Job-F B Hole

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The Book of Job

by F. B. Hole

http://www.biblecentre.org

Job 1-7

We regard it as little short of a miracle that this very ancient book should have been

accepted by the people of Israel as part of "the oracles of God," which were "committed"to their hands see, !omans : #$. %ob may have been a contemporary of &braham but he

was certainly not of &brahamic stock, and therefore a Gentile, and yet introduced to us

with such words of commendation as we hardly find accorded to any son of Israel. In the book moreover is no allusion to the law in which the %ew made his boast. 'here was

therefore in it nothing that would particularly appeal to the %ew, but rather that which

might offend. (et there through the centuries it has stood, and been handed down to us.

In this we see not only the wisdom of God but )is mercy also. *irectly sin entered theworld a baffling problem presented itself in the slaying of righteous &bel. Why should the

godly suffer+ If a mans life really pleases God, why should that pleasure not be indicated

by special good being his in this life+ 'here is, of course, the alternative problem Whyshould the ungodly prosper$-and this is dealt with in salm . 0ut long before the days

of the salmists God saw fit in )is mercy to solve the enigma for us by permitting

e1treme disaster to come upon %ob, and then causing the story to be recorded and preserved in an inspired writing. 'he solution was given as soon as "the oracles of God"

began to appear.

In the very first verse the inspired writer-whoever he was-makes the e1ceptional

character of %ob very clear, and in verse 2 he records that a precisely similar descriptionof him had come from the lips of %ehovah )imself, but with the addition that in his piety

he surpassed his contemporaries, for there was "none like him in the earth." 3f all men,

therefore, here was the man upon whom the smile of the &lmighty should rest.

&nd indeed he had been greatly prospered in the providence of God. )e had a wellfavoured family, and immense possessions of those animals, in which wealth consisted in

those days. )e was the greatest among the men of the east, as well as the most godly.)is piety embraced his family as well as himself, for he offered burnt offerings for them

in the days of their festivities lest they should have in any way offended. 4uch is the picture presented of this remarkable man.

In verses -5#, we are granted a glance behind the scenes of this world. 4atan, though a

fallen creature, still is permitted access to the presence of God. )is casting down to earth,mentioned in !evelation 5#, is still future. )e is spoken of in that chapter as, "the accuser

of our brethren," and that is 6ust what we see him doing here: he does not change. )e

accused %ob of self-seeking in his apparent piety: in other words, that he was in large


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measure a hypocrite - 6ust what presently we shall find the three friends insinuating. )e

virtually challenged God to test him by some catastrophe, when %obs skin-deep piety

would be broken through, and he would curse the God whom he professed to regard.

'he 7ord accepted 4atans challenge and permitted the adversary to act against all that he

had, but not against himself. 4atan promptly acted and the disasters fell with devastatingeffect.

It was a most instructive scene. We perceive three causes and two effects. 'he great 8irst9ause is God. 'he second inferior cause is 4atan. 'he third still lesser cause - or rather,

causes - the 4abeans, the 9haldeans, and what men would call the forces of nature. 'he

first effect was a complete sweeping away of all %obs family and possessions: the secondand ultimate effect was a crushing blow delivered against %ob.

What must have made it so crushing to %ob was the fact that four different agents were

employed. If one gigantic calamity had engulfed the lot, the effect on his mind would

probably not have been so great. 0ut four separate calamities, all in one day, and two ofthem what we should now call "acts of God," must have made 4atans malicious deed

staggering beyond all our thoughts or words. We venture to think that such a collection of

catastrophes, falling upon one man in one day, has never been eualled in the whole

history of the world.

'he piety of %ob was proved not to be skin-deep merely. God knew how to sustain )is

true servant, and he stood the test and did not curse God. 4atan was proved a liar and

defeated. %obs words, "'he 7ord gave, and the 7ord hath taken away," have beenrepeated millions of times by sorrowing saints, who also have blessed God instead of

cursing )im, even as %ob did.

4atan, however, returned to the charge, though God could again give )is testimonial to

%obs remarkable character. )e knew very well that a mans own bodily self is nearer anddearer to him than all he may possess, so he said, "4kin for skin, yea, all that a man hath

will he give for his life." 'his remark of the devil was once uoted in court by a barrister,

wishing to further his case. )e prefaced it by saying, "&s a great authority has said... ,"

feeling he was uite safe in his authority since he uoted from the 0ible; 'he 6udge knewhis 0ible better than the counsel, so he uietly said, "I am interested to observe hom the

learned counsel uotes as, a great authority;"

It will be useful therefore to remind our readers that in this book we have uoted not only

the words of 4atan, but also many words of men, some of them true enough, as otherscriptures show, but others much open to uestion. $, he was not uttering a


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re!elaton from God but rather his own foolishness - ns#red to put it on record for our

warning.

0ut to return to our story: given permission by God, 4atan afflicted poor %ob with asvirulent a disease as has ever been on record, though not permitted to take his life. )is

state became so fearful and repulsive that his own wife urged him to the sin that 4atandesigned to lead him into. 4he only was left to him and thus she became, perhaps

unwittingly, an abettor of 4atans design. 0ut again, supported by God, %ob stood the testand did not sin with his lips. 'he record of %obs reaction is this time more negative than

positive, we notice still 4atan was defeated, and from this point he disappears from the

story.

)ere, therefore, the story might end, if the point of it were only to show us how the

power of God triumphs over the malign doings of the adversary. 'his is indeed made

clearly manifest, but there was the further point of demonstrating how that same power,

coupled with )is searching kindness, triumphed in the conscience and heart and life of

)is tried saint, ultimately turning the blackest disaster into rich blessing, of a spiritualsort as well as material.

&s a first move toward this, %obs three friends appeared on the scene. &t the end of %ob #,

they are introduced to us, and what is recorded indicates that they came full of sympathyand with the best of intentions. 'he record of his disasters and the horror of his bodily

state moved them to tears, and so staggered them that for a whole week they sat in his

presence speechless. 'he reality of it all far e1ceeded what they had heard. *readful itmust have been to reduce them to this speechless condition. 'he e1pressions of sympathy

they intended to make fro?e upon their lips.

0ut the week of silence had to end. 'heir presence, their tears, their rent mantles, the dustupon their heads, affected %ob, and led him at last to break the silence. )e opened hismouth and cursed his day. )e did not curse God, be it noted. )e called down a curse

upon the day he was born@ deploring the fact that he had not died when his mother gave

him birth. )e anticipated that, had he never seen the light, he would have "been at rest,"and not in this dire affliction. In %obs day there was not much light as to the unseen

world, yet he knew that death did not mean e1tinction of being, but for the saint rest, and

freedom from the trouble caused by the wicked, such as he had e1perienced by 4abeansand 9haldeans. "'here the wicked cease from troublng," %ob : 5$@ from troubling

other people, not from being troubled themselves. 'here those, whose strength is worn

out, are at rest.

&mongst mankind almost universally, a birthday is an occasion of remembrance andre6oicing. 'o poor %ob it seemed a moment to be deplored and cursed. In his days of

prosperity he had feared some kind of adversity might supervene.


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'he silence of a week being broken, $l#ha% was moved to speak. )is earliest words, at

the beginning of %ob >, have a gentle and considerate spirit. )e acknowledged that %ob

had been a helper and sustainer of others, but asked a pertinent uestion in verse A, whichin *arbys


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would turn and blessing come in. 'he closing verses speak of Gods deliverance coming

in@ of renewed prosperity. Cerse #> has been rendered, "'hou shalt know that thy tent is

in peace@ and thou wilt survey thy fold, and miss nothing." Cerse #D speaks of a numerous posterity, and verse #A of %ob himself coming to his end in ripe old age.

'hese things did indeed mark %obs latter days as we know, but the insinuation was thatthe absence of any such prosperity at that moment was punishment from God for his sin,

which had lain beneath the surface of his life in the past. =lipha? closed by confidentlyasserting the truth of his remarks. "4o it is," he declared, for he had searched t out and

seen t for himself.

Job '

0y all this %ob was stirred to reply, and he begins by acknowledging that the arrows thathad smitten him were from the &lmighty but these friends of his had no proper sense of

the weight of his calamity and grief. Well fed animals do not e1press distress by braying

or lowing, so he did not cry out without ample cause. )e was being fed on "sorrowfulmeat," and he desired that God would cut him off completely rather than prolong his

misery.

8rom verses 5>-#, %ob upbraids his friends. )e was the afflicted one to whom his friends

should show pity, if they desired to walk in the fear of God, but on the contrary they were beginning to deal deceitfully with him. 'hey were like streams that dried up in the heat,

6ust when they were most needed by caravans of 'ema or 4heba.

&t verse #> a more direct appeal begins. )e challenged his friends to leave vague

insinuations for direct accusation. 7et them show where he had erred, so that, taught by

them, he might hold his tongue. )e rightly remarked, ")ow forcible are right words," butwhat did =lipha?s "arguing," or "upbraiding," effect+ )ow often among brethren in

9hrist have vague insinuations, or even accusations, wrought havoc, where "right words," based on specific facts, would have proved forcible and wrought good.

%obs reply continues into %ob , and here his discourse seems to divide into two parts

verses 5-5E, and, 55-#5. 3ne cannot read the first section without being struck by the

pathos of his plight. )e felt it deeply himself and hence e1pressed it in moving fashion."Bonths of vanity" and "wearisome nights" had been his portion, so that, 6ust as a servant

or hireling longed for the shadow of evening and the wages, he was longing for the end.

7ike the weavers shuttle his days fled away and he was hopeless. )is pathetic state is

most vividly described and his friends should have been more filled with compassion.

0ut in the second part %ob evidently turned Godward, and began to address )im with his

bitter complaint. )e reali?ed his own littleness. )e was not something great as a sea or a

sea-monster, and, in verses 5-5A, he cries out that his very nights are a torment withdreams and visions of terror which, he feels, come to him from God. )e loathes his

present life and tells God that he desires to die.


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0ut it is noticeable how the tone of his complaint and cry changes, when he turns to God

from the presence of his friends. )e at once is made to reali?e the insignificance and even

the sinfulness of mankind. )is cry is, "What is man . . .+" and though he could not answer the uestion with the clearer light vouch-safed to *avid in salm 2, or the full light of the


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'his brought forth from %ob the striking words recorded in %ob F. )e began by

acknowledging the rightness of Gods disciplinary ways, but raised the all-important

uestion, as to how a man could be right with God. In our day the pithy sentence, "Getright with God," has been used to awaken interest in the Gospel message. It might well

provoke the reply, "(es, but how is it to be achieved+" 'his is 6ust the enuiry that %ob

made in verse #, and the rest of the chapter reveals how earnest and sincere he was inasking it, for he suggested and e1amined four possible answers. =ach suggestion

commences with an, "If."

'he first is of course verse . 4upposing man adopts a defant atttude and contends with

God@ what then+ *isaster, and no 6ustification; 4in has made mankind into rebels, henceto defy God is their first instinct. 0ut %ob saw how ruinous such an attitude would be.

God is so infinitely great that no rebel can prosper, and down to verse 5F he continues

this theme. 'he earth and the heavens with their constellations proclaim the 9reatorsgreatness and glory.

&t verse #E, %ob suggested another possible answer, )ow could he be 6ust with God+Well, could he 6ustify himself+ 'his would at least mean a forsaking of the defiant

attitude and the tacit admission of being wrong, and thus needing to be 6ustified. *elf-

+ustfcaton is a very attractive proposition, yet %ob only stated it to dismiss the idea as

impracticable. )e knew he had only to open his mouth to condemn himself. Boreover he

who would 6ustify himself before the searching eye of God must be able to establish hisown perfection.


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)ow evident it is that %ob knew that he was a sinful creature before his holy 9reator, and

that he possessed in himself no means of getting right. 'hat being so, his only hope was

in the intervention of a third party@ but no such third party, or "daysman," was known tohim. )is three friends could not act the part, nor could any other man, since the daysman

must be great enough to lay one of his hands upon &lmighty God, and gracous enough

to lay the other upon poor diseased and sinful %ob.

)ow pathetic are the words that close this chapter; If only there were an efficientintermediary, how different it would be@ but, says %ob, "it is not so with me." )ave we

ever thanked God with sufficient fervour that t s so th us+ 'he fact is that though he

may not have known it, %ob was sighing for the advent of 9)!I4'. We can now re6oicein the "one Bediator between God and men, the Ban 9hrist %esus" 5 'im. #: D$. 0y )im

the ransom price was paid, so that it is possible for a man to be 6ust with God.

0ut for %ob there was no apparent answer to his uestion, so we are not surprised that %ob

5E is filled with his further words of complaint and sorrow coupled with pathetic appeals

to God. )e had 6ust said of God, ")e is not a man, as I am," hence he was aware that hewas as nothing before )is holy eyes, that searched him through and through. In verse #

he appealed to God to show him the reason why )e contended with him by thesedisasters. In verse A he again admitted "iniuity" and "sin," yet in the ne1t verse he said,

"'hou knowest that I am not wicked," using this term evidently in the sense in which

=lipha? uses it when we come to %ob ##: 5D.

(et, on the other hand, he knew that Gods standards were far higher than his, and hencewoe would come upon him if he were wicked, and that even if he were righteous he could

not lift up his head in the presence of God. )e was filled with confusion@ his affliction

increased@ he again complained that he had ever been born, and as to the future he had no

light. *eath was to him as "a land of darkness," as we see in verses #5 and ##. We haveto pass on to


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record, and that the discussion centred around Gods disciplinary dealings n ths lfe, and

did not look into eternity, this again strikes us as harsh and dogmatic in the e1treme.

8rom verse onwards, however, he did say some striking things that have truth in them,as other 4criptures show. It is indeed true that man cannot by his searching find out God.

It is eually true that man, being sinful, is "vain," or, "empty," or, "senseless," and is bornlike "a wild asss colt." ophar evidently felt that %ob needed to recogni?e these things,

without much consciousness of how they applied to himself. If the men of this twentiethcentury recogni?ed them, it would puncture their inflated pride. 'hey may find out means

of destroying human lives by the hundred thousand, but they cannot find out God. )e can

only be found in 9hrist, who has revealed )im.

ophars final words of counsel verses 5-#E$ also have truth in them. Cerse 5> in the


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=lipha? had based his condemnation of %ob on what he himself had observed. Well, %ob

too had powers of observation, and he had seen all these things of which he had 6ust

spoken, as he affirmed in the opening verses of %ob 5. )e did not claim to be superior tohis friends, but at any rate he was not their inferior, yet he acknowledged that Gods

dealings mystified him, being far above and out of his sight. 4o, as verse indicates,

what he desired was to speak to the &lmighty and reason with God, rather than spend histime in reasoning with his friends.

4till, there his friends were, and we can see that by this time %ob had been goaded into

retorts of a more biting kind. What he wanted was truth for his mind and healing for his

body. 'hey were only "forgers of lies," and "physicians of no value." )e counselled themto hold their peace and listen to what he had to say@ and up to verse 5 he continued in

this strain. )e felt they had talked as though speaking on Gods behalf, and in so doing

had misrepresented )im. In this, no doubt, %ob 6udged rightly.

In verses 5>-5F, God, rather than his friends, is before the mind of %ob. We can discern

two conflicting elements. 3n the one hand, there was a remarkable spirit of faith, whichled him to take all that had transpired from )is hand and not concern himself with the

agents of the disasters, which had stopped short of his death. )e had desired to die, and if God should answer this reuest and slay him, he would not lose confidence but still trust

in )im. 'his indeed was e1cellent, but at the same time %ob revealed his very weak spot

in his determination to "maintain," or "defend" his own ways before )im. 4o we see thatin a true saint very real faith in God may e1ist, and yet be marred by a very determined

measure of self-esteem. 'his it is, which gives such great value to this remarkable book,

since the flesh in us, who are saints today, is 6ust the same as it was in %ob some four

thousand years ago.

'hus it is, that %ob proclaimed that God would be his salvation and that ultimately hewould be 6ustified. 0ut in verse #E he more definitely addressed himself to God. )e

accepted his sorrows as being from the hand of God and asked that )is hand might beremoved from him, so that he might stand before )im on easier terms. Cerse # shows

that directly %ob felt himself to be before God he acknowledged iniuity and sins. )e

wished to know how many they were, since he felt, as the succeeding verses reveal, that

the retribution he was suffering went beyond his real deserts. )e was like a man with hisfeet in the stocks, and thus an easy target for those who wished to throw things at him.

&s we read his words, we cannot but feel the pathos of them, and are not surprised at his

cry of lamentation, which opens Job 1). In the far-off days of %ob human life was

perhaps three times longer than it is today@ yet it was after all "of few days," and then itwas "full of trouble," 6ust as it is today, so that viewed in the light of the eternal God, he

is but like a fading flower or a fleeting shadow. %ob was conscious of this as regards

himself and so he knew he could not stand the *ivine inspection, nor stand before )im in 6udgment. Boreover he knew that he was not clean in the sight of God, and he was sure

no one could produce the clean out of the unclean.


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would "answer," inasmuch as he was a "work" of Gods hands. In thus speaking he was

taught of God, as we can see in the light of the


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'his idea of =lipha? and his friends is a very common one. It was to be found when aul

wrote his 8irst =pistle to 'imothy in very much worse form than in the days of %ob, for he

speaks of "men of corrupt minds" who indulge in "perverse disputings," because theysuppose that "gain is godliness" 5 'im. A: A$. 'he


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being hardly dealt with by God, and this especially because he felt he could speak of God

as being on high the Witness to his integrity, even though his friends scorned him.

'he opening words of verse #5 have been translated, "3h that there were arbitration for aman with God;" 'hus his mind reverted to his desire for the "*aysman," recorded at the

end of %ob F. & man might plead for his neighbour or friend but he felt there was no oneto step in between God and himself, and he could only anticipate a short time before his

end. )is breath was corrupt and the grave ready for him, as he stated in the first verse of%ob 5. We have probably but little conception of the state of e1treme and prolonged

bodily corruption and misery that he had been enduring.

(et some further insight as to it is granted to us in Job 17. 4o e1treme was it that thestatements of his friends seemed to him but mockery. &mong the people generally he had

become a "byword," or a "proverb," and the second clause of that Ath verse is elsewhere

translated, "I am become one to be spit on in the face." 'his however would astonish

upright men, and %ob seems to turn the tables on his critics by inferring that they might

prove to be the hypocrites, whilst the righteous would hold on his way, and the one whohad the clean hands would increase in strength. &s for these "friends," there was not one

wise man among them.

'he closing words of this speech of %ob are a very mournful complaint as to thehopelessness of his outlook. &s to his poor body, only corruption and the worm were

before him, when his soul would be in the unseen world. 'he word translated "grave" in

verse 5, and that translated "pit" in verse 5A, is the )ebrew, sheol, the euivalent of theGreek, hades, used in the


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Job 1. %obs reply to these rather cruel words was on an altogether higher level. 'hey

were indeed ve1ing him with words, and breaking him in pieces, but he did not claim to

be perfect-far from it, as we saw in %ob F. )ere, in verse >, he admits to erring, but heclaimed that his errors had only affected himself and not other people. What had befallen

him he took from the hand of God, as verse A shows, yet he felt that )is dealings were

unnecessarily severe.

4o, in verses -#E, we have a graphic description of the miseries he was enduring. )ecomplained that God had stripped him, fenced up his way, destroyed him on every side,

kindled )is wrath against him as though he was one of )is enemies. &s a result of this,

he was an ob6ect of contempt and forsaken by all. =ven his servants and his wife wouldhave nothing to do with him. 'he words with which he closed this description of his

sorrows in verse #E, alluding to his physical state, have passed into a proverbial saying

amongst us.

)aving thus spoken, he appealed to his friends for pity rather than argument and

reproach, which almost amounted to persecution. It was the hand of God that had touchedhim-God, who was more merciful than they. )ence he longed that his words might be

preserved in a book, or even permanently be engraved upon the rock, as was a custom inthose days on the part of kings and great men. 4uch rock records have been discovered

and deciphered, yet his desire was granted in a more wonderful way than he imagined@

for they have been recorded in the inspired 4criptures, which out-live and out-distance allelse.

0ut why did he desire this+ It was because he knew that his !edeemer was the living

3ne, and that as "the 7ast," )e would stand upon the earth. 'he


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has been translated, ")ear attentively my speech, and let this replace your consolations."

4umming up the speeches of the three friends as "consolations," was of course a piece of

sarcasm. )ow he really viewed their words is plain at the end of the ne1t verse, when hetold them that after he had spoken they might "mock on;" )e fully reali?ed the force of

their words, implying that he must have been guilty of grievous unrighteousness and sin,

while all the time outwardly appearing to be a man of great piety.

)is first point is this: his complaint was not to man but to God. )ad it been to man, wellmight his spirit have been troubled, or "impatient." )e reminded them that it was with

God both he and they had to do. In view of this fact, and marking Gods dealings with

him, they might well lay their hands upon their mouths and cease to condemn him. 8orhimself he was afraid and trembled in the remembrance of it.

9ommencing with verse D, we find the counter-assertions to which he committed himself.

It was not the case, he affirmed, that the wicked were always overwhelmed with disaster.

3n the contrary, they often lived, became old, mighty in power and prosperous, with their

seed established in their sight. 'hey had times of merriment and pleasure and at the endhad no long drawn out misery such as he was enduring, but "in a moment go down to the

grave Hor, 4heol." &nd all the time their attitude to God was, "*epart from us, for wedesire not the knowledge of 'hy ways."

7et us note two things. 8irst, %ob here correctly diagnosed the attitude of the natural man

to God, about two thousand years before aul was inspired to write his =pistle to the

!omans. 'here, in the first chapter, we read that men, "when they knew God, theyglorified )im not as God, neither were thankful@" and again that, "they did not like to

retain God in their knowledge." 'his is the tremendous fact that we have to face. 4in has

so completely alienated man from God that he has not the least desire for )im. "'here is

none that seeketh after God," as !omans states.

%obs statements in verses 5> and 5D, agree with this, and they e1plain the state of

heathenism and barbarism into which men sank at an early stage of the worlds history-a

state that has persisted to our own days. In earliest ages men had some knowledge ofGod, from which they wilfully departed.

&nd it is obvious that if men have to do with God, they will have to serve )im. 4o, in the

second place, they view the whole matter from the standpoint of earthly profit. 'his is

6ust what multitudes do today, when they ask, What is the good of being religious@ whatdo we get out of it+ 'hey are but echoing the words we have here, "What profit should

we have, if we pray unto )im+" We know that, "Godliness is profitable unto all things,

having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" 5 'im. >: 2$. 0utthat kind of profit the world has no eyes to see.

In the rest of the chapter %ob speaks of the end of those who aim at shutting God out of

their thoughts and lives. Jltimately disaster comes upon them and their "candle" is put

out. 4ome may die in apparent ease and prosperity and others in bitterness@ but into thedust and among the worms all of them go. In saying these things %ob seems to be


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agreeing with what salm tells us, as a matter of the writers e1perience. 'he wicked

may depart from God and appear to prosper, for their 6udgment from God lies beyond this

life.

4o once more %ob counters the arguments of his friends, declaring that he found

falsehood in them. 9onseuently, though they had come to comfort him, he found that the"comfort" that they had offered was empty and vain.

Job -/1

'he outspoken way in which %ob had told his friends, that the comfort they had offeredwas untrue and valueless, rather naturally moved =lipha? to begin his third speech on a

still more bitter note. %ob certainly had been defending his own character, but did he

confer any profit or benefit on the &lmighty by the righteousness and perfection that heclaimed+ &nd would God enter into 6udgment with him as though he were )is eual+

'here could be but one answer to these uestions, and it would be salutary for %ob to

reali?e what it was. &s our 7ord told )is disciples, the confession of us all has to be, "Weare unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do" 7uke 5:5E$.

0ut, having uttered these wise words, =lipha? plunged into a series of accusations against

%ob, which in the light of the testimony God bore to him at the outset of the story, must

have been utterly unfounded. 'hese accusations fill verses D-F and reading them we cansee what provoked %ob to sing his own praises, as he does in %ob #F. =lipha? did not deal

in vague insinuations but affirmed %obs wrong-doing in regard to the needy, the naked,

the weary, the hungry, the widow and the fatherless. In %ob #F, %ob rebuts these thingsand is eually e1plicit in declaring how well he had acted to these very people.

In verse 5 =lipha? supposes the evil had been mainly in secret and that %ob assumed thatGod did not know of his wickedness-another false assumption. In verses 5D-52 we have a

reference to the flood. %ob had 6ust spoken of wicked men, who said unto God, "*epartfrom us," and here =lipha? asks if he had really taken to heart this very thing, as

displayed in the antediluvian world. What men did after the flood, as they lapsed into

idolatry, was 6ust what had been done before the flood. =lipha? is uite right in saying

that the root of all their appalling wickedness was departure from God, and shutting )imout of their lives and even out of their thoughts.

&t this point we may well pause and consider our own age. %obs assertion in the previous

chapter was that when, as often, God prospered wicked men, they desired God to depart

from them for they had no desire for )is ways.


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)ow true therefore is the e1hortation of =lipha? in verse #5. 'he knowledge of God does

indeed lead to both peace and good as the ultimate result, but at first it leads to deep

unrest and trouble, as %ob had to find. 0efore he reached the good, recorded at the end ofthe book, he had to e1perience the anguish of self-6udgment-see, %ob >E: >@ %ob >#: A.

Jnderlying this verse however, and the succeeding verses too, is the old assumption that%ob did not know God, that he was astray from )im and needed to come back and put

away his iniuity, which was bringing all this chastisement upon him, and he closed witha glowing description of all the advantage that would come to %ob if he did so & clearer

translation of the last verse is, ")e shall deliver him that is not guiltless," and in his

closing words =lipha? seems to state that if only %ob had clean hands he would deliverother people as well as himself.

%obs ne1t speech occupies chapters # and #>, and is remarkable in that he makes no

direct reference to what =lipha? had 6ust been advancing.

Job / has the nature of a lament with a great deal of pathos in it. )ere he was full of bitter complaint, yet feeling that the weight of the stroke laid on him was beyond any

groan that he uttered. 'he stroke came from God, vet he did not know where )e was nor

how he might find )im. If only he could find )im and order his cause before )im, he felt

sure relief would come, and he would be delivered-verse has been translated, "'herewould an upright man reason with )im@ and I should be delivered for ever from my

%udge." 'hus once more did %ob assume his own uprightness, and his complaint was that

he was troubled by the &lmighty, whom he could not reach and into whose presence hecould not come.

propounds a uestion, the e1act force of which is not easily

discerned. 0ut it does appear that in the rest of the chapter %ob is recounting the evils thatwere filling the earth in his day, which were going on un6udged until the grave closed the

history of the wicked, as giving point and force to the uestion he asked. 'his being so,

the latter part of verse 5 would mean, "Why do the God-fearing not see days of 6udgmentfalling from God on the heads of the godless+" & very pertinent uestion, appro1imating


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to that raised in salm . &t the end of the chapter %ob, as well as the salmist, sees

6udgment ultimately coming upon them. 0ut seeing it does not so come now, %ob

challenged all comers to confute him and prove him a liar.

8or the third time 0ildad now spoke, as recorded in %ob #D. &s with =lipha? so with him,

each speech was shorter than the preceding one, showing that their powers ofcompassion, as also of argument, were running short. Boreover there appears to be little

of reference to %obs statements in what he said. )is description of the greatness and gloryof God is fine and almost poetical, and what he says of the sin and uncleanness and

insignificance of man, who is like a worm before his 9reator, is eually true. 0ut he

could only reiterate the uestion %ob asked in %ob F, ")ow then can man be 6ust withGod," without making any attempt to answer it, or e1press a desire for a mediator, as %ob

had done. 'o 0ildad it was an unanswerable uestion, and perhaps he thought it gave

some kind of e1cuse for the sin, with which he and his friends had been accusingunhappy %ob.

'his moved %ob to open his mouth for the ninth time, in a speech longer than all the rest.&s their arguments for the prosecution were failing, his for the defence increased.

0ildads brief words had been of a gentler kind, but before %ob showed that he too canspeak in glowing terms of the greatness of God, he indulged in the sarcasms that fill

verses # and of %ob #A. 'o us it seems uite obvious that the speeches of the friends had

not been helpful nor saving nor wise, but %ob being human, he did not miss theopportunity to hurl these taunts at them. 3ther translations render the opening words of

verse , "'o whom," rather than, "8or whom." 'hat would mean that %ob wished them to

remember that though their words had been addressed to him, they had really been

speaking in the presence of God, and speaking moreover not in the right spirit.

)is description of Gods creatorial power is striking. Cerse in particular shows howthese early saints, living in the fear of God, as far as )e was then revealed, had a true and

simple knowledge of created things, far removed from the fantastic ideas entertained,even by the learned, when their minds had been darkened by lapsing into idolatry.

)e knew that God had wrought by )is 4pirit in garnishing the heavens, which is what

learned unbelievers would hardly admit today@ and at the same time he was conscious

that what was known in his day was only a part of )is ways, and his comment was,"What a whisper of a word do we hear of )im;"


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of )imself. Ben did not develop out of heathenism into the knowledge of God, but the

reverse. &s !omans 5 says "When they knew God, they glorified )im not as God@" and

again, "&s they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over . . . ")owever stubborn %ob was in his self-righteousness, and his friends were in their

thoughts, they did not e1clude God from their knowledge. )e was very present in their

thoughts.

'he opening words of Job 7 indicate that at this point %ob paused, e1pecting ophar tospeak@ and apparently he paused again at the end of %ob #2. 0ut no reply was

forthcoming. 'his was not surprising, for the man who bases his position on intuition has

a very restricted field of argument. 'he man who argues from his own observation mayhave had a wide field of vision and therefore a lot to put forward. 4o too, the man who

delves into past history and argues from tradition. 0ut the man who only urges what he

thinks, the ideas that he has intuitively formed, may urge them with great force in hisopinionated self-conceit@ but if his thoughts be rebutted, there is not much else he can say.

4o %ob resumed his discourse, striking a very solemn note, as taking an oath before God.In affirming his own integrity and truth he charged his friends with being the ones who

spoke falsehood and deceit, while he held fast his righteousness with the utmostresolution. 'his "righteousness," as %ob #F will show us, was concerned with his outward

conduct, for as yet the searching light of God had not entered his soul. )e had been

charged with being a deceiver and a hypocrite. )e knew he was not this, and he was notgoing to plead guilty to it for a moment. We too know that he was not, but outward

correctness does not in itself count for righteousness in the presence of God. %obs own

words here prove it, for the way he complains of God in verse # shows that his heart was

not right in )is sight.

In the rest of the chapter we find %ob enlarging upon the way God deals in 6udgment withthe hypocrite. )e had 6ust been virtually charging his friends with being hypocrites in

their accusations against him, so it would appear that his words were a warning to themthat such might be their fate, something akin to what had happened to him.

)e followed this - Job ( - with the remarkable words about mans search after wisdom.

In his days mining was practised: it may have been then a new pursuit, whether for iron

or copper, for gold or silver or gems. 'hey dig down, they divert the subterranean stream,they make paths untrodden by the strongest of beasts or the most keen-sighted of birds.

0ut in all this searching they never find wisdom. 'his is the uestion he raised in verse

5#, and he affirmed very rightly that it could not be found in these human activities. Ben

may discover much, and since %obs day they have discovered an immense deal more, butwisdom eludes them. If %ob could have been given a glimpse of mans activities and

discoveries in our atomic age, he would say the same, only with emphasis a huudred-fold

greater.

4o, "Where shall wisdom be found+" verse 5#$. %ob begins to answer this in verse #.

God, who understands it, knows its way, and has declared it to man, as verse #2 declares.

"'he fear of the 7ord, that is wisdom@ and to depart from evil is understanding. "In all the


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)aving uttered these sorrowful complaints, %ob closed his lengthy speech, as we see in

Job /1, by a series of asseverations almost amounting to oaths. )is friends had accused

him of definite sins and wrong-doing. &s to these things his conscience was clear, though,as we have seen, he admitted he was not pure in the sight of God. 4o he strongly affirmed

that he had not committed the kinds of evil that were alleged or insinuated.

'his chapter bears witness to the fact that before the law was given a high standard of

morality was still found among God-fearing men. & standard moreover which had regardnot only to the outward act but also to the inward motive that prompts the act: see, as

instances of this, he spoke of what he thought, or did not think, in verse 5@ of his heart

walking after his eyes, in verse @ and again, his heart being secretly enticed, in verse #@and of hiding his iniuity, and covering his sins, like &dam, in verse . 'his may remind

us of the 4ermon on the Bount@ particularly if we compare his words in verse E,

reali?ing that merely wishing a curse to his enemy would be a sin, with our 7ords wordsin Batthew D: #>

&gain, he knew that deceit and false witness was wrong@ see, verse D: that adultery waswrong@ see, verse F: that idolatry was wrong@ see, verses #A-#2@ since the worship of sun

and moon was the most primitive form that idolatry took. 4o also he knew that he was notto covet what his neighbour possessed, for in contrast he should be a giver to his

necessities, as we see in verses 5-##.

4o most evidently the standard of conduct that %ob had before him was a very high one,

and he felt he had rigidly observed it. )e knew too that there would be a day when Godwould rise up and visit and he asked, "What shall I answer )im+" verse 5>$. !eviewing

all these things, %ob felt he could call down a curse upon himself, if he had not observed

them: that on his land thistles might "grow instead of wheat, and cockle Htares instead of

barley." With this %ob also lapsed into silence.

'he end that the 7ord reached with %ob is made all the more striking by the fact that in

me main these assertions of his were correct. &t the outset %ehovah bore witness that he

was perfect and upright, and when finally )e intervened )e did not utter words ofcontradiction. It is 6ust this which imparts such tremendous force to the utter abasement

and self-condemnation that sprang from %obs lips, before he was blessed at the end of the

story.

Job /-/7

4ilence having fallen upon all four disputants, a fresh speaker appeared, and he too isintroduced to us in a way that shows we are considering a history and not a romance. )e

was descended from 0u?, who was a nephew of &braham, as Genesis ##: #5 shows. In

those early days after the flood, when population was small, the duplication of nameswould not be common.


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part of a mediator, and so become a type-though a faint one-of the true Bediator, the

7ord %esus 9hrist, who is God )imself. =lihu was truly a man, formed out of the clay and

he stood before %ob on Gods behalf, according to the desire that %ob e1pressed in %ob F:.

In Job / we have, what we may call, =lihus apology for speaking at all. &s a muchyounger man he had been content to listen to all these controversial speeches and in result

was moved to wrath against all four. %ob had 6ustified himself without 6ustifying God,while the others had condemned %ob without being able to answer his arguments. )e

acknowledged that normally men should increase in wisdom and understanding as they

increased in years, but neither greatness of reputation nor age guaranteed this, sincewisdom really comes to man through his spirit and as the fruit of the "inspiration," or

"breath" of the &lmighty. If the three friends had succeeded in convicting %ob, they would

have prided themselves on their own wisdom@ only God could do it. 'he closing words of verse 5 have been translated, " God will make him yield, not man."

=lihu also had the advantage which he mentioned in verse 5>. )e had not been involvedin the wordy warfare, hence he could view it all impartially, and speak in a way that

would not be flattering to any of the contestants. Boreover, having listened to all that had been said, he was so full of matter that it had to find an outlet and burst forth from him.

4o in the opening verses of Job //, we find him making two claims. 8irst, he asserts that

his words will be marked by uprightness and purity, as becomes one who has his being

and life from God. 4econd, that though he would speak on Gods behalf, he himself was aman, "formed of the clay," 6ust as %ob was, and hence, though %ob had said of God, "7et

not )is fear terrify me" %ob F: >$, what he had to say, as interpreting Gods ways, would

bring no terror to %obs spirit. =ven as our 7ord %esus became a Ban, thus bringing God

to us without any sense of terror.

In verse 2, =lihu began to challenge %ob in a direct way. )e had heard what %ob had

contended, and he summed it all up as being a repudiation of any accusation brought

against him as to transgression and iniuity, which of necessity involved, either directlyor indirectly, an accusation against God of hard dealing, if not in6ustice. In thus summing

up the whole position we can see, we think, that =lihu was not far wrong. 'he world

being as it is and what it is, if perfection be claimed for man, then obviously all the wrongthat e1ists must be blamed upon God.

In answer to %ob, =lihus first point is the supreme greatness of God. )ence striving

against )im is futile. It is man who is accountable to God, not God accountable to man.

7et us in our day never forget this.

0ut then in the second place, though God gives no account of )is matters, )e does speakto man, though so often man does not perceive it. &nd, having stated this, he proceeded to

indicate ways in which God does thus speak. )e may speak in a dream or a vision. )e

has often done so, as 4cripture records, and evidently )e does so still, particularly withsimple saints, who know but little of the 0ible, and possibly have but little of the 0ible in


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their native tongue. Where saints are instructed in and by the 0ible-a superior form of

guidance - dreams, in which God speaks, are comparatively rare. &nd, if God does thus

speak to a man in a dream: to what end is it+ 'o alter his course and to humble his prideinto the dust. & salutary word for %ob@ and for all of us.

God may also speak to a man by granting him some merciful deliverance when he isthreatened by disaster or war. 'his is mentioned in verse 52, and many of us can look

back to occasions when we received mercy of this sort, and we were conscious at oncethat God had something to say to us in it.

&nd yet again, God may speak through pain and sickness, which is so vividly described

in verses 5F-##, until the sufferer is brought face to face with death itself. We can seehow =lihus description of this e1actly fitted the case of %ob, and indeed not a few of us,

though our cases have not been nearly as e1treme as %obs. )ow often has a careless

sinner, when smitten thus, been led to turn to God and awakened for his eternal salvation.

)ow often too has a saint had to look back to a time of severe sickness as an occasion of

much spiritual blessing.

'hese times of emergency are the opportunity for the one whom =lihu called a

"messenger," an "interpreter," who can show what it is that God has to say in these things.

'hough such are not common, as indeed we know, they are of great value, and =lihucalled them, "one among a thousand," which indicates rarity. 'here may be many who

can commiserate and sometimes condemn the afflicted one, as did %obs three friends. 'o

give the mind of God is another and a greater thing.

When the interpreter has arrived what has he to say+ )e shows to a man his uprightness@

which is of course, to 6udge himself and hence honestly to take his place before God as a

self-confessed sinner. 'his %ob had not as yet done, but it is that to which he was ledwhen the end of the story is reached. It is the end we must all of us reach if we have to dowith God at all. )ave we, all of us, reached it+

When that point is reached, what is the result+ &n e1hibition of grace on Gods part,

resulting in deliverance from going into the pit, and that, because God )imself had found

a ransom. 'he word translated "ransom" here simply means a "covering," akin to theword translated, "atonement" in the 3ld 'estament. 0efore 9hrist came God covered

before )is holy eye the sin of the repentant sinner, waiting for the time when full

propitiation should be made in the all-sufficient sacrifice of 9hrist. )ence that wordabout "the remission Hpassing over - see, margin of sins that are past, through the

forbearance of God" !om. : #D$. 'hese past sins were those of pre-9hristian saints@

%obs among them.

Cerse #D had special reference to %obs case@ but verses #A-E have a wide application.'he ransomed sinner stands before God in righteousness and with 6oy and, as the ne1t

verses show, he can happily confess both his sin and his deliverance before men, as the

marginal reading of verse #2 shows. =lihus words here were instruction to %ob anddesigned to lead him to honest confession before God. 'hey are eually true for us, and


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that in a far more ample and perfect way, as we look back to the accomplished work of

9hrist.

In these remarkable words =lihu was certainly acting the part of the interpreter with %ob, by showing what is the good design of God in )is dealings, so adverse apparently, with

men. )e aims at delivering them from the "pit" of self-esteem and complacency in thislife, and the "pit" of 6udgment and condemnation in the life to come. )aving interpreted

Gods ways thus far =lihu evidently paused to see if at this point there was anything %obwished to say.

'here being no response on %obs part, =lihu resumed his discourse and, as %ob >: #

indicates, had a larger audience in view. )e addressed himself also to the three friendsand any other bystanders, challenging them as to whether they had the wisdom and

knowledge that would enable them to try words: and choose what is good and right. )e

knew well that the effect of sin is to pervert mans 6udgment and blind him to what is

right.

In keeping with the larger audience he began to speak about %ob rather than to %ob as

previously he had done. %ob does not appear to have said, "I am righteous," in so many

words@ he had rather inferred it by singing his own praises in the way recorded in %ob #F.

0ut, turning back to %ob #: #, we note he did definitely say, "God hath taken away my 6udgment." )ence his attitude clearly was, "4hould I lie against my right+"

)is "right" was, he maintained to be free of these calamities and he did not intend to say

otherwise. )is wound did indeed seem to be incurable but he maintained it was not provoked by any transgression on his part. Cerses D and A sum up %obs position, as =lihu

saw it. )e had not claimed to be sinless, but he did claim that he was guilty of no

transgression that 6ustified God in inflicting upon him such woes. In effect it came to this,that he was right, and God was wrong.

=lihu now shows that in all this %ob had really allied himself with the wicked. 'he

scorning of men he might drink up like water, but he could not so treat the 6udgment of

God. 'he absolute perfection and rightness of all Gods ways is what =lihu asserts@ a

matter of the greatest importance, seeing )e is supreme in all the earth. )e has "chargeover the earth," so that )e has "disposed the whole world." Cerse 5> has been translated,

"If )e only thought of )imself, and gathered unto )im )is spirit and )is breath@" then

the result would be that all flesh would e1pire together and man return to the dust. 4uch isthe greatness as well as the rightness of God.

)ence the argument of the succeeding verses. 4hould government be in the hands of the

un6ust+ &nd if in the hands of the &77-%ust, is what )e orders to be challenged+ Ben

would not speak thus to kings or princes. Buch less then to God. What )e orders must beright.

=lihu proceeds to speak of the searching 6udgment of God, which is uite impartial, the

rich being amenable to it eually with the poor Boreover there is "no darkness, nor


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shadow of death," where those who work evil may hide themselves. )e went on to assert

that Gods 6udgments are always right and that )e acts as seems good in )is sight,

breaking in pieces and overthrowing mighty men, yet on the other hand hearing the cry of the afflicted. )e may give uietness to the afflicted and who then can disturb it+ )e may

hide )is face from the wicked and who then can behold )im+ &nd this is true whether a

nation be in uestion or only an individual.

'he rest of this chapter is more directly a word to %ob. It would have been more becoming if he had humbly accepted the chastisement, admitting that there was iniuity

with him, of which he was ignorant, and as to which he needed God should teach him, so

that he should put right what was wrong. Instead of that he had challenged Gods 6udgment in favour of his own mind, and in so doing he had added to his sin rebellion

against God.

Job /&

It would seem that at this point =lihu paused again, and no answer being forthcoming, he proceeded further to e1pose the drift of %obs arguments. In claiming that he had

committed no sin that called for the enduring of such e1treme sufferings as had come

upon him, he had elevated his own righteousness above Gods, and inferred that there was

no profit in a life of piety. 'he answer to this would be of profit to %obs companions aswell as himself.

'he answer =lihu gave was based upon the supreme greatness of God as the 9reator.

8urther than this he could not go, but that knowledge he had in common with all menafter the flood. 8rom that primeval knowledge the mass of mankind soon departed, as

!omans 5: #E, #5, declares. (et the men we listen to in this book were e1ceptions to this

sad rule, and they retained this knowledge, and argued from it.

God was far above )is heavens, and so great that nothing wrong, perpetrated by punyman could hurt )im, and nothing that was right could be any addition to )im. 3ur

wrongs may be of damage to our fellow-men, and our right actions be of profit to them.

&nd if we wrong our fellows, they cry out in complaint, yet God is forgotten.


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hence though his words had been abundant they had been without knowledge. 'he

e1cellence of %obs outward life had betrayed him into an inward spirit of vanity, which

lay at the root of his lack of a true knowledge of himself. 'his we shall find %ob himselfconfessed, when we reach %ob >#: .

&gain it looks as if =lihu paused for a moment to see if %ob had any reply to make, butnone being forthcoming, he resumed his discourse the finish of which occupies %ob A

and %ob . )e commenced by saying that he had yet words to say on Gods behalf@ andas we read these two chapters we shall notice that he had little more to say to %ob about

his utterances, but he rather dwelt on the greatness and power of God, and on )is

righteous dealings with the sons of men. )e would "ascribe righteousness" to his 9reator.

)e proceeded to e1tol the way in which God, who is perfect in knowledge, deals both

with the wicked and the righteous. 8rom the latter )e does not withdraw )is eyes@ that is,

)e keeps them ever under observation, and ultimately )e e1alts them as kings. (et,

before that happy end is reached, )e may permit them to be "bound in fetters" and

"holden in cords of affliction," 6ust as poor %ob was at that moment. &nd, if )e does permit this, it is for a purpose, as is shown in verses F-55. : 5$. 'he early 9hristians mightescape suffering by sinning and so may we, if it is only a uestion of what may come

upon us from the world or the flesh or the devil.

)aving thus warned %ob, =lihu turned afresh to dwell upon the greatness of God as

evidenced in creation, and upon this theme the rest of his discourse dwells. articularlydid he consider the control e1ercised by the 9reator on that which lies wholly out of

mans control-the clouds, the winds, the thunder, the lightning, the rain, the snow, the

frost. &s these things came before his mind, he had to confess that his heart trembled andwas deeply moved.


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In our day men have made many discoveries and gained control of a sort over a few of

the subtle powers that lie in Gods wonderful creation, but the things =lihu mentioned

they cannot master. When, as he put it in verse F, "3ut of the south cometh thewhirlwind@ and cold out of the north," the cleverest of men can only accept the situation

and seek shelter or warmth, as the case may be.

=lihu recogni?ed that God ordered the weather with wise purpose, and what )e sends

may be, "for correction," i.e, discipline for wrongdoing@ or, "for )is land," i.e., tomaintain the ordinary productivity of the earth@ or, "for mercy," i.e., to effect some

merciful deliverance. 'his too had a bearing on %obs case.

%ob did not know, and none of us know, how God e1erts )is supreme power. 'he 7ord%esus displayed )is Godhead power when )e stilled the wind and waves on the 7ake of

Galilee. )e did so in mercy. =lihu ended his words with the assertion that with God, the

&lmighty, is "terrible ma6esty," and yet all )is doings are in 6ustice. )ence, however wise

of heart any of us-%ob included-may consider ourselves to be, our attitude before )im

should not be that of criticism and uestionings but of fear.

Job /( - )

'aking the place of the "interpreter" of Gods ways, that %ob might recogni?e what

"uprightness" demanded, =lihu closed his discourse on the lofty theme of the ma6esty andthe 6ustice of God, so the moment had come for *ivine intervention. )e is God, and

&lmighty, as the closing verses of %ob declared: )e is also %ehovah, and )e spoke out

of the whirlwind, to which =lihu had also alluded.

It is remarkable too that =lihu had spoken of the "noise," or "roar" of ")is voice." Wind

is not visible@ yet in violent motion, men feel its pressure and hear its roar. &s thewhirlwind approached and its pressure was felt, its roar was the voice of %ehovah

)imself. )is words were addressed specially and only to %ob. Whether what )e said wasintelligible to others, we are not told. 0rought face to face with %ehovah, %ob had to

recogni?e that all his many words had darkened and not shed light upon the matter in

dispute.

If we refer back to the beginning of %ob #, we may remind ourselves that %ob in a self-confident way had e1pressed his wish to get into contact with God, feeling sure that he

could order his cause before )im, and fill his mouth with arguments, and know the words

in which God would answer him. 'he moment had come now for his wish to be fulfilled,

and %ehovah bids him gird up his loins like a man, and be prepared to answer the voice of God. 'he uestionings now should come from God. 'hey begin with verse >.

'he words of %ehovah fill four chapters, with a brief interlude at the opening of %ob >E.

Kuestion after uestion is propounded for %ob to consider and answer, if he could@ and allare concerned with the mighty power that had acted in creation. 3nce more we see that

only the primeval revelation of God is assumed. If, as some think, Boses wrote this book,

he wrote of things that happened before the law was given, or, at least, of circles where


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the law was not known. We are reminded of what we read in !omans #: 5#-5D, as we

notice that "the work of the law" was written in the heart of %ob. %ehovah 6udged him in

the light of what he knew, and as )e did so, we shall discover how %obs conscience borewitness and his thoughts which had been e1cusing him began to accuse him. 'he law did

not make men responsible, it only heightened their responsibility.

In verses >-2 of %ob 2, the 7ord asserts )is own greatness and %obs insignificance in

the light of )is mighty creatorial acts. )e started with )is founding of the earth, whichoccasioned 6ubilation among angelic beings, who witnessed it@ and then )e proceeded to

speak of the seas breaking forth, though in darkness, and then light appearing so that

there was a dayspring as well as darkness. &fter that came mention of the wonders ofsnow and hail and rain, as well as the wonders displayed in the stars, the constellations

and the ordinances of heaven. We cannot but be reminded of the early part of Genesis 5,

down to the point where we read, ")e made the stars also." What did %ob know of thesethings+ )ad he entered into the springs of the sea+ 3r had the gates of death opened to

him+

8rom verse 2 and through Job / the uestions refer to animals and birds, the creation

of which is related in the latter part of Genesis 5. )ere again, if carefully considered,wonders innumerable confront us, and uestions were raised that %ob could not answer.

4o, in the opening verses of %ob >E, %ehovah challenged %ob about it and %ob at once

capitulated. )e acknowledged that he had spoken too much and that now silence became

him. 0efore his 9reator, he reali?ed he was vile.

0ut the conviction that now had sei?ed %ob had to be driven into him yet more deeply.

)ence again he was challenged. )e had been guilty of disannulling the 6udgment of God,

and condemning )im in order to maintain his own righteousness. 'his was really a verygreat sin, and in verses F-5> he is condemned in a most searching way. Ironic language isused. 7et him not contend with God but rather turn his attention to the proud and

powerful among men, and abase such@ then it might be admitted that he could save

himself.

8rom verse 5D to the end of Job )1, the 7ord makes further reference to the wonders of)is creation. )e called %obs attention to behemoth and to leviathan- probably the

hippopotamus and the crocodile. 'hey had brute strength but no human intelligence. It

would be more easy to subdue them than to bring down proud man. In %obs day humaninventions had hardly begun, so this was probably not so apparent as it is in our day,

when these mighty creatures are easily subdued-but not so, proud man;

%ob however could not tackle leviathan or behemoth, nor could he subdue proud man.

)ow then could he contend with God+ 'his was powerfully driven home into his heart.

Job )


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well as our good. 'he great e1ample of this, unapproached by all else, is of course the

9ross. 'o accomplish that, 4atan entered into %udas Iscariot. 3f such e1treme importance

was it in his eyes that he allowed no lesser demon to deputi?e for him. (et he was helpingon his own overthrow for referring to )is 9ross, the 7ord %esus said,


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&bout these earlier sons and daughters %ob had been continually concerned as the first

chapter of the book bears witness. &cting as priest of his family he had continually

offered sacrifices on their behalf. 'hey were outwardly God-fearing for %ob did not fearthat they cursed God with their lips, but he thought they might have done so in their

hearts. (et in spite of this all of them, and all together, they had been swept out of life in a

moment. 4o in this striking way it was intimated that another world does e1ist into whichtheir spirits had entered, that the resurrection, as to which %ob had reasoned and debated

in %ob 5>, would be reached in due season, and that %ob would meet them again.

We are not told in so many words that all this was plain to %ob, but we assume that God,

who so kindly gave this intimation, gave him the ability to perceive it. It must haveconfirmed his faith in resurrection on the one hand and comforted his heart on the other.

It has, we trust brought comfort to many a heart beside %obs. When full of days %ob

ended his long life, he must have looked back upon this time of unparalleled testing,through which he had to pass, as being but a dark tunnel leading into bright sunshine a

time of outward disaster but of inward enrichment. 'hat it was so, such a scripture as

=?ekiel 5>: 5> bears witness. )e is held up as a shining e1ample, together with

Job-F B Hole

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