Full Repentance for All the Right Reasons, Part 1

Bill Meyer: Some lessons can't be taught with words; they have to be lived. And sometimes the hardest lesson of all is learning who's really in charge. Job discovered this the hard way. After endless questions, complaints, and longing for answers, God finally spoke. And what He showed Job in that moment changed everything. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll teaches from the closing chapters of Job to reveal how a suffering man came face to face with the majesty of his Maker. It's a journey toward surrender you won't soon forget.
Chuck Swindoll: Just a few verses from Job—I've been saying that for nine years now, I think. This 42nd chapter, Job responds to the Lord's message in a wonderful manner. After all he's been through, listen to these words of submission. Job 42, beginning at verse 1: Then Job answered the Lord and said, "I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have declared that which I did not know, that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Hear now, and I will speak. I will ask you, and you instruct me. I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore, I retract and I repent in dust and ashes."
Bill Meyer: You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into Job's story, be sure to purchase a copy of our Searching the Scriptures Bible study workbook by going to insight.org/offer. Chuck titled today's message, "Full Repentance for All the Right Reasons."
Chuck Swindoll: It is difficult to cultivate a humble heart in a contentious culture. Put another way, a repentant spirit is rarely found in a litigious society. How rarely do we hear the words "I'm wrong," "I'm sorry"? And as opposed to that, how often we hear the words "I will sue you," "I will take you to court." Just this past week, a good friend of mine sent me a classic example of just how litigious our society is. Matter of fact, it's an award-winning story. It won first place in a recent criminal lawyer's award contest. A Charlotte, North Carolina, lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars. He then insured them against fire, among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these 24 great cigars, and without yet having made even his first premium payment on the policy, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, this lawyer stated the cigars were lost in a series of small fires. The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion. That was obvious. The lawyer sued and won. In delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated, nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptable fire, and was obligated to pay the claim. Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigars that had been lost in the fires. And now for the best part. After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of arson. With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine. Something inside every one of us goes, "Yes!" Let me say again how difficult it is to cultivate a humble heart in a society like ours. We who are parents, and you who are now parents of the young of our generation, work overtime dealing with the stubborn wills of your children, which is your and my responsibility. It isn't the school's responsibility. It isn't the policeman's responsibility. It isn't the court's responsibility. It is yours and it is mine. And it's a tough sled: first to get their attention, and then in the process to gain their respect. Deep within our souls, we know that our children operate their lives under our authority. But that same awareness is not in their hearts; it's a learned awareness. And there are few things more beautiful to behold than a child or a young adult who has learned that lesson, still evidencing capability and giftedness and confidence in life, while at the same time modeling a submissive spirit. They will not learn that submission until they discover the words "I am wrong," "I am sorry," "I repent." The truth were known, it has been years in some homes hearing me right now since you have heard your mate say something like that. It's long overdue. Now, with all of this as a background, a sort of food for thought, turn with me to Job 42 and verse 6. Admittedly, it's unusual for me to go at the beginning of a message to the end of my text. But because it forms the climax of Job's inner life, I want you to see it in all of its beauty and then go back with me to discover how it was finally placed there. This book ends with a wonderful conclusion on Job's part, to say nothing about his home and family and the rewards that came following all the suffering. This is Job personally. This is Job as a man. This is the inner life of the one called the servant of God. 42:6: "I retract and I repent in dust and ashes." I think it is noteworthy that God does not yet remove the boils, that God has not yet brought back the children, that the man is still bankrupt, in pain, undergoing suffering right up to this point. And that's all by design. God will stop at nothing to bring us to the place of full repentance. He doesn't bring relief and then expect repentance; it is in the midst of the pain He waits for words like this: "I retract; I repent." One man, very insightfully, writes of this: "Job has come to a true assessment of himself before the holy God. Job both renounces all false pride and concedes that God has been true to justice in allowing him to be brought so low that he has had to sit outside the city on an ash dump, on an ash heap." The term "recant," translated here "retract," is the Hebrew word nicham and it means—listen—it means to turn from a planned course of action and take up a new course. It implies the strongest resolve to change directions. That's it! That's repentance at its best. I've been thinking one way, which has caused me to say what I've been saying. I now realize I need to be going in that other direction and, as we some time refer to it, change my tune. Having come to an end of himself, Job sits humbly before his Lord, surrendered and contrite. Surrendered and contrite. Two words we're not familiar with, especially in our culture. Turn from here briefly to Psalm 51. We'll be back to Job in a few moments, but first I want you to see the words of David following the misery in the backwash of his adultery with Bathsheba. He wrote a psalm realizing the wrongness of his actions—and they were plural, not just adultery, but murder of Bathsheba's husband Uriah, deception, living a lie before the people, lack of leadership as the king while caught up in the affair. He sees it all; he sees it clearly, and he repents. Psalm 51 is the record of his repentance. I commend the reading of it to you. He begins, "Be gracious to me, O God, according to your lovingkindness." Notice he calls upon the grace of God. "According to the greatness of your compassion, blot out my transgressions." Verse 2: "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me." There's no hiding of the fact; there's no blaming of another. There is nothing but naked, open confession in a heart of repentance. Verse 10: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." He doesn't expect something of the people around him. He doesn't expect another individual even to understand. He's getting it right with God. That's where we start in repentance. And then he comes in verse 17 to the verse I want to mention and develop: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Look closely at the verse. These are sacrifices. These are sacrifices that God finds pleasure in: a broken spirit and a contrite heart. I meditated on those thoughts for quite a while and came up with a brief list of five characteristics of a contrite heart. I've observed this in others on a few occasions—I'm sorry it hasn't been on many, but on a few occasions—and I've experienced it myself on a few occasions. A contrite heart, number one: nurses no grudges. Nurses no grudges. A contrite heart never says, "If it hadn't been for what she..." or "If this hadn't happened then..." or "Because I was raised like I was raised then..." None of that. A contrite heart nurses no grudges. Second: makes no demands. I don't come with a contrite heart demanding that you now do this in return. So that leads me to the third: a contrite heart has no expectations. I don't expect good treatment. I don't expect to be treated nicely. I don't expect people necessarily to forgive me. That'll have to take time. I don't come with expectations. My contrite, broken spirit and my contrite, broken heart come with simply no expectations. Fourth: I offer no conditions. No ifs, no wishes. I simply come broken and contrite. Nursing no grudges, making no demands, having no expectations, offering no conditions. Anticipates no favors. That's fifth. I don't anticipate as a result that you will do this or hopefully you will do that. I'm simply acknowledging the wrongness of my actions, attitude, words. Now, what was it that brought such a response to Job? When you turn back, you will see those previous verses leading up to chapter 42, beginning in chapter 40 and verse 6. God begins by getting his attention, to use a human term, by shaking his shoulders nice and firmly. And then God gives him two unforgettable examples that show Job just how far down he is in his own estimation before God. But to begin with, God shakes his shoulders. Before I read verse 6 and following, let me mention what we've all gone through as parents. And nothing I say will be politically correct, and that's why it's true, what I'm going to tell you. There are times parents all alone, without embarrassing their children before anyone else, all alone get their children by the shoulders and give them a good firm shake. Right? We'll just stop with the shake, okay? Whatever else you do, that's between you and God, and I'll leave it with that. But you have had enough of their rhino will. You are not going to put up with another day of it, to say nothing of even another minute of it, and you pull them aside and you have a good talking to, we say. And we say, "I want you to understand, you are the child and I am the parent. You will do under this roof exactly what I tell you to do, whether you like it or not. Is that clear?" Some of your lips are moving; you've done this before. And we are in the process of helping every teacher your child will have in the future. Every time they're around a policeman, that policeman—though he doesn't know about it—will thank you. Every time he's playing on a team with a coach, that coach will be grateful that you did your job as a parent. You got their attention. And you didn't stop with just one shake. It may have to happen again in another three or four days. You are fed up. You have had it. And that child is discovering that she or he does not rule that roost; you do. And there's something wonderfully healthy about that realization. I believe the Lord takes Job by the shoulders and gives him a good shake in verses 6 to 14. As a matter of fact, in these verses, I think He's saying to him, "Job, listen to me. I am God, you are man. I am authority, you are servant. I am in charge, you are the clay. I'm molding and shaping; you will be shaped. It's important that you understand, Job, you are not on my level. You are not God." See how He begins. Lord answered Job out of a storm, verse 6, chapter 40. "Now gird up your loins like a man." I think it's His way of saying, "Take this like a man. Listen to me. I will ask you and you instruct me. You let me know how you would answer. Will you really annul my judgment? Will you condemn me that you may be justified? Or do you have an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like His?" It's a picture of power. "Can you do what I do? If you can, then," verse 10, "adorn yourself with eminence and dignity and clothe yourself with honor and majesty. Pour out the overflowings of your anger and look on everyone who is proud and make him low. You're able to do that? I can do that. Bring those proud people down, Job. Look on everyone who is proud and humble him. Tread down the wicked where they stand. Hide them in the dust altogether and bind them in the hidden place. Then I will confess to you that your own right hand can save you." Obviously, Job can't do that. Let's go back to the shakes for a moment, okay? "Let me make something real clear to you, son. As the father, I'm the one who earns the living in this home. If you're in charge, you earn the living. You go where I go, you work where I work, you make what I make, you make the decisions I make, you take care of the mortgage, you handle the details of this family. You get everything in line, you make the plans, you are in charge. You able to do that?" Obviously, the son has to say no. "I can't do that." "Then understand, son, you're not the dad, you're the son. That means you answer to me. I love you, I will forever love you, but you will not rule this home. I am the authority." Sometimes they need illustrations that help convey this. And so, God gives him a couple of illustrations. I think Job may have been a lover of the animal world and something of a student of that world, and the Lord knew that and chose a couple of animals. Got your pen ready? I want you to circle two unusual words. Verse 15: "Behold now, behemoth." Circle that. I know, it's unclear, but just circle it. Behold, behemoth. Verse 1 of chapter 41: circle "leviathan." Can you draw out leviathan? Right about now you're glad you're the listener and not the preacher, aren't you? Because it would be a tough thing, and believe me, it's not that easy to ferret out exactly where God is going with His speech. And it is my task to try to do that. I believe He is showing Job two animals that are at the top of the food chain, two animals that are virtually unintimidated. They can take care of themselves in the wild. Most every other animal bows to them, and if they don't, they pay a terrible price, usually their life. The behemoth represents the hippopotamus, which I understand is far more dangerous and deadly than most of us usually think of when we think of the hippopotamus. The leviathan is the crocodile. We'll look at the leviathan in a moment. We'll look first now at the behemoth. God's point before we get there: both of these beasts, though they are intimidating to you, were made by me and are continually subservient to me. They have the natures I gave them. They do precisely as I built them or created them to do. And if you're unable to handle these, obviously, you're not on my level. And if you in fact are afraid of them, as Job certainly must have been, then you certainly are not what would qualify as deity. And another reminder of the importance of submission to one who was Creator. First the hippopotamus. Verses 15 to 24, chapter 40. "I made that animal as well as you," notice the opening. His strength is in his loins; 16 through 18 is a reference to the strength of the hippopotamus. The power is in his muscles. Tail is like a cedar, picture of strength. Sinews of thighs are knit together. His bones are tubes of bronze—this is poetry, colorful language to illustrate this. His limbs are like bars of iron. He is first of the ways of God. If I, Yahweh, am powerful enough to create and subdue a creature this strong and intimidating, I'm deserving of your trust, your submission, your worship.
Bill Meyer: There's something striking about that scene, isn't there? The God who spins galaxies and governs every creature on earth pausing to reach one struggling man. Job wanted answers. What he received was far greater: a glimpse of the one who holds it all. You're listening to Insight for Living and the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll. Chuck titled today's message "Full Repentance for All the Right Reasons." As we wrap up another week of Bible teaching, I've got two exciting announcements to share with you. First, we're inviting you to pre-purchase your copy of Chuck Swindoll's personal memoir. Over the span of nine decades, Chuck has discovered one profound truth: God's grace changes everything. And now in his brand-new memoir, Awakened by Grace, Chuck opens his heart like never before, sharing the moments and milestones that have shaped his life. You can be among the very first to hold this remarkable book in your hands. When you contact Insight for Living and pre-order the book, we'll make sure you receive your copy of Awakened by Grace as soon as it becomes available. Plus, you'll immediately receive a free digital preview of the book. Call us at 1-800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/memoir. Also, this is exciting: Chuck Swindoll recently recorded a conversation with media personality Dave Ramsey. You likely know Dave as a trusted voice on financial stewardship. But he's also a devoted follower of Christ and one of your fellow Insight for Living listeners. In this lively conversation, Dave and Chuck open up about keeping stewardship a priority over their egos, the freedom that comes from debt-free living, and the thread of redemption that God weaves through every season of our lives—even the ones we're certain will ruin us. The conversation is candid, it's unplugged, and it might just change the way you think about the season you're walking through right now. To hear the interview between Chuck and Dave Ramsey, stop by insight.org/conversations.
Bill Meyer: I'm Bill Meyer. Join us again when Chuck Swindoll continues his comprehensive study on the life of Job, Monday on Insight for Living.
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