21st October 2025

21st October 2025 


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Job 9) 


Message (Scott Woodburn)


Job’s first two friends were confident that Job had sinned and now needed to repent. They had both spoken eloquently about God but they had both pointed the finger at Job with Bildad reminding him that the wicked do not prosper. This was nothing new to Job - he well understood the holiness and sovereignty of God and so in response to Bildad’s counsel Job raised the monumental question “how can a man be in the right before God?” (Job 9v2).


Is there a bigger question than that one? God isn’t our equal, He isn’t like us, He is the creator and not a creature. If Job’s friends spoke eloquently then Job joined them as he described the glory of God. No one can stand before God and give Him an adequate answer (Job9v3). God alone is all wise and all mighty (Job 9v4). The Lord is able to shake mountains (Job 9v5), He shakes the earth (Job 9v6), He commands the sun (Job 9v7), seals the stars (Job 9v7b), stretches out the heavens and tramples the waves (Job 9v7-8). Indeed, it was the Lord who flung the stars into space and if you’ve ever marvelled at the star constellations above you like the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades then understand that the Lord made them all (Job 9v9). There is no one like God - who can stand before Him?


As Job continued to speak it was obvious that he felt so inadequate before the Lord. Who can say anything to God (Job 9v12)? Who can answer the Lord (Job 9v14)? Job believed he was in the right but even still could not speak to God (Job 9v15). Job sat in the ashes feeling utterly crushed (Job 9v17) and filled with bitterness (Job 9v18). He knew all too well that he couldn’t win a test of strength with the Lord (Job 9v19) nor could he trump God when it came to justice (Job 9v19-20).


There was nothing untrue about Job’s words but they brought him no comfort. Considering the immensity of God Job returned to his earlier statement of “I loathe my life.” (Job 9v21). Eliphaz and Bildad were convinced that God brought calamity to the wicked but Job understood that both the just and the unjust experience good days and bad (Job 9v22). Yet Job went further by suggesting that God mocks the innocent when disaster comes upon them (Job 9v23) and it is God who allows the wicked to do what they like in the face of judges who are blind (Job 9v24). Do you notice the change in Job? In his hopelessness he was slowly beginning to question the goodness of God.


With Job’s life moving swiftly to a close (Job 9v25-26) he began to consider his options. He could try and put on a happy face but God would still find him guilty (Job 9v27-28). If he tried to make himself clean God would still throw Job into a pit (Job 9v30-31). So if Job only faced condemnation then why bother with life (Job 9v29)?


What Job needed was an “arbiter” (Job 9v33). He longed for someone to stand in between him and God. Job was only a man who could give God no answer (Job 9v32). If Job had such a mediator then he would be able to speak to the Almighty (Job 9v35).


How can anyone be right before a holy God? The wicked and the righteous alike need someone to stand in the gap that exists between God and man. Do you know such a man? Are you trusting in an individual who will stand for you? Job’s despair was leading him to hopelessness and an accusation that God didn’t care about the righteous. But slowly in the midst of his suffering a dim light was starting to glow ever brighter - what if there was a mediator between God and man? Brothers and sisters, we know there is and Jesus is his name.
Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q105 What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
In the fifth petition, which is, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” we pray, that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.
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