The sermon reflects on Job’s journey from prosperity to suffering, emphasizing his innocence amidst hardship. Job laments his loss and challenges God, seeking justice and understanding. He highlights his past virtues and accuses God of silence. Ultimately, the message conveys that divine blessing is guided by wisdom rather than mere obedience.

What is the object of your desires? To answer that question, you first need to know what you desire. Then, once you have that figured out, if you ever figure it out, you need to determine what will provide you with satisfaction of that desire. The object of your desire is what you most long for. But, many of us do not even know how to answer that first question. This is often because built into us is a desire for that which this world cannot satisfy.

Two cycles of the debate have concluded, and the friends have gotten nowhere in their arguments against Job. The third cycle, which we are examining in its entirety this morning, shows the effects of their fruitless efforts: Eliphaz provides a substantial third speech, but Bildad can manage only a brief argument, and we hear nothing at all from Zophar. By contrast, Job continues to defend his innocence and perhaps grows even more passionate.

In chapters 20-21 two worldviews collide. Zophar’s moral certainties vs. Job’s anguished experiences. Tucked in this emotional battle is a crucial lesson for us today. It is a lesson that will increase our wisdom, shape our discernment, and anchor our hope in something more solid than our experiences and more helpful than mere theory or doctrine.

In this sermon, we take a brief look at Bildad’s speech and how his dogma shapes his thinking about Job’s situation. Then, in Job’s speech, we will see the source of his shame and his hope for a redeemer.

We come now to the second round of speeches. Each of the three friends has taken a crack at trying to comfort Job by suggesting solutions to his problem. Job has responded to each of them, insisting that he is righteous and does not deserve what has happened to him. Eliphaz is up first once again and is not beating around the bush.
Job then reacts with the exact same accusation, that Eliphaz and the other two friends also speak empty words before turning back to God with harsh words.

In this message, we look at Zophar’s first speech in which he rebukes Job, then we will look at the source of Job’s pain, followed by Job’s true desire, which is to be seen and believed.