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Job 5:14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.
Job 5:15 But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
Job 5:16 So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.
Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
Job 5:18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
Job 5:19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
Job 5:20 In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.

Introduction

In the final analysis, it is God who is working all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11 and Job 1:11).

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

As we have seen in chapter one, Satan, as ‘God’s hand’, was sent by God to take Job’s possessions and his entire family from him, except for His wife. It was God who sent Satan to strike Job with boils from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet in chapter two. But it is also the working of God that through these three “miserable comforters” there is still much more crushing to be done to the old Job via these three men who have been sent to falsely accuse Job of sin he has never committed while being totally unaware of the one sin which is by nature in the flesh of all men. All men, including both these three ‘miserable comforters’ and Job, just naturally tend to think well of themselves and to be very self- righteous. It is in that capacity that both they and Job are types and shadows of us and of the trials of all who are granted to eventually be revealed as the true saints of God.

1Co 10:6 Now these things were our examples [ Greek – tupos – types], to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples [ Greek – tupos – types]: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Job and his miserable comforters all ‘think they stand’, and according to these verses in 1Co 10, are therefore “types of us”. Here are these verses in the Concordant Literal Version:

1Co 10:6 Now these things became types of us, for us not to be lusters after evil things,
1Co 10:11 Now all this befalls them typically. Yet it was written for our admonition, to whom the consummations of the eons have attained.
1Co 10:12 So that, let him who is supposing he stands beware that he should not be falling.

“These things became types of us… all this befalls them typically… so that, let him who is supposing he stands beware that he should not be falling” tells us that these things mentioned here in 1Co 10 that Israel experienced are types of us.
Verse six says, “Now these things became types of us, for us not to be lusters after evil things,
There is no man who has ever lived who has not “lusted after evil things”, and desired something he was not intended to have. So it is we who “think we stand”, just as Job and his miserable comforters thought they were in good standing with God when in reality they were all full of their own self righteousnesses, which in God’s sight is nothing more than filthy rags.

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

“Our righteousnesses” are the one sin which is bringing upon Job the wrath of God. Job thought that he had never blasphemed God and he would never endure God’s wrath. In the end it was that very attitude which caused Job to “contend with God, [ and] condemn” God, while “maintaining his own ways”.

Job 40:1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Job 40:6 Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

This is the the horrendous sin which brings God’s wrath upon us all. This is the sin which keeps us thinking we are living in faith, all the while claiming that we are saved by our own faith, and thus we are all deserving of God’s wrath. Whenever we say, ‘I have never blasphemed God, and I will never endure His wrath’, we all lie. If the apostle Paul blasphemed, who are we to say we have never done so? If the apostles all denied their Lord, who are we to say we have never done so? We are all blasphemers, and we have all denied our Lord.

1Ti 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
1Ti 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

We are one and all blasphemers for claiming Christ even as we have lived in sin:

Rom 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
Rom 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
Rom 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

The Christian world as a whole denies that it is blaspheming the name of God, even as it also denies the truth that is revealed in these verses of scripture:

Jer 25:17 Then took I the cup at the LORD’S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:
Jer 25:18 To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;
Jer 25:28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.
Jer 25:29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
Jer 49:12 For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

“Thou” means you and me, if we are those who have been granted to be given “the patience and the faith of the saints”. Here are some more words which the first self- righteous Job, the “first Adam” within us all despises and denies:

Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Have we led others into captivity? Have we killed others with the sword? Have we been overcome of the beast within us? Have we blasphemed against God, His name, His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven? Be very careful how you answer those questions.
But the answer should be and is clear to all to whom are given “an ear to hear”. Here is the answer to all those questions, in the very next chapter:

Rev 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Yes, this is the same question we asked last week; Is there anyone who has not worshiped this beast? What is all of this acknowledging of the dominance of “the first man Adam… the man of sin standing in the temple of God… this beast” who the whole world worships? What is all of this? For the man who has an ear to hear, here is the answer to all of those questions:

Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

This is all “the patience of the saints”. This is those who “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Christ”. Is it not Christ who has commanded us all to acknowledge that it is we who have ears to hear, and eyes that see who must “read… hear… and keep the things which are written herein, for the time is at hand” to do so? Is it not we who are granted to “look behind us” to see this great “revelation of Jesus Christ” via the death of “the first man Adam… the beast” within us all? Yes, this is us, if indeed we have the patience of the saints and if we keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, then we must first be overcome by that beast. Only after the saints are overcome of the beast can they then be granted to overcome his name, number, image and his mark.

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

But there is “a long time” in which we cannot see all of this. It is during this time that we are overcome of the beast, and we worship him in God’s own temple, our own bodies.

Mat 25:19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

We have all defiled the temple of God, and “the first man Adam” in all of us must be “destroyed”. From our perspective, this period of judgment, when “the Lord of those servants comes and reckons with them”, seems itself like “a long time”. That is certainly the case for Job as he continues to endure the onslaught of Eliphaz’s accusations against him.

Job 5:14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

“They” refers to “the crafty… and the froward” (verses 12-13). Little does Eliphaz realize that we are all by nature ‘crafty and froward’ and that he is actually referring to himself and his two friends as well as Job. It is they, and it is we, who as “the first man Adam… grope in the noonday as in the night”. It is through the ‘craftiness and frowardness’ of our own self- righteousness that we are granted to ignore and overlook with our spiritually blind eyes all those verses which tell us plainly that ‘the world, life, death and things present and things to come, are all ours’.

1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

It is a ‘crafty and froward’ man who thinks he is “not like other men”, as we all do. It is that ‘crafty, froward’ man within us all who keeps us from seeing that the entirety of scripture reveals that both of these men are within us all.

Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Outward “extortioners, unjust, adulterers” are far easier to be humbled than a man who sees himself as righteous, even as He contends with, reproves and condemns God (Job 40:2 and 8). We cannot believe that we can actually repent of outward sins, be given a certain knowledge of Christ, be “sanctified in Christ Jesus”, and still be nothing more than “carnal… babes in Christ”.

1Co 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
1Co 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

But that is exactly what the scriptures reveal to be the Truth of this matter:

1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

While we are dominated by the spirit of Eliphaz, we are not granted to see any of those verses, and we see ourselves as being “not as other men are”; obviously not like a man in Job’s condition. Here is what Eliphaz knows only in an outward way:

Job 5:15 But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
Job 5:16 So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

While job has not yet been exposed to himself for the self- righteousness that he harbors, in time, once Job, as the type of God’s elect, is the first to come to see just how “vile” he is, and “‘puts his hand on his mouth” and repents of contending with, reproving and condemning God, then he will be “the poor in spirit” who will be granted to be saved by God.

Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

But being “poor in spirit” is always preceded by pride which is followed by the destruction by God’s chastening and scourging hand:

Pro 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Self- righteousness and “our righteousnesses” are the worst form of pride. It is the direct cause of Job’s incredible trials.
Eliphaz continues to indict himself, his friends and Job.

Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
Job 5:18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

This is the first time in scripture where this Truth is stated. This principle is repeated two more times in scripture:

Pro 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Pro 3:12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Any principle that is repeated three times in scripture is of great spiritual significance. “You have forgotten the exhortation” is a simple statement of fact which is proceeding out of the mouth of God and is applicable to every man and woman who has ever lived.
As Job in his contending, reproving and condemning of God demonstrates graphically, we are all guilty of ‘despising the chastening of the Lord’. Job is all of us (1Co 10:11). “He maketh sore… He woundeth… whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every son He receives, is just another way of stating what is the patience of the saints and what is the faith of Jesus Christ (Rev 13:6-10 and 14:8-12 and 15:8)

Job 5:19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

It is not a coincidence that ‘seven troubles’ are mentioned immediately following the introduction of the purpose for the chastening, scourging wrath of God. Here are the ‘seven… troubles’ from which those who are given “the patience and faith of the saints” are delivered:

Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Who are these “seven last plagues” intended to effect? For those who can receive it, here is the scriptural answer:

Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

So who enters into the temple of God? It is those who enter into the temple of God who these plagues are intended to “make sore” so God can “bind up”. It is those who enter into the temple who these plagues wound so “God’s hands can make whole”.

Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
Job 5:18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
Job 5:19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

This is all counter- intuitive to the natural man, and that is why we are plainly told:

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Neither Eliphaz nor Job, know anything of “the things of the spirit of God”. Verses like this next one, make no sense to Eliphaz, even if it is he who is speaking these words. He certainly has not been granted to apply these words to all who are in Adam, least of all himself and Job.

Job 5:20 In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.

We must first be in famine to be redeemed from death. We must first be in war to be delivered from the power of the sword. We must first be in ‘seven troubles’ to be delivered from evil. We must first fulfill the seven plagues to enter into the temple of God. That is the message contained in these verses:

Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
Job 5:18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
Job 5:19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
Job 5:20 In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.

Next Sunday, if the Lord wills, we will see even more of how Eliphaz within us continues to place all the curses intended for the first Adam within us all, upon Job or anyone but himself.

Job 5:21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
Job 5:22 At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
Job 5:23 For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
Job 5:24 And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
Job 5:25 Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
Job 5:26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.
Job 5:27 Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.