What one doctrine changes the way that Christians view suffering? All that and more in today's reading of the DBR podcast. So we're looking at Job chapters 14 through 16 today. And one of the features that stands out here is in chapter 14, Job appears to be wrestling with something that you and I take for granted. We assume this very doctrine, and because of this doctrine, we're able to look at suffering through a whole new light. Take a look at Job chapter 14. Let's first start with where he begins. Job acknowledges the difficulty. Now remember, we're picking up from yesterday. In chapter 12, where Job continues to respond to Zophar. Zophar in chapter 11 says something to the effect of, you're not getting what you really deserve, that you actually are getting far less than what God should give you. Job picks up the response in chapters 12 and 13. And in today's reading in chapter 14, we hear the end of it. So he's closing his speech here and he says, we're born for a short period of time. And that time is few of days and full of trouble. Your days are numbered. He says in verse five, and that actually is a consolation to Joe, because he's again, looking forward to the day of his demise. He doesn't want to live anymore. And then he starts to tinker with this idea. He says, man, it would be great if I was a tree, because at least a tree has an opportunity to re sprout again, even after being cut down. But once I get cut down, there's no hope. Or is there? Look at verse 10. He says, But a man dies and is laid low, man breathes his last, and where is he? Verse 12. So a man lies down and rises not again till the heavens are no more. He will not awake or be roused out of his sleep. And then in verse 14, he says, If a man dies, shall he live again? Now, Job's going to have a lot more to say about this in just a few chapters, but for now, it's important for us to see as Christians, how critical the doctrine of the resurrection is to our hope in suffering. In fact, I know we're cheating a little bit here, but in first Peter chapter one, Peter says this at the opening of his letter, starting at verse three, he says this, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his great mercy. Amen. Amen. He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Notice that all of this hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and because of his resurrection, we now have a living hope. Christ is not dead. Therefore, our hope is alive. Our hope is alive insofar as Christ is alive. And because he lives forevermore, our hope never dies. This is something that if Job had known this, I think that would have changed the way that he viewed this. As it is in this chapter, he seems to be wrestling with the nature of the afterlife. Whether man lives or dies and whether he's resurrected Now, I want you to appreciate this because you can look at Christ after the fact, after all that he's done, after the resurrection and say, thank God, my Redeemer lives. And again, I'm cheating because he's going to say this job is in a few chapters, but notice how that would have changed things for him as he wrestles. You don't have to wrestle with it. You have the confidence and the knowledge to know our Redeemer does in fact live and consequently our hope lives. Job 14, 18 through 22, Job is talking about the erosion of his hope and his life. He says the mountain falls away. And crumbles the rock is removed from its place. The waters wear away the stones. And basically he's saying, you're taking away my hope a little by little stone by stone, drip by drip. My hope is eroding. He feels pain. He wants to communicate it. God, where are you? That's the end of chapter 14. And in fact, that's the end of cycle number one of the friends responding to Job. So Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have all had their chance to speak now, and between each of them, Job responds. In chapter 15, we begin the new cycle. Of the friends talking to job. This new cycle takes us from chapters 15, all the way through 21. We're going to hear from Elie Fass again, bill dad, and so far, and you'll notice this time around, there's going to be increased hostility. The gloves are coming off and there's going to say as much. So pay attention to that. Job chapter 15, Eliphaz, probably the eldest of the bunch steps in and responds to Job. And he says this in verse two, should a wise man answer with windy knowledge and fill his belly with the East wind. In other words, Job, what you're saying is emptiness. It's nothingness. And then he says this in verse four, which is going to sound very familiar to what he said in chapter four. In verse four, he says, but you are doing away with the fear of God. He said something very similar in chapter four. If you have your Bible, I would invite you just to turn back briefly and take a look at what he says there in chapter four. Eliphaz says, is not your fear of God your confidence? And the integrity of your ways, your hope, he's challenging this. He's not asking it as a, an actual question. He's challenging it subtly in this place, but he's challenging that. Now, if you're in Job chapter four, let me remind you, go back to Job chapter one, verse one, it says here, Job was a man, blameless and upright. One who feared God turned away from evil. And so Eliphaz is challenging. Something that God himself says is true about Job. And he's saying, this is your problem, Job. You're turning away from the fear of God. You're hindering meditation before God. You're not thinking about this the right way. Now, part of us would say, yes, that's at least partially true, but he's meaning to say more than what you and I would say. He then challenges Job. Are you really the paragon of virtue here? Do you really have as much knowledge as you think you do? Are you as wise as we are? Have you listened to the counsel of God? And then he says, we have the gray haired and the aged among us. And in those days, gray hair and age signified wisdom. It still does today. But it doesn't necessarily mean it's a one to one correlation. People with gray hair can have foolish ideas and understandings all the time, especially if they're not walking in the truth of God's Word. But here he means to convey the sense of, we have wisdom on our side. Job, what do you have? Do you have wisdom? Do you have truth? From chapter four, he challenges Joe, but something very similar in verses 14, 15, and 16 here, he says, well, what man is there that can be pure. Or he who is born of a woman that he can be righteous, behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones. Those are his angels and the heavens are not pure in his sight. He says, even the highest of heavens cannot be pure in God's sight. He's so holy. He's so righteous. How can you be pure? Again, this is similar to what he argued in chapter four. In verses 17 through 35, Eliphaz rehearses the fate of the wicked. And then he says to Job things that he's already heard. But essentially, let me remind you, Job, the wicked man arise in pain all his days through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless, dreadful sounds are in his ears and prosperity. The destroyer will come upon him. And again, you got to see what's beyond the words here. Eliphaz is trying to say, look, Job, what happens to the wicked is happening to you. Well, what therefore can we conclude? What else can we think? D. A. Carson, again, commenting on the book of Job says this, Job's friends have a tight theology with no loose ends. Suffering is understood exclusively in terms of punishment or chastening. There is no category for innocent suffering in their understanding. Such a suggestion besmirches the integrity of the almighty. And that's a great summary of what's happening here. Because Eliphaz is charging him with that. There's no other explanation that's available in their understanding of God. In verse 25, Eliphaz says, Look, dude, the reason you're suffering so much is because you've stretched out your hand against God and you defy the Almighty. And verses 27 and following, he's saying, Look, you've covered your face with fat, you're indulgent, you're greedy, you're taking more than what you're due. It's no wonder you're suffering the way that you are, Job. All of this is meant to break Job down. Amen. And to get him to a place of repenting, because in their understanding of God's operations with humanity, repenting will fix everything. In Job chapter 16, he responds to Eliphaz and he says something funny and memorable. Well, funny to us, maybe not so much to him. He says in verse two, I've heard many such things, miserable comforters. Are you all, remember he called them worthless physicians. They're guilty of spiritual malpractice. And then he says, shall windy words have an end? What provokes you that you answer? Please just stop talking again. That would be your wisdom. If you would just not say anything that would be so helpful, gentlemen, he says, look, I could do what you do. I could, I could tear you down, but if I were in your position, I would strengthen you and I would give you solace. I would encourage you, which is what he's hoping for, what he's wanting. What he needs is not a beat down. Now, what he needs is not discouragement and to be held guilty. What he needs is to fix his eyes on the goodness of God, the trustworthiness of God. I think that's what he's begging for. Because right now, what we're going to see in the second half or second two thirds of Job chapter 16. Is that he understands God as his oppressor. He says in verse seven, surely now God has worn me out. He acknowledges God is at the heart of it. This is not new for him. It's not a new thought, but it's a developing thought. He recognizes that it is God who's behind this. And then he says in verse nine, God has torn me in his wrath and hated me. He's gnashed his teeth at me again. He's struggling with why he's suffering. If he's innocent, God gives me up to the ungodly. He says in verse 11. And I'm sure he's thinking about his friends here. Verse 14 says, he breaks me with breach upon breach and runs upon me like a warrior. And so Job was putting his hands in the air and saying, God, what are you doing? How do I respond to this? Even though I know I'm innocent, my friends won't admit to that. And it seems like you're not giving them any reason to think otherwise. In verses 18 through 22, Job closes by saying, I know that there is a witness in heaven for me. Defending me, someone who testifies for me on high. It's curious to know who job is referring to, but you and I know ultimately this is fulfilled in Jesus. He's the one who takes on this role. And job's going to develop this thought in a few chapters. He closes out saying, look, I'm about to die. Please show me mercy. That's the essence of what he's praying for. Okay. That's job 14 through 16. I hope you found something in here. Helpful, a nugget of knowledge or a nugget of insight that perhaps you didn't come in with. Let's just be reminded here as we close out these three chapters as we're reading, you probably already noticed this. You're looking at poetry, number one. And so we're not meant to read it as a literal wooden account of what's taking place or meant to read between the lines. That's part of poetry's job. they're not the gospels is what I'm saying. It's not a letter to the Ephesians. It's meant to be read, with a sense of what's really being said with these words, which takes a little more effort. Maybe you've already noticed this as you're making your way through the book of Job. You've learned that working through these chapters are a bit challenging because you're constantly questioning what does he mean by that? And that's good. You should have a good study Bible as you read this. That'll be a tremendous help to you. I recommend several good ones. If you don't have one yet, the ESV study Bible, excellent choice. John MacArthur study Bible. Also a very good one. The Reformation study Bible. That's from Ligonier, RC Sproul and friends. That's another great one. There are several, but those are three to start with. If you don't have any of them, I'd pick up all three. They're all worth having in your library because they all have good things to say. All right. That's all I've got for you. Let's pray. And then we'll finish up today's podcast. Lord, thank you that we have a redeemer. We have a savior who is alive. We can have hope in our worst sufferings because of the resurrection. Jesus has risen from the dead and because he's alive, our hope is alive and it will never die. We thank you that we can hang all of our hope, all of our life, we can hang all of the weight of our lives upon him. And we ask God that you would teach us to trust him more and to prepare us to trust him through the highs and lows of life. We need that more than we realize, Lord. And perhaps we do realize that, and it's daunting to think about it. A swage, our hearts and our consciences help us to lean into a greater love and affection for you. Such that we can say, with Paul, to live is Christ and to die is gain. We ask this all in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you again for joining us, I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow. Bye.