Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; Nor does spear, dart, or javelin. He regards iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones become like stubble to him. Darts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins. His undersides are like sharp potsherds; He spreads pointed marks in the mire. He makes the deep boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a pot of ointment. He leaves a shining wake behind him; One would think the deep had white hair. On earth there is nothing like him, which is made without fear. He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride.'" : This animal is mighty and the only response that he gets is terror! He is an inpenetrable nightmare with a fearless disposition that causes even the mightiest to fail!

- Those that oppose him fight with all of their might, using all of their weaponry against him, but it is futile. There isn't a man made weapon that has a chance against Him.

- Whatever you throw at him seems mighty to you, but it's foolishness to him! Iron is like straw, bronze is the same as a piece of rotting wood. Nothing touches him and nothing makes him withdraw!

- You can't threaten him with arrows, slingstones or darts. Javelins are his play toys! When Leviathan moves away, he leaves a notable frothy wake behind him.

- God's decree is that there is nothing on Earth like him! He has no fear! I like the NLT's translation here: "Nothing on earth is its equal, no other creature so fearless."

- He is the most proud and is the ruler over all of the children of pride. There are two elements here that may be equally true. One, he may represent all of the proud on Earth.

- If there is a symbol that captures the proud, it is Leviathan. "Nothing can touch me!" The secondary interpretations may also be that proud men are brought under Leviathan's sway!

- That leads us to a little bit deeper consideration of this creature. There are some who consider Leviathan to be an actual creature that also represents Satan!

- As you go back over God's description, can you not acknowledge statements that could apply to our enemy? Fear and sorrow are his calling cards. He's impervious to human ingenuity.

- You cannot reason with him and whenever he shows up, there is a definite destructive signature left in his wake! As Job considers all of these realities, he knows his own limitations.

- He is powerless against the physical beast, as well as the twisted serpent that he knows God had defeated according to Job 26:13. Isaiah prophecies of Leviathan's final demise in his book.

• Isaiah 27:1 : "In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea." : What "day" is Isaiah referring to? The day when He ushers in His Earthly Kingdom! Who does God defeat in Revelation? The Great Dragon!

- Many believe that God never answered Job's queries, but I believe that this might have sufficed! Job, Satan has been after you and you are powerless against him!

- "If he had been unleashed, you would not have been able to stand, but because I was with you, My power kept him from his purpose!" I admit that I may be alone in this interpretation.

- I only offer it as a valid explanation based upon what we see in chapter 42.

• Job 42:1-6 : "Then Job answered the Lord and said: 'I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." : Job is convinced of what every person eventually comes to know. God's wisdom and power are sufficient!

- Everything that He intends to do, will be done! Nobody has the power to keep what He wants from happening!

- God had asked a question, one that immediately silenced Elihu, but that also pricked Job's conscience as well: "Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge!?"

- Job realizes now that this is the explanation. He spoke of things that were far beyond his pay grade! He's spoken of things beyond his comprehension. Job sees this clearly, albeit a little too late.

- Job is not saying that he didn't know the Lord or have a relationship with Him before this. What he is saying is that compared to what He has now, what he had before was nothing!

- We have watched him wish to speak to God for the better part of this book. Now, when he has the chance, his only request to speak is tied to his desire to repent!

- Having had the experience of hearing Him and seeing Him, Job is left with one conclusion: I abhor myself! The word speaks of "despising" or "rejecting."

- He hates everything that he has said against God and has changed his mind, his thinking about Him. This is no longer just regret, but repentance. There is a difference.

- Regret is based upon actions that were taken. Repentance deals with the root related to why the actions were taken! Regret is temporary. Repentance is permanent!

- This is where God has been leading Job all along. Job sits in dust and ashes physically to show what his heart was toward God mentally! He has fully surrendered himself to God! Verse 7.

• Job 42:7-9 : "And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, 'My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.' So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job." : God has produced the desired affect in Job. It's at this point that he turns to Job's oldest friend.

- Eliphaz has been watching and surprisingly, hasn't run for the hills! I can imagine him standing there believing that God was finally going to deal with Job.

- When that didn't happen, he had to have a bad feeling and indeed, not once but twice God tells him his fault! Elihu's wrath had been kindled earlier, but it was nothing like God's wrath!

- God singles out Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar and directly shares His divine verdict: "You have not spoken of Me what is established." The word speaks of a momument that stands firm.

- God demands that if you speak for Him, BE SURE that you are speaking what is confirmed ABOUT HIM! They had not and He tells them twice in case they missed it badly!

- How are they to appease His wrath? They are to offer a burnt offering! Yes friends, before the law of Moses, God's people practiced these offerings of consecration.

- They were to offer their bulls and rams, Job was to pray for them and God would accept them on Job's behalf! In case you missed it, God calls Job "My servant" a total of four times!

- There is no doubt here as to who knew and belonged to the Most High! These men had sought to convince Job that he wasn't even a God Fearer! God sets the record straight!

- The good news here is that they actually responded to God! They listened and Job did for them what they didn't do once for Him: He acted as their priest and prayed for them!

- God gave them a basis to return to a relationship, based upon sacrifice and His acceptance of His servant Job's sacrifice and prayer! Verse 10.

• Job 42:10-11 : "And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold." : As we come to these final verses of Job, we have slipped into the final section of this magnificent book.

- Chapters 1-3 serve as "The Prologue." Chapters 4-42:9 serve as "The Dialogue." Chapter 42:10-17 is "The Epilogue." As you look back upon this final section, I'd have you note the structure.

- Behemoth is an illustration to Job. He can trust God in the midst of the rising tide. Leviathan is an explanation to Job. Satan has stood against him, but God has kept him for His purpose.

- What is left, but restoration! After Job's business with his friends was complete, God began a new work in Job's life. The Lord "restored" Job's losses. It reads "God turned the captivity of Job."

- It was used to speak of the return of prisoners from regional conflict. It's a figure of speech here relating to the return of prosperity.

- Two interesting elements are involved here, in that God mentions both "when" and "how much" was involved. God restored his losses WHEN he prayed for his friends.

- This is not to say that God was waiting for Job to forgive them or that he was testing Job to see if he would. It's just that this happened after that was concluded.

- What did it take for Job to pray for his friends? They had hurt him. They had maligned his character. They had taken advantage of his calamity. God told him to pray and Job did!

- When his material wealth returned, he found that he had two times as much as he had had before his trial. We're foolish if we think that this was something that God was obliged to give.

- We're even more foolish if we believe that this was what Job had earned. This was simply what God gave him. From there, the floodgates re-opened.

- Brothers, sisters and friends all made their way back into Job's life. He opened his home to them and they were the true comforters that he had been seeking. Please take note of that.

- Even after God had restored Job's fortunes and family, there was still grief that he needed to work through! His family was released at that time to be that blessing to him.

- Each of them brought Job a little something from their own lives to mark their love for him. It is all lovely to see. God gives us a bit more detail in verse 12.

• Job 42:12-15 : "Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers." : All of what we have seen to this point, God's restoration of finances, family and friends, were all expressions of God's blessing!

- His latter days were more blessed than his beginning! Materially, this was true. Look at that countdown and compare it Job 1:3. God has blessed Job abundantly.

- Job's wife even made it through! Remember, we remarked that it was best not to judge her on her worst day. Here she is and the Lord even opened her womb another 10 times!

- Job had 10 children in heaven and at the end of his trial, 10 more on the Earth!

- Job's wife had seven sons whose names are not given to us, nor are they described. Her three daughters however, are named and described as the most beautiful in all the land!

- His first daughter was named "Jemimah" which may be closely related to the word "dove."

- The word is used of one who is affectionate. The second is names "Keziah." This name is reflective of the spice known to us as "Cassia" which has a cinnamon type profile.

- Job's third daughter is Keren-Happuch, which is literally rendered "Horn of antimony!"

- Scholars believe that this refers to cosmetics. Whatever any of these names signify, we can see that their Father treated them quite well, as he gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

- When you read the Old Testament, you'll realize just how rare such a thing was! Verse 16.

• Job 42:16,17 : "After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days." : However long Job had lived to this point, he lived one hundred and forty years more. As with his wealth, so with his days! Tradition holds that Job lived to be 210 years old.

- His trial may have occurred in his 70's, if that is true. The number of days isn't important. It's the quality of that life!

- What he saw in his early days could not have compared with the joy he had in his latter days. He saw children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren!

- In the end, Job died a peaceful man, far removed from the troubles that he had seen, old and full of days, an expression of passing in a state of complete satisfaction!

Conclusion
- As we close the book of Job, may we understand that our God is wise enough to order our lives and powerful enough to affect His purposes, from beginning to end.

- Our enemy is relentless, fearsome, powerful and destructive. He has no ability to touch us unless our God deems it necessary for His glory and our character.

- We can trust Him when the waters rise, just like Behemoth, and we can bless those that trouble us. Why?

- Because One that God accepts has made a sacrifice on our behalf! God wrath was kindled against our sin and rebellion and Jesus offered Himself in our place!

- He is the High Priest who has offered Himself once for the sins of His people! He forever stands as the One who prays for His people and sees to it that God overlooks their folly!

- This is our God and these are His ways! May that be our lasting memory of this mighty book!