_There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job._ THE CHARACTER OF JOB There are serious and devout persons who regard the Book of Job as a work of imagination, and refer it to the age of Solomon. They point out that the subject discussed is precisely that which agitated the mind of Solomon,... [ Continue Reading ]
_And his sons went and feasted in their houses._ THE FAMILY MEETING AND THE FAMILY SACRIFICE I. The festive meeting. “And his sons went,” etc. 1. It was a united family. There were no schisms in that body. The sons had all grown up, had their own houses, their own lands, and their own flocks and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now there was a day._ A FATAL DAY 1. That Satan observeth and watcheth his time to fasten his temptations most strongly upon the soul. He watcheth a day, “there was a day,” and there was not a day in the whole year upon which he could have done it with greater advantage than upon that day. As the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Doth Job fear God for nought?_ THE DEVIL’S SNEER There is very much distrust abroad, and unfortunately too much warrant for distrust, touching the sincerity of people in general. The devil has his fling at even one of the best of men here in this opening chapter of the drama of Job. As is readily... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hast not Thou made an hedge about him?_ HEDGES (To children):--Satan held that Job was such a good man just because God took such special care of him. Now, Satan very often says that of good men; and some of us have been guilty of repeating it. We are so apt to think that God has made It hedge to... [ Continue Reading ]
_But put forth Thine hand now._ CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS HYPOCRISY There are two kinds of hypocrisy in the world--conscious hypocrisy and unconscious. Of conscious hypocrisy it is not our intention to speak; we would fain believe that deliberate hypocrisy is as rare as deliberate atheism. We do no... [ Continue Reading ]
_So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord _ THE FOE OF FOES I. The enthusiasm of his malignity. No sooner does he receive permission than he begins in terrible earnestness. He does not seem to have lost a moment. Like a hungry vulture in a carrioned atmosphere, he pounces down upon his vic... [ Continue Reading ]
_While he was yet speaking there came also another._ THE CALAMITIES OF JOB I. Many agents are watching for opportunities to injure us, but are restrained by the power of God. These may be divided into the visible and invisible. There are the invisible, those fallen spirits, of whose apostasy and ac... [ Continue Reading ]
_And worshipped._ THE GRAND VICTORY This is the grandest scene that human nature has ever presented. The world had never seen anything to compare to it. The greatest conqueror that ever won his triumph in Rome was as a pigmy beside the giant. I. The triumph of mind over matter. Job’s soul seems t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither._ JOB’S RESIGNATION Job was very much troubled, and did not try to hide the outward signs of his sorrow. A man of God is not expected to be a stoic. The grace of God takes away the heart of stone out of his flesh, but it does n... [ Continue Reading ]
_In all this Job sinned not._ PIOUS RESIGNATION “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” I. Consider the nature of pious resignation to the will of God, in His afflictive dispensations towards us, as represented in what Job did upon the present occasion. The greatest favourites of... [ Continue Reading ]