LIVE: "Can a Man Be Profitable Unto God?" (Job 22:1-9), Part 4/4

Your theology sounds clean until someone you love is in ruins. That’s where Job’s friends step in and where we slow down to ask the uncomfortable question: are they trying to help Job, or are they protecting themselves? We talk through the “mighty man” section and why favoritism toward the wealthy and powerful is never neutral in God’s eyes. When we refuse the weak and reward the strong, we don’t just get “a little off” we drift into sin while calling it wisdom. 

From there we press into the motives under the accusations: jealousy, envy, and projection. We name the pattern many of us have seen in Christian spaces: someone suffers, and the first response is to demand a cause. “What did you do to deserve that?” can sound like spiritual discernment, but it can also be a way to defend our own system and avoid fear. We connect that to Romans 10 and Philippians 3, contrasting self-made righteousness with the righteousness that comes from God through faith, and challenging ourselves to stop misrepresenting God just to keep our explanations intact. 

The conversation turns personal and practical: what happens when everything gets stripped away, and you realize you only have One you can truly count on? We also share a real-world step toward healthier Christian fellowship, including plans for a family gathering and the desire to show the world a community that comforts instead of condemns. If you’ve ever felt judged in your suffering, or caught yourself judging someone else to make their pain “make sense,” this one will hit home. 

Subscribe for more Job Bible study conversations, share this with a friend who needs steady encouragement, and leave a review to help others find the show. What’s a time you saw compassion win over accusation?

Transcript

Favoritism And The Mighty Man

SPEAKER_04 0:00

The mighty man. In other words, you you consorted with those who are like you and you did those things which benefit and bless them. You know, and you treat them well. And so what and so and and and to be honest with you, I don't understand uh I I genuinely when I say this don't understand this construction um verses seven through nine. Because right in the middle you get this treatment of the um of the of the of the uh uh mighty man. And but all the same it is wicked treatment and um and even to show favoritism to the wealthy and to the mighty while you reject and refuse to serve the weaker sort of all of it is sinful and iniquitous, all of it. Um the construction for me is kind of like I was wondering about that, but it's all the same. And so this is a a very um judicious remark for Ellie Fox to make toward Jove. And I can tell you this, had I thought of it, my closing would have been just what Sister Mariah presented here in chapter four, verses three through six, which I, you know, uh did not even consider uh looking to, but it is what proves and shows, in addition to what we already heard, as Pat said, and uh I can't remember who else said it, um I may have said it, about how God had already told us about Job. So all these things together combined prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that these guys are just being evil toward this man. They're just being hypocritical. And I believe that Savannah is right. There's got to be some jealousy here. There has to be. There's got to be something here. And like brother, like two witnesses and Savannah both said also there's got to be not only um just this this jealousy, but there has to be some measure of um, it seems to be there's some kind of um projection. Projection onto Job, most likely how they are. How they are. Because remember, they themselves must still be in some kind of a situation where they are probably prosperous men themselves. And and so it makes this whole thing all the more aggravating. Because if they are, you would think that the fate that they are accusing Job of having and the or the result of the or the reasons for the fate that Job is dealing with, they should be expecting it themselves. But we we are going to see absolutely what they are going to have to deal with later. And I'm looking forward to getting to that point. So here's where I'll give everybody their last words, and um, and we will pick this up tomorrow night, Lord willing. Um so Megan, see your hand up. So I'll start with you. Uh last word for tonight, sister.

SPEAKER_06 3:27

In response to Eliphaz, I'm gonna read Romans chapter 10. Says, brothers, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For not knowing about the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

SPEAKER_04 3:54

Amen. That's heavy.

SPEAKER_06 3:59

That's exactly who they are.

SPEAKER_04 4:01

Yep, that's who they are. That's who they are, that's who they are, and we have to be careful that's not what we become. You know, and so we have to be cognizant of these things because you know, like we've said all of us, we've talked about this many times throughout this series, and and that is that one of the things that I think all of us have done was use uh uh Job's friends as a mirror to ourselves to see whether or not there's any of that in us. You know, is it's easy to find ourselves in alignment with Job. And many people do. Oh, you know, I I lost my I lost a$20 bill at the supermarket. Oh, it's the end of the world. Oh my gosh, you know, I'm suffering, you know, and we start equating these things with Job.

SPEAKER_06 4:56

Also, I wanted to say one more thing. Listen to what Eliphaz says in Job chapter 15 in regards to the last verse he wrote. It's kind of contradictory. He said, What is a man that he should be pure? Or he who is born of a woman that he should be righteous? Behold, he puts no faith in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight.

SPEAKER_04 5:17

Right.

SPEAKER_06 5:18

So he's clearly saying that men are not pure and and righteous. He he just said that, but then he contradicts himself in the last set of verses condemning Job.

Jealousy And Explaining Others’ Pain

SPEAKER_04 5:31

Yeah, yeah. He goes, he goes, Your your wickedness, thine iniquities. You're you're right. But it it the word of God is amazing. That's all I can tell you. That's all I can say. And we and we all, we all, I'm sure we all agree with that. Brother Rod, last word.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

All right. So um, I kind of put it in already, but um, the jealousy factor, right? I want to kind of close out with that in a sec because it seems like it is pure jealousy, envy all those things. Um and like it's experience versus versus explanation in a sense. Like, you know, Job is literally experienced this in real, you know, he's and Ellie Fast is saying it, like he said, boils and all that stuff. But Ellie Fast can only, you know, provide an explanation of it. You know, he can't really endure it, he's not enduring it. Right, you know, and so the the dang the problem is like, you know, he's he's trying to protect his system, his belief system, you know, and he's winding up missing misrepresent misrepresenting misrepresenting God. So he's you know, creating lies and stuff. So it's like I guess, you know, you can be so committed to like trying to defend your understanding, even though we're not supposed to lean on our own understanding that you you start producing lies. So I'll close my question, uh comment or talk question, you know, have we ever like taken someone's pain and I mean, I guess trying to make sense out of it, like, you know, you know, like you know, and they and if you can't, you make a reason for it, you know, like Rodney, what did you do? What did you do? What did you do to deserve that, you know? And I'm like, nothing. So, you know, uh Yeah, you can be so committed that you just start misrepresenting him, and that's that's a problem. It can be dangerous.

SPEAKER_04 7:26

So come here, brother. Two witnesses, man. I'm so glad you came here tonight, man. Appreciated your words and your comments, and you're always welcome to come back. One thing that we do every night is that we we give everybody a last word before we close. I'm gonna give you one. What's your last word for tonight?

SPEAKER_00 7:42

Well, thank you, thank you. And uh I I'll try to to come back uh more often. I love you guys how to you study the work. But yeah, I wonder, like us uh I've been here uh two or three times, right? A little bit just hearing you guys, and one thing that uh keeps coming back is that these are supposed to be his friends, but they are being like uh overly judgmental against against Job. So I I'm just wondering if the reason they are being like like very harsh against him is that if they're actually testing God to see if what is gonna happen to Job eventually will happen to themselves.

God’s Reckoning Through Job

SPEAKER_04 8:24

Right, right. I think I I think that well, we we we're we're going to see at the end how God deals with them because He He does deal with them, and the funny thing about it is God forces them to have their reckoning with God through Job. So basically, Job makes them, or God makes Job become their mediator. You know, and we're gonna see that as we get through later on. So God's gonna expose, but you know, God's gonna have words for Job as well, too. And I can't wait to get into dealing with why uh God will end up speaking to Job the way he the way that he does. But God definitely makes a distinction between Job and Job's friends. He definitely does that. So I'm looking forward to getting to talking about that as well. Um, Sister Candy, you there?

SPEAKER_07 9:24

Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_04 9:26

Hey, last word, sister.

SPEAKER_07 9:27

Leave us with something in Philippians chapter three. And I kind of have to go with start at seven because it gives that context to what we're talking about. But whatever things were gained to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in him not having a righteousness of my own, derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. Right that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, in order that I may attain the to the resurrection from the dead. And I don't want to go all the way through it, but verse 13 says, Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize, the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. So let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude. But if anything you have a different attitude, jokes, friends, God will reveal that also to you. And then I'm gonna jump to verse 18. He says, For many walk of whom I often told you, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

SPEAKER_04 11:24

Amen, sister. Amen. Thank you for that. Good good words, uh, definitely in sync with what we're what we're talking about. And um so very good. Um uh sister Vanessa, last word for tonight.

SPEAKER_08 11:42

Well, I'm grateful that I can come up here for one. And I've learned a lot. I always learn from you, Jonathan, always. And um I just want to say that I love everybody on this panel and I and the comments, everybody. And it's it's great to know that we all have like mind. And there's so many people like Mariah, she she's just so deep in the word, and God gives her such a blessing. And I just, you know, it it it blesses me. I can say that. But anyways, thank you for letting me come up. I appreciate it, and good night, everybody.

SPEAKER_04 12:27

Good night, sister. We you you are always welcome up here, welcome up here as you know, sister. You know that Sister Savannah, last word.

SPEAKER_03 12:41

Yeah, so um what so so thinking like about like really zooming out and thinking about the like the whole like building up to this point. Um uh, you know, Job is realizing like who he thought, like he's realizing that his friends who he thought they were aren't really who they who they were, and he's realizing, man, like these people aren't aren't really aren't really my friends. And um, I think that this like the I think one of the reasons why God put Job through all of this was to come to that realization because like if you think about it, oftentimes um the people that we surround ourselves with, like no matter how much you know we um, you know, sh no no matter how much we are connected with God and and um do our best to um be uh you know keep our focus on him, oftentimes the people around us can uh like hold us back in a way, right? You know. So and it so it brought me back to uh the parable or you know, when Jesus talked about the wineskins, right? So like how could how could God elevate Job unless Job realized like hey, you know, these people are not really your friends and you need to get them out of your life, basically.

One Friend Left In Suffering

SPEAKER_04 14:30

Right. Yep, excellent, yeah. No, excellent point, very good point, absolutely. And uh, you know, you know, and and sister, your your observations just seem to keep getting deeper and deeper, and it's good. It's is it's uh it warms my soul when I hear you talk. And the same thing with everybody. I mean, it's just really um some really good uh observations, and I like the way this this process is working for us all because it's such it's just such a great thing. Brother Pat, last word.

SPEAKER_02 15:00

Thank you. Thank you for calling on me. Um man, we're just um we live in a world under the curse of sin and death. And I man, I just want to say it like this. This is too hardcore. You you rule me back, Jonathan. But there is nothing in the curse that is here for you. That's right, there's nothing to be found in it, there's no hope, there's nothing you can take with you, there's nothing worthwhile investing in. This is a world of death, and you have one friend in this world. When everything else in this world, it's all perishing. And I'm Jonathan, we talked earlier today. You know, I'm going through some serious life-destroying stuff, like real hard time of life, and I can depend on whenever everything else goes away. One person who's never done me wrong in my life and who never will. There will, there's only one that you can count on. And so what I want to say about Job is his kids were taken, his financial prosperity taken, his health, his good looks, his wife turned on him, and now we have his friends. It's not just about these friends, it's everything in this world is being taken, stripped down from him. And he has one. He's left with one. And what I just want to say is you better have that one because there's nothing else. Or you too, like this world that is under that curse and is dying. If you don't have that one, you will die with this world.

SPEAKER_04 16:59

Amen, brother. Amen. Your turn, sister.

SPEAKER_05 17:15

Um yeah. Pat is Pat is right, you know. We can only, and this is what the book of Job actually does teach us, is that we could only depend on God and um turn to God when all else fails and everything's is are in shambles. Um, it seems that as though that I'm taken away from tonight, that it seems like his friends are just throwing anything at the wall and hoping something sticks. And, you know, uh maybe he'll come forth if I say he hasn't done X, Y, and Z. Or, you know, and it does seem like projection because maybe they are the ones that have actually um to gain wealth, they have chosen you know what that verse eight, they are doing, you know, and then and it's because they think that prosperous people um are the ones that are blessed. So of course they would treat them differently because anybody else that is not worth suffering or losing, those are the ones God is condemning, and those are the ones that God is judging. So they are actually respecter respecters of people. That's right. Yeah, so um it was a great study tonight, and I I'm just so thankful that uh Pat's connection didn't cut out on us so we can actually hear what he had to say tonight. I'm so thankful to actually hear my sister Vanessa's voice and you know, just hear what she has to say because her comments are always joyous and add so much depth and um to our studies as well. Um, Rod, I'm looking forward to the notes and two witnesses. You're a good great brother. So I hope that you do come back around. Sister Candy, scripture is always on point. Sister Savannah, profound all the time. Um, the connections that you do bring to the Lord. And I I've I gotta love Sister Meg's questions and you know, her thought process and um how she gets the wheels turning, at least for me. So I and and broth, brother Jonathan, just thank you for just bringing us all here together and um again challenging us to actually see and pull out what what we could find. Um, you said that he was trying to add some meat to the bones. And but you know, brother, it's you at um during these sessions that actually adds the meat on the bones and helps us, you know, through these. So I'm just so greatly thankful for you. God bless everyone.

SPEAKER_04 19:55

Thank you very much. Meg, would you mind closing this out and keeping in mind our brother Pat, especially?

Family Gathering Details And RSVP

SPEAKER_06 20:00

Yeah, I I just want to before I close out, I want to just talk about this for a moment. Um oh man, my picture went away right here. Um, this right here, guys. Uh, just wanted to go ahead and make this official real quick. Um, we will be having a family gathering August 7th through 9th. Um, it's just gonna be a weekend of fellowship and fun together, actually meeting each other in person. Um, we do want people to RSVP by July 1st. Uh, I'm I'm gonna keep this. We're gonna keep we really don't want people to forget. Um, we have plenty of time right now to where we can plan. Um please, please, please um try to make it. Um, if there's something that you need, please reach out to me or Jonathan or whomever. Um, and we'll do our best to help in any type of way. I really want us all to get together um really bad. I think it was it's gonna be a great weekend, and um, there's gonna be food and fun and uh fellowship and yeah, let's just see if we can make it. I really want y'all to come. It's gonna be in um Warren'sburg, Missouri. Brother Jeffrey's gonna be hosting us. Um, there's gonna be I have I have some hotels, they have little cottages too, and if we can get people, enough people to register by July 1st, I'm gonna see what we can get um together for like group discounts and whatnot. So if you guys can screenshot this real quick and just pray about it, keep it on your heart. Um, if there's something that you need the Lord to provide and this is a desire of your heart to make it, I'm sure we can all just come together and continue to pray and we will figure it out.

SPEAKER_04 21:51

We will figure it out.

SPEAKER_06 21:51

We'll figure it out.

SPEAKER_04 21:52

So we want everybody to get there and and I'll tell you something. I uh and I'm glad Meg sister. Thank you for s for doing us and saying this and for helping out with this whole thing because I'm gonna tell everybody something. You're you you are probably probably not going to hear me ask for you for much, if anything at all. But I'm asking for this, for you to show up to this. I'm asking everybody to show up. Let's show the world what it looks like when God's people can do what we're doing here and get together. I'm I'm asking I'm pleading with you, show up to this. It's once it's it's one time out of the year. Let's try to do this. And and my goal is gonna be to do this once a year. To do this once a year. In between, I want to try to come out and and visit with people individually. If I can't visit you, I'll definitely call you. There are many people here know that I will call you and we'll talk and just whatever. But I want our this is something I really, really, really want. Bad.

SPEAKER_06 22:56

Me too.

SPEAKER_04 22:57

I really want this bad. And uh and I know that it will be just a a a good time of fellowship. And uh and I want I want to show why uh this fellowship is so different than a lot of the haranguing that we see uh throughout uh TikTok and other social media platforms. Let us be different, let us prove it, let's show it by being here. And it's not, you know, the the cost of the trip and getting there, I know it's gonna put something, put something on you, but like I said, if if anybody needs help, let us know. Don't let no be your answer unless you just can't be there because you're dying or you gotta work. I understand all of that. But I really I really want us to get together, meet each other in person, and really fellowship, and then come back because I think it's gonna even make these sessions even that much better.

SPEAKER_06 23:47

Amen.

SPEAKER_04 23:48

So um really try to press hard in the in on this one and get there because I think it'll be a blessing to everybody's soul. I really do. I really do. Go ahead, Meg. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_07 23:59

Saying that about the financials, if anybody does need help with financial parts, please don't don't not let us know. Right. We're here for you. Yeah, so and I will pitch in and do what I can, God willing. Yeah, because that's what he's got us here for, is to help each other.

SPEAKER_04 24:16

We're gonna make it happen. Anybody that wants to go will get there. If you want to go, you'll get there.

SPEAKER_07 24:21

Amen.

SPEAKER_04 24:22

Amen. Sister May.

Prayer For Pat And The Group

SPEAKER_06 24:25

Amen, guys. If we could just bow our heads in prayer um tonight, we're going to uh pray for brother Pat, what he's going through. Um, and if there's anybody else that needs prayer, I'll give about you know 10 seconds to put it in the comments. Um but yeah, let's let's continue to go into prayer before the Lord. And you know, the word of God tells us to make our request known to him, and so I think it's very important. So um let's just go ahead and bow our heads and pray. Dear Heavenly Father, Lord God, thank you so much for yet another wonderful evening that you have so graciously gathered us together here to come together with one thing in mind, Lord God, and that's you to glorify you and to exalt you into the highest manner, Lord God, as we gather together, united in your word, Lord. Lord, I'd like to bring my brother Pat before your throne of grace tonight. I want to thank you for this, brother. Lord, I just I just need something from you. And you know I don't ask much, but Lord God, I just I need you, your presence to be with my brother. I need you to continue to speak into him his life, whether it be through his brothers or sisters, or even your voice, Lord, when he opens up your word and reads. In and through Brother Pratt, man. I just this is my brother, this is my friend, this is somebody that I learned from, and this is somebody that I love so dearly, and I I just thank you for him. I thank you for everything that you're doing in and through him, and Lord God, you have just given him such a wonderful spirit, Lord, a spirit that truly walks by faith and not by his sight, Heavenly Father. And I ask that in the days ahead that you just continue to bring him peace, Lord God. For Lord, we know that we don't follow any man, that we follow you. And you, Lord God, are the light unto a lamp unto our feet, Lord God, and a light unto our path, Lord. And I really want you to be that for my brother Pat. And Lord, just continue to allow others to speak into his life and encourage him and love on him as we so dearly do, Lord. And you know, Lord, it just shows, I like I told Brother Pat the other night, you know, you may be going through something, brother Pat, but thank God you don't have friends like Ellie Fows and Bildad. And Lord, I thank you so much that you have graced us with Brother Pat. And not only have you graced us, you've you've prepared us, Lord. That through reading the book of Job, we understand the kind of friends that we truly need to be to brothers and sisters that are in a space that is not what the world calls good. And Lord, thank you for allowing me and others to be a friend to him, to comfort and love him. And Lord God, I just pray for Savannah's mom. I don't know what's going on with her, Lord, but you do. I place her before your feet, Lord God, and I ask that you just continue to be with her always. If there's things that she's needing to realize or understand, Lord God, I pray that you bring that realization and that understanding, some things of only which you can do, Lord. And Lord God, I just pray for every single person in this life. I pray over this wonderful weekend that we're gonna be having in the future, Lord God. And I know that nothing happens by chance, Heavenly Father, and the gathering that we're all gonna be at together, Lord, I know is of you, Lord God, for you have ordained it because you put it in our hearts, Lord God, to do it. And so I just thank you for everything. I pray that you clear the paths of everybody who has the desire to go and the want to come, Lord. I ask that you just continue to make a way, Lord God, if they feel in the moment that there is no way, Lord God, and I know that you will and I trust you in it. And Lord, help us with those who have the desire to help our brothers and sisters get there, Lord, that you will provide for us a means to help them in any way that we can, Lord, because we love them. They're our family, and they're our true family, Lord God. It's not even our our parents or our children, it's those who are in you, Christ Jesus, who are our family. And I just thank you for that, Lord, and glorify you in that. And Lord, I just ask that you just bless each and every person under the sound of my voice, Lord, that is gathered together here with us today. I ask that you continue to build them up in your most holy faith, Lord, as they continue to walk and trust in you and all things, Lord. I ask you to continue to lead them and guide them into your truth, Lord, that refines the very person that they are, that it sanctifies them in your holy most truth, Lord God. That we, as we are walking in this world, be are be are being conformed into the image of your Son and through obedience and grace and mercy, allow us to continue to walk in all things. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Community Shoutouts And Closing Prayer

SPEAKER_04 29:59

Amen. One last thing. Thank you for thinking about I wanted to say one last thing. One last thing, and and that is you know, we have every every so every so often I like to mention some of the people that were in the that are in the chat. And I want to mention Hannah. She was there today. Thank you, Hannah, for being there. Mac, always a great supporter, Joseph, Nathan, heavyweights in the fellowship on on our supporting this this live that we do. Stephanie, Floyd, Foreign Math, Ayres Royal Heritage, Cherry Guy, Canary Girl. I just want to thank you all for being here. Um, and I know there are names that I miss, but I'll try to, you know, as I go on, you know, write down as many names as I can through the lives. But I just want to note, don't you guys all to know that I appreciate you. We all appreciate you being there, participating, and engaging with us. And thank you for all the support. And and please do keep it up. And we want you all there as well. Everybody we want to come to this thing and let's have a fellowship. But but I love you guys.

SPEAKER_06 31:02

And and uh one more thing, brother Jonathan. Uh brother, brother Rod wanted just prayer in general. Um, just a real quick one. Um, dear Heavenly Father, Lord God, I just thank you for Brother Rod. I love this brother. I love where you're taking him. I love the journey that you're you're bringing him on, Lord. And I just ask that you just continue to cover him, Lord God, continue to heal him, continue to build him up, Lord. I ask that you just continue to that that he allows you, that you allow him to speak your words, Lord, in his in his beautiful notes and the things that you are pouring into him through your word, Lord God. I ask you that you just continue to bring him joy, Lord. Help him to put down the things of the past and pick up the things of the future, which is you, Lord God. I ask that you just bless him, give him joy, give him peace. Thank you for the excitement that you could that you continue to bless him in your word, Lord. And I just glorify you, Father. I just thank you so much, Lord. You are just such a good God. For there's nobody that is greater or higher than you, Lord. I exalt you to the utmost, Father. I thank you, Lord. I glorify your holy name. Lord, you are you are so good. And sometimes, Lord, even when we can't understand you, Lord, we're not called to understand you perfectly because you are God. But what we are called to do is to trust you, Lord. And with all of our mind, soul, and strength, Lord. And I can say that we do, Lord. Whatever it is, whatever you're gonna bring us through, it's gonna be for your glory, no matter what it is. And I I'm so grateful, Father. I just thank you. In Jesus' mighty name I pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_04 32:40

Amen. Well, now I want to ask our maestro Mariah to bring in the choir. Bring in the choir.